The "draught, number, character, &c., of craft which sail the river" are as follows: Say three to five schooners, and two sloops with capacities of 30 to 80 tons with 5 to 64 feet draught water. Three to five barges with capacities of 100 to 250 tons, 3 to 6 feet draught water. One iron propeller steamboat 200 tons capacity, and drawing 6 feet water. Respectfully submitting the above, we are, very truly, PHILADELPHIA AND SMYRNA TRANSPORTATION COMPANY. General WM. F. SMITH, United States Agent. H 5. IMPROVEMENT OF SAINT JONES RIVER, DELAWARE. A project for deepening and straightening the channel, including a straight cut across one bend from the head of navigation at Dover, Del. to the bar at the mouth of the river, was approved, and a contract was entered into with Mr. Thomas Draper, of Dover, Del., on the 24th of December, 1884. Before this was done two companies incorporated to improve the river under State laws ceded their rights to the United States, and a title to the land through which the cut was made was also made to the United States free of charge. The work was commenced late, owing to delays in building a new dredge. Saint Jones River is in the collection district of Delaware, the nearest port of entry being Wilmington, Del., at which the revenue collected during the past fiscal year amounted to $21,147.95. Fort Delaware is the nearest fort, and Mahon's River Light is the nearest light-house. Total amount appropriated to June 30, 1885.. Total amount expended to June 30, 1885 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884. $15,000 00 837 89 $4,892 10 10,000 00 14,882 10 719 99 14, 162 11 July 1, 1885, amount available... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. 20, 000 00 20,000 00 Abstract of proposals received for dredging in Saint Jones River, Delaware, and opened December 16, 1884, by General William F. Smith, United States agent. COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. Dover, Del., July 16, 1885. DEAR SIR: At your request I herewith transmit to you, as nearly as I well can, a statistical account of the business and shipping interest of Saint Jones River for the year ending June 30, 1885. In addition to the above, there are many minor matters, such as poultry, eggs, fish. and oysters, that I have not taken in the account that would very greatly advanc the above amounts. There are trading regularly in Saint Jones River seven schooner-rigged vessels, ag gregating about 500 tons burden, beside many transient ones, and one tug-boat; and I have no doubt the fleet will be very much increased when our improvements are com pleted. General W. F. SMITH. H 6. THOMAS DRAPER. IMPROVEMENT OF MISPILLION CREEK, DELAWARE. No work has been done on the improvement of this creek during the past fiscal year. The improvement was begun in 1879 under a project to obtain a mean low-water channel of 6 feet in depth and 40 feet in width from Milford, Del., to the bar at the mouth of the creek, which project has not been changed. This work is in the collection district of Delaware, with Wilmington as its nearest port of entry, at which the revenue collected during the past fiscal year was $21,147.95. The nearest light-house is Mispillion Light, and Fort Delaware is the nearest fort. Total amount appropriated to June 30, 1884.......... Total amount expended to June 30, 1884..... Money statement. Amount (estimated) required for completion of exsiting project..... Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. $13,000 13,000 858,500 00 COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. Milford, Del., July 4, 1885. DEAR SIR: From different sources I learn that the freight in aggregate carried in and out Mispillion Creek and back is from $45,000 to $50,000. This is much smaller than formerly. The railroad carries largely; and, further, the creek needs cleaning out. Work was begun some years ago, but the appropriations were too small for the work contemplated. About eight or ten vessels, 50 to 100 tons average-I am told 80 tons; draught, 5 feet 3 inches. A steamboat has lately been put on and reports a very profitable business in the matter of freights. The present is unusually dull, no vessels being built. Generally four or five on the stocks, some for foreign trade, of tonnage 800 to 1,000. I would advise you to consult Mr. Ludlow, of Philadelphia, who was formerly in charge of this department. He has surveys and estimates of this river. We think it should be represented to the authorities as a river. The Mispillion has always been regarded as of great importance by Philadelphia. It is one of the best harbors between the Breakwater and Philadelphia. The early history of this improvement is given in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1881, beginning at page 780. With the approval of the Chief of Engineers examinations were begun about the 20th of November, 1884, and continued to February 7, 1885, to determine at what point, if any, on the southern shore of Delaware Bay the effect of the storms and waves was to cut into the shore in place of adding to it. Such a place was found opposite a point on Lewes Creek, about 1,600 feet above its junction with the Broadkiln River. Should this action be lasting, it will eventually give a new mouth to the Broadkiln River and would naturally be selected as a point for the jetty heretofore recommended for deepening the channel from the Broadkiln River into Delaware Bay. Upon the representation of some of the prominent citizens of Milton, and with the authority of the Department, an examination of the river from Lewes Creek to Milton was made to ascertain the present condition of the channel and see what filling-in had taken place since the last improvement was made in 1874. The examination showed that at all the places dredged in 1874 the channel is still in good condition, very little filling-in having taken place. A project was then submitted and approved to dredge to give the channel a minimum width of 40 feet and a depth of 6 feet at mean low water, also cutting off some sharp bends which seriously interfere with navigation. This, when carried out, will allow vessels to proceed up or down the river at all stages of the tide and save much loss of time to vessels dropping down from Milton. The proposals for doing the work will be opened July 16, 1885. The work is in the collection district of Delaware, Wilmington being its nearest port of entry: The amount of revenue collected here was $21,147.95 during the past fiscal year. The nearest fort and light-house are, respectively, Fort Delaware and Delaware Breakwater Light. Amount appropriated to June 30, 1885 $25,000 00 11,745 92 Money statement. July 1, 1884, amount available.. July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884.... $13,977 58 23.30 July 1, 1885, amount available.... 13,254 08 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. 31,500 00 IMPROVEMENT OF BROAD CREEK FROM ITS MOUTH TO LAUREL, DEL AWARE. The history of this improvement and of the existing project are given in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1883. No appropriation has been made since then and no work has been done. Money statement. Amount (estimated) for completion of existing project $32,000 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. 20,000 COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. DEAR SIR: In reply to your communication to Mr. Benjamin F. Fooks, dated June 24, we, citizens of Laurel, interested in the improvement of Broad Creek, would respectfully represent: That the appropriation already expended on the creek has been of great advantage to us in widening and deepening the channel of said creek for the greater part of its course, but fails in performing what was intended, in that the appropriation was all expended before the business portion of the town was reached, and left about one-fourth of a mile of the creek with no improvement whatever in the channel. As the appropriation failed to improve the channel to the head of navigation, there was no basin dug for vessels to turn in, and they now, as before, have to stop at Bethel, 3 miles below us, and all our produce and merchandise have to be lightered to and from our town. This leaves us in practically the same condition as before, in that it does not lessen the cost of transportation, although it greatly benefits us in enabling us to move our lighters at any time, while before the improvenent we were only able to do so at extreme high water. Had the improvement been continued to completion, we believe that by this time our imports and exports by water would have been double what they were when the work commenced, and that ship-building would again have been begun on the same extensive scale as it was caried on a few years ago, but which has ceased entirely on account of the vast trouble and expense of floating the vessels to deep water, and that we would have regained our shipping trade in grain, lumber, wood, &c., which the increased cost of shipping, caused by our poor water communication, has driven from this place to those points which, by more liberal appropriations from Congress, have been made capable of shipping the same at less cost. From statistics, carefully prepared about the time Congress made our first appropriation, it was found that there were owned and controlled by citizens of Laurel and he country bordering on Broad Creek thirty-three vessels, with a carrying capacity of 5,438 tons. Since that time some few have been lost, but others have been built, and we believe the number and tonnage will remain about the same. At that time there were thirty-one water-mills and twenty-four steam-mills making lumber, for which Laurel would be the most convenient market. The number of steam-mills has been increased, but our disadvantage in water communication has driven the greater portion of the lumber to other markets. The country fed by Broad Creek extends east 20 miles from Bethel, with an average width of 15 miles, making 300 square miles of territory, which was estimated to import each year $500,000 worth of merchandise; $45,000, fertilizers; $5,000, lime and bricks; $2,000, coal, and to export 120,000 bushels grain, 16,000,000 feet lumber, 10,000 cords wood, 200,000 dozen eggs, and 100,000 pounds poultry. In addition to this is our extensive shipment of fruit, which will average 150,000 baskets peaches, apples, and pears, over 200,000 quarts berries, 1,000 barrels potatoes, and 28,000 melons, much of which would be sent by Broad Creek would the water communication permit the running of steamers. We believe that if Congress would give us $15,000 more it would complete the work and give us the same advantages that are enjoyed by our neighboring towns. We will cite you to the town of Salisbury. Before Congress made an appropriation for deepening Wicomico River her navigation was as poor as ours, but liberal appropriations have made the stream navigable and Salisbury is enabled to offer advantages to shippers that we cannot, and has succeeded in drawing largely our trade from us. Believing that our Government does not wish to benefit one section at the expense of another, and believing that the amount necessary to complete the work is small in comparison to the great benefit this section would derive from the improvement, we respectfully but earnestly request you to use your influence in obtaining for us the necessary appropriation required to widen and deepen Broad Creek to the head of the [Signed by J. L. Long and fifty-nine others.] stream. WM. F. SMITH, Esq., Ú. S. Agent. H 9. IMPROVEMENT OF INDIAN RIVER, DELAWARE. The original project for the improvement of this river contemplated a cut through the Bulkhead Shoal, and from thence to the inlet to the ocean with the necessary dikes. For this an estimate was made of $50,000, as a sufficient sum. In 1882 an appropriation of $10,000 was made for the river, and to expend it a project was submitted and approved for dredging through the Bulkhead Shoal, and under this a contract was made by which a channel of 80 feet wide and 4 feet deep at |