During the past year 44,633 cubic yards of material have been removed from these channels. Thirty-five thousand dollars is asked for next year to continue the diking of the tidal basin and to maintain a channel from the bay to the inner harbor. July 1, 1884, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. $8 63 10,000 00 10,008 63 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884............ 9,309 61 July 1, 1885, amount available ... 699 02 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. 113,500 00 35,000 00 (See Appendix D 19.) 20. Newtown Creek, New York.-This is a tidal stream about 4 miles long, running through the eastern part of Brooklyn and emptying into the East River, opposite Thirty-fourth street, New York City. It had originally a depth of but 124 feet at low water from its mouth up to Vernon Avenue Bridge, a distance of 1,100 feet, its width for this distance being about 240 feet; thence it gradually decreased in depth and width until at the head of navigation, where Metropolitan avenue crosses it, there was a low-water depth of about 4 feet and a width of about 100 feet. In 1880 it was decided to dredge a channel about 200 feet wide and from 18 to 21 feet deep at low water from the mouth of the creek up to Vernon Avenue Bridge, the estimated cost of which was $44,050. In 1884 a survey was made and a project adopted for carrying the improvement from the Vernon Avenue Bridge to the head of navigation, a distance of about 4 miles, with a depth of 18 feet and a width of 175 feet from Vernon Avenue Bridge to the Central Oil Works; thence to Queens County Oil Works, 15 feet deep and from 120 to 150 feet in width; thence to the Nichols Chemical Works, 12 feet deep and from 125 to 150 feet wide; and thence to the head of navigation in both branches, namely, the points where they are crossed by the Metropolitan Avenue Bridges, 10 feet deep and from 100 to 125 feet wide. The estimated cost of this improvement was $211,519, making the total estimated cost of the projected improvement of Newtown Creek $255,569, of which $45,000 have been appropriated. The improved channel below Vernon Avenue Bridge had on the 30th of June, 1884, a width varying from 75 feet at the Vernon Avenue Bridge to 150 feet at the mouth of the creek, with a uniform depth of 18 feet. During the past year a part of the appropriation of July 5, 1884, has been applied to widening the channels at the head of navigation and to deepening them to 10 feet, and the remainder will be applied to widening and deepening the channel below Vernon Avenue Bridge. Owing to there being no fall to the creek and to its being the receptacle for all the refuse from the factories, refineries, and slaughter-houses of the east of Brooklyn, constant deposits are forming in it, which will necessitate annual dredging, probably even after the project has been completed. The banks at the head are low and marshy, and so soft that they wash off into the channel when dredged. However, the commerce of the creek is so large, thousands of vessels passing through the Vernon avenue draw in 1884, that the proposed improvement should be pushed for at least 3 miles up as rapidly as possible, and $100,000 can be well applied there in the next fiscal year. July 1, 1884, amount available..... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884.. July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities................ July 1, 1885, amount available 210,569 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. (See Appendix D 20.) 21. Buttermilk Channel, New York. This channel lies in front of the city of Brooklyn, between Long Island and Governor's Island, in New York Harbor. It is obstructed at its junction with the East River by a large shoal, with a minimum depth of water on it of 9 feet at mean low water, which lies directly in the track of navigation and so near the wharves as to make it unsafe to attempt to handle large vessels in the intermediate space. The original project for the improvement of this channel, adopted in 1881, provided for the removal down to 26 feet below mean low water of such parts of the shoals as came within 850 feet of the wharves. The estimated cost of this work was $210,000, of which $190,000 have been appropriated. The channel has been widened to the full width proposed, and deepened in some places to 24 feet, but in most parts to 26 feet. The operations this year consisted in deepening those parts of this channel which were less than 26 feet deep. No survey has been made since the dredging was completed, so that it cannot be definitely stated whether a depth of 26 feet has been gained all over it or not. It is evident, however, that the channel is not yet wide enough and that it should be made at least 300 feet wider. To determine the exact cost of this a survey should be made. Twenty thousand dollars is yet needed to complete the work under the original project, but in order to begin the further widening of this channel it is recommended that $50,000 be appropriated. July 1, 1884, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 ... $658 11 10,000 00 10, 658 11 10, 333 14 July 1, 1885, amount available 324 97 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... harbor acts of 1867 and 1867. (See Appendix D 21.) Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1887 20, 000 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and 20,000 00 22. Gowanus Bay, New York.-The depth of water in the channel of 'Gowanus Bay and Creek was originally only from 7 to 12 feet at mean low water, which was wholly insufficient for the wants of vessels employed in the commerce of the district. The plan of improvement adopted in 1881 provided for deepening the channel to 18 feet from the 18-foot contour in the bay to the draw-bridge at Hamilton avenue. The estimated cost of this work was $182,850. In 1884 it was decided to dredge the existing channel from Hamilton avenue down to the southwest corner of the Erie Basin, and from that point to divide it into two branches extending to deep water, one running northerly toward Red Hook and the other running southerly along the wharf-front. This increased the estimate of cost to $192,564.90, of which $65,000 have been already appropriated. The funds available. during the past year have been applied to widening the channels already dredged. Since the beginning of work under this project a channel 18 feet deep and varying in width from 50 feet at the upper end to 200 feet at the lower end has been dredged from a point about 2,100 feet below the Hamilton Avenue Bridge to the 18-foot curve in the bay, along the west side of the Erie Basin, a total distance of 6,000 feet; also a channel 18 feet deep and 200 feet wide commencing at the 18-foot curve in the bay on the southern side of the proposed channels and running northward 1,900 feet towards the Erie Basin. Fifty thousand dollars could be profitably expended upon this improvement in the coming fiscal year. July 1, 1884, amount available....... $213 87 Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 5,000 00 5,213 87 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884...... 5,046 13 July 1, 1885, amount available .... 167 74 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1887 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. 127,564 90 50,000 00 (See Appendix D 22.) 23. Harlem River, New York.-The survey of this work was directed by an act of Congress approved June 23, 1874, and was made in the fall of that year under the direction of General Newton. The preliminary report upon it was made February 18, 1875, and a final report was given in General Newton's Annual Report for 1884. It provides for securing a channel from the Hudson River through Spuyten Duyvel Creek and the Harlem River to the East River, 15 feet deep at low water and 400 feet wide, except in the cut which is to be made through Dyckman's Meadow, where the width, for the sake of economy, is to be reduced to 350 feet. The estimated cost of this work is $2,700,000, of which $400,000 have been already appropriated, but with the condition attached that no part of it is to be expended until the right of way for the improvement is secured without cost to the United States. Under an act of the legislature of the State of New York all expenses incurred in securing this right of way and in paying for land damages are to be assessed upon the property bordering on the line of the proposed improvement. The report of the Commissioners appointed by the supreme court or the State of New York to secure the right of way free of cost to the United States is still awaiting the action of the court, as stated in the last Annual Report. July 1, 1884, amount available July 1, 1885, amount available $400,000 00 400,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... 2,300, 000 00 Submitted in compliance with requirement of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix D 23.) 24. Hudson River, New York.-The improvement of the channels of this river has been chiefly confined to a stretch of about 21 miles, lying between New Baltimore and Troy, N. Y. Before the present scheme of improvement was adopted, in 1867, 7.5 feet of water could be carried from New Baltimore to Albany, and 7.2 feet from Albany to Troy, at low water. According to the survey made in September, October, and November, 1884, 10 feet could then be carried from New Baltimore to Albany, except at one point, Beacon Island, where there was a depth of 8.8 feet at mean low water, and 8 feet could be carried from Albany to Troy, except at Covil's Folly and Patroon's Island, where there was 7.8 and 7.5 feet, respectively, at low water. It is believed that the channels over these shoals have since been deepened by the dredges employed by the State. The project for the improvement of the river adopted in 1867 was to secure, by means of longitudinal dikes and dredging, channels 11 feet deep between New Baltimore and Albany, and 9 feet deep between Albany and Troy, at mean low water. The original estimated cost was increased by the addition of new work in 1868, and again in 1882, when the total cost for obtaining the depth proposed in the original project was estimated at $1,062,304, of which $1,027,288 have been appropriated, leaving $35,102.46 still to be appropriated. The State authorities have done constant dredging in the channels since the project was adopted. During the past fiscal year operations have been confined to the completion of the removal of Austin's Rock, and to making a thorough resurvey of the river from the railroad bridge at Troy to Stone House Bar, just above New Baltimore. The results of this survey will be made the subject of a special report. Thirty-five thousand dollars is asked for the continuation of the work for next year, which, with the balance on hand, will be used in repairing dikes, dredging, and removing rocky obstructions. July 1, 1884, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884.. July 1, 1885, amount available .......... 31,570 74 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.......... (See Appendix D 24.) 25. Harbor at Rondout, New York.-The original condition of the navigable channel of this harbor showed a depth of about 7 feet at mean low water. A project adopted in 1872 provided for the construction of two parallel dikes running from the mouth of the creek into the Hudson River, a branch dike on the north side to direct the current of the river and protect the dikes from running ice, and such dredging in the channel as would secure a depth of 133 feet at mean low water. The original estimate for this work was $172,000, subsequently modified to $104,000, of which $94,000 have been appropriated. The project has virtually been completed. Ten thousand dollars are asked to widen the outlet between the dikes in accordance with the original project. During the fiscal year the work has consisted in removing 150 linear feet of the old dike, putting in spring piles and in dredging three small bars in the channel, so as to give a depth of 13 feet over them. July 1, 1884, amount available $760 03 Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. 1,000 00 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 1,760 03 1,699 67 July 1, 1885, amount available .......... 60 36 10,000 00 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. (See Appendix D 25.) 10, 000 00 26. Harbor at Saugerties, New York.-To comply with the requirements of the river and harbor act of August 2, 1882, two projects for the improvement of this harbor by the construction of parallel dikes and dredging were submitted November 28, 1883. For one plan the estimated cost was $44,538,28. For a second plan the estimated cost was $43,113.50. In view of the fact that the State of New York had undertaken to make some improvement here, it was decided not to commence work at once, but to wait until further examination could be made. An examination will be made shortly. The only appropriation ever made by the United States for the improvement of this harbor was approved July 5, 1884, for $5,000, of which $4,955.95 is available. Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884.. July 1, 1885, amount available.. (See Appendix D 26.) $5,000 00 44 05 4,955 95 27. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation-Measures looking to the removal of the wreck of the schooner Jane, in the Eastern Channel of New Haven Harbor, by publishing a notice to the owners, as required by section 4 of the river and harbor act of June 14, 1880, having been taken and no reply received, proposals were invited for its removal, a contract entered into, and the wreck completely removed June 27, 1885, at a cost of $556.19. (See Appendix D 27.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF THE RIVER AND HARBOR ACT OF JULY 5, 1884. The following locality was examined by the local engineer in charge and not recommended for improvement: 1. Horton's Point near Dutch Pond Point for a breakwater.-Report |