The papers in the case were forwarded for the action of the board by your indorsement of December 15, 1892. A public hearing was had in this case January 16, 1893, notice of which had been given by advertisement and by circular letters to parties in interest. Mr. Burr, counsel for the petitioners, was present and made a verbal statement to the board of the special reasons why the application was made, which reasons, stated briefly, are that the extension of the piers of the petitioners beyond the lines established by the State in 1857 was made in ignorance of the exact limitations of those lines, and that the removal now of the offending pierheads would subject the petitioners to severe and unnecessary damage. The water front upon which the property of the petitioners lies embraces that part of the east shore of the eastern channel at Blackwells Island which extends from Robertson street eastward to and beyond the "cofferdam" for railroad abutment near Graham avenue in the town of Ravenswood. On September 1, 1892, there was referred to the board for consideration an application by Mr. H. H. Wotherspoon, of Ravenswood, N. Y., asking that the legal harbor lines on his front be extended outward to the extreme end of his pier, so as to legalize that construction. As the construction referred to was a local and isolated projection beyond longestablished harbor lines, the board did not deem it expedient to recommend any modification in those lines. The board believes, from the papers before it, that the encroachments built upon the eastern channel prior to 1890, as recited by the petitioners, were made ignorantly and without willful violation of State law, and that the petitioners are entitled to a considerate hearing. The lines recommended by the board in its original report, dated February 18, 1890, were intended to be those previously established by the State act in 1857. These lines were laid out upon unoccupied shore, and no attempt was made by the State act to define them by exact description or to establish their exact location by reference to an illustrative map showing offsets drawn from fixed base lines. These omissions opened the way for errors in the subsequent estab lishing of lines upon separate fronts, especially as the law provided no particular surveyor whose duty it should be to make surveys with the view of locating the outer ends of piers on application of riparian owners. The board is of the opinion that the rigorous adherence now to the State lines of 1857, reëstablished by the United States in 1890, requiring the cutting off of these encroaching parts of existing piers, will occasion great expense to riparian owners. The board has disapproved modifications of existing lines at other places when it was manifest that by so doing navigable waters would be seriously threatened, but in the present instance the board, after a careful hearing of the petitioners, is of the opinion that the riparian owners have reasonable grounds for their application. In view, therefore, of the foregoing statements in regard to the imperfections of the charts upon which the original State lines of 1857 were delineated, leading to subsequent inaccurate location of piers at different times by different surveyors, without provision for adequate supervision, and in view also of the probable removal of the outlying shoal by riparian holders for the efficient occupancy of their water fronts, the board recommends that the pierhead and bulkhead lines from Robertson street to Graham avenue at Ravenswood be extended outwards so as to embrace the pierheads of all piers now built upon that front. The modifications which are recommended may be described as follows: Beginning at a point in the pier and bulkhead line approved by the Secretary of War February 8, 1890, in the westerly extension of the north side of Robertson street 500 feet from the westerly side of Vernon avenue; thence in a straight line to a point in the westerly extension of the north side of Babbitt street, 530 feet from the west side of Vernon avenue; thence in a straight line to a point in the westerly extension of the north side of Noble street, 656 feet from the west side of Vernon avenue; thence in a straight line to a point in the westerly extension of the north side of Webster avenue, 690 feet from the west side of Vernon avenue; thence in a straight line to a point in the westerly extension of the south side of Pierce avenue, 625 feet from the west side of Vernon avenue; thence in a straight line to a point in the extension of the north side of Graham avenue, 505 feet from the west side of Vernon avenue; thence in a curve for the distance of about 400 feet until it meets the pier and bulkhead line approved by the Secretary of War March 4, 1890. The modification of the lines herein recommended are shown upon an accompanying tracing.* A separate map* is sent showing the relations which the new lines will bear to those established by the Secretary of War March 4, 1890. Respectfully submitted. WM. P. CRAIGHILL, Colonel, Corps of Engineers. C. B. COMSTOCK, Colonel of Engineers, Bet. Brig. Gen., U. S. A.. D. C. HOUSTON, Colonel of Engineers.. G. L. GILLESPIE, Lieut. Col. of Engineers [First indorsement.] OFFICE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, Respectfully submitted to the Secretary of War. U.S. ARMY, January 24, 1893. The harbor line board for New York Harbor and adjacent waters, having had under consideration the subject of harbor lines on the east shore of East River at Ravenswood, N. Y., submits the within report, recommending the adoption of modified harbor lines at that locality as shown on the accompanying tracing. It is recommended that the views of the board and the modified lines suggested be approved and that the Secretary place his approval both upon this report and the accompanying tracing. THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers. [Second indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, June 1, 1893. The modification in the pierhead and bulkhead lines, recommended by the New York harbor line board in the within report and indicated in a full black line on the accompanying tracing, is approved. DANIEL S. LAMONT, * Omitted. APPENDIX F. IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS AND HARBORS IN SOUTHWESTERN PART OF LONG ISLAND AND NEAR STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, AND IN NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY. REPORT OF CAPT. THOMAS L. CASEY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1893, WITH OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE WORKS. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith my annual report on the works of river and harbor improvement in my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, THOS. L. CASEY, Captain, Corps of Engineers. Brig. Gen. THOMAS L. CASEY, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. F 1. IMPROVEMENT OF SUMPAWANUS INLET, NEW YORK. Sumpawanus Inlet, known in the neighborhood and on the Coast Survey charts as Sumpawams Creek, is a small creek on the south side Long Island, emptying into the Great South Bay. It lies about 36 miles east of New York City, 15 miles east of the western end of Great South Bay, and nearly twice as far from its eastern end. The project of improvement provides for dredging a channel 150 feet wide and 5 feet deep at mean low water from the 5-foot curve in the bay to the steamboat dock at the mouth of the creek, a distance of about 1,500 feet, and thence 5 feet deep and 100 feet wide up the inlet to the town of Babylon, a distance of about 3,500 feet farther. The estimated cost of making this improvement is $23,115. Of this amount $7,000 has been appropriated, the last allotment being included in the act of August 2, 1882. Ten thousand dollars can be expended in giving a 5-foot channel out into the bay for the use of steamboats, but I think that the work is more a matter of local than public interest. This work is in the collection district of New York, which is the nearest port of · entry. Nearest light-house, Fire Island Light; nearest fort, Fort Hamilton." The amount of revenue collected at the port of New York during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $138,032,031.18. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... $16, 115.00 10, 000.00 COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. The following statistics relative to the commerce of Sumpawanus Inlet, New York, during the year ending December 31, 1892, were kindly furnished by Hon. James B. Cooper, justice of the peace, Babylon, L. I.: This table shows a decrease of 7 tons when compared with that given for calendaryear 1891. |