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stream, without first obtaining the consent of Congress and the apval of the plans of the bridge, and on the other, of the United States mitting such construction without such consent and approval. should add that efforts have been made in the legislature of the te, with the view of the passage of a law by the State compelling the ston and Providence Railroad Company to make the change desired; t is, to make the draw of its bridge conform both in position and Ith of draw openings to the draw of the highway bridge, but no such has yet been enacted, and the railroad company claims, as I undernd, that the draw of its bridge was made as directed by the State, he act of the legislature of 1866, authorizing the construction of the dge, and it will resist any law of the kind referred to that may be sed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brig. Gen. J. C. DUANE,

GEORGE H. ELLIOT,
Lieut-Col. of Engineers.

Chief of Engineers, Ú. S. A.

PORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL D. C. HOUSTON, CORPS OF ENGI

NEERS.

ENGINEER OFFICE, UNITED STATES ARMY,

New York, December 21, 1886. GENERAL: In compliance with General Orders No. 7, Headquarters rps of Engineers, dated Washington, D. C., November 30, 1886, rering to section 4 of the river and harbor act, approved August 5, 6, I have the honor to report that the report of Col. Walter McFard, Corps of Engineers, printed in Senate Ex. Doc. No. 12, Fortyth Congress, first session, pages 7 to 13, contains all the information led for in reference to bridges, &c., in the district under my charge, only change being in the Tomlinson Bridge crossing the mouth of the innipiac River at New Haven, Conn. Alterations have been made the bridge, so that complaints are no longer made. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brig. Gen. J. C. DUANE,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

D. C. HOUSTON, Lieut. Col. of Engineers.

PPLEMENTARY REPORT OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL D. C. HOUSTON, CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

ENGINEER OFFICE, UNITED STATES ARMY,

New York, January 25, 1887. GENERAL: I have the honor to report, as called for by General ders No. 7, Headquarters Corps of Engineers, November 30, 1886, rering to section 4 of the river and harbor act, approved August 5, 86, that the Washington Bridge across the Housatonic River at Stratrd, Conn., seriously interferes with the safe navigation of the river. This has but recently come to my knowledge through persons interted in navigation.

The Washington Bridge was chartered in 1803 and rebuilt in 1872. It is a highway bridge over the Housatonic River, Connecticut, be tween the town of Milford, New Haven County, and the town of Strat ford, Fairfield County, situated about 2,000 feet below the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Bridge. It is a wooden structure Howe truss, about 600 feet long. The clear width and maximum lowwater depth of the seven spans are as follows, beginning at the we bank:

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The draw turns on the east abutment, and when closed one end the swing lies over the east bank. The riprap protection to the p decreases the available opening to 70 feet. I am informed that recent this has been further diminished by the falling in of a part of the ab ment. The condition of the channel above and below the bridge wod make the natural course of vessels about where the pier, between th fifth and sixth spans, now stands; instead of which, in order to pas the draw, they have to head close into the east shore, and after pas ing, turn away from it abruptly. The difficulty of making this turn, pa ticularly to boats in tow, is increased by the swift tidal current.

To remedy this the fifth and sixth spans should be made the dra spans. Vessels could then take a more direct course, as well as have greater depth of water. Changing the present pier between these spa to a turning pier would decrease the available width of spans to abo 70 feet. This width should be increased to that of the railroad bridg: draw, which is the only other bridge over the navigable part of the rive Very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. C. HOUSTON, Lieut. Col. of Engineers.

Brig. Gen. J. C. DUANE,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL HENRY M. ROBERT, CORPS OF

ENGINEERS.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Philadelphia, Pa., January 7, 1887.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report in compliance with General Orders, No. 7, Headquarters Corps of Engineers, Unites States Army, November 30, 1886, relative to "whether any bridges causeways, or structures now erected or in progress of erection doc will interfere with free and safe navigation."

Every bridge over a navigable stream interferes more or less with "free and safe navigation." On the Schuylkill River, for instance, there are five bridges below Chestnut street, each one with a draw-spau vary ing from 180 feet to 50 feet in width. The 50-foot span should have been wider, and whenever that bridge (the Gray's Ferry Bridge) is rebuilt the draw-span should be widened. None of these five bridges, how

ver, interfere with navigation sufficiently to call for any change at resent. Above Chestnut street the bridges have no draws, and it is roposed to place a bridge without a draw one block lower down, at Valnut street, which would make five bridges without draws between Valnut street and the dam at Fairmount, the head of navigation. These ridges are an obstruction to navigation, which is thereby limited to arges and canal-boats, with an occasional sailing vessel whose masts ave to be taken down to pass under the bridges. But the interfernce of these bridges with navigation is as nothing compared with the iterference with land transportation that would be caused by placing raws in them. The Market Street Bridge has passing over it a double ne of cable cars, while, as I am informed, about 800 passenger trains nd 400 other trains, including freight-cars and detatched locomotives, ross the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge daily. All the commerce above Valnut street can be amply accommodated by barges and canal-boats, nd I would unhesitatingly say that the interests of commerce as a whole o not require draws in these bridges.

The bridges on the smaller streams tributary to the Delaware generlly have draws, but it would doubtless have been better if they had een wider. These bridges are usually tended by some one living near ›y, and I presume that the crews of the boats often have to open the raws themselves, as it would not pay to keep a bridge-tender always n the ground. Of course these bridges are an obstruction to naviga. ion, but I have never heard of any complaints on the subject.

As far as my information extends there is no bridge in this District hat is, on the whole, an unfair injury to navigation and commerce when considered in connection with land traffic, while such bridges as that at ray's Ferry should have a larger draw when rebuilt.

In order, however, to furnish the facts upon which my judgment is ased, I give herewith a statement of the facts as far as I have been ble to learn relating to all the bridges over navigable rivers in this district. Of the water-ways herein named, the Schuylkill River, Darby Creek, ind the Thoroughfare back of the ocean between Cape May and Great Bay, New Jersey, are the only ones upon which works of improvement, surveys or examinations have been in progress during my charge, and consequently the information herein contained is, except in the cases bove named, largely derived from the reports of examinations and surveys made by my predecessors.

RANCOCAS RIVER, NEW JERSEY.

This stream discharges into the Delaware River about 12 miles above Philadelphia. The project for its improvement proposes the formation of a low-water channel 6 feet deep from the mouth to Centreton, a distance of 71 miles, and from there to Mount Holly, a distance of 53 miles, a channel 5 feet deep. The estimated cost was $82,000. Of this $20,000 have been appropriated and applied on the lower 4 miles of the river. The last appropriation was made in 1882.

In relation to the bridges crossing this stream Col. J. N. Macomb, Corps of Engineers, in his report under date of January 4, 1881, states:

The turnpike bridge crossing the river about 1 mile above the month, is a double swing bridge with two openings of 45 feet each. Camden and Amboy Railroad Bridge is a single swing with an opening of 30 feet. The bridge is built at a bend in the river, and the pier stands at an angle with the currents, offering much difficulty to vessels passing up. Bridgeborough bridge is a draw sliding along the axis of the bridge. The width of opening is 30 feet. Centreton bridge is a single swing with an opening of 30 feet. The narrowness of these openings is now a considerable obstruction to river traffic, which the proposed improvement would render relatively much greater. (Report Chief of Engineers, 1831, page 798.)

FRANKFORD CREEK, PENNSYLVANIA.

This creek flows eastward through the northern part of the eity Philadelphia. An appropriation of $10,000 in 1882 was applied dredging a 7-foot low-water channel from the mouth to Horseshoe Be near Bridge street, or for a distance of about half a mile.

The creek is crossed by five bridges, as follows: At the mouth, b railroad bridge with draw-span openings of about 50 feet; one-half above the mouth, by the Bridge Street Highway Bridge, with a dr span opening of about 33 feet; 1 mile above the mouth, by Orth Street Bridge, with draw-span openings of about 30 feet; 21 miles a the mouth, at about the head of navigation, by the Pennsylvania L road Bridge, and also by Fairmount Avenue Bridge; the last two without draws. The grounds of the Frankford Arsenal are between mouth of the creek and Bridge street.

The officers previously in charge of this district considered th this creek was to be improved by the General Government, the lower bridges should be rebuilt, so as to give an available clear op i ing of not less than 100 feet.

Frankford Creek, being entirely within the limits of Philadelphia being regulated by the city, and therefore for several years pas further appropriation has been recommended for its improvement.

PENSAUKEN CREEK, NEW JERSEY.

This creek discharges into the Delaware River about opposite mouth of Frankford Creek. An examination of it was ordered by gress in 1882, and the officer then in charge, after such examinat reported that it was not worthy of improvement.

The distance between the mouth and the head of navigation at F Landing is about 6 miles, and in this distance the creek is crossedis three bridges, all of which are without draws. The creek has s commerce, which, from the absence of draw-bridges, is restricted to ca boats and scows. The high-water depth of the stream is from 5 feet. No appropriation has ever been made for its improvement.

SCHUYLKILL RIVER, PENNSYLVANIA.

The project for its improvement proposes the formation of an i proved channel from its mouth to Chestnut Street Bridge, in the city Philadelphia, a distance of 74 miles, from 24 to 18 feet deep. The es mated cost of this improvement was $500,000, of which $368,750 hard been appropriated and applied.

Between the mouth and Chestnut Street Bridge the river is cross by the following bridges: Penrose Ferry Highway Bridge, 1 miles fr mouth, with two draw span openings, each of about 180 feet; Baltim and Ohio Railroad Bridge, 5 miles from mouth, with a draw-span two openings, each 75 feet wide; Philadelphia, Wilmington and Bab more Railroad Bridge, combined with a highway bridge, known as t Gray's Ferry Bridge, about 5 miles from mouth, with single draw-s of about 50 feet opening; Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge, 64 miles fr mouth, with a draw-span of two openings, each about 75 feet w South-Street Bridge, 63 miles from mouth, with a draw-span of t openings, each 75 feet wide. Between Chestnut street and the Fa mount dam, a distance of about 1 mile, the river is crossed by t Chestnut Street Bridge, the Market Street Bridge, the Pennsylvan Railroad Bridge, and the Callowhill Street Bridge, all without draws

WOODBURY CREEK, NEW JERSEY,

This creek discharges into the Delaware River about 8 miles below Philadelphia, or nearly opposite Fort Mifflin. It forms part of the Southern boundary line of site for defeuses at Red Bank, N. J. The project for its improvement proposed the formation, by dredging, of a high-water channel 8 feet deep between the mouth and the village of Woodbury, a distance of about 4 miles, at an estimated cost of $15,000. In 1882 an appropriation of $5,000 was made for its improvement, but beyond a small expenditure for a survey the money has been withheld until the funds available will permit the formation of the proposed chaunel in a single season.

The creek is crossed by two bridges between its mouth and Woodbury, viz, at 13 miles above the mouth by a highway bridge with a drawspan opening of 33 feet, and by the Crown Point Road Bridge, 14 miles higher up, with a draw-span of 29 feet opening. The commercial statistics of 1882 indicate that 117 barges, 75 sloops, 18 schooners, and 66 steam vessels passed into the creek in that year.

MANTUA CREEK, NEW JERSEY.

This creek discharges into the Delaware River at a point about 10 miles below Philadelphia. The project for its improvement proposed, at an estimated cost of $35,000, the formation of a low-water channel 10 feet deep at the mouth, diminishing to 4 feet deep at the town of Mantua, situated about 11 miles above the mouth.

In 1882 an appropriation of $3,000 was made, but these funds have been withheld until further appropriation should be made. No further appropriations have been recommended of late years.

The creek is crossed by five bridges between the mouth and Mantua, as follows: A railroad bridge and a highway bridge at Paulsborough, with draw-span openings, respectively, of 35 and 40 feet; a railroad bridge and a highway bridge at Berkley without draw, and a highway bridge at Mantua, also without draw.

DARBY CREEK, PENNSYLVANIA.

This creek discharges into the Delaware River about 14 miles below Philadelphia. The river and harbor act of August 5, 1886, provided for its examination. No appropriation has been made for its improvement and the officer in charge in reporting thereon did not consider it worthy of improvement. Between its mouth and the village of Darby, a distance of about 7 miles, it is crossed by five bridges, the lower three of which are provided with draws. The remaining two permanent bridges are upon the upper half mile of the creek.

RIDLEY CREEK, PENNSYLVANIA.

This stream discharges into the Delaware River about 16 miles below Philadelphia. An examination of the creek was ordered by Congress in 1880. The officer in charge reported that private parties were engaged in its improvement. This work has been carried to completion to a point about 1 mile above the mouth.

At about half a mile above the mouth the creek is crossed by two railroad bridges, one of which is provided with a draw, the other is a per

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