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Our boat is over 100 feet long and it is impossible to lay here over night with a fresh breeze. As many as thirty vessels make harbor here at times. With such a breakwater the steamer could stay over night, and be a better harbor for others. Any other information required would be glad to give you.

Yours, respectfully,

Major LIVERMORE.

ISAAC W. HOWLAND,

Agent Queen City.

C 20.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF GREENWICH BAY, TO DEEPEN WATER ON THE BAR AT LONG POINT, RHODE ISLAND.

ENGINEER OFFICE, U. S. ARMY,

Newport, R. I., December 14, 1888.

GENERAL: In compliance with instructions contained in Department letter of September 29, 1888, I have the honor to submit the following report upon the preliminary examination of Greenwich Bay, Rhode Island, provided for in the river and harbor act of August 11, 1888, and made by Capt. Thomas L. Casey, Corps of Engineers, on the 19th October last.

Greenwich Bay is an arm of Narragansett Bay, and is located in Warwick and East Greenwich towns, Kent County, R. I. It has a length from northwest to southeast of about three and one-half miles and an average width of about one and one-half miles. The town of East Greenwich is located on the southwestern shore of the bay.

Captain Casey's report, herewith inclosed, explains the nature of the improvement desired as well as the demands of commerce. The cost of the improvement is roughly estimated at $2,000.

In my opinion Greenwich Bay is worthy of improvement by the General Government, and I estimate the cost of a survey of the locality at $250.

Greenwich Bay is in the collection district of Providence, which is a port of entry. The amount of revenue collected at Providence in the last fiscal year was $222,195.01. The nearest light-house is Warwick Light. The nearest fortification is the fort on Dutch Island, Rhode Island. The population of East Greenwich by the Rhode Island State census of 1885 was 2,659, and that of Warwick was 13,286.

A Coast Survey map of Greenwich Bay, showing the location of the proposed improvement, is here with inclosed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A.

W. R. LIVERMORE,

Major of Engineers.

REPORT OF CAPTAIN THOMAS L. CASEY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

ENGINEER OFFICE, U. S. ARMY, Newport, R. I., October 20, 1888. MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of a preliminary examination of the bar near Long Point, harbor of East Greenwich, R. I.

October 19 I proceeded to East Greenwich and was conveyed in a row-boat to the bar in question, which is a submarine continuation of Long Point. Between Long Point and the opposite shore there is a spar-buoy in the position marked on the ac

companying diagram. The tide was at low stage at the time the soundings were taken. The latter indicate low-water depths of from 3 to 7 feet from Long Point to the spar-buoy, between which and the opposite shore there is ample depth for purposes of navigation. I understood that the depth of water was entirely satisfactory,

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but that it was desired to widen the channel, which is rather crooked, by taking off a portion of the bar extending out from Long Point. This could be easily accomplished with an expenditure of about $2,000, giving a low-water depth of 10 feet over a channel width twice as wide as that at present in use.

It was stated that about 5,000 tons of coal are landed here every year and the total commerce amounts to perhaps $25,000.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Maj. W. R. Livermore,

Corps of Engineers, Ú. S. A.

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APPENDIX D.

IMPROVEMENT OF CONNECTICUT RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT, AND OF RIVERS AND HARBORS ON LONG ISLAND SOUND, CONNECTICUT, AND NEW YORK.

REPORT OF COL. D. C. HOUSTON, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889, WITH OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE WORKS.

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ENGINEER OFFICE, U. S. ARMY,
New York, July 12, 1889.

GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith my annual reports upon the river and harbor works in my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A.

D. C. HOUSTON,
Colonel of Engineers.

653

D 1.

IMPROVEMENT OF THAMES RIVER, CONNECTICUT.

This river is formed by the confluence of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, Conn., and extends southward as a tidal stream 15 miles to Long Island Sound. For 11 miles above its mouth the channel is from 13 to 80 feet deep, averaging over 30 feet for the first 4 miles. For 3 miles below Norwich the available depth in 1829 was but 6 feet at mean low water, where now there is over 10 feet. The work of improvement has been confined to a stretch of 3 miles below Norwich. Histories of the improvements may be found in the Annual Reports of the Chief of Engineers, 1873, page 981, and 1879, Part I, page 331.

PROJECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT.

Prior to 1830 various attempts had been made by private parties or corporations to deepen the channel of this river near Norwich, the first ones were by excavation only, but subsequently stone piers were constructed perpendicular to the channel at shoal spots.

By act of March 2, 1829, $150 were appropriated "for making a survey of the river Thames with a view to improve the navigation of the same, and the cost of such improvement."

The survey was made in 1829 by Capt. Hartman Bache, Corps of Engineers. At that time there were four old piers standing. In his report of the survey, dated February 20, 1830, and printed in House of Representatives, War Department Document No. 125, Twenty-first Congress, first session, Captain Bache submitted a project for making a channel 60 feet wide, to be either 12 or 14 feet deep at high water (9 or 11 feet at low water) by excavation, by rebuilding one of the existing piers, by adding to the other three wings extending up and down stream, converting them into T walls, and by building ten new piers extending down-stream in curves. The piers were to be of riprap 3 feet wide on top, with side slopes of 45 degrees; they were to be built to heights of from 1 to 3 feet above highest tide, those furthest upstream being the highest. The piers were estimated to require 43,436 cubic yards of riprap, and the excavation for the 12-foot channel was placed at 27,895 cubic yards, for the 14-foot channel at 69,251 cubic yards. The cost of the whole work was estimated at $72,650. The project was adopted, and under appropriations of 1836, 1837, and 1838-$40,000 in all-the piers were built nearly as desigued, with the exception of two of the new piers and one wing-wall, which were not constructed; considerable dredging was done, but no complete record of amount appears to have been kept. At this time $500 were annually expended in river improvements by the Merchants' Bank of Norwich, Conn., being a bonus required by their charter. Work was stopped in 1839 by exhaustion of appropriations.

In 1866 a petition of citizens of Norwich, asking for an appropriation for removing obstructions in the river Thames, was referred to the Chief of Engineers, and returned by him to the Secretary of War, with a report describing the work done upon the river, recommending no further work on the piers until their efficiency could be investigated satisfactorily, and stating:

In conclusion it is considered that should the sum of $8,000 be appropriated for the improvement of this river, to be applied during the next fiscal year, all will be accomplished that can be justifiably undertaken until a commission decides upon other efficacious methods or systems of improvement.

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