APPENDIX F.

IMPROVEMENT OF SHEEPSHEAD AND CANARSIE BAYS, AND SUMPAWANUS INLET, NEW YORK-OF ARTHUR KILL, NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY-OF CHANNEL BETWEEN STATEN ISLAND AND NEW JERSEY-OF RIVERS IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY, AND OF THE HARBOR OF KEYPORT.

REPORT OF CAPTAIN THOS. L. CASEY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889, WITH OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE WORK.

IMPROVEMENTS.

1. Sheepshead Bay, New York.
2. Canarsie Bay, New York.
3. Sumpawanus Inlet, New York.

4. Arthur Kill, New York and New Jer-
sey.

5. Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey.

6. Passaic River, New Jersey.
7. Elizabeth River, New Jersey,
8. Rahway River, New Jersey.
9. Raritan River, New Jersey.
10. South River, New Jersey.
11. Shrewsbury River, New Jersey.
12. Keyport Harbor, New Jersey.

EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEY.

13. East Rockaway Creek, New York. | 14. Hackensack River, New Jersey.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, New York, July 9, 1889. GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith my annual report on the works of river and harbor improvements in my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889.

Of these works the following were in charge of Capt. George McC. Derby, Corps of Engineers, until December 6, 1888: Passaic, Elizabeth, Rahway, Raritan, South, and Shrewsbury rivers, New Jersey, and Keyport Harbor, New Jersey; and the following were in temporary charge of that officer until the same date: Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey, Canarsie and Sheepshead bays, New York, and Sumpawanus Inlet, New York.

The improvement of Arthur Kill, New York and New Jersey, was placed in my charge by verbal order of the Chief of Engineers, December 10, 1888.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A.

THOS. L. CASEY,
Captain of Engineers.

FI.

IMPROVEMENT OF SHEEPSHEAD BAY, NEW YORK.

Sheepshead Bay, Long Island, is a small tidal bay about 2 miles long, lying inside Coney Island, N. Y., and extending easterly from the vil lage of Gravesend to Rockaway Inlet, into which it empties. Its width varies from 100 to 1,000 feet, and its depth from 0 to 10 feet at mean low water.

The natural entrance is subject to progressive changes of position due to the action of the waves on the sandy beaches.

The first survey of this bay was made in 1879 by General Newton, whose report dated February 7, 1879, may be found in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1879, page 400, and a further history of the improvemant relating especially to the cut connecting the bay with Dead Horse Inlet may be found in the same report for the year 1888, Part 1, Page 625.

A project for the expenditure of the $5,000 appropriated by the act of August 15, 1886, and of the additional $5,000 appropriated by the act of August 11, 1888, was submitted January 10, 1889. This project called for a channel 60 feet wide and 5 feet deep at mean low water from the town of Sheepshead to within 1,080 feet of Dead Horse Inlet Cut, a distance of 5,350 feet.

The project was approved February 9, 1889, and the work advertised under date of February 12. The bids (abstract herewith) were opened March 21, and the lowest bid, that of Brainard Bros. at 39 cents per cubic yard, was recommended for acceptance on the ground that a bid of this figure had been previously approved by the Chief of Engineers. The recommendation was, however, not approved and orders were received from the Department to reject all the bids and readvertise the work. This was accordingly done under date of April 11, 1889, the bids (abstract herewith) being opened on May 6. The lowest bidder was the firm of Brainard Bros. at 33 cents per cubic yard. It was recommended that this bid be rejected, and authority was at the same time requested to do the work by hired labor in open market, which recommendation and request were approved by the Department.

On June 3 two private bids were received simultaneously; one from M. H. Flannery, dated May 30, and the other from Morris F. Brainard, dated June 1, both agreeing to undertake the work for 25 cents per cubic yard. It was recommended that the bid of M. H. Flannery be accepted; the approval of the recommendation by the Department being dated June 12, 1889. Work was to be begun as soon as possible, but nothing had been done at the close of the fiscal year.

Sheepshead Bay is not a harbor in any sense of the word, and in all probability never will be. At present it is only used for pleasure boats of small draught belonging to Gravesend and the large hotels on Coney Island.

There appears, therefore, to be no necessity for further appropriation at present.

This work is in the collection district of New York, which is the nearest port of entry. Nearest light-house, Fort Tompkins Light; nearest fort, Fort Hamilton. The amount of revenue collected at the port of New York during the year ending June 30, 1889, $147,694,618.45.

The total amount expended to June 30, 1889, is $16,904.85.

The expenditures during the fiscal year amount to $1,022.41, as follows:

July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of

liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888..

July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities...

July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts.

July 1, 1889, balance available

1,022. 41

100,000,00

34, 200.00 26,000,00 16,904, 85

$5, 117.56 5,000.00

10, 117.56

$1,022. 41

60.75

8,000.00

9,083. 16

1,034.40

8,200.00

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

Abstract of bids for dredging the channel in Sheepshead Bay, New York, opened at the United States Engineer Office, Army Bailding, New York, N. Y., at 12 o'clock m., on March 21, under advertisement dated February 12, 1889.

Abstract of bids for dredging channel in Sheepshead Bay, New York, opened at the United States Engineer Office, room 79 Army Building, New York, N. Y., at 12 o'clock m., on May 6, 1889, under advertisement dated April 11, 1889.

F 2.

IMPROVEMENT OF CANARSIE BAY, NEW YORK.

The first survey of this bay with a view to its improvement was made in 1879. The scheme of improvement involved a channel 6 feet deep at mean low water and 100 to 150 feet wide, extending from the shore at Canarsie Landing to the navigable channel in Jamaica Bay, a distance of about 3,500 feet. It was thought that the channel might be maintained by the construction of two pile-dikes forming a tidal reservoir. The estimated cost under this project was $88,000.

The rise and fall of the tide is 4.7 feet and the minimum low-water depth at present existing in the channel is 5.9 feet.

A detailed history of the work will be found in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1887, Part I, p. 637.

At present a portion, 1058 feet in length, of the north dike has been constructed, and in January, 1888, bids were invited by public advertisement for constructing 1,000 feet of the south dike, and a contract formed on February 25 of the same year with Stephen A. Kelly for the construction of 850 feet of this dike, at $9.87 per linear foot, it be ing necessary to reduce the projected length to some extent in order to retain funds for the necessary dredging in the spring. Work was be gun May 2, 1888, and was in progress at the close of the fiscal year (see Annual Report, 1888). The date of expiration of this contract was July 1, 1888, but it was subsequently extended to August 3, at which date the contract was closed, 820 feet of dike having been constructed. The extreme width of this dike is 5 feet and its height 2 feet above mean high water. The piles used in its construction are of oak, and at the last inspection, May, 1889, the structure was in fairly good condition.

A special agreement dated October 31, 1888, was made with Brainard Bros. for dredging a channel 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water from Canarsie Landing to deep water of Jamaica Bay, the stip ulated price being 22 cents per cubic yard, scow measurement. Work was begun under this agreement November 20, 1888, and concluded February 27, 1889, the total number of cubic yards removed being 33,320. The resulting channel is 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water between the points indicated above, except for a short dis tance where the width is but 50 feet. In addition to this a cut 100 feet in length 50 feet in width and 6 feet deep was made on the east side of the steam-boat landing at Canarsie for the convenience of the steamboats in turning.

In the project submitted for the expenditure of the appropriation of $10,000, made under the act of August 11, 1888, it was recommended that $1,500 be expended in repairing the north dike. An examination of the channel and dike in the early part of April of this year shows that the channel has remained practically unchanged during the past winter and that $400 or $500 will place the dike in good order. It was therefore recommended that $1,000 of the fund reserved for repairs and extension of the dike be expended in dredging a cut at the end of the wharf at Canarsie Landing and extending it through to the southwest to connect with the southwest channel. This recommendation, which was made at the earnest solicitation of the people of the town of Flatlands, was approved by the Department at Washington, April 10, 1889, but no work has yet been done.