The harbor of refuge as originally projected was estimated to cost $1,800,000. The west breakwater, completed in 1883, together with repairs to same, cost in round numbers $813,000; to which add the estimated cost for the parapet for same, $60,000. The east breakwater as at present projected is estimated to cost $440,000, making a total of $1,313,000. There has been appropriated to date for the harbor of refuge $993,750, so that the estimated amount required to complete according to present plan is $319,250. The proposed extension requires the construction of about 2,000 linear feet additional of breakwater, in water of an average depth of 28 feet, and will cost (at present contract prices) about $150 per linear foot, or $300,000 for the extension, making a total of $619,250 to complete on the proposed enlarged plan. The total cost of the harbor of refuge would then be $1,613,000, or $187,000 less than the original estimate. If, then, Congress in 1875 deemed it advisable to commence a work estimated to cost $1,800,000 there should be no hesitation in 1888, when the needs of commerce are more than quadrupled, to sanction a change of plan which materially enlarges and improves the harbor of refuge at a cost of $187,000 less than the original estimate. Weighed against the interests to be benefited and the large amount of commerce to be accommodated, the amount required for the extension is very small. I have, therefore, to earnestly recommend that the proposed extension of the east breakwater at Cleveland Harbor, Ohio, be sanctioned and approved. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A. L. COOPER OVERMAN, LETTER OF COMMITTEE OF BOARD OF TRADE AND BOARD OF INDUSTRIES OF CLEVELAND, OHIO. CLEVELAND, OHIO, February 6, 1888. The committee appointed by the Board of Trade and Board of Industries of Cleveland, Ohio, respectfully transmit herewith a printed copy of the report of the committee regarding the need for an enlargement of the harbor of refuge at Cleveland, Ohio. They respectfully invite your careful attention to the report, and request the same may be referred to Congress at as early a day as possible. Very respectfully, yours, Hon. WILLIAM C. ENDICOTT, Secretary of War. (Through Major Overman, the officer in immediate charge.) AMOS TOWNSEND, REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF INDUSTRY AND IMPROVEMENT OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, RECOMMENDING A CHANGE OF PLAN, SO AS TO EXTEND THE EASTERN BREAKWATER FOR HARBOR OF REFUGE PURPOSES. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Cleveland, Ohio, January 17, 1838. DEAR SIR: I take pleasure in sending herewith tracing showing present plan of east breakwater, with line recommended by Board of Engineers, 1884; line as modified by Chief of Engineers, 1884; line that Chief of Engineers may further modify; line recommended by your committee for extension, 1887. It has been drawn so that it Very respectfully, GEO. W. GARDNER, Esq., L. COOPER OVERMAN, Major of Engineers. Chairman of Committee of Breakwater Extension, City. REPORT. Your committee, to whom was referred the matter of extension of the eastern breakwater at Cleveland, beg to report, after full investigation and conference with Majer Overman, in charge of the Government works in this district, and with those interested in lake navigation and familiar with improvements of this character, that, owing to the remarkable growth and rapidly increasing magnitude of lake commerce and the increased size of vessels built for that service, there is need for greater protection and anchorage space than would be provided by the breakwater, if completed under the present plan, and that, if the actual condition of things is properly made known before the work has progressed too far on the present plan, there should be little difficulty in procuring such changes as the necessities of the case fairly require. The breakwater at Cleveland was begun under a plan submitted in 1875 for a harbor of refuge at this place. This plan need not be described, as under it, with some modifications, the present west breakwater was built and completed in 1883. By that time the business of lake navigation had increased to such an extent as to make it apparent that the work would be insufficient, and accordingly in May, 1884, a plan was submitted to Major Overman and adopted to build an eastern arm or break water, extending in all about 3,500 feet in a broken line, with two salient angles, convex toward the lake, ending about 2,600 feet from the shore, in a depth of 25 feet of water, and having between its eastern end and the curve of 14 feet depth of water an entrance 1,200 feet wide. According to the computations of the United States engineer, this eastern breakwater would give an increased area of protected space between it and the 14-foot curve of about 120 acres during north west gales, and about 70 acres during northeast gales. This, it was supposed at the time, would afford ample protection, according to the necessities of commerce existing at that time, and considering also the prospective growth of the trade. The necessity for enlargement was made apparent by the condition of the lake marine, as shown by the statistics of 1883; and your committee have accordingly procured the statistics, for the purpose of comparison, of the years 1875, when the breakwater was commenced; of 1883, by which time the enlargement seemed to be necessary, and of the past season of 1887, and also of the ship-building now in progress, although as to the latter full statistics could not be obtained. Since 1884 the growth of lake commerce has been much greater than could have been anticipated at that time. It is at present developing rapidly, and will continue to increase in volume. ment of the Northwest. The estimated increase of shipments of ore from the iron Much of this growth is due to the wonderful developmines of the Northwest is 2,000,000 of tons over the similar shipments of 1887, being an estimated increase of nearly 50 per cent. will convey an idea of the probable future magnitude of the lake commerce, and The mention of this single instance nearly all of this ore comes to Lake Erie ports. original plan of the breakwater was adopted, the business of this district alone was: For the season of 1875, when the Clearances and entrances, coast wise, number of vessels, 4,799; tonnage, 1,883,760. The business of the district increased so much that in the season of 1883 the number of vessels entering and clearing was 7,509; tonnage, 3,227,520 tons. The increase, therefore, during the eight years from 1875 to 1883, inclusive, was in number of vessels entering and clearing, 2,710, and in tonnage, 1,343,760 tons. It will be noticed that no account is given here of the number of vessels which, having cleared from some district for another district beyond Cleveland, call here in the course of their business without being required to either enter or clear at this port. No statistics showing the number is at hand to be given here, but it is common knowledge that the number of such vessels is very large. Such a growth of the local business, and an increase in through business past this district using the harbor of refuge as the occasion required, which probably corresponded very nearly with the growth of local business, was sufficient to make necessary so great an enlargement of our harbor of refuge as the building of the east breakwater contemplated. Since the adoption of this plan in 1884 the growth of the busi ness in this district has been much more rapid and extensive, as will be seen by the following statement of the business of the season of 1887, when the coast wise entrances and clearances numbered 8,434; tonnage, 5,061,165 tons, an increase in four yearss in number of 925, and in tonnage 1,833,645 tons. These statistics show that the increase in a season's business in this district alone during the past four years, since the adoption of the plan for building the east breakwater, exceeds by 500,000 tons the similar increase during the eight years from 1875 to 1883; and that such increase alone of the past four years is only 50,000 tons less than the total tonnage of this district for the year 1875, when the building of the breakwater was commenced. Such an increase in the tonnage indicates the larger size of the vessels now engaged in our lake business, as compared with either 1875 or 1883. This is further illustrated by an examination of the statistics of ship-building. During the six years, from 1870 to 1875, inclusive, there were built on the lakes 41 steam-ships over 200 feet in length. Of these the largest was 255 feet in length, the next largest 238 feet, while the average length of the 41 vessels was 218 feet, and the average tonnage about 1,050 tons each. Since the adoption of Major Overman's plan for an eastern breakwater, in 1884, and including that year, there have been built in four years, and are now in process of construction on the lakes, 85 steamers alone of over 1,000 tons. Two of these steam-ships, building in Buffalo, and which will be ready for service next spring, are 350 feet each in length, with carrying capacity of 2,800 tons, on a draught of 35 feet 6 inches. Nine steel steamers, now building in Cleveland, are each 310 feet in length, with 24 feet depth of hold; tonnage, 2,800 tons. Three others have been recently completed here, respectively 277 feet in length, 23 feet depth, 2,566 tonnage; 280 feet in length, 23 feet depth, 2,600 tonnage, and 302 feet in length, 24 feet depth, 2,650 tonnage. There are also building here one steel steamer, 290 feet in length, and one of over 300 feet in length. And, in addition to the above steel steamers, there have been built the past season and are now building at Cleveland eighteen wooden steamers, varying in length from 246 to 310 feet, with an average length of 270 feet, and average carrying capacity of 2,250 tons. There have been built this year and are now building in Detroit fourteen vessels over 1,000 tons, nine of which are over 250 feet in length each, and one of which is 275 feet long, and two 286 feet long. These vessels are from 22 to 26 feet depth of hold, and their tonnage is from 1,800 to 2,650 tons. Six vessels have been built the past season in Bay City of an average length of 280 feet; and there are now under construction at the same place ten vessels which will average 1,800 tons each. There are other ship-building ports on the lakes from which your committee were unable to get full statistics, where considerable ship-building has been done, and is now being done, notably Milwaukee, where there are several vessels of the largest size now in process of construction. These vessels referred to are steamers, built at a cost of from $125,000 to $200.000 each, and a few are built at a cost reaching $350,000 each. A large number of sail-vessels, including lake barges of corresponding size, have been built recently and are now building. Comparatively little is known by the general public of the great magnitude of the lake commerce. It has assumed grand proportions, and the vessels we are now putting afloat exceed those built in this country for ordinary traffic on the ocean. The statistics show that, without including the recent additions to the lake fleet above referred to, the total number of vessels navigating the lakes at the close of the season of navigation of 1886 was 3,405, being more than the entire number of vessels enrolled in the United States custom-houses for navigation of the Pacific coast and the inland rivers, and nearly one-sixth of the whole number of vessels enrolled in all the customhouses of the United States. And the tonnage of this lake fleet, as shown by the official report of June 7, 1887, is more than double in extent the total tonnage engaged in river and inland navigation in the United States; exceeds the combined tonnage of the river and inland navigation and the Pacific coast; is nearly one-third as great as the entire tonnage of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts; and is more than onesixth of all the tonnage registered or enrolled in the United States. A vast number of men is required to man this immense fleet on the lakes, such vessels as above described each requiring a crew of from fifteen to twenty men, and it is conceded that no coast is more dangerous, and that no navigation is more hazardous than that of our northwestern lakes. The propriety and necessity of affording the best protection on a dangerous coast of this valuable fleet and the men who navigate it, and who at best accept great risks in their calling, requires no argument; but statistics for the year 1887 show that while fortunately there was no large number lost in any one disaster, yet 204 lives were lost in the navigation of the lakes last season, while the total losses of steam and sail vessels amounted to $1,257,250, and the partial losses amounted to $701,500, without taking into account the numerous minor mishaps. Not only does our local business rely upon the protection afforded by our breakwater, but the through business on Lake Erie depends upon this harbor of refuge, and to the entire lake commerce its value depends upon the adequacy of the protection afforded by it, and its accessibility in storms. Statistics have been given showing the recent enormous increase of the lake business in this district only. Lack of space forbids our going into a similar showing of the increase at other ports, such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Duluth, Detroit, Toledo, and Buffalo, where there has been a proportionate growth of business. Suffice it to say, that the through business past Detroit, up and down, last year, the bulk of which either came into or passed the Cleveland district, reached the number of about 20,000 vessel passages, and this in a season which began later than usual, to wit, about the 1st of May. It will be noticed that in dealing with the distance of the breakwater from the shore the curve at 14 feet depth of water has uniformly been mentioned. Such a depth of water might be considered a factor in safe navigation in 1875, but the increase in the depth of our lake vessels, and the draught of water to which they can safely be loaded, has kept pace with the increase in length and tonnage. There is need of greater depth of water than 14 feet in every channel of the lakes, and it is believed that in all recommendations made and plans adopted for the improvement of channels during the past five years a greater depth than 14 feet has been assumed as necessary. All the vessels mentioned as having been built in the past four years, and now building, can safely load to a draught of from 16 to 18 feet, if assured sufficient water, and efforts are being made throughout the lakes to increase the depth of channels and harbors accordingly. It is to be considered also that it is in storms, when heavy seas are prevailing, that the harbor of refuge is used, so that a vessel would need for safety in entering the harbor a very considerably greater depth of water than she might herself be drawing, owing to the rise and fall of the vessel in the seaway. Your committee are unable to say what width of entrance there would be between the curve of 18 feet depth of water and the east end of the breakwater, if completed under the present plan, but it would necessarily be much less than the 1,200 feet considered advisable in 1883, and which is the width to the curve of 14 feet depth of water. We call attention in this connection to the fact that the east end of the breakwater would itself be in but 25 feet of water. An examination of the plans and surveys, kindly afforded by Major Overman, shows that if the east arm of the breakwater could be prolonged in a straight line easterly before the line is broken by a deflection southerly, the east end would be in deeper water, and a channel available for vessels drawing 16 feet of water or more could thus be afforded, of sufficient width between the east end and the shore, affording another entrance at the easterly and equally as safe as the main entrance to the harbor of refuge. Nothing limits the extension of the breakwater easterly but the plan adopted in 1884, which can not be materially altered, as your committee are informed, without further legislation by Congress. It was supposed when the plan of 1884 was adopted that the enlargement of the harbor of reinge provided for in that plan was adequate for the then necessities of commerce, and would be adequate for years to come. The development of lake commerce during the last four years, exceeding the whole increase from the time the first breakwater was authorized until an enlargement was seen to be necessary in 1884, proves that the future growth of the business was not understood or properly estimated, even by those most interested in its success. If completed on the present plan, it would thereafter be practically impossible to enlarge the breakwater so as to afford the needed protection, but the work on the eastern breakwater has not yet so far progressed as to interfere in any manner with the proposition to extend it east and provide adequate protection. Your committee therefore report: (1) That there is imperative necessity for enlarging the breakwater beyond the present plan, and that, if completed on the present plan, the protected space in the harbor of refuge will be entirely inadequate to the needs of commerce. (2) That it is not, as your committee is informed, within the authority of the War Department without Congressional action to vary materially from the present authorized plan for the breakwater. (3) That it is necessary, owing to the fact that the work is now in progress, that any steps taken for the alteration of the present plan be taken promptly. And in view of the facts set out in the foregoing report, your committee recommend: (1) That the break water be extended easterly, substantially on the present line, without material deflection toward the shore, for the whole length now authorized. and an additional length of not less than 2,000 feet, so that the entire length of the eastern arm, from the beginning, will be at least 5,500 feet. If so extended, the necessity for building a shore arm at the easterly end may be obviated, and a large annual expense for dredging avoided, which would probably accrue if built as the present plan provides. (2) That the Government provide for the appointment of a Government harbormaster, and a strong sea going tug, to be employed during the season of navigation to tow in and place vessels which can not be handled by the harbor tugs. (3) That this board use its influence to the end that the above recommendations, if adopted, be carried out. (4) That this board request Senators Sherman and Payne and Congressman Foran, |