T 4. BLOCK ISLAND, RHODE ISLAND. At the date of my last annual report, (September 30, 1871,) nothing had been done on this work except the making a contract for granite with Mr. John Beattie, Newport, Rhode Island. Mr. Beattie commenced delivering stone in October, and at the end of the fiscal year had deposited 6,931 tons in the breakwater, extending it out about 500 feet from low-water mark and up to the level of mean low water. (See sketch accompanying my monthly report for June.) Owing to the bad weather during the winter months, and the exposed position of the work, Mr. Beattie failed to complete his contract in the time required. I recommended to the Department that the time for completing his contract be extended to the 1st of October. This extension was granted. On the 29th of April plans for a temporary harbor were submitted to the Department. The following extract is from my letter of that date: The breakwater in this (its present) condition furnishes little or no protection for ordinary business, and the structure must be raised some 12 feet above low water. Generally, on account of the force of the waves, the superstructure will require to be so thoroughly built as to be practically a solid rock, and must be made of regular stone, bonded and clamped and doweled. There are no facilities for this work at the present on the spot, and some kind of temporary harbor or wharf must be made. After very much consideration of this question, I have concluded to make a small inclosed harbor for a dredge-boat, pile-driver, and crane-boat, such as we must have. These cannot at present be kept at the island. The harbor will also accommodate two ordinary coasters with safety, and enable them to land their freight with certainty where we want it. It will also enable the islanders to put on a small steamboat, which will save the work considerable expense. I propose to make this harbor inclosure a timber crib, built very much after the model of those employed by Colonel Wheeler on the lakes, and filled with the same kind of stone, which is the only kind to be found on Block Island, but is there in abundance. The wood of this crib is to be of spruce, which can be rafted ashore from the coasters lying at anchor. It is therefore the cheapest material I can use. If I have allowed sufficient strength, this temporary harbor will last for twenty years. This plan was approved, and on the 7th June proposals for material for this work, and for granite for continuing the work substructure, were received. The following is an abstract of the proposals received at that time: Abstract of proposals for furnishing material for breakwater at Block Island, Rhode Island, received at the Engineer's Office, United States Army, Newport, Rhode Island, Wednesday, June 7, 1871. "Upset-head." + Per pound. No provision as to quantity. Contracts were awarded to Messrs. Finch, Engs & Co., Newport, Rhode Island, for lumber and cement; to Messrs. R. S. Place & Co., of New York, for bolts, and to C. C. Campbell, New York, for granite. The work of building the temporary harbor and extending the substructure is being prosecuted, and all of the funds available for this work will be expended during the fiscal year. The estimate made by the board of engineers (see Senate Mis. Doc. No. 81, Fortieth Congress) was as follows: Estimate of cost of breakwater for local purposes at Block Island, Rhode Island, to extend from the shore to Five-Foot or Blue-Bird Rock. 32,000 cubic yards of stone, 1 tons to the yard, including 10,000 cubic yards of facing-stone, in pieces weighing from Deduct amount of appropriation made. Amount necessary to complete work.... $160,000 00 150, 000 00 62, 000 00 372,000 00 105, 000 00 267,000 00 This amount, viz, $267,000, is asked for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1873. With the temporary harbor completed, we shall be in condition to prosecute the work with fewer interruptions from bad weather, and I think the most economical policy will be to appropriate the whole amount required to complete the work. Block Island is in Newport collection district; the port of entry is Newport, Rhode Island. The amount of revenue collected at this port for the year ending June 30, 1871, was $3,241 69. T 5. SURVEY AND IMPROVEMENT OF PAWCATUCK RIVER, RHODE ISLAND AND CONNECTICUT. The survey of this river was made in the autumn of 1870, and my report of it, dated January 17, 1871, was printed as part of H. Ex. Doc. No. 60, third session Forty-first Congress. An estimate was there submitted to make a channel 75 feet wide and 5 feet deep at mean low water, from certain draught-point up to Westerly, and a recommendation made for an appropriation of $23,000. Congress, by the act approved March 3, 1871, appropriated $10,000 toward this object. Accordingly, on the 29th of April I advertised for proposals for dredging, but limiting the width of the channel to be dredged to a width of 50 feet. An abstract of the bids received is given below. The contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, Mr. Emory R. Seward, of Albany, New York, for 35 cents per cubic yard, which was 5 cents per cubic yard more than my estimated cost. At this rate the original estimate should be increased one-sixth, making the whole. amount required $26,833. The additional appropriation required to Complete the work is probably $16,833. This amount will be required during the next fiscal year, as the contract requires the completion of the work under the present appropriation by the end of October, 1871. The contractor has not yet begun work, and there is no satisfactory explanation of his not having done so. Pawcatuck River is partly in the Stonington, Connecticut, collection district, and this is the nearest port of entry. The revenue collected there during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1871, was $2,500. The river is also partly in the Providence, Rhode Island, collection district, where the revenue for the same period was $203,862 43. I annex the report on the survey made last year to this report, with some corrections and additions. Record of tide observations at Burdick's Wharf, Lottery, Rhode Island. November 22 November 23 November 24 November 25 November 26 (Z) November 27. 3.4 3.1 3.0 November 28. + November 29 November 30 NOTE.-Mean low water, as determined from the above observations, is 3 feet on the gauge; mean high water 6. 1 feet, and the mean rise and fall of the tide 3.1 feet. From simultaneous observations made at Westerly, November 22, 24, 29, and December 3, 4 and 5, it was determined that the time of high water at the two places is about the same. The rise and fall at Westerly is about 3. 1 feet. Mean ow water at Westerly is 4. 5 feet below the lip of dam. (h) 10 a. m. 11 a. m. 11} a. m. 12 m. Abstract of proposals for improvement of the Pawcatuck River, Rhode Island and Connecticut, received at the Engineer Office, United States Army, Newport, Rhode Island, Wednesday, June 7, 1871. ENGINEER OFFICE, UNITED STATES ARMY, Newport, Rhode Island, January 17, 1871. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report and accompanying map of a survey of Pawcatuck River, Connecticut and Rhode Island, below Westerly, authorized by section 2 of the act making appropriations for river and harbors, approved July 11, 1870. The improvement needed is to dredge out a channel so as to give a depth of five feet at mean low water from "certain draw-point" up to Westerly, a distance of 5,000 yards. This requires, for a channel 75 feet wide, the excavation of 69,418 cubic yards, which, at 30 cents per cubic yard, would cost $20,824; allowing 10 per cent. for superintendence, would make the total cost $22,906. There has been some little effort by residents to deepen this channel, but the Government has not thus far assisted them in it. At Stonington (which is at the mouth of the river) the United States in 1828, 1830, and 1834 appropriated $36,753 83 to build a pier or breakwater from the west side of the point on which the city is built. It has stood well, but it would now be more valuable if it had been built from some place further out on the point. The harbor formed is too contracted for the present wants of commerce. The survey of Pawcatuck River I intrusted to Mr. J. H. Dager, civil engineer, assisted by Mr. Geo. H. Mann. The report of Mr. Dager, with all its accompanying papers, except the detailed calculations of material to be excavated, I submit with my report. The map of the survey is on a scale of 1 to 5,000. I send also a copy of the map of Pawcatuck River, scale 10000, of the United States Coast Survey, made in 1838, which gives also a resurvey of the sand-spit southeast of Stonington, made in 1855. The hydrography of this map does not extend up the river but a short distance above the town of Lottery. Pawcatuck River is partly in the Stonington, Connecticut, collection district, and that city is the nearest port of entry. The revenue collected at Stonington in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1870, was $18,000 It is also partly in the Providence, R. I., collection district, at which place the revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1870, was $205,650 58. I recommend an appropriation of $23,000 for improving Pawcatuck River. Yours, respectfully, Major Engineers, Brevet Major General. G. K. WARREN, Brigadier General A. H. HUMPHREYS, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. |