B 25. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF KINGSTON HARBOR, MASSACHUSETTS. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Boston, Mass., November 1, 1890. GENERAL: In compliance with instructions contained in letter from your office dated September 20, 1890, I have the honor to submit the report of a preliminary examination of Kingston Harbor, Massachusetts, with a view to its improvement, provided for in the river and harbor act approved September 19, 1890. Kingston Harbor is one of the three divisions which together constitute the inner harbor of Plymouth. To the northward is Duxbury Harbor; to the westward is Kingston Harbor, directly opposite the entrance from Plymouth Bay; and to the southward, Plymouth Harbor. From the common anchorage near the entrance, called the "Cow Yard," channels of deep water diverge in several directions and lead to landings near the towns of Duxbury, Kingston, and Plymouth. These channels are circuitous indentations in the extensive flats of this basin, and afford the only means of communication between the towns and Plymouth Bay. The channels to both Duxbury and Plymouth have been improved by the General Government to accommodate vessels of light draft. Kingston is a small town situated about 1 mile inland on the Jones River, a small and crooked stream of little navigable importance. One small wharf at Rocky Nook is in Kingston Harbor proper, but just across the boundary line between Kingston and Plymouth Harbors, and about 2 miles from the center of Kingston, is located the extensive works of the Plymouth Cordage Company. Here the company have constructed and own the only wharf of any importance in the vicinity. It is understood that the purpose of the applicants for the Government improvement of Kingston Harbor is to secure a deeper channel of approach to this wharf, which it is claimed will greatly benefit, not alone the cordage company, but the inhabitants of Kingston and North Plymouth, by enabling them to obtain supplies of coal and building materials at cheaper rates. They say in their petition: The locality has large and important manufacturing interests, employing about 800 persons from a population of 4,000 in the immediate neighborhood of the desired improvement. The materials used are principally imported by the proprietors from foreign ports, the duties on the same being paid on withdrawals from the bonded warehouses, of which there are four located on the premises of the factories. The supply of coal for the mills, as also the residents with lumber and other articles of domestic use, calls for the use of about fifty vessels each year, the masters of which are put to great inconvenience and delay, the channel being of insufficient depth to float them except at high course tides. The largest vessels have to lighten their cargoes at great expense. The usual approach to this wharf is from the south through Goose Point Channel, which leads out of the channel to Plymouth near the head of Long Beach. For a distance of about three-fourths of a mile from the wharf the passage has not more than 13 feet water at low tide. The river and harbor act of 1884 provided for an examination of "Goose Point Channel in Plymouth Harbor to the wharf of the Cordage Company." The report of the engineer officer who made the examination will be found on page 538 of the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1885. This officer discusses the proposed extension of Goose Point Channel, refers to a former communication, and says the project requires the excavation of 103,000 yards, and is estimated to cost about $40,000, to permit vessels drawing 12 feet to work up through the cha nel, at high water. He thinks that the channel would be permane and expresses the opinion that the proposed improvement is requ only for the convenience of the Plymouth Cordage Company, and co cludes that "the harbor is not worthy of improvement," as it does promise sufficient benefit to commerce to justify the necessary expe ture by the United States. The river and harbor act of 1888 provided for an examinati "Goose Point Channel, Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts, to pri wharf at Kingston." The report of the officer who made this examination will be found page 596 of the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1889. He. wise, does not think the extension of Goose Point Channel “wort: improvement." The scheme if executed will benefit one corporation only at an estimated es $40,000, and if extended to include other wharves and other interests, the est cost will not be less than $75,000, for which the General Government and the interests would receive no adequate return. The river and harbor act of 1890 provides for an examination "Kingston Harbor, with a view to its improvement." The same is here sought, viz: A deep-water channel to the wharf of the mouth Cordage Company. I have endeavored to learn to what e the general public will be benefited by the improvement deman aside from that which will accrue to the cordage company. Mr. G. F. Holmes, treasurer of the company, replies to my ing that owing to the extra rate of freight on account of being able t commodate only the lightest draft vessels, the employés of the comp have to pay an extra price for their coal. In addition to this, our dock is used for the accommodation of parties whe no connection with our works, consequently any improvement in this part town would be for the benefit of the public and not for our exclusive good. Mr. Philander Cobb, ex-collector of Plymouth, writes: "There place, in my opinion, where an appropriation could be more judicie applied to benefit commerce than the improvement of the hart Kingston and of the approaches to the public wharves of said port of North Plymouth; all of the wharves are as public as any in Plyn. or Boston." I am satisfied that the wharf of the Plymouth Cordage Compar as public as any other, and that it is the wharf upon which the inh ants of Kingston depend for transportation by water. It would ap that the benefits to follow an improvement of the channel leading will benefit the people of Kingston in affording better and cheaper t ties for transportation, while at the same time it will be a great b to the cordage company. The petitioners for this improvement state that The duties paid by the manufacturers at North Plymouth and Kingston from 1, 1886, to July 1, 1889, amount to $188,490.94. The records of the custom-b show that during the last 8 years 98 foreign vessels of the burden of 100 to 1,5* entered with cargoes for the locality your petitioners respectfully request to improved. A simple examination of Kingston Harbor is not sufficient to de mine if it can be improved to meet the requirements, within a p cable outlay. There would seem to be sufficient in the above reviest warrant my saying that the harbor is worthy of improvement, but survey alone will enable me to determine if a channel adequate to wants of the people can be made and maintained at reasonable through the channel leading westward from the anchorage (Cow Yard), into Kingston Harbor. An allotment of $1,000 is respectfully requested for this purpose. Brig. Gen. THOMAS L. CASEY, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. [Second indorsement.] Lieut. Col. of Engineers. U. S. ENGINEER OFFICE, Boston, Mass., November 6, 1890. Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. In accordance with first indorsement hereon, I have the honor to state that in my opinion Kingston Harbor, Massachusetts, "is worthy of improvement.' S. M. MANSFIELD, Lieut. Col. of Engineers. SURVEY OF KINGSTON HARBOR, MASSACHUSETTS. GENERAL: I have the honor to forward herewith a report of Mr. T. r. Hunter Harwood, assistant engineer, on the survey of Kingston Harbor, Massachusetts, made in accordance with Department instrucions of November 7, 1890, and to comply with the provisions of the iver and harbor act of September 19, 1890. A tracing of the survey is also submitted. The report of the preliminary examination is dated November 1, 1890, and I respectfully invite attention to it for a general description of the arbor, for its commercial importance, and the reasons for making the survey. The survey shows that to improve the channel leading to Rocky Nook Wharf, Kingston, so as to obtain 6 feet depth at mean low water in a hannel 100 feet wide, would cost $15,000. A channel of these dimensions can be obtained leading to the Cordage Company Wharf in North Plymouth, the only one of any importance in the vicinity, at a cost of $10,000, as indicated on the accompanying tracng, and as stated in the preliminary examination such an improvement would benefit the town of Kingston. The estimate of the cost of this improvement is as follows: Total... $9,000 1,000 10,000 I respectfully invite attention to the accompanying report of Mr. Harwood for the details of the survey and a general description of the arbor. Kingston is in the collection district of Plymouth, Mass., of which Plymouth is the port of entry; the nearest light-house is Duxbury Pier ight. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. M. MANSFIELD, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. Brig. Gen. THOMAS L. CASEY, REPORT OF MR. T. T. HUNTER HARWOOD, ASSISTANT ENGINEER. UNITED STATES ENGINEEr Office, Boston, Mass., May 2, COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report on the survey of ston Harbor, Massachusetts, made in November and December, 1890, in acco with your instructions, and therewith a map of the survey drawn to a se 1:2000. TOPOGRAPHY. The distance between two triangulation points of the survey made in Ply Harbor in 1888 was taken as the base line of this survey. From this base,) feet in length, a system of 9 triangulation stations was established along the From these stations radiating ranges were laid out, on which soundings were The high-water and low-water lines shown are from this survey. HYDROGRAPHY. The area covered by the survey embraces the channels of approach to the of the Plymouth Cordage Company in North Plymouth, and Rocky Nook Wh Kingston, west of the Miles or South Channel leading to Duxbury; 108 ranges, gating 29 miles in length, were sounded, on which 9,417 soundings were taken of which were located by intersections from suitable shore stations. The bench mark is the sill of the canopy over Plymouth Rock in Plymouth 17.24 feet above mean low water. DESCRIPTION OF CHANNEL AS DEVELOPED BY SURVEY. The Miles or South Channel to Duxbury starts from the west side of the co anchorage ground of Plymouth, Kingston, and Duxbury Harbors, known as the Yard," and extends westerly for about three-quarters of a mile, and then swi the northwest toward Duxbury. At this bend the channel covered by the branches off, and continues in a west course for a further distance of i mile turning to the north it follows a tortuous course along the shore, at a dista about one-half mile, to the mouth of Jones River in Kingston. This chann feet deep with a least width of 200 feet to east of Rocky Nook Wharf, wher survey ends. From this channel, at about one-half mile west of its junction with the Channel, a narrow shallow channel branches off to the south leading to the wh the Plymouth Cordage Company in North Plymouth. A narrow 6-foot thr water winds through this channel to within 800 feet of the wharf. The g continuous depth to the wharf is 1.7 feet. The channel leading to Rocky Nook Wharf branches from the main channel turn to the north, extends south about 800 feet, then, turning abruptly to the extends west 1,700 feet, where it turns north and follows along the shore wharf. The greatest continuous depth to this wharf is 1.5 feet. The banks of the channels are generally sharply defined in the flats through they flow, the material of which is sand and mud. A comparison of these channels with those delineated on the U. S. Coast manuscript map of 1870 proves them to be almost identical. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col. S. M. MANSFIELD, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. T. T. HUNTER HARWOOD Assistant Engis B 26. ESTABLISHMENT OF HARBOR LINES IN BOSTON HARBOR, MASSA SETTS. a. HARBOR LINES FOR CHARLES RIVER, FROM MARKET STI BRIDGE TO THE WATERTOWN DAM. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Boston, Mass., January 23, 18 GENERAL: The Harbor Line Board for Boston Harbor, Massa setts, constituted by Special Orders No. 38, Headquarters, Cor Engineers, August 13, 1888, at sessions held in this city January |