September 19, 1890. AMOUNT APPROPRIATED. $13,000 Money statement. Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890 July 1, 1891, balance unexpended $13,000.00 80.33 12, 919.67 Abstract of proposals for improving Wappinger Creek, New York, received in response to advertisement dated October 15, 1890, and opened November 19, 1890, by First Lieut. Harry Taylor, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., in the official absence of Lieut. Col. G. L. Gillespie, U. S. A. The principal manufactures at the Falls are cotton goods, overalls, clothing, combs, and iron. They are mostly transported by small boats to the mouth of the creek, inside of the railroad bridge, where they are transferred to the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. The tonnage of the creek during the year 1888 was 70,000 tons. The value of the tonnage was then estimated at $6,500,000. The Dutchess Company shipped 15,500 tons, at an estimated valuation of $5,600,000. The traffic is principally carried by sloops, schooners, scows, canal boats, and barges. E 5. IMPROVEMENT OF HARLEM RIVER, NEW YORK. The project for making a navigable water connection between the East River and the Hudson River by the way of the Harlem River and the Spuyten Duyvil Creek was formulated upon the facts determined by the survey made along this route in 1874, in compliance with the river and harbor act of June 23, 1874, the report upon which may be found at page 224, Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1875, Part II. This report contains an interesting historical review of the navigation of the Harlem River from the Revolution to the present time. A full history of this improvement as now adopted, with the legal proceedings for the acquirement of the land needed for it and copies of the laws passed by the legislature of the State of New York relative thereto, is given in the annual report of the local engineer in charge to the Chief of Engineers for 1887. (See Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1887, Part I, pages 665 to 689.) The streams embraced in the improvement are the Harlem River and the Spuyten Duyvil Creek, the former emptying into the East River near Hell Gate, and the latter into the Hudson River about 13 miles north of the Battery, and together separating Manhattan Island from the mainland. There has always been an exchange of waters between these two streams at Kingsbridge, though a long ledge of rocks awash at mean low water and an extremely narrow channel at that point have heretofore prevented the exchange being a free one. High Bridge is practically at the head of navigation in the Harlem River, but there is a fair channel of about 10 feet depth at mean low water as far as Morris Dock, 6 miles from the mouth of the river, and a crooked one of 7 feet depth to Fordham Landing, 1 mile further; but there is no navigation of this entire section, except by row-boats and a few boats loaded with material for the new Croton aqueduct or for the roadway of streets which are being opened in the "annexed district." Kingsbridge,13 miles from the Hudson River, is the head of navigation in the Spuyten Duyvil Creek, but only at high water, for vessels drawing 8 feet. The range of the tides in Harlem River varies from 5.5 feet at Third Avenue Bridge to 6 feet at the mouth of Dyckman Creek, and in the Spuyten Duyvil Creek is 3.8 feet. As the difference in the height and times of tides between the East and Hudson Rivers, after the connection is made between the Harlem and the Hudson Rivers, will produce the currents upon which reliance is placed to keep the channel open, it is desirable that the cross-section of the channel be kept as uniform as possible, in order to avoid the unnecessary resistances to the flow of the water which would be caused by any contraction of the waterway. The contraction of the proposed cut through Dyckman Meadows will be more than counterbalanced by the natural channel through Spuyten Duyvil by the way of Kingsbridge, which is left open, and the contraction caused by the piers and embankments of the High Bridge, which carries the Croton aqueduct across the Harlem River, should be counteracted by deepening the channels between the piers and abutments. Observations of the tides affecting these waters show that there is not a free exchange of tides between Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek, but that there is practically a divide somewhere near Fordham Bridge between the tides flowing from the East River into the Harlem River, and from the Hudson River into Spuyten Duyvil Creek. Comparing the tides of the Harlem River at Fordham Bridge with those of the Hudson River at the mouth of Spuyten Duyvil Creek, it is found (1) That the level of mean high water in the Hudson is nearly 1 foot (.961 foot) lower than it is in the Harlem. (2) That the mean rise and fall of the tide in the Hudson is 2.12 feet less than it is in the Harlem. (3) That the mean duration of the rise of tides in the Hudson is 36 minutes shorter, and the mean duration of the fall 26 minutes longer, than in the Harlem. (4) The mean level of the Hudson at the mouth of Spuyten Duyvil Creek is .265 of a foot lower than at Fordham Bridge. (5) High water occurs 1 hour and 34 minutes earlier in the Hudson than in the Harlem. From these facts it follows that while there will at different times be a flow toward either river, the preponderance of flow will be toward the Hudson, and the scour will go that way, so that if a cut for a free passage of the tides be made, the opening into the Hudson will become the mouth of the cut. The project for the improvement was adopted in 1879. The proposed lines of improvement, as laid down by the engineer in charge in his annual report for 1882, are as follows: (1) Below the Harlem or Third Avenue Bridge the onter pier and bulkhead lines as laid down by the Park Department are adopted. (2) Above the Third Avenue Bridge to the entrance of Dyckman Creek into the Harlem River, the exterior pier and bulkhead lines are laid down 400 feet apart. (3) The line following Dyckman Creek through Dyckman Meadows will pass for a part of the way through solid rock, and it is here that the principal cost of the undertaking must be encountered. This part is to be made 350 feet wide. It would have been preferable to establish it at 400 feet, but the additional amount of rock excavation was the obstacle. (4) The remainder of the line to the Hudson River will follow as nearly as possible the course of the Spuyten Duyvil, and the width will be 400 feet. (5) The channel depth in the Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek will be 15 feet at mean low water, and in the channel along Dyckman Creek 18 feet, mean low water. The estimated cost of making the connection by a cut through Dyckman Meadows, as giving by General Newton in his report for 1882, is $2,100,000. This estimate does not provide for the improvement of the channel of the Harlem River between this proposed cut and the mouth of the Harlem River. The estimated cost of improving this part of the river, as given in General Newton's report for 1875, was about $600,000. Total for the improvement of the Harlem River between the Hudson River and East River, $2,700,000. The project was revised in 1886 by narrowing the channel immediately north of High Bridge to 375 feet, where it skirts the Ogden estate on the east bank. This change of width was approved by the Secretary of War October 7, 1886. (See Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1887, Part I, page 671.) The estimated cost of opening the channel from the Harlem River to the East River by the way of the Harlem or Bronx Kills, making it 300 feet wide and 15 feet deep at low water, was about $2,200,000. This survey was ordered by act of Congress approved March 3, 1881, and the report upon it is to be found in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1882, Part I, page 656. After the legal difficulties for acquiring the right of way along the line of the proposed improvement of the Harlem River were removed in May, 1887, the appropriations of 1878 and 1879, aggregating $400,000, became available, and a project for their expenditure was made very soon thereafter. Work was begun, under the first contract for earth and rock excavation along Dyckman Creek, in January, 1888, and has continued uninterruptedly since that date. Contracts have also been made covering the appropriation of $70,000, act of August 11, 1888, and that of $250,000, act of September 19, 1890. These several contracts provide for the excavation of all the material contained between the dams; the removal of the dams; the revetment of both banks for short distances east and west of both dams; and for dredging a channel from the east dam through the Harlem River to Fordham Dock, and from the west dam to Spuyten Duyvil Creek. It is expected that when these contracts are completed there will be a narrow channel between the Hudson and the East Rivers navigable at mean low water by vessels drawing 8 feet. BRIDGES ACROSS THE HARLEM RIVER. The Board of Engineers convened May 7, 1890, to consider, as stated in the last annual report, the matter of the bridges across the Harlem River at Third and Fourth avenues, New York City, submitted a report to the Chief of Engineers June 19, 1890, in which it was recommended that the bridges, having been found to be obstructions to the free navigation of "a navigable water way of the United States," "by reason of insufficient height and insufficient width of spans," in the sense in which the words are used in section 9 and section 10 of the river and harbor act of August 11, 1888, be made to conform as nearly as prac ticable to the requirements of the State legislation of 1879 for new bridges over the Harlem River. This recommendation was approved by the Secretary of War June 23, 1890, and the city of New York, owning or controlling the bridge at Third avenue, and the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company, owning or controlling the bridge at Fourth avenue, were notified that the required modification should be made by January 1, 1892. On March 4, 1891, Mr. Alexander J. Howell made complaint to the Secretary of War that the railroad bridge across the Spuyten Duyvil Creek at its mouth was an obstruction to navigation by reason of "insufficient width of draw," under the river and harbor act of September 19, 1890. The matter was referred to this office, and two public hearings were "given to the parties in interest. The complaint was satisfied by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company agreeing, as a temporary measure only, to widen the draw opening to 50 feet, and to erect a steam motor with which to maneuver the drawbridge. This agreement was approved by the Secretary of War June 9, 1891, with the proviso that the modification agreed upon should be regarded as a temporary measure to meet the necessities of the navigation of that stream as they now exist, and the date fixed for the completion of the alteration was December 1, 1891. By the State act of April 29, 1890 (found in the appendix), the department of public parks, New York City, was authorized to reconstruct the McComb Dam Bridge at Seventh avenue. The act provides that the bridge shall be constructed in conformity with the general provisions of the State law of 1882, with the difference that it shall have a height of "not less than 30 feet above mean high-water mark of said river," instead of "not less than 24 feet above the high water of spring tides," as provided in the act of 1882. The provision for the height of the lower chord being favorable for navigation, the consent of the Secretary of War to the construction of the bridge under the act was given June 23, 1890. The work of reconstruction is now in prog ress. The following table shows the location and characteristics of the sev eral bridges across the Harlem River: 80.0 36.7 Double draw, road bridge, iron. Double draw, road bridge, wood and iron; soon to be reconstructed. 28.0 Double draw, railroad bridge, iron. Footbridge, Fordham.. 32.0 3.9 Farmers Bridge.. 3.1 Kings Bridge 4.8 Hudson River Railroad No draw; width in clear between piers, 77.7 feet; intredos of arch, 100 feet above mean high water. No draw; iron arch; clear span, 500 feet; crown of arth, Single draw; wooden trestle; soon to be removed. The amount expended at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $367,060.22. WORK DONE DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1891. At the beginning of the year two contracts were in force with Mr. John Satterlee. The first, dated December 15, 1887, calls for the removal of 300,000 cubic yards of material from the cut through Dyckman Meadow, and the second, dated August 12, 1889, for the removal of 71,000 cubic yards of earth and 19,000 cubic yards of rock, and for building an earthen and timber dam to shut out the water of the Har lem River from the site of the work to be done under this contract. The section of canal prism to be excavated under the first contract lies to the west of the old Kingsbridge road, and that to be excavated under the second contract lies partly east and partly west of the same road. Between these two contracts there remained a section, contain ing about 43,000 cubic yards of material, to be excavated to complete the improvement between the two dams. By the river and harbor act of September 19, 1890, $250,000 was ap propriated for continuing the improvement. Under this appropriation three additional contracts were entered into after inviting sealed proposals according to law. First. For excavating and removing about 37,000 cubic yards of rock and 7,000 cubic yards of earth from the section lying between the two sections of canal prism already under contract. Mr. James Coleman was the lowest bidder under this section, and the work was awarded to him; but, on his failure to sign the contract when presented to him for signature, the award was canceled, and a contract was finally made with Mr. John Satterlee, on March 9, 1891, at the prices bid by Mr. Coleman. |