E 18. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF WESTCHESTER CREEK, WESTCHESTER AND NEW YORK COUNTIES, NEW YORK. ENGINEER OFFICE, U. S. ARMY, New York, N. Y., December 29, 1890. GENERAL: In compliance with letter of the Chief of Engineers, dated September 20, 1890, I have the honor to submit the following report in regard to the preliminary examination of "Westchester Creek, Westchester and New York Counties," to comply with the provisions of the river and harbor act of September 19, 1890: Westchester Creek is a tidal stream emptying into the East River between Clauson Point and Old Ferry Point, about 2 miles west of Throg Neck. It is navigable at low stage for vessels drawing 4 to 5 feet to the town of West Chester, 24 miles from the mouth, at which point navigation is obstructed by a low, solid bridge or causeway which has no draw. At the southern boulevard crossing, in the town of Unionport, 1 mile below West Chester, the iron bridge has a draw of ample width for easy passage of vessels. The estuary at the mouth into which the creek empties is one-half mile wide between east and west headlands, and the distance between the 8-foot curves on opposite sides of the bar at the mouth is 1,000 feet, approximately, the least depth on the bar being 3 to 4 feet, approximately. The creek is divided into comparatively easy and regular reaches, and has thoroughout from West Chester to the mouth a least width between banks of 125 feet, and a general depth of 4 to 5 feet, mean low water. The greatest depth of the channel through the estuary is 11 feet, approximately. The range of tides is 7 feet, approximately. At two points just below Unionport the stream is said to be obstructed by what is supposed to be rock in place or loose bowlders of small extent. The promoters of the survey desire a channel 50 feet wide and 8 feet deep, mean low water, from West Chester to the East River, so that ves sels suitable for transporting the commerce of the river may enter at all stages of the tide. When such an improvement is effected it is claimed that a daily line of freight steamers will be formed to ply between New York City and West Chester. The navigation at present can only be carried on at high water, and no regular time can be fixed for entering the creek. There are wharves at West Chester and at Unionport for convenient handling of freight. This creek bounds on the eastward the stretch of country, suburban to New York City, which is undergoing constant and rapid improvement and development by the expansion of New York City beyond the Harlem River, and will be extensively used in the near future for transporting building materials, stone, brick, lime, and lumber, hardware, grain, and home supplies, which can not be transported conveniently by rail. The population of the district bordering on the creek is 6,000, approximately. Obstructed as the stream is, the commerce for the past year was 50,000 tons, having a valuation of $242,000, and was carried in canal boats, scows, and lighters, drawing 5 to 8 feet. No survey of the creek has ever been made by any branch of the Government. A personal examination of the creek has been made. In view of the moderate demands of the people, the probable small cost of the improvement, estimated at not to exceed $25,000, and the rapid development of the country adjacent to the creek, I have the honor to state that, in my judgment, Westchester Creek is "worthy of improvement" from West Chester to the East River. I respectfully recommend an allotment of $500 to make a survey between the points named preparatory to the formation of plans, with esti mates of cost of improvement, which shall provide for the removal of rocks in the creek and for dredging the creek and the bar at the entrance for a navigable water way 60 feet wide and 8 feet deep, mean low water. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. THOMAS L. CASEY, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. G. L. GILLESPIE, Lieut. Col. of Engineers. Commercial statistics for Westchester Creek, New York, for the fiscal year ending June 30, SURVEY OF WESTCHESTER CREEK, WESTCHESTER AND NEW YORK COUNTIES, NEW YORK. ENGINEER OFFICE, U. S. ARMY, New York, N. Y., September 8, 1891. GENERAL: In compliance with letter of the Chief of Engineers, dated December 30, 1890, I have the honor to submit a report with chart on survey of Westchester Creek, New York, made to comply with the requirements of the river and harbor act approved September 19, 1890. The accompanying chart* confirms in general the statements contained in the preliminary report, dated December 29, 1890, in regard to • Not printed. the width of the channel, the depths of water in the creek and over the bar, and to the existing obstructions to navigation. From the East River to near the center of the estuary, into which the creek enters, the depth of water at mean low stage is 4 feet, approv mately; thence to Eastern Boulevard Bridge, at Unionport, the creek is navigable at low stage for vessels drawing 63 feet; and thence to West Chester for vessels drawing 33 feet. The range of tides at the head of the estuary is 7.10 feet, and at Wes: Chester, 7.11 feet. The material composing the bed of the creek is generally of mud and sand, and that of the bar of sand alone, which may be readily removed by the usual methods. No rock appears in the water way above the plane of 9 feet below mean low water, except at one point near the mouth of the creek, where it rises to 4.6 feet below that plane. The highway bridge at the Eastern Boulevard, Unionport, has a suff cient draw opening 50 feet wide, properly located in relation to the deep-water channel. The survey was made in May and June, 1891, under the supervision of Mr. G. W. Kuehnle, assistant engineer, to whose accompanying report attention is respectfully invited for details of the methods by which the survey was made. The rock by the survey lies so far below the adopted plan of improve ment, or is so distant from the axis of the proposed channel, that no estimate for the removal of any of this class of obstruction is submitted The long pools existing in the lower creek, and also in the northert half of the channel through the estuary, seem to indicate that if a channel of the proposed width and depth be excavated across the estu ary, uniting Westchester Creek with the East River, it will be main tained with reasonable certainty by tidal agencies for a considerabl period of time without requiring the construction of permanent works of improvement to confine the channel across the estuary. No permanen: works, therefore, for leading the improved channel across the estuary are outlined or estimated for. The cost of making a navigable channel 100 feet wide and 8 feet deep at mean low water across the estuary, thence 80 feet wide and 8 fee deep at mean low water to a point about 1,000 feet above Scriven's Dock, and thence 60 feet wide and 8 feet deep, mean low water, to the head of navigation, is estimated as follows: Dredging a channel 100 feet wide, 8 feet deep at mean low water, and 1,200 feet long across the bar at the entrance to the estuary; 19,000 cubic yards, scow measurement, at 25 cents... Dredging a channel 80 feet wide and 8 feet deep, mean low water, from the northern end of deep pool in the estuary to a point 1,000 feet above Scriven Dock; 11,500 cubic yards, scow measurement, at 25 cents... Dredging a channel 60 feet wide and 8 feet deep, mean low water, to the head of navigation; 69,500 cubic yards, scow measurement, at 25 cents.. 17,375 $4,75 2,870 The commerce of the creek is now carried in canal-boats, scows, and small lighters which draw not less than 5 feet nor more than 8 feet. The number of boats of all classes engaged in the traffic is 300, and the tonnage carried during the year 1890, which has not materially changed during the year 1891, was 50,000 tons, and had ar estimated money valuation of $242,000. The wharf facilities for handling the commerce of the creek is the same as extended in 1890. Westchester Creek is in the collection district of New York. The nearest port of entry is New York City. The nearest light-house is Throg Neck Light. The nearest fort is Fort Schuyler. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. THOMAS L. CASEY, G. L. GILLESPIE, Lieut. Col. of Engineers. REPORT OF MR. G. W. KUEHNLE, ASSISTANT ENGINEER. ENGINEER OFFICE, U. S. ARMY, SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report on the survey of West chester Creek, New York, made by your order of January 2, 1891, in compliance with the requirements of river and harbor act of September 19, 1890. The survey was made in May and June, 1891, by the surveying party in charge of Mr. John Johnstone, surveyor, under directions from this office, and extends from the head of navigation at West Chester to deep water in the East River. A base line was measured near West Chester, and from this a series of triangles was extended over the area of survey. On Clauson Point a check base was measured for verification of the triangulation. From the trigonometrical points established by the triangulation the shore line and soundings were located by intersection of angles observed by means of transits. The soundings were taken with a sounding pole, divided into feet and tenths, and were reduced to the plane of mean low water as established by observations taken during the course of the survey. Tide gauges were set up at three points on the creek, one on Tiers Dock, at WestChester; one on the draw-guard of the bridge at Unionport; and one at Scriven Dock, near the head of the estuary. These gauges were carefully leveled in to permanent bench marks, and were connected with two lines of levels. Observations were made at all three of the gauges simultaneously during one lunation, two tides being taken each day. From these observations the plane of mean low water was reduced for each gauge, and the mean rise and fall and other data were obtained. The result of the tidal observations and the slope, as determined by the levels, is shown in tabular form on the accompanying chart. The entrance to the creek from deep water in the East River is obstructed by a bar 1,200 feet long, across which a depth of approximately 4 feet mean low water can be carried; thence to the Eastern Boulevard Bridge at Unionport there is a navigable channel 63 feet deep at mean low water; and thence to the head of navigation a channel with a depth of 33 feet at mean low water. The material composing the bed of the creek is mud, and the bar across the estuary is fine sand. No rock was found that will require removal under the proposed plan of improvement. The creek is crossed at Unionport by an iron road bridge with two draw openings 50 feet in width in the clear and operated by hand power. The proposed improvement on which the following estimate is based provides for a channel 100 feet wide, 8 feet deep at mean low water, and 1,200 feet long across the bar at the entrance; thence following the deep pool, 80 feet wide and 8 feet deep to the deep pool, about 1,000 feet above Scriven Dock; thence 60 feet wide and 8 feet deep to the town of West Chester. ESTIMATE. Dredging a channel 100 feet wide, 8 feet deep at mean low water, and 1,200 feet long, across the bar at the entrance to the estuary; 19,000 cubic yards, scow measurement, at 25 cents Dredging a channel 80 feet wide and 8 feet deep, mean low water, from the northern end of deep pool in the estuary to a point 1,000 feet above Scriven Dock; 11,000 cubic yards, scow measurement, at 25 cents Dredging a channel 60 feet wide and 8 feet deep, mean low water, to the head of navigation; 69,500 cubic yards, scow measurement, at 25 cents.... 17,375 $4,750 2,875 E 19. ESTABLISHMENT OF HARBOR LINES IN NEW YORK HARBOR AND ITS ADJACENT WATERS. a. HARBOR LINES FOR EAST SIDE OF MANHATTAN ISLAND FROM EAST EIGHTY-FIRST STREET NORTH TO THIRD AVENUE BRIDGE; WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN ISLAND FROM WEST EIGHTY-FIRST STREET NORTH TO SPUYTEN DUYVIL CREEK; WEST BANK OF NORTH RIVER FROM GUTTENBERG, NEW JERSEY, NORTH TO BLOOMER'S, NEW JERSEY; SPUYTEN DUYVIL CREEK THROUGH THE HARLEM RIVER TO THIRD AVENUE BRIDGE; NORTH SHORE OF BRONX KILLS FROM THIRD AVENUE BRIDGE EASTWARD TO BUNGAY STREET (PORT MORRIS), AND BLACKWELL, WARD, AND RANDALL ISLANDS, AND SUNKEN MEADOW. HARBOR LINE BOARD, New York City, September 17, 1890. GENERAL: The Harbor Line Board for New York Harbor and its adjacent waters, constituted by Special Orders, No. 49, Headquarters Corps of Engineers, October 5, 1888, to comply with section 12 of the river and harbor act of August 11, 1888, has the honor to recommend for adoption harbor lines for the east side of Manhattan Island, from East Eighty-first street north to Third Avenue Bridge; for the west side of Manhattan Island from West Eighty-first street north to Spuyten Duyvil Creek; for the west bank of North River from Guttenberg, N. J., north to Bloomer's, N. J.; for Spuyten Duyvil Creek through the Harlem River to Third Avenue Bridge; for the north shore of Bronx Kills from Third Avenue Bridge eastward to Bungay street (Port Morris), and for Blackwell, Ward, and Randall Islands, and Sunken Meadow. The recommended lines conform in general to the existing legal lines. and the Board has made changes only where the lines were unneces sarily irregular or where it seemed advisable to give relief or protection to particular sections of the river by pushing the lines outwards er drawing them in. The principal changes may be noted as follows: (1) Manhattan Island, north of Eighty-first street, west side.—Between One hundred and twenty-first and One hundred and sixty-first streets, the pierhead line is pushed outwards by substituting a straight line for the existing broken line established in 1868. The bulkhead line at Eighty-eighth street was pushed outwards 80 feet approximately (so as to place it at a distance of 220 feet from the west rail of the railroad at that point), and its turning point opposite Eighty-eighth street is connected by straight lines with the legal bulkhead lines at Eighty-first street and at the second turning point south of One hundred and thirtieth street; and a straight bulkhead line from the turning point south of One hundred and thirty-eighth street to the turning point at One hundred and fifty-fifth street is substituted for the existing broken line, between the same points, established in 1868. (2) North River, west bank.-From Tillietudlum Pier, Pleasant Valley Landing, the pierhead line is drawn in nearer to the shore and runs northward in a straight line, following the line established in 1865 for the "exterior line for solid filling," to a point 55 feet outside the stone monument on the pier near the John Pettigrew quarries, and the bulkhead line is made a straight line parallel to the pierhead line and 300 |