foot of Morning Star road be located on a point in a straight line drawn between said avenues projected. The following are some of the reasons why I ask that such correction be made: The Morning Star road is one of the principal roads in Staten Island. It will eventually become a landing place for all that section. The soundings at the monument now located are about 7 feet. It is on the middle of a shoal extending from the channel to the high-water mark. The bottom is hard. If extended to the point desired it would bring the pier line to the edge of the channel. The place can not be dredged, because the whole shore line is in the same high incline. The distance between the pier line on Staten Island and the pier line on the Jersey shore at this point is nearly 2,000 feet. At points directly below it is but little more than 500 feet across the river, and this distance continues with little variation throughout the whole length of the river. The angle formed by the present pier line will form a jog or cove, into which all the sewage and driftwood will be deposited, as it is to-day, causing it gradually to fill up and making the water shallow. The harbor commissioners of the State of New York in 1857 located the pier line as we now desire it, but this has been changed. We can not conceive of any reason which can be urged against the change. It will not seriously change the width of the river, and the river at this point is more than twice as wide as it is at any other point. It will give the upland desirable water privileges. It will give a better channel for the river to flow and help to remove the sewage, clean the river, and give a more rapid current to empty the waters into the sea. It will make more symmetrical the pier line and restore it to what it originally was. I hope that these reasons may be sufficient to convince you of the necessity of a rehearing, and I am confident that the Board of Engineers will see the urgency of our claim if an opportunity be afforded of explaining it to them. With assurances of respect and esteem, I am, sincerely yours, THOS. F. MAGNER. Hon. REDFIELD PROCTOR, Secretary of War. [Third indorsement.] NEW YORK HARBOR LINE BOARD, Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers. The harbor line in this locality would probably have had a different position had there been no structure in existence and no previous action by the State authority. It was adopted because it was a line already established by the State of New York, interfered as little as possible with existing structures, and was not injurious to the regimen of the stream. It is a matter of little importance whether the line remains as already approved or be drawn straight between the points on the pier and bulkhead line as now established on the extension of John street and Houseman avenue. This was the line of 1857, as stated by Mr. Magner, but it was superseded by the State act of 1881, which latter defined the line which was approved by the Secretary of War. For the Board : HENRY L. ABBOT, [Eighth indorsement.] OFFICE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War. U.S. ARMY, August 11, 1890. The Hon. Thomas F. Magner, M. C., having requested that the pier and bulkhead line along the north shore of Staten Island, as established by the Secretary of War January 4, 1890, be modified between John street and Houseman avenue extended, the Assistant Secretary of War, by indorsement of July 25, directed that the change asked for by Mr. Magner be made. The accompanying tracing,* upon which is delineated the modification of the line, as desired by Mr. Magner, received at this office with inclosed letter of the 8th instant from the Board of Engineers, is respectfully submitted, having been prepared for approval of the Secretary of War. H. M. ADAMS, Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers. The modification of the line, as delineated on the accompanying tracing, is approved. L. A. GRANT, Assistant Secretary of War. *Omitted. SUBJECT. INDEX. A. Aberdeen, Wash., bridging Chehalis River Acts of Fifty-first Congress, second session, Albemarle Sound, N. C., and Norfolk Har- Alexandria, La., bridging Red River near.. Allegheny River, Pa., at Sixth street, Pitts- 431 Allegheny River, Pa., dam at Herr Island, Allegheny River, Pa., improvement of 292 292 316 2486 2538 1738 1761 2366 2363 2512 3246 3246 1531 2964 2964 Amite River, La., improvement of. Anacostia River. (See Eastern Branch of Annie J. Russell (schooner), removal of Apalachicola Bay, Fla., improvement of.. of. Approaches to Norfolk Harbor, Va., im- Aqueduct, Washington, maintenance and Aquia Creek, Va., improvement of.. 1820 Aransas Bay, Tex., examination for removal Arkansas River, Ark., at Dardanelle, bridg- ing 430 Arkansas River, Ark., Ind. T., and Kans., improvement of 250 Arkansas River, Ark., Ind. T., and Kans., 249 2037 2033 Arthur Kill, N. Y. and N. J., improvement of. Arthur, Lake, La., course of Mermenton Astoria, Oregon, and Woods Landing, Co- ENG 91-1 3875 Back Cove, Portland, Me., bridge obstruct- Back Cove, Portland, Me., improvement of Bagaduce River, Me., improvement of. Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad Barren River, Ky., operating and keeping Bartholomew, Bayou, La. and Ark., improve- Bath, Me., Kennebec River at, establish- Battalion of Engineers Bay Ridge Channel, New York Harbor, Bay Ridge Channel, New York Harbor, N. Bay River, N. C., and Pamlico River, N. C., 435 33 351 420 230 118 1097 1854 435 27 597 294 2381 434 132 1227 118 1093 118 1090 3373 2771 |