10. Upper Thoroughfare between Deil's Island and the mainland.-This water passage separates Deil's Island from the mainland of Somerset County, Maryland. What has been supposed to be needed in that vicinity was a harbor of refuge for small vessels, and to provide a place at which steamers could stop and bring the people and their abundant crops from the land and water into quick communication with the markets of Baltimore and Philadelphia. In the river and harbor act of March 3, 1881, Congress made an appropriation of $5,000 for the Lower Thoroughfare, which is between Deil's and Little Deil's Island, about 3 miles from the Upper Thoroughfare. This appropriation was expended early in 1882 under a contract made in 1881. The main object was the same as at the Upper Thoroughfare, the making of a harbor of refuge. An appropriation of $5,000 for the Upper Thoroughfare was made August 2, 1882. It was thought to be a better place for the harbor of refuge in that vicinity than the Lower Thoroughfare, and it was so stated in the reports, but Congress made an appropriation first for the lower and none for the upper until after work had been commenced and was well advanced on the lower. The necessity for another harbor of refuge so near that at the Lower Thoroughfare has not been perceived, and no work has yet been done in spending the appropriation of $5,000 at the Upper Thoroughfare. July 1, 1883, amount available.. July 1, 1884, amount available.. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project (See Appendix I 10.) $4,810 26 4,810 26 15,000 00 11. Broad Creek, Delaware, from its mouth to Laurel.-Nothing was done on this stream in the year ending June 30, 1884, for want of money, and the act of July 5, 1884, contained no appropriation for it. A description of it and of what had been previously done for its improvement with the appropriations of June 14, 1880, March 3, 1881, and August 8, 1882, in all $20,000, may be found in full in the last Annual Report. (See Appendix I 11.) 12. Wicomico River, Maryland.-The natural channel of this river for some distance below the town of Salisbury was quite crooked and narrow, and at the shoalest places did not afford more than a few inches of water at low tide. Much injury had also been done by the saw-mills pouring their dust into it. A considerable portion of the shoals was found to be composed of water-soaked sawdust mixed with mud and sand. It should be stated here that this supply of sawdust to the river has, for several years, been entirely cut off. The project for improving this river was adopted in 1871, and had in view giving a depth of 7 feet at mean low water in a channel about 70 feet wide for a distance of about 2 miles below the bridge at Salisbury. The project also included some dikes for the contraction of the waterway and as a place behind which to deposit material dredged from the channel. At the end of June, 1883, the amount expended had been $38,616.95, and a channel 65 feet in width, 7 feet deep at mean low water, had been carried to the bridge. A good turning basin had also been excavated near the town in both forks of the river. A small balance, about $1,300, remained June 30, 1883, of the last appropriation of $2,000 which had been made in March, 1881. This was 5908 EN-10 expended in the autumn of 1883 in widening and straightening the channel for a distance a little less than 2 miles below Salisbury. The United States balance being insufficient to complete what was necessary over that space, the people interested carried it through at their own expense of about $1,700 more. The straight places are now 70 feet in width and the crooked parts 80; depth 7 feet at mean low water, which becomes 3 feet more at high water. The business of the town of Salisbury and along the river have very much increased, and the need is represented as urgent for further increase in the dimensions of the channel, in order to the use of boats of a larger class than those now navigating the river. The appropriation of $10,000 of July 5, 1884, will be expended accordingly. July 1, 1883, amoun' available.. July 1, 184, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. (See Appendix I 12.) $1,385 38 1,385 38 10, 000 00 13. James River, Virginia.-A very full statement was made in the last Annual Report as to the history of the improvement of this river and its condition. A part of it is repeated below, to save trouble of reference to other documents. Previous to 1870 the first 4 miles below Richmond were shallow except in short reaches, the general depth being 8 feet in channel at low tide. The reef at Rocketts and the sand-shoal known as Richmond Bar had but 7 feet. Warwick Bar, 5 miles below the city, had 13 feet. The channel below Richmond was tortuous and obstructed with a large number of rocks, mostly bowlders, besides the ledges at Rocketts and Goode's. Many vessels, sunk during the war of 1861-65, especially at Drewry's Bluff, were very serious obstructions. The Dutch Gap Cut-off, which now saves 54 miles of difficult navigation, was not open. After the flood of 1870 but little over 62 feet could be carried over Richmond Bar at low tide. The original project for improvement was for 18 feet at high tide, with a channel width of 180 feet from the Richmond Dock to below Harrison's Bar. The mean rise and fall of tide is about 3 feet, and the excavations in rock were to be carried to 15 feet at low water. In removing saud-shoals, where the operation is aided by wing-dams, the intention has been to so contract that the scour would produce a channel of the same depth. The only intentional change in plan has been to make the channel below Warwick Bar, 5 miles below Richmond, 200 feet by 18 at low tide instead of high tide. The amount expended by the United States to June 30, 1882, was $585,668.18, and by the city of Richmond about $387,500. At that date, at high water of spring tides. the channel afforded the following depths: 20 feet from the sea to City Point, 19 feet thence to Warwick Bar, and of 17 feet from the latter point to wharves at Rocketts, though the depths of ordinary high water were less. The method of improvement from the beginning, which has been adhered to, has consisted mainly in removing the sand and mud bars by dredging and contracting the width of the river adjacent by wing-dams and training-walls for the maintenance of the depth, and in removing bowlders and rock in beds by drilling and blasting. Under the pressure of the demands of commerce for immediate results much money has been spent on this and other rivers in quickly giving depth and width of channel by dredging when it was well foreseen that permanence could only be expected through the aid of contracting works, for which there had been not sufficient funds available. Thus the same bars have been dredged over and over again. The amount expended in the year ending June 30, 1883, by the United States was $7,252.54, and by the city of Richmond about $7,000. The amount expended by the United States in year ending June 30, 1884, has been $42,873.42, and by the city of Richmond $8,588.46, making a total for the United States up to June 30, 1884, of $635,794.14, and by the city of Richmond of $403,058. As directed by Congress, a survey was made to determine the prac ticability and cost of procuring a channel 25 feet deep at full tide from Richmond to the mouth of the river. A report was rendered and printed in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1882, Part I, page 870. This survey demonstrated the practicability of the project, and from the data obtained the cost thereof was estimated at $4,500,000, the width in artificial channels from the sea to City Point being 400 feet, from City Point to Drewry's Bluff 300 feet, and from Drewry's Bluff to Richmond 200 feet. Estimates were made for two other projects, denominated in the report second project and third project, that for the second project being $2,100,000 and that for the third project being $2,500,000. In the report these projects are fully described. Congress in the act of July 5, 1884, gave an indication of its will as to the point about which there had been doubt, viz, whether the Engineers were to continue the prosecution of the existing project for 18 feet at high water or were to take steps towards the beginning of that for gaining 25 feet at high water. The words of the law are as follows: Improving James River, Virginia, continuing improvement on the plan for deepening the channel to 22 feet at mean low tide. The last appropriation and the balance remaining of the preceding one will therefore be applied in the manner indicated. July, 1, 1883, amount available..... July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883.... Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1885....... $72, 109 28 42,873 42 29, 235 86 75,000 00 104,235 86 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project ........ Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30,1886. (See Appendix I 13.) 425,000 00 500, 000 00 14. Appomattox River, Virginia.-At the close of the war the navigation of this river was in such a condition that the depth of water on more than one of the shoals did not exceed 6 feet at high tide, and this depth was diminished by 3 feet at low tide. The plan of improvement adopted in 1870 was to attain a depth of 12 feet at high water, with as much width of channel as the river would bear. This plan bas been steadily adhered to, constant progress being made towards its completion from year to year by the use of the money granted by Congress. The means depended on have been jetties, wing-dams, and training-walls, with resort to the dredge only when the needs of commerce required immediate work in the channel to give more width or depth than had been attained under the slower operation of the structures mentioned, of which the system has not yet been fully carried out for want of sufficient money. This use of the dredge has been less from year to year, indicating an increased nearness to a permanently improved condition of the river. A new dredge has been finished, and is now owned by the City of Petersburg. This is of great importance, as the occasions for the use of a dredge as indicated above generally come after freshets. It has hitherto been difficult to procure one as soon as needed to repair damage to the channel. The details of operations of the fiscal year are given in full in the report of the officer who has been in charge of the work. The following is a summary of it: Timber dikes constructed Wattled dikes constructed 1,060 linear feet. 2,400 linear feet. 17,800 square feet. 133 linear feet. 250 linear feet. 26,727 cubic yards. The city of Petersburg has dredged a turning-basin in the harbor at the city and 987 cubic yards from the channel within the limits of the city. The amount expended in the year ending June 30, 1884, has been $15,518.59. The total amount expended by the United States in the execution of the adopted project has been $350,130.72. July 1, 1883, amount available.. $22,479 41 July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883. 15,518 59 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. (See Appendix I 14.) 46,000 00 46,000 00 15. Shenandoah River, West Virginia.-Congress granted $15,000, June 14, 1880, for the portion of the river in West Virginia which includes the single county of Jefferson. A second appropriation of $2,500 was made March 3, 1881, but a proviso to the latter prohibited the expenditure of either until the surrender to the United States of any corporate rights or franchises over the river held under State authority. After considerable delay an opinion was given in June 1883 by the United States district attorney for West Virginia, that the conditions imposed by Congress had been satisfied, which opinion was approved by the Secretary of War. The next step seemed to be for the United States to enter upon the sites lately occupied by the navigation company organized in 1872 under the authority of the State of West Virginia, and, in order to this, the definition of these sites and the procurement of abstracts of the titles seemed necessary for submission to the Attorney-General of the United States. The United States district attorney for West Virginia has been engaged upon this duty, which was not completed at the close of the fiscal year. The details of the investigation are intricate and tedious. July 1, 1883, amount available $17,312 20 July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883..... 6 00 July 1, 1884, amount available ... 17,306 20 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. (See Appendix I 15.) 7,500 00 7,500 00 16. New River, from the mouth of Wilson, in Grayson County, Virginia, to the mouth of Greenbrier River, in West Virginia.-Nothing was done on this river in the year ending June 30, 1884, and the act of July 5, 1884, contained no further appropriation for it. The balance, $3,079.08, reported as available, pertains by special designation in the law of August 2, 1882, to the portion of the river above Foster's Falls, which are not passable. Its expenditure has seemed of very small benefit and has not been made. July 1, 1883, amount available..... July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883.. July 1, 1884, amount available $3,086 66 758 3,079 08 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project ... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. (See Appendix I 16.) 169,000 00 50,000 00 17. Great Kanawha River, West Virginia.-This river flows through a fertile and picturesque region, filled also with mineral wealth, especially coal and salt. It was by nature divided into a number of pools, some of considerable length and depth, separated by shoals of gravel and coarse sand, which were the principal obstructions to navigation in low water, there being often on them at such seasons but a few inches of water. In some of the pools were found shallow places also obstructing navigation. There were also snags and loose rock in the channel. The navigation above Charleston was more obstructed than below. Above, it was almost suspended in summer. The coal and salt were generally sent out on rises, which enabled the boats to pass safely over the obstructions which otherwise would stop their movements entirely. The use of the river for the movement of these valuable products was therefore unsatisfactory and intermittent. By the agency and superintend ence of a board acting under the authority of the State, first of Virginia and then of West Virginia, considerable improvement in the river was from time to time effected, tolls being charged on the commerce for payment of expenses. The object of the improvement begun several years ago by the United States was to give a constant navigable depth of at least 6 feet throughout the whole length of the Kanawha to its mouth at the Ohio River, to be accomplished by large locks and dams. Those already built have been about 350 by 50 feet. The peculiarity of most of the dams is that they can be lowered when the stage of water in the river will suffice over the shoals. This gives them the name of "movable dams," and enables an open river to be had when the water is high enough. Dams 3 and 2, both above Paint Creek, are fixed, as the declivity of the river in that section is too great to permit the advantageous use of the movable system. Dam 1 would also be fixed if constructed, but it will probably not be necessary to build that dam for many years, if ever. Up to June 30, 1883, the amount expended has been $1,327,473.50. At that date Lock and Dam 3, 21 miles above Charleston Ferry, had been completed, as also Locks and Dams 4 and 5, which are respectively 9 and 15 miles above the same point. Lock 6, 4 miles below Charleston, was under contract and well advanced towards completion. The tedious negotiations for the procurement of Site 2, a mile below Cannelton, and 261⁄2 miles above Charleston, had been completed, and Lock 2 had just been commenced. |