A I.

IMPROVEMENT OF LUBEC CHANNEL, MAINE.

Lubec Channel forms the eastern boundary of the State of Maine, between the town of Lubec and Campobello Island. For a length of over 2 miles (i. e., from about 850 feet below the "Western Bar Beacon" to the head of "Lubec Narrows") it was obstructed by bars having but 5 to 12 feet of water at mean low water, and for the most part only 5 feet at mean low water, or 22 feet at mean high water-the mean rise and fall of the tides being 17 feet-whilst at extreme low water at spring tides there was but 1 foot of water over their shoalest parts.

The condition of the channel, therefore, was such that at and near mean low water, vessels were unable to navigate it, and were forced to take a circuitous route, 16 miles longer, from West Quoddy Head to the eastward of Campobello Island, through British waters, in order to reach Lubec, Eastport, Calais, Pembroke, and other ports in Maine, on the Saint Croix and Pembroke rivers. Similar difficulties also occurred to vessels coming down from Calais and other places on the river Saint Croix, which, leaving there at or near high water (as they have to do), reach Lubec Channel in a low stage of the water, either to be detained until a rise of tide, or else were forced to take the circuitous route to the eastward of Campobello Island.

With a view to the improvement of this channel, so as to make it nav. igable in all stages of the tide for steamers and other vessels that for the most part would use it, it was surveyed in 1878 with great care and accuracy from deep water, above the head of "the Narrows," to the deep water below the "Western Bar Beacon," a distance of about 2 miles. On this survey 5,529 soundings were taken and located, and numerous borings made to ascertain the character of the bottom, in which no ledges were encountered or any other material difficult to be excavated by dredging.

The original project for its improvement consisted in excavating it for a width of not less than 200 feet, to a depth of 12 feet at mean low water of spring tides.

In my last annual report this minimum channel was reported completed. A jetty upon "Gun Rock," a ledge projecting into Lubec Narrows at the northeast point of the town of Lubec, was begun (under contract of April 28, 1884, with Mr. William S. White, of Rockland, Me.) on the 28th of May, 1884, and at the close of the fiscal year 125 feet of it had been completed. Its total length will be 259 feet. Its object is to stop the rapid tidal current which sweeps across this ledge to the great inconvenience of passing vessels.

It was represented to me last year by parties interested that a still wider and deeper channel is desirable. A perfectly straight one is impracticable, but increased width, especially at the bends, would much add to the facility of navigation in the strong tidal currents of the locality. To attain this object the channel through the shoal D-E should be 275 feet wide, with an additional width of 25 feet at the bends above "Western Bar Beacon" and Cranberry Point.

A desire for a mean low-water depth greater than 12 feet was also made known to me. It is stated that propellers drawing fully that have now occasion to pass through, and that a depth of 15 feet at mean low water is what is wanted.

To make this additional improvement in width and depth will require the removal by dredging of

280,000 cubic yards of material at 35 cents.. Contingencies

Total......

$98,000

15,000

113,000

Fifty thousand dollars of this sum could be advantageously expended during the working season of 1885 and early in 1886, and I therefore respectfully recommend the appropriation of that amount at the next session of Congress.

The appropriations for the work have been as follows:

By act of March 3, 1879.
By act of June 14, 1880.
By act of March 3, 1881.

By act of August 2, 1882.

By act of July 5, 1884..

Total

The total expenditures to June 30, 1884, are $117,677.09.

$44,000

20,000

45,000

20,000

10,000

139,000

The following information has been furnished by the United States collector of customs at Eastport, Me., for the year ending December 31,

The above report does not include the vessels engaged in the coasting and fishing business, which are largely benefited by the improvement of the Lubec Channel.

Money statement.

July 1, 1883, amount available

July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of

Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1885 .....

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project

$15, 178 89

$3,855 98

207 75

4,063 73

11, 115 16 10,000 00

21, 115 16

103,000 00

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. 50,000 00

Abstract of proposals received April 15, 1884, for construction of jetty on "Gun Rock" for improvement of Lubec Channel, Maine.

Contract awarded to William S. White; dated April 28, 1884.

A.2.

IMPROVEMENT OF MOOSE-A-BEC BAR AT JONESPORT, MAINE.

Moose-a-bec Bar is at the eastern part of Moose-a-bec Reach, near Jonesport, Me., and is the only obstruction to the safe navigation of that reach in all stages of the tide. By a survey made in 1879 it was ascertained that this bar had only 5 feet of water on it at mean low water and 34 feet in low water of spring tides, which compelled the coastwise steamers and other vessels of greater draught to take a very tortuous course to the southward among the ledges, as shown on the map accompanying the annual report of 1880. Navigation is thereby rendered difficult and dangerous, especially at night, and in dense fogs, common on this part of the coast.

The plan adopted for the improvement of this bar consists in opening through it, by dredging, a channel 200 feet in width and 14 feet in depth at mean low water (or 113 feet at low water of spring tides) for an average length of about 1,900 feet. The mean rise and fall of the tides is 11.53 feet. Near the western end of this projected channel to the southwest of "Steamboat Buoy" is a sunken ledge which has only 103 feet of water on it at mean low water, but with 18 feet all around it; which ledge it is projected to remove to a depth of 15 feet at mean low water. The estimated cost of this improvement (as amended) is as follows, viz:

85,000 cubic yards of dredging (measured in scows), at 35 cents per cubic yard...

Removal of 1364 cubic yards of sunken ledge, at $40 per cubic yard in situ..
Adding for engineering expenses and contingencies....

$29,750

5,460

4,790

Total.

40,000

The following appropriations have been made by Congress for this work, viz:

The total expenditure to June 30, 1884, was $19,894.34.

Under the first appropriation the new channel was opened to a width of 85 feet. Under contract with Moore and Wright, reported last year, work was commenced August 3, 1883, and closed September 25, 1883, resulting in the removal by dredging of 20,983 cubic yards of sand and mud, with an increase of width of 56 feet in the new channel.

This improvement is in no sense local, as the channel is a general thoroughfare, and it is very desirable that it should be completed as soon as possible.

Jonesport is the nearest town to this improvement, but has no special connection with it. The nearest light-house is Moose Peak light.

It is estimated that upwards of 2,500 vessels pass over this bar and through Moose-a-bec reach annually. It is the regular route of the steamers of the Portland, Bangor, Mount Desert, and Machias line, and the boats are often delayed waiting for the tide, not daring to venture over the bar at low water. The steamers of the International line, plying between Boston, Mass., and Saint John, N. B., via Portland and Eastport, frequently make use of this passage in rough weather, and would do so oftener were it not for the risk incurred in crossing this bar.