This work is in the collection district of New York. Nearest port of entry, New York City. Nearest light-house is Fort Tompkins Light; and the nearest fort, Fort Hamilton, New York Harbor.

Amount of revenue collected at the port of New York during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, was $135,093,152.62.

Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884.

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...

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

COMMERCIAL STATISTICS.

I am indebted to William Warner, esq., superintendent of the Brooklyn and Rockaway Beach Railroad Company, for the following information contained in letter and statement relative to the commerce of the bay.

The oyster business, which is becoming a very important industry in this section, is increasing largely from year to year and the oysters are among the finest in the New York market. The waters of Jamaica Bay seem particularly favorable both to their growth and flavor.

The busines of the railroad, as you will understand, is principally excursion travel, but so large has been the increase in this that we are now obliged to run two large steamboats in connection therewith, instead of one, as formerly.

STATEMENT.

Engaged in fishing and oyster business, one hundred yachts.
Coal and manure, fifteen large sloops and schooners.

For excursion and fishing parties six hundred to seven hundred boats and small sailing craft.

Two steamboats, the Hazel Kirke and J. G. Emmons, run in connection with the railroad between Canarsie Landing and Rockaway Beach, making two thousand one hundred trips during the season, and carrying 45,000 passengers.

The steamer Edith Peck runs between Canarsie Landing and Barren Island, and makes one thousand trips per annum, carrying 6,000 passengers.

Value of sail and steam craft, $130,000; hotel property at Canarsie Landing, $50,000. The oysters taken up this season will probably amount to 650,000 or 700,000 bushels; clams, 10,000 bushels; codfish, about $5,000 worth, and bluefish, $10,000. About 7,000 tons of coal come into port this year, and manure, probably about $2,000 worth.

G 5.

IMPROVEMENT OF SHEEPSHEAD BAY, NEW YORK.

The project for this improvement was adopted in 1879, and provided for deepening the entrance by means of converging jetties and for improving the interior channel by longitudinal dikes, so placed as in some instances to form tidal reservoirs for the scour of the channel. The project was revised in 1881, so as to provide under certain contingencies for the opening of a cut to connect the Bay with Dead Horse Inlet, 1,650 feet long and 100 feet wide, affording 6 feet mean low water; for revetting the banks of the cut, and for dredging the interior chan nel to the extent of 40,000 cubic yards, the estimated cost being $34,200.

The amount for the entire and permanent completion of the work of improvement in accordance with the approved project is $84,000.

The amount available July 1, 1883, for continuing the improvement was $10,284.10.

Under contract with Henry N. and Alonzo J. Beardsley for dredging, at 45 cents per cubic yard, work was commenced November 5, and continued to December 22, when operations were suspended on the exhaustion of the appropriation.

A cut 40 feet wide approximately, with a minimum depth of 4 feet, mean low water, following the line of a very small natural channel, a little to the northward of the cut originally laid out, was excavated between Sheepshead Bay and Dead Horse Inlet.

This change was made to reduce the amount of excavation required, and, considering the small amount applicable for the improvement, to open a channel less exposed to the waves coming from the sea and which would be better self-sustaining.

Twenty thousand cubic yards of material were removed and deposited behind a bulkhead built along the line of the cut by the contractor and property holders, jointly, without cost to the Government.

The currents set well through the cut, and an examination, made in April, shows that 4 feet mean low water obtains everywhere, and that if the depths existing at the close of the work have changed at all they have slightly increased.

The only practicable channel to sea from Sheepshead Bay is through the improved channel, thence through Dead Horse Inlet and Rockaway Inlet.

The old entrance is practically closed. The improved channel-width is too narrow for the convenience of vessels and should be enlarged to 60 feet, and its depth increased to 6 feet, mean low water.

The owners of property on the south and west sides of the bay are now engaged constructing a wide causeway along the west side of bay to afford facilities for reaching the ocean beach near Oriental Hotel.

The dredging of the upper end of the bay will probably follow, and the capacity of the harbor will be enlarged.

By act of July 5, 1884, $5,000 was appropriated for continuing the improvement. It will be applied in widening the entrance channel.

It is not deemed expedient, at this time, to construct in the bay any dikes for regulating the flow of the currents.

The appropriation of $20,000 asked for will be applied in further widening and deepening the entrance channel and in removing shoals from the inner bay.

The bay is the resort of a limited number of fishing vessels, but with increased depth of water at the entrance it may be made an important distributing point for a rich and growing community.

There is no reason why all the coal, lumber, building materials, and household supplies used by the people residing on the east end of Coney Island and on the north shore of the bay should not be brought by water from Brooklyn and New York markets at less rates than those charged by the railroads.

The exports will be increased in equal ratio with the imports.

The commerce to be benefited by the improvement is estimated at $1,000,000 annually.

This work is in the collection district of New York. Nearest port of entry, New York City; nearest light-house, Fort Tompkins Light; and nearest fort, Fort Hamilton, New York Harbor.

Amount of revenue collected during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894, was $135,093,152.62.

July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883...

July 1, 1884, amount available.......

Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884..

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

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....

10,260 35

23.75 5.000.00

5.023 75

84,000.00

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. 20,000.00

COMMERCIAL STATISTICS.

I am indebted to Alanson Tred well, esq., for the following information in reference to the commercial interests of Sheepshead Bay:

Inclosed please find statement of the business and commercial interests as I have ascertained them from those engaged in the several most important branches of business at Sheepshead Bay :

We have 25 vessels, in sloops and schooners, from 35 tons and downward; 200 sailing craft and row-boats.

G 6.

IMPROVEMENT OF SUMPAWANUS INLET, NEW YORK.

The project for the improvement was adopted in 1880, and has for its object to open a channel 100 to 150 feet wide and 5 feet deep at mean low water from the 5-foot curve of the bay to the town of Babylon. The original navigable depth was 2 feet mean low water.

At the close of the last fiscal year an improved channel 1,000 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 5 feet deep, mean low water, existed, enabling vessels drawing not exceeding 5 feet to reach the long wharf at all stages of the tide.

The amount available July 1, 1883, for continuing the improvement was $106.93.

No work was done during the year.

The improved channel has been a great benefit to the many fishing