EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT. Lieutenant-Colonel Thom was charged with, and has completed during the past fiscal year, the following examinations and surveys, provided for by act of March 3, 1875: 1. Belfast Bay and Harbor, Maine. 2. Harbor Matinicus Island, Maine. 3. Ipswich River and Harbor, Massachusetts. The several reports upon these surveys have been transmitted to Congress, and printed in Ex. Doc. No. 71, Forty-fourth Congress, 1st session. (See Appendixes A 16, A 17, and A 18.) IMPROVEMENT OF THE HARBORS OF HYANNIS, WAREHAM, NEW BEDFORD, AND FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, AND OF WICKFORD AND NEWPORT HARBORS, RHODE ISLAND; CONSTRUCTION OF BREAKWATER AT BLOCK ISLAND; IMPROVEMENT OF TAUNTON, PAWTUCKET, PROVIDENCE, AND PAWCATUCK RIVERS, AND OF CONNECTICUT RIVER, INCLUDING SAYBROOK BAR. Officer in charge, Maj. G. K. Warren, Corps of Engineers. 1. Hyannis Harbor, Massachusetts.--There being no funds available for this work, nothing was done during the past fiscal year. To complete the strengthening of the work at the breakwater will require an appropriation of $10,000. Amount available July 1, 1875.. $42 94 42.94 10,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. 10,000 00 (See Appendix B 1.) 2. Wareham Harbor, Massachusetts.-The continuation of the dredg ing under the last appropriation was unavoidably delayed until June, 1876. It has since been completed. There is now a channel up to the wharves 9 feet deep at mean low-water, having a width of 100 feet in the narrowest part, and throughout the greater part of the harbor not less than 200 feet. The mean rise of the tide is about 4 feet. Amount available July 1, 1875... Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.... (See Appendix B 2.) $9,998 95 2,974 17 7,024 78 3. New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts.-In the season of 1875 a channel 105 feet wide was dredged from deep water near Fair Haven wharves, across the shoal, to the wharves at New Bedford. The depth secured was 15 feet at mean low-water. The mean rise of the tide is about 3 feet. To complete this channel to the width of 200 feet will, according to the original estimate, require an additional appropriation of $14,000. Amount available July 1, 1875.... Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876. Amount appropriated by act approved August 14, 1876.. $9,699 49 9, 625 62 73 87 10,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. 4,000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. 4,000 00 (See Appendix B 3.) 4. Taunton River, Massachusetts.-The work under the appropriation of March 3, 1875, consisting of dredging and removing rocks from the channel, has been completed. There are yet shoal places to be deepened and scattering rocks to be removed, which will require an additional appropriation of $5,000. The channel is now essentially 9 feet deep at mean high-water; in the narrowest cuts 45 feet wide, and in others 60 feet wide. The river is not navigable at low tide in the upper part. Amount available July 1, 1875.... Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876...... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project $9,856 84 8,650 94 1,205 90 5,000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. 5,000 00 (See Appendix B 4.) 5. Fall River Harbor, Massachusetts.-The work under the last appropriation has completed the projected channel to a width of 100 feet and depth of 12 feet at mean low-water. The mean rise of the tide is about 4.7 feet. The original project contemplates a gradual widening of this new channel to 300 feet at each end, for which $5,000 will be required. Amount available July 1, 1875... Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876 Amount appropriated by act approved August 14, 1876... (See Appendix B 5.) $14,386 77 13,789 22 597 55 10, 000 00 5,000 00 5,000 00 6. Pawtucket River or Seekonk River, Rhode Island.-During the past fiscal year the dredging required in this river was completed. The improved channel has a least width of 75 feet, and a depth of 7 feet at mean low-water. The mean rise of the tide is 4 to 5 feet. At Dunnell's, Bass Rock, and Swan Point, where there is a tendency to fill, the depth was dredged to 9 feet at mean low-water. The stones and piles of an old bridge, which obstructed the east opening of the pivot-draw of the new bridge, were removed. Amount available July 1, 1875.. Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1376 (See Appendix B 6.) $7,544 83 5,950 22 1,594 61 7. Removal of Bulkhead Rock, Providence River, Rhode Island.—Under an appropriation of $2,500 in 1870, this rock was reduced so as to give a depth of 14 feet at mean low-water. Mean rise of tide is about 4 feet. The safety of vessels requires that there should be a depth of 18 feet at mean low-water over this rock, for which $5,000 will be required. Amount available July 1, 1875..... Amount available July 1, 1876... $74 98 74 98 5,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. 5,000 00 (See Appendix B 7.) 8. Wickford Harbor, Rhode Island.-Work during the past fiscal year consisted in dredging in the inner part of the harbor, to straighten the channel. No further improvement is required at present, except in the way of facilitating the approaches, by means of a beacon on James Ledge, and a change of the light-house to the vicinity of Old Gay Rock. This harbor is now used as part of the daily route of passengers and mail between Newport and New York, and requires facilities not form erly demanded. There is now a draught of from 9 to 10 feet at mean lowwater into the harbor. The mean rise of the tide is about 3.7 feet. Amount available July 1, 1875..... Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876... (See Appendix B 8.) $1,452 24 1, 452 24 9. Newport Harbor, Rhode Island. The dredging during the past fiscal year has completed the project originally made, with the exception of the cut through the shoal between Lime Rock and Goat Island, where it was designed to increase the depth from 124 feet to 15 feet at mean low-water for a width of 300 feet. The material was, however, found so hard that a cut of only 45 feet in width could be made. This work, with the removal of the sand-shoal at the southeast of Goat Island, and the construction of the jetty on the island to arrest the sands, exhausted the first appropriation of $8,500. The two subsequent appropriations of $10,000 each have been used in dredging a channel along the harbor line and two approaches to the wharves. The depths in these channels vary from 13 feet to 10 feet at mean low-water, and widths from 250 feet to 50 feet, depending upon the importance of the locality. The mean rise and fall of the tide is about 3 feet. Further dredging would increase the anchorage in the harbor, which is much used as one of refuge in storms and adverse winds. The amount unexpended will be needed to mark the channel and close up the work. Amount available July 1, 1875 Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876 (See Appendix B 9.) $11,396 42 10,442 36 954 06 10. Block Island Breakwater, Rhode Island.-The condition of this work is substantially as reported in the last annual report. There not being sufficient funds available to proceed advantageously with the construction, work was suspended until such time as the proper amount should be secured. The next work to be done is the building of a detached breakwater, to guard against northeast storms. This will cost about $60,000. When begun it should be built rapidly, without interruption, for, in a partially finished state, it would be of little benefit, and might prove a very dangerous obstruction. Amount available July 1, 1875 Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.. Amount available July 1, 1876.. Amount appropriated by act approved August 14, 1876. (See Appendix B 10.) $26, 449 53 4,001 83 22,447 70 40,000 00 11. Pawcatuck River, Rhode Island and Connecticut.-During the past fiscal year this improvement was completed, the wharf-owners at the head of navigation contributing to extend the dredging in front of their wharves. There is now 5 feet depth at mean low-water throughout, with a dredged channel not less than 75 feet in width up to Swann's wharf in Westerly. The mean rise of the tide is about 23 feet. Amount available July 1, 1875..... Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.. (See Appendix B 11.) $9,793 34 9, 616 97 176 37 12. Connecticut River below Hartford, Conn.-During the low-water succeeding the freshet in 1875, shoals became troublesome at Hartford Bar, Pratt's Ferry Bar, and Glastonbury Bar, at which places dredging was done so as to secure a depth of 9 feet at low tide. A considerable extension was made to the east jetty over Saybrook Bar, at the entrance of the river into Long Island Sound. So far this jetty has given no increase of depth for navigation, as it continues shoal beyond the end of the jetty, and probably will continue so until the structure reaches beyond the crest of the bar and meets the deep water and strong littoral current occasioned by the Sound tidal currents. To complete this jetty $45,000 is required, which can only be done economically by having the amount in one appropriation. About $5,000 will be annually required for dredging in the river. Amount available July 1, 1875.... Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.. Amount available July 1, 1876.. Amount appropriated by act approved August 14, 1876. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... $19,705 61 19, 540 19 165 42 20,000 00 35, 000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. 35,000 00 (See Appendix B 12.) 13. Connecticut River, above Hartford and below Holyoke, Connecticut and Massachusetts.-There has been no low water during the past fiscal year to require any expenditures to aid navigation on this portion of the river. The results of the surveys of former years have been prepared for publication. Some interesting results of measurements on the resistances of cords of different sizes to currents of different velocities are given in Appendix B 13 of this report. There have been three appropriations for this part of the river, which have been but partially expended. Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876. 2,774 82 3,831 83 (See Appendix B 13.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT. To comply with provisions of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1875, Major Warren was charged with the following, the results of which were transmitted to Congress in a report which was printed in H. R. Ex. Doc. No. 70, 44th Cong., 1st session. Survey of Little Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island and Connecticut.—(See Appendix B 14.) HARBORS ON LONG ISLAND SOUND. Officer in charge, Maj. J. W. Barlow, Corps of Engineers. 1. Stonington Harbor, Connecticut.-The dredging of the northern half of Penguin Shoal to a depth of 12 feet at mean low-water has been completed, increasing the area of anchorage-ground about 22 acres. The new breakwater was begun and 770 feet built by contract, com mencing at its northwest end, in 35 feet water. This work will extend from the vicinity of Wampassett Point (the west point of entrance from Fisher's Island Sound) in a general southeasterly direction for a length of about 2,000 feet. Amount available July 1, 1875 Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.. Amount available July 1, 1876... $37,489 52 36, 529 77 959 75 206,536 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project........ Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. 50,000 00 (See Appendix C 1.) 2. New Haven Harbor, Connecticut. The appropriation of March 3, 1875, is being applied to widening the channel between Long wharf and Belle dock to 400 feet, with a depth of 13 feet at mean low-water. In answer to a resolution of the House of Representatives of January 21, 1875, estimates were prepared by the officer in charge for the enlargement of the channel of this harbor and for the construction of a breakwater to afford a secure anchorage in stormy weather. These estimates were submitted in my last annual report. Should Congress see fit to approve this project, the sum of $150,000 could be profitably expended during the next fiscal year. Luddington Rock.-A small portion of this rock still remains above the plane of removal. The amount so left is quite small, and will be removed this season. No additional appropriation is required. Amount available July 1, 1875.. Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876 3. Milford Harbor, Connecticut.-The work during the past year has been the construction of a jetty to concentrate the effect of the water from Indian River and the dredging of a channel 100 feet wide and 4 feet deep through the bar at the upper end of the harbor. The contract for the latter work is not yet completed. It is desired to continue this channel to the town docks, and for this purpose $9,000 is asked. The estimate for the completion of the breakwater is $55,000. Amount available July 1, 1875.... $13,059 11 Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876... 8,352 46 Amount available July 1, 1876, including $1,399.95 due on contracts. 4,706 65 64,000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. (See Appendix C 3.) 64,000 00 4. Housatonic River, Connecticut.-The work at this place during the past fiscal year has been with a view to restoring the seven-foot channel in such places as had become shoal. Ten thousand dollars will be required to keep the channel open to seven feet depth during the ensuing year. Amount available July 1, 1875 Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1876 Amount available July 1, 1876 $8,950 05 4,489 94 4, 460 11 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1878. 10,000 00 (See Appendix C 4.) 5. Bridgeport Harbor, Connecticut.-A channel of 12 feet depth at mean low-water has been dredged to a width of 100 feet, extending from the head of the harbor to Long Island Sound. An increase of the width of this channel to 200 feet, it is estimated, will cost $25,000. |