5. Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey.-Before this improvement was undertaken by the United States there was a navigable channel having a minimum depth of 9.2 feet from the deep water in Newark Bay to Elizabethport. The first project for the improvement of this channel was made in 1873. This provided for dredging it to a depth of 16 feet for a width of 150 feet at its shallowest part, and protecting the cut by parallel dikes. The estimated cost of this was $443,210. Fifty thousand dollars of this amount, appropriated in 1874, was spent in 1874-75 in the construction of 2,237 feet of the south dike, opposite Elizabethport. Great opposition being made to this plan by oystermen and towboatmen, it was decided to modify it. and the project was therefore changed in 1880 so as to dredge a channel 400 feet wide and 13 feet deep over the middle 00 feet of its width, leaving it but 12 feet deep over the remaining widths of 100 feet on each side. The estimated cost of this work was $125,705. In addition to this it was proposed, should it be found necessary, to build four detached dikes along the line of the channel, two on the north and two on the south side, the estimated cost of which was $60,000, bringing the total estimated cost of the proposed improvement up to $185,705. Subsequently it was decided to give the channel 13 feet depth for its full width of 400 feet. A modification of this project, having in view the abandonment of the dikes, was submitted May 9, 1889, and was approved by Department letter dated May 15, and a further modification, calling for a uniform channel depth of 14 feet at mean low water over the entire width of 400 feet, was approved October 20, 1890. The amount expended to June 30, 1890, was $183,627.15. With this amount 2,237 feet of dike was built, the channel given depths of from 13 to 20.7 feet mean low water throughout its length, and with widths of from 250 to 350 feet, the narrowest portion being in the vicinity of the Corner Stake Light. The expenditures during the past fiscal year amount to $6,983.91. A project for the expenditure of the appropriation of $15,000 in the act of September 19, 1890, was approved October 20, 1890. Sealed proposals for doing the work by dredging were invited by advertisement dated February 3, 1891. Bids were opened March 10, and a contract entered into March 23, 1891, with Thomas H. Benton, at 26 cents per cubic yard. Work under this contract was begun April 20, and completed June 29, 44,820 cubic yards of material having been removed. Under this contract the channel has been increased in width by 100 feet for a distance of 3,000 feet, the depth being from 13 to 14 feet at mean low water. This dredging has resulted in considerable improvement of the channel in regard to width, which, because of the sharp turn at the Corner Stake Light, should be as great as is consistent with the maintaining power of the current. The reported increase in the commerce making use of this channel for the calendar year is 348,543 tons. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended July 1, 1891, balance available $372.85 15,000.00 15,372.85 6,983.91 8,388.94 5, 891. 32 2,497. 62 $61,000.00 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 30,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix F 5.) 6. Passaic River, New Jersey.--This river is being improved under two separate projects, the first applying to the river below Centre Street Bridge, Newark, to and beyond the shoals in Newark Bay, a distance of 7 miles, and the second to the upper course of the river from Centre Street Bridge as far as Passaic, a distance of 8 miles. a. Below Newark.-The lower portion of the river, from Centre Street Bridge to Newark Bay, was first surveyed by the Engineer Department, in 1879. The greatest depth in the channel, at a point above the Elbow Beacon, was only 7.1 feet, and in many places the greatest depth was 7.5 feet at mean low water. A project was adopted, based on this survey, providing for obtaining by diking and dredging a channel 200 feet wide and 10 feet deep at mean low water from the Centre Street Bridge to Newark Bay, at a cost of $232,875. This project was modified in 1884, pursuant to the river and harbor act of that year, providing for extending the dike at the mouth of the river into the bay, a distance of 12,000 feet, and for dredging a channel across the shoal in Newark Bay, 200 feet wide and 10 feet deep at mean low water, increasing the original estimate to $353,875. The amount expended to June 30, 1890 was $198,257.27. With this amount 6,205 feet of dike was built, the channel through the shoal in the bay, as also the channel up the river to, and 1,423 feet beyond the Newark and New York Railroad Bridge, dredged to the full dimensions as required by the adopted project. Thence a section 1,150 feet up stream was redredged and given a width of 180 feet, and from this point to Lister Dock, Newark, the river was regulated to a width of 100 feet, with a uniform depth of 10 feet at mean low water throughout. A recent survey of the portions of the river dredged by the appropriation of August 11, 1888, shows that the depths have been maintained unexpectedly well during the past winter. One thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight dollars and fifty-eight cents have been expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, in surveying the portions of the river dredged in 1889, and in necessary office expenses. Under the appropriation of $40,000, made in the act of September 19, 1890, a contract was entered into March 21, 1891, with R. G. Packard, for the removal by dredging of 110,000 cubic yards of material at 30 cents per cabic yard. Work had not been begun by the contractor at the close of the fiscal year, but assurance had been given of its commencement early in July. The commerce of this river was valued in 1889 at $44,722,750, and for 1890 it is given at $49,195,025. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended.... June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.... July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts. July 1, 1891, balance available...... $1,241.73 40,000.00 41, 241.73 1,928.58 39, 313. 15 33,000.00 6, 313. 15 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. $114,375.00 b. Above Newark. -Before its improvement was undertaken, the upper part of the river had a navigable 6-foot channel except at Middle, Belleville, Rutherford Park, and Holzman Bars, where the depths were 4.5 feet, 3.9 feet, 3 feet, and 3.5 feet, respectively. The project of improvement was adopted in 1872 and provided for a channel across and above the shoals from 7 to 6 feet deep mean low water, and from 200 to 50 feet wide, to be obtained by dredging and diking, at a cost of $123,924. It was modified in 1885 by extending the channel below Middle Bar, 1,500 feet to the Erie Railroad Bridge, increasing the estimate to $129,000, which was further increased in 1886 to $133,762. The deposit of material from freshets, together with the difficult and costly nature of the dredging, prompted a recommendation to increase this last estimate to $193,822, which was approved October 6, 1890. The amount expended to June 30, 1890, was $129,702.28. With this amount, channels of the required depth had been dredged from 60 to 75 feet wide, excepting for a distance of 1,500 feet above the Erie Railroad Bridge. The expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, amount to $432.39, for office expenses. No work of improvement has been done on the upper river during the fiscal year, though a contract was entered into on March 23, 1891, with Richard Parrott for the removal, by dredging, of 13,000 cubic yards, more or less, of material. Work under the above contract will be begun upon the completion of dredging in Elizabeth River, New Jersey, as both works were awarded the same contractor and are included under one contract. The commerce, although by no means as extensive as that of the lower portion of the river, appears to be increasing rapidly; this was reported for the calendar year 1889 to be 315,437 tons, valued at $2,545,077. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended........ Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.... July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts... July 1, 1891, balance available...... (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix F 6.) 4,047.72 5, 100,00 9, 147.72 432.39 8,715.33 4,550.00 4, 165.33 54, 972.00 20,000.00 7. Elizabeth River, New Jersey.-This stream, which is 25 miles in length from its mouth to the head of navigation at Broad street, Eliz beth, has a width of from 50 to 90 feet, and before its improvement the wharves in the city could only be reached at high water by vessels drawing less than 4 feet; its commerce was estimated at 45,000 tons Muoll annually. The range of the tide was about 4.7 feet at its mouth and 3.4 feet at Bridge street. The project for the improvement was adopted in 1878, and provides for obtaining, by dredging, a channel 60 feet wide and 7 feet deep at high water from the mouth of the river to the head of navigation, at an estimated cost of $25,530; this was increased in 1882 to $43,160, the increase being due to advanced prices. The amount expended under this project to June 30, 1890, was $27.000. With this amount the channel had been dredged to the required depth to within 1,000 feet of Broad Street Bridge. The condition of the river has deteriorated since work was suspended. When last examined vessels drawing 5 feet could ascend the river to the head of the dredged channel at high tide. The commerce of the river is about 39,000 tons, but no substantial increase can be expected while the river remains in its present condition. The city of Elizabeth has a population of about 33,000, and does an active commerce over two important lines of railroad, a considerable portion of which would take the water route to great advantage if adequate facilities existed. An appropriation of $5,000 was made in the act of September 19, 1890, and a project for its expenditure in redredging the channel to the required depth was approved October 20, 1890. The work was advertised February 3, 1891. Bids were opened March 10, and a contract entered into March 23 with Richard Parrott for the removal of 7,000 cubic yards, more or less, of material. Work under the contract was begun June 29. The expenditures during the fiscal year amount to $265, for office expenses. Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts . July 1, 1891, balance available.... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... (See Appendix F 7.) $5,000.00 265.00 4, 735.00 3,850.00 885.00 11, 160. 00 11,160.00 8. Rahway River, New Jersey.-In its original condition the Rahway River had a depth of 8 feet and more at mean bigh water from its mouth to Bricktown, 3ğ miles; 7 feet to Edgar Dock, 44 miles; 4.4 feet to Milton Avenue Bridge, 43 miles; and 4 feet to Main Street Bridge, 5 miles, in the town of Rahway. Its commerce was estimated at 120,000 tons, and three attempts had been made to establish a line of steamboats on the river, but had failed on account of the bad condition of the stream. The original project for its improvement was adopted in 1878, and provided for dredging a channel 125 feet wide and 8 feet deep at high water from Bricktown to Milton Avenue Bridge, and 100 feet wide from that point to Main Street Bridge. The tide rises about 5 feet at the mouth and 4 feet at the head of navigation. The amount expended on this improvement to June 30, 1890, was $37,000. With the above amount the channel had been given a depth of 7 feet at mean high water, and width of from 100 to 50 feet, to within 550 feet of the head of navigation. It has, however, not proved permanent. The commerce of the river had not increased, though freight rates to Rahway had been materially reduced as a result of the improvement of the river. There has been no appropriation for this work since 1882, and there have been no funds for expenditure since the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890. (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... $29, 250.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 29,250.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix F 8.) 9. Raritan River, New Jersey.-Before its improvement by the United States the Raritan River had a depth of 8.5 feet at "The Stakes," 3 miles; of 6.5 feet at the "Middle Grounds," 4 miles; of 7.5 feet at Whitehead's Sand Dock, 8 miles, and between this point and New Brunswick, 124 miles above the mouth, the channel was obstructed by a number of rocky shoals with depths of from 8.4 to 6.9 feet at mean low water. The city of New Brunswick and the Delaware and Raritan Canal, which terminates here, together with extensive brick yards on the South River, did a large commerce on the stream, estimated in 1871 at 3,053,857 tons per annum. The present project was adopted in 1874 and provides for obtaining by diking and dredging, and, where necessary, by drilling and blasting rock, a channel 200 feet wide and 10 feet deep, mean low water, from the mouth to New Brunswick at a cost of $2,093,662.05. It was modified in 1881, pursuant to the river and harbor act of that year, by adding to it the dredging of the South Channel, about 13,000 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 5 feet deep at mean low water, from Kearney's Dock to Crab Island. The amount expended to June 30, 1890, under this project was $510,685.39. The above amount was expended in the construction of certain dikes required by the project at The Stakes" and "Middle Grounds," in dredging channels 200 feet wide and 12 feet deep at mean low water at these points, and in blasting and dredging a channel of the same di mensions across the rocky shoal at Whitehead's Sand Dock, and thence up the river with a width of 100 feet and depth of 10 feet to within a mile of New Brunswick. Under the two special allotments made for it in the acts of March 3, 1881, and August 2, 1882, the south channel was dredged to the required depth for a distance of 4,000 feet. These improvements have been of great benefit to navigation, permitting the large tows in use on the river to reach a point 1 mile below New Brunswick at all stages of the tide. The commerce of the river is reported for the calendar year 1890 to be 1,661,425 tons, against 1,651,464 tons for 1889. The expenditures during the fiscal year amount to $23,521.19. The progress made during the fiscal year has resulted in an additional length of 4,300 feet, bringing the 100-foot channel to within 2,800 feet of the canal lock; this includes a section of 570 feet at Fox's Gully, excavated during the preceding year, as detailed in my last an. nual report. |