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, 35 miles; 7 feet to Edgar Dock, 44 miles; 4.4 feet to Milton Avenue Bridge, 42 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 (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," 44 miles; of 7.5 feet at Whitehead's Sand Dock, 8 miles, and between this point and New Brunswick, 12 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 annual report. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended..... Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. $10, 564, 61 50,000.00 60, 564.61 23, 521. 19 37,043.42 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 9.) .1, 2,474.72 34, 568, 70 522, 412, 05 100,000.00 10. South River, New Jersey.-Before the improvement of this stream was undertaken by the United States the navigation of the lower 2 miles of its course had been abandoned and a canal dredged at private expense from a short distance below Washington to Sayreville on the Raritan River. In 1880, when the present project for improving the river was adopted, the mouth of this canal, on account of its faulty location, had shoaled to a depth of 4.6 feet at mean low water, and the best depth in the canal, some distance above, had decreased to 3.3 feet. Above Washington a depth of 2.7 feet existed to Bissett, 3ğ miles, and of 2.5 feet to Old Bridge, the head of navigation, 64 miles above the mouth of the canal at Sayreville. The present project, adopted in 1880, provides for closing the river below the head of the canal, correcting the direction of the mouth of the latter, and obtaining by diking and dredging a depth of 8 feet, mean low water, to Washington, 6 feet to Bissett, and 4 feet to Olá Bridge, straightening the channel at two points by cutting across the meadow; it was estimated to cost $194,695. The amount expended under this project to June 30, 1890, was $64,026.42. With this amount the direction of the mouth of the canal had been changed, the dikes below Washington completed, and a small amount of dredging done on a shoal above Washington. A shoal at the mouth of Washington Canal has been removed and a channel dredged 60 feet wide through the canal, and 50 feet wide across the shoal in the river below Washington. Vessels drawing 6 feet can reach Washington at mean low water. The work during the fiscal year consisted in widening the approaches to the draw of the Raritan River Railroad Company's bridge, widening the channel at the bend below Washington, and removing the bar at Rourke Reach, by dredging, under contract dated March 24, 1891. Work was begun May 25, 1891, and carried on continuously to the close of the fiscal year, 8.842 cubic yards having been removed. The expenditures amount to $374 for office expenses and inspection. The commerce of the river was reported for the calendar year 1889 to be 310,350 tons, and for the calendar year 1890 it is given as 364,154 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, amount covered by uncompleted contracts... July 1, 1891, balance available..... $1,973,58 5,000.00 6,973.58 374.00 6,599.58 4,665.00 1,934.58 $123, 695. 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project (See Appendix F 10.) 11. Keyport Harbor, New Jersey.-Keyport Harbor was originally accessible at low water only to vessels drawing less than 4 feet. Before its improvement was undertaken by the United States a 6-foot channel had been dredged at private expense, which had shoaled in 1872 to 51 feet and in 1882 to 5 feet, the range of the tide being 4.7 feet. A large commerce was carried on, however, valued at $2,932,000. The project for the improvement was adopted in 1873, and provided for dredging a channel 4,700 feet long, 8 feet deep at mean low water, and 200 feet wide from the steamboat dock to the 8 foot contour in Raritan Bay, at an estimated cost of $30,475. The revised estimate of 1884 was $40,475. The amount expended on this improvement to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, is $30,475. With the above amount a channel had been dredged from the 8-foot depth in Raritan Bay to Keyport Wharf, a distance of 5,000 feet, with a width of 200 feet for the first 4,200 feet and 160 feet for the remainder. 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. The increase of the commerce of this improvement, as compared with that reported in 1890, is about 54,000 tons. $10,000.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. (See Appendix F 11.) 12. Mattawan Creek, New Jersey.-Before its improvement by the Government this small stream was obstructed at its entrance into Keyport Harbor by a mud flat, on which the best depth at the worst section was 3.1 feet at mean low water, though the 3-foot channel was too narrow and tortuous for use. Above this flat a good 4-foot channel existed to 13 miles above the mouth, and thence to the steamboat dock at Mattawan 3.5 feet, shoaling to 1.8 feet at the freight dock 600 feet above and 13 miles from the mouth. The range of the tide is 4.7 feet. Notwithstanding the above difficulties, it carried commerce valued in 1880 at $800,000. In 1885 the commerce of the creek was stated to be 130,000 tons, valued at $2,000,000; it has since increased to 187,850 tons, valued at $2,463,200. The project for the improvement was adopted in 1881, and provides for dredging a channel 4 feet deep at mean low water and 100 feet wide from the mouth to Winkson Creek, and thence 75 feet wide to the railroad bridge at Mattawan, 250 feet above the freight dock, at an estimated cost of $33,120. To June 30, 1890, the amount expended under this project was $21,000, with which a channel had been dredged, giving the required depth from the mouth to the freight dock at Mattawan, with widths varying from 100 to 30 feet. There were no funds for the improvement of this stream from 1882 until September 19, 1890, at which date an appropriation of $2,500 was made. No work of improvement has been done during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, though a contract was entered into March 21, 1891, with the Atlantic Dredging Company, for the removal by dredging of 5,300 cubic yards, more or less, of material at 37 cents per cubic yard, measured in scows. Work will be begun upon the completion of dredg ing in the Arthur Kill, as both works were awarded the same contractor and are included under one contract. 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 12.) $2,500.00 2,500.00 1,987.50 512.50 9,620.00 9,620.00 13. Shoal Harbor and Compton Creek, New Jersey.-Shoal Harbor is an indentation of the shore on the south side of Sandy Hook Bay, 5 miles west of the entrance to Shrewsbury River. It is bare at low water, and the water deepens so gradually outwards that the 5-foot curve, mean low water, is only reached at a distance of 3,000 feet from the high-water line. Compton Creek, which flows northerly from the west side of the Navesink Highlands and empties into Shoal Harbor, is 5 to 6 miles long, with 3 to 5 feet of water in the lower reach. At one-quarter of a mile from its mouth it is crossed by a fixed bridge, beyond which no boats ever go. Between this bridge and the harbor there is a harbor of refuge of limited capacity, having a depth of 9 feet of water in places, to which fishing vessels resort when the tides allow them to cross the shoals at the entrance. The range of tides is 4.5 feet. The plan of improvement adopted in 1884 had in view the connection of the 5-foot mean low-water curve of the creek on the inside with the 5-foot curve of the bay, by means of a dredged channel 150 feet wide, and the protection of this channel against shoaling by means of a tim ber dike placed on the west side of the harbor, at a total estimated cost of $64,130. An appropriation of $5,000 was made in the act of September 19, 1890, and a project for its expenditure in dredging the channel to a depth of 4 feet mean low water was approved October 9, 1890. The work was advertised February 3, 1891. Bids were opened March 10, and a contract entered into March 20, 1891, with Elijah Brainard for the removal of 16,000 cubic yards, more or less, of material. Work was begun under the contract April 25, and was still in progress at the close of the fiscal year, at which date 10,808 cubic yards of material were removed, giving a channel 980 feet long, 70 feet wide, and 4 feet deep, mean low water. The amount expended to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, is $1,649.80. The commerce of this stream was reported in 1884 at 25,000 tons annually, against 35,500 tons reported for the calendar year 1890. 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 $5,000.00 1,649.80 3,350. 20 2,758.93 591.27 |