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, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1891, balance available..... (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project $10,564, 61 50,000.00 60, 564.61 23, 521. 19 37,043.42 2,474.72 34, 568, 70 .1, 522, 412, 05 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 100,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix F 9.) 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 Old 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 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project -$123, 695. 00 (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 5 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. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... $10,000.00 (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 esti mated 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 timber 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 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project $59, 130.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 10,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix F 13.) 14. Shrewsbury River, New Jersey.-When the present project for this improvement was adopted, in 1879, the river was obstructed by a number of shifting sand-bars, which had caused the complete suspension of navigation in the South Branch and only permitted the passage of vessels engaged in commerce up the North Branch at or near high water. A considerable trade was carried on, however, even under these difficult conditions. The originally adopted project for the improvement was to dredge a channel 6 feet deep at mean low water, and from 300 to 150 feet in width, across the shoals from the mouth to Red Bank, on the North Branch, 8 miles, and Brauchport, on the South Branch, 9 miles, maintaining these channels by longitudinal dikes. This project has not been modified as to the end sought, but estimates of the diking, dredging, and cost have been increased from time to time. The amount expended on this project to the end of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, was $214,292.88. With this amount numerous dikes have been built and channels dredged at various places 6 feet deep and from 25 to 100 feet wide. These improvements have resulted in a marked increase in the com merce. The work done during the fiscal year consisted in the construction of 372 linear feet of sheet-pile dike in the North Branch and the removal by dredging of 11,045 cubic yards of material, in redredging the channel of the South Branch to a depth of 6 feet at mean low water. The amount expended during the fiscal year is $4,205.22. The commerce of the river was reported for the calendar year 1889 to be 526,000 tons; this has increased to 556,500 tons for the calendar year 1890. 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, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts. $207.12 10,000.00 10, 207. 12 4,205. 22 6,001.90 4,786.50 July 1, 1891, balance available 1.215.40 30, 062.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix F 14.) 15. Manasquan (Squan) River, New Jersey.-In its original condition this stream had a depth of from 4 to 6 feet at mean low water for several miles above its mouth; but was obstructed at its outlet into the ocean by a sand spit, which had deflected the stream into a channel parallel with the beach communicating with the ocean across shifting sand-bars, on which the best depth did not exceed 14 feet at mean low water; mean range of tide 2.4 feet. In severe storms this channel was sometimes entirely closed by the sand, remaining so until the fresh water in the river had accumulated sufficiently to force a new outlet. Under these conditions the river could not be used by commerce. The project for its improvement was adopted in 1879, and contemplated dredging the lower river, and obtaining by means of jetties a permanent outlet nearly at right angles to the beach, with a depth of 6 feet at mean low water, at an estimated cost of $52,120. This was increased to $72,000, in 1882, the increase being due to advanced prices and to a proposed increase in the length of the jetties. The amount expended under this project to June 30, 1890, was $39,000. With this amount two jetties had been constructed, but neither to its full length, appropriations having ceased in 1882. No permanent improvement had been effected. An appropriation of $2,000 was made in the act of September 19, 1890, to be expended in the removal of obstructions placed by the Government at the mouth of the river, if, in the discretion of the Secretary of War the same should be done. There were no expenditures on account of this work during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, as the removal of the obstructions alluded to in the act of September 19, 1890, was, in the opinion of the engineer in charge, deemed unnecessary, and so reported under date of December 19, 1890, and was approved by the Secretary of War December 30, 1890. Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix F 15.) $2,000.00 2,000.00 31,000.00 16. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation. The barge Nellie, in discharging cargo at Elizabethport, N. J., broke apart in the middle and sank. She was raised by the owners and the cargo removed, and subsequently abandoned, and reported by Mr. D. C. Chase, superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Towing Line, on July 23, 1890, as an obstruction to navigation. Authority for the removal of this wreck was obtained August 2, 1890, and after due advertisement by circular letter it was removed on September 19, in a very thorough manner, by the Baxter Wrecking Company, at a cost of $200. (See Appendix F 16.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEY FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 19, 1890. The required preliminary examination of Princess Bay, Staten Island, New York, for breakwater, was made by the local engineer in charge, Captain Casey, and report thereon submitted through Col. Henry L. Abbot, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Northeast Division. It is the opinion of Captain Casey, and of the Division Engineer, based upon the facts and reasons given, that this locality is not worthy of improvement. This opinion being concurred in by me, no further survey was ordered. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 109, Fifty-first Congress, second session. (See also Appendix F 17.) The required preliminary examination of Hackensack River, New |