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SECURING MOUTH OF BAYOU PLAQUEMINE, LOUISIANA, FURTHER CAVING, AND REMOVING SUNKEN VESSELS OR CRAFT OBSTRUCTING OR ENDANGERING NAVIGATION OF NEW ORLEANS HARBOR, LOUISIANA.

Officers in charge, Capt. Dan C. Kingman, Corps of Engineers, to October 27, 1890, and Lieut. John Millis, Corps of Engineers, since that date; Division Engineer, Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers.

1. Securing mouth of Bayou Plaquemine, Louisiana, from further cav ing. The bank of the river at this point was formerly subject to serious caving, threatening the site of the proposed locks at the entrance to the bayou.

The project adopted for the improvement consists of submerged spur dikes built at nearly right angles to the bank above and below the entrance to the bayou at intervals of about 900 feet.

Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, there had been expended $34,774.76 upon this work, and the caving had been stopped in the vicinity of the completed work. No construction work has been done during the past year, owing to the lateness of the season when the new allotment became available and the employment of the plant on other works.

An allotment of $60,000 was made for this work from the appropriation of September 19, 1890, for improving Bayou Plaquemine, La. The total amount available for the work July 1, 1891, is $84,047.74. The money statement is consolidated with that for improvement of Bayou Plaquemine, La., page 225.

(See Appendix T 1.)

2. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation of New Orleans Harbor, Louisiana.-The following wrecks have been removed from the harbor of New Orleans, La., during the past year, leaving the harbor clear of such obstructions at this date; Vallette Dry Dock and Ship Isle Marthe, Elevator Leo Gilchrist, and steamboat Edward J. Gay.

(See Appendix T 2.)

IMPROVEMENT OF CERTAIN RIVERS AND HARBORS IN TEXAS.

Officer in charge, Maj. Charles J. Allen, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. William C. Langfitt, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders; Division Engineer, Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers.

1. Entrance to Galveston Harbor, Texas.-The obstructions to deepwater navigation at this harbor have been the outer and inner bars. On the former the natural depth was 12 feet, and on the latter about 13 feet, both at mean low tide.

The present project for improvement at this locality was adopted in 1874, modified in 1880, and again modified in 1886, the object being to deepen the channels so as to admit sea-going vessels of the deepest draft. The projects prior to 1874 related to dredging operations on a small scale.

The total amount expended to June 30, inclusive, 1890, was $2,158,817.41, in addition to which there were expended $100,000 subscribed by the city of Galveston in 1883. It resulted in deepening the channel over the outer bar to about 13 feet at mean low tide, and that over the inner bar to 21 feet. The amount expended during the year was $115,073.49. It has resulted in maintaining 13 feet on the outer and 21 feet on the inner bar. In accordance with the terms of the river and harbor act of Congress, approved September 19, 1890, a contract has

been entered into for completion of the entire work, which is to be pushed at such rate that the contractors shall earn not less than $1,000,000 per year provided appropriations to that extent or that rate are made by Congress. The delivery in place of the material for the work should commence not later than August 1 next.

July 1, 1890, balance unexpended.............

Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890..
Amount appropriated by sundry civil act approved March 3, 1891.

June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended..
July 1, 1891, outstanding liabilities.

$119, 152.59 500,000.00 600, 000, 00

1,219, 152. 59 115, 073. 49

1, 104, 079. 10

$2,372.63

1,042, 372.63

July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts*.. 1,040, 000. 00

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 U 1.)

61, 706. 47

5, 100, 000. 00

1,000,000.00

2. Ship channel in Galveston Bay, Texas.-This is a channel dredged by the United States Government from Bolivar Channel to Morgan Cut, the latter terminating at a point 5 miles from Morgan Canal, which is an excavation across Morgan Point at the mouth of the San Jacinto River. Morgan Canal and Morgan Cut are works executed by the Buffalo Bayou Ship Channel Company, chartered under the laws of Texas.

The natural depth on the line of the Galveston Ship Channel averaged 83 feet at mean low tide, with a depth at some places of but 7 feet. The project for this improvement was adopted in 1871 and modified in 1877, the object being to excavate and maintain a channel 12 feet deep and 100 feet wide at bottom through Galveston Bay from Bolivar Channel to Morgan Cut, a distance of 18.9 miles.

Work upon the channel, which had been suspended in 1883, was resumed in February, 1888, and by June 20, 1889, a channel 12 feet deep and 100 feet wide at bottom had been excavated up to Morgan Cut. The average depth of excavation was 13.15 feet.

The total amount expended to June 30, 1890, was $528,686.54. It resulted in a channel having a ruling depth of 10 feet, the channel having shoaled to that depth.

The amount expended during the past fiscal year was $7,541.89, the channel at that date having a ruling depth of 9 feet. The work is not capable of permanent completion. It is estimated that an annual expenditure of $80,000 will be required to maintain it after once excavated to the required depth.

The work of improvement of the ship channel having, in July, 1889, reached the point in the bay at which the southern extremity of Morgan Cut is located, the officer in charge, under instructions from this office, called upon the Buffalo Bayou Ship Channel Company to execute its agreement of January 22, 1881, to transfer to the United States its works at Morgan Point. Congress, by act approved September 19,

* $60,000 reserved from the appropriations of September 19, 1890, and March 3, 1891, for contingencies of engineering and inspection.

1890, provided for the appointment of a Commission of United States engineers to ascertain the value of any portion of the channel from Bolivar Channel to the point where the San Jacinto River enters what is known as Morgan Canal, which might have been constructed by the Buffalo Bayou Ship Channel Company, the amount so ascertained and certified to be correct by the Secretary of War to be paid to the shipchannel company out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. The report of the commission was made December 4, 1890, and approved and forwarded to the proper department for payment in January following. At this date the works have not been transferred

to the United States.

The estimate of $200,000 herewith is the amount required to complete the excavation to a depth of 12 feet and to maintain it for 1 year thereafter.

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

$17,813. 46 40,000.00

57, 813.46 7,541.89

50,271.57 137.90

50, 133. 67

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 200, 000, 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and

harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

(See Appendix U 2.)

3. Trinity River, Texas.-The natural channel on the bar at the mouth of the river was narrow and shoal. The project for improvement was adopted in 1873 and modified in 1889, the modification principally consisting in the employment of parallel timber jetties to effect the required deepening to 6 feet on the bar at the mouth of the middle pass. The total amount expended to June 30, 1890, was $46,955.57. It resulted in increasing the depth on the bar from 3 feet 2 inches to 3 feet 6 inches, and also in straightening the channel. The amount expended during the past fiscal year was $5,866.64. It has resulted in maintaining the depth of 3 feet 6 inches. The sum estimated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, to be applied to the completion of the jetties.

July 1, 1890, balance unexpended.....

Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1830

June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.

July 1, 1891, outstanding liabilities.

$44.43 10,000.00

10, 044. 43 5,866.64

4, 177.79 223.48

July 1, 1891, balance available....

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

3,954.31

32,500.00

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 32,500.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and

harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

(See Appendix U 3.)

4. Cedar Bayou, Texas.-A survey of this locality with a view to removal of the bar at the mouth of the bayou was made in 1889. The

natural depth on the bar was 3 feet at mean low tide. The cost of improvement to afford a depth of 5 feet was estimated as $18,150, which sum was appropriated by act of September 19, 1890. This sum will be applied this season to dredging and protection of the cut by walls of brush and stone mattress. The officer in charge estimates $14,000 as the sum that can be profitably expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, to complete the walls and for dredging.

Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890....
July 1, 1891, balance unexpended..

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 aud 1867.

(See Appendix U 4.)

$18, 150.00 18, 150.00

14,000.00 14,000.00

5. Buffalo Bayou, Texas.-The channel between the city of Houston and Simms Bayou, a distance of 11 miles, the extent of bayou under improvement was, in its natural condition, narrow and tortuous and the natural depth in many places was not more than 6 feet. The project for improvement was adopted in 1881, the object being to straighten the channel, and to widen it to 100 feet and deepen it to 12 feet; also to remove such snags, stumps, and overhanging trees as obstruct navigation. The total amount expended to June 30, 1890, was $143,691.73. It resulted in clearing the channel of the most prominent stumps, snags, and overhanging trees, in easing most of the bends and in removing such shoals as obstructed a 7-foot navigation. The amount expended during the past fiscal year was $12,008.63. It has resulted in further easement of bends and in still further relieving the channel and bends of obstructions. The obstructions are renewed in more or less degree every year, through action of floods. The project is not capable of permanent completion. The sum of $50,000, estimated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, to be applied to further removal of bars and other obstructions.

July 1, 1890, balance unexpended

Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1830.

June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended............

June 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.

July 1, 1891, balance available

$58.27 25,000.00

25,058.27

12,008.63

13,049.64 9, 141.93

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 U 5.)

3,907.71

216, 549.75 50,000. 00

6. Harbor at Brazos Santiago, Texas.-In its natural state the channel over this bar was shifting, and its depth varied from 6 to 8 feet. The present (original) project for its improvement was adopted in 1881, the object being to fix the position of the channel over the bar at the entrance and to deepen it. The total amount expended to June 30, 1890, was $189,318.57, besides an appropriation of $6,000 in 1878, applied to removing a wreck. It has resulted in no useful effect upon the bar, and the works heretofore constructed have practically disappeared.

The amount expended during the past fiscal year was $290. It was applied to the keeping of a record of commercial satistics and incidental engi neering expenses. The officer in charge considers $600,000 as the least amount which should be available before beginning construction of the jetties. Taking into consideration the balance available ($57,891.41), the sum of $540,000, in round numbers, would be needed to make up the amount named. The officer in charge suggests that, if the importance of the port be not considered sufficient to justify so large an ap propriation, the improvement be deferred for the present.

July 1, 1890, balance unexpended

June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year.......

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended

$58, 181.41 290.00

57, 891.41

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... 1,071, 090. 23 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and

harbor acts of 1866 to 1867.

(See Appendix U 6.)

EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEY FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 19, 1890.

The required preliminary examinations of the following localities were made by the local engineer in charge, Major Allen, and reports thereon submitted through Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Southwest Division. It is the opinion of Major Allen, and of the Division Engineer, based upon the facts and reasons given, that these localities are not worthy of improvement. The conclusions of these officers being concurred in by me, no further surveys were ordered. 1. Mouth of Double Bayou in Chambers County, Texas, to remove obstructions. Report transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 117, Fifty-first Congress, second session. (See also Appendix U 7.)

2. Trinity River, Texas, from its mouth to Dallas.-Report transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 275, Fifty-first Congress, second session. (See also Appendix U 8.)

3. Colorado River, Texas, with a view of removing raft at mouth of same. Report transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 138, Fifty-first Congress, second session. (See also Appendix U 9.) 4. Aransas Bay, Texas, to remove Half-Moon Reef.-(See Appendix U 10.)

5. St. Charles Bay, Texas, with a view of removing obstructions at mouth of same. (See Appendix U 10.)

The required preliminary examination of West Galveston Bay, Texas, from Christians Point, with a view of reopening the channel through West Bay, was made by the local engineer in charge, Major Allen, and report thereon submitted through Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Southwest Division. It is the opinion of Major Allen, and of the Division Engineer, based upon the facts and reasons given, that this locality is worthy of improvement. opinion being concurred in by me, Major Allen was charged with its survey, the report on which will be submitted when received.

This

Major Allen was charged with the required preliminary examination of Brazos River, Texas, from its mouth to Waco, and the reports of its results will be submitted when received.

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