depth of 26 feet, mean low water, on March 23. The area swept over was seven times the area of the reef as developed by the sounding rod, and the many shoal points found in this area necessitated frequent surface blasting and considerable additional labor. Since March 23 operations have continued on the southeast portion of the reef and about onehalf of its area has been cleared to 26 feet. Work in the swift currents of the East River is necessarily slow, as the divers can not go down excepting at slack water, and as but two of these occur during the day, each of an average duration of about 40 minutes, but little progress can be made. The centrifugal pump which has been used for removing the sand overlying the rock and the small broken stone, has continued to fulfill all expectations. This pump is run only during the time when the currents are too strong for the divers to work under water. The following table shows in detail the work done during the fiscal year: Total tons raised and dumped during the year 29, 774 858 1,032 847 Total tons raised and dumped since beginning of operations, July 8,1889 2,737 4, 480 The expenses incurred on account of the improvement during the year amounted to $100,064.30, of which $8,355.91 remained outstanding at the close of the fiscal year. The money statement shows a balance available, not covered by contracts, of $139,693.41. The ordinary repairs to the plant are necessarily heavy, and in order to provide for those and for other large expenses for repairs arising from collisions in this dangerous channel, which are liable to occur at any time of day or night, it is imperative that a reserve of not less than $40,000 should be kept on hand to maintain the plant in good working order. The cost of running the plant, consisting of two large grapple dredges, one large steam-drill scow, and two steam tugs is $8,000, approximately, per month. The money balance will, therefore, admit of 12 months' work by the plant. The amount that can be profitably expended in the removal of obstructions in East River and Hell Gate during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, is $200,000, to be applied to the removal of Flood Rock, to continuing the operations with the steam drill scow, to extending the work on Shell Reef, and to the removal of such other rocks and reefs at other points in the channel as may be shown to be obstructive to navigation. The work is in the collection district of New York. The nearest port of entry is New York City. The nearest light-house is Blackwell Island Light. The nearest fort is Fort Columbus, Governors Island, New York Harbor. Amount expended to June 30, 1891, inclusive or outstanding liabilities. 3, 905, 139.09 Money statement. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended.... Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890 June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year.. 295, 286. 28 91, 708.39 July 1, 1891, balance unexpended July 1, 1891, outstanding liabilities 203,577.89 July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts. 63, 884.48 July 1, 1891, balance available 139, 693. 41 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... 1,038, 840. 67 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. 200, 000. 00 Abstract of proposals for removing obstructions in East River and Hell Gate, New York, received in response to advertisement dated October 15, 1890, and opened November 19, 1890, by First Lieut. Harry Taylor, Corps of Engineers, in the official absence of Lieut. Col. G. L. Gillespie, Corps of Engineers. The quantities are assumed, and used only for comparison of bids. 2,240 pounds to the ton. Omitted. Tabular statement showing prices of R. G. Packard's proposition, dated November 21, 1890, for removing obstructions in East River and Hell Gate, New York. The commercial statistics for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, have remained practically unchanged, and therefore those reported for the year 1890 are herein repeated. The registered tonnage, exclusive of coastwise vessels and local steamers, so far as it can be ascertained, is 10,165,325 tons. The commerce of the East River is so intimately connected with that belonging to New York Harbor proper that it is impossible to make a separate statement for it. The following list of vessels, not inclusive of daily passenger and freight steamers, passing through Hell Gate for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, has been compiled from the marine records at Whitestone, Long Island, kept by the New York Herald: IMPROVEMENT OF NEWTOWN CREEK, NEW YORK. Newtown Creek is a tidal stream about 4 miles long, running through the eastern part of Brooklyn, and emptying into the East River opposite Thirty-fourth street, New York. The range of tides is 4 feet, approximately, but the bed of the creek has no natural slope. In 1857 it had a depth of about 17 feet, which had decreased in 1880 to about 12 feet at low water from its mouth up to the Vernon Avenue Bridge, a distance of 1,100 feet, its width for this distance being about 240 feet; thence it gradually decreased in width and depth until at the head of navigation, where the Metropolitan avenue crosses it, there was a low-water depth of about 4 feet and a width of about 100 feet. A survey of this creek with a view to its improvement was made in 1879, by the engineer officer then in charge, to comply with the act of March 3, 1879, and a report submitted January 31, 1880. The project provided for dredging a channel from the mouth of the creek to Vernon Avenue Bridge, 200 feet wide, and from 21 to 22 feet deep at low water, requiring the removal of 145,000 cubic yards of material, chiefly mud, the cost of which was estimated at $36,250. Work under this project was begun in 1880, but by reason of increased cost of dredging the estimated cost was increased to $44,050. Under the act of Congress passed August 2, 1882, another survey was made, and a report submitted December 26, 1883. (Annual Report Chief of Engineers, 1884, page 765.) The new project provided for carrying the improvement from the Vernon Avenue Bridge up to the head of navigation in both branches of the creek. The estimated cost of executing this project was as follows: cents Contingencies To excavate a channel 18 feet deep and 175 feet wide from Vernon Avenue $43, 050 35, 560 21, 040 92, 640 To which must be added the revised estimate for work below Vernon Avenue Bridge, before given.... 19, 229 44, 050 Total estimated cost of improving Newtown Creek 255, 569 The appropriations of 1884 and 1886 were applied in deepening the channel from the entrance to Vernon Avenue Bridge to 18 feet deep, mean low water, and from Maspeth avenue eastward to the head of navigation 10 feet, mean low water. The amount appropriated up to and inclusive of act of August 5, 1886, was $82,500, of which amount the sum of $50,750 has been applied from Vernon Avenue Bridge to the East River and $31,750 from Covert Dock, upstream to the head of navigation on both branches. These appropriations were made in small amounts and at wide intervals, and the work done by them gave only temporary relief. According to these methods the amounts applicable for improvement at the entrance were about sufficient to remove deposits which had been made during the interval, leaving no balance for increasing the depth beyond 20 feet. The improvement could not, for want of funds, be extended to benefit the central reach of the river above Vernon Avenue Bridge, and, in the absence of secure bulkheads, dredging in the upper branches was of little avail. It would have been better had appropriations been made in such a way that the improvement above Vernon Avenue Bridge could have been executed as an extension of the improvement below it. Then as the improvement advanced upstream the wharves along the banks would have been benefited progressively and in proportion to their importance. A revised estimate for the improvement was made in 1889 (Annual Report Chief of Engineers, 1889, Part I, page 778), after the results obtained by the survey of January, 1889, had been studied, and the cost was fixed at $170,586. In preparing the new project for the improvement it was kept in mind that the draft of vessels going above Vernon Avenue Bridge, where the most important wharves are located, was limited by the then available depth of water, and that many of the vessels had to be lightered at the bar to facilitate entrance at high tide, while those going out had to complete their cargoes after they reached the East River. It was therefore thought best to provide for 21 feet from the entrance to Vernon Avenue Bridge, 18 feet to Central Oil Works, 15 feet to Queens County Oil Works, 12 feet to Nichols's Chemical Works, and 10 feet to Metropolitan Avenue Bridge on both branches. The bed of the creek below Vernon Avenue Bridge is variable in character below the plane of 18 feet mean low water. Near the bar it is composed of sand or sand and clay mixed; but as the bridge is approached it grows harder, like hardpan, and has large bowlders embedded in it. The creek is the receptacle for all the refuse from the sewers, factories, slaughter-houses, and oil refineries of the east of Brooklyn. Constant deposits are therefore forming in it, especially at the upper end, from these causes and from the caving in of the unprotected banks, which consist of marsh mud. To remedy this difficulty annual dredg ing will be needed until the banks are protected by bulkheads throughout their whole length. The appropriation of 1888 was applied in deepening the channel from entrance to Vernon Avenue Bridge to 21 feet mean low water; to Central Oil Works, 18 feet, and to Queens County Oil Works, 10 feet. The river and harbor act of September 19, 1890, appropriated $35,000 for continuing the improvement. The following table shows the location and characteristics of the several bridges crossing Newtown Creek: WORK DONE DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1891. At the opening of the fiscal year the agreement with Mr. James A. Simmons, by authority of the Secretary of War, dated February 11, 1889, was still in force and operations were continued until September 6, 1890, when the contract was completed. The quantity of material removed under this agreement during the fiscal year was 24,104 cubic yards and the total amount removed was 115,692 cubic yards. The results obtained were a channel 100 feet wide and 21 feet deep, mean low water, from the entrance to Vernon Avenue Bridge; a channel 80 feet wide and 18 feet deep, mean low water, from Vernon Avenue Bridge to Central Oil Works, and the removal of the shoal opposite the Queens County Oil Works to a depth of 10 feet, mean low water. The river and harbor act of September 19, 1890, appropriated $35,000 for continuing the improvement, one-fourth to be expended on the main |