APPENDIXES TO THE REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY. FORTIFICATIONS, ETC. APPENDIX No. 1. SEA-WALL AT DAVID'S ISLAND, NEW YORK HARBOR-SEA-WALL AT GOVERNOR'S ISLAND, NEW YORK HARBOR. REPORT OF COLONEL DAVID C. HOUSTON, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889. IMPROVEMENTS. a. Sea-wall at David's Island, New York Harbor. ENGINEER'S OFFICE, U. S. ARMY, New York, July 13, 1889. GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith * annual reports for sea-walls at Governor's and David's islands, New York Harbor. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A. D. C. HOUSTON, I A. SEA-WALL AT DAVID'S ISLAND, NEW YORK HARBOR. This island, which is occupied by the recruiting service of the Army, lies at the head of Long Island Sound and about opposite New Rochelle, N. Y. In 1883, upon recommendation of the depot surgeon, an esti mate for the sea-wall was transmitted to Congress, papers concerning which were printed in House Ex. Doc. No. 205, Forty-eighth Congress, second session. This recommendation was renewed in 1884. The object stated in the first recommendation was to prevent the collection of garbage and refuse matter upon the shores; the second recommenda tion stated as an additional and important object the preservation of a fresh-water pond from overflow of the sea at high tide, the water of the pond being a reservoir from which the cisterns of the island were filled during dry seasons. An additional object is the reclamation of a rather important tract of land lying back of the proposed wall. A revised estimate presented in 1886 placed the cost as follows: 1,000 linear feet of wall, at $35 per foot 40,000 cubic yards earth embankment, at 30 cents per cubic yard. Total..... $35,000 12,000 47,000 The plan was to build the wall of masonry and to carry it to 12 feet above mean low-water level. The mean rise of tide is 7.3 feet. OPERATIONS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889. From the appropriation made by Congress for sea-walls and embankments, approved September 22, 1888, allotment was made of $35,000 for the sea wall and $12,000 for the earth embankment. As the stringent regulations now being enforced in relation to the dumping of garbage in the harbor of New York and adjacent waters will prevent such garbage becoming a source of nuisance and possible ill-health, a vertical wall seemed no longer necessary, and with approval of the Chief of Engineers the design of the wall was modified to a wall of riprap, with outer slope of 1 on 2 and inner slope of 1 on 1, rising to 10 feet above low water, the whole to be capped with dimension stones 2 feet thick, making the top of the wall 6 feet wide. This plan was recommended as being more economical and equally efficient. After duly advertising and receiving proposals, a contract dated April 13, 189, was entered into with John Sheehan, of New Rochelle, N. Y., for constructing the wall as designed, at the rate of $1.50 per gross ton for riprap stone delivered and properly placed, and rate of $7 per linear foot for the capping stone. Work under this contract was begun May 4, 1889, and up to the close of the fiscal year 4,046 tons of riprap had been placed in the wall, building up 747 linear feet of it to different stages of completion. The length of the completed wall will be about 980 feet. Proposals for the embankment behind the wall were advertised for and opened May 16, 1889, and under date of June 1, 1889, a contract was entered into with John Sheehan for furnishing and placing about 35,000 cubic yards of filling in the embankment at the rate of 40 cents per cubic yard. Work was begun June 25, and 625 yards of embankment were placed during the fiscal year. The available funds will be sufficient to complete the work under these contracts. Abstract of proposals for construction of sea-wall at David's Island, New York Harbor, opened March 28, 1889, by Lieut. Col. D. C. Houston, Corps of Engineers. Abstract of proposals for embankment at David's Island sea-wall, New York Harbor, opened May 16, 1889, by Lieut. Col. D. C Houston, Corps of Engineers. SEA-WALL AT GOVERNOR'S ISLAND, NEW YORK HARBOR. The shores of this island were frequently covered with offal and garbage, which, drifting up at high water and decaying in the sun as the tide fell, were (in summer) a source of constant danger to the health of the garrison. In 1865 a project was adopted providing for enclosing the entire island by a masonry sea-wall, to be built at or near low-water line, in order to prevent the lodging of such refuse matter. Under an allotment made in 1865, 700 linear feet of masonry wall were built on the southwest side of this island in 1866; and under other smaller allotments, 399 linear feet were built, making a total of 1,099 feet. This was subsequently extended as a temporary dry wall nearly along |