2. Harbor of Refuge at Nantucket, Massachusetts.-This harbor is the only one between the harbors of Martha's Vineyard (Vineyard Haven and Edgartown) and Provincetown, a distance of about 100 miles, except the small harbor of Hyannis, on the north side of Nantucket Sound. It has deep water inside, and the object of improvement is to make it a harbor of refuge for vessels plying between ports north and south of Cape Cod. Before the commencement of the present work there was a shoal about 1 miles in width outside the entrance, through which the channel or line of best water was only about 6 feet deep, and very crooked and subject to changes in location. The present approved project is to construct jetties of riprap stone, projecting from either side of the present entrance to the harbor, for the purpose of concentrating the strength of the tidal currents and excavating a channel of 15 feet depth by scour, and at the places where the full depth required will not be reached by this means to complete the work by dredging. The amount expended on this project up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, was $118,458.45, and the result was the construction of the west jetty to a point 3,955 feet from the shore, and the east jetty to a distance of 385 feet from the initial point on the shore, and partially for an additional distance of 200 feet. The construction of the east jetty was continued during the year, and 673 tons of stone was placed in the work. The balance available and the amount asked for, $50,000, is to be applied to the further extension of the east jetty. July 1, 1888, amount available* Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888.. July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888 July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts.. July 1, 1889, balance available.... $6,541.55 20,000.00 26,541.55 $2,772.32 1,788.20 18,784.80 23, 345. 32 3, 196.23 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... (See Appendix C 2.) 230,000.00 50,000. 00 3. Harbor at Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts.-The object of the improvement is to stop the wearing away of the points of land at the entrance to the harbor known as East Chop and West Chop. As preliminary to the adoption of a general plan of improvement, a portion of the funds available will be devoted to the construction of a series of experimental jetties and other works, which will serve as an immediate protection to the Chops and at the same time will furnish a basis for determining the character and extent of the permanent works required. Operations were commenced in June last, and were in progress at the end of the fiscal year. The appropriation asked for will be applied to continuing the im provement. *From lapsed contract, Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888 $25,000,00 July 1, 1880, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888 July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities... $2,737.73 3,922. 72 21, 077.28 July 1, 1889, balance available..... 35,000.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... (See Appendix C 3.) 4. Wareham Harbor, Massachusetts.-The object of the improvement is to deepen and widen the channel leading from Buzzard's Bay to Wareham. The commerce of Wareham is carried on in sailing vessels, and the channel is to be made a beating channel for such vessels. Another object of the improvement is the raising of Long Beach. Before improvement the ruling depth in the harbor was about 7 feet at mean low water in a narrow and very crooked channel. Long Beach, a narrow sand spit at the mouth of the harbor, was washed and abraded by the waves and currents at high water, and the material was carried into and shoaled the channel inside. The original approved project of 1871, for the improvement and its subsequent modifications, provides for a channel 250 feet wide and 10 feet deep at mean low water from Barney's Point down to the entrance to the harbor. Above Barney's Point the width of the channel is to be 350 feet, with the same depth-10 feet-as below that point. The plan includes also the raising and strengthening of Long Beach, of which a large portion was submerged at low water, to carry it above the storm waves and currents and to hold it there, in order to prevent the filling of the improved channel above, by material abraded from the beach. The total amount expended on the improvement up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, including outstanding liabilities at that date, was $71,520.64, and the result was that the channel in the upper part of the harbor in front of the wharves was carried to its full width and completed, and the eastern half of the second and third reaches below the wharves, and about two-thirds of the eastern half of the fourth reach, which extends to Barney's Point, were deepened to 10 feet at mean low water. The channel for about one-half its width from Barney's Point to Wareham has been deepened to 10 feet. Long Beach has been raised above high water storm-tides, so that the wash of sand into the improved channel inside the beach has been stopped. The ruling depth of the approaches to Wareham has been increased from 7 to 9 feet, and the channel greatly widened in all the reaches. Vessels of larger draught can be carried to Wareham than formerly. The increase in width of channel is a great help to all vessels in beating in and out of the harbor. Nothing has been done during the past fiscal year owing to the impossibility of obtaining satisfactory prices for the work. The balance on hand July 1, 1889, and the appropriation asked for will be applied towards the completion of the channel from the deep water above Long Beach to Wareham, and the further building up of Long Beach, July 1, 1888, amount available Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888 July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888 July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities... July 1, 1889, balance available $8,479.46 4,000.00 12, 479. 46 $1,248.22 1,526.56 10,952.90 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project (See Appendix C 4.) 12, 236.00 12,200.00 5. New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts.-Before improvement the channel had a depth of about 12 feet at mean low water. The original project for its improvement as modified in 1877 provided for a channel 300 feet wide and 15 feet deep at mean low water from the deep water just above Palmer's Island to the wharves at New Bedford. This project was completed in 1877 at a cost of $20,000. The object of the present improvement is to provide a channel 200 feet wide and 18 feet deep at mean low water. Nothing has been done during the past fiscal year owing to the im possibility of obtaining satisfactory prices for the work. The amount on hand July 1, 1889, and the appropriation asked for will be applied to continuing the improvement. Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888..... July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888 July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities.... July 1, 1889, balance available.... $10,000.00 $814.33 176.67 991.00 9,009.00 25,000,00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... barbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix C 5.) 6. Taunton River, Massachusetts.-The object of the improvement is to deepen and widen the channel leading to the city of Taunton, at the head of navigation, so that vessels of 11 feet draught can reach the city at high water. In its original condition the channel was narrow and obstructed by bowlders, and from Berkley Bridge to Taunton the depth was not, in places, more than 5 feet at mean high water. A vessel of 30 tons burden was as large as could go up to Taunton. The approved project of 1871 and its subsequent modifications provide for a channel 60 feet wide and 11 feet deep from Weir Bridge to the ship-yard, a channel 80 feet wide (100 feet at the bends) and 11 feet deep from the ship-yard down to and through the Needles and Briggs's Shoal; thence to Berkley Bridge a channel of the same width and 12 feet deep, and from Berkley Bridge to the deep water at Dighton the channel was to be 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep. The depths are estimated from high water. The ledge which crossed the bottom of the river at Peter's Point, and the numerous bowlders which lay on the * From lapsed contract, bottom and sides of the channel from Taunton to Dighton, were to be removed. The amount expended on the improvement of the river up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, was $156,935.94. With the exception that but 40 feet of the 60 feet of width could be dredged between the bridge at Weir and the ship-yard, on account of interfering with private property, and that on account of the hardness and depth of material at the sides the 80-foot channel was not in all cases dredged to its full width, the channel down to Berkley Bridge had been completed. The channel as proposed between Berkley Bridge and Dighton had been completed-with the exception of removing a small amount of ledge rock uncovered in dredging below Peter's Pointand had been cleared of bowlders from Taunton down to Berkley Bridge. The work of removal of the ledge at Peter's Point had been completed. The material blasted in the channel had been dredged and deposited in the form of a half-tide dam running from Reuben's Island to the west shore of the river, with the view of accelerating the current in the dredged channel off and above Dighton, and preventing deposits in this part of the channel. Vessels of 11 feet draught can now reach Taunton, at the head of navigation. No work was done during the last fiscal year. There remains to complete the existing project, widening and deepening at a few points above the bridge and the removal of the small amount of ledge rock above referred to. A map of a survey of parts of Taunton River, with report thereon and project for further improvement, were submitted to Congress January 10, 1888, and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 86, Fiftieth Congress, first session. The estimated cost of this additional improvement is $14,051. July 1, 1888, amount available..... $64.06 July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888 ... 31.78 July 1, 1889, balance available....... 32.28 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1891 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. 14,000.00 14,000.00 (See Appendix C 6.) 7. Warren River, Rhode Island.-Warren River is an arm of Narragansett Bay north of the harbor of Bristol. The obstructions to navigation were a rocky reef below Little Island and a submerged bowlder near mid-channel opposite the lower wharves of the town of Warren. The approved project provided for the removal of these obstructions as far as could be done with an expenditure of $5,000. The submerged bowlder was removed and an area of about 1.8 acres extending 550 feet along the narrowest part of the channel was cleared of the projecting points of ledge and bowlders between the months of August and November, 1887. This completed the improvement as far as projected. July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of July 1, 1888, amount available..... $270.11 $128.30 22.03 150.33 119.78 8. Pawtucket River, Rhode Island.-Before improvement the channel in the river had a ruling depth of about 5 feet at mean low water. The project for its improvement, as modified in 1883, provides for the excavation by dredging of a channel 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep at mean low water from the deep water above Red Bridge to the ledge opposite Grant & Company's wharf at Pawtucket; thence the deepening by blasting of a channel through the ledge to Pawtucket Bridge of the same depth and 40 feet wide. The amount expended to June 30, 1888, was $131,129.99. The channel had been excavated under the original project to a width of 75 feet and a ruling depth of 7 feet at mean low water, and under the project as modified in 1883 a new channel 12 feet deep and 100 feet wide, with wide enlargements at the bends, had been carried from its mouth at the deep water just above Red Bridge, a distance of about 12,740 feet. There is now a channel 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep at mean low water from the deep water above Red Bridge to within 14 miles of the head of navigation. This completed portion of the channel is already a great benefit to the commerce of the river; a ruling depth of about 6 feet can be carried from the upper end of our present work to Pawtucket. Nothing has been done during the past fiscal year, owing to the impossibility of obtaining satisfactory prices for the work. The work yet to be done is to excavate by dredging the channel 12 feet deep and 100 feet wide from its present end to a point opposite Grant & Company's wharf, and from thence to Pawtucket Bridge to deepen the channel through the ledge to the same depth with a width of 40 feet. With the balance available and the $50,000 asked for it is proposed to extend this channel further up the river. July 1, 1888, amount available..... Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888....... $875.97 35,000.00 35, 875.97 July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888.................. July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities... $3, 204. 13 3,375.84 July 1, 1889, balance available... 32, 500. 13 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... (See Appendix C 8.) 367, 478.00 50,000.00 9. Providence River and Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.-The object of this improvement is to furnish a wide and deep channel for foreign and coastwise commerce from the ocean to Providence. Before the improvement of the river was commenced in 1853 many shoals obstructed navigation, and at one point in the channel, a place called "The Crook," the available low-water depth was but 43 feet. There was expended between 1852 and the 30th June, 1882, $290,459.34 in deepening the channel, first to 9 feet, then to 12 feet, then to 14 feet, and again to 23 feet, as the increasing sizes of vessels and the growing commerce of Providence demanded. Bulkhead Rock was also removed during this period to a depth of 20 feet below mean low water. ENG 89-4 |