The approved project of 1878, modified in 1882, under which the work is now in progress, provides for a channel 25 feet deep and 300 feet wide, suitable for large ocean vessels, extending from Fox Point, in the city of Providence, to the deep water of Narragansett Bay, and for an anchorage basin between Fox and Field's points, 300 feet wide, at a depth of 25 feet; 600 feet wide at a depth of 20 feet; 725 feet wide, at a depth of 18 feet; 940 feet wide, at a depth of 12 feet; 1,060 feet wide, at a depth of 6 feet. The amount expended on the present project up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, was $242,599.60. At that date the excavation of the anchorage basin above Field's Point had been completed, and of the same areas in the Sassafras Point and the Field's Point reaches, about one-fourth and one-half, respectively, had been done. Bulkhead Rock had been removed, and the 25-foot channel, 300 feet wide, from Providence to the deep water of Narragansett Bay, had been completed. Nothing was done during the past fiscal year, owing to the impossibility of obtaining satisfactory prices for the work. There is required for the completion of the existing project the excavation of the remainder of the anchorage basin between Fox and Field's points. With the amount available and the $100,000 asked for it is proposed to continue the excavation of the anchorage area. 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.. $1,001.03 40,000.00 41, 001. 03 $4,235, 35 4,283.76 36, 717.27 July 1, 1889, balance available... 165,000.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... (See Appendix C 9.) 10. Removal of Green Jacket Shoal, Providence River, Rhode Island.— This shoal is in that part of Providence River which constitutes the harbor of Providence. It lies off the wharves on the south front of the city, and occupies a part of the harbor that is required for anchorage purposes, covering an area of about 18 acres between the 15-foot curves. The adopted project is the removal of the entire shoal to a depth of 25 feet at mean low water, limiting the work by lines drawn 200 feet from the harbor lines. The amount expended, including outstanding liabilities, to June 30, 1888, was $25,155.60, and the result was the excavation of an area of about 94 acres on the western side of the shoal to a depth of 25 feet at mean low water, making an important addition to the anchorage facilities of Providence Harbor. Nothing was done during the past fiscal year, owing to the impossibility of obtaining satisfactory prices for the work. With the amount available and that asked for, it is proposed to continue the removal of the shoal as far as possible. 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, 1838.. July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities.. July 1, 1889, balance available $1,094.40 28,000.00 29,094.40 $2, 764.94 2,908.77 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. (See Appendix C 10.) 26, 185.63 58,096,00 30,000.00 11. Newport Harbor, Rhode Island.-Before improvement the capacity of the inner harbor was limited by shoals, and it was not adequate to the number and size of the vessels seeking it for refuge. The southern or main entrance was obstructed by a bar which stretched out from Goat Island, and the general business wharves of the city could not be reached at low tide by vessels drawing more than 8 feet. The original project and its subsequent modification, under which work is now carried on, are substantially as follows: Deepening the southern entrance to 15 feet at mean low water and widening it by dredging Goat Island Spit northward to a line drawn from the dolphin which marks the Spit, to clear the permanent dock at Fort Adams by 100 feet; the excavation of a channel 750 feet wide and 15 feet deep at mean low water around and to the eastward of this dolphin; deepening to 13 feet at mean low water the area included between the 13-foot curve on the west, a line drawn from the southwest corner of Perry Mill Wharf to Lime Rock on the south, the harbor line on the east, and a line drawn parallel to and 50 feet from the city wharf on the north; deepening to 10 feet at mean low water the area northwest of a line drawn from Lime Rock through the spindle which is in the southeast part of the harbor, and excavating a channel 10 feet deep at mean low water along and outside the harbor line south to a point opposite the gas company's wharf; and the construction of jetties on the western shore of Goat Island to arrest the drift of littoral sand and gravel into the entrance of the harbor. The amount expended up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, was $108,124.23, with the following results: Of the area to be dredged to 13 feet within the harbor, about ninetenths had been completed. The channel along and outside the harbor line south to a point opposite the gas company's wharf and the 15-foot channel, 750 feet wide, around and to the eastward of the Dolphin on Goat Island Spit, had been completed, with the exception of a narrow strip along the western edge and to the north of the dolphin. The increase of width to be made between the 15-foot curves at the southern entrance by dredging in the spit south of Goat Island had been completed. The berth for vessels at the quartermaster's wharf at Fort Adams had been deepened to 10 feet at mean low water, and the littoral sand from the outside of Goat Island had been stopped for the present from washing into the channel at the southern entrance of the harbor by the construction of a jetty on the west side of the island. The southern entrance is completed for vessels of 15 feet draught, and of the total area to be dredged within the harbor (about 90 acres) about two thirds have been completed. Nothing has been done during the past fiscal year owing to the impossibility of obtaining satisfactory prices for the work. The work required to complete the existing project is the dredging of a narrow strip along the western edge of the 750-foot channel around and to the eastward of the dolphin on the Goat Island Spit; the remainder of the excavation within the harbor of the anchorage area of 13 feet depth; and the excavation, also within the harbor, of the anchorage area of 10 feet depth; also, the building of additional jetties outside of Goat Island whenever they may be required. 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... $77.80 12,000.00 12, 077.80 $1,200. 65 1,364.98 10, 712.82 July 1, 1889, balance available Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... (See Appendix C 11.) 40,000.00 25,000.00 12. Harbor of Refuge at Block Island, Rhode Island.-The object of the improvement is to furnish a harbor of refuge for vessels engaged in foreign and coastwise commerce. Before the construction of the present harbor Block Island had no harbor which afforded protection for decked vessels. The original project and its subseqent modifications provide for a harbor of refuge on the eastern side of the island, consisting of an inner harbor or basin for small vessels and an exterior for large ones. The basin was to be about 250 feet by 300 feet in area and inclosed, with the exception of an opening 80 feet wide. The exterior harbor was to be formed by a riprap breakwater, which has been built. About 300 feet from the sea end of this breakwater, which is 1,900 feet long, a gap 200 feet long was left for the convenience of vessels. The present project contemplates the filling of this gap and restoring the breakwater to its original dimensions, the enlargement of the inner harbor, and the removal of a shoal along the western side of the breakwater. The total expenditures up to June 30, 1888, were $339,008.72. The inner harbor and the main breakwater, built in prolongation of the eastern side of the inner harbor, and extending 1,900 feet from the shore, were constructed in the years 1870 to 1879, inclusive. The util. ity of the work at once became apparent. In stormy weather the inner harbor, especially, was filled with fishermen and coasters, and it soon became necessary to increase its depth from 7 feet, to which it had been dredged in the first instance, to 9 feet at mean low water. strong jetty had been built out from the cliff to the eastward of the inner harbor, and a masonry wall constructed on the inside of the cribwork forming the eastern side of the inner harbor. The filling in the gap in the main breakwater had been carried to an extent sufficient to keep out the sea, which was formerly driven through it into the outer harbor in easterly storms. A The timber jetty filled with stone forming the shore end of the west ern wall of the enlarged inner harbor had been finished and the construction of its north wall had been commenced. During the past fiscal year work has been in progress on the enlargement of the inner harbor, and 3,530 tons of riprap granite has been placed in the north wall. Nothing has been done under the appropriation of August 11, 1888, owing to the impossibility of obtaining satis. factory prices for the work. It is proposed to apply the funds available July 1, 1889, and the appropriation asked for, to the completion of the filling of the gap in the break water, the restoration of the breakwater to its original dimensions, the continuation of the enlargement of the inner harbor, and the removal of the sand bar along the western side of the breakwater. 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 avilable: Breakwater... Inner harbor... Bemoving sand-bar.. $776.79 15,000.00 15, 776.79 $1,892.67 1,922. 67 3,633.78 13, 854. 12 (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. (See Appendix C 12.) 30,000.00 30.000.00 13. Pawcatuck River, Rhode Island and Connecticut.-The navigable part of the Pawcatuck River extends from the town of Westerly to Little Narragansett Bay, and the object of the improvement is to deepen and widen the channel leading from this bay to Westerly. Before improvement, the channel was crooked and obstructed by numerous shoals, on some of which there was but 14 feet of water at mean low water. By appropriations made in the years 1871 to 1875 the river was im⚫ proved by the excavation of a channel 5 feet deep at mean low water and 75 feet wide below the wharves, and from 35 to 40 feet wide between the upper and lower wharves. The present project contemplates the further widening of the channel to 100 feet below the wharves and by an additional width of two cuts of an ordinary dredging machine, or about 40 feet, between the lower and upper wharves; also the deepening of the entire channel to 8 feet at mean low water. The amount expended on the present project to June 30, 1888, including outstanding liabilities, was $10,463.62, and the result was the completion of the channel to its full width and depth from the deep water opposite the village of Lottery to a point near the lower end of Major's Island, with the exception of a small amount of ledge rock which extends into the channel near Certain Draw Point and at Pawcatuck Rock. During the past fiscal year 8,355.6 cubic yards of material and 5.92 cubic yards of bowlders have been removed from the channel. Nothing has been done under the appropriation of August 11, 1888, owing to the impossibility of obtaining satisfactory prices for the work. The funds available and the appropriation asked for will be applied to the completion of the existing project. July 1, 1888, amount available..... Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888.. $399.00 10,000.00 10,399.00 July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888. July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities.. $789.77 825.15 July 1, 1889, balance available.... 9,573.85 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... (See appendix C 13.) 16, 637.00 16,600.00 14. Harbor of refuge at Stonington, Connecticut.-Stonington Harbor originally was an open bay, unprotected from southerly storms and obstructed by a shoal having a low-water depth of but 6 feet at the shoalest part. A short breakwater was constructed in the years 18281831, at a cost of $34,766.65, for the protection of the commerce of the town. The enlarged project of 1871 for the improvement of the harbor and its subsequent modification, under which work is now carried on, embraced dredging in the upper harbor and the construction of two breakwaters in the outer harbor. One of these, the western, was to be built out from Wamphassuck Point, the southwestern limit of the harbor, and to extend about 2,000 feet; and the other, the eastern, was to extend from the vicinity of Bartlett's Reef to the Middle Ground. The western breakwater was completed in 1880 at a cost of $103,190. The amount expended in dredging in the upper harbor was about $45,000. The position of the western end of the eastern breakwater has not been determined. The amount expended on the eastern breakwater up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, was $109,548.90, and its length at that date was 2,210 feet. The amount expended during the last fiscal year, including outstanding liabilities June 30, 1889, was $5,440.76, and the result was the extension of the eastern breakwater to a point about 2,240 feet from its eastern extremity. The work required is to finish the construction of the eastern breakwater. In case it be found that sufficient protection to the harbor of refuge has been afforded when the range from Stonington Light to the middle of Wicopessit Island is reached, the length of the breakwater yet to be built will be about 330 feet. Should it be decided to extend it to the Middle Ground it will require about 150 feet more. The completion of this work will afford a thoroughly protected anchorage for vessels drawing 18 feet of water and a harbor of refuge for the commerce which daily passes between Long Island Sound and the eastward. It is proposed to apply the amount available and that asked for to the extension of the eastern breakwater. |