July 1, 1888, amount available $450.80 Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888 8,000.00 8,450.80 July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888. $3,485. 46 July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities 1,955.30 July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts. 2,097.20 7,537.96 July 1, 1889, balance available 912.84 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... (See Appendix C 14.) 25,000.00 25, 000. 00 15. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation-Wreck of schooner Alma.-This vessel caught fire, somewhere off the coast of Cape Cod, about September 26, 1888, and was towed to Vineyard Haven Harbor and left by the tow-boat at a shoal spot some 1,200 feet northeast of the steam-boat wharf. A contract for its removal was made, and the work was completed May 1, 1889, after considerable delay by reason of bad weather. Wreck of schooner Annie E. Hayes, sunk in Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts, December 5, 1888. A contract for the removal of this wreck was made and the work completed May 1, 1889.-(See Appendix C 15.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF THE RIVER AND HARBOR ACT OF AUGUST 11, 1888. The required preliminary examination of Entrance to Point Judith Pond, west of Point Judith, Rhode Island, with a view to establishing a harbor of refuge, was made by the local engineer in charge, Major Livermore, and reported by him as not worthy of improvement, with facts and reasons for such opinion. The Chief of Engineers concurring in the conclusion reached in this instance, has given no instructions to make further survey with the view to its improvement.-(See Appendix C 16.) At the following localities reported by the local engineer as worthy of improvement, and this conclusion being concurred in by the Chief of Engineers, the result of the preliminary examination containing information sufficient to indicate to Congress the probable cost of the work required, no further report or survey appeared to be necessary. 1. Westport Harbor and East and West Branch of Westport River, Massachusetts.-Estimated cost of improvement $2,000, to be applied to extending the jetty on Horse Neck Point, and to dredging in Westport Harbor.-(See Appendix C 17.) 2. Taunton River, Massachusetts.-Estimated cost of improvement proposed $14,050, to be applied to dredging and the removal of ledge rock and bowlders.-(See Appendix C 18.) 3. Fishing Place Cove, near Seaconnet Point, Rhode Island, with view to constructing breakwater.-Estimated cost of improvement $5,000, to be applied to restoring the existing dilapidated breakwater for at least a portion of its length, and to dredging a small area inside the cove.— (See Appendix C 19.) 4. Greenwich Bay, to deepen water on the Bar at Long Point, Rhode Island.-Estimated cost of improvement $2,000, to be applied to widening the existing channel.-(See Appendix C 20.) It appearing from the report of the preliminary examination made by the local engineer that the following localities are worthy of improvement, and the public necessity therefor being apparent from the facts and reasons reported, which are concurred in by the Chief of Engineers, Major Livermore was charged with their survey, the results of which will be submitted when received: 1. Martha's Vineyard, inner and outer harbor at Edgartown, Massachusetts. 2. Cove near southeast extremity of Coaster's Harbor Island, and waterway between said island and Rhode Island, with a view to deepening the water way and removing obstructions. 3. Coast near life-saving station, East Point Judith, Rhode Island, with a view to constructing a breakwater. 4. Narragansett Bay at the mouth of Narrow River, Rhode Island, with a view of constructing a breakwater. IMPROVEMENT OF CONNECTICUT RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT, AND OF RIVERS AND HARBORS ON LONG ISLAND SOUND, CONNECTICUT AND NEW YORK. Officer in charge, Lieut. Col. D. C. Houston, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. J. C. Sanford, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders, until February 26, 1889. 1. Thames River, Connecticut. This river is a tidal stream, extending from the city of Norwich 15 miles south to Long Island Sound. For 11 miles above its mouth the depth ranges from 13 to 80 feet. Improvements have, until 1889, been confined to a stretch of 31⁄2 miles below Norwich, in which the most troublesome bars lay. In 1829 the channel depth over these bars was about 6 feet at mean low water. In 1836 a project was adopted for making the channel 100 feet wide and 14 feet deep at mean high water (11 feet at low water) by dredging and building piers. In 1878 a channel 14 feet deep at low water was projected, and in 1882 a modification was adopted providing for a channel 200 feet wide and 14 feet deep at mean low water, to be obtained by dredging and by building five dikes or training-walls along the outer sides of the channel curves. The estimated cost was $208,080, and a balance of $20,000 from previous appropriations was then available. In 1888 the project was modified to include making 16 feet depth as far up as Allyn's Point, and 14 feet from there to Easter's Point, at an additional cost of $40,000. The total amount appropriated for this river is $354,300, of which $133,510.64 has been expended since the adoption of the project of 1882. Three of the proposed dikes have been completed, and the fourth one nearly so. Dredging was done between the dikes in 1882, 1883, 1884, 1887, and 1888. The three completed dikes need slight repairs. The channel has an available low-water depth of 11 feet. During the past fiscal year, including outstanding liabilities and excluding existing contracts, $23,379.77 have been expended in dredg ing. Fifty thousand dollars could be profitably expended during the next fiscal year. July 1, 1888, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888 liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888.. July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts.. July 1, 1889, balance available Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix D 1.) 95, 600.00 50,000.00 2. New London Harbor, Connecticut.-This harbor includes the lower 3 miles of Thames River, from New London to Long Island Sound. The project of its improvement, adopted in 1880 and slightly modified in 1882, provides for removing to a depth of 16 feet at mean low water the southerly part of a shoal of sand and bowlders lying east of the New London Northern Railroad Wharf. The original depth on this part of the shoal was from 5 to 15 feet. Nineteen thousand eight hundred dollars have been appropriated for and expended on this work. Nothing was done during the past fiscal year. The required depth has been made over nearly the whole area contemplated in the project, which is regarded as completed, no further work under it being desired. July 1, 1888, amount available (See Appendix D 2.) $201.39 201.39 3. Connecticut River, Massachusetts and Connecticut, above Hartford.From Holyoke, Mass., 34 miles above Hartford, down to Enfield Falls or Rapids, a distance of 18 miles, there is a fair channel 4 to 5 feet deep. Enfield Rapids extends about 5 miles over a rocky and uneven bed, with a total fall of 32 feet. From the foot of Enfield Rapids to Hartford, a distance of 11 miles, the river-bed is broad and sandy, with a channel from 2 to 5 feet deep at low water. Several years ago the Connecticut River Company constructed a small canal around Enfield Rapids, through which boats of 3 feet draught and 80 feet length can pass. The several projects under which work has been done have been for dredging at Barber's Landing and for wing-dams. In 1878 plans and estimates were submitted for the construction of a canal 8 feet deep around Enfield Rapids; these estimates were revised in 1880. The estimated cost of this canal was $1,322,805; it was not considered advisable to commence construction with a less sum than $450,000, which has not yet been appropriated. Up to the close of the present fiscal year $100,000 have been appropriated for this part of the river, of which $90,866.80 have been expended. All the work done has been dredging and the construction and repair of seven wing-dams. No work was done during the past fiscal year. The funds on hand from previous appropriations are sufficient for such repairs and temporary improvement as may be needed during the ensuing fiscal year. The benefit to be secured by a permanent improvement would be the reduction of cost of transporting bulky materials to and from a large manufacturing district now wholly dependent on railroads. July 1, 1888, amount available July 1, 1889, balance available $9, 133. 20 9, 133. 20 Below Hartford.-Between Hartford and Long Island Sound, a distance of 50 miles by course of channel, the depth on the bars was formerly 5 feet at low water, the worst places being between Hartford and Middletown, a distance of 19 miles, and at Saybrook Bar, at the mouth of the river. Dredging was carried on and small wing-dams were constructed by private parties and by a State corporation up to 1868 with no permanent benefit. In 1868 a project for improvement by the United States was submitted, under which a pile-dike was built at Hartford and annual dredging done on the bars below Hartford until 1883. In 1873 a project for the construction of three jetties on Saybrook Bar was adopted; two of these have been built; the third will probably not be required. In 1880 a project for permanent improvement on six of the worst bars between Hartford and Middletown was adopted. It contemplated building riprap wing-dams, rectifying the banks and protecting the caving banks by mattresses, at a total estimated cost of $330,487. It was afterwards found necessary to extend the project to include annual dredging at these and other bars and the extension and repair of the Saybrook jetties. The total amount appropriated since the adoption of the above project is $156,250. Two of the contemplated permanent works have been built, a training-wall at Hartford Bar and a wing-dam at Glastonbury Bar, their total cost being $40,715.34. In addition to the work included in the estimate of $330,487, the east and west jetties at Saybrook have been extended and repaired and a channel over 120 feet wide and 12 feet deep has been dredged between them, and from $5,000 to $10,000 have been annually expended in dredging to maintain a depth of 9 feet on the bars between Hartford and Saybrook. Experience has shown that, on account of the height and frequency of freshets in this river, the permanent works projected in 1880 would be inadequate to maintain the desired depth or even to materially reduce the amount of dredging annually required. Therefore, in December, 1887, a new project was adopted, confining future operations to the completion of the Saybrook jetties to a height of 5 feet above high water, with a top width of 6 feet, and widening the channel between the jetties to 400 feet, with a depth of 12 feet at mean low water, at an estimated cost of $80,000, with annual dredging to maintain a 9-foot channel between Hartford and Long Island Sound, at an average cost of $10,000 per year. During the past fiscal year, including outstanding liabilities and excluding existing contracts, $6,488.69 have been expended in dredging to widen the channel between the Saybrook jetties and to maintain the channel in the river. July 1, 1888, amount available..... Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888.. July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of $80,000.00 10,000.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. (See Appendix D 3.) 4. Clinton Harbor, Connecticut.-This harbor is 10 miles west of the mouth of the Connecticut River. Its channel runs for nearly a mile inside of a beach, through which a breach was made about the year 1840, after which the channel shoaled in two places to about 4 feet depth where the depth had been 8 feet. The project for improvement, adopted in 1882, provided for closing the breach, and, if that did not restore the channel depth, for dredging a channel 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water through the shoals. The entire cost was estimated at $10,000. Three thousand dollars have been appropriated for this harbor, of which $2,747.27 have been expended. A riprap dike was built across the breach in 1883; it requires some repair. The channel depth has not changed since 1882. Nothing was done during the past fiscal year. Seven thousand dollars, the estimated amount required to complete the project, could be profitably expended for that purpose in the next fiscal year. July 1, 1888, amount available July 1, 1889, balance available Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... (See Appendix D 4.) $252.73 252.73 7,000.00 7,000.00 5. New Haven Harbor, Connecticut.-The original available low-water depth up to the wharves in this harbor was about 9 feet. The first project for deepening the channel provided for making it 13 feet deep, which was done in 1871. It was widened at different times until 1878, when a project was adopted for dredging a channel 16 feet deep and not less than 400 feet wide. In 1882 a project was adopted for building a dike to extend out from Sandy Point, with an arm 3,200 feet long, and parallel to the channel, in order to contract the channel and make the depth on Fort Hale Bar, to be obtained by dredging, permanent. Fifty-three thousand dollars (including a contract now in progress) have been expended on this dike, and $31,000 are estimated as required to complete it. Up to the close of the fiscal year $276,000 have been appropriated for this harbor, and nearly all expended. A 16 foot channel, from 400 to 600 feet wide, has been obtained all the way up the harbor, except over the Fort Hale Bar, where the depth is 13 feet. The shore-arm and 1,769 feet of the channel-arm of the Sandy Point dike have been built. During the past fiscal year $7,170.10 has been expended in extending the Sandy Point dike 410 feet. The sum of $30,000 can be used in completing the dike and dredging over the Fort Hale Bar. |