COMMERCE OF GLEN COVE HARBOR FOR THE YEAR 1888. NOTE 1.-The imports were mainly corn, coal, mill-feed, fertilizers, lumber, timber, brick, cement, lime, flour, dry goods, and groceries. The exports were mainly manufactured products, corn-feed, fire-clay, fire-sand, potter's clay, hay, potatoes, vegetables, and other farm and garden products. NOTE 2.-In the columns of "Arrivals and departures" and "Registered tonnage," no account is taken of steam-tugs entering or leaving the harbor, or of steam-yachts, sailing-yachts, or fishing. Vessels. D 20. IMPROVEMENT OF FLUSHING BAY, NEW YORK. Flushing Bay is on the north shore of Long Island, about 14 miles, by water, from the Battery at New York. The town of Flushing is on the east bank of Flushing Creek, a quarter of a mile from the head of the bay. The bay is about 1 mile wide and 2 miles long; the bottom is of soft mud, nearly level, the depth in the original channel being not much greater then elsewhere. In 1861 there was a depth of 5 feet at low water in the channel leading up to Flushing, and in 1879 but 3.9 feet. The mean rise of tide is 7.1 feet. PROJECT FOR IMPROVEMENT. A survey of Flushing Bay was made in 1878, and a project for improvement, based on it, was proposed and adopted, providing for the construction of a dike extending across the westerly part of the mouth of the bay and upon the west side of the channel to the head of the bay near Flushing, and a dike extending from a point near the middle of the east shore in a northerly direction to the 6-foot curve, and almost parallel to the first, in order to form a large tidal basin whose waters should ebb and flow through a narrow channel, with dredging to maintain a channel 6 feet deep at mean low water. The estimated cost for carrying out this project was as follows: Constructing 4,400 linear feet of pile-dike, at $10 per foot... Constructing 900 linear feet of pile-dike, at $7.50 per foot.. $44,000 70, 200 6,750 13,320 ........ 16,600 22,600 173,500 Total.. All the timber work of the dikes was to be creosoted. Up to June 30, 1880, 3,057 linear feet of pile-dike were constructed on the west side of the channel from the head of the bay. Subsequent appropriations, until 1889, have been wholly expended in dredging and redredging to make and maintain the required channel depth. September, 1888, a modification of the original project was approved which provided for "extending the dike northward and towards the west side of the channel at College Point, and for dredging, omitting the dikes running westerly to Herrick Point, and the single row of piles on the east side." OPERATIONS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889. By act of Congress of August 11, 1888, $15,000 were appropriated for this improvement, and in accordance with the above modification of project, after due advertising, a contract was entered into, June 4, 1889, with Henry Du Bois' Sons for building about 1,600 feet of pile-dike and for dredging about 15,000 cubic yards. Work under this contract was begun June 27; at the close of the year 375 piles of the pile-dike had been driven; the contract expires November 1, 1889. PRESENT CONDITION OF IMPROVEMENT. The part of the dike built in 1880, 3,057 feet long, has settled from a few inches to a foot. The channel up the bay, which has been dredged 6 feet deep three successive times, has now rather less than that depth in places. PROPOSED OPERATIONS. Under the present contract the dike will be extended northward about 1,600 feet, and the channel depth of 6 feet will be restored and extended as far as practicable. With further appropriations it is desired to extend the dike and to dredge to widen the channel. Appropriations for improving Flushing Bay, New York, have been made as follows: Flushing Bay is in the collection district of New York. The nearest light-house is on North Brother's Island. Fort Schuyler is the nearest work of defense. Money statement. 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, amount covered by existing contracts.. July 1, 1889, balance available..... $1,020. 26. 15,000.00 16,020.26 $65.69 10, 214.80 10, 280. 49 5,739.77 88,500.00 35,000.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Abstract of proposals for improving Flushing Bay, New York, opened at Engineer Office, U. S. Army, New York City, April 18, 1889. The principal articles of commerce are manufactured goods, coal, grain, building materials, and general merchandise. |