to 600 feet at Arrietta street, and be kept at that distance as far as Sylva street, and thence diminish gradually to 200 feet at the southern terminus of the bulkhead north of Fort Wadsworth. Respectfully submitted. HENRY L. ABBOT, Colonel of Engineers, Bvt. Brig. Gen., U. S. A., President of the Board. C. B. COMSTOCK, Colonel of Engineers, Bvt. Brig. Gen., U. S. A. D. C. HOUSTON, Lieut. Col. of Engineers, Bvt. Col., U. S. A. G. L. GILLESPIE, The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A. [First indorsement.] Lieut. Col. of Engineers. OFFICE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS U. S. ARMY, June 19, 1889. Respectfully submitted to the Acting Secretary of War. It appearing that the establishment of harbor lines of New York Harbor is essential to the preservation and protection of the harbor, the Acting Secretary of War, by indorsement of October 4, 1888 (papers herewith), approved the recommendation of the Chief of Engineers that the Board of Engineers stationed in New York City be constituted the Board to establish the harbor lines of New York Harbor and its adjacent waters in accordance with section 12 of the river and harbor act of August 11, 1888. The Board having submitted the within report and accompanying tracing on which the proposed lines for the north and east shores of Staten Island from New Brighton to Fort Wadsworth are drawn, it is recommended that the lines selected be approved, and that the approval of the Secretary be placed upon the tracing submitted. THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers. [Second indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, June 21, 1889. Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers, with the approval of the Secretary of War to the harbor lines as noted on the accompanying tracing. By order of the Secretary of War. JOHN TWEEDALE, APPENDIX F. IMPROVEMENT OF SHEEPSHEAD AND CANARSIE BAYS, AND SUMPAWANUS INLET, NEW YORK-OF ARTHUR KILL, NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY-OF CHANNEL BETWEEN STATEN ISLAND AND NEW JERSEY-OF RIVERS IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY, AND OF THE HARBOR OF KEYPORT. REPORT OF CAPTAIN THOS. L. CASEY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889, WITH OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE WORK. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, New York, July 9, 1889. GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith my annual report on the works of river and harbor improvements in my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889. Of these works the following were in charge of Capt. George McC. Derby, Corps of Engineers, until December 6, 1888: Passaic, Elizabeth, Rahway, Raritan, South, and Shrewsbury rivers, New Jersey, and Keyport Harbor, New Jersey; and the following were in temporary charge of that officer until the same date: Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey, Canarsie and Sheepshead bays, New York, and Sumpawanus Inlet, New York. The improvement of Arthur Kill, New York and New Jersey, was placed in my charge by verbal order of the Chief of Engineers, December 10, 1888. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A. THOS. L. CASEY, F 1. IMPROVEMENT OF SHEEPSHEAD BAY, NEW YORK. Sheepshead Bay, Long Island, is a small tidal bay about 2 miles long, lying inside Coney Island, N. Y., and extending easterly from the vil lage of Gravesend to Rockaway Inlet, into which it empties. Its width varies from 100 to 1,000 feet, and its depth from 0 to 10 feet at mean low water. The natural entrance is subject to progressive changes of position due to the action of the waves on the sandy beaches. The first survey of this bay was made in 1879 by General Newton, whose report dated February 7, 1879, may be found in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1879, page 400, and a further history of the improvemant relating especially to the cut connecting the bay with Dead Horse Inlet may be found in the same report for the year 18-8, Part 1, Page 625. A project for the expenditure of the $5,000 appropriated by the act of August 15, 1886, and of the additional $5,000 appropriated by the act of August 11, 1888, was submitted January 10, 1889. This project called for a channel 60 feet wide and 5 feet deep at mean low water from the town of Sheepshead to within 1,080 feet of Dead Horse Inlet Cut, a distance of 5,350 feet. The project was approved February 9, 1889, and the work adver tised under date of February 12. The bids (abstract herewith) were opened March 21, and the lowest bid, that of Brainard Bros. at 39 cents per cubic yard, was recommended for acceptance on the ground that a bid of this figure had been previously approved by the Chief of Engineers. The recommendation was, however, not approved and orders were received from the Department to reject all the bids and readvertise the work. This was accordingly done under date of April 11, 1889, the bids (abstract herewith) being opened on May 6. The lowest bidder was the firm of Brainard Bros. at 33 cents per cubic yard. It was recommended that this bid be rejected, and authority was at the same time requested to do the work by hired labor in open market, which recommendation and request were approved by the Department. On June 3 two private bids were received simultaneously; one from M. H. Flannery, dated May 30, and the other from Morris F. Brainard, dated June 1, both agreeing to undertake the work for 25 cents per cubic yard. It was recommended that the bid of M. H. Flannery be accepted; the approval of the recommendation by the Department being dated June 12, 1889. Work was to be begun as soon as possible, but nothing had been done at the close of the fiscal year. Sheepshead Bay is not a harbor in any sense of the word, and in all probability never will be. At present it is only used for pleasure boats of small draught belonging to Gravesend and the large hotels on Coney Island. There appears, therefore, to be no necessity for further appropriation at present. This work is in the collection district of New York, which is the nearest port of entry. Nearest light-house, Fort Tompkins Light; nearest fort, Fort Hamilton. The amount of revenue collected at the port of New York during the year ending June 30, 1889, $147,694,618.45.. The total amount expended to June 30, 1889, is $16,904.85. The expenditures during the fiscal year amount to $1,022.41, as follows: July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888. $1,022. 41 July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities.... 60.75 July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts. 8,000.00 9,083. 16 July 1, 1889, balance available .... 1,034.40 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project .... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. 8,200.00 Abstract of bids for dredging the channel in Sheepshead Bay, New York, opened at the United States Engineer Office, Army Building, New York, N. Y., at 12 o'clock m., on March 21, under advertisement dated February 12, 1889. Abstract of bids for dredging channel in Sheepshead Bay, New York, opened at the United States Engineer Office, room 79 Army Building, New York, N. Y., at 12 o'clock m., on May 6, 1889, under advertisement dated April 11, 1889. |