beacon-light at the entrance to the harbor. The nearest light-house is at Black Rock harbor, about three and one-half miles southwest of Bridgeport. Incidentally I would mention that Black Rock Harbor, upon which the United States expended $20,550 in 1836-37-38, is a very insufficient harbor of refuge, and has filled up very much since that time. It is thought that an additional sea-wall should be built to connect the north end of Fair weather Island with the main land, and a breakwater about one mile long northeast from the "Cows." This latter would be a very expensive work, but would form a first-class harbor of refuge. There is also a light-house on Stratford Point, about five and a half miles east of Bridgeport, and a light-ship at the Middle Ground, about nine miles southeast from Bridgeport. Annexed to this report are1. A map, on scale of 1 to 5,000. 2. Communication from Collector J. S. Hanover, dated Septem-; ber 24, 1870. 3. Communication from a committee of citizens of Bridgeport, containing copy of a petition to Congress; a statement of merchandise received at Bridgeport for the nine months preceding February 12, 1870, and of the number of arrivals and departures of vessels in the same period; an abstract of the evidence before! the House Committee on Commerce, and a statement of Collector Hanover, of the number of vessels arriving and departing from January 1, 1870, to December 31, 1870. Estimates for different kinds of improvements at Bridgeport, Connecticut. First. For stone breakwater to arrest motion of the sand and prevent its filling the excavated channel, and to increase the action of the tide in the channel. Section of breakwater.-Spring tides rise 9 feet above mean low water. The top of the wall to rise 2 feet above high water of spring tides. Wall to be 6 feet wide on top, batter 4 upon 1 down to 13 feet above low water, to be composed of granite blocks of from 2 to 4 cubic yards each, of a thickness from 18 inches to 2 feet, to be doweled throughout with gun-metal dowels, and top course securely clamped with wrought iron of suitable size, (cost say $25 per yard.) This wall to rest on a bed formed by throwing in large irregular blocks of stone, of not less than 1 tons weight, having a slope seaward of 1 upon 3, and shoreward of 1 upon 1, and to be 15 feet wide on top at level of mean low water. This foundation to be brought to even surface by small angular stone, and paved on the sea-slope with large granite blocks 14 feet thick and not less than 2 tons weight, clamped with wrought iron. The foot of the paved slope to be protected by large riprap stone, same as for the body of the breakwater, to contain about 4 cubic yards per linear yard of breakwater. All the riprap to cost, say $6 per yard, the pavement $25 per yard. The above wall is proportioned so as to be about the same cost as a rough breakwater would be, made of the same height, namely, 11 feet. As the height increases, there is a great saving in combining them as I have. This particular form is adopted as the basis of calculation. It may be modified in practice as may be necessary. The body of the work may not need paving. From the experience with the sea-wall at Southport, the thickness of wall adopted will be sufficient to stand the waves of Long Island Sound. The Southport sea-wall is 9 feet above ordinary low water, and it is thought that 2 feet additional height should be given it. That is the reason a height of 11 feet is taken above mean low water for this design. The waves, in heavy storms and high tides, will break over such wall, but not enough to cause any swell, and if the wall be well built it will probably stand the shock. However this wall may answer, it is probable that a lighter structure of stone should not be adopted. To build the body of the work from the mean low-water line out to the 6-foot curve, a distance of 933 yards, 6,415 cubic yards, at $6............. To build the same from the 6-foot curve out to the 14-foot curve, a distance of 2663 yards, 10,648 cubic yards, at $6.. $38,490 63,888 Total.... 102,378 To pave the outside slope with large split blocks fitting each $32,500 35,750 22, 398 6,396 262,500 75,000 SUMMARY. 1. From shore out to 6 feet depth, distance 933 yards: For rough breakwater blocks of 11 tons and upward, slope outside 1 upon 3, inside 1 upon 1, 15 feet wide on top, 6,415 yards, at $6 per yard.... For top wall, to rise 2 feet above high water of spring tides, (11 feet high,) 6 feet wide on top, batter 4 on 1, built of large blocks cut to shape and doweled, 10,500 cubic yards, at $25 per yard.. To pave the outside slope with large split blocks fitting each other and clamped, 1,300 cubic yards, at $25 per yard.... For riprap at foot of paved slope, 3,733 cubic yards, at $6.. 2. From 6-foot curve out to 14-foot curve, 2663 yards: For body of breakwater as before, 10,648 cubic yards, at $6 per yard For top wall as before, 3,000 cubic yards, at $25 per yard. Pavement of outside slope as before, 1,430 cubic yards, at $25 per yard... Riprap at foot of slope as before, 1,066 cubic yards, at $6 per yard... $38, 490 262,500 32, 500 22, 398 355, 888 $63, 888 75,000 25, 750 6, 396 181, 034 Light-house at end of breakwater... $30,000 GRAND TOTAL. Breakwater complete out to 6-foot curve. Breakwater complete from 6-foot to 14-foot curve. It is probable that the outside paving slope and riprap at its base could be dispensed with, and the whole breakwater would then costFrom shore out to 6-foot curve From 6-foot curve to 14-foot curve.. Light-house $323, 380 144, 284 30,000 497, 664 If the breakwater be built out only to the 6-foot curve, a beacon can be substituted for the light-house, and the cost will be For breakwater For beacon $355, 888 5,000 360, 888 As before stated in the body of this report, it may be that the Six hundred and fifty yards of riprap stone to place around $32,500 12.264 3,900 48,664 My recommendation, therefore, is now to appropriate enough money to build the line of dolphins and shore jettee and dredge a channel 14 feet deep, at first 100 feet wide. This requires the following amount: For dredging... For jettee and line of dolphins. For superintendence $69,000 48, 664 6,336 124,000 To make the channel 200 feet wide and 14 feet deep, will require, in addition, for dredging For superintendence.. Total.... Yours, respectfully, $69,000 3,000 72,000 G. K. WARREN, Major of Engineers, Brevet Major General, U. S. A. Brigadier General A. A. HUMPHREYS, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A., Washington, D. C. BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, January 3, 1871. SIR: I am informed by Messrs. Dunham and Nickerson, members of special committee of city of Bridgeport on harbor improvements, that you desire a copy of petition of citizens to Congress, and also of such statistical items and evidence as was presented by said committee before the committee of Congress, in aid of their application for an appropriation to improve the harbor, with a view of making some use of them in your report. You also expressed a similar request in your note to me of December 10, which, allow me to say, would have been forwarded to you before, but for the expectation on my part, derived from letter of said date, and also from your letter to Messrs. Barnum and Kellog, of December 20, that you would soon visit Bridgeport personally, and, by appointment, have an interview with the committee, when a more general interchange of views could be had, &c. Not having received any notice of your intended visit, no opportunity was given for calling the committee together to meet you, and, unfortunately, a majority of the committee were absent, and did not have that pleasure. We believe, however, that the interview had with the members of the committee above referred to resulted in a more full and correct understanding of the wants of the harbor, and of the purpose and wishes of the citizens and the committee in respect to the appropriation asked for, and the direction in which it should be applied, than before existed. In short, "that the application of the city of Bridgeport is for an appropriation to widen and deepen the channel of Bridgeport Harbor from the outer bar inwardly, to admit vessels of larger draught, commensurate with the present and prospective commercial importance of the port," leaving all questions as to its future protection by breakwaters, jettees, or other means, (whether necessary or not,) to the judgment of the Engineer Corps, without suggestion or comment that would embarrass the main question. I therefore inclose herewith a copy of the original petition, signed by over 1,800 of the business men and property-owners of the city. (The item of 12 feet is intended to mean at lowest tide.) I send also the exhibit A, B, C, taken from the collector's books at that time, which, I presume, covers all the necessary ground. If later statistics are required, they will be furnished on notice from you to that effect. I also send extracts of evidence marked D, given before the committee at Washington. In closing, I desire to say that the entire population of the city feel a deep interest in the success of the application, and we trust you will find reasonable and sufficient ground for recommending that a liberal appropriation be made for thorough excavation of the channel, &c. Respectfully, yours, G. K. WARREN, Brevet Major General. F. HURD, Secretary of Special Committee on Harbor Improvements. COPY OF PETITION OF CITIZENS OF BRIDGEPORT TO CONGRESS FOR IMPROVEMENT TO HARBOR OF BRIDGEPORT. To the honorable Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled : The petition of the undersigned citizens, of the city of Bridgeport, in the State of Connecticut, respectfully represents: 1st. Said city is situated upon both sides of Pequonnock River, near its entrance into Long Island Sound. It has a population of 20,000 inhabitants, which is rapidly increasing, and is largely engaged in manufactures. It is the terminus of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Railroad, and the New York and New Haven Railroad passes through it. 2d. The harbor of said city consists of the Pequonnock River, and an arm of Long Island Sound. At the point where this channel connects with the Sound, a sand-bar has been formed by the combined action of the tide and the water from Pequonnock River. The result is, that the channel has become so filled up that the great majority of vessels cannot enter the port of Bridgeport, except at high tides, and very many vessels require to be lightened to come in at high tide, causing great delay and expense. 3d. The number of vessels, steam and sail, which arrive at this port in the course of twelve months is upward of 3,000, of which number no inconsiderable portion is engaged in foreign commerce, contributing directly to the revenue of the General Gov ernment. 4th. Your petitioners, therefore, pray that an appropriation may be made to remove said sand-bar and to widen and deepen said channel and harbor, in order that vessels drawing 12 feet of water may be enabled to enter without being grounded, and without the aid of lighters. NOTE 1.-The petition, of which the above is a copy, was signed by over 1.800 names, with certified copy of the resolutions appointing the committee, was presented to Congress by Hon. W. H. Barnum, member of Congress of the fourth district. H. HURD, Secretary of Committee. NOTE 2.-The committee were heard before the committee of Congress, March 9, 1870, and presented a statement of the commerce of the port, &c., &c., and in resolution of Congress, passed June 13, 1870, a preliminary examination, with a view to an appropriation, was ordered for the harbor of Bridgeport. F. HURD, Secretary of Committee. |