and force of currents, depth of water, and other particulars have been made, and a project for the proposed pier has been prepared and approved. Offers for the iron and lumber necessary for the structure have been received and accepted, and arrangements have been made for the conveyance to the United States by the State of Delaware of a site for the pier. The question of site for the structure was referred to a board of engineers familiar with the locality, and their recommendation was concurred in and adopted and the work commenced. Amount appropriated July 15, 1870. Amount expended during year ending June 30, 1871...... Amount available July 1, 1871.... Amount required for year ending June 30, 1873.. (See Appendixes R 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.) $225, 000 00 3,992 50 221, 007 50 55, 000 00 3. Harbor at Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania.-Work on the ice-piers of the harbor at Marcus Hook has been completed. The piers are four in number, two on the upper and two on the lower end of the harbor. The space protected is about 600 feet by 250 feet. The piers consist of a solid granite superstructure, above highest tides, on a basis of timber cribs filled with rough stone. The upper work is faced with granite ashler, securely dove-tailed and doweled together, the top being covered with large paving-flags, and each pier supplied with stone posts for vessels to moor to. The harbor will be of much service in the ice season as a place of refuge to vessels navigating the Dela ware. Amount available July 1, 1870 ... Amount expended during year ending June 30, 1871 ... Amount available July 1, 1871..... No further appropriation is asked for at present. (See Appendix R 7.) $50, 781 43 34, 828 86 15, 952 57 4. Wilmington Harbor, Delaware.-The appropriation of $15,000 made for this improvement is being applied to the deepening of the entrance from the Delaware, and of the river between Third street and Market street bridges. The rock in mid-channel, a short distance above the Third street bridge, will be removed, and the channel at the entrance will be widened as much as the appropriation will allow. The improvement of the river requires the removal of a small amount of soft material just below the mouth of the Brandywine; some additional cutting above the Third street bridge, with some widening of the channel, and a small bar cut away above Market street bridge. There is another rock a short distance below the one which has been taken out; and below the Third street bridge a ledge projects into the channel from the south bank. These should be removed. Amount appropriated by act of July 11, 1870 Amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1871. Amount available July 1, 1871.... Amount required for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873..... (See Appendix R 8.) $15,000 00 2, 739 44 12,260 56 15, 000 00 5. Repairing ice-harbor piers, at New Castle, Delaware.-The small appropriation for this work has been applied to removing the decayed timber of the lower harbor-pier and replacing it by stone. One course of heavy stones, of two feet rise, has been laid around the pier, and the second course commenced. The ice-harbor has been injured by encroachment of wharves and shoaling of the bottom. It is one of the original series of Delaware ice-harbors, and its maintenance is required by the commerce of that river. To fit the harbor for usefulness for existing commerce re- $60,000 00 7,000 00 Total needed for Delaware ice-harbor at New Castle, for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873..... 67,000 00 Appropriation by act of July 15, 1870.... Amount expended during year ending June 30, 1871... $2,500 00 2,449 05 50 95 Amount on hand July 1, 1871............. Amount required for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873... (See Appendix R 9.) 67,000 00 6. Clearing and buoying the channel of the Schuylkill River, Pennsylvania.— The entrance to the Schuylkill River has been gradually increased in depth from 9 feet to 15 feet at low water, by natural causes, by the transit of vessels, and by the action of the commercial community interested in the navigation of the river. The appropriation of $15,000 made by Congress for this improvement has been applied to further increasing this entrance channel to the depth of 18 feet, and to removal of other obstructions up the river, principally to cutting away a point just above Penrose's Bridge, which made it difficult for large vessels to pass the draw in that bridge. The remainder of this appropriation, and the additional appropriation of $10,000 made at the last session of Congress, for this river, will be expended in cutting a passage through the shoals near Gibson's to the deep water above. The commerce of the Schuylkill is rapidly increasing, and requires the employment of vessels of a large class. This great and increasing commerce requires just accommodation. To afford this it is proposed to increase the depth of water at the mouth of the Schuylkill, and up to the petroleum-wharves, to 20 feet; above them to the shipping-points of marble, coal, iron, &c., to 18 feet. Amount appropriated by act of July 11, 1870. Amount available July 1, 1871 Amount required for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873... (See Appendix R 10.) $15,000 00 10, 000 00 15,096 75 9,903 25 40,000 00 7. Ice-harbor at Reedy Island, Delaware River.-In addition to the iceharbors at Marcus Hook and New Castle, the commerce of the Delaware requires another at Reedy Island. This harbor was established in 1852, vessels having been accustomed to anchor on the east of this island to avoid the running ice, but the appropriation was altogether inadequate to do the work, which was but little more than half completed, and o wood, which is fast decaying. The upper line of piers inclosing this harbor requ res to be rebuilt at once, and should be constructed of stone above low-water level. The lower line of wooden piers requires some repairs, and one or two additional piers, with stone superstructure, should be placed on this line to compensate for the shoaling which has occurred in the harbor, and to afford a better protected entrance to it; the estimated cost for which is $190,000. (See Appendix R 11.) 8. Removal of obstructions of Salem River, New Jersey.-An examination of this locality was made in October, 1870. The obstructions con sist of rocky bars extending across the channel. By the act of March 3, 1871, an appropriation of $4,000 was made for the removal of these obstructions, and a contract has been entered into for the execution of the work. All rocks are to be cleared away to a depth of 9 feet below low water, from a channel-way 200 feet wide entirely across the bar. No expenditures were made during the year. Amount appropriated by act of March 3, 1871.... No further appropriation is needed at present for this work. (See Appendixes R 12 and R 13.) $4, 000 00 9. Improvement of South River, New Jersey.-Under the act of March. 3, 1871, appropriating $15,000 for the improvement of this river, proposals were invited for doing the work of dredging, but through the failure of the lowest bidder to enter into contract the work has been delayed, and nothing was done in the fiscal year. The work is now, however, in reliable hands, with a just prospect of its being completed this season. Appropriation by act of March 3, 1871 Expended to June 30, 1871. Amount available July 1, 1871 No further appropriation is now asked for this work. (See Appendixes R 14 and R 15.) $15,000 15,000 10. Improvement of the North and South Branches of the Shrewsbury River, New Jersey.-Under the act of March 3, 1871, appropriating $14,000 for the improvement of this river, proposals were called for for doing the necessary dredging; but owing to the failure of the lowest bidder to enter into contract, the work has been delayed and nothing done in the fiscal year. The work has since been awarded to a reliable party, and it is expected will be finished this season. The present appropriation will suf fice to dredge the requisite channels through the shoal places in both branches of the river, and make the navigation of the river as perfect as practicable. Appropriation by act of March 3, 1871... Amount available July 1, 1871 No appropriation is asked for at present. (See Appendixes R 16 and R 17.) $14,000 00 197 50 13, 802 50 11. Survey of Horse-Shoe Shoals, Delaware River, Pennsylvania.-A preliminary examination of these shoals has been made, and much varied information relative thereto has been collected. A detailed survey is now in progress, the result of which will be plotted and compared with previous surveys of this part of the river. Such suggestions respecting the difficulty of the navigation and its improvement will then be made as the facts shall appear to warrant. (See Appendix R 18.) 12. Examination of Chester Harbor, Delaware River, Pennsylvania, in compliance with the act of July 11, 1870.-The report of this, together with a project for the improvement of the harbor, will be found in Appendix R 19. 13. Delaware River between Trenton and Bordentown, New Jersey.— The Delaware is navigable for 12 feet water at low tide as far up as Newbold's Island, a little below Bordentown, where, in passing from 12 feet in the south channel to a corresponding depth in the north channel, a ridge must be crossed, on which there are but 5 feet at low water. From this point 6 feet of water can be had at low water up to the bridge at Trenton, except at one point, Perriwig Island, three miles below the bridge, where a shoal about 800 yards in length must be passed over, having only 3 feet of water upon it. The commerce of the river requires a channel-way 200 feet wide to accommodate the tows of canal-boats, which have a breast of three or more boats, and must have room to pass each other. For reasons given in this report, the officer in charge of the examination and survey recommends the improvement to be made on the eastern side of Perriwig Island, and estimates that it will require the removal of 140,000 cubic yards of gravel, boulders, &c., to make a cut through the shoal 200 feet wide and 6 feet deep at low water, which at 50 cents would be... $70,000 00 Below Newbold's Island, a cut 200 feet wide, 700 feet long, and 1 foot deep, will be required, which at 40 cents will be.. Add for incidental expenses and contingencies. 2,000 00 3,000 00 Total required 75,000 00 Of which sum $20,000 could be profitably expended in one season. (See Appendix R 19a.) .PHILADELPHIA AND CAMDEN BRIDGE. The act of Congress of April 6, 1870, giving the consent of the United States to the erection of a bridge across the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden, required that the bridge-company, before commencing the construction, should submit to the Secretary of War such information concerning the plan and locality of the bridge as would enable him to determine whether the proposed structure would conform to the conditions of the act not to obstruct, impair, or injuriously modify the navigation of the river; and that the bridge should not be built until the Secretary of War approved the plan and location proposed. This subject was referred to a board of engineer officers, whose action and that of the Secretary of War thereon will be found in Appendixes R 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. IMPROVEMENT OF HUDSON RIVER AND REMOVAL OF OBSTRUCTIONS IN NEW YORK HARBOR. Officer in charge, Lieutenant Colonel John Newton, Corps of Engineers, who has under his immediate orders Captain S. M. Mansfield, Corps of Engineers. 1. Improvement of Hudson River.-The following memorandum of work done in the fiscal year has been submitted by Colonel Newton: New Baltimore Channel completed, 79,615 cubic yards of material dredged and removed. Coeyman's Dike (State dike), repaired for a length of 120 feet, the expense of which was paid by the State commissioners. Shore protection of Schodac Island, 227 linear feet constructed. Bath Dike, 3,823 feet long, finished. Patroon's Island Dike, 3,409 feet long, commenced and finished. Base Island Dike, 5,119 feet long, commenced and finished. Some stone filling put into dikes. Works to be finished during the present year: Dikes in the neighborhood of Coeyman's. A cut to be made through Fishhouse Shoal; through the Overslaugh Channel; and through the point of the middle ground near Coeyman's. Completing the filling of Base Island and Patroon's Island dikes with stone and leveling up with timber. The amount of appropriation necessary to complete the improvement of Hudson River is $200,000. The works of improvement have been so far successful, and the plans adopted should be completed in order to obtain the more perfect results anticipated in their design. Amount appropriated by act of July 11, 1870 $40, 000 00 40,000 00 80, 000 00 Amount expended during the year ending June 30, 1871.... 14,535 36 65, 464 64 Amount available July 1, 1871 (See Appendix S 1.) 2. Removing obstructions in East River, including Hell Gate.-Operations were resumed upon the excavation of the shaft, and tunnels were com menced in the latter portion of July, 1870. The shaft has been sunk from reference (21 feet) below mean low water to reference, (33 feet.) The tunnels, ten in number, have been driven distances varying from 50 feet to 126 feet. The first transverse gallery, 142 feet in length, was begun and finished, and 40 feet of the second gallery have been excavated. The amount of rock removed was 8,306 cubic yards. The work has hitherto been carried on by hand-drilling in the tunnels and galleries, and by hand-drilling and the Burleigh drills in the shaft. Preparations have been made for the early application of steam-drills to expedite the progress of the work. Steam-drilling score.-The operations of this machine have been applied to blasting upon Diamond and Coenties Reefs. Upon the former six rounds of blasts, covering the solid bed rock of the reef, have been exploded, and upon Coenties Reef four rounds have been fired. The officer in charge asks for an appropriation of $450,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, for continuing the operations in East River and at Hell Gate, including the commencement of operations for the removal of the middle reef, Hell Gate. Amount appropriated by act of July 11, 1870.. $250,000 00 250,000 00 |