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depth for the passage of vessels similar to those now employed on the basius of the river above its mouth and for coasters of light draught. The construction of the north jetty, commenced by contract June 17, 1881, was continued till March 8, 1882, at which time the contract was closed. A length of 1,515 feet of the jetty has been completed. As a protection against undermining by the currents, a crib 130 feet long, and a revetment by fascine mats ballasted with stone, extending from the outer end of the completed work 850 feet toward the shore, have been added on the south side of north jetty, and a few spur dikes of plank, fascines, and sand-bags added to the north side to induce a growth of sand to relieve the work from the pressure of the tidal reservoir behind it. The amount expended to June 30, 1882, was $30,481.08.

The appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883, will be applied toward the completion of the existing project. The appropriation of $25,000 asked is for the construction of the south jetty, and for the prolongation of the north jetty, if the observations during the coming year will make such a work advisable and expedient.

July 1, 1881, amount available

July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881......

July 1, 1882, amount available.........

Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882

Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883......

$28,581 91

27,062 99

1,518 92

7,000 00

8,518 92

33,000 00

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 25,000 00 (See Appendix E 8.)

9. Raritan Bay, New Jersey.-The present project was adopted in 1880, the object being to afford a channel 300 feet wide and 21 feet deep at mean low-water, to connect the deep water to the west of Seguine Point with the deep waters at the Amboys. The appropriation of March 3, 1881, was applied in excavating a channel off Seguine Point 8,000 feet long, 105 feet wide, and 21 feet deep at mean low-water. The appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883, will be applied in widening the chanuel. The appropriation of $26,500 asked for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, will be applied in accordance with the existing plan, and in deepening the channel off Ward's Point, on the approach to Perth Amboy, from 173 feet to 21 feet mean low-water. July 1, 1881, amount available..

July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881 ....

$49,684 32

49,476 79

July 1, 1882, amount available...

Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882

Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883................

207 53

50,000 00

50,207 53

26,500 00

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 26,500 00 (See Appendix E 9.)

10. Mattawan Creek, New Jersey.-The present project was adopted in 1881, the object being to afford a channel 100 feet wide and 4 feet deep at mean low-water, from Keyport Wharf, in the town of Keyport, to the head of navigation, at the crossing of the New York and Long Branch Railroad Bridge, in the town of Mattawan.

The project of 1873, which provides for a channel 200 feet wide, 4,700 feet long, and 8 feet deep at mean low-water, extending northward from

Keyport Wharf to the 8-foot curve of Raritan Bay, is very essential to the commerce of the harbor, and should be carried out in connection. with the existing project for the improvement of the river. The appropriation March 3, 1881-$15,000-the first ever made for this improvement, was applied, by contract, in opening a channel 50 feet wide and 4 feet deep mean low-water from the bay almost to the steamboat landing, near head of navigation.

The appropriation for the year ending June 30, 1883, is $6,000, which will be applied to the continuation of the works.

The appropriation of $12,100 asked for is to be applied to the comple tion of the existing project.

July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of

July 1, 1881, amount available....

outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.

July 1, 1882, outstanding liabilities

$14,732 72

$12, 310 59

2,267 04

14,577 63

July 1, 1882, amount available........

Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882.

Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883.....

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. (See Appendix E 10.)

155 09 6,000 00

6, 155 09

12, 120 00

12, 100 00

11. Plattsburg Harbor, New York. The present project was adopted in 1870, and is for the extension of the breakwater 400 linear feet, the revetment of the United States land, and the dredging of shoals of periodical formation. No work was done during the year, as the available balance was quite small, and the limited plant for dredging could be better employed elsewhere.

The amount expended under this project to June 30, 1882, was $51,371. The appropriation of $5,000 asked for is to be applied to dredging. July 1, 1881, amount available....

July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881

July 1, 1882, amount available.......

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. (See Appendix E 11.)

$1,772 33

143 33

1,629 00

12, 000 00 5,000 00

12. Burlington Harbor, Vermont.-The present project was adopted in 1874, and provided for the protection of the harbor by the extension of the breakwater 2,000 linear feet in a northwesterly direction. The entire length of breakwater is 3,212 feet, which will soon be increased 59 feet by the sinking of another crib, now framed.

The amount expended under this project to June 30, 1882, was $97,126.28.

The appropriation of $25,000 asked for is for the continuation of the extension of the breakwater in a northwesterly direction.

July 1, 1881, amount available....

$13,791 34

July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of

outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.

July 1, 1882, outstanding liabilities

$10,917 62
70.46

10,988 08

[blocks in formation]

.$238,000 00

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 25,000 00 (See Appendix E 12.)

13. Swanton Harbor, Vermont.-The project for the protection of this harbor by the construction of a breakwater 1,900 feet in length was adopted in 1873. The amount expended under this project to June 30, 1882, was $64,065.11, and has resulted in the construction of a line of breakwater 249 feet long.

During the year the breakwater has been repaired by inserting a crib 78 feet long to close a breach made by the ice, making the aggregate length of the breakwater 327 feet. A change in the location of the depot buildings and wharves of the Portland and Ogdensburgh Railroad from that agreed upon at the time the breakwater site was selected, in 1872, leaves the officer in charge to question the propriety of continuing this improvement. For this reason no estimate is made for an appropriation for the year ending June 30, 1884.

July 1, 1881, amount available....

July 1, 18-2, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881..

July 1, 1882, outstanding liabilities..

July 1, 1882, amount available............

Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882..

Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883....

$6,348 26

$4,413 37
25 83

4,439 20

1,909 06

4,500 00

6,409 06

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... (See Appendix E 13.)

170,000 00

14. Otter Creek, Vermont.-The present project for the improvement of this creek was adopted in 1871, and contemplates the removal of various snags, shoals, and other obstructions from the bed of the stream, and the deepening of the basin of Vergennes so as to afford a depth of 8 feet between Vergennes and Lake Champlain.

The amount expended to June 30, 1882, on this work, was $26,033.07, and has resulted in the improvement of that portion of the creek and basin most troublesome to its navigation.

The appropriation of $20,000 asked for is to remove a rocky shoal at steamboat landing by blasting, and to deepen the river bars and basin to a full depth of 8 feet.

July 1, 1882, amount axpended during fiscal year, exclusive of

July 1, 1881, amount available..

outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881..

July 1, 1882, outstanding liabilities...

July 1, 182, amount available.............

Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882...

Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883......

$8,430 91

$2,463 98

186 59

2.650 57

5,780 34

2,000 00

7,780 34

39,748 40

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 20,000 00 (See Appendix E 14.)

15. Ticonderoga River, New York.-The present project was adopted in 1881, the object being to dredge a channel from the railroad bridge extending eastwardly to the 8-foot curve in Lake Champlain, and to improve the channel from the railroad bridge to the foot of the falls. The appropriation of March 3, 1881, $5,000, was expended in opening a chan

nel 42 feet wide and 6 feet deep from the 6-foot curve of the lake through the draw of the railroad bridge up to within 100 yards of Cassey's Wharf, one-half mile below the falls.

The appropriation of $10,000 asked for is to widen and deepen the channel so that boats drawing 8 feet may reach the falls at low stage.

July 1, 1881, amount available...

July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881......

Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882.....

$4,965 45

4,965 45

5, 000 00

32,516 00

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884.. 10,000 00 (See Appendix E 15.)

16. Removal of Wrecks.-The Board of Commissioners of Pilots of the City of New York having, May 31, 1882, made representation that the wreck of the steamer Nankin, lying in the Swash Channel, at the entrance to New York Harbor, was a most dangerous obstruction to navigation, the required notice was at once given to its owners, in conformity with provisions of the 4th section of the river and harbor act of June 14, 1880. The last report to this office upon the subject was that the owners were at work upon the wreck, but making slow progress.

EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT.

To comply with provisions of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1881, Major Gillespie was charged with and completed the following, which were transmitted to Congress:

1. Harbor of Port Henry, on Lake Champlain.-Printed in Senate Ex. Doc. 35, Forty-seventh Congress, first session. (See Appendix E 16.) 2. Channel between islands of North Hero and South Hero, Lake Champlain.-Printed in Senate Ex. Doc. 35, Forty-seventh Congress, first session. (See Appendix E 17.)

3. From a point between Ellis Island and the docks of New Jersey Central Railroad to a point between Robbins' Reef Light and Constable Hook, in waters of New York Bay, New Jersey.-Printed as Senate Ex. Doc. 80, Forty-seventh Congress, first session. (See Appendix E 18.)

IMPROVEMENT OF DELAWARE AND SCHUYLKILL RIVERS; OF THE SUSQUEHANNA, ABOVE RICHARD'S ISLAND, AND RIVERS IN NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE-HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS IN DELAWARE RIVER AND BAY-CONSTRUCTION OF PIER AT LEWES, AND OF ICE HARBOR AT HEAD OF DELAWARE BAY-DELAWARE BREAKWATER. Officer in charge, Capt. William Ludlow, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. William M. Black, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders.

1. Delaware River between Trenton, New Jersey, and Bridesburg, Pennsylvania. The improvement of the eastern channel of the Delaware, past Bordentown, was continued during the fiscal year. At the close of operations a straight channel, 4 feet deep and 100 feet wide existed through the bar near the foot of Duck Island; the 7-foot low-water curve had been moved about 700 feet further up stream, with a width of about. 150 feet, and a narrow 6-foot channel extended up for double this distance. A general lowering of the river bed in the vicinity of the work is observed, the currents traversing the channel with increased velocity,

and the indications seem favorable for the maintenance of the navigation after a channel has once been secured, even without the aid of deflecting dikes on the Pennsylvania shore.

During the operations the wreck of a canal-boat was discovered and removed from the channel. Heavy freshets injured the dikes to a slight extent. The necessary repairs were made at small cost.

During the ensuing fiscal year it is proposed to make the channel through the bar near the lower end of Duck Island 150 feet in width, and to remove a small shoal below.

For this purpose and to begin operations at the other points requiring attention, an appropriation of $25,000 can be profitably expended during the fiscal year 1883–284.

July 1, 1881, amount available..

July 1, 1882. amount expended during the fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881

Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882

$9,683 41

9,683 41

10, 000 00

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 25, 000 00 (See Appendix F 1.)

2. Delaware River below Bridesburg. The general improvement of the Delaware was continued during the past year near Five-Mile Point, in the vicinity of Petty's Island, on Mifflin Bar, and on Bulkhead Shoals; at the first locality to relieve the up-river commerce, at the others for the benefit of the general trade.

The widening of the cut through the Smith's Island Bar, to remove the obstructions to the cross-river traffic between Philadelphia and Camden and promote the use of the channel between Camden and Smith's Island by the lighter classes of vessels, was also completed with the available balance of the appropriation therefor of 1879.

The difficulties in navigating the "Horseshoe," a curved stretch of the river sweeping around the lower portion of Philadelphia, are less due to the insufficiency of channel dimensions than to the grounding and gorging of ice in severe winters. For this reason no expenditures have been made, although the subject has from time to time demanded and received consideration.

The condition of the Mifflin Bar improvement is reported as unsatisfactory by reason of the inefficient character of the work done by contractors during two successive seasons.

The allotments now made for this locality will admit of energetic work, which is demanded in consequence of the opposing action of the river currents.

The deepening and widening of the channel through Bulkhead Shoals was begun in the spring, and the contract now in force will be completed in August or early in September, 1882. Operations have hitherto been deferred because of the limited amounts available from the general appropriation, and of the necessity for expenditures at other points, but the improvement will now be continued until a satisfactory result can be reached.

The Dan Baker Shoals, near the head of the bay, are becoming yearly a greater obstruction, not because of any marked decrease in depth, but because the general ocean traffic is assuming larger dimensions and freights are transported in the largest vessels attainable.

The cost of dredging a channel through these shoals, following the present line of deepest water, will be about $200,000, which it is recommended should be expended in four annual installments of $50,000. With the New Castle Ice Harbor practically completed, requiring only

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