year ending June 30, 1889, is put at $400,000, less than one-tenth the estimated cost of the adopted project. The total amount expended on this river by the United States up to June 30, 1888, has been $939,215.23, which includes the sum of $208,330.68 expended since the new project has been entered upon to give a depth of 22 feet at mean low water. Amount expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1889, $155,324.63. 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, outstanding liabilities. July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts. July 1, 1889, balance available...... ( Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project ......3, 936, 070. 45 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1891.... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix I 2.) 400,000.00 3. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering naviga tion. The schooner Wallace M. French, sunk opposite Leading Point, near Fort McHenry division of channel leading to Baltimore Harbor, was removed by contract, completed May 31, 1889. (See Appendix I 3.) IMPROVEMENT OF THE HARBOR AT NORFOLK AND ITS APPROACHES, VIRGINIA; APPROACH TO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA; OF NANSEMOND RIVER, VIRGINIA, INCLUDING MOUTHS OF BENNETT AND CHUCKATUCK CREEKS AND APPOMATTOX RIVER, VIRGINIA; CURRITUCK SOUND, COANJOK BAY, AND NORTH RIVER BAR, NORTH CAROLINA. Officers in charge: Col. Wm. P. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, to November 22, 1888, since which time Lieut. G. J. Fiebeger, Corps of Engineers. Division Engineer, Col. Wm. P. Craighill, Corps of Engi neers. 1. Harbor of Norfolk and its approaches, Virginia.-The project for improvement adopted in 1877 was to deepen and widen the channel at the mouth of the Southern Branch and along the Berkley and Portsmouth Flats, in the harbor proper, and for the approaches to dredge a channel 500 feet wide and 25 feet deep, at ordinary low water, through the bars at the Western Branch and Sewell's Point. The revised project of 1885 is as follows: (1) To secure a channel not less than 25 feet deep and 500 feet wide at ordinary low water, by dredging from the deep water of Hampton Roads to Norfolk and the United States Navy-yard on the Southern Branch, and also to secure a channel in the Eastern Branch at the same stage, not less than 22 feet deep, with a width at least 300 feet at the Norfolk and Western Railroad Bridge, and gradually increasing to about 700 feet at its mouth, by dredging between said points; and (2) to ultimately dredge the entire area bounded by lines parallel to and 75 feet from the port-warden lines to a depth not less than 25 feet at ordinary low water, from Fort Norfolk to the United States Navy-yard, and not less than 22 feet from the mouth of the Eastern Branch to Campostella Bridge, and to construct a bulkhead at Berkley Flats. With slight modification all operations have been conducted in accordance therewith. The amount expended to June 30, 1888, was $433,225, which resulted in a channel at least 200 feet wide and 25 feet deep from Hampton Roads to Norfolk Harbor; a channel of the same depth and 125 to 500 feet wide in the Southern Branch to the United States Navy-yard, and a channel 22 feet deep and 200 feet wide in the Eastern Branch to the Norfolk and Western Railroad Bridge. The channel thus dredged was in a good condition July 1, 1888, except at Sewell's Point Bar where the ruling depth was reduced to 221 feet, and at the mouth of the Eastern Branch where it was 20 feet. There was expended in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889, $49,344.91, which was applied to the removal of 360,957 cubic yards of material from Sewell's Point Bar. This dredging resulted in a channel nearly 250 feet wide and 13,500 feet long through the bar. The establishment of the harbor lines has increased the ultimate amount of dredging called for in the project of 1885. To complete this work as far as can be foreseen will require the expenditure of $507,744.56. 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, balance available.. $1,775.00 50,000.00 51,775.00 49, 344.91 2,430.09 457,744.56 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... (See Appendix J 1.) 2. Approach to Norfolk Harbor and the United States (Norfolk) Navyyard, between Lambert's Point and Fort Norfolk.-The original condition of this channel was good with the exception of the shoal opposite the mouth of Western Branch, over which there was a navigable depth of 19 feet at ordinary low water. The project of 1878 was to dredge a channel 500 feet wide and 25 feet deep at ordinary low water the entire length of the shoal, 4,800 feet. The revised project of 1886 is: (1) To secure a channel, not less than 25 feet deep and 500 feet wide at ordinary low water from Lambert's Point to Fort Norfolk, by the construction of a dike and by dredging. (2) To ultimately widen this channel to within 75 feet of a straight line drawn from Fort Norfolk to the deep water opposite Lambert's Point, 6,800 feet of which is the proposed port-warden's line, making the channel at least 700 feet wide. From July 5, 1884, to June 30, 18SS, there was expended on this improvement $80,223, which resulted in a channel 400 feet wide and 25 feet deep at ordinary low water, and a channel of the same depth and 600 feet wide from the deep water off Lambert's Point to the port-warden line. During the year ending June 30, 1889, there was expended on this improvement, including outstanding liabilities and amount covered by contracts, $107,692.72, which resulted in a channel at least 700 feet wide and 25 feet deep at ordinary low water from Lambert's Point to Fort Norfolk. The project of 1886 has been completed with the exception of the dike. Cursory examination made during the year indicate some shoaling in the channel dredged in 1885, but not sufficient to warrant the construction of the dike until further observations can be made. July 1, 1888, amount available Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888. July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of $107, 277.00 10,000.00 45.00 117, 322.00 $81, 619.24 107, 812. 61 9,509.39 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project........108, 000. 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix ↓ 2.) 3. Nansemond River, Virginia, including the mouths of Bennett and Chuckatuck creeks.-In 1872 the navigable channel of the Nansemond River, from Suffolk to Hampton Roads, was 5 feet deep at ordinary low water over the shoals, and was much obstructed by wrecks, piles, snags, etc. From 1873 to 1878, inclusive, the expenditures made by the United States for the above improvement amounted to $37,000. The result was a navigable channel 8 feet deep, which is still unimpaired. No work was done between 1880 and 1889. In obedience to the requirements of the river and harbor act of August 5, 1886, a preliminary examination and survey were made of the river, a report of which is found in Appendix L 13 of the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1887. The plan of improvement proposed provides for a channel not less than 100 feet wide at bottom, 12 feet deep at mean low water, from the head of navigation to the mouth of Western Branch, 5.37 miles, including a turning basin 200 feet square, 300 feet below Suffolk Bridge, by dredging and the construction of spurs and training walls; and a channel of like depth from mouth of Western Branch to deep water at Town Point, 200 feet wide at bottom at its upper end, and gradually increasing to at least 400 feet at its lower end, etc.; the total estimated cost being in round numbers $152,500. During the fiscal year there has been expended on this work $119.63. This amount has been applied to contingencies and to the payment of work done under existing contracts. One of these contracts is for repairing the dike at the mouth of the Western Branch, and the other for dredging the shoal near Suffolk. These works will be completed by March 1, 1890. Preliminary examinations were made of Bennett and Chuckatuck creeks by the engineer in charge. These were reported by him as unworthy of improvement. It is therefore suggested that in future appropriations for the Nansemond River the mouths of Bennett and Chuckatuck creeks be omitted. Amount appropriated by act of August 11, 1888. $10,000.00 July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888. July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities... $119.63 July 1, 1889, amounts covered by existing contracts.. 5,889.00 6, 108.63 3, 891.37 July 1, 1889, balance available....... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project........ Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1891 15,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 3.) 4. Appomattox River, Virginia.-At the close of the late war the navigation of this river was in such a condition that the depth of water on more than one of the shoals did not exceed 63 feet at high tide, and this depth was diminished by 3 feet at low tide. The plan of improvement adopted in 1870 was to attain a depth of 12 feet at high tide, with as much width of channel as the river would bear. This plan has been steadily adhered to, constant progress being made towards its completion from year to year by the use of the money granted by Congress. The means depended on have been revetments, jetties, dams, and training-walls, with resort to the dredge only when the needs of commerce required immediate work in the channel to give more width or depth than had been attained under the slower operations of the structures mentioned, of which the system has not yet been fully car ried out for want of sufficient funds. Puddledock Cut, 2 miles long, has been enlarged, and the river was diverted from old channel into it. The amount expended by the United States up to June 30, 1888, on the project adopted in 1870, $378,690.05, resulted in securing a turningbasin at Petersburgh about 155 by 110 feet, and a navigable channel of 12 feet and upwards at high tide, with some short shoals remaining, from Petersburgh down to Point of Rocks, all of which greatly benefited navigation. During the fiscal year there has been expended $9,678.99 on this improvement. This was applied to the relief of commerce by dredging three shoals formed by the annual freshets of 1888, to the repair of existing works, and to the construction of jetties to permanently remove the shoal at Gatlings. An aggregate of 15,175 cubic yards of material was removed from the shoals. All the jetties and dikes outside the city limits were thoroughly repaired. Twenty-two jetties, having an aggregate length of 3,088 feet, were constructed at Gatlings' shoal. The navigable depth of the river over all shoals for the year was about 10 feet. A freshet, 63 feet higher than any previously known, occurred on June 1. It carried away all but one of the bridges over the river near Petersburgh and did much damage to mills and warehouses. No injury was done to any of the jetties or dikes, and only three short shoals were formed in the river below the city. The least depth over these was 7 feet. A shoal was formed near the city wharves with only 5 feet of water over it, and some of the city jetties were injured. All work within the city limits has been done by the city of Petersburgh, which keeps a dredge for this purpose. Report on the examination and survey, with estimate of cost, for di verting the water of the river above the harbor at Petersburgh to the old north channel, made to comply with requirements of the river nd harbor act of August 11, 1888, is submitted with this report. 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, 18-8.. July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities $59.95 15,000.00 15, 059.95 $9,678.99 9,927. 18 July 1, 1889, balance available.... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. (See Appendix J 4.) 5, 132.77 30,080.00 20,000.00 5. Currituck Sound, Coanjok Bay, and North River Bar, North Car olina.-Previous to the commencement of this improvement there was an indifferent natural channel with a depth of from 5 to 7 feet at low water, which had been partially dredged, in the sound and bay, by the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal Company. The original project, adopted in 1878, is to obtain a channel 80 feet wide at bottom and 9 feet deep at ordinary winter water, by dredging the entire length of the sound, 10 miles, to which was added, in 1880, the project to prolong this channel by dredging through the bay about 2 miles, and to construct a shell dike 9,600 feet along the westerly side of the channel through the latter, to maintain it. In 1885 it was further enlarged by the project to dredge a straight channel through North River Bar 7,150 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 9.4 feet deep at ordinary. low water. The amount expended to June 30, 1888, is $134,685.68, and resulted in the construction of the dike and a channel in the sound and bay from 40 to 80 feet wide, the entire length and depth proposed, all of which greatly improved navigation and increased the commerce over this route. The entire channel was surveyed last in April and May, 1885, to ascertain its condition, which was found to be quite good, although shoal in places. This is probably due very largely to steamers grounding out of the channel and creating shoals in their efforts to get off. To restore and complete the work will require the removal of 215,075 cubic yards of material measured in place. There has been expended on this work during the fiscal year $319.28, which has been applied to contingencies. This improvement is on the important inland water route connecting Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound. The other waters of the United States on this route are the Elizabeth, North Landing, and North rivers; the first two were under improvement until a channel 80 feet wide and 9 feet deep was obtained. During the last year there has been much complaint made of the sunken and floating logs which impede navigation in all these waters. To provide for their removal, it is recommended that future appropriations be made available for Elizabeth, North Landing, and North rivers, Currituck Sound, and Coanjok Bay, under the designation "Inland water route from Norfolk Harbor, Virginia, to Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, through Currituck Sound." |