Money statement. 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 20,000.00 20,000. 00 Abstract of bids for dredging in Saugerties Harbor, New York, opened at U. S. Engineer office, Army Building, New York, April 17, 1889, at 12 o'clock, under advertisement of March 9, 1889. Abstract of proposals for building a pile and crib dike at Saugerties Harbor, New York, received in response to the advertisement dated April 26, 1889, and opened June 5, 1889, by Lieut. Col. G. L. Gillespie, Corps of Engineers. Abstract of proposals for building a pile and crib dike, etc.—Continued. Rondout Harbor is formed by the mouth of Rondout Creek, which empties into the Hudson River, on its west side, about 90 miles above the city of New York. From the entrance to the lock of the Delaware and Hudson Canal, a distance of 3 miles, the creek is a tidal stream, the range of tides being 4 feet, approximately. Prior to 1871 improvements had been made by private persons and corporations, but no permanent benefit had been derived from them. In 1869 a survey of the harbor was made by the Government, with a view to its permanent improvement, and it was then found that the available depth of water in the channel was about 7 feet. The project of improvement based upon this survey provided for the formation and maintenance of a channel 100 feet wide and 14 feet deep at the mouth of the creek, to be obtained by means of dredging and diking. Two parallel channel dikes were to be built outward, toward and into the Hudson River, their outer ends curving gently downstream, while a branch dike, running up-stream along the Hudson from the outer end of the north dike, was to protect that dike from destruc- * tion from running ice. The estimated cost of this work was as follows. Building the north dike, 748 yards long Building the branch dike, 640 yards long $41,600 Building the south dike, 1,277 yards long 34,400 Contingencies Dredging a channel 3,000 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 14 feet deep at low water, 48,000 cubic yards, at 30 cents.. 59,600 14,400 22,500 Total...... 172,500 The final length of the north and south dikes was, however, to be determined after observing the effects which they might produce in the removal of the bar as they were gradually extended onward. The work was begun in 1872, and was completed in 1880. It was found by experience that the dikes might be shortened so much below the lengths originally deemed necessary for them that the total cost of the work was reduced to $90,000, a little more than one-half the original estimate. On the completion of the work, in 1880, the north dike was 2,200 feet, approximately, with a branch dike running up the Hudson 1,000 feet, approximately; and the south dike was 2,800 feet long, approximately, with a spur to the light-house 330 feet long. The distance between the dikes at the entrance was 350 feet, approximately. As the result of the works of improvement, there was a channel 50 feet wide, giving 13 feet mean low water; 100 feet wide, giving 12 feet mean low water, and 200 feet wide, giving 10 feet mean low water, from the creek to the channel of the Hudson. At the outer end of the dikes the distance between the 12-foot curves was over 300 feet. The north dike was originally built to the height of mean high water, while the south dike, for 500 feet west of light-house, was built only to level of half-tide. The low part of south dike was subsequently raised by crib work to mean high water, but even with this increased height the dikes are submerged during storms, tides, and freshets, and are required to be marked by fender piles to enable vessels to enter the harbor at such times without danger of being wrecked upon the concealed dikes. The appropriations for this harbor, made since the completion of the works in 1880, have been applied exclusively to the repair of the dikes. The improved depths in the channel have been well maintained, but the dikes have greatly deteriorated, partly owing to the ice, partly to the natural decay of the timber, and partly to the undermining of the piles by scours. The last survey of the harbor was made in 1884, at which time the channel across the bar was 50 to 60 feet wide and 14 feet deep, mean low water, and the shoal on the south side had a least depth of 9.2 feet. A limited examination of the bar was made in June, 1889, but no material changes were discovered in the depths of 1884, further than that the scour along the faces of the dikes had continued, with disastrous results to them. The eastern end of the south dike was found in a ruinous condition; the central portion had lost the crib-work, which had been built over the original pile-work, and the western part had been raised and greatly distorted by ice. The eastern end of the north dike was canted over towards the channel, and many breaches had been made in the pile-work from end to end of the dike, through which the stone had escaped. A project was submitted June 11, 1889, for the expenditure of the appropriation of $5,000, act of August 11, 1888, in making necessary repairs to the dikes, and sealed proposals were invited by public advertisement dated June 21, 1889, for the supply of material and labor. The proposals will be opened July 25, 1889, and it is expected that the repairs will be made during the autumn. Complaints have been made to this office that the shoal at the entrance to the harbor on the south side, where the depth is only 9.2 feet mean low water, is obstructive to vessels of deep draught and should be removed to a depth of 12 feet mean low water, and that the narrow shoal on the inside, 13 miles from the light-house, composed chiefly of solid rock or large bowlders, over which there is now a depth varying from 5 to 6 feet mean low water, should be removed to a depth of 10 feet mean low water. These complaints are well grounded, and the improvements asked for should be granted. The balance left over after the completion of the project, in 1880 was $2,705.35, and has since been expended in repairs. Small appropriations for repairs have also been made since 1880, as follows: An appropriation of $25,000 is recommended for continuing the im provement, and for making repairs to the dikes, and if appropriated will be applied in dredging the shoal at the entrance to a depth of 12 feet mean low water, in removing the rocky shoal on the inside, 13 miles west of the light-house, in removing by dredging a sandy shoal adjacent to the rocky shoal, and in repairing the dikes so that they may be able to maintain with efficiency the channel inclosed by them. The commercial statistics for this harbor for 1888 do not vary greatly from those stated in the Annual Report of 1887, page 665. At that time the tonnage was 2,109,716 tons, with a value of $14,326,615. It consists principally of coal, lime, cement, and bluestone, and is carried in vessels having a draught of 6 to 15 feet, the number of which, embracing all classes, is about 650. The coal brought in by the Delaware and Hudson Canal for that year amounted to 648,350 tons, and the lime and cement to 304,210 tons. This caual connects the Hudson River at Rondout with the Delaware River at Port Jervis. From Port Jervis it goes by way of the Delaware and Lackawaxen rivers to Honesdale, Pa., where coal is abundant. The rates of freight and towing have been greatly reduced since the improvements were made at the entrance to the harbor, and the community has been especially benefited by the facilities which are now given to vessels drawing not exceeding 13 feet to enter the harbor at all stages of the tide. The depth on the bar before the improvements were begun in 1872 was only 7 feet. Roundout is in the collection district of New York. The nearest works of defense are those of New York Harbor. March 3, 1873, diking $10,000.00 20,000.00 Amount allotted June 8, 1875, from repairs of harbors on Atlantic coast repairs From contingencies of rivers and harbors, etc., repairs.. 762. 18 237.82 By act of Congress approved August 14, 1876, diking and repairs.. 30,000.00 June 15, 1878, diking and dredging. 30,000.00 By act of Congress passed August 12, 1882, repairs and dredging. 2,000.00 By act of Congress approved July 5, 1884, repairs and dredging. 1,000.00 Angust 5, 186, repairs.. 2,500,00 August 11, 1888, repairs Total.... Amount expended to June 30, 1889.. 5,000.00 101, 500.00 103,51 July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888.... July 1, 1889, balance available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... $151.22 5,000.00 5,151.22 103.51 5,047.71 25,000.00 25,000.00 Statement of tonnage passing through Delaware and Hudson Canal, for the year ending December 31, 1888. Authracite coal (Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's to tide water).. 1,000, 485 Total...... E 4. ..... 1,296, 28 IMPROVEMENT OF HARLEM RIVER, NEW YORK. A full history of this improvement, with the legal proceedings for the acquirement of the land needed for it and copies of the laws passed by the legislature of the State of New York relative thereto, is given in the report of the local engineer in charge to the Chief of Engineers for 1887. (See Report of Chief of Engineers for 1887, Part I, pages 665 to 689.) The streams embraced in the improvement on the Harlem River and the Spuyten Duyvil Creek, the former emptying into the East River near Hell Gate, and the latter into the Hudson River about 13 miles north of the Battery, and together separating Manhattan Island from the main land. There has always been an exchange of waters between these two streams at Kingsbridge, though a long ledge of rocks awash at mean low water and an extremely narrow channel at that point have heretofore prevented the exchange being a free one. High Bridge is practically the head of navigation in the Harlem River, but there is a fair channel of about 10 feet depth at mean low water as far as Morris Dock, 6 miles from the mouthof the river, and a crooked one of 7 feet depth to Fordham Landing, 1 mile further; but there is no navigation of this entire section except by row-boats and a |