No active work has been done on this improvement during the past fiscal year. During the latter part of 1888 this office was in receipt of numerous complaints relative to the bridge of the Raritan River Railroad Company across the South River, which resulted in a letter, of which the following is an abstract: ENGINEER OFFICE, New York, December 22, 1888. GENERAL: In compliance with indorsements of the Chief of Engineers, August 15 and 29, on communications of Hon. John Kean and Hon. J. R. McPherson relative to the bridge constructed by the Raritan River Railroad Company across South River, New Jersey, I have the honor to report that, as far as we have been able to discover, no formal or special permission has ever been given to the railroad company for the erection of the bridge in question other than the general laws of the State governing the construction of bridges over navigable waters. The draw in its present position is undoubtedly an obstruction to the sailing vessels, which carry on by far the major part of the commerce of the river. It is proposed to move the draw protection 40 feet to the eastward, the opening to the east of the draw-support to be 40 feet clear width, and that on the west 28 feet. These are the present dimensions of the fair-ways, and by simply moving the entire structure 40 feet to the eastward, as proposed, the railroad company will be at the minimum possible expense, as the original truss can be used without modification. This arrangement, according to Mr. James Bissett, would be entirely satisfactory to the sailing masters on the river. As additional information I have the honor to inclose herewith affidavits of several parties doing business on the South River, a letter from the president of the railroad company, relative to the bridge, also two blue prints showing the present condition of the draw, and a tracing giving on a reduced scale the existing condition and the proposed modification, the former in black and the latter in red.' Very respectfully, your obedient servant, The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A. THOS. L. CASEY, The company was subsequently ordered to make the change proposed in the above letter, but no steps had been taken at the close of the fiscal year. An examination of the river from the mouth to the railroad bridge just mentioned was completed June 30, 1889, and shows that its physical condition has apparently undergone but slight change during the year. The expenditures during the fiscal year amount to $2,759.75, as follows: The sum of $30,000 can be expended profitably as regards the efficient prosecution of the work during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891. It would be applied to giving the channel the full dimensions required by the project below Washington, and extending the improvement to the brick-yards above; this would add greatly to the shipping facilities of the stream and would stimulate its increasing commerce. The estimated amount required for the completion of the improvement is $128,695. This work is in the collection district of Amboy. The nearest port of entry, Perth Amboy, N. J.; nearest light-house, Great Beds Light, in Raritan Bay, New Jersey; nearest fort, fort at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Amount of revenue collected at the port of Perth Amboy during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1839, $59,632.83. 5, 291. 66 July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888. July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities.. $2,759.75 3,037. 41 July 1, 1889, balance available...... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... F. 11. IMPROVEMENTS OF SHREWSBURY RIVER, NEW JERSEY. 2,254.25 128,695. 00 30,000. 00 The project for this improvement was adopted in 1879, and contemplates the formation of a channel 6 feet deep at mean low water, and from 300 to 150 feet in width, from the mouth of the river to Red Bank, on the North Branch, 8 miles, and to Branchport, on the South Branch, 9 miles. In its original condition the river was much obstructed by sand-bars, on which the best depths at mean low water were, at the mouth, 3.9 feet; below Highland's Bridge, 5.4 feet; at Lower Rocky Point, 3.6 feet; at Barley Point, 3.3 feet; at Chalmer's, 5 feet; at Oceanic, 5.5 feet; below Belleville, 3.1 feet; at Seabright, 4.2 feet; at Jumping Point, 2.6 feet; at Sedge Island, 2.8 feet. A survey, completed in April, 1887, shows the depth at these points to be 5.9 feet, 7.7 feet, 3.6 feet, 7.8 feet, 7.2 feet, 4.5 feet, 5.9 feet, 4.4 feet, respectively. No changes are known to have taken place since. The estimated cost of the existing project is $254,562, of which $210,233.45 had been expended June 30, 1889. A project recommending the construction of stone dikes C 3, C4, and M was approved by the Chief of Engineers July 13, 1887. A map showing the proposed work will be found in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1887, page 780. A contract was made August 20, with F. P. Eastman, the lowest bidder, to construct the dikes at 98 cents per cubic yard of stone; the work was to be completed by November 1, 1887. The facilities of the contractor for doing the work proved to be inadequate; the contract was extended to December 1, and again to May 15, 1888, when the contractor reported his inability to complete the work, having delivered 1,843 cubic yards of stone, which had been placed in dikes C 3 and C 4. On May 17 the work was again advertised, and sealed proposals were opened May 26. The lowest bidder was A. J. Howell, with whom a contract was made June 7 to deliver 2,000 cubic yards of stone, at $1.45 per cubic yard. The contractor began the delivery of the stone on June 2, and carried on the work steadily until the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, when all the stone, 2,011 cubic yards, had been received on the work, and all had been placed in the dikes with the exception of one load of 333 cubic yards. This last load was placed i in position during the first days of the present fiscal year, and the contract closed July 5, 1888. Dike C 4, 1,260 feet long, had been built to the height of extreme low water, and 4 feet wide on top, except for a distance of 30 feet at its junction with Dike C, where it was only raised to 2 feet below mean low water to permit the passage of row-boats. It has cost thus far $2,585.15, as follows: The cost is therefore shown to be $2.05 per linear foot, or $1.96 deducting the cost of inspection, which is a favorable showing in comparison with the cost of Dikes C 1 and C 2, which was $4.75 per linear foot. In order to ascertain the effect of Dike C 4 upon the bottom of the river in immediate proximity thereto, a careful survey was made during April and May, 1889. The result of this examination, when compared with hydrographical features existing before the dike was built, show that it has exerted no material influence in modifying the channels, but as the past winter has been a very mild and open one the action of floating ice is still practically undetermined. The project of July 13, 1887, recommended among other modifications the abandonment of the Southern Channel in the vicinity of Oceanic, and the adoption of the Northern Channel, which was to be connected with the main channel below Upper Rocky Point by an oblique transverse cut. On the arrival of the United States dredging plant in the river, May 15, 1889, work was begun as soon as practicable on this cross-over channel, and has been steadily in progress until the close of the fiscal year. The amount of material removed was 11,945 cubic yards. This dredged material was dumped in the abandoned southern channel, which is no longer used by the steamers and other shipping. The resulting channel has a width of 100 feet, and, although dredged to a depth of 7 feet, appears to be gradually filling with drifting sand. The construction of Dike M may ultimately prove a necessity, unless some better means can be devised to maintain the channel in this portion of the river, a problem by far the most difficult connected with the improvement. As the performance of the new dredging plant to the close of the fiscal year may prove of general interest, it is given below in tabular form: * *For description of dredge and other plant see report on the Raritan River. terest on plant. Cents. 12.9 17 15.7 NOTES. 1. The dumping ground was about 1 mile from the dredge, the current attaining at some stages of the tide a velocity of between 3 and 4 knots per hour. 2. The following extract from one of the recent reports of Mr. E. L. Ingram, captain of the dredge and inspector, will serve to show that the dredging in the Shrewsbury River has been under quite unfavorable conditions aggravated in addition by the fact that, owing to the slight depth of material to be removed, the dipper can only be worked to about one-third of its capacity: SIR: UNITED STATES DREDGE ALPHA, I beg to call your attention to the following points which I have not yet brought into prominence: 1. The Alpha is a very large dredge, and is designed for deep digging. The depth we are making here is out of all proportion to the size of the machine. The spuds, for instance, are necessarily hoisted so high as to be extremely top-heavy, giving them great wrenching power, while at the same time they can not be dropped far enough to take much hold in the sand, thus occupying extra time and care to keep the dredge truly on line. An unfortunate wrench on the 13th tore two teeth from the after spud spur-wheel, causing eight hours' delay to put them in again. The dipper handle likewise acquires the same wrenching power from being drawn in so far, continually cutting of the bolts which hold the friction plates in place. On the 14th it became necessary to replace the bolts, causing a delay of two hours. I think I can prevent this trouble by bolting the timbers more thoroughly together in the neighborhood of the friction plates. Of course this would not be at all necessary where the work was proportioned to the machine. 2. In view of the above facts the machine requires great care in handling in order to avoid serious injury, and can not with safety be run at a high rate of speed. The machine is not doing the amount of work I would like to see her do, but if she is forced any more the delay by break-downs would more than balance any gain thereby. As one of the points which occupies time not usually needed in dredging, I may mention the hauling in of the dipper handle with the backing chain, which frequently has to be done two or three times over before it gets back to the unusual point desired. 3. The instructions were to dig not under 6 nor over 7 feet at mean low water, with as near an approach as possible to 7 feet. As far as possible this is done, but on lowwater work the dipper can not always be got in far enough for this, so that the amount dredged exceeds what would be expected from my calculation based on the chart. 4. The cuts already finished have commenced filling in with loose sand. Cut No. 1 was dredged 7 feet and over at mean low water, and now has a depth ranging only from 6 to 6 feet. The change in Cut 2 is not yet very decided. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Capt. Tпos. L. CASEY. 3. The working day, as above considered, consists of 10 hours. 4. The interest on plant is computed at 4 per cent. E. L. INGRAM, The condition of the river as a whole is practically the same as last year. A depth of 5.9 feet exists on the bar at the mouth of the river at mean low water, and 5.5 feet can be carried to Red Bank, and 4.5 feet to Branchport. The expenditures during the fiscal year amount to $10,104,87, as follows: Construction of stone dikes (contract of June 7, 1888).... Cost of pro rata share of 1 tug-boat Cost of operating U. S. dredging plant (wages and supplies) Cost of examination of river (1889)..... Cost of draughting.. Cost of inspection... Cost of administration.. Total..... $2,915.95 2, 172.00 1,647.00 520.00 1,230.90 360.49 206.00 378.60 693.93 10, 104.87 Whatever appropriation may be made by the next Congress will be expended in completing the dikes and dredging the shoals. The most economical results in the prosecution of the work can be obtained if the full amount required to complete the project be appropriated at once. In addition to the steamers which regularly use the river a large number of small sailing vessels are engaged in the shipment of coal, lumber, sand, fish, and oysters. Capt. Jas. S. Throckmorton of Red Bank, who has reported the commerce on the Shrewsbury River in past years, states that the aggregate for the year 1888 would amount to about the same as in 1887. A record of the craft passing the Highlands draw-bridge, recorded during July, August, and September 1888, is as follows: Probably 20,000 craft pass this draw annually. This river is in the collection district of Perth Amboy, which is the nearest port of entry; nearest light-house, Navesink Light; and the nearest fort, at Sandy Hook, N. J. Amount of revenue collected at the port of Perth Amboy during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889, $59,632.83. July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of $1,354, 12 10,000.00 11, 354. 12 $7,087.57 8,086. 29 3,267.83 July 1, 1889, balance available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... 40, 062.00 40,062. 00 F 12. IMPROVEMENT OF KEYPORT HARBOR, NEW JERSEY. Keyport Harbor was originally accessible at low water only to vessels drawing less than 4 feet. Before its improvement was undertaken by the United States, a 6-foot channel had been dredged at private expense, which had shoaled in 1872 to 5 feet, and in 1882 to 5 feet, the range of the tide being 4.7 feet. A large commerce was carried on, however, valued at $2,932,000. The project for the improvement was adopted in 1873, and provided for dredging a channel 4,700 feet long, 8 feet deep at mean low water, |