been applied to extending the stone bulkhead on Long Point; to repairing the bulkheads and jetties at Beach Point and Cove Section, and the dikes at High Head and Abel Hill; and to planting beach-grass at Cove Section and High Head Dike. The sum of $1,000 appropriated by act of June 18, 1878, is to be applied to the repairs of the works where necessary, including some additional work for strengthening the stone bulkhead on Long Point. These works and all the others built for the preservation and protection of this harbor will require continuous watching and repairs, for which the additional sum of $1,000 is asked for the next fiscal year. July 1, 1877, amount available. Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878 July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1878, amount available.. $3,170 67 $4,170 67 3,063 3 1,107 29 1,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. 1,000 00 (See Appendix A 13.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT. To comply with provisions of the river and harbor act of June 18,' 1878, Lieutenant-Colonel Thom has been charged with and is now engaged upon surveys and examinations at the following localities, the results of which will be duly submitted when received: 1. Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire. 2. Scituate Harbor, Massachusetts, with a view to its adaptability as a harbor of refuge. 3. Charles River, Massachusetts, to the head of tide-water. 4. Lincolnville Harbor, Maine. 5. Lubec Channel, Maine. IMPROVEMENT OF HARBORS AND RIVERS ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF MASSACHUSETTS AND IN RHODE ISLAND-IMPROVEMENT OF CONNECTICUT RIVER. Officer in charge, Maj. G. K. Warren, Corps of Engineers, with Capt. D. P. Heap, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders. 1. Improvement of Hyannis Harbor, Massachusetts.-Nothing has been done at this place during the past fiscal year. The money available will be expended in strengthening the breakwater at its base with riprap granite. To complete the projected improvement an additional appropriation of $7,000 will be required, which it is desirable should be made available as soon as practicable, in order that the work may be preserved from injury. 7,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. 7,000 00 (See Appendix B 1.) 2. Improvement of Wareham Harbor, Massachusetts.-The improvement of this harbor, which consisted in making a channel 9 feet deep at mean low-water, was completed in 1876. The mean rise of tide is 4 feet, so that vessels drawing 13 feet are enabled to reach the wharves. The low price at which the work was done left about $2,000 after the completion of the improvement, with which sum a "sand-catcher" is being built on Long Beach to arrest the sand carried over it into the harbor. No further appropriation is required unless a greater depth of channel is desired. July 1, 1877, amount available.... July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year.. Jnly 1, 1878, amount available...... (See Appendix B 2.) $2,057 74 1.153 38 904 36 3. Improvement of New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts.—The improvement of this harbor was completed during the fiscal year. The original project contemplated a channel of 200 feet in width, and 15 feet deep at mean low-water, from the deep water at Fair Haven to the wharves at New Bedford, at an estimated cost of $24,000. Owing, however, to the prevailing low prices of labor, &c., a channel 300 feet wide, and extending further along the harbor lines than was originally designed, has been completed at a cost of $20,000. No further appropriation is required. July 1, 1877, amount available July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1878, amount available (See Appendix B 3.) $9,654 60 8,872 78 801 82 4. Improvement of Fall River Harbor, Massachusetts.-The removal during the fiscal year of 12,857 cubic yards of material, including bowlders of various sizes, completed the projected improvement at this harbor. The channel is now 160 feet wide and 12 feet deep at mean lowwater, with an additional width of 100 feet for a depth of 11 feet at the same stage of tide. The estimated cost of this improvement was $45,000; but owing to the low price at which labor, &c., was obtained, it was completed for the sum of $30,000. July 1, 1877, amount available July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year (See Appendix B 4.) $10, 276 47 10, 236 47 5. Improvement of Taunton River, Massachusetts.-There being no funds available for the improvement of this river nothing was done during the fiscal year. A channel of 60 feet in width and 9 feet in depth at mean high-water practically exists as far as Weir, through the portion of the river for which improvement was projected. It is proposed to expend the appropriation of $2,000 made by the act of June 18, 1878, in removing bowlders from the sides and bottom of this channel. To complete the improvement previously estimated for will require an additional appropriation of $3,000. July 1, 1877, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878 July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year. $100 93 2,000 00 $2,100 93 100 93 2,000 00 3,000 00 3, 000 00 July 1, 1878, amount available. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. (See Appendix B 5.) 6. Improvement of Pawtucket or Seekonk River, Rhode Island.-No work has been done during the fiscal year, and none will be done this season unless the shoals become troublesome or the channel is accidentally obstructed. July 1, 1877, amount available... July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1878, amount available.... (See Appendix B 6.) $1,511 28 127 75 1,383 53 7. Improvement of Providence River and Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The project for this improvement consists in making a wide channel, with a central depth of 23 feet at mean low-water, from Providence to the sea, at an estimated cost of about $500,000. (See special report in Appendix B 7.) The present ruling depth is about 14 feet, the mean rise of the tide being about 4.7 feet. It is proposed to expend the appropriation of $50,000 made by the act of June 18, 1878, in dredging a channel 23 feet deep at mean low-water to such width as the means at hand will allow-not exceeding, however, 200 feet. The appropriation of $5,000 contained in the same act for the removal of Bulkhead Rock in this river is insufficient for its removal to the required depth (23 feet), and it is proposed to reserve it until a further appropriation is made for continuing the improvement of the river, when its removal may be undertaken. The amount required for continuing the improvement during the next fiscal year is $100,000. Improving Providence River and Narragansett Bay: Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878.... July 1, 1878, amount available...... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1880 .... .... $50,000 00 50,000 00 450, 000 00 100,000 00 Improving Providence River, Rhode Island. Removing Bulkhead Rock: July 1, 1877, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878 July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1878, amount available.............. $74 98 5,000 00 $5,074 98 74.98 5, 000 00 (See Appendix B 7.) 8. Improvement of Newport Harbor, Rhode Island.-Nothing has been done here during the past fiscal year and no work is contemplated during the next. July 1, 1877, amount available... July 1, 1878, Amount expended during fiscal year. (See Appendix B8.) $30 14 30 14 9. Improvement of Block Island Harbor, Rhode Island.-During the fiscal year there have been 25,227 tons of riprap granite put into the breakwater and 517 tons of bowlders removed from the anchorage sheltered by it. The breakwater now extends out 1,425 feet from the shore. A detached piece 300 feet in length has been built from a point 200 feet from the head or outer end of the main work. A contract has been made for completing the work with the above dimensions with the available funds. When this is done the harbor, for local purposes, will be completed. No further appropriation is asked for this work. July 1, 1877, amount available.. July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1878, amount available.. (See Appendix B9.) $46,978 96 41, 424 24 5,554 72 10. Improvement of Pawcatuck River, Rhode Island and Connecticut.-No work has been done here during the past fiscal year and none is contemplated during the next. July 1, 1877, amount available.... July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year.. (See Appendix B 10.) $101 97 101 97 11. Improvement of Little Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The improvement in this bay was begun during the fiscal year, and 4,015 cubic yards of material, including bowlders of a size less than one cubic yard, were removed by contract at a cost of 30 cents per cubic yard, and 69 cubic yards of bowlders exceeding one cubic yard in size at a cost of $5 per cubic yard. There were also removed by hired labor 131 cubic yards of dangerous rocks. The estimate cost of the projected improvement is $51,000, of which $15,000 has been appropriated, leaving $36,000 still to be appropriated to complete this work. This improvement is designed to make a safe channel through the shoals, where the ruling depth is now 44 feet at mean low-water, of not less than 73 feet at mean low-water and 200 feet width. The mean range of the tide is about 24 feet. 36, 000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. 36, 000 00 12. Improvement of Connecticut River, below Hartford, Connecticut.This improvement consists in removing shoals between Hartford and Middletown, and in deepening the water on the bar at the mouth of the river (Saybrook Bar) by means of stone jetties, the littoral current of the sound preventing any extension of the bar. During the fiscal year the bars between Hartford and Middletown were dredged so as to give a channel with 9 feet depth at mean low-water, the work being done by a dredge hired for the purpose. The wreck of the schooner E. F. Meany was removed from Saybrook Bar. The funds remaining were insufficient for continuing work upon the jetties. With the $30,000 appropriated by act of Congress approved June 18, 1878, it is intended to dredge the shoals between Hartford and Middletown at such places as at low-water may be found to be necessary, to dredge the bar at the mouth of Salmon River, and to extend the east jetty at Saybrook Bar to outer edge of the bar. An additional appropriation is asked for continuing the work on Saybrook Bar and for dredging the shoals between Hartford and Middletown. July 1, 1877, amount available.. Amount appropriated by act approved June 18, 1878.... $10, 713 75 July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year............... $40, 713 75 8, 569 07 July 1, 1878, amount available..... 32, 144 68 30,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project 30, 000 00 13. Improvement of Connecticut River above Hartford, Connecticut, and below Holyoke, Massachusetts.-Thorough surveys have been made of this portion of the river, upon which projects for improvement with estimates of cost have been based. The reports upon the surveys were consolidated and printed by order of the House of Representatives at the last session of Congress as Executive Document No. 101, House of Representatives, and forms Appenendix B 14 of this report. The object of the improvement heretofore attempted was to produce at Barber's Landing Bar, by dredging (through places where the natural depth was from 1 to 2 feet), and at Scantic Bar and Strong's Island Bar, by means of wing-dams, a depth of 3 feet at low-water. The wing-dams effected the desired result, and the depth has been permanently maintained. The dredged portions, however, have been refilled, and there exists in them at the present time at low-water a depth of 18 inches. This it is proposed to remedy by the construction of wingdams, which will be completed during the next fiscal year. Such improvement is desired, however, as will give an available channel at low-water for vessels drawing 6 feet, and of dimensions larger than those that now pass through the existing canal at Enfield Falls. The rectification of the river between Hartford and Enfield Falls will form an essential part of this improvement, and an appropriation of $100,000 for commencing it is recommended by the officer in charge. The improvement of the whole portion, a distance of about 12 miles, will, it is estimated, cost about $1,000,000. The improvement around the Enfield Falls will require a new canal and locks, at an estimated cost of about $1,000,000. The officer in charge submits an estimate for commencing it of $200,000. He considers this more urgent than the other improvement, as it would make available for navigation the medium stages of the river, which afford a navigable capacity greater than that of the existing canal. The falls are at all times impassable. No immediate improvement between Enfield Falls and Holyoke is required. Connecticut River above Hartford and below Enfield Falls: July 1, 1877, amount available July 1, 1878, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1878, amount available. $15,562 47 629 71 14,932 76 Connecticut River on or above Enfield Falls, Connecticut, and below Holyoke, Massachusetts: July 1, 1877, amount available $10,702 92 July 1, 1878, amount available 10,702 92 Amount (estimated) required for completion of proposed project.. 835, 801 00 (See Appendix B 13.) |