1. Saint Croix River, above the "Ledge," Maine.-The following appropriations have been made for the improvement of this river: The act of March 2, 1867, contains a proviso that "the province of New Brunswick contribute and pay to the proper disbursing officer a like sum for said purpose; said payment being made on condition that in no event shall the province of New Brunswick be called upon for more than half the sum actually expended for said purpose." In July, 1873, information was received from the minister of public works of the Dominion of Canada that the sum of $25,000 had been appropriated by Parliament, and the work was accordingly intrusted to Lieut. Col. George Thom, Corps of Engineers, and Henry F. Perley, esq., engineer department of public works. An accurate survey was made of this river from the "Ledge" up to the bridge at the head of navigation, a distance of about five miles, with a view to deciding upon a definite plan for its improvement by the two governments. But information was subsequently received from the minister of public works that he would not consent to the expenditure of any portion of the sum which had been voted by his government until thoroughly satisfied that there would be no further deposition of slabs and sawdust from the mills on the St. Croix, because if the river were cleared out as proposed, there is no guarantee that it would remain in a state of efficiency, but would soon be closed again and require further expenditure. Similar views were expressed by the United States engineer in charge of this work in his first report on this subject, as well as in his reports upon other works, to which attention was asked in order that some general law might be passed to protect from injury and obstruction this and other navigable waters, for the improvement of which Congress has made or may make appropriations. Under the existing circumstances it will be necessary to postpone the improvement of this river until some guarantee can be had as to its future protection and preservation. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873.. Amount in bands of officer and subject to his check.. Amount appropriated by act approved June 23, 1874 Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874 (See Appendix Y 1.) $24,000 00 983 25 10,000 00 797 67 34, 185 58 2. Machias River, Maine.-The improvement projected for this river consists in the removal of a very large and dangerous ledge, (known as Middle Rock,) which lies in mid-channel near the wharves of Machias; and in the enlargement of the channel through the several shoals formed of slabs, edgings, &c., so as to obtain a channel 150 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water (or 19.3 feet at ordinary high water) from deep water, near the East Machias bridge, up to the wharves at Machias, a distance of three miles. This work requires about 1,500 cubic yards of rock excavation, and 50,000 cubic yards of dredging, the cost of which is estimated at $48,000. A contract was made June 18, 1873, for the removal of Middle Rock, and on the 28th of July, 1874, it was completed down to an average depth of about one-half a foot below the plane of mean low water. The appropriation of June 23, 1874, will be applied to the deepening of the channel through the middle ground. ... Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873. Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876. $11,000 00 950 84 10,000 00 5,504 44 14,758 90 26,000 00 3. Narraguagus River, Maine.-The navigation of this river has hitherto been much obstructed by several ledges and a very large number of sunken bowlders, and by bars composed of slabs, edgings, and sawdust. The following appropriations have been made for its improve During the past year the following work has been done: 1,335 tons of sunken ledge and bowlders removed from the falls, from Freeman's Point, and between there and the bridge at Cherryfield; about 5,000 cubic yards of slabs, edgings, &c., removed at and below Freeman's Point, and between there and Cherryfield bridge, making altogether a total of over 3,000 cubic yards of sunken ledges and bowlders, and 7,000 cubic yards of slabs, edgings, and sawdust, removed from the channel of the river. In addition to this work, a large wrought-iron (9-inch) spindle with day-mark has been placed upon Half-tide Rock at Millbridge. Two spar-buoys have also been placed on the ledges on each side of the narrow channel near Small's Point, and two more on the ledges below the falls. This completes all the work that has been projected for the improvement of this river. By this work the navigation of this river has been greatly improved in its safety and depth of channel; so much so that coasting-vessels of light draught, with center-boards, have of late, for the first time, been running to and from the wharves at Cherryfield, taking out lumber and other products of the country, and returning with coal and general merchandise, without transshipment, as formerly, at Millbridge. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873 Amount in hands of officer and subject to his check Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874. (See Appendix Y 3.) $3,000 00 1,763 89 4,763 89 4. Sullivan River and Sullivan Falls, Maine. This river is navigable. from its mouth up to Franklin, a distance of about nine and a half miles. Hitherto it has been seriously obstructed, and its navigation endangered by Hatcher's Rock and numerous other sunken ledges in the falls, and by the stone foundations of several bridge-piers one mile above the falls. For the improvement of this river and the falls the following appropriations have been made: By act of March 3, 1871.... Total.... $10,000 25,000 35,000 During the past fiscal year the work on Hatcher's Rock and the point of ledge near it in the falls has been completed; a very accurate survey of the falls has been made; and a contract made for the removal of three newly discovered sunken ledges. The progress that has been made in the improvement of this river and falls up to the 1st of July, 1874, therefore consists 1. In the removal of Hatcher's Rock and the point of ledge near it, together with 85 cubic yards of sunken ledge in the falls, to a depth of 7 feet below mean low water, or 11 feet at mean high water. 2. The removal to a depth of 10 feet below mean low water of three bridge-piers above the falls, affording a channel for that depth 350 feet in width. 3. Wrought-iron spindles with day-marks have been placed upon Half tide Rock and Low-water Rock, about one mile below Sullivan, and a spar-buoy on Crabtree Ledge, near the mouth of the river. Two sparbuoys have also been placed to mark the new channel opened through the bridge-piers. In addition to the foregoing work, a contract has been made for the removal of all the remaining dangerous sunken ledges from the channel of the falls to a depth of 7 feet at mean low water. This comprises all the work that is projected for the improvement of this river and the falls, for doing which the available funds are sufficient. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873.......... Amount in hands of officer and subject to his check, (including $1,200 per- (See Appendix Y 4.) $16,000 00 1,852 03 13,921 30 3,930 73 5. Penobscot River, Maine.-The navigation of this river is much obstructed by shoals and sunken rocks, between Bangor and Crosby's Narrows, about three and a half miles below. The shoals below Bangor are chiefly formed of slabs, edgings, and sawdust thrown into the river from the mills above; while the principal shoal in the harbor of Bangor is composed of gravel, sand, and bowlders. The sunken rocks are all in the harbor of Bangor, and are known as Independence Rock, Steamboat Wharf Ledge, ledge off Dole's planing-mills wharf, Green's Pier Ledge, &c. The work projected for the improvement of this river consists 1. In enlarging and straightening its channel through the several bars and shoals, so as to have a width of not less than 200 feet and a depth of 12 feet below the plane of low water (or 25 feet at high water) in the lowest stages of the river; and 2. In breaking up and removing all the sunken rocks down to a level of the general bed of the river, so as to have not less than 7 feet of water over them at low water in the lowest stages of the river, which will give about 9 feet in its ordinary summer stage; except from Green's Pier Ledge, which is to have but 5 feet over it at mean low water. The progress made in this work up to July 1, 1874, is as follows, viz: broken up and removed from Independence Rock, about 880 tons; from Steamboat Wharf Ledge, about 1,000 tons; from Green's Pier (outer) Ledge, about 115 tons; and Gulliver's Rock (containing about 80 tons) wholly removed; altogether about 1,000 cubic yards of sunken rocks, which were removed prior to July 1, 1872. On the 26th of August, 1872, a contract was made for removing the remaining portious of these ledges. Under this contract the removal of Steamboat-wharf Ledge was completed in September, 1873, to the depth called for; the removal of the ledge off Dole's planing-mill wharf and of Independence Rock is nearly completed, with a probability that both will be completed before the close of the present season. A contract was also made on the 21st of June, 1873, for the removal of the remaining ledge at Green's Pier. Contracts have thus been made for removing all the sunken ledges; some of which have already been removed, and the remainder probably will be before the close of the present season, with the exception of the ledge at Green's Pier, on which some progress is soon to be made with a probability of its completion early next season. Contracts have also been made for the removal, to the extent contemplated, of all the shoals composed of slabs, edgings, and sawdust, so that the only work that now remains to be provided for, in order to complete all the improvements projected for this river, consists in the excavation of a channel through the gravel-bar in the harbor of Bangor, so as to have a depth of 12 feet of water in the lowest stages of the river. The appropriation of June 23, 1874, will be applied to the improvement of this bar, to complete which $50,000 additional will be required. The officer in charge again states that the throwing of sawdust into this river is still continued to a very great extent, and to the serious detriment of its navigation. In view of this and that several other navigable rivers in his district, now being improved by the Government, are also being injured and obstructed by the throwing in of slabs, edgings, &c., by the building of piers and bridge-draws in improper places and otherwise, he sug gests the passage of some general law for the protection and preservation of navigable waters for the improvement of which Congress has made or may make appropriations. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873.. $60,000 00 12,810 00 Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874. Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.. (See Appendix Y 5.) 50,000 00 6. Camden Harbor, Maine.-The work for the improvement of this harbor consists in the opening of a channel to a width of 100 feet and to a depth of 7 feet below the plane of mean low water (or 16 feet at mean high water) up to the head of the wharves on the eastern side of the harbor, and a second channel to a width of 60 feet and a depth of 4 feet at mean low water up to the head of the wharves on the western side of the harbor, and in regulating the entrance into those channels. The estimated cost of this work was $33,000. By act of March 3, 1873, the sum of $10,000 was appropriated for it, which was applied to opening the eastern channel to a depth of not less than 7 feet at mean low water for a width of not less than 50 feet. This was completed in October, 1873. The amount appropriated by act June 23, 1874, will be applied to opening the western channel for a width of 50 feet and to regulating the entrance to it from below. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873 Amount in hands of officer and subject to his check. Amount appropriated by act approved June 23, 1874.. Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874 $9,000 00 948 63 10,000 00 Amount available July 1, 1874... Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876. (See Appendix Y 6.) 9,948 63 10,000 00 13, 000 00 7. Kennebec River, Maine.-All the projected improvements of this river above Richmond were completed prior to June 30, 1873, as described in the annual report for the fiscal year ending that date, and a safe and unobstructed channel, not less than 100 feet in width and 10 feet in depth at mean low water, (or 15 feet at mean high water,) in its low summer-stages, completed from Richmond up to Gardiner, and thence to Augusta, a channel 100 feet in width and not less than 6 feet in depth at low water, (or 11 feet at high water,) in its lowest summerstages. The work that remains to be done for completing all the projected improvements of this river consists in the removal of several dangerous sunken ledges lying in its channel in "the narrows" below Richmond. Contracts have been made for the removal of all these, with the exception of Dry Rock, and it is probable that their removal will be completed before the close of the present season. Dry Rock contains, down to the 12-foot plane below mean low water, about 1,850 cubic yards, the removal of which it is estimated will cost about $40,500. Of the funds heretofore appropriated there will be available for removing Dry Rock the sum of about $14,500, but it is not deemed advisable to expend any portion of this sum upon that work until the additional sum required for its completion is appropriated. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873 $14,000 00 1,482 80 12,000 00 Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874 9,495 05 Amount available July 1, 1874.. 17,987 75 Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.. 26,000 00 (See Appendix Y 7.) 8. Portland Harbor, Maine.—On the 1st of July, 1873, the following work had been done for the improvement of this harbor, viz: 1. The capping of the breakwater extended for a length of 7334 feet, leaving 217 linear feet more to be done; 2. A channel dredged through the Middle Ground Bar to a width of 500 feet and to a depth of 21 to 22 feet at mean low water, or 31 feet at ordinary high water; and 3. A channel dredged through the "Spit," opposite the Grand Trunk wharves. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874, the following additional work has been done under the several contracts previously made therefor, viz: The breakwater-extension, completed in October, 1873, for a length of 217 feet, and the old portion of the breakwater repaired throughout the granite pier at the outer end of the breakwater, also completed in October, 1873; 24,938 cubic yards of dredging done in Black Bay, by which a channel has been opened up to the "Stone-shed wharves" to a width of 100 feet and a depth of 8 feet at mean low water; the sunken wreck lying in the main ship-channel off Fort Scammel broken up and scattered into deep water; and 49,609 cubic yards of dredging done below Central wharf, in the inner harbor, in front of the harbor commissioners' line. All the work projected for the improvement of this harbor has therefore been completed, with the exception of about 200,000 cubic yards of dredging in front of the harbor commissioners' line in the inner harbor. The contract of May 10, 1873, provides for about 100,000 cubic yards of this, of which about 80,000 cubic yards are above Central wharf. But, for reasons stated by the officer in charge, it has not been deemed advisable to continue this work above that wharf until several projecting wharves above shall have been shortened, steps for doing which, it is understood, are now being taken by the municipal authorities. As soon as this matter is accomplished, dredging operations will be continued above Central wharf under the existing contract, and a contract will be made for additional dredging under the appropriation of June 23, 1874. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873.. $80,000 00 9,439 19 |