danger of serious detention, the physical character of the approaches is a proper subject of consideration. It is not unreasonable to suppose that Long Island formerly extended eastwardly beyond its present limitations, and that its extreme eastern point, now Block Island, became detached by sea agencies assisted by land subsidence. The separating strait, 14 miles wide, has two shoal obstructions, which afford three passages from the ocean into Block Island Sound, with a maximum depth of 12 fathoms and a minimum depth of 4 fathoms at mean low water. The western obstruction, called Phelps Ledge, lies 12 miles east of Montauk Point and has a least depth of 4 fathoms water, while the eastern, called Southwest Ledge, lies 4 miles west of Block Island, with a least depth of 5 fathoms water. The water area north of the line connecting Montauk Point with Block Island and east of the entrance to Long Island Sound at the race is called Block Island Sound. Block Island, lying on the south side of the eastern border of Block Island Sound, has a length of 6 miles north and south and an average width of 2 miles east and west, and the distance between the northern edge of the shoal reef, which extends out from the extreme northern point of the island, and Point Judith, Rhode Island, on the mainland, is 10 miles, approximately. This last channel is entirely free from obstruction, and has a maximum depth in the center of 22 fathoms, diminishing toward the two shores to 4 fathoms. Block Island Sound must be entered and crossed by vessels making Fort Pond Bay from the sea. In clear weather it is probable that it would be habitually entered to the westward of Block Island, but in thick weather it would doubtless be safer to enter the sound to the eastward of the island. The point of divergence from the main ocean route would be in the vicinity of Nantucket Shoals Light-ship, and the distance thence to Fort Pond Bay, whether by the eastward or westward of Block Island, would be 100 miles, approximately, and to the bar at Sandy Hook 180 miles, approximately. The submerged obstructions which lie in the strait between Block Island and Montauk Point, and in Block Island Sound north of Shagwong Point, Long Island, may be easily discerned in clear weather, as they are marked by the usual aids to navigation, but in thick weather, when the islands and headlands are enveloped in dense banks of fog, navigation into Block Island Sound from the southward must necessarily be attended with many apprehensions, however numerous and perfect the fog signals may be, as not only must headlands and submerged reefs be avoided, but also small vessels, which largely frequent these waters for anchorage. These conditions affect the speed of vessels approaching Fort Pond Bay, if they do not menace the lives of passengers and endanger property, and will not be materially changed so long as fog prevails on the coast. APPROACH TO NEW YORK CITY BY SANDY HOOK. It has been alleged, among other reasons, that Fort Pond Bay should be improved by the General Government in the interest of rapid ocean transit, because there is not adequate water on the Sandy Hook Bar to accommodate modern vessels and steamers of large size and deep draft, and because fog prevails more at Sandy Hook than at Montauk Point. These charges will bear close examination. (1) Since 1886 the deepening of the main ship channels through the lower bay, New York Harbor, has so far advanced that the depth of water on the bar at the southern entrance, by way of Gedney Channel, is to-day greater than 30 feet at mean low water, which is more than sufficient for any vessel or steamer afloat. In addition, Gedney Channel is clearly marked at night by an efficient system of electric lights, enabling vessels of any draft to pass in and out over the bar at night at any stage of the tide with nearly the same facility as in daylight, thereby destroying the terrors to mariners which have been ascribed to this channel and its bar. The annual report of the Light-House Board to the Secretary of the Treasury for 1891, p. 201, referring to Sandy Hook Bar, says: The monthly report of vessels passing the bar at night records as coming in the largest steamers plying to the port of New York, such as the Etruria, City of Paris, Majestic, Fürst Bismarck, Umbria, La Champagne, Lahn, La Bourgogne, Germanic, Ems, Augusta Victoria, Teutonic, etc. The City of Paris and City of New York are of 10,500 tons' register and the Teutonic and Majestic of 10,000 tons. By a coincidence the Teutonic seems to arrive off Sandy Hook at night, as by the known record she has passed the bar at night coming in some six times. And on pages 205 and 206 of the same report it is stated that the number of vessels using Gedney Cut Channel (improved channel) between sunset and sunrise, for the fiscal year July 1, 1889, to June 30, 1890, was 569, 377 bound in and 192 bound out, and that the number for the fiscal year July 1, 1890, to June 30, 1891, was 767 vessels, 470 bound in and 297 bound out. Unpublished reports to which I have had access record that during the year 1891-92, 785 vessels and steamers crossed the bar at night, 533 bound in and 252 bound out. It is further stated in the report of 1891, p. 201, that The highest [monthly] work done by electric plant since its establishment was in November, 1890, when 101 vessels passed the bar, 67 coming in and 34 going out, or an average of 3.4 vessels each night. The best test of the plant is shown by the confidence with which pilots bring in from sea vessels of the largest displacement and length. These records plainly show that the Sandy Hook Bar does not now cause detentions to vessels, day or night, on account of insufficient depth of water. (2) Respecting the allegation that fog prevails more at Sandy Hook than in the vicinity of Montauk Point it must be admitted that the Government records for a series of years of the relative number of hours during which the fog signals have been operated, annually, at Sandy Hook and at Montauk Point, show, apparently, to the advantage of Montauk Point, but the difference is very slight, and too much importance should not be given to the records, for in the case of Sandy Hook the signals are required to be given so long as the lightship in advance of Gedney Channel Bar is obscured by fog, whereas at Montauk Point the keeper exercises his own discretion when to operate the signal. In addition, pilots, familiar with the two localities by constant cruising in adjacent waters, have been questioned on the subject, and the general opinion is that fogs are more frequent and more dense at the eastern than at the western end of Long Island. I am of the opinion that the usual conditions in regard to fogs differ inappreciably at those two points, and that all things considered it is reasonable to estimate that the time consumed in making Fort Pond H Bay in thick weather, by a route east or west of Block Island, will be but little less, if any, than that consumed in making Sandy Hook Bar by the direct ocean route. Four years have now elapsed since the question of using Fort Pond Bay as the western terminus of a new transatlantic route to New York City was first officially agitated, and the interval has been allowed to pass without any active steps resulting in the expenditure of money being taken to fit the site for any such occupancy. There is no evidence that the existing commercial condition of that harbor is soon to be changed, and until such evidence is given in a practical way, by the construction of steamers and by the extension of the existing railway system on Long Island to Fort Pond Bay, with capacious wharves to accommodate ocean steamers, it would seem premature to make surveys at this time with the view to the preparation of estimates of cost of construction of an adequate protecting breakwater. I am, therefore, of the opinion that Fort Pond Bay is not worthy of improvement in view of present or prospective demands of commerce. A small sketch,* showing the location of and approaches to Fort Pond Bay, accompanies this report for its elucidation. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. THOMAS L. CASEY, G. L. GILLESPIE, Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers. Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. LETTER FROM MR. A. M. UNDERHILL, AGENT GUION LINE, LIVERPOOL STEAMERS. DEAR SIR: Yours of the 3d instant has attention. NEW YORK, August 4, 1892. The changes in transatlantic navigation simply confirm the views previously expressed. Yours, respectfully, Lieut. Col. G. L. GILLESPIE, A. M. UNDERHILL. Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. LETTER FROM MESSRS. OELRICHS & CO., AGENTS NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD STEAMSHIP COMPANY. NEW YORK, August 4, 1892. DEAR SIR: In reply to your valued favor of 3d instant, we beg leave to inform you that nothing has transpired to lead us to change our views as expressed in our letter to Col. Houston November 15, 1888, with regard to the eligibility of Fort Poud Harbor as the terminus of a line of fast ocean steamers. Yours, very truly, Lieut. Col. G. L. GILLESPIE, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. OELRICHS & Co. Not reprinted; printed in House Ex. Doc. No. 110, Fifty-second Congress, second session. LETTER FROM MR. H. MAITLAND KERSEY, AGENT WHITE STAR LINE. SIR: I beg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of the 3d instant, to which absence from town has prevented an earlier reply. I have carefully read the letter of my predecessor, Mr. J. Bruce Ismay, dated November 27, 1888, and see no reason to differ in any particular from the views therein expressed. I am, sir, yours, respectfully, Lieut. Col. G. L. GILLESPIE, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. H. MAITLAND KERSEY. LETTER FROM MR. JAMES A. WRIGHT, JR., SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION COMPANY. New York, August 26, 1892. DEAR SIR: I have to acknowledge receipt of your favor of August 3 regarding Fort Pond Bay, Long Island. There is nothing that occurs to us in addition to what is contained in our previous letter of November 3, 1888, addressed to Col. D C. Houston, and we have no reason to change the views as expressed by us in that letter. Very respectfully, Lieut. Col. G. L. GILLESPIE, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. JAMES A. WRIGHT, JR., LETTER FROM MR. VERNON H. BROWN, AGENT THE CUNARD STEAMSHIP COMPANY. NEW YORK, October 17, 1892. DEAR SIR: I duly received your esteemed favor of August 3 asking if any circumstances had occurred to change the views expressed in my letter of October 31, 1888, in regard to the eligibility of Fort Pond Harbor as the western terminus of a line of ocean steamers. In reply I would say that I have carefully reread my letter above referred to, and beg to say that the situation is practically unchanged since the date of said letter. Very respectfully, yours, Lieut. Col. G. L. GILLESPIE, VERNON H. BROWN. Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. LETTER FROM MR. D. A. NASH, SECRETARY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF PILOTS. NEW YORK, August 9, 1892. DEAR SIR: In reply to the inquiry contained in your favor of 3d instant I have to state that we have no records relative to the frequency or duration of fogs. I have, however, made inquiry amongst the pilots who cruise in the neighborhood of Nantucket, and they all say that the fogs are more frequent and more dense at the eastern end of Long Island than at the western. Pilot boat James Stafford No. 18 was built at Noank four years ago, and her captain, Pilot Joseph H. Nelson, was there during the months of May, June, July, and August, superintending her construction. He states that the fogs there are much more frequent than at New York. It was foggy there three out of five days. For the Board: Yours, very respectfully, Lieut. Col. G. L. GILLESPIE, D. A. NASH, Secretary. Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. E 15. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION FOR CHANNEL WEST OF ROBBINS REEF LIGHT-HOUSE TO CONNECT THE MOUTH OF ARTHUR KILL WITH NEW YORK HARBOR, NEW YORK. [Printed in House Ex. Doc. No. 77, Fifty-second Congress, second session.] OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith a copy of report, dated August 1, 1892, by Lieut. Col. G. L. Gillespie, Corps of Engineers, of the results of preliminary examination for channel west of Robbins Reef light-house to connect the mouth of Arthur Kill with New York Harbor, New York, made to comply with the provisions of the river and harbor act approved July 13, 1892. It is the opinion of Lieut. Col. Gillespie, concurred in by this office, that the proposed channel is not worthy of improvement by the General Government. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. S. B. ELKINS, THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers. Secretary of War. REPORT OF LIEUT. COL. G. L. GILLESPIE, CORPS OF ENGINEERS. ENGINEER OFFICE, U. S. ARMY, New York, August 1, 1892. GENERAL: In compliance with instructions contained in letter of Chief of Engineers, dated July 14, 1892, I have the honor to submit the following report in regard to preliminary examination, "for channel west of Robbins Reef light-house, to connect the mouth of Arthur Kill with New York Harbor, New York," for which provision is contained in section 6, river and harbor act July 13, 1892. For many years the towing companies interested in the navigation between the Raritan and Passaic rivers, and New York Harbor through Kill van Kull, have made efforts to secure appropriation from Congress for opening a short and sheltered interior channel across Jersey Flats. The river and harbor act March 3, 1881, provided for the survey of such a channel, 21 feet deep, mean low water, from Communipaw to Constable Hook, and the report thereon (Annual Report Chief of Engineers, 1882, Part I, p. 719) gives the estimated cost of the work, $7,00v,000, the great cost being due to a reef of rock underlying the shoal to the eastward of Cavens Point. The channel now proposed to be surveyed is not definitely located by the act of July 13, 1892, but as I have before me a copy of the map accompanying the petition which was sent to Congress urging the survey, I am able to describe it very accurately. The wish of the projectors, as stated in their petition, is anchorage for vessels and tows on the southern edge of the flats immediately to the eastward of Constable Point, 2,000 feet wide, 2,500 feet long, and 15 feet deep, mean low water, from which a channel 300 feet wide and 15 feet deep shall lead in a |