WITH A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, REPORT ON EXAMINATION OF MACKINAC HARBOR, MICH., WITH A VIEW

TO LENGTHENING THE BREAKWATER.

NOVEMBER 10, 1913.-Referred to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors and ordered to be printed, with illustration.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, November 5, 1913.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter from the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, dated 3d instant, together with copy of report from Lieut. Col. M. M. Patrick, Corps of Engineers, dated August 28, 1913, with map, on preliminary examination of Mackinac Harbor, Mich., made by him in compliance with the provisions of the river and harbor act approved March 4, 1913. Very respectfully,

HENRY BRECKINRIDGE,
Acting Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, November 3, 1913.

From: The Chief of Engineers, United States Army.
To: The Secretary of War.

Subject: Preliminary examination of Mackinac Harbor, Mich.

1. There is submitted herewith, for transmission to Congress, report dated August 28, 1913, with map, by Lieut. Col. Mason M.

Patrick, Corps of Engineers, on preliminary examination of Mackinac Harbor, Mich., with a view to lengthening the breakwater, called for by the river and harbor act approved March 4, 1913.

2. Mackinac Harbor is situated on the southeast shore of Mackinac Island, at the northern end of Lake Huron. The harbor is being improved under a project adopted in 1910 by the construction of two breakwaters, one from Mission Point and the other from Biddle Point. Local interests desire an extension of the eastern or Mission Point breakwater to secure a greater measure of protection from southeast storms. The district officer states that this breakwater when completed will give an appreciable amount of protection from storms from the east and southeast over an area which will probably be ample for the smaller boats which use this harbor. No very considerable additional protection from this quarter could be obtained unless this eastern breakwater were carried out to a point something like 800 feet beyond its present seaward end. Much of such extension would be in water 30 feet and over in depth, and its cost would be comparatively great. In view of the above and the fact that the full benefit of the present project will not be secured nor accurately known until after its completion next year, the district officer is of opinion that Mackinac Harbor is not at present worthy of further improvement by lengthening the breakwater. In this opinion the division engineer concurs.

3. These reports have been referred, as required by law, to the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, and attention is invited to its accompanying report, dated October 14, 1913, concurring in the views of the district officer and the division engineer.

4. After due consideration of the above-mentioned reports I concur in general with the views of the district officer, the division engineer, and the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors that the improvement by the United States of Mackinac Harbor, Mich., with a view to lengthening the breakwater in the manner apparently desired by the interests concerned as described in the reports herewith is not deemed advisable at the present time.

DAN C. KINGMAN,

Chief of Engineers, United States Army.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS.

[Third indorsement.]

THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS,

October 14, 1913.

To the CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY:

1. This investigation of Mackinac Harbor has been called for with a view to lengthening the breakwater. The project for the improvement of this locality, adopted by the act of June 25, 1910, provides for the construction of two breakwaters-one from Mission Point, the other from Biddle Point-having a combined length of about 2,000 feet. The substructures for these breakwaters have been laid, and it is planned to complete the work by building the

superstructures during the next working season. These breakwaters when completed will afford excellent protection from the southwest and some protection from the east and southeast. What is desired is an extension of the eastern or Mission Point breakwater to secure a greater measure of protection from the southeast. The completion of the eastern breakwater will give an appreciable amount of protection from the east and southeast, and to materially increase this protection would require the extension of the breakwater something like 800 feet beyond its present seaward end, much of which would be in 30 feet of water and over, and the cost would be considerable.

2. Mackinac Island is essentially a summer resort, the permanent population being only about 700, while during the short summer season it is said that about 300,000 passengers are landed on the island. Aside from the passenger traffic the amount of commerce involved is not large, having averaged during the past three years about 17,000 tons.

3. The district officer states that in view of the fact that the full benefit of the present project will not be secured or accurately known until after its completion next year, and of the further facts set forth in his report, he is of opinion that Mackinac Harbor is not at present worthy of further improvement by lengthening the breakwater, in which view the division engineer concurs.

4. Interested parties were informed of the unfavorable tenor of the district officer's report and given an opportunity of submitting their views to the board, but no communications on the subject have been received.

5. It appears from the facts presented that there is no urgent commercial need for the additional breakwater construction that has been proposed, and the board reports, in concurrence with the views of the district officer and the division engineer, that it is not advisable at this time for the United States to undertake the improvement of Mackinac Harbor by lengthening the breakwater.

6. In compliance with law, the board reports that there are no questions of terminal facilities, water power, or other related subjects which could be coordinated with the suggested improvement in such manner as to render the work advisable in the interests of commerce and navigation.

For the board:

W. M. BLACK,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers,
Senior Member of the Board.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF MACKINAC HARBOR, MICH.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

Detroit, Mich., August 28, 1913.

From: The District Engineer Officer, Detroit, Mich.

To: The Chief of Engineers United States Army.

(Through the Division Engineer.)

Subject: Preliminary examination of Mackinac Harbor, Mich., with a view to lengthening the breakwater.

1. In compliance with the directions contained in letter Office of the Chief of Engineers, March 18, 1913, assigning to me the duty of

making the preliminary examination of Mackinac Harbor, Mich., with a view to lengthening the breakwater, called for by the act of Congress approved March 4, 1913, the following report is submitted: 2. This harbor is on the southeast shore of Mackinac Island, at the northern end of Lake Huron, with Mission Point on its eastern and Biddle Point on its western side, and is shown on the map herewith. The bay incloses an area of about 34 acres, and at mean lake levels there is a depth of 18 feet to the wharves. The indications are that both these points once extended about 800 and 1,000 feet, respectively, beyond the present shore line, and that their erosion opened the harbor to the run of the seas, which they formerly intercepted, and reduced the depths in the harbor by the deposit of the eroded material. While still well protected from the north around to the west, the harbor was open to the run of heavy seas, especially from the east, southeast, and southwest.

3. Mackinac Island is a summer resort, and during the season is a port of call for many passenger vessels, while the harbor is used by à considerable number of pleasure craft. The population, as given by the 1910 census, is 714. Most of the island is covered by a forest growth, the cultivated area is small, and there are no manufactures. Practically everything consumed on the island is brought in by water. No automobiles are allowed on the island and a number of horses are taken across from the mainland for use during the tourist season. The freight traffic consists of foodstuffs, hay, grain, general merchandise, and coal, much of which is for use on the boats which ply to and from the island. The total of all this freight traffic is not great, the average amount for the last three years being about 17,000 short tons annually, valued at about $2,000,000. The season is short, not over three or four months each year, but during this time it is said that about 300,000 passengers are landed on the island. There is no probability that any improvement made to this harbor would be followed by any considerable increase in its commerce, which is local in character.

4. Three previous reports upon the protection of this harbor by breakwaters have been submitted, the first by Maj. F. Harwood, Corps of Engineers, suggesting breakwaters from both Mission and Biddle Points (see Report of the Chief of Engineers, 1880, pp. 20552057); the second by Lieut. Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers, in which the opinion was expressed that the harbor was not then worthy of improvement in this manner (see Report of the Chief of Engineers, 1887, p. 2272); the third by Lieut. Col. G. J. Lydecker, Corps of Engineers, in 1899, in which it is stated that the harbor is now worthy of improvement, so far as necessary to provide a reasonably safe approach to and berth at the landing wharves, and to afford shelter to a considerable fleet of small craft which habitually make a roadstead of the harbor from June to October annually (see H. Doc. No. 646, 56th Cong., 1st sess.).

5. The project presented in the report last mentioned covered the construction of two breakwaters, one from Mission Point, the other from Biddle Point, the combined length to be about 2,000 feet and estimated cost of construction $80,000. This project was adopted by Congress in the river and harbor act approved June 25, 1910. The entire amount of the estimate has been appropriated and the work

has been partially done. The rubble mound substructures of both breakwaters have been completed along the lines shown on the map, and it is planned to complete the work by the building of the superstructures during the next working season.

6. As will be apparent from an examination of the map, these two breakwaters when completed will afford excellent protection from the southwest, and some shelter from the east and southeast, though the greater portion of the area of the harbor will still be exposed to the seas from the quarter last mentioned. No public hearing has been held, but I have visited this harbor a number of times and have discussed the proposed extension of the breakwater with the mayor and with the principal shippers. The letter of the mayor herewith1 sets forth his views and those of a number of others interested in navigation. It will be seen that what is desired is an extension of the eastern or Mission Point breakwater to secure a greater measure of protection from southeast storms.

7. As stated above, after the completion of the present project, the greater portion of the harbor will still be open to the run of seas raised by storms from the southeast, but no very considerable additional protection from this quarter could be obtained unless this eastern breakwater were carried out to a point something like 800 feet beyond its present seaward end. Much of such extension would be in water 30 feet and over in depth and its cost would be comparatively great.

8. This eastern breakwater, when completed in accordance with the present project, will give an appreciable amount of protection from storms from the east and southeast over an area which will probably be ample for the smaller boats which use this harbor. Round Island is distant less than a mile to the south from the harbor entrance, and under its lee there is excellent protection from gales from the eastern quarter.

9. The wind chart on the map, copied from the meteorological charts issued by the Weather Bureau for July, August, and September, 1912, shows that the percentage of southeast winds for those months was but 6.6 per cent and their average force did not exceed unity on the Beaufort scale, and it is during these months each year that the greatest use is made of this harbor.

10. In view of the fact that the full benefit of the present project will not be secured nor accurately known until after its completion next year, and of the further facts set forth above, I am of the opinion that Mackinac Harbor is not at present worthy of further improvement by lengthening the breakwater.

11. The harbor has two docks built at right angles to the shore and extending to 20 feet of water. The docks are accessible on both sides, so that four large boats could land at the same time. The terminal facilities are adequate for the business of the harbor, and the terminal is believed to be open to the use of all water carriers on equal terms. There are no railroads.

12. The character of this harbor is such that the question of development of water power does not enter into a consideration of its improvement.

MASON M. PATRICK, Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers.