16. The locality and conditions are shown on map forwarded herewith.

17. A hearing was held at Jacksonville, N. C., in connection with this preliminary examination on October 10, 1912. It was attended by 25 parties locally interested. Record of hearing is herewith.

18. It is the desire of those interested that the river be dredged so as to secure a depth of 3 to 4 feet to Doctors Landing, near Richlands; that the channel be straightened where necessary; and that snags, logs, and overhanging trees be removed, with a view to securing a practicable channel to that point.

19. The visible advantages which would accrue from improvement to the extent desired are:

(a) Reclamation of land by drainage. Thousands of acres would be reclaimed, and from being practically worthless the reclaimed land would be the most valuable in the section.

(b) Development of commerce. Millions of feet of timber now practically inaccessible could be cut and shipped with reasonable facility to Jacksonville or Richlands for reshipment by rail or via Jacksonville to distant points by water. The land reclaimed could be utilized agriculturally with great returns, and the improved stream would furnish an outlet for produce for reshipment by rail at Jacksonville or Richlands or for through shipment by water, according to the relative freight rates and the nature of the produce. Fertilizers could be received for the contiguous territory at various points along the stream. (c) The improvement would reduce freight rates.

20. There are no wharves along the river above Jacksonville, and there is no need for them at present.

21. In connection with any improvement of this stream there are no possibilities for the development and utilization of water power for industrial and commercial purposes.

22. In case any improvement of this stream above Tar Landing should be decided upon it would be desirable and probably possible to coordinate the work for improvement of navigation with that for drainage, so as to compensate to some extent the Government for expenditures made in the interests of navigation.

23. This river is in good condition for navigation as far as Tar Landing; its improvement to Northwest Bridge would be comparatively inexpensive, but would have little advantage, while the improvement to any point above would be extremely costly and out of proportion to the probable resulting benefits to commerce.

24. It is therefore my opinion that present and prospective commerce do not justify any improvement of New River above Jacksonville, and I recommend that no survey be made.

25. Interested parties have been informed this date of this unfavorable report, and they have been requested, if they desire to do so, to submit their views to the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, Southern Building, Washington, D. C., within four weeks. H. W. STICKLE, Major, Corps of Engineers.

[For report of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors see page 2.]

1 Not printed.

63D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (DOCUMENT 1st Session.

GRAND HAVEN HARBOR. MICH.

LETTER

FROM

THE ACTING SECRETARY OF WAR,

TRANSMITTING,

WITH A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, REPORTS ON EXAMINATION AND SURVEY OF GRAND HAVEN HARBOR, MICH., TO EAST END OF FULTON STREET AND INCLUDING CHANNEL INTO SPRING LAKE.

NOVEMBER 26, 1913.-Referred to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors and ordered to be printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 30, 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 29th instant, together with copies of reports from Maj. Charles Keller and Maj. C. S. Riché, Corps of Engineers, dated May 31, 1909, and December 30, 1910, on preliminary examination and survey, respectively, of Grand Haven Harbor, Mich., made by them in compliance with the provisions of the river and harbor act approved March 3, 1909.

Very respectfully,

HENRY BRECKINRIDGE,
Acting Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, October 29, 1913.

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

Subject: Preliminary examination and survey of Grand Haven
Harbor, Mich.

1. There are submitted herewith, for transmission to Congress, reports dated May 31, 1909, by Maj. Charles Keller, Corps of Engi

Jacksonville as far up as practicable, called for by the river and harbor act approved July 25, 1912.

2. New River is about 52 miles in length and empties into the Atlantic Ocean through New River Inlet, about midway between Cape Lookout and Cape Fear. It is being improved under a project providing for a channel 200 feet wide and 5 feet deep from the mouth of the river to Jacksonville, a distance of about 23 miles. The improvement now apparently desired is a practicable channel 3 to 4 feet deep to Doctors Landing, near Richlands, about 17 miles above Jacksonville. The upper portion of this stretch is very narrow and crooked, and the desired improvement would be extremely costly and out of proportion to the probable resulting benefits to commerce. The district officer therefore expresses the opinion that present and prospective commerce do not justify any improvement of New River above Jacksonville.

3. This report has 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 generally in the views of the district officer.

4. After due consideration of the above-mentioned reports, I concur in general with the views of the district officer and the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors that the improvement by the United States of New River, N. C., from Jacksonville as far up as practicable, 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.

[Second indorsement.]

BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS,
October 14, 1913.

To the CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY:

1. New River, N. C., has a length of about 52 miles and is under improvement from its mouth to Jacksonville, a distance of 23 miles, under a project which provides for a channel 200 feet wide and 5 feet deep. The controlling depth at the mouth of the river is 5 feet. Above Jacksonville, for a distance of about 4 miles to Tar Landing, which has always been considered the head of navigation on this stream, there is an available depth of 6 feet.

2. There is very little commerce on the river above Jacksonville, the amount reported for 1911 being 96 tons. It is stated with reference to prospective commerce that a new mill is expected to be built at Jacksonville, which will use timber from the river above.

3. The improvement desired by those interested is a channel 3 to 4 feet deep to Doctors Landing, near Richlands, a distance of about 17 miles. This would require the dredging of shoals, widening of nar