Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix H 12.) $4,750.00 13. Choptank River, Maryland.-Before improvements were begun in 1879 the depth of water between Denton and Greensboro varied from 2 to 8 feet at low water. Navigation, carried on by small sailing vessels, extended only to 3 miles above Denton. Upon the remaining 5 miles to Greensboro all freight had to be transported in scows. A project for improvement was made in 1880 for an 8-foot low-water channel 75 feet wide, the estimated cost being $79,000. The project was adopted the same year, an appropriation of $5,000 having been made on June 14. During the three following years the channel was dredged to a depth of only 6 and 7 feet, on account of the small appropriations made for the work and the prevailing high prices for dredging. Since 1885 the channel has been dredged to the approved depth of 8 feet, its width being still restricted to 40 feet. Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, the sum of $37,513.63 had been expended in dredging, and a continuous channel 40 feet wide now exists between Denton and Greensboro with a depth of 8 feet, except for a certain portion 13 miles in length, in which the minimum depth is from 5 to 7 feet. The improvements so far have been of great benefit to the country at Greensboro and below, and during the past five years a regular steamboat line has been in operation between this town and Baltimore. There were no operations during the past fiscal year. Contract has been made to expend in dredging during the summer of 1892 the $7,500 appropriated September 19, 1890. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended July 1, 1892, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.. July 1, 1892, balance available... Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... Submitted in compliance with requirements sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix H 13.) $7,486. 37 281.65 7, 204. 72 6,500.00 704.72 3,000.00 3,704.72 20,000.00 14. Cambridge Harbor, Maryland. The entrance to this harbor was originally 4 feet deep at low tide. The average depth in the harbor was about 3 feet; in a few places it was 8 and 9 feet. The bar at the entrance was impassable during strong northwesterly winds for vessels drawing 3 feet of water. The local commerce was carried on by a limited number of sailing vessels of the smallest class and by one steamer of light draft. Previous to 1871 the citizens of Cambridge had made an effort to increase the availability of the harbor by expending $7,500 in dredging. In that year the improvement of the harbor was begun by the General Government under a project completed in 1879, resulting in a channel 100 feet wide across the bar which was dredged, together with certain portions of the inner harbor, to a depth of 8 feet below mean low water. During the year 1884 this channel was slightly widened. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, $32,500 had been expended by the General Government. A new project based upon a survey made in 1887 was adopted in 1888, providing for a channel 12 feet deep at low water and 150 feet wide from the Choptank River to the railroad wharf and for dredging the inner harbor below the drawbridge to a depth of 10 feet and above the bridge to a depth of 8 feet below low water, at an estimate cost of $17,736.60. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, the sum of $4,918.72 had been expended in the execution of this project, resulting in a channel 12 feet deep at low water and 88 feet wide across the bar as far as the Maryland Steamboat Company's Wharf, and thence 22 feet wide to the railroad wharf. Vessels drawing 113 feet of water that formerly could not enter the harbor at all can now come up to this wharf without much difficulty. There were no operations during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, as the expenditure of the appropriation of $5,000 made September 19, 1890, is being delayed by the contemplated construction of a wider draw in the county bridge across the harbor. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893... (See Appendix H 14.) $5,081.28 8.72 5, 072.56 7,737.00 12, 809.56 15. Wicomico River, Maryland.-Wicomico River flows in a southwesterly direction through Wicomico County, Eastern Shore of Maryland, into Tangier Sound, Chesapeake Bay. Its tidal portion is 23 miles long. Salisbury, the county seat, is at the head of navigation, and the tide rises there about 3 feet. The original depth in the river near Salisbury was 18 inches before the improvement of the river was begun in 1872. Under a project made in that year and completed in 1885, $50,000 was expended, resulting in a channel 7 feet deep at mean low water and from 75 to 100 feet wide at and below Salisbury. The present project for improvement, necessitated by the increased business of the port, was submitted in a report upon a survey made in 1889 and was adopted in 1890. It provides for a channel 9 feet deep at mean low water, 100 feet in width from near Fruitland wharf to the drawbridge in Salisbury, at an estimated cost of $23,000. The length of the proposed channel is about 3 miles. The first work under the new project was done during the past fiscal year. A channel about 30 feet wide and of the approved depth, 9 feet, was dredged from Goose Island wharf to the drawbridge in Salisbury, for a distance of 9,250 feet. The increased depth afforded at once great relief to deep-draft vessels during low tides. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended $10, 914.63 10, 145.67 June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix H 15.) 768.96 6,500.00 7, 268.96 6, 700.00 16. Manokin River, Maryland.-Manokin River is a small tidal tributary of Tangier Sound, Chesapeake Bay, and flows in a southwesterly direction through Somerset County on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Its length is about 18 miles, the lower 10 miles forming a wide estuary. The main channel is interrupted at the head of the estuary for nearly 3 miles by shallow mud flats, which rendered the upper river almost useless for the purposes of navigation. The average rise and fall of the tide near the obstruction is 2.6 feet. The project for improvement proposed in a report on a survey made in 1889 and adopted under an appropriation of $7,500 made by act approved September 19, 1890, provides for dredging a channel 6 feet deep at mean low water, and 100 feet wide, from Locust Point to Sharp Point, embracing the section called the "Mud Flats," at an estimated cost of $30,000. With the appropriation above referred to, a cut was made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, at the section indicated, 13,515 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 5 feet deep at low tide, at an expense of $7,360.12. There were no operations during the past fiscal year. The dredged cut, which, after being completed, enabled the steamboat plying between Princess Anne and Deal Island to make regular trips, is reported to be -in fair condition. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix H 16.) $139.88 10.80 129.08 7,500.00 7,629.08 15,000.00 17. Onancock Harbor, Virginia.-Onancock Harbor or Onancock River, is about 5 miles long and flows through the western portion of Accomac County, Va., into Chesapeake Bay. At the town of Onancock, which is situated at the head of the river, the depth of water was originally 4 feet at low tide. At the mouth of the river, where a bar forms the most serious obstruction, the original depth was 5 feet. The average rise and fall of the tide is about 2 feet. During the years 1880 and 1881, $8,000 was expended in dredging a channel 100 feet wide across the bar to a depth of 8 feet below mean low water, and in dredging the shoals at Onancock and above Wise Point to a depth of 7 feet. The improvements were of great benefit to the shipping in the river, but the channel at the bar slowly filled up again to nearly its original depth. The present project for improvement proposed in a report on a survey made in 1889, and adopted under an appropriation of $6,000, made September 19, 1890, provides for dredging a channel 300 feet wide at the outer bar and 200 feet wide at the inner bar, called the "middle ground," both to a depth of 8 feet below mean low water, at an esti mated cost of $12,511. The first work under the new project was done during the past fiscal year. A channel was dredged across the outer bar for a width of 150 feet and across the inner bar for a width of 100 feet, both to the required depth of 8 feet. Since then no delays have ENG 92-9 occurred to vessels wishing to enter at low tides and during northwesterly winds. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893... (See Appendix H 17.) 18. Harbor at Cape Charles City, Virginia, and approaches by Chenton (Cherrystone) Inlet. The harbor of Cape Charles City is an artificial rectangular basin of about 10 acres area, excavated in the shore of the Chesapeake Bay, about 12 miles north of the cape of the same name. It is in Northampton County, Virginia, and forms the shore terminus of the New York, Philadelphia, and Norfolk Railroad, from which transfers of freight and passengers are made to and from Norfolk, Va. The average rise of the tide is 2.6 feet. The project for improvement proposed, in a report on a survey made in 1889, provides for dredging the harbor to a depth of 14 feet, and the entrance thereto and the channel in Cherrystone Inlet and across Cherrystone Bar to a depth of 16 feet, below mean low water, the width of the two last-named channels to be 100 and 200 feet, respectively, and for protective works of stone at the entrance to the harbor. The estimated cost of the project is $142,340. The harbor was originally a small fresh-water pond, and was inclosed with bulkheads by the railroad company and then dredged, together with its new entrance leading into Cherrystone Inlet, to a depth of about 12 feet below mean low water. This depth was, however, not sufficient for the large boats and barges employed of necessity in the increasing traffic; the entrance was also too narrow, and during the prevalence of northerly winds and low tides frequent delays occurred by grounding of vessels at the entrance or in the channel across Cherrystone Bar. The portion of the project relating to dredging was adopted in 1890, and at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, the sum of $21,676.89 had been expended in dredging about one-half of the area of the harbor to 14 feet and in widening the entrance gradually from 50 feet at its shore end to 480 feet at its junction with the channel in Cherrystone Inlet, the depth made being 16 feet, and in removing to the same depth a small shoal in the main channel 1 mile south of the harbor. The difficulties formerly encountered in leaving or entering the harbor have been much lessened. There were no operations during the past fiscal year. The dredged area within the harbor and in the entrance is shoaling again, according to a survey recently made by the railroad company, and to a greater degree in the entrance than in the harbor. The material is readily swept in from the adjacent shoals on each side of the cut, and will continue to do so unless arrested by artificial works. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.... June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.... Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893. $3,323. 11 668.67 2, 654.44 10,000.00 12, 654. 44 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix H 18.) $10, 400.00 19. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, the following wrecks were removed under the provisions of the act of June 14, 1880: The schooner Harvey W. Anderson, off Hog Island, Virginia, and schooner Ann R. Rogers, off Cobbs Island, Virginia. (See Appendix H 19.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS, MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 19, 1890. The required preliminary examinations of the following localities were made by the local engineer in charge, William F. Smith, United States agent, and reports thereon submitted through Col. William P. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Southeast Division. It is the opinion of Maj. Smith and of the division engineer, based upon the facts and reasons given, that these localities are worthy of improvement. The conclusions of these officers being concurred in by me, Maj. Smith was charged with and has completed their survey and submitted reports thereon. The reports were transmitted to Congress and printed as executive documents of the Fifty-second Congress, first session. 1. Murderkill River, Delaware.-The proposed improvement contemplates the formation, by dredging, of a channel 7 feet deep at low water from Frederica to the 7-foot curve in Delaware Bay, 80 feet wide down to the mouth, and 150 feet wide at bottom and 250 feet wide at top from the mouth to the 7-foot curve in the bay; the cut at the mouth to be protected by forming an embankment of the dredged material on each side to a height of at least 2 feet above high spring tides. The cost of this work is estimated at $47,550. Printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 21. (See also Appendix H 20.) 2. Mispillion River, Delaware, with a view of cutting a canal so as to shorten the distance to the bay and making an outlet in the bay which would furnish deeper water.-The improvement proposed contemplates dredging a channel 150 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water, extending from the outlet of the river in a southeasterly direction to the 6-foot depth in Delaware Bay, the cut being protected by forming a wall of the dredged material, a stiff blue clay, along its northern side. The cost of this work is estimated at $24,000. Printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 57. (See also Appendix H 21.) 3. Susquehanna River, above Havre de Grace, Maryland.-The plan of improvement, proposed with a view to preventing damage by ice gorges in Susquehanna River in the vicinity of Port Deposit and Havre de Grace, Md., contemplates deepening the shoal below the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad bridge so as to enlarge the cross section of the river at that point, and constructing eight piers at the Hog Back, above Port Deposit, so as to break up the ice or cause the gorges to form at that point. The estimated cost of this work is as follows: Dredging.... Total.... $345, 109.05 80,000.00 425, 109.05 |