B 4. IMPROVEMENT OF IPSWICH RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS. Ipswich River empties into Plum Island Sound 9 miles south of Newburyport, Mass., and at the same distance west of Cape Ann. The head of navigation is 3 miles above the mouth. The entrance of Plum Island Sound is 2 miles east of the mouth of the river. Six feet depth at mean low water can be carried over the bar at the entrance to the sound, and between the bar and the mouth of the river there is a good anchorage, with from 3 to 5 fathoms of water. Before improvement the channel of the river from its mouth to Barras Turn, a distance of 2 miles, was at least 60 feet wide and 4 feet deep at mean low water. From Barras Turn to the town wharves, a distance of 1 mile, the channel was narrow and crooked, and had at some places but 13 feet depth at mean low water. The mean rise or fall of the tide is 8.4 feet. The original projeet for improvement was submitted December 6, 1875. It proposed a channel 60 feet wide and 4 feet deep at mean low water from Barras Turn to the town wharves, at an estimated cost of $25,000. On November 5, 1883, the original project was divided into three partial projects: 1. The removal of the ledges at Heards Point and opposite Nabbys Point to a depth of 2 feet at mean low water, to open a navigable channel of that depth, at a cost of $15,900. 2. To dredge the shoals at Labor-in-Vain and The Shoals so as to open a channel 4 feet deep at mean low water and 60 feet wide, at a cost of $2,200. 3. To straighten the channel by making a cut across Barras Turn, and to build a jetty to close the old channel,.at a cost of $6,900. In the annual report of 1887 it was recommended that the general project be modified by limiting the present improvement to opening a channel 60 feet wide and 4 feet deep through The Shoals and Laborin-Vain, and extending it to the Deep Hole opposite the town wharves. A chart showing this limited project was published in the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1887. The amount which has been appropriated for this improvement to date is: The amount expended to June 30, 1891, was $2,537 08, and a channel had been dredged 4 feet deep at mean low water, 60 feet wide at Laborin-Vain, and 40 feet wide at The Shoals. During the fiscal year no operations were in progress. Proposals were twice invited during the year 1889, and it is evident that the work will cost more than the original estimate. The expendi ture of the small amount available would result in no appreciable benefit to commerce; it therefore will be retained in the Treasury until ad ditional funds are provided. The condition of the improvement at date is the same as on June 30, 1891. To complete the original project would require an appropriation of $20,000, but the present proposed partial project, it is believed, will fully meet all the reasonable demands of the present commerce of the river, and this it is estimated can be effected by an additional appropriation of $2,500. Ipswich River is in the collection district of Newburyport, Mass. The nearest light-house is the Ipswich Light on Castle Neck, about 1 miles southeast from the mouth of the river. Commercial statistics are included in those of Newburyport Harbor. No increase in the tonnage of the river is apparent and no new lines of water transportation have been established. Money statement. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended............ July 1, 1892, balancé 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 harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. $2, 462.92 2, 462.92 2,500.00 4,962.92 17, 500.00 2,500.00 B 5. HARBOR OF REFUGE, SANDY BAY, CAPE ANN, MASSACHUSETTS. Sandy Bay is situated at the northeastern extremity of the promontory of Cape Ann, which forms the northern limit of Massachusetts Bay. The shore lines of the bay form a little less than a right angle, and their directions are nearly north and south, and east and west. The rocky island of Straitsmouth forms the eastern extremity of one shore line, and the steep headland of Andrews Point the northern end of the other. Following the line of the proposed break water, the bay is 23 miles wide, and it has a depth of 2 miles approximately. The bay on the land side is perfectly protected by steep high hills, but it fronts the northeast, and is open to the full force of the violent northerly and easterly gales of this coast. The great seas of the ocean are broken, however, in a degree by the sunken rocky ledges called Averys Ledge, the Dry and Little Salvages, the Flat Ground, and Abners Ledge, which are directly at the mouth of the bay. Inside these entrance ledges the bay is entirely unobstructed, and has an average depth of 50 feet at mean low water. A plan of the bay, showing the proposed breakwater, was published in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1886, page 582. The original project for improvement was submitted in 1884. It proposed a continuous breakwater 9,000 feet long, divided into two branches; one starts at Averys Ledge and runs in a direction a little west of north to Abners Ledge, a distance of 3,600 feet; the other extends 5,420 feet from Abners Ledge in a northwesterly direction, and terminates at the 84-foot contour off Andrews Point. The axis of the proposed breakwater is approximately at the inner edge of the ledges at the entrance of the bay, and about 1 mile inside the Salvages and Flat Ground, which receive the first shock of easterly storm waves. The southern entrance to the proposed harbor lies between Straitsmouth Island and Averys Ledge, and is to be 1,800 feet wide and at least 30 feet deep. The northern entrance, near Andrews Point, is 2,700 feet wide and 80 feet deep. They are so located with reference to each other that vessels can enter and leave the harbor with any wind. The harbor formed by the breakwater covers an anchorage of 1,377 acres, in which the depth exceeds 24 feet at mean low tide. The original project proposed to build the substructure of the breakwater to the level of 22 feet below low water of a mound of rubblestone, 40 feet wide on top. On March 2, 1892, the project was modified to include the entire breakwater by a report of the special board of engineers constituted for that purpose. 100 This project was approved March 17, 1892, and it proposes to construct the entire breakwater of rubblestone, with the following section: On the sea side, from the bottom to 15 feet below mean low water, a slope of 1 on 13; thence, to mean low water, 1 on 3; thence to 18 feet above mean low water, 1 on 1; the width on the crest, 20 feet; and the rear slope 1 on 73 to mean low water; thence, to the bottom, 1 on 1. The axis of the eastern branch of the breakwater is indicated by an iron spindle on Averys Ledge when in range with the south light-house on Thatchers Island. Cross ranges are established by iron pipes let into the rocks on Dry and Little Salvages, which mark points at intervals of 100 feet from the spindle (initial point) on Averys Ledge. The axis of the north branch is cross range 3,640. The estimated cost of the improvement is $5,000,000, to which must be added $2,500,000 for buoyage, lighting, and defense of the harbor. These estimates are based upon consecutive annual appropriations of not less than 10 per cent of the original estimates of cost. Should operations be suspended at any time from want of funds, or annual appropriations be reduced to small sums for a series of years, the expense for the final construction will be proportionally increased. The amount which has been appropriated to date is $450.000. The total amount expended to June 30, 1891, was $322,321.37. At that date 407,173 tons of rubblestone had been deposited in the breakwater, essentially completing its substructure between cross ranges 140 and 3,740. During the fiscal year 108,515 tons of rubblestone were deposited in the breakwater, under a contract dated December 4, 1890, with the Rockport and Pigeon Hill Granite companies, essentially completing the substructure of the breakwater between cross ranges 140 and 4,740. On June 10, 1892, this contract was extended three months from July 1, 1892, at the request of the contractors. To complete the project will cost $4,550,000, approximately. During the year ending June 30, 1894, $250,000 could be expended to advantage. The prospective benefits to commerce and navigation by the construction of this harbor of refuge are increased to life and property, and a consequent reduction in freight and insurance. Sandy Bay is situated in the collection district of Gloucester, Mass. The nearest light-house is Straitsmouth Light, situated on Straitsmouth Island, at the southern entrance to the bay. The accompanying commercial statistics for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, have been furnished by Mr. Charles S. Rogers, Rockport, Mass. The dates and amounts of appropriations for this work are as follows: July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1892, amount covered by uncompleted contracts $19, 627. 18 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project................. 1894 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. $127,678, 63 77, 020. 52 50,658. 11 35, 978. 71 14, 679. 40 150,000.00 164, 679.40 4,400, 000. 00 250,000.00 REPORT OF BOARD OF ENGINEERS ON LOCATION, PLAN, AND ESTIMATES FOR HARBOR OF REFUGE AT SANDY BAY, CAPE ANN, MASSACHUSETTS. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Boston, Mass., March 2, 1892. GENERAL: The Board of Engineers, constituted by Special Orders No. 91, Headquarters, Corps of Engineers, July 26, 1884," to consider and report upon the location, plan, and estimates for a national harbor. of refuge at Sandy Bay, Cape Ann, Massachusetts," ordered to reas semble at the call of the senior member "to consider and report upon plan for superstructure of the breakwater at that place," by Special Orders No. 3, Headquarters, Corps of Engineers, January 12, 1892, and to "report a plan for substructure as well as superstructure for the entire breakwater proposed for that locality," by Department letter dated February 1, 1892, has the honor to submit the following report: Sandy Bay is situated at the northeastern extremity of the promontory of Cape Ann, which forms the north limit of Massachusetts Bay. Its shore lines form a little less than a right angle, and their directions are nearly north and south and east and west. The rocky island of Straitsmouth forms the eastern extremity of one shore line, and the steep headland of Andrews Point the northern end of the other. Following the adopted line of the breakwater, the bay is 23 miles wide and has a depth of about 2 miles. On the land side the bay is perfectly protected by steep, high hills, but it is open to the full force of the violent easterly and northeasterly gales of this coast. At the mouth of the bay sunken rocky ledges exist, viz: Avery Ledge, the Dry and Little Salvages, the Flat Ground, and Abner Ledge. Inside these ledges the bay is entirely unobstructed, and has an average depth of 50 feet at mean low water over an area of about 1,300 acres. The river and harbor act of August 2, 1882, provided for an examination or survey of this bay with a view to the construction of a harbor of refuge. Maj. C. W. Raymond, Corps of Engineers, the local engineer, on November 28, 1883, submitted a survey, project, and estimate for a breakwater to form the proposed harbor. His report, which will be found in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1884, page 565, states that the project is preliminary and that detailed plans can only be determined after a protracted study of the forces in operation. This Board, which then consisted of Col. Charles E. Blunt and Lieut. Cols. Wm. P. Craighill and Walter McFarland, Corps of Engineers, in its reports of August 22 and November 20, 1884, stated that the lines. selected for the breakwater by the local engineer were the best that could be adopted for the formation of "a national harbor of refuge of the first class" in this locality, if it be decided that such a harbor is necessary. The Board expressed no opinion as to the character and details of the structure proposed, it being understood that these would depend upon investigations to be made before the commencement of the work, or during the earlier progress of operations on the substructure. The reports of the Board above referred to are published in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1885, pages 523 and 528. No detailed plan for this breakwater has yet been adopted by the Department, but the work in progress upon its construction since November, 1885, has been carried on in conformity with the preliminary project, modified from time to time by the approval of propositions for the expenditure of successive appropriations. A brief statement of the main features of the preliminary project, and of the modifications already adopted, with the reasons leading thereto, seems necessary to show the present condition of the improvement, and to explain the recommendations made by this Board, which are based upon the later experiences here and elsewhere in this and other countries. The breakwater, as proposed by the local engineer and approved by the Board of 1884, consisted, essentially, of two branches, one starting from Avery Ledge and extending north by west to Abner Ledge, a distance of about 3,600 feet; the other starting from Abner Ledge and extending west-northwest for a distance of about 5,400 feet. Along the southern branch, between Avery and Abner ledges, the average mean ENG. 92- -36 |