COMMERCIAL STATISTICS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1891, MYSTIC RIVER, CONNECTICUT, INCLUDING VILLAGES OF MYSTIC AND NOANK. No statistics for the previous year were received, and no estimate of increase or decrease was obtainable this year. The miscellaneous item is reported as being but partial. No new lines of transportation have been established since July 1, 1891. D 2. IMPROVEMENT OF THAMES RIVER, CONNECTICUT. This river is formed by the confluence of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, Conn., and extends southward as a tidal stream 15 miles to Long Island Sound. For 11 miles above its mouth the natural channel is from 13 to 80 feet deep, averaging over 30 feet for the first 4 miles. For 3 miles below Norwich the available depth in 1829 was but 6 feet at mean low water, where now there is 11 feet. Histories of the improvements may be found in the Annual Reports of the Chief of Engineers for 1873, page 981, and in that for 1879, Part I, page 331. PROJECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT. Prior to 1830 various attempts had been made by private parties or corporations to deepen the channel of this river near Norwich; the first ones were by excavation only, but subsequently stone piers were constructed perpendicular to the channel at shoal spots. By act of March 2, 1829, Congress appropriated $150 "for making a survey of the river Thames, with a view to improve the navigation of the same, and the cost of such improvement." The survey was made in 1829 by Capt. Hartman Bache, Corps of Engineers. At that time there were four old piers standing. In his report upon the survey, dated February 20, 1830, and printed in House of Representatives, War Department Document No. 125, Twenty-first Congress, first session, Capt. Bache submitted a project for making a channel 60 feet wide, to be either 12 or 14 feet deep at high water (9 or 11 feet at low water), by excavation, by rebuilding one of the existing piers, by adding wings to the other three, extending up and down stream, and converting them into T walls, and by building ten new piers, extending downstream in curves. The piers were to be built of riprap 3 feet wide on top, with side slopes of 45°, they were to be built to heights of from 1 to 3 feet above highest tide, those farthest up the stream being the highest. The piers were estimated to require 43,436 cubic yards of riprap, and the excavation was placed at 27,895 cubic yards for the 12-foot channel or 69,251 cubic yards for the 14-foot channel. The cost of the whole work was estimated at $72,650. The project was adopted, and under appropriations of 1836, 1837, and 1838, $40,000 in all, the piers were built nearly as designed, with the exception of two of the new piers and one wing wall, which were not constructed; considerable dredging was done, but no complete records of amounts appear to have been kept. Work was stopped in 1839 by exhaustion of appropriations. In 1866 a petition of citizens of Norwich, asking for an appropriation for removing obstructions in the river Thames, was referred to the Chief of Engineers, and returned by him to the Secretary of War with a report describing the work done upon the river, recommending no further work upon the piers until their efficiency could be investigated satisfactorily, and stating: In conclusion, it is considered that should the sum of $8,000 be appropriated for the improvement of this river, to be applied during the next fiscal year, all will be accomplished that can be justifiably undertaken until a commission decides upon other efficacious methods or systems of improvement. June 23, 1866, an appropriation of $10,000 was made for improving the river, under which a survey was made, and a project for dredging to obtain 11 feet at low water (14 feet at high water) was adopted. Under this and succeeding appropriations up to 1878 this channel was dredged, and, as far as possible, maintained with a width of 100 feet. March 3, 1879, $12,000 was appropriated "for the improvement of Thames River to secure a 14-foot channel," and in accordance therewith the project was modified to provide for a channel of that depth at low water. In 1882, upon the recommendation of Maj. Barlow, approved by the Board of Engineers, the project was further modified by providing for the construction of 5 dikes or training walls along the outer sides of the channel curves, with the addition of low walls on the inner sides, should they be found necessary, the width of the waterway between them increasing from 300 feet (about the full width of the river) at Thamesville, 1 mile below Norwich, to 480 feet at the lower dike. The object of the training walls was to utilize the action of the tide to keep the channel open. They were to be built up to high-water level and to have an aggregate length of 13,800 feet. In the same year the projected width of the channel was increased to 200 feet. The improvement was designed to extend over the first 3 miles below Norwich, and the estimated cost wasFor the five dikes or training walls... For dredging 200 feet wide and 14 feet deep Total.... $82,800 125,280 208, 080 Under several appropriations up to 1888 work was carried on under this project without modification. In May, 1888, in response to a letter from the Hon. Charles Russell, M. C., to the Secretary of War, asking the "approximate cost of completing the 16-feet-deep channel to Allyn Point and the 14-feet-deep channel to Norwich, estimates for the same were submitted as follows: For securing, by dredging, a 16-foot channel up to Allyn Point For securing, by dredging, a 14-foot channel from Allyn Point to the end of the existing improvement. $24,000 16, 200 By act of Congress of August 11, 1888, an appropriation of $50,000 was made for continuing the improvement of Thames River, with a clause authorizing its expenditure "at any point between Norwich and New London." The project was therefore extended to include the above-described work, and as now adopted it consists in making and maintaining, by dredging and a system of training walls, a channel 200 feet wide from New London to Norwich, having 16 feet depth at low water up to Allyn Point, about 5 miles below Norwich, and 14 feet from Allyn Point to Norwich. The additional cost of the extension of the project made in 1888, about $40,000, makes the estimate for completion $95,600. The estimated cost of annual maintenance should also be increased to $8,000. Under this project, up to July 1, 1891, 316,139 cubic yards of sand, etc., had been dredged from the channel above Allyn Point, and 84,890 cubic yards of sand and mud from the 16-foot channels at and below Allyn Point. The three dikes farthest downstream had been built and a fourth one to about three-quarters its contemplated length. OPERATIONS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1892. At the beginning of the year work was in progress under a contract with Elijah Brainard, of New York City, for dredging at the rate of 244 cents per cubic yard of dredged material measured in scows. Under this contract, which was completed October 2, 1891, 73,419 cubic yards of material, mostly sand and gravel, were removed during the fiscal year, making a total of 101,833 cubic yards removed under this contract from May 20, 1891, to October 2, 1891. The channel at Thamesville (1 mile below Norwich) had been made 125 feet wide and 12 feet deep at mean low water; a shoal had been removed between Perch Rock and Trading Cove Dike, making a channel 125 feet wide and 12 feet deep; also the channel opposite Fort Point had been made 125 feet wide and 14 feet deep. PRESENT CONDITION OF IMPROVEMENT. Of the five dikes or training walls provided for in the project, the four farthest downstream have been built at cost as follows: The Rolling Mill Dike, originally designed to be 4,350 feet long, is now 3,093 feet long, with a gap of 390 feet at the "sand pier," and extends northward nearly to the Lower Rolling Mill embankment. The project contemplated extending it about 600 feet north of the embankment, but since its adoption the Lower Rolling Mill Company has dredged a channel toward shore on the north side of their embankment which is now used as a landing. It would be necessary to leave an opening for this channel, and probably it will be found expedient not to extend the dike above the embankment. The upper dike, one-half mile below Norwich, has not been begun. The low-water depth in the channel from New London to Allyn Point is not less than 16 feet, with width of 200 feet or over; from Allyn Point to the upper end of Walden Island Beach the depth is practically 14 feet and the width not less than 175 feet; above the latter point up to Norwich the depth is 11 feet or over, and the width from 75 to 150 feet. PROPOSED OPERATIONS. Future appropriations will be applied to completing the dikes, if necessary, and to making and maintaining a channel 200 feet wide, to be 16 feet deep at mean low water up to Allyn Point, and thence to Norwich to be 14 feet deep, as provided in the approved project. Appropriations for the improvement of Thames River have been made as follows: *Appropriated for present project; these, with $20,000 from previous appropriations (see Annual Report for 1882, Part Ì, page 603), make a total of $172,500 for present project. The Thames River is in the collection district of New London. The nearest lighthouse is at the mouth of the river, on the west shore. Forts Trumbull and Griswold overlook the mouth of the river from either shore. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893..... 4,540.95 30,000.00 34, 540.95 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. 55, 600.00 55, 600. 00 *Of which $10,000 may be expended in improvement of Shaws Cove, New London Harbor. Abstract of contract for improving Thames River, Connecticut, in force during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892. COMMERCIAL STATISTICS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 1891, INCLUDING ALL PORTS ABOVE Total value of above freight roughly estimated at $30,478,400. Tons. 447, 401 11,802 12,000 92, 154 46, 211 609, 568 The above statement shows an increase over the amount reported for the previous year of 140,424 tons. No new lines of transportation have been established since July 1, 1891. D 3. IMPROVEMENT OF CONNECTICUT RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT. This river rises in the northern part of New Hampshire, flows in a generally southerly course between the States of New Hampshire and Vermont, crosses the States of Massachusetts and Connecticut, and empties into Long Island Sound at Saybrook Point, Conn. It is divided naturally into two parts, Hartford, Conn., at the head of navigation, being the point of division, and appropriations by Congress have generally specified in which part the money appropriated was to be expended. The divisions are as follows: 1. Above Hartford, Connecticut.-Embracing a length of about 66 miles, from Hartford, Conn., to Miller Falls, Mass. 2. Below Hartford, Connecticut.-Embracing a length of about 50 miles, from Hartford to Long Island Sound. |