D 16. IMPROVEMENT OF PORT CHESTER HARBOR, NEW YORK. This harbor consists of the lower part of the Byram River and a bay at its mouth opening into Long Island Sound. The river for about 13 miles from its mouth forms the boundary line between the States of New York and Connecticut. It was formerly navigable to within a few hundred feet or the bridge at Port Chester, a little more than a mile above the mouth. Before improvement the available depth up to the wharves was about 1 foot at mean low water. The mean rise of tide is 7.4 feet. PROJECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT. A survey of the harbor was made in 1871, and a project for improvement based on it was submitted and adopted. The project provided for the removal of two rocks-Sunken Rock, at the entrance to the bay, with 5.7 feet low-water depth, to be removed to 11 feet, and Salt Rock, about 1,000 feet above the mouth of the river, partly bare at low water, to be removed to 9 feet depth; it also provided for a breakwater, 400 feet long, at Byram Point. The estimated cost was as follows: Sunken Rock, 1, 474.5 cubic yards, at $10 Total $58,980 12, 652 25,000 96, 632 Under this project Salt Rock was removed in 1873. No further work was done until 1884, when a survey of the channel was made under the appropriation of August 2, 1882, and a project for expending the funds available in 1884 (about $16,000) was submitted and approved. provided for making a channel from 60 to 100 feet wide and 23 feet deep at mean low water, from the bay to the vicinity of the bridge at Port Chester. The channel was completed to within 150 feet of the bridge in May, 1885. It In 1886 9,232 cubic yards of sand and gravel were dredged, straightening the channel and removing small lumps and irregularities. Under the appropriation of $5,000 made in 1888, the project was modified to omit the removal of Sunken Rock, and to change the location of the proposed breakwater, making it extend from Sunken Rock toward the shore. Sunken Rock was dangerous only because it was submerged, and was at the side of the channel; the channel width at the rock was ample. A breakwater with the end on the rock, rising some distance above high water, would serve as a beacon, and would be an aid instead of a danger to navigation, besides affording more shelter than the originally proposed breakwater; thus it would take the place both of the breakwater and of the removal of Sunken Rock, together estimated to cost $83,980. On account of this modification, in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1890, the estimated cost of completion of project was reduced from $64,632 to $25,000. Up to July 1, 1891, Salt Rock had been removed, a channel 23 feet deep at mean low water had been dredged up to the Port Chester Highway Bridge, and 585 linear feet of breakwater had been constructed from Sunken Rock toward Byram Point. OPERATIONS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1892. Nothing was done. PRESENT CONDITION OF IMPROVEMENT. Salt Rock has been removed to a depth of 9 feet at mean low water. An available channel, 2 feet deep at mean low water, has been dredged to a point 150 feet below the bridge; thence to the bridge, the width is 25 feet. In front of the wharves, where vessels lie aground at low tide, the bottom has been leveled as nearly as practicable. Five hundred and eighty-five linear feet of the breakwater have been built with the top 5 feet wide, and 1 foot above high water, and with slopes of 1 upon 1; the end of the breakwater, resting upon Sunken Rock, was built to 5 feet above high water, to serve as a beacon. PROPOSED OPERATIONS. With future appropriations it is proposed to extend the breakwater to high-water mark on Byram Point, and to maintain, and, if necessary, to deepen the channel of the river. The estimated cost of completion of the project is $20,000. Appropriations for Port Chester Harbor have been made as follows: Port Chester Harbor is in the collection district of New York. The nearest light-house is on Great Captain Island, 14 miles east of the mouth of the harbor. The nearest work of defense is Fort Schuyler, Throgs Neck, about 15 miles southwest. Money statement. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended June 30, 1892, amount expended during the 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.... $1,058, 69 446.67 612.02 5,000.00 5, 612.02 15, 000, 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1894 15,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. The above figures show an increase in tonnage of freights since 1890 of 11,000 tons. The principal articles of commerce by water are manufactured goods, coal, iron, farmers' produce, and general merchandise. No new lines of transportation have been established since July 1, 1891. D 17. IMPROVEMENT OF LARCHMONT HARBOR, NEW YORK. Larchmont Harbor is a bay on the northwest shore of Long Island Sound, about 25 miles by water from the Battery, New York City, and 6 miles southwest from the boundary between the States of New York and Connecticut. The harbor is about half a mile wide, and extends rather more than half a mile inland; it is a basin with no definite channel, the low-water depth of 18 feet at the entrance gradually decreasing towards the shores, east, north, and west. The harbor is chiefly used by the Larchmont Yacht Club, but is more or less sought by small coasters and fishing vessels for refuge or for night anchorage. It is exposed to storms from east to south, and during northeast storms heavy seas roll around Long Beach Point, east of the harbor, and compel vessels to go well up into shoal water for shelter. The entrance is divided into three channels by two rocks; Umbrella Rock, about 800 feet from the west shore, being a large ledge with least depth of 3.1 feet at mean low water, and Huron Rock about 900 feet southwest from the east shore, a smaller ledge with least depth of 9.8 feet. The channel between the rocks is over 900 feet wide, and is the one almost invariably used. There are other rocks inside the harbor which are well known and are marked by spindles; they are too near the west shore to interfere with the use of the harbor for general navigation. The mean rise of tide is 7.4 feet. PROJECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT. The river and harbor act of August 11, 1888, provided for a survey of Larchmont Harbor, which was made the following year. The report on the survey, dated November 26, 1889, was printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 40, Fifty-first Congress, first session, and also in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1890, Part I, page 675. With the report were presented two alternative projects for improvement; one for removal of Umbrella and Huron rocks, the other for breakwaters to cover each rock and extend to the nearest shore; the cost of removing the rocks to 15 feet depth at mean low water was estimated at $126,000, and the cost of the two breakwaters at $105,000. At the date of the report, the preference of those most interested in the harbor was expressed in favor of removing the rocks; after further consideration they changed their views, preferring the breakwaters, and in accordance with their petition or request, a clause in the first draft of the river and harbor act of 1890, which required that the money appropriated for this harbor be expended "to remove obstructions at mouth of harbor” was struck out. The project for constructing two breakwaters at the mouth of the harbor was approved by the Secretary of War September 27, 1890, after the first appropriation for improving the harbor was made. Up to July 1, 1891, 74 linear feet of Umbrella Breakwater and 64 linear feet of Huron Breakwater had been built. OPERATIONS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1892. Nothing was done. PRESENT CONDITION OF IMPROVEMENT. The only public work done in this harbor is the beginning of construction of two breakwaters; Umbrella Breakwater has been made 74 feet long and Huron Breakwater 64 feet long. Both were begun upon the rocks and were built to 10 feet above low water, with top width of 4 feet, the outer ends being slightly higher to serve as beacons on the rocks. At their present lengths they serve no other purpose than to mark the rocks. PROPOSED OPERATIONS. Future appropriations should be applied to completing both breakwaters, as provided for in the project. The only appropriation for improving Larchmont Harbor is the one of $5,000 made by act of Congress approved September 19, 1890. Larchmont Harbor is in the collection district of New York. The nearest lighthouse is on Execution Rock, 3 miles southward. Fort Schuyler, about 8 miles southwest, is the nearest work of defense. Money statement. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended ....... June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project........ ENG 92-45 $114.28 293.33 120.95 100,000.00 50, 000.00 COMMERCIAL STATISTICS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1891. Number of yachts entering harbor during 1891 (estimated) 2, 200 Tonnage of these yachts.. Draft of these yachts... Number of vessels other than yachts entering harbor for refuge or for night .feet.. 3 to 13 tons.. 3 to 400 [Draft, from 3 to 13 feet; tonnage, 6 to 300 tons; total tonnage, 5,000 tons.] No new lines of transportation have been established since July 1, 1891. D 18. IMPROVEMENT OF ECHO HARBOR, NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK. Echo Harbor is a bay on the north shore of Long Island Sound, distant about 24 miles by water from the battery at New York. It is landlocked except towards the southeast and has a good anchorage. Nearly all of the water transportation of the town of New Rochelle is carried on through this harbor. The depth in the bay varies from 6 to 15 feet at mean low water, though the low-water channel up to the wharves is only from 1 to 2 feet deep. The mean rise of tide is 7.3 feet. PROJECT FOR IMPROVEMENT. A survey was made in 1875 and a project based on it was submitted December 20, 1875, and subsequently adopted, providing for the removal of two rocky reefs from the channel, viz: First. Sheepshead Reef, lying midway between Echo Island and Duck Point, which had 1.6 feet of water upon it at low tide. This was to be removed to a depth of 9 feet at low water, which required the excavation of 872.5 cubic yards of rock, costing.. Second, Start Rock, which projects about 2 feet above low water, and lies in the channel 120 feet from Beaufort Point. This was to be removed to 7 feet below low water, requiring the excavation of 370 cubic yards of rock, costing.. Contingencies Total..... $21, 201.75 12, 672.50 5,081, 13 38,965.38 A depth of 7 feet over Start Rock was obtained in January, 1880, and in 1881-1883 506 cubic yards were removed from the southern part of Sheepshead Reef, making 9 feet depth. In May, 1889, a petition of resi. |