required money could be made available at one time, was estimated in 1891 at $175,375. The amount expended upon the modified project of 1885 up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $197,680.02. At the close of the contract, June 15, 1888, the channel was 300 feet wide and 21 feet deep, mean low water, from Perth Amboy to the bend at Great Beds Light, and 300 feet wide and 20 feet deep, mean low water, across the crest of the shoal in the channel leading from the bend toward Seguine Point. At the close of the year the channel eastward of Seguine Point was 100 feet wide, with a depth of 21 feet, mean low water, and the channel from Great Beds Light to South Amboy was 170 feet wide and 15 feet deep, mean low water. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $30,827.09, and was applied in dredging 8,095 cubic yards of material from the channel leading from Great Beds Light to South Amboy, N. J., and 106,195 cubic yards of material from the Seguine Point Channel. When work was suspended on exhaustion of appropriation, September 24, 1891, the channel leading eastward from Seguine Point was 180 feet wide and 21 feet deep, mean low water, and the channel from Great Beds Light to South Amboy was 170 feet wide and 15 feet deep, mean low water. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended. June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities 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. harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix E 11.) $32, 050. 24 30, 754.28 1,295.96 72.81 1,223. 15 40,000.00 41, 223. 15 95, 375.00 12. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation. The wreck of an old canal boat was removed from Gravesend Bay, Lower New York Harbor, August 12, 1891, under contract with Mr. John F. Baxter, at a cost of $144. The wreck of a canal boat was removed from Raritan Bay, near South Amboy, N. J., February 1, 1892, under contract with the Chapman Derrick and Wrecking Company, at a cost of $199. (See Appendix E 12.) EXAMINATION AND SURVEY, MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 19, 1890. The required preliminary examination for canal from main channel from Jamaica Bay easterly to Long Beach Inlet, New York, was made by the local engineer in charge, Lieut. Col. Gillespie, and report thereon submitted. It is his opinion, based upon the facts and reasons given, that only the western portion of the water way mentioned in the act is worthy of improvement. This opinion being concurred in by me, Lieut. Col. Gillespie was charged with and has completed survey of this portion of the water way (being the eastern part of Jamaica Bay) and submitted report thereon. ENG 92-7 The improvement proposed contemplates the excavation of a navigable water way, 60 feet wide and 5 feet deep at mean low water, from Beach Channel to some point on the eastern shore of Jamaica Bay. Three routes, with estimates, are submitted, as follows: 1. From Beach Channel, through Conch Hole, to Citizens Cut, at Far Rockaway 2. From Beach Channel, through Bass Channel, to Citizens Cut, at Far Rockaway $21,406 18,920 3. From Beach Channel, through Bass Channel, to eastern shore of Jamaica Bay, near foot of Bayswater avenue 9,460 In connection with the Conch Hole route, Lieut. Col. Gillespie states: If an appropriation be made for making an artificial water way through the eastern part of Jamaica Bay along the Conch Hole route, the act should provide that the money shall not become available until after the right of way over such parts as lie above high water shall have been ceded to the Government free of charge. The reports were transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 29, Fifty-second Congress, first session. (See also Appendix E 13.) IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS AND HARBORS ON SOUTHWESTERN SHORE OF LONG ISLAND AND NEAR STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, AND IN NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY. Officer in charge, Capt. Thomas L. Casey, Corps of Engineers; division engineer, Col. Henry L. Abbot, Corps of Engineers. 1. Sumpawanus Inlet, New York.-The channel depth at the time of the adoption of the project varied from 5 feet in the bay at mean low water to 2 feet at the wharf at the mouth of the creek, a distance of a little over half a mile. The project for the improvement of this inlet, known locally as Sumpawams Creek, adopted in 1880, provided for dredging a channel about 4,500 feet long and from 100 to 150 feet wide and 5 feet deep at mean low water, beginning at the 5-foot curve in the Great South Bay and extending up to the town of Babylon, Long Island. The amount expended under this project to June 30, 1891, was $7,000. With this amount a channel 75 feet wide and 5 feet deep from the steamboat wharf to a point 750 feet below it was dredged, besides dredging two cuts, each 25 feet wide, alongside the wharf. Outside of the cuts so made and extending to the 5-foot curve in the bay a shoal was left, on which the depth was only 43 feet. An examination made in 1886 showed that since the last dredging was done, in 1883, both the cut and the flat outside had shoaled from 6 inches to 1 foot, the depth in the cut being about 5 feet, while on the flat it was from 4 to 4 feet. The 5-foot curve in the bay was about 1,500 feet from the steamboat wharf, but inside this curve, for about 750 feet towards the wharf, lay the flat. The commerce of the inlet is reported for the calendar year 1891 to be 1,427 tons, against 1,278 tons for 1890. The passenger traffic to Fire Island Beach during the past year is stated to be in excess of that reported for 1890, viz, 10,000. There were no expenditures on account of this work during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, there being no funds available. (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 F 1.) $16, 115.00 2. Canarsie Bay, New York.-The original condition of the channel leading to Canarsie answered to a depth of 4 feet, mean low water. The original project, adopted in 1879, provides for obtaining a navigable channel 6 feet deep at mean low water from Canarsie Landing to the deep water in Jamaica Bay by means of diking and the formation of a tidal basin. In the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, 1880, Part I, page 574, Gen. Newton expressed a doubt as to adequaté appropriations being made for carrying out the authorized project and suggested that dredging be tried as an expedient. The amount expended to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $42,688.36. With this amount two pile dikes have been built, one on the north side of the outer end of the channel, the other on the south side, their lengths being 1,058 feet and 820 feet, respectively; the channel dredged to a depth of 6 feet, mean low water, and width of from 50 to 125 feet from Canarsie Landing to deep water in Jamaica Bay, besides several minor improvements not contemplated in the original project. The expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, amount to $5,255.77. With this amount the channel was increased in width by 50 feet for a distance of 1,950 feet from the landing at Canarsie, one cut being dredged from each side; two cuts were also taken from the south side of the channel, extending for a distance of 600 feet from the outer end of the north dike, and a single cut 180 feet in length along the side of the dock at Canarsie Landing, and necessary repairs were made to the north dike. The main channel has now a width of 100 to 150 feet, with a minimum depth of 6 feet, mean low water, from Canarsie Landing to the deep water in Jamaica Bay. The commerce of Canarsie Bay is reported for the calendar year 1891 to be 56,210 tons, against 50,898 tons reported for 1890. 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. 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 F 2.) $5, 311.64 5, 255. 77 55.87 5,000.00 5,055.87 35,000.00 3. Sheepshead Bay, New York. The original condition of the navigable channel was, for the entrance, a depth of a little over 2 feet at mean low water, and for the interior channel not less than 4 feet, except at two narrow bulkheads across said channel. The originally adopted project (1879) was to deepen the entrance by means of converging jetties and to improve the interior channel by longitudinal dikes, so placed as in some instances to form tidal reser voirs for the scour of the channel. The project was revised in 1881 and provides for excavating a channel at the outlet 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water, to connect the bay with Dead Horse Inlet, and to dredge the interior channel; this was modified in February, 1889, the modified project contemplating a channel 5,350 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 5 feet deep, mean low water, from the town of Sheepshead to within 1,080 feet of Dead Horse Inlet Cut, to connect with the channel of similar width and depth already existing at that point. The amount expended on this project to the end of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $25,784,26, With this amount a channel had been dredged 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water, connecting the east end of the bay with Dead Horse Inlet, and the interior channel dredged 60 feet wide and 5 feet deep at mean low water, for a distance of 3,400 feet, from the town of Sheepshead toward Dead Horse Inlet. The first-mentioned channel, from a survey in 1887, was observed to have not maintained itself, having contracted to a width of 60 feet with an average depth of 5 feet, mean low water; the condition of the more recently dredged interior channel, however, has been found by an examination, made in 1891, to be highly satisfactory. 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..... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix F 3.) $215.74 43. 17 172.57 8, 200.00 4. Arthur Kill, New York and New Jersey.-A history of this improvement, which originated by special resolution of the Committee of Commerce in the Senate, is given in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, 1889, Part I, page 819. The improvement consists in the removal of a point of land near and to the south of the Staten Island Bridge, for the purpose of straightening the channel, in order that the currents may be directed more truly in a direction perpendicular to the draw span of the bridge, thus facilitating the passage of long tows. A statement of condemnation proceedings for acquiring to the United States the land needed for this improvement will be found in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1890, Part I, page 843. The total amount expended on this improvement to June 30, 1891, was $10,340.59; with this amount payments had been made in the condemnation proceedings alluded to above, in the part purchase of the Government tug at present on the Raritan River, and in dredging off about one-half an acre of the obstruction known as "Steep Point," with a resulting increase of 150 feet in the channel width and with a uniform depth of 13 feet at mean low water where the land was originally 6 feet above that plane. The available funds appropriated by the act of September 19, 1890, were covered by a contract made with the Atlantic Dredging Company on March 21, 1891, which was completed June 25, 1891, as stated in my last annual report. This work resulted in an additional channel width of 60 feet, with the same mean low-water depth as stated in the preceding paragraph, and another half acre of land was removed, making a total of about one acre removed under the project and giving a total channel width at this point of 710 feet. No work has been done during the fiscal year. The commerce was reported for the calendar year 1890 to be 6,945,604 tons, against 6,947,635 tons for 1891. 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 F 4.) $4,500.00 5. Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey.-Before this improvement was undertaken by the United States there was a navigable channel having a minimum depth of 9.2 feet from the deep water in Newark Bay to Elizabethport. The first project for the improvement of this channel was made in 1873. This provided for dredging it to a depth of 16 feet for a width of 150 feet at its shallowest part, and protecting the cut by parallel dikes. The estimated cost of this was $443,210. This project was changed in 1880 so as to dredge a channel 400 feet wide and 13 feet deep over the middle 200 feet of its width, leaving it but 12 feet deep over the remaining widths of 100 feet on each side. The estimated cost of this work was $125,705. In addition to this it was proposed, should it be found necessary, to build four detached dikes along the line of the channel, two on the north and two on the south side, the estimated cost of which was $60,000, bringing the total estimated cost of the proposed improvement up to $185,705. Subsequently it was decided to give the channel 13 feet depth for its full width of 400 feet, increasing the estimate to $210,000. A modification of this project, having in view the abandonment of the dikes, was submitted May 9, 1889, and was approved by Department letter dated May 15, and a further modification, calling for a uniform channel depth of 14 feet at mean low water over the entire width of 400 feet, was approved October 20, 1890. The amount expended to June 30, 1891, was $190,611.06. With this amount 2,237 feet of dike was built, the channel dredged throughout its entire projected length to a mean low-water depth of 13 feet, with widths varying from 300 to 350 feet, and in the vicinity of the bend at the Corner Stake Light, for a distance of 3,000 feet, the width had been increased to 400 feet, with mean low-water depths of from 13 to 14 feet. This latter work was done under contract with Thomas H. Benton, dated March 23, 1891, and has resulted in considerable improvement of the channel in regard to width, which, because of the sharp turn at the Corner Stake Light, should be as great as is consistent with the maintaining power of the current. The expenditures during the past fiscal year amount to $6,665.32, $5,891.32 of which was an outstanding liability under the above-mentioned contract, which was completed June 29, 1891, the remaining $774 having been for office expenses. No work has been done during the past fiscal year other than office work on the maps and records. The amount of commerce reported for the calendar year 1891 is 9,219,481 tons against 9,170,514 tons for 1890. 16, 723.62 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project........ Submitted in compliance with requirements of sectious 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix F 5.) 46,000.00 |