of the jetties are reported, except such as are due to work done during the year. Morris Island has not cut away seriously. On Sullivan Island no marked changes have occurred. The two spur jetties built in 1884 for the protection of a portion of the shore of Mount Pleasant are in good condition. The construction of a breakwater along this shore is delayed only till the right of way is approved by the Department of Jus tice, $5,000 having been specifically provided in the river and harbor act of September 19, 1890, for this purpose. The total expenditures have been $1,894,447.61. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended ... Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890.. $233,900, 32 370,000.00 July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts 231, 937.67 266, 924. 79 41, 127.60 July 1, 1891, balance available Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project ..... 2, 178, 000. 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix M 10.) 750,000.00 11. Ashley River, South Carolina.-Ashley River is about 40 miles in length and runs in a generally southeasterly direction. At its mouth the city of Charleston occupies the left bank. The plan of improvement comprises the removal of a shoal at a place named Accabee, about 8 miles above the city of Charleston, where, according to a survey made in 1873, there was then only 9 feet of water at low tide, and the removal of a shoal just below the Wando Phosphate Works, where only 6 feet of water was found at low tide. It was proposed to increase the draft of water over these shoals by dredging to a depth of from 10 to 11 feet at mean low tide, at an estimated cost of $5,000. Of four appropriations made for this work, the past three, aggregating $4,500, were expended in improving the river at the places indicated, obtaining low-water depth of from 10 to 11 feet on width of from 100 to over 200 feet. This satisfactory condition of the river has continued during the past fiscal year, for which reason the last appropriation of $1,000 made by act approved August 5, 1886, was largely held in reserve until it should appear expedient or necessary to expend it. It is reported that the value of its commerce has increased by $515,000 and the tonnage by 45,200 tons. The bridge of the Charleston Bridge Company, across this river, near Charleston, has been modified so as to afford better facilities for navigation during the year. The total expenditures to June 30, 1891, were $4,673.66. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended.......... June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1891, balance unexpended... (See Appendix M 11.) $846.00 19.66 826.34 12. Wappoo Cut, South Carolina.-Wappoo Cut is a narrow, crooked, tidal stream, separating James Island from the main land and connecting Stono and Ashley rivers. Parts of it were originally very shallow. The project comprises securing a channel 60 feet wide and 6 feet deep at low water by dredging, training walls at the Stono River entrance, revetting the banks of Elliott Cut with stone, making another cut through the marsh, constructing three more closing dams, and dredging Ashley River Bar. There is now a continuous 6-foot channel through from Ashley to Stono River at low water. The total expenditures to June 30, 1891, have been $40,413.77. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended.... Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year $1,646.00 10,000.00 11, 646. 00 9, 059.77 July 1, 1891, balance unexpended..... 2,586.23 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project (See Appendix M 12.) of river and 45,000,00 45,000.00 13. Edisto River, South Carolina.-The Edisto River is formed by the junction of the North and South Forks, which unite in the southern part of Orangeburg County. The stream was very much obstructed by numerous bends, snags, overhanging trees, piles, and shoals, generally of sand, but in some places of hard clay and rock. The plan of improvement contemplates the establishment of a channel available at all seasons of the year for rafts and flatboats from the sea 260 miles to Guignard Landing on the South Fork. It embraces shutting off lat eral arms of the river, removing shoals, snags, logs, piles, and other obstructions. The cost is estimated at $33,385. The river and harbor act of September 19, 1890, provides $5,000 to be spent equally in the North and South Forks, which changes the scope of the project. The money spent on the North Fork should not be charged against the original estimate. A large number of snags, logs, overhanging trees, and piles have been removed, and several sucks have been opened and others closed, thus confining the river to one channel. This work has materially benefited navigation by shortening the time and reducing the expense of trips. The work done during the year has been mostly on the two forks. The total expenditures to June 30, 1891, were $21,806.75. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890 $336.50 5,000.00 [Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.......... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix M 13.) ENG. 91-12 7,385.00 7,385.00 14. Salkahatchie River, South Carolina.-The Salkahatchie River rises in Aiken County, S. C., and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The lower part of the river is known as the Combahee. Above a point known as Hickory Hill the river was obstructed at numerous places by piles, logs, trees, and sand bars. The project of improvement contemplated the creation of a continuous channel suitable for rafts and flatboats from a point 5 miles above Toby Bluff to Hickory Hill. The cost was estimated at $18,000. The work done comprised thoroughly clearing the lower 12 miles of Salkahatchie River between Hickory Hill and the Charleston and Savannah Railroad Bridge, and improving the reaches from that bridge to Broxton Bridge. A substantial improvement of the river is reported. The river and harbor act of September 19, 1890, provided $5,000 for this river, completing the estimated cost. No further funds will be required, the improvement being completed so nearly that the funds last appropriated will be sufficient for its maintenance. The total expenditures to June 30, 1891, were $13,475.20. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended......... Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended July 1, 1891, outstanding liabilities. July 1, 1891, balance available (See Appendix M 14.) $245.15 5,000.00 5, 245, 15 720.35 4,524.80 5.60 4,519.20 15. Beaufort River, South Carolina.-The portion of this river under improvement lies between Coosaw River and the town of Beaufort. It possessed a 7-foot channel nearly all the way through in places narrow, but for some distance had no more than 4 feet depth at low water. The project provides for creating a through 7-foot channel of conven ient width by dredging. The first work ever done on this river by the United States was begun in June, 1891, 3,754 cubic yards having been dredged. The total expenditures, including June 30, 1891, have been $603.17. Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890. June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year.. $12,500.00 603.17 July 1, 1891, balance unexpended... 11, 896.83 $863.42 July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.. 10, 136.58 11,000.00 July 1, 1891, balance available... 896.83 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. 12,500.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 12,500.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix M 15.) 16. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering naviga tion. During the past fiscal year the removal of a wreck of a vessel, name unknown, loaded with guns and shot, from the South Channel across the Charleston, S. C., bar was completed. (See Appendix M 16.) EXAMINATION FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 19, 1890. The required preliminary examination of Wateree River, South Carolina, from Camden to the falls of the Catawba, also of the bend or curve in said river about 4 miles below Camden between the plantations of Witte and Williams to determine if it is advisable in the interest of navigation to make a cut off across the neck of said bend, was made by the local engineer in charge, Captain Abbot, and report thereon submitted through Col. William P. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Southeast Division. It is the opinion of Captain Abbot, and of the Division Engineer, based upon the facts and reasons given, that this locality is not worthy of improvement. This opinion being concurred in by me, no further survey was ordered. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 271, Fiftyfirst Congress, second session. (See also Appendix M 17.) IMPROVEMENT OF CERTAIN RIVERS AND HARBORS IN GEORGIA, AND OF CUMBERLAND SOUND, GEORGIA AND FLORIDA. Officer in charge, Capt. O. M. Carter, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. Thomas H. Rees, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders; Division Engineer, Col. Wm. P. Craighill, Corps of Engineers. 1. Savannah River and Harbor, Georgia.-The plan of improvement under which operations have been carried on in Savannah Harbor during the last fiscal year was approved by the Secretary of War on July 22, 1890. The project contemplates the establishment of a navigable channel 26 feet deep at mean high water between the city of Savannah and Tybee Roads. The mean rise and fall of tide varies from about 7 feet at Fort Pulaski to about 6 feet in front of the city wharves. The estimated cost of the improvement is $3,500,000. In 1873, prior to improvement, the channel was in places not more than 9 feet deep at mean low water, and the usual high-water draft of vessels was not more than 14.5 feet. During the fiscal year just closed 72,178.84 square yards of log and brush mattresses and 26,160.5 cubic yards of stone have been used in the oyster-bed training wall. In the pile and brush work forming the closing dam at the Duck Puddle, the training wall below Spirit Island, and the spur dams protecting the banks at Elba Island and Jones Island there have been used 2,339 piles, 25,825.57 cubic yards of brush fascines, and 1,134.32 cubic yards of stone. Between the ocean steamship wharves and Tybee Knoll 396,144.66 cubic yards of material have been removed by dredging. The expendi tures during the year amounted to $212.148.91. The total amount expended under the present project to June 30, 1891, including all outstanding liabilities, is $277,943.49. There is now a navigable channel from the city to the sea with a least mean low-water depth of 14 feet, a gain of about 5 feet since the work was begun. The real gain in navigable depth is somewhat greater than here shown, and vessels of from 20 to 21 feet draft now go from the city to the sea on a single tide. The estimated reduction in freight rates, due to the improvements already executed, is 25 per cent., which effects an annual saving in freights alone of more than the total sum of money expended by the United States upon the harbor within the last 25 years, July 1, 1890, balance unexpended.... Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1890.. $4,035.05 350,000.00 354, 035.05 June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year 212, 148.91 July 1, 1891, balance unexpended....... 141,886. 14 July 1, 1891, outstanding liabilities.... July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contracts $65, 794.58 126, 779.28 July 1, 1891, balance available 15, 106.86 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... 3, 150, 000.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix N 1.) 1,000,000.00 2. Savannah River, Georgia.-The present project for the improvement of this river was adopted in 1890, the object being to secure a lowwater steamboat channel not less than 5 feet in depth between the cities of Augusta and Savannah, Ga. The estimated cost of the improvement is $332,000. Prior to inprovement navigation was much impeded by logs, snags, piles, and other obstructions. The depth at summer low water over some of the shoals did not exceed 2 or 3 feet. The expenditures during the year amounted to $7,411.24. The total amount expended under the present project to June 30, 1891, including all outstanding liabilities, is $7,411.24, and has resulted in removing 354 snags, stumps, and logs, and 3,443 overhanging trees from the most troublesome places throughout the whole extent of river. Five trees were swung to bank and 24 logs were cut up on bank. The depth of water over the shoals near Augusta has increased during the year. July 1, 1890, balance unexpended............ Amount appropriated by act approved September 19, 1830. June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.......... $19.91 25,000.00 25, 019.91 7,411.24 17,608.67 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... 307,000,00 (See Appendix N 2.) 3. Darien Harbor, Georgia.-The plan of improvement under which operations have been carried on in Darien Harbor during the last fiscal year was adopted in 1885. The project contemplates the establishment of a navigable channel 12 feet deep at mean low water between Darien and Doboy. The mean rise and fall of tide is about 6.5 feet. The estimated cost of the improvement is $170,000. No work has ever been done under the existing project prior to the fiscal year just closed, during which 13,194.6 cubic yards of material were removed by dredging during the month of June. The expenditures during the year amounted to $1,835.73. The total amount expended to June 30, 1891, including all outstanding liabilities, is $4,870.49, and has resulted in removing 13,194.6 cubic yards of material from the worst shoal in the harbor. |