State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HARBOR COMMISSIONERS, MADE TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT ITS JANUARY SESSION, 1899. PROVIDENCE, R. I. E. L. FREEMAN & SONS, PRINTERS TO THE STATE. REPORT. To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island, etc.: The Board of Harbor Commissioners respectfully submits its Twenty-Third Annual Report. APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD. At the May session of this General Assembly, His Excellency the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, reappointed Henry C. Bradford, of Providence, to serve as Harbor Commissioner for a further term of three years from the first of July. HARBOR LINES. At the special request of the Governor, the Harbor Commissioners on the eleventh of January attended a meeting of a Board of Engineer Officers of the United States at Newport, called "to fix upon a harbor line [in Newport harbor] to be submitted to the secretary of war for his action." The meeting was fully attended and the matter generally discussed. It is understood that final action. has not yet been taken by the war department. On the 26th of January the board received a petition from the Providence, Fall River and Newport Steamboat Company asking that a harbor line be established opposite their property at Narragansett Pier. A public hearing was given upon this matter, after due advertisement, on the 28th of February. There was a good attendance of persons interested and the matter was thoroughly discussed. Opposition being made to granting the prayer of the Steamboat Company, the matter was held under advisement and considered from time to time. The Attorney-General was consulted as to the power of the Harbor Commissioners to control constructions in tide waters within the harbor lines. On the 12th of April the board voted to establish a harbor line opposite the land of the Steamboat Company and southwesterly to near Beach street, and, the line having been marked out and platted, it was reported to the Governor and Senate for their approval. The Governor approved the line April 28, and the Senate passed a resolution of approval May 5. OBSTRUCTION, ENCROACHMENT, AND DUMPING. There has been no exception during the past year to the rule heretofore obtaining, that constant attention is required to regulate dumping and prevent injurious encroachment in tide waters. The recommendation made last year in regard to the passage of an act containing a similar provision to that in Chapter 480, to cover encroachments innocently made by owners of wharves on the east side of Providence river below Crawford street, to be severally named in the act, is renewed. LICENSES, ETC. Licenses have been granted during the year for structures in the public waters as follows: No. 281. January 12, to J. A. Dailey & Son to replace piles at Lime Rock Bank wharf on South Water street, near Tockwotten street, in Providence. No. 282. January 19, to J. A. Dailey & Son to replace piles at the old Baltimore wharf on India street, in Providence. No. 283. February 2, to Herman G. Possner to build a granite retaining wall south of Shaw avenue, in Cranston. No. 284. February 8, to J. A. Dailey & Son to rebuild 250 feet of sea wall in wharf owned by the Eben Simmons estate at the foot of South street, in Providence; also to drive forty piles and cap them after the wall is rebuilt. No. 285. March 9, to J. A. Dailey & Son to replace two broken piles at the wharf of William Pearce at the foot of Dorrance street, in Providence. No. 286. April 12, to the National Rubber Company to repair their wharf and drive piles at their works at the foot of State street, in Bristol. No. 287. April 27, to the Providence and Stonington Steamship Company to replace 15 piles at their wharf on Fox Point, in Providence. No. 288. May 11, to Burton Stanley to build a boat-landing at the De Wolf Inn wharf, in Bristol. No. 289. May 18, to J. A. Dailey & Son to drive six bearing and six fender piles at the wharf of the Rhode Island Lumber Company near Eddy street, in Providence. No. 290. May 18, to the Providence, Fall River and Newport Steamboat Company to build a pile wharf in front of their property at Narrgansett Pier northeast of the bathing beach. No. 291. May 18, to J. A. Dailey & Son to drive twelve piles at the wharf of the Pomroy Coal Company on Eddy street, in Providence. No. 292. May 25, to the Cranston Worsted Mills to drive twenty piles in front of their sea wall, in Bristol. No. 293. June 15, to the Providence Gas Company to drive. seven piles at their wharf at the foot of Globe street, in Providence. No. 294. July 20, to the Providence, Fall River and Newport Steamboat Company to drive six piles at their wharf at Silver Spring, in East Providence. No. 295. August 10, to J. A. Dailey & Son to drive one mooring pile at the old Baltimore wharf on India street, in Providence. No. 296. August 31, to R. B. Little to drive five piles at his wharf near Point street bridge on the west side of the river, in Providence. |