The item in the law contemplates securing a better connection between the main channel of Detroit River and the channel back of Grosse Isle, which lies in front of Wyandotte. The plan of improvement presented by Major Bixby provides for securing this connection by straightening and enlarging the upper and lower entrances, by means of dredging, to a depth of 20 feet and minimum width of 300 feet, at an estimated cost of $57,500, it being proposed to start such work with the $10,000 made available for the purpose in the item of appropriation for improvement of Detroit River, in the river and harbor act approved June 13, 1902. These reports have been referred for consideration by the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, as provided in sections 3 and 14 of said act, and attention is respectfully invited to its report of December 4, 1903. The local and division engineers and the Board are of opinion, in which I concur, that it is desirable for the United States to undertake the proposed work to the extent herein outlined. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, G. L. GILLESPIE, Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army. Hon. ELIHU ROOT, PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF BACK CHANNEL IN DETROIT RIVER FROM MAIN SHIP CHANNEL TO WYANDOTTE, MICH. ENGINEER OFFICE, UNITED STATES ARMY, Detroit, Mich., January 16, 1903. GENERAL: Complying with the requirements of the river and harbor act of June 13, 1902, and your instructions of June 23 and August 30, I have the honor to submit the following report on a preliminary examination of "channel in Detroit River 20 feet deep from main channel to Wyandotte," Mich. Wyandotte, Mich., is on a back channel of the Detroit River, such back channel being about 15 miles long, measured from deep water at its northern end or head in the main river opposite Ecorse down to deep water at its southern end, where the Detroit River empties into Lake Erie. From the main channel of the Detroit River down this back channel to Wyandotte, a distance of about 3 miles, there is already a navigable channel way of more than 20 feet depth, over a width varying from about 300 feet to about 1,000 feet. This back channel is, furthermore, already connected to the main channel of Detroit River by a secondary channel way extending from the main river opposite the lower and southern end of Wyandotte along the east side of the upper and northern end of Grosse Isle to the back channel at the upper and northern end of Wyandotte, this secondary channel way being about 1.5 miles long, with a depth already more than 20 feet, over a channel width varying from about 400 to about 800 feet. From Wyandotte down the back channel about 5 miles, to the Michigan Centrail Railroad bridge, the back channel is also already fully 20 feet deep over a channel width varying from 300 to 1,000 feet. The city of Trenton lies about 4 miles below Wyandotte and about 1 mile above the railroad bridge, and has a good deep-water wharf front. The entire back channel from its northern end down to the railroad bridge has been already provided with an excellent harbor line, established under the approval of the War Department. Below the railroad bridge for about 9 miles, down to Lake Erie, the back channel widens to a mile or more and its channel depth is reduced to about 12 feet. This part of the back channel below the railroad bridge is further obstructed by the indefiniteness of its channel way and by numerous shoals, so as not to be useful to deep-draft boats or to any through commerce, and there is no town or community bordering on it with any considerable commerce either present or prospective. The present condition and surroundings of this waterway are shown in full detail to a scale of 1 inch to about 3,300 feet (1: 40,000) on the United States Lake Survey chart of Detroit River, issued June 24, 1902 (extract" herewith). The commerce to be benefited by an improvement of this back channel from the main Detroit River to Wyandotte is mainly that of the cities or towns of Wyandotte and Trenton, Mich. Wyandotte has a population of about 8,000, its principal industries being the Michigan Alkali Works, the American Ship Building Company, and the Pennsylvania Salt Company (in course of establishment). The Michigan Alkali Works is said to employ about 1,100 men, and to handle annually about 730,000 tons of freight; the American Ship Building Company is said to employ about 550 men, and to handle annually about 14,000 tons of freight, and the Pennsylvania Salt Company is expected to employ about 1,500 men, and to handle annually about 600,000 tons of freight, making a total of about 3,150 employees and about 1,350,000 tons of freight annually. The greater part of this freight is now carried by the neighboring railroads the Michigan Central, the Michigan Southern, and the Detroit, Lima and Northern. Package freight is also carried by the electric railroad, as well as during the navigation season by the steamers Wyandotte and Douglass, connecting Wyandotte city with Detroit city. The people of Wyandotte claim that with better shipping facilities about 50 per cent of the above-named 1,350,000 tons annually would be carried by vessels, and that other industries would rapidly be located along this part of the river. Trenton has a population of about 2,000, its principal industries being the Sibley stone quarries, a stave factory, a flour mill, and salt works, the employees of the same being about 400 persons and the annual freights of the city being about 500,000 tons. An improvement of the back channel above Wyandotte would help Trenton so far as such improvement gave easier access to large boats. The depth and width of the present channel way in the back channel from Detroit River to Wyandotte (and also to Trenton) is already ample for local boats, and the depth alone is far greater than necessary for the largest boats navigating the Great Lakes. The large freighters, however, find the back channel too narrow for turning except by the aid of special tug service, and they find the two entrances too narrow and too curved for easy and safe navigation; and they fur a Not printed. ther object to losing the time necessary to enter and leave this back channel, so that almost all freights to Wyandotte from Lake Erie or Lake Huron or beyond, must now be landed at Detroit or Toledo and reshipped to Wyandotte by rail. The people of Wyandotte claim that the back channel might be so improved as to induce the heavy freighters to enter such back channel and land and take up freights directly at their city wharves. The improvement of this back channel has already been specially examined into and reported upon by my predecessor, Col. G. J. Lydecker, under date of October 20, 1900. (See report printed in full in House Doc. No. 82 of 56th Cong., 2d sess., and reprinted on pp. 3208-3212 Annual Report, Chief of Engineers for 1901.) To open the back channel entirely through from its head near Ecorse down to Lake Erie would achieve the desired results; but its cost would amount to several millions of dollars, and such work was ruled out of present consideration by the act of June 13, 1902, which decided upon the Canadian channel of Detroit River at this place as the one to be selected for further improvement of its "ship-channel" for deep-water boats. The people of Wyandotte, in view of such decision, are apparently now desirous of having a new entrance cut through into the back channel on the southern or downstream side of the secondary channel way above described so as to pass across Point Hennepin (the upper low and flat end of Grosse Isle), and make direct connection between the lower end of Wyandotte and the lower, or Detroit River, main channel end of the above-described secondary channel way. Such new entrance would be very liable to refill so as to need constant redredging, and furthermore would benefit only about 1-mile length of the entire 6 miles of back channel between Ecorse and the railroad bridge; so that such improvement would be specially local in effect, and would not, in my opinion, benefit general commerce proportionately to its cost. The only improvement, therefore, left to me for present consideration is that of the two existing entrances to the back channel; that of the existing secondary channel along the upper side of Point Hennepin and that of the main entrance between Mud Island and Grassy Ísland, opposite Ecorse. In my opinion, it would be quite proper and advantageous to general commerce to round off considerably the upper end of Point Hennepin and to straighten and widen considerably the present channel between Mud Island and Grassy Island, so as to give easy entrance to such heavy freighters as might be willing to spare the time necessary for touching at Wyandotte or other parts of the back channel from Ecorse to the railroad bridge; and such limited improvement is herewith recommended as worthy of consideration by the General Government. The river and harbor act of June 13, 1902, has already authorized the Secretary of War, out of the existing Detroit River appropriation, to expend $10,000 "north and west of Grosse Isle for the deepening of the channel to Wyandotte, Michigan;" and such amount is sufficient to commence and complete a survey, herewith estimated to cost about $500, necessary to determine the full cost of the herewith-recommended improvement, and also to commence the improvement itself so far as already authorized by the June 13, 1902, $10,000 allotment above referred to. The survey itself will probably be made during the present winter, as soon as local conditions are favorable thereto, and will be made in connection with and as part of the already authorized work in this back channel; and further special allotments for such survey are therefore considered unnecessary. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. H. BIXBY, Major, Corps of Engineers. Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. Brig. Gen. G. L. GILLESPIE, (Through the Division Engineer.) [First indorsement.] OFFICE DIVISION ENGINEER, NORTHWEST DIVISION, Chicago, Ill., January 17, 1903. Respectfully forwarded to the Chief of Engineers with the recommendation that a survey of the locality be authorized as contemplated in paragraph 9 of this report. O. H. ERNST, Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers, Division Engineer, Northwest Division. [Second indorsement.] OFFICE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. ARMY, February 3, 1903. Respectfully referred to the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors constituted by Special Orders, No. 24, Headquarters, Corps of Engineers, series of 1902, for consideration and recommendation, as required by section 3 of the act of June 13, 1902. By command of Brig. Gen. Gillespie: A. MACKENZIE, Colonel, Corps of Engineers. [Third indorsement.] BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS, Washington, D. C., February 19, 1903. Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers, United States Army. The Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors has considered the within report of the district officer on the preliminary examination of "channel in Detroit River 20 feet deep from main channel to Wyandotte," and the indorsement of the division engineer thereon. The river and harbor act of June 13, 1902, appropriated $500,000 for the improvement of Detroit River from Detroit to Lake Erie, "of which amount the Secretary of War may expend $10,000 in the said river north and west of Grosse Isle for the deepening of the channel to Wyandotte, Michigan." The district officer and division engineer recommend that a survey to cost about $500 be made from the $10,000 thus appropriated, on which to base a detailed project for the expenditure of the balance of the available funds. The Board concurs in the views of these officers, and recommends that the survey be made from funds appropriated for the improvement. For the Board: H. F. HODGES, [Fourth indorsement.] OFFICE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. ARMY, Respectfully submitted to the Secretary of War. This is a report on preliminary examination of channel in the Detroit River from the main channel to Wyandotte, Mich., authorized by the river and harbor act approved June 13, 1902. Inviting attention to the report of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors in the preceding indorsement, I recommend that a survey of the locality as proposed be authorized." Respectfully returned to the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors with report of survey as recommended. By command of Brig. Gen. Gillespie: H. F. HODGES, Major, Corps of Engineers. [Seventh indorsement.] BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS, Washington, D. C., December 4, 1903. Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers, United States Army. At its session of this date the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors had under consideration the accompanying report of the district officer on a survey of "channel in Detroit River 20 feet deep from main channel to Wyandotte," Mich., and the indorsement of the division engineer thereon. The act ordering this examination contemplated securing a better connection between the main channel in Detroit River and the channel back of Grosse Isle, which lies in front of Wyandotte. The district officer proposes to secure this connection by straightening and enlarging (1) the lower entrance along the east side of Point Hennepin, and (2) the upper entrance between Grassy Island and Mud Island, as shown on accompanying tracing. It is proposed to start the work with the $10,000 made available for the purpose by the act of June 13, 1902. At present the greater part of the tonnage originating at or destined for the towns of Trenton and Wyandotte, amounting annually to nearly 2,000,000 tons, is handled by rail, but it is claimed that improved |