IMPROVEMENT OF HARBOR AT CAPE VINCENT, NEW YORK. REPORT OF OPERATIONS. Under the contract in force the Buffalo Dredging Company, on June 9, 1903, began excavating the trench for the foundation of the breakwater extension 300 feet long and completed it on June 11, 1903. The placing of foundation stone in the trench began June 15, and was in progress at the beginning of the fiscal year. No other work had been done. The placing of foundation stone was continued during July and to August 20, when the foundation was completed, except final leveling for cribs, 3,898 cubic yards of stone having been placed. Timber was received in August and the construction of cribs for the substructure of the timber-crib-concrete structure to be built was begun August 24, and continued until the three cribs, each 100 feet long, 27 feet wide, and 20 feet high, were completed in November. The first crib of the extension was sunk in place October 3, 1903, but, owing to bad weather and delays in obtaining stone for leveling foundations and filling cribs, no more cribs were sunk in place in 1903. The placing of foundation stone was completed in November, 1903, the total amount of stone placed being 4,892.11 cubic yards. During November and December, to the close of operations on December 16, the contractors were engaged in repairing crib No. 1, sunk in place, and damaged twice by vessels striking it. Damaged timbers at the easterly end of the crib were all replaced by new timbers and the damage there fully repaired, excepting placing a few bolts. The damage near the westerly end of the crib, consisting of a broken top timber and broken fender piece, could not be repaired owing to severe winter weather. Operations were resumed May 10, 1904, and the repair of damage on crib No. 1 completed May 14. The second crib was sunk in place June 9 and the third and last crib on June 29. The filling of the second and third cribs with stone was nearly completed at the close of the fiscal year, and preparations for making concrete blocks for the superstructure were in progress. PROPOSED OPERATIONS AND REMARKS. This breakwater is designed not to protect an anchorage but for vessels to moor to and to protect vessels moored at the wharves at Cape Vincent, and letters from masters of vessels plying between Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River and from vessel owners testify to the value of that part of the breakwater now completed. From these letters, printed on page 3371 of report for 1901, and from observation, it would seem that the value of this breakwater to the shipping plying between Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River is established. The 410 feet built in 1900, while of much usefulness, is inadequate, and the speedy appropriation of funds to complete the construction of the breakwater to the full length authorized by the project is much to be desired. The estimate for building this breakwater is $200,000. Of this amount $98,000 has been appropriated. It is recommended that the balance, $102,000, be appropriated by the next river and harbor act, so that the entire breakwater and the project may be completed. Experience with the breakwater rendered advisable certain modifications of the structure. It is found that vessels moor to both sides of it, the preferred side depending upon the direction of the wind. This indicated the desirability of a symmetrical structure adapted to mooring on both sides, and such a structure was designed and 300 feet of extension is now being constructed in a permanent concrete form, under the contract in force. This extension will be completed in 1904. It is believed that no further extension of the shore return is needed. Money statement. July 1, 1903, balance unexpended.. June 30, 1904, amount expended during fiscal year, for works of improve ment. July 1, 1904, balance unexpended.... July 1, 1904, amount covered by uncompleted contracts..... $48, 377.85 11, 588. 02 36, 789.83 34, 299. 51 102,000.00 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1906, for works of improvement, in addition to the balance unexpended July 1, 1904... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sundry civil act of June 4, 1897. 102,000.00 CONTRACTS IN FORCE. Contract for extending breakwater at Cape Vincent, N. Y., dated March 28, 1903. COMMERCIAL STATISTICS OF CAPE VINCENT HARBOR, NEW YORK. Arrivals and departure of vessels for the year ending December 31, 1903. $0.75 1.60 70.60 1.40 11.50 9.00 5.00 10.00 1.00 Total arrivals and departures (tonnage, 107,071). Value of exports, year ending December 31, 1903.. $158, 256.00 Greatest draft of vessels (at breakwater, 16 feet) Receipts by lake and river. Shipments by lake and river are: Jewelry, hardware, furs, chemicals, and other high-grade manufactured articles, to the value of about $125,000. No record of weight. About 18,000 passengers arrive and depart by water annually. RR 8. IMPROVEMENT OF SHOALS IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER BETWEEN OGDENSBURG, NEW YORK, AND THE FOOT OF LAKE ONTARIO. REPORT OF OPERATIONS. No operations were carried on during the past fiscal year owing to lack of funds. PROPOSED OPERATIONS AND REMARKS. All the shoals in American waters embraced in the project have been removed to the prescribed depth of 18 feet below the zero of the Oswego gauge (low water). Shoals A, B, and C, also embraced in the project, are in Canadian waters. Application for permission to remove these shoals was made through the Department of State to the Canadian government, and on December 22, 1899, the necessary permission was granted. No appropriation was made in the last river and harbor act for this work. If this project is to be completed there will be required $40,000, and I recommend that this amount be appropriated by the next river and harbor act. Money statement. July 1, 1903, balance unexpended June 30, 1904, amount expended during fiscal year, for maintenance of improvement $142.55 142.55 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1906, for works of improvement, in addition to the balance unexpended July 1, 1904 40,000.00 40,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sundry civil act of June 4, 1897. The commerce involved and interested in this improvement includes that of all the ports of the St. Lawrence River from Lake Ontario to the sea. RR 9. IMPROVEMENT OF HARBOR AT OGDENSBURG, NEW YORK. REPORT OF OPERATIONS. At the beginning of the fiscal year dredging was in progress in the channel in the mouth of the Oswegatchie River, under the contract in force. This channel was completed on July 13, 1903, and the contract closed. The amount of material dredged during the partial month was 2,971 cubic yards, scow measure, of hardpan, and 3,241 cubic yards, scow measure, of sand, mud, clay, etc. The channel in the mouth of the Oswegatchie River is now 15 feet deep at zero of Oswego gauge for the full width between docks (200 feet, narrowing to 100 feet at the bridge) from a line 30 feet below the highway bridge to the St. Lawrence River channel. On the completion of the contract all of the channels of the harbor had been dredged to the depths required by the project, the total amounts excavated from the harbor channels being 21,950 cubic yards of hardpan and 51,016 cubic yards of soft material. PROPOSED OPERATIONS AND REMARKS. This harbor fills up with sand and silt and requires frequent dredging to maintain the depth of the project. It is estimated that there will be required to June 30, 1906, for dredging and office and engineering expenses, $20,000, and I recommend that this amount be appropriated. Money statement. July 1, 1903, balance unexpended .... June 30, 1904, amount expended during fiscal year, for maintenance of improvement July 1, 1904, balance unexpended. (Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1906, for maintenance of improvement, in addition to the balance unexpended July 1, 1904 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sundry civil act of June 4, 1897, and of section 7 of the river and harbor act of 1899. $5,570.38 5, 296. 07 274.31 20,000.00 |