but by the time the fallen tree of the savage has given place to truss and abutment, there have arisen, it is hardly necessary to say, several important collateral considerations.

To ensure, as far as possible, properly conducted improvement seems to the Board to require that the case should be put in the hands of a specially appointed commission, with instructions to study thoroughly the whole subject of obstructions to tidal flow and navigation in the Seekonk River, and to report its conclusions for action by the State government. The Board very earnestly urges the appointment of such a commission.

FOULING OF SEEKONK RIVER.

On several occasions during the month of September, the water of the Seekonk River was observed to be seriously fouled and burdened by great quantities of comminuted matter held in suspension. This matter gave the water a dark, mahogany color, affecting it from surface to bottom, and its quantity may be estimated, perhaps, in thousands of yards. Its appearance suggested that it might be the detritus of deposits made for considerable periods during the past, below print works and tanneries, although the commissioners have been unsuccessful in definitely tracing it to its source. The eventual deposit of so large a quantity of matter on the bed of the river, and the consequent shoaling, make the case worthy of serious notice, and the Board is yet in doubt whether similar occurrences, even if foreseen, can be prevented in the future, without further special legislation.

A large amount of deposit is brought into tide-water by the Woonasquatucket and the Moshassuck rivers, and extensive shoaling is constantly going on. The whole question is worthy of consideration, and may require such enactments on the part of the legislature as will prevent injury to navigation by the discharge of refuse into the rivers of the State.

2

LICENSES, &C.

The following licenses have been issued:

1. April 22, to Dewing & Monsell to extend their wharf, lying to the south of Doubloon street on the east side of Providence River, to the harbor line, by the construction of some 450 running feet of pile and plank work.

2. July 2, to Henry G. Russell to repair wharf occupied by Winsor Line, opposite India street in Providence, by the construction of some 218 running feet of pile and plank work.

3. December 31, to New York, Providence and Boston Railroad Company to construct 80 x 600 feet pile pier, connected with the shore by 400 feet of double track, and 500 feet of single track bridge; also 600 running feet of rubble-stone retaining wall; all on property in the vicinity of Sassafras Point, Providence.

January 23, 1879, assent was given to closing the Old Colony Railroad drawbridge at Tiverton, by the railroad company, from January 26 to February 2, inclusive, for the purpose of putting up a new draw. January 28, assent to extension of time to February 9, inclusive. October 29, assent was given to construction of a pile and plank bulkhead at Sabin's Point, by Smith & Wright, extending 100 feet sea-ward from existing bulkhead, and being 140 feet along the front. As there is no harbor line opposite this construction, a formal license was not issued, but the action of the Board was based upon an opinion obtained from the Attorney-General as to powers and duties of the Board, where no harbor lines exist.

WORK OF THE UNITED STATES ENGINEER.

By the courtesy of Gen. G. K. Warren, the Board has received advance sheets of his report upon the government works under his charge in Rhode Island, for the year ending June 30, 1879, and a communication, describing the progress of the Providence River improvement to December 1, 1879. The following is a brief summary

from these. The report of Gen. Warren, and his communication, will be found in full in the appendix.

Pawtucket, or Seekonk River, Rhode Island.

Nothing was done beyond making a few tidal observations and levellings. It is proposed to continue these in the ensuing year, and to sound over some of the shoals, that are said to have formed since the dredging operations of 1875.

Providence River and Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.

The project for this improvement consists in making a wide channel with a central depth of 23 feet at mean low water, from Providence to the sea, at an estimated cost of about $500,000.

Under contract made, with the appropriation of June 18, 1878$50,000—72,134 cubic yards of material were removed. The contract was then abandoned. With what remained of this appropriation, and such portion of the appropriation of March 3, 1879-$60,000—as it was thought best to employ, a new contract for dredging has been made. Up to December 1, 1879, 85,271 cubic yards of material had been removed under it.

With the $5,000 specially appropriated for the removal of Bulkhead Rock, supplemented by a portion of the general appropriation, a contract has been made to remove the rock to a depth of 20 feet at mean low water. This work will be begun in the early spring of 1880.

The amount estimated necessary to complete this improvement is $390,000, of which $100,000 could be judiciously expended during the next fiscal year.

Block Island Harbor, Rhode Island.

During the last year 2,927 tons of rip-rap stone have been deposited on the breakwater, and the harbor for local purposes completed. No other work is anticipated, and no further appropriation recommended.

Little Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

This improvement is designed to make a safe channel through the shoals, where the ruling depth is now 4 feet at mean low water, of not less than 7 feet at mean low water, and 200 feet width. The mean range of the tide is about 24 feet.

The contract made in 1878 was completed June 30, 1879. Under it 19,776.85 cubic yards of material, including bowlders of 1 cubic yard, and 348.60 cubic yards of bowlders of larger size were removed. The channel completed around Pawtucket Point is 7 feet deep at mean low water, about 900 feet long, and 185 feet wide.

Act of Congress approved March 3, 1879, appropriated $5,000 for the continuation of this improvement, but it is not yet available.

The amount necessary to complete the projected improvement is $31,000. It is desirable that $20,000 should be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1881.

The United States Advisory Council is still composed of Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen, U. S. N., Brevet Major-General G. K. Warren, U. S. A., and Prof. Henry Mitchell, U. S. C. and G. S.

Respectfully submitted,

J. HERBERT SHEDD,
N. F. POTTER,

JEDEDIAH WILLIAMS,

Harbor Commissioners.

APPENDIX.

A.

ABSTRACT OF REPORT OF GEN. G. K. WARREN TO CHIEF OF UNITED STATES ENGINEERS, FOR 1879; AND COMMUNICATION RELATIVE TO PROGRESS OF WORK

IN PROVIDENCE HARBOR.

Improvement of Pawtucket (Seekonk) River, Rhode Island.

DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITY.

This is an estuary forming the continuation of Providence River from Providence to Pawtucket, a distance of 5 miles, and forms a shoal tidal basin of about 1 square miles. The navigation is seriously obstructed by a badly arranged draw-bridge near its lower end, at East Providence. The ruling low-water channel depth before it was improved was 5 feet. The mean rise of the tide is about 5 feet at Pawtucket. It was dredged till the ruling depth at mean lowwater was 7 feet, and least channel width of 75 feet.

HISTORY.

Dredging was begun (by an appropriation from the general government) in 1868, $17,000 being allotted; in 1870, $8,000 was appropriated; in 1871, $7,000; in 1872, $10,000; in 1873, $10,000; in all $52,000. For details see Annual Report 1874, pp. 227 to 237, Part II.

WORK DURING LAST FISCAL YEAR.

Nothing was done beyond making a few tidal observations and levelings to test the high and low water determinations and bench-marks made in the survey of 1873. These were verified as closely as the engineering operations had rendered necessary. Since then the city of Providence has been extending streets into the tidal basin, and there has been talk of rebuilding the bad draw-bridge.