Approximate estimate of the cost of the canal. Item 1. Dredging 1,016,680 cubic yards earth in all the divisions, and putting the same into dike piers and banks, as shown by the drawings on sheet C, at 30 cents per cubic yard... $305,004 00 128,174 00 Item 2. 11,610 running feet of revetment in first division, as shown on sheet D, materials at $6 92, and labor of construction at $4 12 per running foot of dike.. Item 3. 7,800 running feet of piering in third division, shown in construction on sheet E, material at $35 91, and labor of construction at $10 97 per running foot of piering.... 365,664 00 Contingencies, including services of inspector at 5 per cent.. "Creosoting" all the wood above water to preserve it from decay—311,610 cubic feet, at 15 cents per cubic foot..... Total.... 3. COMPARISON OF METHODS OF IMPROVEMENT. 798,842 00 39,942 00 46,742 00 885,526 00 In chapter I the estimated cost of dredging out the present west vessel track to a width of 200, and a depth of 12 feet, is $252,710, and for the east track it is $423,386. Now, if, as we dredge out an entire new channel to a width of 200 feet at bottom, and to a depth of 12 feet along the straight course upon which it is proposed to locate the canal, throwing the dredged earth out to the right and left, or getting rid of it as we should do by dredging either or both of the present tracks, the amount of dredging in all three of the divisions, from 12 feet water in the river to 12 feet water in the lake, would be 647,637 cubic yards, which, at 30 cents, would cost $194,291, being less by $58,419 than the cost of the west, and less by $229,095 than that of the east track. The total length of the straight channel to be dredged would be 6,670 yards, equivalent to about 37 miles. Such an improvement without revetment in the first, and without piers in the third division, would be liable to fill, notwithstanding the outflowing force, but not so liable as the east or west track would be; and the straight channel would afford much better ingress and egress for vessels than either or both of the present tracks could offer, if dredged out to their full lengths. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel Engineers, Brevet Major General. Brevet Maj. Gen. A. A. HUMPHREYS, D 2. Proceedings of a board of engineers convened at Washington, D. C., in obedience to the following order: 3. A board of engineers for the consideration of the improvement of the entrance to Toledo Harbor, Ohio, consisting of the following named officers of the corps of engineers, namely: Colonel John N. Macomb, brevet colonel United States Army; Colonel James H. Simpson, brevet brigadier general United States Army; Lieutenant Colonel Israel C. Woodruff, brevet brigadier general United States Army; Major J. B. Wheeler, brevet colonel United States Army; Major Walter McFarland, brevet major United States Army, will assemble in the city of Washington, D. C., as soon as possible after the receipt of this order. By command of Brigadier General Humphreys: THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, Major of Engineers and Brevet Colonel United States Ármy. SATURDAY, January 16, 1869-12.30 p. m. The members having met in pursuance of the above order-present, all the officers therein named-the board was organized by the reading by the senior member, Colonel John N. Macomb, brevet colonel United States Army, president of the board, ex officio, of the order of assembly given above, and at once proceeded to business. The following letter of instructions from the Chief of Engineers was laid before the board and read to it: 1 HEADQUARTERS CORPS OF ENGINEERS, COLONEL: The board of engineers convened in pursuance of Special Orders No. 2, headquarters corps of engineers, January 14, 1869, for the consideration of the improvement of the entrance to Toledo Harbor, Ohio, will take into consideration the plan submitted by Brevet Major General Cram, dated December 27, 1868, for the improvement of the entrance into the Maumee River, and in so doing consider the relative advantages of continuing the present plan of widening and deepening the track vessels now use in passing through Maumee Bay, and that of a new cut from deep water in Maumee River to deep water in Lake Erie. If such a cut or canal is deemed feasible, its proper direction, its width, and the protection required for its banks, will be determined as well as its cost. The cost of executing each projèct discussed will be submitted. The board will determine as a preliminary step in its proceedings what increased depth of entrance is required at this harbor for the greater economy and security of lake navigation, in view of the growing wants of commerce. Brevet Brigadier General I. C. Woodruff will be instructed to pay the expenses incurred by the board of engineers, including mileage of the members to Washington and returning to their stations, from the appropriation for examination and survey on the northwestern lakes. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. A. HUMPHREYS, Brigadier General of Engineers Commanding. Colonel J. N. MACOMB, Corps of Engineers, President Board of Engineers, Washington, D. C. The original "plan submitted by Brevet Major General Cram, dated December 27, 1868, for the improvement of the entrance into the Maumee River," was then laid before the board, read, and partly discussed, after which the board adjourned to meet on Monday, January 18, 1869, at ten o'clock a. m., at the same place, room No. 18 Winder's Building, Washington, D. C. WALTER MCFARLAND, Major of Engineers, Recorder ex officio. MONDAY, January 18, 1869. The board met pursuant to adjournment, and resumed the consideration of the scheme of improving the entrance to Toledo Harbor, Ohio, recommended by General Cram. After examining the lake survey charts of this harbor, showing its condition in 1844 and 1857, and comparing the soundings given thereon with those furnished by General Cram; also examining the records of the imports and exports at this port for several years back, the board, after further discussion of the various features of the scheme, adjourned at half-past three, to meet again on Tuesday, January 19, 1869, at ten o'clock a. m., at the same place. WALTER MCFARLAND, Major of Engineers, Recorder ex officio. TUESDAY, January 19, 1869. The board met at the time and place appointed; resumed the investigation of the matters submitted to its judgment, and at two o'clock p. m. adjourned to meet at ten o'clock a. m. on the succeeding day at the same place. WALTER MCFARLAND, Major of Engineers and Recorder ex officio. WEDNESDAY, January 20, 1869. The board met at the hour and place appointed, and resumed the consideration of the subjects before it; and after deliberating upon them adjourned at half-past three o'clock p. m. to meet the succeeding day at the usual place at ten o'clock a. m. WALTER MCFARLAND, Major of Engineers and Recorder ex officio. THURSDAY, January 21, 1869. The board met pursuant to adjournment and proceeded to the completion of the business before it. After due deliberation the board submit the following opinions and recommendations in regard to the improvement: OPINION, ETC. The board is of the opinion that the depth of water recommended by General Cram, viz: "thirteen (13) feet below lowest water of the season of navigation, excluding storm tides from consideration, is sufficient for the present and prospective wants of this harbor, as indicated by the published records of its imports and exports. The plan of a straight cut or canal, as proposed by General Cram, is, in the opinion of this board, very defective and highly objectionable, both as to location of the cut, in the details of its construction, and in the magnitude of its cost. This plan contemplates a canal with embanked and partially revetted sides, four and one-tenth (4) miles long, not less than two hundred (200) feet wide at the bottom, with a depth of thirteen (13) feet, beginning near a point marked on the map herewith as buoy No. 9, near the mouth of the Maumee River, and extending into Lake Erie in a northeasterly direction to the thirteen (13) feet curve. The estimated cost of executing this project is $885,526. In locating this canal, General Cram appears not to have considered the flow of water from the Ottawa River, which empties into Maumee Bay, near to and west of North Cape Point. This river drains between three hundred and four hundred square miles of country, and at times must pour a large volume of water into Maumee Bay. The exact quantity of this flow is not known. If this canal proposed by General Cram be built, its dikes would form a dam directly across the natural course of the outflow from this river. This dam or obstruction would certainly be carried away unless made stronger than proposed in the plan submitted; and, if so strengthened as not to be carried away, would deflect the waters of the Ottawa from their natural course, and cause them to flow around the inner end of the canal. This current meeting the current of the Maumee River, would prevent its entrance into the canal, and the scour through the canal, upon which General Cram lays so much stress, would be lost and the mouth soon fill up. The construction of this canal would result in actual injury to this harbor as one of refuge; for the main entrance into Maumee Bay, called the main or west channel, immediately west of Turtle Island light, is nearly half a mile wide, with thirteen (13) feet depth of water, and affords a good roadstead for vessels seeking shelter here, for they are protected from northeast gales, which in this part of the lake are the most dangerous, by Turtle Island and the shoals extending to the southward and eastward of it. Vessels seeking shelter from westerly gales may anchor with safety either inside or outside of Maumee Bay. These advantages as a natural harbor of refuge, which Maumee Bay now offers, would be endangered by the construction of the proposed canal, supposing a current to pass through it as General Cram asserts it would, for its effect would be to cause a deposit and gradual shoaling of water in this harbor of refuge. If, however, it were decided to construct such a canal, the project of embanking should be discarded, and its sides should be constructed in such a manner as to avoid being destroyed by the wash of the sea. The parts exposed to the bay, and those north of North Cape Point, should be composed of cribs ballasted with stone. A canal constructed in this manner would far exceed in cost the estimate furnished by General Cram. For these reasons the board would recommend the rejection of the plan. Before passing to the consideration of any other plan of improvement, the board desires to express its decided disapproval of the suggestion made by General Cram of throwing the material, as dredged from the bottom of the cut, into the cribs, or of using tight bottoms in those cribs. Neither does the experience of the board confirm the assertion of General Cram, that piles driven in the corners of a crib filled with stone, keep it from careening while settling; for there are numerous well established instances of their failure to do so. General Cram lays stress upon the necessity of improving the east channel, in order to prevent discontent, and estimates the cost of the improvement at $423,386. The board not only does not agree with him as to the necessity of making this improvement, but is decidedly of the opinion that any such attempt at improvement would probably result in injury to the harbor. General Cram estimates the cost of improving the main channel, or west track, as he calls it, $252,710, for a width of two hundred (200) feet and a depth of twelve (12) feet. The board, however, finds that to give the western channel, from the deep water of Maumee River to the thirteen (13) feet curve in the lake, the same width of two hundred (200) feet, and a depth of thirteen (13) feet instead of twelve (12) feet, would require the excavation of 382,000 cubic yards of material, (throwing out of consideration the 82,000 cubic yards which General Cram reports as already excavated,) which, at forty (40) cents per cubic yard, a liberal estimate compared to current rates, would amount to $152,800; a reduction of about $100,000 below his own estimate. A careful comparison of the surveys of this harbor, made in 1844 and 1857, in relation to the soundings given thereon, and those furnished by General Cram, shows that while in this period of thirteen (13) years there has been, as was to be expected, a slight shoaling on the banks, the channels thamselves have not materially changed; whence it is inferred that no serious filling is to be apprehended if the waters of the Maumee and Ottawa are permitted to flow through the channels which they have made for themselves-while the consequences of attempting to divert them into other courses can only be known by trial, and experience shows are quite apt to be different from our preconceived notions of them. It is the opinion of the board, in conclusion, then, that the improvement of this harbor should be effected by dredging the main or western channel; and for this purpose the board would recommend the building of first-class dredging machines, to be worked by hired labor. The cost of the machines necessary for accomplishing this purpose in the best and most economical manner would be as follows, viz: Three dredging machines, at $13,500 each. Six dump-scows, at $1,250. One flat scow. One steam tug. Total.... $40, 500 7,500 600 8,000 56, 600 These three machines and the tug could be operated for one hundred dollars ($100) per day. Ten (10) per cent. per annum on their original cost would keep them in repair and in working order. They would dredge in the aggregate, at the lowest estimate, one thousand (1,000) cubic yards per day, and would therefore accomplish the work required of them under the least favorable conditions, in three hundred and eighty-two (382) working days. The entire cost of the improvement, then, would be as follows, viz: First cost of machines... Repairs, ten per cent. per annum say for two years. Total... Add ten per cent. for contingencies.. $56, 600 11, 320 45,000 112,920 11, 292 Aggregate cost.. 124, 212 Thus, for two years' interest at seven per cent. on the amount of General Cram's estimate, the entire work could be completed, and the United States would at the close be in possession of $56,600 worth of |