Abstract of proposals for improvement of Genesee River harbor, at Charlotte, Abstract of contract for material and labor for constructing the Burlington breakwater. Names of contractors. C. J. Degraw......... timber. $0 14 $0 17 $30 00 $18 00 $0 06 Names. Abstract of proposals for materials and labor for improvement of Oak Orchard harbor, New York. Charles S. Birdsall 33 Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. 8 28 $25.00 $15 Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. 10 10 Cis. Cts. Cts. Cts. C 1. OSWEGO, NEW YORK, SIR By direction of General Bache, I have the honor to transmit herewith the record of proceedings of the board of engineers, which convened in obedience to Engineer Order No. 50, at Ogdensburg, New York, on the 19th instant, for the consideration of plans of improvement of that harbor. Very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, C. E. BLUNT, Lieut. Col. Engineers, But. Col. U. S. A., Major General A. A. HUMPHREYS, Chief of Engineers, Washington City. In pursuance of Engineer Order No. 50, dated June 15, 1867, convening a board of engineers composed of Brevet Brigadier General Hartman Bache, colonel of engineers; Brevet Brigadier General George Thom, lieutenant colonel of engineers; Brevet Colonel C. E. Blunt, lieutenant colonel of engineers, the board assembled at Ogdensburg, New York, on Tuesday, the 18th of June, 1867, upou the call of its president, "for the purpose of considering and reporting a plan for the improvement of the harbor of Ogdensburg." Present-all its members. The board made a partial examination of the harbor, and afterwards adjourned until Wednesday, the 19th of June, at 8 o'clock a. m. Pursuant to adjournment, the board met at 8 o'clock a. m. on Wednesday, the 19th of June. Present-all its members. The board completed the examination of the harbor, after which all the information in the possession of Brevet Colonel Blunt was laid by him before the board, including the following papers, viz: 1. Map of the village, harbor of Ogdensburg, by John W. Tate, civil engineer, 1846. 2. Map of Ogdensburg, "showing the termini, &c.," on a scale of 400 feet to 1 inch, dated February, 1852. 3. Report of Brevet Brigadier General C. B. Reese, captain of engineers, to the engineer department, upon the improvement of the harbor of Ogdensburg, dated November 7, 1866, with accompanying map. After a full discussion of the subject before the board it was Resolved, That, in the opinion of the board, the improvement of the harbor of Ogdensburg should be confined, for the present at least, to dredging the selected channels and removing therefrom all boulders, &c., to a depth sufficient for the purposes of trade, and that it will be time enough, in case the channels so deepened be not permanent, to construct piers or dikes, which, in consequence of the complications naturally belonging to the case, in addition to the necessity of maintaining two outlets from Oswegatchie river to the deep water of the St. Lawrence, should only be resorted to as the last alternative. The business for which the board assembled being completed it was adjourned sine die. HARTMAN BACHE, Colonel Engineers, Brevet Brigadier General. GEO. THOM, Lieut. Col. Engineers, Brevet Brigadier General. Lieut. Col. Engineers, Brevet Colonel. C 2. FORT MONROE, VIRGINIA, February 6, 1867. GENERAL: In compliance with the instructions contained in your letter of December 15, 1866, requiring an examination of the harbor of Plattsburg, New York, and estimate of cost necessary to remove a shoal said to exist between the breakwater and the main land, "if necessary for the use of the harbor as a harbor of refuge," I have the honor to state that the examination has been made by my assistant, Brevet Major C. J. Allen, corps of engineers, and a copy of his report to me, with map, is herewith transmitted. By an examination of the map, it will be seen that the harbor, though much contracted by deposits formed since the construction of the break water, can still be used as a harbor of refuge for vessels drawing fifteen feet of water. The shoals formed between the breakwater and wharf heads, and due no doubt to the existence of the breakwater itself as well as the wharves, have materially obstructed the use of the harbor for even light-draught vessels discharging or taking ⚫ cargoes at this port. To remove these shoals and secure a depth of water generally that existed as shown on the map of 1844, giving a depth of say nine feet at the wharf heads, will require the removal of 25,000 cubis yards of deposit, which, estimated at fifty cents per cubic yard, will cost $12,500. An outlay of this amount of money, in the manner suggested, would, it is thought, make the harbor what it should be for the commercial interests of the place. But it is understood that the department desires to improve the harbor as a harbor of refuge only. With this view I would respectfully recommend that the area of the harbor covered by the breakwater, and contained between it and the blue line shown on the map, be dredged to give a depth of eleven feet of water, to afford additional room for vessels of the largest class likely to enter this port. This will require 16,000 cubic yards of dredging, which, estimated at fifty cents per cubic yard, will cost $8,000. This estimate is based on the supposition that a dredge can be procured on Lake Champlain, or that one can be taken into the lake from elsewhere, say through the Champlain canal. After having informed myself on these points I will notify the department. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. B. REESE, Brevet Brigadier General and Captain of Engineers. Brevet Major General A. A. HUMPHREYS, Chief of Engineers U. S. A., Washington, D. C. FORT MONTGOMERY, Rouse's Point, N. Y., January 30, 1867. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following in regard to the harbor of Plattsburg, New York. The important part of the harbor, as will be seen by the tracing here forwarded, lies in the immediate vicinity of the breakwater and wharves. This I found considerably filled up by deposits of mud, sand, &c., forming, in several cases, bars which seriously obstruct the navigation of the harbor for vessels of from six to seven feet draught. I think that, from the natural formation of the harbor, the deposits would be likely to increase steadily, though not at the rate it has since the erection of the present breakwater. The harbor is partially land-locked, with a semicircular sweep from Cumberland Head around to the mouth of the Saranac river, which latter empties into the bay a little to the north of the railroad wharf. The |