projected are covered by different allotments from available balances and are included in existing contracts. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $65,448.22. The amount that can be profitably expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895, is $500,000. This improvement has been under the local charge of Mr. Charles G. Weir, assistant engineer, who has well and faithfully discharged the duties assigned to him. This work is in the collection district of New York, Albany being a port of entry. Amount expended to June 30, 1893, inclusive of outstanding liabilities. 1, 303, 665.06 Money statement. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 Amount appropriated by sundry civil act approved March 3, 1893. $41, 113.73 187,500.00 500,000.00 728, 613.73 54, 411. 13 June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1893, balance unexpended. 674, 202.60 July 1, 1893, outstanding liabilities $11, 037.09 July 1, 1893, amount covered by uncompleted contracts 620, 736. 13 631,773. 22 July 1, 1893, balance available.. 42, 429. 38 Amount (estimate t) required for completion of existing project ....$1, 760, 406. 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895. Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. 500,000.00 Abstract of proposals for improving Hudson River, New York, received in response to advertisement dated August 24, 1892, and opened September 29, 1892, by Lieut. Col. G. L. Gillespie, Corps of Engineers. The information contained in the report made in 1890 on the commercial statistics of the Hudson River, by Mr. Charles G. Weir, assistant engineer, was so complete that it is deemed best to repeat it in the report for this year. The importance of the Hudson as a great waterway of commerce is apparent when it is known that aside from its own local traffic, which in itself is very large, it ab sorbs all the traffic of the Erie, Champlain, and Delaware and Hudson canals, besides the great coal trade of the Pennsylvania Coal Company at Newburg, and the Erie coal trade at Piermont. The average season of navigation of the river is 240 days and that of the canals 220 days. The Erie Canal, extending from Albany to Buffalo, on Lake Erie, à distance of 352 miles, with a difference of level of 577 feet, and to Oswego, on Lake Ontario, connects the Great Northern Lakes with the Hudson River, and brings in immense commerce from the Northwest and Canada. The principal items of this commerce are lumber and grain. The Champlain Canal, 60 miles long, connects Lake Champlain with the Hudson River. This lake, which is 93 feet above tide of the Hudson, and whose waters flow into the St. Lawrence, is connected by the Chambly Canal with the St. Lawrence River below Montreal. The principal items of tonnage on this canal are lumber and iron ore. The above canals, with 575 miles of subsidiaries, constitute the New York State canals. The Erie Canal enters the Hudson by three tide-water locks, one at the foot of Twenty-third street, West Troy; one at the foot of Eighth street, West Troy, and a third at the lumber district, Albany. The Champlain Canal enters the river at Waterford, 3 miles above the State Dam, and boats are locked through the dam to tide water. It is also connected with the Erie Canal and, through its tide water locks, with the Hudson River. The Delaware and Hudson Canal enters the Hudson through Rondout Creek at Rondout, N. Y., and brings the anthracite coal country at Honesdale and the Delaware River into water communication with the Hudson. The principal items of tonnage on this canal are coal, bluestone, and cement. Aside from the above feeders to the commerce of the Hudson, the Pennsylvania Coal Company has a large tide-water coal depot at Newburg, where also the Erie Railroad has a terminal point and transfers large quantities of freight by boat across the river. The Erie Railroad also has a coal depot at Piermont, 20 miles above New York, where preparations are being made to handle a very large supply. The following statistics include the tonnage received at all points above Spuyten Duyvil Creek, and of the local shipment between points on the river; only that shipped is credited to the points from which it was shipped, no entry being made to the total tonnage of the amount received at local points from other local points. The total tonnage also includes all through freight shipped from points up the river that passed the mouth of Spuyten Duyvil Creek going south. The two principal industries on the river which add materially to the local tonnage are ice and brick. The capacity of the ice houses on and adjacent to the river exceeds 4,000,000 tons, and amount generally harvested 3,500,000. The brick manufactured on the river exceed 850,000,000. Total tonnage of all shipping points on the Hudson River during 1889, Total tonnage coming to and leaving tide water through State canals, 15, 033, 309 $378, 196, 094 tons.. Value of same.. Increase of same over tonna ge, 1888. tons.. 3,592, 437 $108, 000, 000 326, 466 Grand total tonnage of the Hudson River, including the tonnage through State canals tons.. 18,582, 596 Value of same $485, 733, 094 This does not include the value of vessels carrying the above trade, which are equally exposed to the dangers of navigation. Number of transportation companies for passengers or freight, not includ ing steamboats or pleasure boats.. 30 Commercial statistics of the port of Albany, N. Y., from July 1, 1892, to July 1, 1893. Statement of the number and tonnage of all vessels belonging to the port of Albany, N. Y., IMPROVEMENT OF HARBOR AT SAUGERTIES, N. Y. The harbor of Saugerties is at the mouth of Esopus Creek, which empties into the Hudson River on the west shore, about 100 miles above the city of New York. With the exception of some slight works undertaken by the inhabitants, giving no permanent results, nothing had been done towards the improvement of this harbor until it was undertaken by the United States Government in 1887. In 1883 a survey of the harbor was made, under the direction of the engineer officer in charge, which indicated that there was a shoal at the entrance 1,100 feet wide between 6-foot contours, over which the least depth was 3 feet, mean low water. Two plans of improvement were recommended, both providing for the construction of parallel dikes and for dredging the channel between them 7 feet deep, mean low water. (See Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1884, Part I, p. 716.) The reëxamination of the harbor made in 1887 after the State had done some dredging in the channel, resulted in the submission of a third project, differing from those previously submitted only in the direction to be given to the dikes. The range of tides is 4 feet approximately. The project of 1887 was approved, and its execution was begun the same year. (See Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1887, Part I, p. 662.) The estimated cost of construction of north and south dikes, each 2,300 feet long, and for excavating from the channel between them 30,000 cubic yards of material, was $52,000. The purpose of the dikes is to contract the channel, to promote the scour of the freshets, and to maintain the improved navigable depths during the low stage of summer, which usually lasts for two months approximately. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, both dikes had been completed; the north dike had then a length of 2,058 feet and the south dike a length of 2,3634 feet, and the waterway between them was 260 feet wide. The inner harbor, west of the shore ends of dikes, was 2,000 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 143 to 20 feet deep at mean low water. From the steamboat wharf of inner harbor to the Hudson River the navigable channel had been deepened by dredging, giving a width of 150 feet between 9-foot curves. As the direct result of improvements which have been made by the Government, vessels drawing 12 feet and upward can reach the factories located on the inner harbor at high tide. The project is completed, with the exception of the removal of a small group of bowlders on the south side of channel near shore end of jetties, and the appropriation asked is to maintain the improvements in good order. WORK DONE DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1893. The river and harbor act of July 13, 1892, appropriated $5,000 to maintain the dikes in repair, and to remove the rocky points near the shore end of the north dike. During the month of September, 1892, a dredge was employed three days to determine more definitely the character of the rocky formation near the shore end of the dikes. Most of what had previously been supposed to be rock in place was found to be bowlders. The dikes were thoroughly examined at the same time, and specifications were drawn up for the repair of the timber work of portion of the south dike and for the refilling of both dikes with stone where necessary. Proposals for repairs were invited according to law, and agreement was made September 19, 1892, with Wm. Parrott, the lowest bidder. The work was begun October 24, and completed December 1, 1892. This involved the reconstruction of 150 feet of the old structure of the south dike, which had been raised and canted by the ice, also the refilling of the north dike with stone where settlement had taken place. Beside this, four men were employed by hired labor for twenty days rearranging the stone in both dikes. The material furnished and put in by the contractor was as follows: 3,914 linear feet pine piling. 5,086 B. M. feet square timber. 1,414 pounds tie rods. 1,076 pounds drift bolts. 595 cubic yards rubblestone. As the work removing the rock was of such a character as not to permit its being let conveniently by contract, it was determined to do this work by hired labor and the use of the drill scow Hudson. The machine was put to work May 29, 1893. After removing several bowlders from the channel near the shore end of jetties, work was begun removing a portion of the rocky reef projecting into the channel at Barclays Point, on south side of the inner harbor. This reef is not only a great obstruction to navigation, but is the probable cause of the shoaling of the inner harbor, of which it is the eastern boundary. This work is now in progress. The channel is now in better condition than ever before, and will be much improved when straightened by dredging and when the northern half of the reef at Barclays Point has been removed. The south dike needs slight repairs. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $2,930.95. The estimate of $5,000 recommended for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895, will, if appropriated, complete the project of 1887, and if the improvement is to continue thereafter a new project and estimates will be required. Saugerties is in the collection district of Albany, N. Y., which is the nearest port of entry. The nearest light-house is at the mouth of Esopus Creek. Amount expended to June 30, 1893, inclusive of outstanding liabilities.. 44, 338.01 47,000.90 |