3. For a dry-dock on the south side of the canal near the new lock..... 4. For a dry-dock near the east end of the area transferred from the Fort Brady military reservation to the canal reservation 1. For converting the upper chamber of the old locks into a dry-dock.. No estimate. 2. For a dry-dock north of the canal.... $313,818 00 291,491 66 323,872 47 Money statement. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... $323,872 00 150,000 00 K K 5. IMPROVEMENT OF CHEBOYGAN HARBOR, MICHIGAN. The present project for the improvement of this harbor was adopted. in 1871, the object being to afford a channel from the original mouth of the river 200 feet wide and not less than 14 feet deep, which was modified in August, 1882, to include the deepening of the basin opposite the steamboat landing and the entire channel to the 15-foot curve in the Straits of Mackinac to the full width of 200 feet and depth of 15 feet. There being no funds available therefor, nothing was done towards this project during the fiscal year 1883-4, and the work remains in the same general condition as stated, in the last annual report; that is to say, the basin has been deepened to 15 feet and a 15-foot channel made to the straits. Much of this channel is only 90 feet wide, however. The original estimate for this work was $395,000 $113,000 Received from sale of fuel.... 3 Revised estimate of amount required to complete the work, Annual 50,000 163,003 231,997 Difference.... From which it will be seen that the desired result will probably be obtained for less than half the original estimate. The work is located in the Michigan collection district, Michigan. The nearest port of entry is Grand Haven, Mich., and the nearest light-house is at Cheboygan. The reasons for undertaking this improvement have been frequently stated in Annual Reports, and it is not deemed necessary to now repeat them, but merely to say that the construction of railroads in that direc tion, to and beyond Cheboygan, has increased the importance of the point even more rapidly than was anticipated, and appropriations of sufficient amount to push the improvement to completion are recommended. July 1, 18-3, amount available.. Money statement. July 1, 1884, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 18-3.. Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884.. $121 02 121 02 5,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... 50,000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1886. 45,000 00 KK 6. IMPROVEMENT OF HARBOR AT THUNDER BAY, MICHIGAN. The project for the improvement of this harbor was adopted in 1876; the object being to obtain an entrance channel of navigable width and of not less than 13 feet in depth. This project was subsequently modified with a view to obtaining a depth of 14 feet. At the beginning of the fiscal year but one contract was in force; namely, with Charles S. Barker, dated September 12, 1882, to do the dredging required at the rate of 20 cents per cubic yard, scow measurement. Under this contract work was continued until the 2d day of October, 1883, when it was discontinued. The operations subsequent to the 1st of July resulted in the removal of 21,235 cubic yards of material at a cost for dredging of 84,271. The total amount of material removed under this contract was 38,254 cubic yards, at a cost for dredging of $7,650.80. A full history of the dredging operations, from the time they were begun under the appropriation of August 2, 1882, until their close, is given in the appended report of Mr. Robert Strohman, inspector. There is still a balance of $4,541.96 remaining available for this improvement. It is of such a character that it will require additional attention from time to time, and an appropriation of $10,000, is recommended to provide for such work as may be required before the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, and which can neither be foreseen now nor estimated for in detail. The commerce directly benefited by the work is that to and from Thunder Bay River, at the mouth of which is situated the important and rapidly growing town of Alpena. This work is located in the collection district of Huron, Mich. The nearest port of entry is Port Huron, Mich., and the nearest light-house is at the work. July 1, 1883, amount available.. Money statement. July 1, 184, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1883. July 1, 1884, amount available.. Amount (estimated) required for maintaining existing project $10,667 58 6,125 62 4,541 96 10,000 00 5, 458 04 REPORT OF MR. ROBERT STROHMAN, INSPECTOR, OF OPERATIONS AT THUNDER BAY HARBOR, MICHIGAN. FROM THE BEGINNING OF WORK, OCTOBER 3, 1882, TO THE CLOSE OF THE WORK, OCTOBER 2. 1883. By act of Congress of August 2, 1882, $15,000 were appropriated to improve the harbor at Thunder Bay (Alpena), Michigan. The project for this improvement was to deepen by dredging the existing channel from Lake Huron into Thunder Bay Harbor to a depth of 14 feet According to specifications and other instructions, the dredging area was to commence on its northerly or up river limit on a line drawn from Churchill's Upper Dock end across the river in the direction to Gilchrist's, north side of lumber mill, or about 1,200 feet up river from south face of the light-house crib, and to extend from this line down river between the dock lines into Thunder Bay, in the general direction of the dock lines, until a depth of 14 feet of water is reached. The channel at the mouth of Thunder Bay River, and from there into the bay, to be dredged 150 feet wide, and the channel in the river and between the dock lines to such a width as these dock lines will permit. The excavation to be made 143 feet below zero of the established water-gauge, in order to obtain a clear depth of 14 feet. October, 1882-Under contract of September 2, 1882, with Charles S. Barker, the dredging was commenced on 3d of October, 1882. Cut No. 1, the most easterly cut in the dredging area, was operated in two parts, one part running from the light-house further outside into the bay, and the other part running from the northern limit between the dock lines down river to the intersection with the outside part of the same cut. The width of excavation of one dredge cut averages about 28 feet. In order to profit the whole time suitable for dredging, two locations for the dredge to work in should always be kept available, the one outside in the bay for calm weather, the other inside in the river between the dock lines, when by fresh east and west winds outside dredging is impracticable but inside dredging is practicable. At the end of October Cut No. 1 in its two sections had reached a length of 1,200 feet. November, 1882.-In the month of November Cut No. 1 was continued and finished on the 18th by reaching the required depth of water in the bay at a total length of about 2,300 feet. Work in Cut No. 2 (being the cut next west and alongside of Cut No. 1) was commenced November 20, and worked in several sections, and had at the end of the month in its several sections attained a length of about 500 feet. Total hours worked Total hours delayed Total number of scow loads.. Total number of cubic yards 110 110 681 4,100 The work for the season of 1882 was closed on the 25th November, with a very unsatisfactory result. Continual breaking of parts of the dredge and delay in getting the broken parts repaired, also unfavorable weather to some extent, caused this unsatisfactory result. WORKING SEASON OF 1883. May, 1883.-To ascertain the condition of the area dredged last fall soundings were taken on the 7th and 8th of May, 1883, which showed that the cuts made last fall had filled up more or less over their whole extent. To improve this condition the Cut No. 2 was started anew at its up-river limit, and directed so as to work a part from 8 to 12 feet of Cut No. 1 over its entire length. The dredging of this cut (called Cut No. 2) was commenced on the 9th of May, and continued during the month, and had reached at end of November a length of 1,250 feet. Cut No. 3, the most westerly cut, was started at its northerly, or up-river, limit on the 22d of May, and had reached at the end of the month a length of 720 feet. Total hours worked Total hours delayed.. Total number of scow loads.. 97 1044 64 3.833 During the month of May the weather was very unfavorable for dredging at this locality. Southerly and easterly winds were the most prevailing winds, which create a high sea at this harbor even by moderate velocity. More than one-third of the working time was lost by unfavorable weather. June-During the month of June the Cnts Nos. 2 and 3 were continued and finished by reaching the required depth of water; the former on the 4th of June at a total length of about 2,200 feet, and the latter cut on the 27th of June with a total length of about 2,300 feet. Cut No. 4, next east of and adjoining Cut No. 3, was commenced at its northerly limit on the 6th of June, and had advanced at the end of the month to the length of about 1,050 feet. Cut No. 5, next east of and adjoining Cut No. 4, was commenced on its northerly limit on the 21st of June and was at the end of the month 255 feet long. July.-During the month of July Cut No. 4 was continued, and finished on the 18th of July by reaching the required depth of water at a total length of about 2,400 feet. Cut No. 5 was continued, and had reached a length of about 2,150 feet at the end of the month. |