from future examinations that works of contraction are needed to maintain the channel at Swann Point Bar. At the present time no further, appropriations are recommended. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended. June 30, 1892. amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended (See Appendix J 7.) $1, 184. 84 263.97 920.87 8. Rappahannock River, Virginia.-The obstructions to navigation of the Rappahannock River before improvement were 9 bars between Tappahannock, 41 miles above the mouth, and Fredericksburg, 106 miles above the mouth, over which the ruling depths were from 4 to 10.5 feet. The chief obstructions were in the 12.5 miles of river below Fredericksburg, where 7 of the bars are found. Of these bars, Fredericksburg Bar, with a least depth of 4 feet, and Spottswood Bar, 4 miles below Fredericksburg, with a least depth of 6 feet, caused the most delay to steamboats and vessels. The original project, adopted in 1871, proposed a channel, 10 feet deep and 100 feet wide, through all the bars. This was modified in 1879 by increasing the dimensions of the channel between Port Royal and Tappahannock to 15 feet in depth and 200 feet in width to accommodate the larger class of vessels. Up to June 30, 1891, $111,786.24 had been expended, and depths of from 8 to 9.5 feet secured through the bars between Fredericksburg and Port Royal by dredging and the construction of dikes. Wrecks and snags obstructing navigation had also been removed. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, $11,193.24 has been expended. A new plant for building and repairing dikes and for snagging on the Rappahannock, Mattaponi, and Pamunkey rivers has been completed. Channels 10 feet deep and from 40 to 80 feet wide were dredged through portions of Fredericksburg bar for the relief of steamboat navigation. A sunken scow was also removed at this bar. As each recurring freshet brings additional deposits of sand and silt into the river, the officer in charge recommends an annual appropriation of $7,500 for the maintenance of the improvement. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893...... $14, 162.83 11, 193. 24 2,969.59 119.00 2,850.59 20,000.00 22,850.59 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. .... 144,000.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 8.) 9. Urbana Creek, Virginia.-Urbana Creek is a tributary of the Rappahannock River, which it enters 16 miles above the mouth. Before improvement navigation was obstructed by a bar outside the mouth, over which but 6.5 feet could be carried, and a shoal within the creek having a least depth of 7 feet. The original project adopted in 1879 provided for dredging a channel 150 feet wide and 10 feet deep through the outer bar. This project was extended = 1883 so as to inde dredging to 10 feet through a „within the creek bear the town of Urbana. Up to the cese of the iscal year ending June 30, 1890, $18,50 beed erpen let. The channel through the outer bar had been dr depth in 20 feet and a width of 140 feet, but owing to the act us he with had decreased from Sand filling to 90 feet. A ch si als byen drei ed thrash the shoal within the creek from ITy meet wide and 10 feet deep, and dikes and jetties had been g the sand git to check the movement of sand, which ter the natural channel at the end of the spit. in the over and harbor act approved September 19, 1890, an a pration of 88 was made for continuing the improvement. τ privatan on the pumurai chaunel at the mouth of the creek wo decird. 3. deer by dredging of the end of the sand spit. The d as 20 feet & kw nie. Up to the dose of the twal year ending June 30, 1892, there bez expended of this appropriation $1.859.04. 1. De Ren, Tiny —The Pamunkey and Mattaponi riv unite at West Point, Va., to form the York River, which is 41 m mkngth and empties rao Chesapeake Bay about 16 miles above C Point, Va. Prior to the commencement of the improvement navi tion was obstructed by Petepotark Bar, 9 miles below West Point, which the ruling depth was 18.5 teet; by West Point Bar, extend. about 2 miles be on West Point and having a ruling depth of 15.5 fe and by shoal water in front of the West Point wharves, at the mou of the Pamunkey. The original protect provided for a channel feet deep and 200 f wide through these bars, with an increased width at the wharves. 1884 the proposed chanel width was increased to 400 feet, and in 18 the project was amended so as to include the construction of a di along the flats on the right of the channel, to contract the water wa and maintain the depth dredged, which had decreased from continu silting. Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, $129,910. had been expended in the following work: A channel 105 feet wide an 92 feet deep was dredged in 1880-81 through Potopotank Bar, whi had, however, shoaled in 1890 to from 2018 to 21.7 feet. A channel feet deep and from 161 to 257 feet wide, with a center cut 24 feet dee and 40 feet wide, had been dredged at West Point Bar below th wharves, but this channel had shoaled to such an extent that the rulin depth in June, 1891, was but 18 feet. On June 30, 1891, dredging was in progress by contract at Wes Point Bar, under the appropriation of $30,000 made September 19, 1890. At the first-mentioned date a cut 80 feet wide and 22 feet deep had been made in front of the West Point wharves, the length of the cut being about 2,700 feet. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, these dredging operations were continued, and the channel in front of the wharves widened to 160 feet. The lower end of the channel, where shoaling to 18-foot depth had occurred, was then redredged for a length of about 3,300 feet to a depth of 22 feet and a width of 160 feet, thereby affording material relief to navigation. Great difficulty was experienced in finding suitable dumping grounds on the York River. The flats on either side of the channel are largely occupied by oyster beds whose owners object to the dumping of material or the construction of dikes. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended... June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.... Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893................ $28,879.83 16, 054. 01 12,825.82 35,000.00 47,825.82 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... 115, 050.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 10.) 11. Mattaponi River, Virginia.-The Mattaponi River is navigable for small steamers from its mouth at West Point, Va., to Ayletts, Va., a distance of about 52 miles, and can be made navigable for barges for about 26 miles above Ayletts to Munday Bridge. The obstructions to 5.5-foot navigation are five bars below Ayletts, having ruling depths of from 2.5 to 3.6 feet, and wrecks, snags, logs, and overhanging trees. There were eight bars reported above Ayletts, but no improvement of them is proposed. The approved project adopted in 1880 provides for a channel 40 feet wide and 5.5 feet deep through the bars below Ayletts and the removal of logs, snags, overhanging trees, wrecks, etc., as far up as Munday Bridge. Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, $16,296.89 had been expended in removing snags, wrecks, logs, and other obstructions between Robinson Bar and Munday Bridge, a distance of 34 miles, and in building 2,226 linear feet of dike at Robinson Bar. The appropriation of $3,000 made September 19, 1890, was too small to be applied to dredging operations, and was applied to removing snags, leaning trees, etc., which obstructed navigation. The plant formerly used for this purpose on the Rappahannock, Pamunkey, and Mattaponi rivers having become worn out, the construction of a new plant became necessary. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, this plant was nearly completed. The new plant was delivered on July 15, 1891, and after being employed on the Pamunkey River was brought to the Mattaponi, where snagging operations were commenced October 1, 1891. The work covered that part of the river between West Point and Dunkirk, the last-named place being about 6 miles above Ayletts; 165 snags, 27 logs, and 210 overhanging trees were removed. The season's work was concluded November 21, 1891, and the plant was then taken to the Rappahannock River for use on that improvement. ENG 92-10 July 1, 1891, balance unexpended... June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project................... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix J 11.) 16. 12. Pamunkey River, Virginia.-The Pamunkey River has a gable length of 59 miles and empties in the York River at West P Va: Navigation was originally obstructed by five bars in the u part of the river and by snags, logs, and overhanging trees. The project was adopted in 1880 and amended in 1885, and prov for channels 100 feet wide and 7 feet deep through Spring Bar and S more Bar, or to a distance of 47 miles above West Point, and chan 40 feet wide and from 3 to 5 feet deep through the bars above, toge with the removal of logs, wrecks, snags, and overhanging trees. June 30, 1890, logs, snags, etc., had been removed from 22.5 miles of river between Garlick Ferry and Hanovertown, dikes had been bui Spring Bar and Skidmore Bar, and a channel 95 feet wide and fro to 7 feet deep dredged through the last-named bar. The amount pended to June 30, 1890, was $18,483.64. An appropriation of $3 was made September 19, 1890, which was applied to the remova snags, trees, and similar obstructions, which are annually renewed freshets. The plant formerly used for this work having become w out and useless, it became necessary to construct a new one. This completed and snagging operations were commenced in July, 1891. The entire river between West Point and Hanovertown was ex amined, and 103 snags, 37 logs, and 103 overhanging trees were moved. Work was closed on September 26, 1891, and the plant th transferred to the Mattaponi River. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.. 3,053 Anseant (estimated) required for completion of existing project ..... 7,000 (Bardor acts of 1866 and 1867. Appendix J 12.) WXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS, MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH PROVISIO WAVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 19, 1890. the regumed preliminary examinations of the following localities we by the local engineer in charge, Lieut. Col. Hains, and repor lecy submitted. It is his opinion, based upon the facts and reason y you that these localities are worthy of improvement. This opinio Noia vaprad in by me, Lieut. Col. Hains was charged with an box vse slead their survey and submitted reports thereon. The r NOON BOLE TRANsmitted to Congress and printed as executive doc ***** xevynd Congress, first session. mac River (Anacostia River), includin that portion in District of Columbia.-The improvement recommended contemplates dredging a channel 24 feet deep and 200 feet wide from the mouth up to the Navy-Yard Bridge, with a basin in front of the navyyard 400 feet wide and 24 feet deep; this channel to be widened, at a reduced depth, to 1,000 feet, as the demands of commerce may require in the future. The material dredged is to be deposited on the flats or marshes on either side of the river. For the present, it will be sufficient to dredge a channel 20 feet deep up to the navy-yard. The total cost of this work is estimated at $656,000. Lieut. Col. Hains states: Before the project is regularly entered upon, steps should be taken to secure the title of the United States to all the land to be reclaimed. This will require the action of Congress. Printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 30. (See also Appendix J 13.) 2. Potomac River, Virginia and Maryland, up to the city of Washington, with the view of removing obstructions and deepening the channel.-The improvement recommended contemplates the formation of a channel 200 feet wide and 24 fect deep at low tide through the five obstructions to 24-foot navigation in the river up to Georgetown, at an estimated cost of about $300,000, as follows: Kettle Bottom Shoals. Total....... Printed as House Ex. Doc. No, 33. (See also Appendix J 14.) $1,320 30, 195 33,000 93, 885 141, 504 299,904 EXAMINATION AND SURVEY, MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF ACT APPROVED MARCH 3, 1891. The required examination and survey for a breakwater to form a harbor of safety and refuge in Lynnhaven Bay, near Cape Henry, at the foot of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, were made by Lieut. Col. Hains, and his report thereon submitted. The cost of a breakwater 4,500 feet long, constructed of concrete blocks laid close and bonded together, upon a riprap base, with the approximate location selected, is estimated at $1,555,538. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 27, Fifty-second Congress, first session. (See also Appendix J 15.) IMPROVEMENT OF CERTAIN RIVERS AND HARBORS IN SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA AND NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. Officers in charge, Capt. G. J. Fiebeger, Corps of Engineers, to November 30, 1891, and Lieut. Edward Burr, Corps of Engineers, since that date; Division Engineer, Col. Wm. P. Craighill, Corps of Engi neers. 1. Harbor of Norfolk and its approaches, Virginia.-In 1877, previous to commencing the present improvement, the harbor of Norfolk was obstructed by shoals at the mouths of the Eastern and Southern branches, the shoal in the Eastern Branch being about one-third of a mile long, with a low-water depth of 15 to 16 feet, and the shoal in the Southern Branch being short and with a depth of from 22 to 23 feet. The approaches to the harbor were obstructed by shoals at Sewall Point, 3 miles long, with a low-water depth of 20 feet, and at the mouth |