July 1, 1891, balance unexpended June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended ... 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 D 24.) $15,500. 02 15, 217.38 282.64 10,000.00 10, 282.64 58, 500.00 25. Patchogue River, New York. This is a shallow tidal inlet extending about a mile northward from the shore of Great South Bay, Long Island, to the village of Patchogue. The natural depth in the stream and over a bar at the mouth was from 2 to 3 feet at mean low water, and the rise of tide is about 1 foot. In 1880, and again in 1886, examinations were made by order of Congress, and subsequently a project was adopted for making a channel, 6 feet deep at mean low water and 60 feet wide, up to the village wharves, to be protected at the mouth by a jetty on the west side, at an estimated cost of $40,000. Up to July 1, 1891, $1,541.18 (including outstanding liabilities) had been expended in building 150 linear feet of the shore end of the jetty. During the past fiscal year 1,190 linear feet of the jetty were built, making its length 1,340 feet; and a channel, 6 feet deep and 50 feet wide, was dredged from deep water in Great South Bay to and inside the entrance to the river; this channel will require partial redredging to make it permanent. It does not yet extend far enough up the river to be of great use to navigation. Future appropriations will be applied mainly to dredging. 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 D 25.) $14,843, 82 13, 584.83 1,258.99 77.37 1, 181.62 8,000.00 9, 181.62 17,000.00 26. Browns Creek, Sayville, New York. This is a narrow stream extending northward from Great South Bay to the Sayville highway bridge, above which it is wholly a fresh-water creek. The natural depth in the creek is from 1 to 3 feet at low tide, and on a bar at the mouth it is less than 1 foot. A survey was made by order of Congress in 1889, and a project was adopted for making the creek 100 feet wide and 4 feet deep at mean low water, the entrance channel to be protected by riprap jetties on either side, at a total estimated cost of $46,000. The total amount appropriated for this work is $17,000. July 1, 1891, a contract had been entered into for commencing the jetties but work had not been begun. During the past fiscal year 492 feet of the west jetty was built and 450 feet of the east jetty partly built, under a contract not yet pleted. A channel 100 feet wide and 4 feet deep at mean low wate dredged from deep water in Great South Bay, extending betwee jetties and up the stream; the total length of channel is 1,450 and total amount dredged 23,194 cubic yards. In addition, pr channels have been dredged into the marsh on the east side o main channel, with width of 25 and 50 feet and aggregate leng 1,500 feet. Prior to 1891 this creek was of no value for purposes of naviga It is now quite extensively used by boats engaged in oystering, Future appropriations will be applied to maintaining and exten the dredged channel and to such repairs and extension of the jetti become necessary. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.. June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.. $11,9 10, 4 July 1, 1892, balance unexpended July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities 1,4 $537.60 July 1, 1892, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.. 560.00 1, 09 July 1, 1892, balance available.... 37 Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.. 5,00 5, 37 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 ... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... 29, 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix D 26.) IMPROVEMENT OF HUDSON RIVER; OF HARBORS AT SAUGERT AND RONDOUT, AND WAPPINGER CREEK; OF NEW YORK HARB AND RIVERS AND HARBORS IN ITS VICINITY, NEW YORK; AND RARITAN BAY, NEW JERSEY. Officer in charge, Lieut. Col. G. L. Gillespie, Corps of Engineers, h ing under his immediate orders Lieut. Harry Taylor, Corps of En neers, to November 2, 1891, and Lieut. James G. Warren, Corps of gineers, since August 12, 1891. 1. Hudson River, New York.-The improvement of this river has be restricted by the wording of the appropriation acts to that part of lying between Troy, at the head of navigation, 6 miles above Alban and New Baltimore, about 14 miles below Albany. Before the improvement was begun the navigable depth in the cha nel between New Baltimore and Albany was 73 feet at meau low wate between Albany and Troy, 4 feet. The mean range of tides at State dam at Troy is 0.80 feet; at A bany, 2.32 feet; and at New Baltimore, 3.42 feet. The plan of improvement adopted in 1867 proposed making the na igable depth between New Baltimore and Albany 11 feet, and betwee Albany and Troy 9 feet. This was to be accomplished. by the constru tion of longitudinal dikes to direct the currents, and by dredging. The estimated cost of making this improvement, prepared in 1881 subject to be increased annually, was $1,078,304. In 1889 the estimate cost was $1,424,435. The amount expended to June 30, 1891, inclusive of outstanding lia bilities, was $1,162,011.70, of which sum a large part has, however, from the necessities of the case, been applied partly to the repair of decaying dikes and partly to dredging. At that date the dikes provided for in the project of improvement, so far as built, had resulted in securing a channel depth of 10 feet nearly all the way from New Baltimore to Albany, and of 8 feet nearly all the way from Albany to Troy. The shoal spots make the navigable depths on those parts of the river 9 feet and 74 feet, respectively. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $96,962.43, and was applied to the repairs of the dikes; to the construction of new dikes; to dredg ing at Fish House, Bogart Light, Winnies, and Washington bars; to the removal of Dettingers Rock, opposite Van Wies Point; to the partial removal of the Overslaugh Rock, above Van Wies Point, and to the removal of wrecks from navigable channel under improvement. The river and harbor act approved September 19, 1890, provides as follows: That the Secretary of War is authorized and directed to appoint a board of three officers of the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, whose duty it will be to thoroughly examine the obstructions to navigation in the Hudson River, between New York City and the State dam at Troy, New York, and report a project and estiDate of the cost of widening and deepening said river between New York City and the city of Albany, and also between New York City and the State dam at the city of Troy for the navigation of sea-going vessels drawing twenty feet of water, and also a separate estimate of the expense of improving the river between Coxsackie and the State dam at Troy, to such an extent as to secure a navigable channel twelve feet deep at mean low water. Said board shall accompany their report with a statement as to the usefulness of such improvements and of their relations and value to commerce, and of the advisability of entering upon the same at this time; and the Secretary of War shall transmit said reports to Congress with his own views and those of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, thereon; and the expenses of said board shall be paid out of the appropriation made in this act for the improvement of the Hudson River, not to exceed ten thousand dollars. The Board of Engineers, authorized and directed by the above law, completed the duty assigned it, and its report, dated October 1, 1891, which was concurred in by the Chief of Engineers and the Secretary of War, was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 23, Fifty-second Congress, first session. A copy is also herewith submitted, accompanying annual report of the officer in charge upon the improvement of Hudson River (Appendix E 1). Three propositions looking to improvement of the navigation of the river were by the terms of the act to be considered by the Board and projects, with estimates of cost, required to be submitted. (1) Between New York City and the city of Albany, for the navigation of seagoing vessels drawing 20 feet of water. (2) Between New York City and the State dam at Troy, for the navigation of seagoing vessels drawing 20 feet of water. (3) Between Coxsackie and the State dam at Troy, for navigable channel 12 feet deep at mean low water. Upon these three several propositions the Board, after full and careful consideration, remarks as follows: Concerning the first two-deep channels between New York City and Albany and between New York City and Troy The Board is of the opinion that the possible benefits to commerce to be derived from the proposed improvement for vessels drawing 20 feet are not, under existing conditions, sufficient to justify at this time the expenditure necessary to make such improvement. The estimates of cost of carrying out the two projects contained in the said act, which provide for widening and deepening the channels between New York City and the city of Albany and between New York City and the city of Troy fo navigation of seagoing vessels drawing 20 feet of water, are $5,934,847.60 $19,507,832.74, respectively. Concerning the third-channel 12 feet deep between Coxsackie the State dam at Troy After carefully studying the wants of commerce, the Board is of the opinion the third project contained in the act of September 19, 1890, which provides fo proving the Hudson River "between Coxsackie and the State dam at Troy to an extent as to secure a navigable channel 12 feet deep at mean low water, worthy and useful one, and accordingly recommends it for adoption. In view of the necessities of the commerce incident to the river proper an tributary country, the Board is of the opinion that the project for improve adopted in 1867 should be extended so as to provide for a channel depth of at 12 feet at mean low water, and that such an extension is well worth the expend. required for its execution. The estimate submitted by the Board for a channel 12 feet deep 400 feet wide from Coxsackie to the foot of Broadway, Troy, and the 12 feet deep and 300 feet wide to the State dam at Troy, is $2,447,906 July 1, 1891, balance unexpended. June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.... $128, 34 87,22 July 1, 1892, balance unexpended... July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities 41, 11 July 1, 1892, amount covered by uncompleted contracts..... 20, 98 July 1, 1892, balance available Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. 20, 133 187,500 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893... 207, 632 -2, 260, 406 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1894 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix E 1.) 500,000 2. Harbor at Saugerties, New York.-This harbor is formed by t mouth of Esopus Creek, which empties into the Hudson River, on t west bank, about 100 miles above New York City. The bar at the entrance at the time of original examination, made November, 1883, with the view of preparing estimates for improv ment, had a navigable depth of 3 feet only at mean low water, and th distance between the 6-foot curves across it was 1,100 feet. The ha bor could therefore be entered only at high water even by the smalle class of vessels. The range of tides is 4 feet, approximately. The plan of improvement which was adopted in 1887 provided fo securing a depth of 8 feet, mean low water, from the entrance to th head of navigation, 13 miles, by the construction of two parallel dike each 2,300 feet long, 260 feet apart on the inside and 280 feet apart o the outside, and by dredging, if found necessary, 30,000 cubic yards o material from the channel between the dikes. The estimated cost of the improvement was $52,000; the amount ex pended upon the project up to the close of the fiscal year ending Jun 30, 1891, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $36,299.11. At tha date the south dike had been completed, and its length was 2,363 feet the north dike had been completed for a length of 809 feet, and the shoal in front of Sheffield's paper mill had been dredged to afford a channel 50 feet wide and 7 to 8 feet deep, mean low water. The chan nel across the bar was 200 wide and 9 feet deep, mean low water, and work on the north dike extension was in progress. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $7,085.30, and was applied toward the completion of 1,250 feet of pile dike on the north side of the creek. The existing navigable depth from the entrance to the head of navi gation is 9 feet, mean low water, in a channel from 100 to 300 feet wide. 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 the requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix E 2.) $7,678. 24 7,085.30 592.94 5,000.00 5, 592.94 5,000.00 3. Harbor at Rondout, New York.-This harbor is formed by the mouth of Rondout Creek, which empties into the Hudson River on its west side about 90 miles above the city of New York, and is the eastern terminus of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. The creek is a tidal stream for 3 miles above its mouth, and prior to 1871 all improvements had been made by private parties. The range of tides is 4 feet, approximately. The Government made a survey of the harbor in 1869, and the available depth of water then in the channel was only 7 feet at mean low water. The project of improvement, based on this survey, was for the formation and maintenance of a channel 100 feet wide and 14 feet deep, mean low water, at the mouth of the creek, to be obtained by means of dikes and dredging. The parallel channel dikes, 350 feet apart at the entrance, were to be built outward into the Hudson River, and a branch dike upstream, starting at outer end of north pier, to protect the north dike against destruction by ice. The estimated cost of the project was $172,500. The project was completed in 1880 at an actual cost of $90,000 only. At that time the length of the north dike was 2,200 feet, and that of the south dike 2,800 feet, and there was a channel between them 50 feet wide and 133 feet deep, mean low water, and 100 feet wide and 12 feet deep, mean low water. The appropriations which have been made since 1880 have been applied exclusively to the repair of the dikes. The amount expended upon the project and upon repairs up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $101,500, at which date the navigable channel was 100 feet wide and from 12 to 13 feet deep, mean low water. The dikes were built originally of timber and stone to the height of mean high water, but the timber has since become so damaged by age and by the ice that the stone filling in many places has fallen out between the rows of piles, and the height of the dikes has been correspondingly lowered. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $5,000, and was applied in re. pairing the north and branch dikes by replacing worn and decayed timber and refilling with stone. The dikes are now in fair condition, except that the south dike requires some additional stone filling. |