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Abstract of proposals for furnishing and placing stone on the breakwater at Rockland, Me., opened December 24, 1886.

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The contract was awarded to Messrs. John A. Hamilton and Rufus Soule, December 27, 1886.

COMMERCIAL STATISTICS FOR 1886.

Number of foreign vessels entered at custom-house during 1886...

540

No record is kept of coastwise vessels. The number of arrivals and departures is estimated by the collector as upwards of...

6,000

Arrivals of steamers:

Boston and Bangor line (during the summer)
Portland and Machias line (during the summer).

daily.

daily.

Mount Desert, Blue Hill, Vinal Haven, and others (during the summer).. daily.

..tons.. 165

In winter the average will be four trips a week.

Ship-building in 1886....

FOREIGN IMPORTS.

Kiln wood and lumber, value........

EXPORTS BY WATER.

$80,000

Rockland is one of the principal lime-burning districts in this country. The annual amount shipped by water is very large; it has not been practicable to obtain exact figures.

A 7.

IMPROVEMENT OF PORTLAND HARBOR, MAINE.

At the close of the last fiscal year a contract was outstanding with Messrs. Moore & Wright, of Portland, Me., for dredging shoals in the harbor between Brown's Wharf and Franklin Wharf, and in front of Galt Wharf.

Work under this contract was completed July 14, 1887. The amount of material removed from July 1 to July 14 was 5,646 yards, measured in situ, making 25,536 cubic yards in situ under the entire contract.

As a result, all the shoals on the part mentioned where before there was a depth of less than 16 feet at mean low water, were dredged to 17 feet or more at mean low water, and the area having 21 feet depth at low water was extended across the entire front of Galt Wharf. This work completed all the projects which had been approved at that time. The act of Congress approved August 5, 1886, appropriated $30,000 for continuing the improvement of Portland Harbor.

The project adopted for this improvement consists in dredging a channel 500 feet wide and 29 feet deep at mean low water from deep water of the channel to the front where the largest steamers lie while receiving and discharging cargoes. The largest steamers arriving in the harbor draw 27 feet of water when loaded, and the new channel will permit them to float at extreme low stages of the tide.

A map of Portland Harbor is forwarded to accompany this report; the channel to be deepened to 29 feet is indicated upon the map, and the part which is to be completed..with the funds appropriated August 5, 1886, is indicated by dotted shade lines.

It is recommended that when this chaunel has been completed the channel over the bar to deeper water above be dredged to at least 25 feet depth, and that the breakwater be extended to water 20 feet deep. The reason for this recommendation was explained in the last annual report.

The appropriation of August 5, 1886, became available too late to accomplish anything judiciously in this latitude before the spring of 1887. On the 3d of December, 1886, proposals for doing the dredging were invited by public advertisement, and on the 24th of December bids were received and opened.

The lowest bidder for the work was the National Dredging Company, of Wilmington, Del., and a contract was closed with that company to do the work at 13 cents per cubic yard, measured in situ.

Work under this contract was commenced early in June, and very good progress was made to the end of the month. The measurements being in situ, the exact quantity removed can not be given until surveyed; by scow measurement the quantity removed in June was 29,000 cubic yards.

The dredging will be continuously carried on until about 200,000 cubic yards in situ have been removed, covering the area indicated upon the map. This amount will be completed and the appropriation will be expended before the close of the season of 1887.

In order to shelter the boats which are required in superintending the improvements in this harbor it became necessary to build a boat-house. For this purpose proposals were invited by circular letter, dated April 19, 1887. Only one bid was received, and as the price was considered reasonable a contract was let for constructing the boat house at a total cost of $400. The work was completed June 15.

The total amount expended on this project to June 30, 1887, is $2,040.59.
The estimated cost of completing the entire project is as follows:

Dredging 635,000 cubic yards in situ, at 20 cents..
Add for engineering contingencies..

$127,000

8,000

135,000

There will be required to complete the project the sum of $105,000. If this could be appropriated in a single sum it would result in competition, which would greatly reduce the contract price per yard, the benefit from the channel would be sooner realized, and the contingent expenses would be reduced. The appropriation of the entire amount is therefore recommended.

The harbor is in the collection district of Portland and Falmouth, Me., of which Portland is the port of entry. There is a light-house on the breakwater, and at Portland Head, 3 miles distant. The harbor is defended by Forts Preble, Gorges, and Scammel, and battery at Portland Head.

8872 ENG 87--29

July 1, 1886, amount available

Money statement.

Amount appropriated by act approved August 5, 1886..

$1,865.00

30,000.00

July 1, 1887, outstanding liabilities.

July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886....

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July 1, 1887, amount available......

27,959. 41

105,000.00

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.....
Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1889 105, 000. 00
Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and
harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

Abstract of proposals for dredging in Portland Harbor, Maine, received December 24, 1886.

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Abstract of proposals for the construction of a boat-house near the Grand Trunk Railway Wharf in Portland Harbor, Maine, received April 29, 1887.

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Abstract of contracts made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1887, for improvement of Portland Harbor, Maine.

Date of contracts.

Contractors.

Nature of work.

Jan. 21, 1887 National Dredging Company, Wil- Dredging to 29 feet below mean low mington, Del.

May 10, 1887 Augustine D. Smith, Portland, Mo.

water. Approximate area, 1,425 feet long; width as far as funds permit. Construction of a boat-house.

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Price.

*$0. 13

400.00

9

1, 190

3,025

4,000 and 5,000

112, 261. 41

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* These statistics were obtained from collector of customs.

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