G 5. ICE-HARBOR AT HEAD OF DELAWARE BAY, DELAWARE. The act of August 2, 1882, contained an appropriation of $25,000 for "ice-harbor at head of Delaware Bay, and for removal of sunken piers in channel back of Reedy Island, Delaware." The sum of $3,700 was expended in 1883 in removing the sunken piers at Reedy Island, and $3,800 in surveys and examinations, leaving an available balance of $17,500 at the commencement of the last fiscal year, of which only $6.70 have since been expended. The importance of this ice-harbor has been fully set forth in previous reports, but the difficulties connected with it are so great that I do not think there has yet been any satisfactory solution proposed. From all the information I have obtained, the inclosing of the area by a barrier that will prevent the ingress and egress of ice will be no improvement upon the plan of detached ice-breakers as heretofore used in this river. But the question of the most economical construction for the ice-breakers, whether they should be stone piers, pile-piers, or floating pontons, requires more study than has yet been given to the subject. Total appropriations to June 30, 1887.. Total expenditures to June 30, 1887.. $25,000.00 7,506.70 Money statement. July 1, 1886, amount available....... July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886... $17,500.00 6.70 July 1, 1887, amount available 17,493.30 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. 381,090.00 G 6. CONSTRUCTION OF IRON PIER IN DELAWARE BAY, NEAR LEWES, DELA. WARE. No work has been done during the past fiscal year. No appropriation has been made since August 2, 1882. The $13,000 then appropriated was expended in repairs to the wooden superstructure. As stated in my last annual report: The decay of timber in the superstructure of the pier is very rapid, and to make the pier of value, the superstructure must be maintained with unimpaired strength. Parts weakened by decay must be removed early in their deterioration and be replaced by sound material. This renders the life of the timber of short duration and consequently the cost of miantenance large. To add to the quantity of perishable material in a wooden superstructure would be only to increase largely the cost of its maintenance. The railroad having its terminus in the vicinity of the pier has revived the question of using the pier in connection with their traffic, a privilege granted by the act of July 15, 1870. The present wooden superstructure was designed several years ago and before the adoption of the present heavier weights of engines and rolling stock. These increased weights render the present plan of wooden superstructure entirely too light for the increased loads which would be brought upon the pier in its use by the railroad company. The plan as described in the project proposes an iron superstructure with paved surfaces outside of the areas occupied by the railroad tracks upon the pier head, and an iron superstructure carrying the track upon the approach to the pier-head, combined with the use of timber for the deck-covering over that part of the area of the approach not occupied by the railroad tracks. Such an iron superstructure, with a strength fully equal to the requirements of railroad traffic, could be built for about $93,000, and maintained at a trifling cost for repairs, rendering available the permanent iron superstructure, which has been built at a cost of over $300,000. A wooden superstructure, giving the same strength when new as the proposed iron superstructure, would cost at first probably $40,000, and would practically have to be entirely removed each ten years, so that its aggregate cost would in the end exceed that of an iron superstruc ture. Even with the above expenditure for repairs the wooden superstructure would frequently be in a condition of impaired strength. If the project for an iron superstructure, submitted with my last annual report, should be approved, an appropriation of the entire amount, namely, $93,000, is recommended for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889, as when the change of superstructure is begun, the pier will be useless until the new superstructure is completed. The pier is in the collection district of Delaware, the nearest port of entry being Wilmington, where the amount of revenue collected during the year ending December 31, 1886, was $26,110.57. The nearest fort and light-house are, respectively, Fort Delaware and the Delaware Breakwater light. Total appropriations to June 30, 1887. $368, 500.00 368, 375. 06 Money statement. July 1, 1886, amount available.. July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886. $187. 14 July 1, 1887, amount available---- 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. 62.20 124.94 15, 000. 00 G 7. IMPROVEMENT OF HARBOR AT DELAWARE BREAKWATER, DELAWARE. During the past fiscal year the work in progress has been the closing of the gap between the breakwater and the ice-breaker in accordance with the present project. Under a contract with William M. Field, dated October 7, 1886, 24,025 tons of stone, at the rate of $2.10 per ton, having been placed in the gap. The contract was completed on June 28, 1887, and practically exhausted the funds available from the appropriation of $56,250 by act approved August 5, 1886. It was estimated in the project upon which the present work is based, that the net volume of the random stone foundation would be about 87,500 cubic yards. From the experience gained in the construction of the breakwater and ice-breaker it is found that each cubic yard of those structures represents 14 gross tons of random stone. From this data the 87,500 cubic yards of foundation would require about 131,000 gross tons of stone. There have been 60,762 tons of stone already placed in the gap, leav ing about 70,000 tons yet to be placed to supply the volume of the original estimate, provided no allowance is made for the mattresses used in the foundation. At the prices which have been paid under the three contracts in force since the work of closing the gap was commenced in 1885, and allowing for superintendence, the cost of completing the foundation would be about $175,000. This work could be accomplished in two seasons if the funds therefor were available. The completion of the foundation would be followed by the construction of the concrete superstructure, which was estimated at about $370,000, including the necessary plant. From this it will be seen that it will probably require more than the $418,750 estimated in the money statement to complete the work. But it is better to postpone a revision of the estimate until after the commencement of the concrete superstructure, or at least until the foundation is about completed. The importance of this work to both the commerce of the Delaware River and the Atlantic coast is such as to justify sufficent appropriations to complete the breakwater by closing the gap at the earliest date possible. The reports of the Maritime Exchange state that during the year 1886 1,541 vessels, exclusive of tugs, fishing and small coasting craft, anchored under the protection of the breakwater. During the present season no further work is contemplated, since available funds are exhausted. An appropriation of $300,000 is recommended for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889, and if an appropriation is made it will be applied in furtherance of the approved project for closing the gap. This work is situated in the collection district of Delaware. Wilmington is the nearest port of entry, at which the revenue collected during the year ending December 31, 1886, was $26,110.57. Fort Delaware is the nearest fort, and the Breakwater Light the nearest light-house. Total appropriations to June 30, 1887 Total expenditures to June 30, 1887... Total appropriations under present project to June 30, 1887- $2,448, 353.70 2,445, 667.73 256, 250.00 253, 564. 03 $1,579.33 56, 250.00 July 1, 1887, amount available. July 1, 1887, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1886.. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... 418,750.00 Abstract of proposals for furnishing and placing stone in the gap at the Delaware Breakwater, opened October 2, 1886, by Lieut. Col. Henry M. Robert, Corps of Engineers. Contract (dated October 7, 1886) awarded to William M. Field, Kentmere, Del. COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. Statement showing number of vessels calling at the breakwater for harbor and for orders during the year ending December 31, 1886. The above information was furnished by the Philadelphia Maritime Exchange. G 8. IMPROVEMENT OF RANCOCAS RIVER, NEW JERSEY. During the past fiscal year no work has been done on this river. The last appropriation ($10,000) was made August 2, 1882, and available funds were practically exhausted during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883. Twenty thousand dollars have been appropriated for the improvement of this river, and have been applied to the formation of a channel about 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water through Coate's Bar, which is about 4 miles above the river mouth, and to the construction of a regulating dike from the north bank of the river to the upper end of Hamill's Island. No operations are contemplated during the present season, as no funds are available. In furtherance of the approved project, a channel with a low-water depth of 6 feet should be dredged through the shoals between Coate's Bar and Centreton at a cost which has been estimated at $22,000. This amount could be profitably expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889. Rancocas River is in the collection district of Trenton, N. J., which is the nearest port of entry, at which no revenue was collected during the year ending December 31, 1886. The nearest fort is Fort Mifflin, and the Horseshoe range lights are the nearest light-houses. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. $100.09 100.09 62,000.00 22,000.00 Arrivals and departures of vessels during the year ending December 31, 1886. The details of the above information were obtained from Messrs. J. J. Allen's Sons, of Philadelphia, Pa., and J. W. Henling's Sons, of Masonville, N. J. G 9. IMPROVEMENT OF WOODBURY CREEK, NEW JERSEY. The only With the No work of improvement has yet been done on this creek. appropriation made therefor was $5,000, on August 2, 1882. exception of $450.31 expended in 1882 for a survey of the creek, this amount is yet available. The proposed plan of improvement was the |