These records are not complete, as many vessels pass unobserved in night. D 8. IMPROVEMENT OF MILFORD HARBOR, CONNECTICUT. This harbor is on the north shore of Long Island Sound, about 9 miles southwest of New Haven, Conn. It consists of a broad, open bay, from the head of which the Wepauwog River, a small tidal stream, extends three-quarters of a mile north to the Milford Wharves, and the Indian River, another small inlet, extends northeasterly. The mouth of the latter stream is partly closed by a dam formerly used to create power for a tide mill. The original depth on the bar just outside the mouth of the river was less than 2 feet at mean low water, and in some places between there and the upper wharves low tide left the channels nearly bare. The mean rise of tide is 6.2 feet. PROJECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT. A survey of breakwater at Milford, Conn., was ordered by Congress in the river and harbor act of 1872. There being no breakwater, a survey of the harbor was made for a breakwater, and in his report, dated December 24, 1872 (printed as part of Ex. Doc. No. 107, Fortysecond Congress, third session; and also on p. 1041 of the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, for 1873), Gen. Warren, U. S. Engineers, submitted the following plan of improvement: 1. A riprap breakwater from Welch's Point, on the east side of the mouth of the harbor. 2. Protecting the bluffs on the east shore from erosion by means of small stone jetties $67,000 3. Dredging 4 feet deep and 100 feet wide across the bar at the mouth of the river... 5,500 6,250 5,000 1,250 4. A jetty on the east side of the channel to prevent dredged area from filling, and to confine the action of the tide.. Superintendence Total..... 85,000 In 1874 $5,000 was appropriated for this harbor, and work under the above project was begun, building the small jetties to protect the east shore. Twelve such jetties were built, 100 to 130 feet long, and rising to 9 feet above mean low water. The appropriation of 1875 ($13,000) ENG 93-59 was applied to the repair of these jetties, to construction of a jetty from the east shore, at the mouth of the Indian River (Long Jetty), and to dredging across the bar. In the Annual Report for 1876 (part 1, p. 2251), Col. Barlow, U. S. Engineers, recommended that the dredged channel be carried up to Town Wharf, about half a mile farther, at an additional estimated cost of $9,000. This recommendation was renewed in 1877, and was included in the project for expenditure of the appropriation of $10,000 made in 1878. In that and the following year the 4-foot channel across the bar was completed to 100 feet width, as originally projected, and was extended to Town Wharf, with width from 60 to 75 feet, and Long Jetty was repaired; also, under same appropriation, in 1879 and 1880, an additional jetty, authorized by Department letter of October 16, 1879, was built on the west side of the channel, extending southward from Burns Point. This appropriation completed the original project, except the breakwater; sufficient money for beginning that had not been appropriated. June 14, 1880, $5,000 was appropriated, and in accordance with a project for its expenditure, submitted and approved, the 4-foot-harbor channel was extended from Town Wharf to the Straw Works Wharf, at the upper end of the harbor, with a width of 40 feet. This was completed before the appropriation was exhausted, and "at the earnest solicitations of those most interested in the works of improvement there an experimental channel, 25 feet wide and 8 feet deep, was cut through the bar at the entrance, lying within and on the west side of the channel already made. This is now of great use to the steam vessels employed in the fish-oil works at that place, and it is claimed that the increase of shipping in the harbor, particularly in the oyster business, for which those waters seem very well adapted, will soon require an 8-foot channel of fully 100 feet width. Such a channel would involve the removal of about 45,000 cubic yards more of material, principally sand and gravel, which, at ruling prices would cost, includ ing superintendence and incidental expenses, about $11,000." (Extract from Col. Barlow's annual report for 1881; see Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1881, Part I, pp. 598 and 599.) Under the appropriation of $5,000 made August 2, 1882, the project above suggested was adopted, and the 8-foot channel was widened to 65 feet from the bay up to Merwin's Wharf, with 100 feet width around the bend at Burns Point. In 1889 this channel was made fully 100 feet wide, and some needed repairs to Long Jetty were begun. By act of Congress approved March 3, 1881, a survey for a breakwater and harbor of refuge at Milford Harbor was authorized. The survey was made and a report, with estimates, was submitted January 20, 1882. This report is printed in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1882, Part I, p. 632. Under date of December 14, 1889, Hon. O. H. Platt, United States Senate, wrote the Chief of Engineers, requesting an examination of Milford Harbor, and a report upon dredging the channel to the upper wharyes. This report was made December 31, 1889. In compliance with a resolution of the House of Representatives of January 18, 1890, a copy of the report was transmitted to the House, and printed as House Ex. Doc., No. 139, Fifty-first Congress, first session; also in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1890, Part I, p. 629. The act of Congress, approved September 19, 1890, appropriated $2,500 for this improvement. This amount was estimated in previous annual reports as required for repairs of the jetties; and, with the approval of the Chief of Engineers, granite was purchased in open market to be used in widening the base of Long Jetty, at the mouth of the Indian River, the price being $2.50 per gross ton delivered and placed; 840 tons of stone were so delivered, and the entire outer side of the jetty was widened and the most exposed part of the inner side. OPERATIONS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1893. Nothing was done. PRESENT CONDITION OF IMPROVEMENT. Long Jetty, as now repaired and enlarged, has dimensions as provided in the project, viz, outer slope 2 upon 3, inner slope 1 upon 1. There yet remain about 300 feet of the jetty not widened on the inside. The channel, dredged 4 feet deep, with width of 60 feet for about twothirds the distance, from the mouth of the river to the Straw Works Wharf and with width of 40 feet for the rest of the distance, has shoaled somewhat. The channel across the bar is 8 feet deep and over 100 feet wide. PROPOSED OPERATIONS. The project is completed, and nothing further is contemplated under it, except what is from time to time necessary for the maintenance of the jetties and dredged channels. No appropriation is needed for the ensuing year. Appropriations for Milford Harbor, Connecticut, have been made as Dredging to Town Wharf.. June 18, 1878 10,000 Survey for breakwater Dredging above Town Wharf and (8 feet) below Merwin's Wharf, on bar Dredging 8 feet on bar Dredging 8 feet on bar and repairing Long Jetty. Aug. 11, 1888 5,000 Repairing jetties..... Sept. 19, 1890 2,500 Total.... 47, 100 Milford Harbor is in the collection district of New Haven; it is about 9 miles west from Fort Hale, New Haven Harbor. The nearest light-house is on Stratford Point, 4 miles to westward. Money statement. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year.. $175.46 175.46 COMMERCIAL STATISTICS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 1892. Vessels arriving and departing.-Number of trips. [Draft, 3 to 10 feet; tonnage, 10 to 200 tons.] Steamers Sail vessels. Barges.... Total... Chief articles of commerce are: Oysters, 20,000 barrels (about). Total...... Estimated to be worth $150,000. 1,825 700 15 2,540 Tons. 1,900 1,776 3,600 7,276 This includes no figures for the oil works at Welchs Point, at the mouth of the harbor. No new lines of transportation have been established since July 1, 1892. D g. IMPROVEMENT OF HOUSATONIC RIVER, CONNECTICUT. The Housatonic is a long, shallow river running southward through Massachusetts and Connecticut and emptying into Long Island Sound just east of Stratford Point, about 15 miles southwest from New Haven. At Derby, 13 miles above its mouth, it receives the discharge of the Naugatuck, a small, rapid river. This point, which has been regarded as the head of navigation, is nearly the head of tide water. About a mile above there is a dam across the Housatonic River, furnishing large water power. For at least 5 miles below Derby the water is always fresh. The original depth on the worst bars in the river (6 in number) was from 3.5 to 4.5 feet at mean low water; there was also a bar across the river's mouth with about 4 feet low-water depth. PROJECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT. In pursuance of a resolution of the House of Representatives dated December 20, 1869, authorizing a survey of the Housatonic River below Derby, which resolution was referred by the Secretary of War to the Chief of Engineers for report as to the "necessity for the survey," an examination of the river from Derby to Long Island Sound was made by Col. D. C. Houston, Corps of Engineers, who reported January 8, 1870, and recommended a detailed survey of all that part of the river, at an estimated cost of $5,000. This report was printed in House Ex. Doc. No. 62, Forty-first Congress, second session. By act of Congress approved July 11, 1870, a survey of Housatonic River below Derby, Conn., was directed, and an allotment of $2,700 was made for a survey "sufficient to determine the prominent obstructions to navigation." In his report on this survey, dated January 23, 1871, and printed in House Ex. Doc. No. 95, Forty-first Congress, third session, and also in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1871, p. 781, Gen. G. K. Warren, Corps of Engineers, submitted the following estimates for making a channel 7 feet deep at mean low water, to be 200 feet wide over the bar at the mouth of the river and 150 feet wide in the river, the channel at the river's mouth to be protected on the east side by a breakwater from Milford Beach: The breakwater was to be built of riprap up to 11 feet above mean low water and of dimension stone above; it was to be 6 feet wide on top, rising to 11 feet above low water, and was to extend to the 6-foot curve, an estimated length of 4,200 feet. March 3, 1871, the first appropriation for improvement of the river was made, and work in accordance with the project was begun. In 1872 the project was modified to admit of a jetty connecting Drews Rock with the west bank instead of removal of the rock. This was done on the ground of economy, and the jetty was built in 1872. The result was to form a bar below the jetty, which required such frequent dredging that it was found expedient to remove the rock as originally projected. This was done in 1887-'88. Appropriations were not made in sufficient amounts to warrant beginning the breakwater as originally designed, and in 1879 Col. Barlow proposed to substitute for it a riprap jetty, at an estimated cost of $12,000. In 1882 the estimate was changed to $20,250, the contemplated jetty being 6,000 feet long and rising only to low-water level. . Such a jetty could subsequently be built higher, if necessary, and there seemed no doubt that this would have to be done before any useful effect could be realized. Therefore, in the Annual Report for 1887 (see Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1887, Part I, p. 607), Col. Houston, U. S. Engineers, then in charge, presented revised estimates for a breakwater, modifying the originally-proposed method of construction to one for using riprap only, experience at harbors on Long Island Sound having shown this construction to be as durable as dimension work and more economical. At the same time estimates based on recent surveys for dredging, necessary to make the channel 7 feet deep, with width of 200 feet at the mouth of the river and 100 feet above, were submitted. The latter width was adopted in 1883 because up to that time the originally proposed width of 150 feet had never been obtained. Following are the estimates for breakwater and for dredging submitted in 1887: For a breakwater 5,750 feet long, extending from Milford Beach 3,250 feet $175,000 27,000 Total 202, 000 to which should be added about $4,000 annually required for maintenance of channels. |