REPORT OF MR. E. L. CARPENTER, JUNIOR ENGINEER. HOQUIAM, WASH., June 29, 1905. MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report on the commerce of Grays Harbor for the calendar year 1904: The value of the ocean commerce for 1904 shows an increase over that of 1903 of $127,451, the respective amounts being $4,200,784 and $4,073,333. The value of the exports decreased $216,437. This was not caused by any decrease in production, but by decreased prices of the products of the harbor, which consist entirely of lumber. The quantity of exports increased slightly. Imports increased in value $343,813. The commerce of the inner harbor increased $145,674, exclusive of logs. The greater part of this is due to the fact that in 1903 and previous, steamers from San Francisco having freight for Hoquiam delivered it at Hoquiam, but in 1904 it was taken to Aberdeen and delivered by local boats. General business on the harbor is in a healthy state and is rapidly increasing. All the towns on the harbor are increasing in population and general appearance. This is particularly true of Hoquiam and Aberdeen. Aberdeen, which suffered a disas trous fire in 1903, the business section being wiped out, has rebuilt entirely of brick and stone. The country districts have not kept pace with the growth of the towns. Very little new land has been put under cultivation and not much clearing has been done, except for manufacturing establishments and additions to towns. There has, however, lately been an increased demand for logged-off lands, and it is expected that the next year will show a big increase in the amount of land under cultivation. Manufacture on the harbor is confined to lumber and lumber products, with the exception of three iron works which are devoted solely to the manufacture and repair of sawmill and logging machinery. The total capacity of the lumber mills on the harbor in 1904 was 1,500,000 feet B. M. per day of ten hours. At the present time the combined capacity is 1,760,000 feet B. M. per day. There are building on the harbor at the present time two sawmills having a combined capacity of 240,000 feet B. M. per day, one shingle mill with a capacity of 20,000 feet B. M., and one mill is enlarging its capacity 100,000 feet B. M. per day. These will all be running by the end of the year and at that time the combined capacity of all the mills on the harbor will be 2,120,000 feet B. M. per day of ten hours. The capacity of the logging camps on the harbor at present is about 2,000,000 feet B. M. per day. Other manufacturing establishments being built at the present time are two fish canneries; plant for the manufacture of brick, Aberdeen, cost $30,000; plant for the utilization of the waste products of lumber mills, Aberdeen, cost $80,000; gas plant, Aberdeen, cost $30,000. A bridge is in course of construction at Aberdeen, over the Chehalis River, at a cost of about $75,000, to connect Aberdeen with South Aberdeen. The electric line between Hoquiam and Aberdeen, which was opened for traffic in 1904, is now being extended to Cosmopolis. In 1904 a marine railroad was constructed in Aberdeen capable of taking vessels 200 feet long. The peninsular branch of the Northern Pacific, which has been under construction from Hoquiam north for the past three years, will be opened for traffic as far as the Moclips River on July 1. This will open up a large section of country, containing a vast amount of valuable timber, which has heretofore been without transportation facilities. The number of vessels departing coastwise and foreign during 1904 were 294 sailing vessels and 199 steamers. There was an increase in the number of sailing vessels over 1903 of 35 and a decrease in the number of steamers of 29. It does not appear that the decrease in the number of steamers was due to local conditions. The size or type of vessels engaged in ocean traffic has not changed for several years, the size of the vessels being limited to those of 600 to 700 tons burden by the condition of the outer bar and inner channels. Any increase in the depth of water on the outer bar and inner harbor would be followed immediately by increased size of vessels and increased exports. The outer bar has shoaled up lately to 14 feet at mean lower low water, and if the depth does not materially increase by next winter the size of the vessels engaged in the ocean traffic must materially decrease or they will experience prolonged delays at the bar. There is no question, I think, that if larger vessels could load on the harbor the exports of the harbor would largely increase. This is certainly true of the foreign trade. The foreign exports from Grays Harbor have fallen off for several years owing to the inability of the local mills to compete with mills on the Sound and Columbia River on account of the small vessels the local mills are compelled to ship in. The foreign trade in 1904 amounted to 19,558,125 feet B. M. lumber, valued at $197,644, and in 1903 to 22,461,460 feet B. M. lumber, valued at $342,733. The bulk of the foreign shipments in 1904 went to Mexico and the west coast of South America. There are seven steamers that run regularly between Grays Harbor and California ports. They have no regular schedule, the frequency of their trips depending on weather conditions, etc. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Maj. JOHN MILLIS, Corps of Engineers. E. L. CARPENTER, W W 3. IMPROVEMENT OF GRAYS HARBOR, INNER PORTION, BETWEEN ABERDEEN AND THE ENTRANCE TO SAID HARBOR, AND CHEHALIS RIVER, WASHINGTON. The general project approved November 5, 1902, contemplates dredging a channel through the shoals near Aberdeen and Hoquiam, snagging and clearing obstructions from the Chehalis River, and repairing the dikes. During the year all of the above were in progress. Contract was made with Creech Brothers, of Aberdeen, for repairing the dikes. Work was completed on the Cow Point dike and the middle channel dike. The expenditures on this part of the work amounted to $10,004.83. Under contract with the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company for dredging at 13.8 cents per cubic yard the Hoquiam channel was completed. A total of 227,624 cubic yards was taken out at a cost of $31,412.12. The dredging was completed on July 28, 1904. The usual snagging and removal of obstructions was done in the Chehalis River. The work was in local charge of Mr. E. L. Carpenter, junior engineer, during the year. The following are extracts from his annual report: Repairing dikes. At the beginning of the fiscal year repairs to Cow Point dike were practically completed, and work was in progress on the middle channel dike. Repairs to the dikes were completed September 12, 1904. The work of repairing these dikes consisted of replacing missing piles, replacing or repairing lining and waling, and refilling the dikes with brush and stone. The only trouble experienced was on August 30, when the flood tide cut under the mattress of the middle channel dike and lowered the mattress 3 feet for a distance of 400 feet along the south end of the dike. The mattress was then rerocked and no further trouble was experienced. Following are the amounts of material used during the fiscal year: Lumber, 26,915 feet B. M., at $14.90.. Spikes, 2,233 pounds, at 6 cents... Brush, 578.4 cords, at $2.94.. Stone, 684.3 tons, at 98 cents Bolts, 34, at 27 cents..... Total Following is the total amount of material used under contract: Piles, 4,746 linear feet, at 13 cents. $401.04 133.98 1,700.49 670.61 9.18 2,915.30 $616.98 2, 323. 48 Spikes, 13,054 pounds, at 6 cents.. Total 10,094. 49 The present condition of the dikes is very good and no repairs are needed. The filling of the middle channel dike has settled some in places, but the settlement is not excessive. Dredging.-At the beginning of the fiscal year a cut 100 feet wide on the bottom and 15 feet deep at mean lower low water, 8,140 feet long, had been made through Cow Point bar, and a cut 4,370 feet long had been made in the Hoquiam shoal of the same depth and width as the Cow Point Cut, and work was still in progress on the Hoquiam shoal. $783.24 4,578.96 1,782.65 9.18 The dredging was finished July 28, 1904; 4,000 feet of the channel, 100 feet wide on the bottom and 15 feet deep at mean lower low water, having been excavated through the Hoquiam shoal during the fiscal year. Owing to the depletion of the funds the channel was not excavated through to deep water near Grays Harbor city wharf. To complete the channel would require the excavation of about 3,700 feet of channel, containing about 42,000 cubic yards. The dredged material consisted of sea sand with a very small percentage of mud. The dredged material was deposited on the land side of the channel, 850 feet distant. The amount of excavation during the fiscal year was 61,897 cubic yards, at 13.8 cents, $8,541.79; and the total amount under the contract, 227,624 cubic yards, at 13.8 cents, $31,412.12. The Cow Point channel has maintained its width and has deepened slightly, having a present controlling depth of over 16 feet at mean lower low water. The condition of the channel through the Hoquiam shoal is not known. The channel was never buoyed, and as far as known only one small steamer has ever been through it since it was dredged. Snagging.-The work of snagging the Chehalis River began August 8 and was finished August 13, 1904. The work was done by J. W. Hall, of Montesano, Wash., who furnished appliances and men for $30 per day. Twenty-six snags over 1 foot in diameter were removed from the bed of the stream, besides a number of smaller ones, no account of which was taken. The work was all done between Montesano and the mouth of the Wynooche River. The cost of the work exclusive of inspection was $195.90. By the act of March 3, 1905, an appropriation of $30,000 was made for continuing the work. At the close of the fiscal year a project for the application of this appropriation had been submitted and was under consideration by the Chief of Engineers. The removal of snags from the Chehalis River requires continuous work. Money statement. July 1, 1904, balance unexpended. $32, 183.97 Amount appropriated by river and harbor act approved March 3, 1905... 30,000.00 62, 183.97 June 30, 1905, amount expended during fiscal year: $26, 662. 25 July 1, 1905, balance unexpended July 1, 1905, balance available ... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 32, 153. 23 30, 030.74 15.00 30, 015. 74 20,000.00 |