The estimated cost of the project was $9,460. The full amount of this estimate was appropriated by the river and harbor act approved July 13, 1892. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $3,727.61, and was applied in dredging 13,845 cubic yards of material from the channel under contract; 2,200 feet of the channel had been dredged to the full projected width of 60 feet and depth of 5 feet, mean low water. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. $9,460.00 1, 368. 15 12. Raritan Bay, New Jersey.-Raritan Bay forms the western part of the large triangular bay inclosed between Sandy Hook, the New Jersey shore, and Staten Island. The channel undergoing improvement lies to the southeast of Seguine Point on the south shore of Staten Island. At the time of the original survey, August, 1880, the least depth on the shoal lying between the 21-foot curve at Seguine Point and the 21-foot curve at the head of the bay was 14 feet, mean low water. The project of improvement, based upon the survey, provided for a channel across the shoal 300 feet wide and 21 feet deep, mean low water, at an estimated cost of $126,500. The project was enlarged in 1885, providing for a channel of equal width and depth over the shoals in the vicinity of Wards Point, Staten Island, where the original depth was 18 feet, mean low water, giving a navigable channel 21 feet deep, mean low water, up to Perth Amboy; and further providing for a channel 300 feet wide and 15 feet deep, mean low water, from Great Beds Light to South Amboy, where the original depth was 12 feet, mean low water, at an estimated total cost of $240,500, for the two works from the beginning, which estimate was again increased in 1888 to $246,500, to provide for the removal of deposits which had taken place in the interval of three years. The channel from deep water at the head of Raritan Bay, past Seguine Point to Perth Amboy, exceeds 5 miles in length, is crooked, and is subject to constant shoalings. As the amount appropriated any one year for the execution of the project has been much less than the estimated cost of the improvement, and as the channel excavated under each appropriation has been impaired by shoaling in a greater or less degree before work could be resumed under the succeeding appropriations, the original estimates for this improvement have little value and can not be used for determining the amount required for completing the project at this date. The cost of completing the project, if all the required money could be made available at one time, was estimated in 1891 at $175,375. The amount expended upon the modified project of 1885, up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $221,276.85. At the close of the contract, June 15, 1888, the channel was 300 feet wide and 21 feet deep, mean low water, from Perth Amboy to the bend at Great Beds Light, and 300 feet wide and 20 feet deep, mean low water, across the crest of the shoal in the chan nel leading from the bend toward Seguine Point. At the close of the year the channel eastward of Seguine Point was 180 feet wide, with a depth of 21 feet, mean low water, and the channel from Great Beds Light to South Amboy was 170 feet wide and 15 feet deep, mean low water. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, inclusive of outstanding liabilities, was $35,201.54, and was applied in dredging 81,831 cubic yards of material from channel leading from Great Beds Light to South Amboy, and 88,250 cubic yards of material from Seguine Point Channel. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, the channel leading eastward from Seguine point is 250 feet wide and 21 feet deep, mean low water, and the channel from Great Beds Light to South Amboy is 300 feet wide and 15 feet deep, mean low water. (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project ... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix E 12.) 95, 375.00 95, 000. 00 13. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navi gation. The schooner Wild Pigeon was removed from the east side of main ship channel, New York Harbor, May 10, 1893, under contract with the Chapman Derrick and Wrecking Company, at a cost of $3,500. The wreck of an old canal boat was removed from the Bronx River, about one-half mile below West Farms, in June, 1893, under contract with George McClintock, at a cost of $100. (See Appendix E 13.) EXAMINATIONS MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED JULY 13, 1892. The preliminary examinations of the following localities, required by act of July 13, 1892, were made by the local engineer, Lieut. Col. G. L. Gillespie, Corps of Engineers, and reports thereon submitted. 1. Fort Pond Bay, east end of Long Island, New York.-Lieut. Col. Gillespie submitted report of examination under date of November 9, 1892. It is his opinion, concurred in by this office, that the locality is not worthy of improvement by the General Government. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 110, Fifty-second Congress, second session. (See also Appendix E 14.) 2. The channel west of Robbins Reef Light-House to connect the mouth of Arthur Kill with New York Harbor.-Lieut. Col. Gillespie submitted report of examination under date of August 1, 1892. It is his opinion, concurred in by this office, that the locality is not worthy of improvement by the General Government. The report was transmitted to Con gress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 77, Fifty-second Congress, second session. (See also Appendix E 15.) IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS AND HARBORS IN SOUTHWESTERN PART OF LONG ISLAND AND NEAR STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK, AND IN NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY. This district was in the charge of Capt. Thos. L. Casey, Corps of Engineers; Division Engineer, Col. Henry L. Abbot, Corps of Engineers. 1. Sumpawanus Inlet, New York.-The channel depth at the time of the adoption of the project varied from 5 feet in the bay at mean low water to 2 feet at the wharf at the mouth of the creek, a distance of a little over half a mile. The project for the improvement of this inlet, adopted in 1880, provides for dredging a channel 4,500 feet long and from 100 to 150 feet wide and 5 feet deep at mean low water, beginning at the 5-foot curve in the Great South Bay and extending up to the town of Babylon, Long Island, at an estimated cost of $23,115. The amount expended under this project to June 30, 1892, was $7,000. With this amount a channel 75 feet wide and 5 feet deep from the steamboat wharf to a point 750 feet below it was dredged, besides dredging two cuts, each 25 feet wide, alongside the wharf. Outside of the cuts so made and extending to the 5-foot curve in the bay a shoal was left, on which the depth was only 43 feet. The commerce of the inlet is reported for the calendar year 1892 to be 1,420 tons, against 1,427 tons for 1891. There were no expenditures on account of this work during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, there being no funds available. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil aet of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix F 1.) $16, 115.00 10,000. 00 2. Canarsie Bay, New York.-The original condition of the channel leading to Canarsie answered to a depth of 4 feet, mean low water. The original project, adopted in 1879, at an estimated cost of $88,000, provides for obtaining a navigable channel 6 feet deep at mean low water from Canarsie Landing to the deep water in Jamaica Bay by means of diking and the formation of a tidal basin. In the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, 1880, part 1, p. 574, Gen. Newton expressed a doubt as to adequate appropriations being made for carrying out the authorized project, and suggested that dredging be tried as an expedient. The amount expended to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $47,944.13. With this amount two pile dikes have been built and maintained, one on the north side of the outer end of the channel, the other on the south side, their lengths being 1,058 and 820 feet, respectively; the channel dredged to a depth of 6 feet, mean low water, and width of 125 feet from Canarsie Landing to deep water in Jamaica Bay. In addition to this several other improvements, not contemplated in the main project, but which added materially to the facility of navigation, viz, the excavation of a cut 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, with a depth of 6 feet, on the east side of the steamboat landing at Canarsie, and a cut at the end of the wharf at Canarsie Landing extending through to the south west to connect with the Southwest Channel, the latter for the purpose of promoting tidal circulation. The work during the fiscal year consisted in dredging the Main and West channels to the required dimensions, the former to a width of 150 feet and mean low-water depth of 6 feet and the latter to a width of 60 feet and mean low-water depth of 4 feet, under contract entered into with J. H. Fenner of Jersey City, April 15, 1893. Operations were begun by the contractor May 23, 1893, and were still in progress at the close of the fiscal year, 7,867 cubic yards of material having been removed. The commerce for the calendar year 1892 is reported to be 67,510 tons, against 56,210 tons for 1891. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix F 2.) 35,000.00 10,000.00 3. Sheepshead Bay, New York.-The original condition of the navigable channel was, for the entrance, a depth of a little over 2 feet at mean low water, and for the interior channel not less than 4 feet, except at two narrow bulkheads across said channel. The originally adopted project (1879) was to deepen the entrance by means of converging jetties and to improve the interior channel by longitudinal dikes, so placed as in some instances to form tidal reservoirs for the scour of the channel. The project was revised in 1881 and provides for excavating a channel at the outlet 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water, to connect the bay with Dead Horse Inlet, and to dredge the interior channel; this was modified in February, 1889, the modified project contemplating a channel 5,350 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 5 feet deep, mean low water, from the town of Sheepshead to within 1,080 feet of Dead Horse Inlet Cut, to connect with the channel of similar width and depth already existing at that point. The amount expended on this project to the end of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $25,943.45. With this amount a channel had been dredged 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep at mean low water, connecting the east end of the bay with Dead Horse Inlet, and the interior channel dredged 60 feet wide and 5 feet deep, at mean low water, for a distance of 3,400 feet from the town of Sheepshead toward Dead Horse Inlet. The first mentioned channel, from a survey in 1887, was observed to have not maintained itself, having contracted to a width of 60 feet with an average depth of 5 feet, mean low water. The commerce of the bay has increased, being reported for the calendar year 1892 to be 132,000 tons, against 106,400 for 1890. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended... June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1893, balance unexpended 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 F 3.) $172.57 116.02 56.55 8, 200.00 4. Arthur Kill, New York and New Jersey.-A history of this improvement, which originated by special resolution in the Senate, is given in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, 1889, Part I, p. 819. The improvement consists in the removal of a point of land near and to the south of the Staten Island Bridge for the purpose of straightening the channel, in order that the currents may be directed more truly in a direction perpendicular to the draw-span of the bridge, thus facilitating the passage of long tows. It is estimated to cost $26,500. A statement of condemnation proceedings for acquiring to the United States the land needed for this improvement will be found in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1890, Part I, p. 843. Sixteen thousand two hundred and forty-five dollars and fifty-nine cents had been expended up to June 30, 1892, in acquiring land and in dredging off about 1 acre of the point, with a resulting increase of 210 feet in the channel width and uniform mean low-water depth of 13 feet, where the land was originally 6 feet above that plane. The expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, amount to $4,845.15, with which the channel was given an additional width of from 15 to 60 feet and mean low-water depth of 13 feet, one-third acre of the land removed, making a total of about 14 acres removed under the project, giving a total channel width at this point of not less than 725 feet. The commerce for the calendar year 1892 is reported to be 4,835,004 tons, against 6,947,635 tons for 1891. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.......... Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year $754.41 5,000.00 5, 754.41 4,845. 15 July 1, 1893, balance unexpended...... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix F 4.) 909.26 4,500.00 4,500.00 5. Channel between Staten Island and New Jersey.-Before this improvement was undertaken by the United States there was a navi. gable channel having a minimum depth of 9.2 feet from the deep water in Newark Bay to Elizabethport. The first project for the improvement of the channel was made in 1873. This provided for dredging it to a depth of 16 feet for a width of 150 feet at its shallowest part, and protecting the cut by parallel dikes. The estimated cost of this was $443,210. This project was changed in 1880 so as to dredge a channel 400 feet wide and 13 feet deep over the middle 200 feet of its width, leaving it but 12 feet deep over the remaining widths of 100 feet on each side. |