APPENDIXES

TO THE

REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,

UNITED STATES ARMY.

FORTIFICATIONS, ETC.

APPENDIX NO. 1.

PROTECTION OF SITE OF FORT NIAGARA, NEW YORK.

REPORT OF CAPTAIN DAN C. KINGMAN, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1891.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

Oswego, N. Y., July 10, 1891.

GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith annual reports for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, for fortifications in my charge.

*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brig. Gen. THOMAS L. CASEY,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

DAN C. KINGMAN, Captain, Corps of Engineers.

PROTECTION OF SITE OF FORT NIAGARA.

Operations have been in progress for the protection of the site of Fort Niagara, under an allotment from the appropriation for "sea walls and embankments." The project for this work was approved November, 1888, and is briefly as follows:

First. To build a dike of stakes and fascines, paved on the top with stone, and held at a reference 2.0 feet of the Lake Ontario gauge, from the northwest bastion of Fort Niagara to the northerly angle of the

wharf, and to demolish the wall that makes the western front of the fort and use its material as a riprap and filling behind the dike.

Second. To build a similar dike from the southern end of the lighthouse reservation towards the southern end of the military reservation of Fort Niagara, as the means available will permit, and to fill in behind the dike a bank of low slope to reference 6.0 feet, Lake Ontario gauge; to grade the bank above to a steep slope leading between the two slopes such roadway as may be desirable for the use of the post; to plant the lower slope with willows and the upper one with grass.

Estimated cost per 100 feet, $750. Subsequently this project was modified by substituting iron pipes for the wooden stakes used to secure the fascines. This greatly increased the durability of the work, but it also increased its cost to about $10 per running foot.

The project was also extended to include the repair of the retaining wall at the northwest angle of the fort and to make all necessary repairs to the same along the lake front.

The amount expended under this project to July 1, 1891, is $18,311.05, and has resulted in the construction of 1,711 linear feet of dike work along the lake and river front, 941 feet of which along the river front requires the filling and grading as above described.

The total cost of this work was $11,873.60. In addition, repairs have been made to the wall at the northwest angle, as described in full in the report of operations below.

July 1 to July 23, 1890:

OPERATIONS.

The revetment on lake front, east of fort, 214 feet in length, which was built in May and June, received some additional work, costing for service, $74.75.

July 23 to 30 and August 29 to September 5, 1890:

The crib-work base for northwest angle breakwater, 70 feet long, 14 feet wide, and 3 courses or 3 feet deep, was built on ways upon the wharf and completed ready to be launched when stage of water should permit of construction of its concrete superstructure.

It cost for material

For services

Total.....

It has not yet been launched.
July 1 to August 29, 1890:

$304.24

148.36

452.60

The rebuilding of the masonry forming the exposed northwest angle of Fort Niagara was prepared for in July and August by clearing away the débris, building a cofferdam in the lake around its base, and collecting gravel and sand for use in its construction.

The cofferdam was repeatedly broken before masonry work was begun, by the waves to which it was fully exposed:

The clearing of foundation and collection of sand and gravel, and the picking up and cleaning of stone from the fallen wall:

Cost of all, for services....

September 23 to December 6, 1890:

$763. 11

The rebuilding of the northwest angle and its bonding into the por

tion of the wall still standing was done between these dates. Most of the stone used had to be cut for the purpose. The lower 7 feet of the wall, being below lake level, was difficult of construction, through its being in so exposed a location, the cofferdam being six times broken by storms while masonry was in progress.

The new portion of wall was brought into bearing beneath the overhanging portion of the old wall by driving 100 flat iron wedges beneath the projections of the old work, keeping the iron well back from face to avoid iron-rust stains.

The wall thus rebuilt is 40 feet in length, 394 feet in height from its foundation on hard pan at 33 feet below extreme low-water level, and is 8 feet thick at base and 4 feet at top; about 350 cubic yards in all. It was finished except coping and pointing. Burham Portland cement was used, costing $3.51 per barrel, delivered on work.

The cost has been

Material....

Services, not including clearing foundation and building cofferdam before

stated..

Total

$819.20

2, 345.99

3, 165.19

or $9 per cubic yard, which rate is moderate considering the character of the work.

It is intended to point and cope the wall and to build the concrete breakwater in front of it as soon as the lowering stage of water in the lake permits.

REMARKS.

The present season's work will be the completion of the wall at the northwest angle of the fort which was in progress at the close of the working season and the repair of the sea wall along the lake front of the fort. In this work it will be necessary to fill a large number of cavities at or just below the water line, which have been formed by the removal of stone from the wall by the action of the waves.

This will probably cost about $5,500. The remainder of the funds available will be applied to extending the shore protection work of brush and stone, and to completing by grading, filling, etc., some portion of this work that is already begun. In pursuance of the project of November, 1888, some 154 linear feet of the detached wall that forms the western front of the work was torn down and the stone used to fill in behind the dike.

This makes a very conspicuous and unsightly breach and leaves the work entirely open and easy of entrance on this side. There is plenty of stone right at hand that would do perfectly well to fill in behind the dike, and I would recommend that this wall be restored. The cost would not exceed $3,000. Ten thousand dollars in addition, if that sum were available, could be advantageously applied to the extension of the work of protecting the site.

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 13,000.00

26, 105.30

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..