Vessels built, 2; tonnage, 791. Revenue collected, $30,591.87; value of imports (direct), $19,480.19. July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884.. $8,479 05 July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities.. 440 00 8,919 05 July 1, 1885, amount available 15, 211 00 N Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... 30,000 00 Abstract of proposals for removal of Gangway Rock, Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire, received August 25, 1884. Contract made September 2, 1884, with George W. Townsend for 808 cubic yards. A 10. IMPROVEMENT OF COCHECO RIVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. Cocheco River runs through the city of Dover, N. H., and 3 miles below the lowest bridge empties into the Piscataqua River, which separates the States of Maine and New Hampshire. The Cocheco is navigable in the lowest summer stages, with not less than 6 feet of water at mean low water, or about 13 feet at mean high water, from its mouth to the Lower Narrows, about 12 miles below the lowest bridge in Dover. At the Lower Narrows, and above, navigation was much impeded by ledges, bowlders, and shoals, having from 6 inches to 2 feet of water on them at mean low water, the mean rise and fall of the tides being 64 feet at the Packet Landing, the head of navigation. The first project for improvement, by deepening and widening the channel, and the removal of bowlders, ledges, and shoals at variou points, had an immediate effect in increasing the commerce of Dover which in turn demanded increased facilities, so that later improvement have been carried on under new projects, which have in their turn aide in the further development of business. A summary of the work dor from 1871 to 1878, inclusive, will be found in the Annual Report of t Chief of Engineers for 1879. The next appropriation, $28,000, was ma for, and was expended in, making a cut-off through Alley's Point, avoi 9.6 ing an inconvenient bend and in deepening and widening adjacent parts of the channel. A communication from the Dover Board of Trade, giving information as to the business of Dover, and setting forth the necessity of further improvement of the channel of the Cocheco, was received by me about the end of June, 1883, and submitted and printed with my annual report for that year. A special report, containing a rough and merely approximate estimate of the cost of making the further improvement desired, was submitted January 18, 1884, and will be found in my annual report of last year. The drawings which accompanied it were not, however, then printed. An appropriation of $28,000 was made in the act of July 5, 1884, for "completing the improvement" of the river. As soon as possible after it became available a careful examination, including borings, was made of the upper channel. The new estimate based thereon proved that the necessary improvement could not be executed with the available funds. Contract was therefore made September 22, 1884, with Thomas Symonds, of Leominster, Mass. (a very reliable and competent contractor), for widening and deepening the channel from the point where the work of 1883 stopped as far towards the city as possible. The line (36) limiting this work is shown on the drawing which accompanies this report. The Mr. Symonds began work as soon as his contract was signed, made excellent progress before the river froze, resumed operations as early as possible in the spring, and is still at work, with the prospect of completing his contract (exhausting the funds) long before winter. line which he had reached June 30 is shown upon the drawing. Up to June 30 he had removed by blasting and dredging 1,236 cubic yards of solid rock and 2,172 cubic yards of bowlders and other material, mostly bard. On the 18th of February, 1885, I submitted to the Engineer Department a special report on the improvement of this river, from which I make the following extracts: ** It was found that the improvement asked for could only be carried to a line just below Collins' Wharf, leaving the upper part of the channel to Packet Landing, its termination, untouched. Of course the additional depth and width which will be gained when the contractor has finished will be of little advantage unless they are continued up through the whole channel above. The low-water depth obtained is 5 feet, with a width through the ledge of 50 feet on the low-water line. *** It will then, to improve the channel up to Packet Landing, be necessary to remove by dredging, drilling, and blasting the following estimated quantities of material, the cost of which is based upon data which governed the present contract. ESTIMATE FOR IMPROVING THE CHANNEL OF COCHECO RIVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE FROM A POINT ABOVE COLLINS' WHARF TO THE HEAD OF NAVIGATION AT PACKET LANDING. Drilling, blasting, and removing 738 cubic yards of solid ledge, at $13.50.. Total of estimate.... 19,000 00 This sum is respectfully recommended to be appropriated. The drawing accompanying this report shows the present condition of the channel, and what remains to be done after the present contract is completed. I have endeavored, without success, to obtain some information as to the business of Dover during the past year. It was probably about the same as that of the preceding year. Money statement. July 1, 1884, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 $14.24 28,000 00 28, 014 24 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884. $14,745 43 July 1, 185, outstanding liabilities.. 3,464 40 18,209 83 July 1, 1885, amount available.... 9, 804 41 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. 19,000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1887 19, 000 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. Abstract of proposals received September 3, 1884, for dredging and rock excavation, improvement of Cocheco River, New Hampshire. * Section 1: 1,029 cubic yards hard-pan, 1,138 cubic yards sand, gravel, and bowlders, 5 cubic yards solid ledge, equal to 2,172 cubic yards. + Section 2: 2.244 cubic yards ledge, 463 cubic yards hard-pan, 116 cubic yards gravel and bowlders, equal to 2,823 cubic yards. Contract awarded to Thomas Symonds, September 22, 1884. A II. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF SOUTHERN ENTRANCE TO OWL'S HEAD HARBOR, MAINE. PORTLAND, ME., September 1, 1884. GENERAL: The act of Congress approved July 5, 1884, appropriating for rivers and harbors, &c., contained an item providing for a survey of the "Southern entrance of Owl's Head Harbor," and the examination preliminary thereto having been assigned to me, I have the honor to report as follows: I heard of this item in the "river and harbor bill" soon after it was reported to the House of Representatives, and took immediate steps for ascertaining its origin and the object of the survey. From the postmaster at Rockland, Me., and also from the keeper of the Owl's Head Light, I learned that Mr. George W. White, until recently residing in Rockland, but now near Owl's Head, was the originator of the matter, and this was confirmed by the Hon. Nelson Dingley, jr., M. C., who, in reply to my letter of inquiry, stated that "the item was inserted at the request of George W. White and a large number of other petitioners, who represent that the passage is used by a large number of vessels, and that it has been so filled up that vessels of heavy draught frequently ground.” I communicated with Mr. White, who in reply made no very definite statements, except that last fall an Italian brig grounded in the channel somewhere near the "red can buoy," and remained aground two or three |