No money was appropriated or expended during the year ending June 30, 1881. The river and harbor act of March 3, 1881, appropriated $5,000, which was expended during the fiscal year in building up the slopes of the foundations of the breakwater in accordance with the approved project of 1874. This completes the repairs. The officer in charge suggests that the position of the light-house be changed from the shore to the east end of the breakwater. The capacity of the harbor could be greatly increased by dredging. Hyannis is a place of summer resort. A branch of the Old Colony Railroad, from Boston, terminates here. Considerable coal for Cape Cod is landed here. The harbor's chief importance is to general commerce as a harbor of refuge. The number of vessels seeking shelter here in 1878 was about 1,400. July 1, 1881, amount available. July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881 .... July 1, 1882, amount available (See Appendix B 1.) $4,949 38 4,670 75 278 63 2. Nantucket Harbor, Massachusetts.-Nantucket Harbor is on the north side of the island of Nantucket. The depth in the harbor exceeds 12 feet at mean low-water, with a mean rise of tide of about 3 feet. The shoal across the entrance has a ruling depth of about 6 feet at mean low-water. This shoal is about 14 miles in width at the entrance and extends for several miles along the shore each way. The channel across it, or line of best water, is very crooked and frequently changes in direction, but its limiting depths seem to have been about the same as far back as we have any record of it. In 1829 a project for dredging a channel through the shoal across the entrance was adopted, and in the years 1829, 1831, and 1832, $44,265 was expended in carrying it out. No permanent improvement resulted from this expenditure. The dredged channel was nearly obliterated by one storm. The present approved and adopted project consists in extending riprap jetties from the shore across the bar to deep water outside. The jetty on the west side is to be built first, the other one to be built as developments show its necessity. The first appropriation was $50,000, made June 14, 1880. During the year ending June 30, 1881, the jetty was built out from shore a distance of 850 feet. At that time it was too soon to see the effect on the shoal. During the last fiscal year the jetty was extended to 1,650 feet from shore. Frequent surveys have been made to show the effect of the work. The principal changes discovered have been the accumulation of sand on the west side of the jetty at the shore end; an increased depth over a considerable area between the jetty and the deep channel at Brant Point, and a decreased depth on the west side of the jetty from its outer end toward shore. No marked results in the ruling depth of the channel are expected until the jetty is extended to the "outer bar." It is proposed with the appropriation of $25,000 by act of March 3, 1881, to continue building the west jetty. With the appropriation of $25,000 by act of August 2, 1882, it is proposed to begin the east jetty if it should be found to be advisable. The estimated cost of the entire improvement is $224,000, of which amount $100,000 has been appropriated. There could be expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, $60,000 in prosecuting this work in accordance with the approved plan. July 1, 1881, amount available.... July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.. July 1, 1882, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1882, amount available... Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883 . $67,084 72 $19, 256 87 21, 292 57 45,792 15 25,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. (See Appendix B 2.) 3. Wood's Holl Harbor, Massachusetts.-The name Wood's Holl is here applied to the strait connecting the waters of Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound. It is badly obstructed by rocks and is subject to very strong currents, making dangerous navigation. Estimates for several improvements were submitted in 1873, varying in cost between $5,000 and $446,000. In 1878 an appropriation of $15,000 was made for clearing the strait of the rocks most in the way of existing steamboat navigation and for deepening the entrance to Little Harbor. The The amount expended up to June 30, 1880, was $13,378, of which about $4,000 was expended in deepening the entrance to Little Wood's Holl Harbor to 10 feet at mean low-water for a width of 130 feet. mean rise of the tide is 1.65 feet in Little Harbor. This latter work was mainly for the light-house depot located there, and it enabled light-ships to enter. The work done in the strait relieved the navigation through it of its worst obstructions. The amount expended during the year ending June 30, 1881, completed the removal of the rocks in the strait, which the existing steamboat lines desired removed, and the navigation is now regarded by their managers as safe, so that this partial project is complete. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, a survey of the northern shore of "Great Harbor" was made, and in obedience to a resolution of the House of Representatives dated January 11, 1882, a report on, with estimates of the cost of, a breakwater in "Great Harbor" was submitted. Congress, by act of August 2, 1882, appropriated $52,000 for construction of a harbor of refuge. This is the amount of the estimate submitted by the officer in charge, and it is proposed to apply the money in the current fiscal year in building the work. The project of 1873 did not include harbor of refuge, but contemplated improving the passage-way between Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound. This would require a further appropriation of $431,000. July 1, 1881, amount available.. July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.... $905 74 338 67 567 07 52, 000 00 52,567 07 4. Wareham Harbor, Massachusetts.-This harbor is an estuary of Buzzard's Bay. It is about 13 miles east of the harbor of New Bedford. It is from 200 feet in width in the upper part to more than one-half mile in width in the lower part, and is separated from Buzzard's Bay by Long Beach, with a channel 500 feet wide to the west of it. Before any improvement was made, the ruling depth in the harbor was about 7 feet at mean low-water in a narrow and very crooked channel. The mean rise of the tide is 4 feet. The original project adopted in 1871 was to straighten the channel, widen it to 100 feet in the upper and to 300 feet in the lower part, and deepen it to 9 feet at mean low-water. It was modified so as to increase the depth of channel in the lower part to 10 feet at mean low-water. It was completed in 1876. The amount expended prior to June 30, 1880, was $40,000. This improvement allowed coasters of 13 feet draught to reach the wharves at high-water without the aid of steam-tugs. A plan with estimate of $44,050 for further improvement was transmitted to Congress to comply with requirements of the river and harbor act of June 14, 1880. This plan provided for making a channel 250 feet wide and 10 feet deep at mean low-water, from Barney's Point to the entrance of the harbor. Above Barney's Point the width of the proposed channel was to be 350 feet. The plan also included the strengthening of the sand-catch fence on Long Beach, which had been built in 1877-'78. Congress, by act of March 3, 1881, appropriated $10,000 for this work. The money was expended in dredging under contract, through the upper bar, and in strengthening the sand-catch fence on Long Beach. The appropriation of $5,000 by act of August 2, 1882, will be expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883, in further strengthening the sand-catch fence. Wareham is among the places earliest engaged in fabrication of iron, which still forms the principal business. July 1, 1881, amount available.......... July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881. $9,886 81 July 1, 1882, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883........... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project........ Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. (See Appendix B 4.) 9,489 36 397 45 5,000 00 5,397 45 29,050 00 15,000 00 5. Taunton River, Massachusetts.-This river rises in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, and empties into Mount Hope Bay, a name given to that part of Narragansett Bay lying mainly in Massachusetts. Taunton River is about 44 miles in length, measured along its course. The condition of the river, before its improvement was commenced, was as follows: Beginning at the mouth near the city of Fall River for 6 miles to Somerset, it had sufficient width and depth for the largest coasting vessels. At Somerset it is crossed by a railroad bridge with two very narrow draw openings. Thence to Dighton, a distance of 2 miles, the ruling depth was about 11 feet at mean high-water. From Dighton to Berkeley Bridge, about 1 mile, the channel-way was narrow and obstructed by bowlders, with a depth of not more than 7 or 8 feet at mean high-water. Berkeley Bridge has but one available drawopening; this is 50 feet wide. From Berkeley Bridge to Weir, a dis tance of 5 miles, the channel depth was not in places more than 5 feet at mean high-water. A vessel of 30 tous burden was as large as could go up to Weir. Just above Weir a bridge, without a draw, crosses the river. In 1870 an appropriation was made by Congress to increase the depth by dredging to 43 feet at mean low-water, with the expectation that at high-water the depth would be 9 feet. This was based upon the rise of tide of 54 feet as determined at Dighton. In 1872 observations were made for rise of tide at various points on the river from Dighton to Weir. From these observations it was found that the rise of tide decreased from 54 feet at Dighton to 3.4 feet at Weir. This difference in the rise of tide necessitated increased dredging in the upper part of the river to secure the desired navigable depth of 9 feet at mean high-water. The first project was completed in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880. In 1880 Congress made an appropriation of $17,500 to increase the depth from 9 feet to 11 feet at mean high-water. Amount expended to June 30, 1880, was $63,000. The river had at that time a navigable depth of 10 feet at mean high-water from Dighton to Berkeley Bridge, and thence to Weir 9 feet, with a channel width of 60 feet in its narrowest parts. There was expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1881, $7,925.68 in dredging a channel 11 feet deep at mean high-water from the bridge at Weir down river to "John R.'s" Shoal, a distance of about half a mile. This increased depth is not available in bringing in vessels of increased draught, but it gives loaded vessels a greater depth to lie in, so that they are less liable to injury from grounding while waiting to be unloaded. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, the dredging has been continued, and the channel 11 feet deep at mean high-water has been extended down river a distance of about 14 miles below Weir Bridge. With the appropriation of $25,000 by act of August 2, 1882, it is proposed to continue dredging down river as far as the available funds will admit. An appropriation of $16,500 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, will complete the projected improvement. July 1, 181, amount available..... July 1, 182, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of $34,574 35 outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.. July 1, 1882, outstanding liabilities.. $10,525 >7 346 12 10,871 99 July 1, 1882, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882. 23,702 36 25,000 00 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883.. 48,702 36 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. 16,500 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 16,500 00 (See Appendix B 5.) 6. Pawtucket (Seekonk) River, Rhode Island.-This is an estuary forming the continuation of Providence River from Providence to Pawtucket, a distance of 5 miles, and forms a shoal tidal basin of about 14 square miles. The ruling low-water channel depth before it was improved was about 5 feet. The mean rise of the tide is 4.8 feet at Pawtucket. The dredging was begun in 1867 to secure a ruling depth of 6 feet at mean low-water. It was found to silt up at places and the dredging was repeated. The project was modified to make a ruling mean low-water depth of 7 feet with a least channel width of 75 feet, and to include the clearing out of the east draw-span of the Red Bridge. This was practically completed in 1875, leaving at that time an unexpended balance of about $2,000. In the season of 1879 observations for tides were repeated at several places and connected by lines of levels. (See annual report for 1880.) The amount expended up to June 30, 1880, was $51,470.72. The dredged channel was at that time available (with some slight shoaling at places), but the navigation is seriously obstructed by a badly arranged draw-bridge near its lower end at East Providence, for the modification of which efforts are being made by local authorities. No money was expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, and the condition of the navigation is substantially unchanged. The increase in the size and draught of vessels of late years makes it desirable that the ruling mean low-water depth should be increased to 9 feet. This could probably be done for an additional appropriation of $33,000, which could be profitably expended in one year. This dredged material would have to be towed out of the river, which could not be done at the rate above estimated unless the Washington Bridge is rebuilt. Pawtucket is a town of about 30,000 inhabitants, largely engaged in manufactures. The "project approved and adopted" is completed, and no further estimate is submitted. There is available for contingencies $529.58 out of the sum of all the appropriations, which was $52,000. July 1, 1881, amount available July 1, 1882, amount available (See Appendix B 6.) $529 58 529 58 7. Providence River and Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.-Providence River is an estuary of Narragansett Bay, extending from Nayat Point to the city of Providence. Its length is about 7 miles, with a width vary. ing from 1,000 feet to 2 miles, and a depth in the channel-way from 20 to 50 feet at mean low-water. Near its head this estuary is joined by another, called the Seekonk or Pawtucket River, extending 5 miles farther to the town of Pawtucket. The mean rise of the tide is 4.7 feet. Before any improvement was made, in 1853, the ruling low-water depths were as follows: By using the middle entrance to Narragansett Bay, the deepest draught vessels could ascend as far as Gaspee Point, where the water shoals to a depth of 21 feet at mean low-water. This is about 5 miles from Providence. Between Gaspee Shoal and Pawtuxet Shoal at Sabin's Light, a distance of about half a mile, the channel is from 23 to 37 feet deep and about 500 feet wide. Pawtuxet Shoal had but about 18 feet depth at mean low-water. Between Pawtuxet Shoal and Field's Point, a distance of about 11⁄2 miles, the depth varied from 23 to 45 feet at mean low-water, having a least width of 200 feet. This reach had in it Bulkhead Rock, with deep water around it but with only 7 to 8 feet at low-water upon it. Not far above Field's Point the channel depth shoaled to about 16 feet at mean low-water. Finally, on reaching the "Crook," at the junction of the Seekonk with the Providence River just below the city wharves, the available low-water depth was reduced to about 4 feet. The original project was to deepen the channel at the "Crook" to 9 feet at mean low-water. This was dredged in 1852-253 under an appropriation of $5,000. The next project was, in 1867, to increase the depth at the "Crook " |