R 5. IMPROVEMENT OF CALCASIEU PASS, IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA. This work was authorized by act of Congress approved June 10, 1872, and appropriating $15,000. It was commenced in May, 1873, and continued to June 30, 1873, as reported page 634, Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1873. It was afterward continued and completed January 14, 1874. There has resulted from the work a straight channel, 60 feet wide and 63 feet deep, at mean low-tide, from the deep water in Calcasieu Pass to the deep water in Calcasieu Lake, as shown by the accompanying tracing. Vessels drawing 63 feet loaded have now free access from the Gulf to and from the important lumbering-region about the head of Calcasieu Lake, whereas, before improvement, the route was only open to vessels drawing more than 33 feet, by lightering over the bar improved. Since completion of the work, a period of nearly six months, no material filling of the channel excavated has been observed. The benefit accruing from the work cannot be stated definitely; the following information in that regard is all I have been able to obtain. A larger class of vessels has engaged in the trade of Calcasieu Pass, since its improvement, without resort to lightering. These have been able to make three trips in the time before required for two trips. A direct trade with Mexican ports has been started. The freights on lumber to Galveston and adjacent ports have been decreased $2 per M. In Galveston the price of first-quality lumber has been reduced from $6 to $7 per M. By the old system of lightering over Calcasieu Bar, what was firstquality lumber at the mills became filled with grit and reached market deteriorated in value, which is not the case now. I have nothing further to present in the shape of commercial statistics than those contained in my report of 1871. The work is located at the outlet of Calcasieu Lake, Louisiana, in the collection-district of Galveston, Texas. The nearest light-house is at the Gulf entrance of Calcasieu Pass. Financial statement. Amount in bands of officer and subject to his check.. Amount available July 1, 1874. Statement of original estimated cost of the work.. Whole amount appropriated....... Whole amount expended.... $9,287 51 9,210 96 76255 15,000 00 15,000 00 14,923 45 R 6. IMPROVEMENT OF THE HARBOR OF GALVESTON, TEXAS. During the year, operations were confined to the care of property belonging to the work, there being no appropriation available until late in June, 1874, for continuing the work. Daring the present year, the available appropriation of $60,000 will be expended in accordance with the recommendation of the board of engineers convened to consider the plan of improvement submitted in my report of December 30, 1873. (Ex. Doc. No. 136, H. of R., 43d Cong., 1st sess.) The operations possible with the amount of money appropriated look only to a test of the merits of the plan submitted; and it is hoped their results may be presented early in December, when estimates for next year will be forwarded. The work is located in the collection-district of Galveston, near the light-house on Bolivar Point. Financial statement. Amount in hands of officer and subject to his check............. Amount available July 1, 1874. $3,608 31 60,000 00 3,606 54 60,001 77 137,000 00 76,998 23 R 7. SURVEY AND IMPROVEMENT OF GALVESTON HARBOR AND ENTRANCE, TEXAS. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, New Orleans, La., December 30, 1873. GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit the following report on the recent survey of Galveston Harbor and entrance: Charts and statistics are transmitted as follows: 1st. Chart of survey. 21. Tracing from chart of survey of 1852 and 1867. 3d. General chart, to show location of dam M. N. 4th. Diagram of tide observations. 5th. Record of wind observations. 6th. Sections showing plane of blue clay, with strata above. 7th. Details of cement-covered gabious. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, C. W. HOWELL, Captain of Engineers, U. S. A. THE SURVEY. The survey carried on in connection with the work of improvement of Galveston Harbor was made in accordance with recommendation contained in a previous report from this office, for the purpose and substantially in the manner there indicated, the purpose being to furnish data for a general plan designed for the improvement of the harbor, for obtaining 18 feet of water over both the inner and outer bars, and for forming estimates of the probable cost of same. The facts collected are displayed on the charts herewith, and in the reports of assistants, made a portion of this report. Lieut. H. M. Adams, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., in charge, reports as follows: GALVESTON, TEX., June 19, 1873. SIR: In compliance with your order of September 9, 1872, I have to report on the survey of Galveston Harbor as follows: The object of the survey, as stated in your letter of instructions, was "to determine and estimate the cost of some plan calculated to give an eighteen-foot entrance to Galveston Harbor." We have made a complete hydrographic survey of the outer and inner bars of the Bolivar and Galveston Channels and of the city wharf-front. The chart also includes Bolivar Point, Fort Point, Pelican Spit, and the end of Pelican Island. This work is plotted on a scale of Taboo. To determine the character of the material to be removed in order to give the required depth of channel, and also to determine the nature of the foundation available for the construction of jetties or breakwaters, borings have been made at different points (shown on the chart) to a depth, in one case, of 81 feet below mean low-water. A tide-gauge was established, the zero of which was referred to a fixed bench, and half-hourly readings have been taken since the commencement of the survey. From the United States signal-observer at this station we have obtained the record of the direction and force of the wind for the same period. This record of tide and wind has been plotted on section paper. (Sheet D.) Many observations have been made at the stations indicated on the chart to determine the direction and velocity of the different currents, particularly on the outer and inner bars. Careful attention has been paid to the subject of littoral currents, and the results of the observations are indicated in exact position on the chart. The survey was commenced October 1, 1872, and the field-work was continued until April, 1873; when, unable to work out-doors on account of fogs, northers, or other bad weather, the time was occupied in plotting field-notes in the office. An effort was made to connect this survey with the Coast-Survey work by determining the position of their plane of reference, but after some correspondence with Mr. J. E. Hilgard, assistant in charge of the United States Coast-Survey Office, to ascertain the location of their bench-mark, an examination was made which proved that the bench-mark left by the Coast-Survey party had been washed away. We have been able to continue our tidal observations over a period of eight months, which gives a very close approximation to the height of mean low-water. The chart of the survey A, submitted herewith, is shaded so as to show at a glance the position and extent of the outer and inner bars. The depth of water on the outer bar is 12 feet. The distance from 18 feet to 18 feet depth, across this bar, is 7,040 feet. The position of the bar is much exposed, and the directions of the currents, both flood and ebb, are very much dependent on the direction and force of the wind. The bar is composed of fine rounded sand and very fine broken shell. This material shifts about with every tide and current, so that the channel is constantly changing. On the inner bar we found an intricate channel, to the north of the middle ground, giving 12 feet of water. The distance across this bar, from 18 feet to 18 feet depth, is 5,000 feet. The inner bar is not so much exposed as the outer bar; but the bottom is composed of the same materials, and the currents are quite as variable as on the outer bar. A pile-jetty was commenced by the city of Galveston, at Fort Point, in 1869, with a view to deepening the channel across the inner bar. This work has been continued since 1869, and is now over a mile in length. The effect of it has been to deepen the water along the front of the jetty, but a circular bar has been formed beyond the outer end of the latter, and a large middle ground still remains opposite the outer end of the structure. There is now, however, a channel 2 feet deeper than that indicated by the chart of 1867. The middle ground on this bar seems to be formed by an eddy. We have noticed that when the tide is running in at station E (see chart) it may be commencing to ebb at station A. (The directions of the flood and ebb currents are indicated, on the chart, by the blue and red arrows, respectively.) By examination it will be seen that a large eddy is thus formed, which may account for the existence of the shoal water, which we have called the middle ground on the inner bar. In order to compare the survey of 1867 with the results which we have obtained, a tracing sheet, B, enlarged to rõ, has been made from the chart of 1867. This may be placed over the chart of 1873, and the changes which have taken place can be noted at once. On the outer bar we see that the ship-channel has shifted some distance to the southwest; that the depth of water in this channel has slightly increased, and that the distance across the bar from 12 to 12 depth has diminished. The changes are, however, unimportant, since the sand of which the bar is composed shifts about so much that a year hence we may find the channel in still another place, with a trifle more or less water in it. We have already indicated the change which has taken place on the inner bar. This has been accompanied by a continuation of the movement of Pelican Spit toward Pelican Island, which was noticed in 1867. The Gulf has encroached 300 feet on the east side of Fort Point, but the extremity of Galveston Island is in about the same place as in 1867. It has been stated, however, by the board of harbor improvement that the point has made in a direction toward Bolivar since the commencement of the jetty in 1869. CURRENTS. We have indicated on the chart at various points the direction of the current by arrows-blue for flood-tide and red for ebb-tide. The depths at which the observations were made are indicated thus: d=depth, in feet. The velocity in miles, per hour, is indicated by V. The direction and force of the wind is also given for each observation. By examining the notes at velocity stations W and Y, we see that the flood-tide current in the main channel over the outer bar does not run in the direction of the axis of the channel, but rather across the channel. This is an objection against any attempt to improve this channel in preference to the "cylinder channel," where the currents, both flood and ebb, appear to run in the direction of the deepest water. See velocity stations S and T. By careful and repeated observations for a littoral current outside of the outer bar, we have determined, beyond a doubt, that this current depends entirely on the wind. We have found it setting in both directions along the coast, but generally with the wind at the time of the observation. During a calm, after a southeasterly wind, we found the current setting up the coast toward Sabine. See velocity stations k', l', m', n', q', r', o', and p', on reduced chart on main sheet. Three observations were made on different days, when we found it impossible to discover any littoral current whatever. The greatest velocity of the littoral current observed was one-half a mile per hour. BORINGS. For making the borings we used a 24" gas-pipe, jointed in sections of 8'; a §" pipe, also jointed, was used for the auger-shaft inside the main pipe. The large pipe was fitted with a steel point at the lower end, which was fastened by means of a reducer, so that it could be attached or removed from the inside of the pipe by means of the auger-shaft. In boring through clay the point was inserted, and the large pipe forced down by means of a small pile-driver. The point could be withdrawn at any time, and a specimen of the earth brought up with a pod-auger. In quicksand the small pipe was inserted without the steel point, and a force-pump connected with the top of it. By forcing water down the center pipe the quicksand was made to rise in the outer pipe and run over at the top. Borings were made in this manner to a depth of 70 feet, in quicksand, without any difficulty. Several attempts were made to bore on the outer bar by using a large dump-flat, anchored for the purpose, but we found it impossible to succeed on account of rough water. We were finally obliged to build a scaffold to stand on the bottom, and large enough to support the boring party with their tools. The following table gives the result of the boring operations. The locality of each boring is given by the corresponding number on the chart : No. 1 is at Fort Point. No. 2 is at Fort Point. No. 3 is at Fort Point. No. 4 is on Pelican Spit. and Fine sand 6. 7. Fine sand, Fine sand Hard fine Clay, with a Fine sand Fine sand Clay ized shells and pulver and pulver- fine sand, and pulver- 27. NOTE. The Roman numbers correspond to similar numbers in red on the chart, which indicate the positions of the borings. The depths of the borings are measured from the water's surface of mean low-tide. The borings show that the outer bar is composed principally of quicksand to a depth of 60 feet below the surface of the water. The borings at Fort Point and Pelican Spit, together with other borings made to a less depth from a boat on the inner bar, show that this bar is composed of the same material to a depth of at least 39′ below the surface of the water. DEMAND FOR THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT. The following statistics, compiled from the records of the custom-house at Galveston, show a very rapid increase in the trade of this port during the five years from 1867 to 1871, inclusive: |