large harbor, protected by two breakwaters, about $425,000. For details, &c., of these plans I beg leave to refer to my report of that survey, dated January 20, 1882. Appropriations for the improvement of Milford Harbor have been 1aade and expended as follows, viz: Milford is in the New Haven collection district, of which New Haven is the port of entry. The amount of revenue collected there during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, was $339,593,71. The nearest light-house is on Stratford Point 4 miles distant. Fort Hale, New Haven Harbor, nearest work of defense, is 9 miles distant. July 1, 1881, amount available... Money statement. July 1, 1882, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883............. $76 19 76 19 5,000 00 5,076 19 20,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project .... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 10,000 00 C 7. IMPROVEMENT OF HOUSATONIC RIVER, CONNECTICUT. An appropriation of $2,000 was made for the improvement of this river by act of Congress approved March 3, 1881. After the usual advertising and receiving of proposals, a contract, dated July 2, 1881, was entered into with Mr. John McDermott, of Cohoes, N. Y., for dredging, at the rate of 23 cents per cubic yard. Previous inquiry had shown that the chief obstacles to the navigation of the river were two shoals, one a short distance above Drew's Rock, and the other at the Milford camp-meeting ground. In both places the shoaling was on the side of the channel; the water was deep enough, but the channel was very narrow, and at the camp-meeting ground there was a sudden bend where the channel meets the east bank of the river. Work was begun July 5 on the shoal above Drew's Rock; the width of the 7-foot channel was increased from 20 to 60 feet by making two cuts, each 20 feet wide and, respectively, 480 and 683 feet long, removing 3,676 cubic yards of sand. On the 14th July the dredge was transferred to the bend at the camp-meeting ground, where the 7-foot channel, the previous width of which had been very small, was made 75 feet wide by dredging out four cuts of lengths of 120, 300, 400, and 500 feet, re spectively; this involved the removal of 4,142 cubic yards of sand, and exhausted the money available for the work. The total amount of material removed under the contract was 7,818 cubic yards; the work was completed July 22, 1881. Since that time I have heard no complaints of the condition of the channel. The winter and spring freshets usually reproduce one or more of the bars on this river, to prevent which there seems to be no means within reasonable cost; it is therefore believed to be necessary to keep up a small annual appropriation for their removal. The sum appropriated for each of the two previous years was not sufficient to do this satisfactorily, and it is recommended that the amount be increased to $5,000. The navigable condition of the river is now, as it has been for several years, better along its whole length than over the bar at its mouth. The available depth on the crest of this bar is about 4 feet at mean low-water; there is no known way of deepening this permanently without the construction of a breakwater. This was first proposed in 1871, to be built of carefully laid stone, and an estimate of cost of $368,475 was submitted. I have since suggested that a riprap jetty built to lowwater level would, perhaps, concentrate the currents enough to give all the depth that is required at present. Such a jetty would require about 8,100 tons of stone, which, delivered in place, at present ruling prices (about $2.50 per ton), would cost $20,250. Appropriations for the improvement of the Housatonic River have been made and expended as follows, viz: Housatonic River is the dividing line between the New Haven and Fairfield collection districts. There is a light-house on Stratford Point, at the mouth of the river, and on Stratford Shoal, about one-half way across Long Island Sound. The nearest defensive work is Fort Hale, New Haven Harbor, 13 miles distant. Money statement. July 1, 1881, amount available.. $2,052 60 July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881. 1,937 20 July 1, 1882, amount available... Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882 .. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883. 115 40 2,000 00 2, 115 40 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 5, 000 00 |