17th Congress, ) SENATE. ( Ex. Doc. 
 
 1st Session. f | No. 80. 
 
 LETTER 
 
 FROM 
 
 I 
 
 THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 
 
 TRANSMITTING 
 
 A communication from the Chief of Engineers of the Army, dated January 
 25, 1882, and accompanying copy of report from Maj. G. L. Gillespie, 
 Corps of Engineers, upon an examination of the icaters of New York Bay. 
 
 January 30, 1832. — Referred to the Committee on Commerce and ordered to be 
 
 printed. 
 
 War Department, 
 Washington City, January 27, 1882. 
 The Secretary of War has the honor to transmit to the United States 
 Senate, for the information of the Committee on Commerce, a commu- 
 nication from the Chief of Engineers of the Army, dated the 25th 
 instant, and the accompanying copy of report frtfni Maj. G. L. Gillespie, 
 Corps of Engineers, upon an examination, made in compliance ' with 
 requirements in the river and harbor act of March 3, 1881, of the waters 
 of New York Bay, from a point between Ellis Island and the docks of 
 the New Jersey Central Kailroad to a point between Bobbins' Eeef 
 Light and Constable Hook, New' Jersey. 
 
 EOBEET T. LINCOLN, 
 Secretary of War. 
 
 The President pro tempore 
 
 of the United States Senate. 
 
 * 
 
 Office of the Chief of Engineers, 
 
 United States Army, 
 Washington, D. C, January 25, 1882. 
 Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith a copy of a report to this 
 office from Maj. G. L. Gillespie, Corps of Engineers, of the results of an 
 examination made, in compliance with the requirements of the river and 
 harbor act of March 3, 1881, of the waters of New York Bay from a 
 point between Ellis Island and the docks of the New Jersey Central 
 Railroad to a point between Bobbins' Reef Light and Constable Hook, 
 New Jersey. 
 
 Yery respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 H. G. WRIGHT, 
 Chief of Engineers, Brig, and Bvt. Maj. Gen. 
 Hon. Robert T. Lincoln, * 
 Secretary of War. 
 
2 EXAMINATION OF THE WATERS OF NEW YORK BAY. 
 
 survey from a point between ellis island and the docks of 
 new jersey central railroad to a point between robbins' 
 reef light and constable hook, in waters of new york 
 bay, new jersey. 
 
 United States Engineer offiee, 
 
 Neiv TarJe t December 28, 1881. 
 
 General: Incompliance with section 3, river and harbor act ap- 
 proved March 3, 1881, I have the honor to submit herewith my report 
 on the examination "from a point between Ellis Island and docks of 
 Hew Jersey Central Railroad to a point between Bobbins' Reef Light 
 and Constable Hook, in waters of New York Bay, New Jersey." 
 
 This examination was made under the direction of my predecessor, in 
 July and August, 1881, and was conducted personally by Assistant 
 Engineer A. Doerflinger, whose report accompanying this communica- 
 tion gives the outline of the projected improvement and the estimated 
 cost. 
 
 The area covered by the examination is locally known as " Jersey 
 Flats," which lie on the west side of the Upper Bay of Xew York, imme- 
 diately south of Jersey City, extend to the entrance to Kill van Kull, 
 and comprise 4,886 acres. 
 
 The Coast Survey chart of the Upper Bay, prepared in 1855, by com- 
 parison with that of 1835 shows that during the intervening twenty 
 years the flats had moved greatly to the eastward, with an accompany- 
 ing diminution in the depth of water. This shoaling is known to be 
 due in part to the encroachments upon the river front by wharf con- 
 structions at Jersey City, and in part to deposits of dredgings taken 
 from the slips in New York City. The shoalings from these sources 
 caused the 20-foot curv-e between Ellis Island and the canal basin in 
 Jersey- City to advance 230 yards, and it has been estimated that the 
 average daily deposit upon the flats was, during the interval stated, 
 1,500 cubic yards. The bed is composed generally of a deposit of mud, 
 silt, sand, gravel, and bowlders, with an average depth of 6 feet water 
 over it at low stage. 
 
 From Oyster Island to Craven's Point, on the Jersey shore, a wide 
 shoal of rock in position underlies the bed ; at many points the rock is 
 visible at low-water, but generally lies at an average depth of 12 feet 
 below that grade, with a varying covering of sand and silt, such as is 
 found at other points of the flats. In the immediate vicinity of the 
 small islands which lie adjacent to the main ship channel there are no- 
 ticed small submerged areas of bowlders.* 
 
 In 1872 the Coast Survey completed additional surveys to ascertain 
 the extent of the continued shoals on the flats. 
 
 To form a comparison with the survey of 1855 a line was drawn from 
 Bobbins' Beef Light-House to Bedloe's Island flag-staff, and thence 
 slightly deflected through Ellis Island flag-staff to the I^ew Jersey 
 Central Bailroad wharf. 
 
 From these datum lines normals were laid off, and by the latter the 
 changes in the 6, 12, 18 and 24 foot curves were noted. It was observed 
 that all the curves had been pushed outwards or eastward, but most 
 conspicuously the 24-foot curve near Ellis Island, which had. moved on 
 the average 303 feet, the maximum advance being 825 feet, reducing by 
 so much the width of the main channel for heavy ships and increasing the 
 shoal ground by 129 acres. The 18-foot curve had advanced in the av- 
 erage 211 feet, representing a shoaling of 92 acres, and at Oyster Island 
 the 12-fotft curve had advanced over 1,000 feet, due to careless and inju- 
 
EXAMINATION OF THE WATERS OF NEW YORK BAY. 3 
 
 dicious dumpings there of city dredgiugs. It was estimated that the 
 total deposits from 1855 to 1871 upon the border of the main channel, due 
 to natural and artificial causes, reached the high figure of 3,000,000 
 cubic yards. Since 1871 dumpings of city dredgiugs upon the Jersey 
 Flats have been prohibited by the Pilot Commissioners, and in conse- 
 quence the shoalings arising from deposits due to natural causes have 
 been so slight as to be almost inappreciable 2 except on the outer edge 
 of the flats. Later examinations, including the one to which this report 
 refers, show that the flats, being under the lee of the long wharves at 
 Jersey City, and sheltered from the currents which bring down deposits 
 from the upper river, are not subject to further material shoalings, and 
 that the present average and almost uniform depth of 6 feet over the 
 general surface at low stage will be probably maintained indefinitely. 
 
 As the many railroads which concentrate at Jersey City now occupy 
 all the best deep-water front in that city for their ferry slips, and for 
 their own storehouses, elevators, and shipping wharves, the city feels 
 sadly in need of a larger water-front to accommodate the commerce 
 which naturally seeks that side of the harbor, and which now goes, else- 
 where to overcrowd the wharves in New York City and Brooklyn. To 
 get a relief from this state of things it has been proposed to extend on 
 the south side of Jersey City»the exterior line of piers farther across 
 the flats towards deep water, so that the property holders on the west 
 shore line may render their water-fronts available for shipping pur- 
 poses, and increase, by these improvements, the storage and shipping 
 business of the harbor. The movement was commenced in 1864 by the 
 Riparian Commissioners of the State of New Jersey establishing the 
 exterior line of solid filling shown on the chart, 500 feet beyond which 
 was placed the exterior line of piers. These lines follow generally the 
 curvature of the shore. The promoters of the present examination now, 
 desire that the government shall excavate a channel 300 feet wide, bot- 
 tom measurement, and 21 -feet deep at low-water, from the wharves of 
 the Central Railroad of New Jersey in a straight line to the deep waters 
 of Kill van Kull, the axis of the channel so excavated to be 670 feet to 
 the eastward of the established exterior line of piers. Should the govern- 
 ment undertake the opening of the communicating channel, the Riparian 
 Commissioners agree to extend the exterior line for piers 500 feet beyond 
 the line now adopted, which will then make the prospective piers and 
 their intervening slips accessible to the deep-water channel, and open a 
 shorter and more sheltered interior channel from the docks in Jersey 
 and New York cities to those on Kill van Kull. Already have some of 
 the property holders on the west shore commenced the excavation of 
 channels across the flats to connect their wharves or slips near the 
 present shore lines with the main channel of the bay. Two are shown 
 upon the map; the first, that of Messrs. Morris & Cumings, starts near 
 Pamrepa, and strikes the 12-foot curve midway between Robbins' Reef 
 Light and Oyster Island. It is 8,400 feet long, 100 feet wide, and has 
 10 feet water at low stage. The second, in process of excavation, ex- 
 tends from Made Island to deep water, midway between Oyster Island 
 and Bedloe's Island, part of it being excavated through the rocky area 
 shown on the chart. It is probable that other channels, with the same 
 object of utilizing the western shore, will be opened at an early day, but 
 their limited width and depth must restrict their use at high- water to 
 vessels drawing not exceeding 15 feet of water, and they will therefore 
 not be able to aiford all the relief that is deaired. 
 
 The estimate which accompanies this report shows that the opening 
 of the government channel, now so earnestly advocated by the property 
 
4 
 
 EXAMINATION OF THE WATERS OF NEW YORK BAY. 
 
 holders on Bergen Neck, will be a work of great magnitude, and will 
 cost the large sum of $7,LU,98(). This estimate has been carefully re- 
 vised, and is approximately correct. * Although it is stated that the 
 channel across the flats, opened at the expense of private individuals, 
 has not shoaled since its excavation, it is not at all certain that the gov- 
 ernment channel once opened will be self-sustaining. The ebb and 
 flood currents set directly across its projected axis, and it is to be ex- 
 pected tlmt a Blight degradation of the slopes of the cut in sand and silt 
 will take place, and that a large percentage of the moveable material 
 of the bottom adjacent to the improvement will gradually find its way 
 into the deeper part. For this reason it is almost certain that dredging 
 will be required at intervals to keep the channel free alter it has been 
 once opened. The projected channel will surely be of great benefit to 
 any wharves which may be built out to it from the west shore, but it 
 cannot be considered at all a complete, nor even an approximate, solu- 
 tion of the problem which is presented when the future application of 
 the flats is considered. The time will come when this section will be 
 examined with the view to its conversion into wet-basins, and if we 
 heed the rapid growth of the city's commerce and wealth during the 
 past twenty years, we may be impressed with the conviction that this 
 conversion will not be long deferred. 
 
 The rapid development and increase of the commercial wealth of Lon- 
 don, Liverpool, and other important seaports of the Old World following 
 the establishment of wet-docks to facilitate trade and commerce, fur- 
 nish prominent examples of what our own largest seaport may develop 
 into when the shipping necessities of the harbor are once appreciated 
 and suitable sums are devoted to the construction of improvements which 
 will extend the field of its commercial greatness by giving not only 
 piers for handling produce entering into immediate consumption, but by 
 giving facilities for housing that designed for exportation. 
 
 It is inopportune now to consider the conditions under which this con- 
 version should take place, or to divide by exact lines the water spaces 
 to be reserved; but any adopted plan should be based upon the principle 
 of preserving, as far as possible^ the tidal reservoir of the flats which 
 equals 30,000,000 cubic yards approximately. Neglecting at this time, 
 then, all reference to an improvement which contemplates the construc- 
 tion of wet-docks, it will be stated that the immediate effect of opening 
 a channel 300 feet wide from the north to the south end of the flats will be, 
 first, to diminish in a moderate degree the sailing distance between the 
 New York City wharves and the waters of Kill van Kull, and to give a 
 better protected interior channel for the shipping between those points; 
 and, second, to diminish in the average by 3,700 feet the length of piers, 
 or piers and channels, connecting the west shore line with the deep- 
 water channel to enable that portion of the water front to be utilized to 
 an equal extent with other parts of the bay. As the flats are quite 
 shoal, well sheltered from river currents, and have their eastern edge 
 precipitous and bold, it is believed that the building of piers and docks 
 across them will not disadvantageously effect the present currents of 
 the main channel and that these improvements may be made without 
 conflicting with any interest involving the security and preservation of 
 the navigation of the Upper Bay or of any of its approaches. 
 
 Jersey Flats are in the collection districts of New York and Newark, N. J., which 
 are the nearest ports of entry. The nearest fort is at the Narrows, and the nearest 
 light-house on Bobbins' Reef, Upper Bay, New York Harbor. 
 
 The amount of revenue collected at the port of New York, for the year ending June 
 30, 1861, was $139,579,562.83. 
 
 The amount collected for the same period at Newark, N. J., was §9,327.06. 
 
EXAMINATION OF THE WATERS OF NEW YORK BAY. 5 
 
 Number of vessels permanently documented at Newark for the coasting trade is 28 
 sail and 30 steamers, with an aggregate tannage of 5,402 tons. Vessels entered from 
 foreign ports, 49 ; vessels cleared for foreign ports, 10. 
 
 The proportion of commerce represented by the foregoing figures 
 which will be benefited by the improvement cannot be given approxi- 
 mately. It has been estimated as high as $10,000,000 annually. 
 I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 G. L. GILLESPIE, 
 Major of Engineers, Bvt. Lieut. Col., U. JS. A. 
 Brig. Gen. H. G. YYright, 
 
 Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. 
 
 REPORT OF MR. A. DOERFLINGER, ASSISTANT ENGINEER. 
 
 New York, December, 12, 1881. 
 
 Major: I have respectfully to submit the following report on the examination of 
 New Jersey Flats, made with the view of determining the feasibility and cost of con- 
 structing a ship-canal extending "froin a point between Ellis Island and the docks 
 of the Central Railroad of New Jersey to a point between Constable Hook and Rob- 
 bins' Reef Light, New York Harbor." 
 
 The field work of the survey was executed between July 10 and August 23, 1881, 
 under instructions from the late Lieut^Col. N. Michler, Corps of Engineers, Brevet 
 Brigadier- General, United States Army, and was confined principally to make borings 
 in order to determine the character and extent of a ledge of rock underlying the fiats 
 off Craven's Point. 
 
 The soundings on the chart submitted herewith are taken principally from a United 
 States Coast Survey chart, based on resurveys made in 1871, 1872, and 1873. In 
 connection with the borings, however, soundings were also taken in the present exami- 
 nation, and compared with those of the United States Coast Survey; no material 
 difference was found to exist between the present soundings and those of 1871, 1872, 
 and 1873, from which it appears that no marked change in the depth of water over 
 the portion of the flats examined has taken place since the date of the earlier survey. 
 
 The total number of borings made is 328, of which only those most characteristic 
 are shown on the map; they were made with a well-pointed iron rod, which could be 
 lengthened at will by the addition of 10-foot sections. This rod was churned down 
 from a platform framed across two row-boats by the united efforts of two rnen, until 
 rock or other impenetrable strata was reached : the rod was withdra wn by means of 
 a simple windlass arranged for the purpose on the platform. The position of each 
 boring was located by sextant observations. From this investigation it was found 
 that the material composing the upper stratum of the flats is principally mud, soft on 
 top, becoming more or less stiff and harder with depth. A ledge of rock was found to 
 extend out from Craven's Point to the main ship-channel. The higher portions of 
 this ledge come to the surface at several points on a line drawn from Craven's Point 
 to the southerly end of Oyster Island, which latter is one of the summits of the ledge. 
 Outcropings of the rock, which consists of gneiss nearly vertically stratified, the 
 strata running in a northeasterly direction, are also found, on the mainland at Cra- 
 ven's Point. Sand, .shells, and gravel, and mixtures of the latter, from the more im- 
 mediate covering of the rock, accumulations of bowlders of various sizes, some of 
 which are dry at low-water, were found at the points where the rock comes to the 
 surface. Immediately north of the ledge, for a distance of about 2,000 feet, soft mud 
 was found to a depth of 22 to 23 feet below low-water; from this point to the docks 
 of the Central Railroad hard sand was found a short distance below the surface. To 
 the south of the ledge mud was generally found to a depth of 18 to 21 feet, below 
 which, in most instances, sand and clay was reached. To determine the velocity and 
 direction of the tidal drift, current observations were made off Craven's Point, and 
 also between Ellis Island and the docks of the Central Railroad. The observations 
 at each station were continued during the greater part of one tide. On the chart the 
 direction and velocity of maximum current only is indicated. 
 
 During the period covered by the observations, about 4 hours on each tide, but 
 little change in the direction of the current was observed, with the exception of the 
 flood current at the last -mentioned station, the direction of which during maximum 
 velocity was found to bear 10 c f urther north than during the first and last stages of 
 the tide. 
 
 Between Ellis Island and the docks of the Central Railroad maximum ebb current 
 occurs about 4 hours after the preceding high-water, and maximum flood about 4 
 hours after the preceding low-water. 
 
 S. Ex. 80 2 
 
6 
 
 EXAMINATION OF THE WATERS OF NEW YORK BAY. 
 
 Off Craven's Point maximum flood current happens about 4 hours after preceding 
 low-water, and maximum ebb 3 hours after preceding high-water. 
 
 From observations On the currents in the Hudson River, between Bedloe's Island and 
 Castle Point, made under the direction of Col. John Newton, Corps of Engineers, in 
 1-74. ir was found that "the occurrence of maximum discharge of the river takes 
 place about 14 hours 19 minutes after moon's transit " ; and also that "the swifted 
 flood currents happen about 8 hours 22 minutes after moon's southing ". (Report of the 
 Chief of Engineers. 1>75. page 217, part 2.) 
 
 At the "Idle Hour" dock the mean interval of high-water after preceding moon's 
 transit is 3 hours 1 minute, and meau duration of fall of tide 6 hours 32 minutes ; 
 from which it appears that maximum ebb in the Hudson River happens 6 hours 16 
 minutes after high-water, or about 2 hours 18 minutes after the occurrence of maxi- 
 mum ebb on the flats near Ellis Island, and 3 hours 18 minutes later than off Craven's 
 Point : and likewise that maximum flood in the Hudson River occurs about 2 hours 
 28 minutes later than at both current stations on the flats. 
 
 To obtain access to the deep water of New York Harbor it is the desire of the own- 
 ers of the lauds bordering on the flats, and of others interested in the utilization of 
 the flats for the purposes of trade and commerce, that a ship-channel be constructed 
 about 500 feet outside of the pier line as at present established from the docks of the 
 Central Railroad to Craven's Point, the channel to continue iu a straight line to the 
 deep water of Kill van Kull. ' The Riparian Commissioners of the State of New Jersey- 
 propose, should the construction of the channel be undertaken by the United States 
 Government, to establish a new pier line to coincide with the westerly limits of this 
 channel so that the future pierheads will thAabe accessible from the navigable waters 
 of the bay. In addition to affording a mcahi^of deep-water communication between 
 future piers that may be built on the flats Vi» the navigable waters of the harbor, the 
 channel would somewhat shorten the distance from points on the Hudson River to 
 points on Kill van Kull, and would afford a more sheltered water-way to the numer- 
 ous tows now plying between these points, aud one more free from strong head car- 
 rents than the main ship-channel. 
 
 The proposed channel is shown on the chart. The depth of the projected cut has 
 been assumed at 21 feet at mean low-water, with a bottom width of 300 feet, and slopes 
 of 1 upon 1 in earth, the sides of the cut through rock to be nearly vertical. The 
 quantity of excavation has been calculated from the soundings and bonngs. The rock 
 cutting should be regarded as approximate only, since a more detailed survey than it 
 was possible to make with the funds available for the present examination would be 
 necessary to determine this amount with a greater degree of accuracy. It will be 
 seen by an inspection of the chart that both the ebb and flood currents do not run in 
 the direction of the proposed cut, but make an angle of about 22 degrees with the 
 same. It is probable, however, that the effect of the channel, should the same be ex- 
 cavated, would be to somewhat modify the ^present currents on the flats, so that on 
 the completion of the work the direction of the tidal drift would become more nearly 
 coincident with that of the channel, and the currents, by their scouring action, tend, 
 to keep the chanuel open ; especially would this result be likely to follow should piers 
 be built from the main land out to the line of the channel. Still, in all probability, 
 more or less silting up would take place by the washing in of the banks of the cut, 
 at least in those portions where the cutting is through soft mud, as is the case directly 
 north of the ledge of rock, so that redredging would likely become necessary from 
 time to time in order to maintain a depth of 21 feet in the channel. 
 
 The estimated cost of the proposed channel is herewith respectfully submitted. 
 The cost of $12 per cubic yard for rock excavation is based on the supposition that the 
 work will be done in the ordinary way of drilling from the surface, breaking the rock 
 up by blasting, and removing the fragments by means of a dredge. It is believed, 
 however, that should appropriations be made sufficiently large to warrant the adop- 
 tion of a comprehensive plan of operations the greater portion of the rock could be 
 removed at a much less cost by inclosing the area to be operated on with a coffer-dam, 
 and carrying on the excavation in open cut. 
 
 ESTIMATE OF COST. 
 
 458,333 cubic yards rock excavation, at $12 per yard $5, 499, 996 
 
 3,945,400 cubic yards dredging, at 25 cents per yard 986, 350 
 
 Engineering, contingencies, &c 648,634 
 
 Total 7,134,980 
 
 I am, very respectfullv, vour obedient servant, 
 
 A. DOERFLINGER, 
 
 Assistant Engineer, 
 
 Maj. G. L. Gillespie, 
 
 Corps of Engineers, Bit. Lieut. Col., U. S. A. 
 
 O ' s ^ a r 
 
iEx Safaris 
 
 SEYMOUR DURST 
 
 When you leave, please leave this hook 
 
 Because it has heen said 
 " Ever' thing comes t' him who waits 
 
 Except a loaned hook." 
 
 Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library 
 Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library 
 
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