The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-10-08

IMPROVEMENTS IN BosroN HARBoR
Hon Josiah Quincy, one of the Had
Commissioners, makes the following sts
ment in regard TO the contemplated
| provements in Boston harbor -
''Tbe fats lying north Of South Bost
which are mostly bare at low tide, c,
tain about eight hundred acres, and belc
principally TO the State. BY an act
last winter the Governor was authors
to appoint IN engineer, who, after c,
sultation with the Harbor COMMISSIONS
should locate the line to be occupied b,
continuous wall inclosing these fats.
The work was confided to Mr.. G..
Baldwin, who has placed the line eie
hundred feet from and parallel to I'll
fixed by the United States Commissiond
on Boston Harbor, with the expectalid
that wharves will hereafter be extendl
to that line, with docks holding twent
three feet of water at low tide. This W
give the most magnificent location for
railway terminus in the world. The le
islature appreciated 5000. 900 to the co
struc;ion Of this wall ut the last session
and as soon as Mr.. Bnldwins plans ar
estimates are approved by the .Governd
and Council, the Harbor Commissioned
will advertise for proposals for its compll !
ton. All the proposed arrangement
have been submitted to, and, on certai
conditions as to dredging. approved by I'll
United States Advisory Board. Congres|
Mt its last session appropriated, on the pe|
tilion of tue Harbor Commissioners 1881
0OO for the improvement of Boston hal l
Dor. The expenditure of $500, 900 o|
this SUN has been entrusted to Majo|
General j. G. Foster.
The principal objects to be accumulated
are, placing sca.walls round several of thd
Islands and removing ocstructions in the
man ship channel. In the narrows. the
extension of Lowell s Island, and the tower
on Cor~in rocks, leaves only passage
way OF 800 feet in width. Divers are at
present engaged in blasting the rocks and
1t IS hoped they will both be removed the
present season, Al the same time contracts
have beeu made for dredging the gravel
that has accumulated to the west shore of
l-ovclls Island This will give when COM
pletcd an entrance TO the harbor of six
hundred and thirty five feet in width,
with twenty three feet of water at low
tide The upper middle bar in the har-
Dor lies within the forts and leaves for
ships drawing nineteen feet at low tide,
only passageway of one hundred an |
lorty feet in width. 1t is proposed to
make this channel one thousand feet widu
and tweIty-,hree deep at low water.
Examination Of the bottom shows the
'hange time has produced. Between the
North End and East Boston, where the
Charles and Mystic rivers pass, there has
been an accumulation, the bottom show.
nS the original blue clay. On the up
Der mlddre bar, where the scuur dimishes
md where the current of the flood pre-
dominates over the ebb, fhere is a deposit
II four inches Of mud, which may have
cen brought down from the city, and
rom two to three feet Of gravel, probably
hat which formerly constituted Birds
sland. Below these two layers is tho
'riginal Glue clay. when these improy-
nents are completed the harbor will bc
ner than ever before, AMI can be forever
ept so by the compensations for water
I'splaced, ordered by the Legislature, and
v the sea'walls around the islands provi-
led for by the United States.