The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-20
LEAGUE ISLAND.

Judge keIiey's Reply to MIR. H9wes OF masss
The following report of Hon. w. ID. Kelleys
remarks in the House of Representatives on
Tuesday is taken from the Congressional Globe,
and is much fuller than the statement sent by
the Associated Press:-
Mr.. Kelley-Mr Speaker in most of the re-
marks of the gentleman from Massachusetts,
(Mr Dawes) heartily concur; apd4f believed
this bill was to be followed by an application
for an appropriation of $S00000 would unite
in voting with him to lay il upon the table. But
the bill involves and implies no necessity for
such an appropriation or any considerable i'm
mediate appropriation. Such n it
proposed to appropriate to the old yard last
year, and which on my motion-the gentleman
speaks of the eagerness OF the Representatives
from Philadelphia for appropriations of this
kind--was, repeat on my motion reduced fifty
per cent, would be all that would be required to
enable the Navy Department to practice great
economy in general administration while lay
ing the foundation OF a naval station quite equal
to that at Chatham, uponwhich England has eX-
pended more millions Of pounds sterling than
we would require millions of dollars 10 COM
plete this from year to year through long
future
The gentleman doubtless meant to give the
House fair statement of all the facts touching
League Island. He began with its early history,
but failed to give us its later story. When he
read from an official report asked for its date
and received no answer, but in the Immediate
context he spoke of what magical effects might
have occurred within the last three years, inn
plying quite unwittingly am sure, for he did
not mean to be uneandid, that the report from
which he read was not older than three years. |
know its age and secret history. 1t was made
in 1862. 1t was made by a board of able and
honorable men, who subsequently discovered
that by adopting preliminary resolution sub
mitting all questions Of survey to the engineer
assigned for their service they had put it into
the power of man not faithful to the Govern
ment and its interests to lead them to make
report abounding in misstatements of fact, and,
consequently, unjust inferences. The Govern
ment becoming convinced of this fact, and that
the engineer, finding himself in exclusive power,
had refused to bore the island and had
bored the alluvial accretions only, and had
based his report on the results thus obtained,
ordered further Investigations to be made not
only by naval officers not only by naval en-
gineers, but by one of the abest civil engineers
connected with the Coast Survey, who was
directed to bore the island at many points and
send the result of his boriDgs, encased in bot
lies, to the Navy Department; this was done;
and gentlemen can call at the department and
scrutinize the soil of League Island When the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Washburn) ad-
dressed the House the other day, he ignored the
results disclosed by forty-two bOrings of the
island, and quoted the report of the engineer
who had proved false to the duty confded to
him. / have the accepted report here; and re-
curing to what the gentleman from Wisconsin
said and to what the then eloquentRepresentativ
of New London said about this island, that ii
was mass of ooze that would flow away if not
fastened In by sea WALL / turn TO the report of
George Davidson, Assistant United States Coast
Survey made to the Government on March 49,
1854. He says
'In accordance with your Instructions, received
February co. Immediately male preparations for
the required borings on League Island.
ITO avoid error as much as practicable they have
been made through cast-ron tubing OF eight inches
internal diameter and that this report may be pro-
perly illustrated, herewith forward box contain
ing 1ortytwo specimens OF the different borings at
various depths, and map showing the positions OF
these and previous bOrings was upon the island
nearly every working day, and In most instances
removed 9he specimens from the augur myself or
received them from the pump.
While the regular borings were in progress /
Instituted other examinations upon the island such
as forcing steel-pointed iron rod through the
alluvial deposit; digging through the upper cayey
stratum Of surface soil TO the line sand stratum;
examining tho stone embankment TO detect any
point Of settling; measuring the OAK and maple
ees, and ascertaining their ages by cutng study
ing tho system OF drainage, and examining the
gravel hills on the north of the island"
Now, after tEe examinations what were the
conclusions at which he arrived, and the con
victions to which Congress was led? They were
as f0llows:--
''The borings and examinations which have this
day finished and have herein described establish the
following conclusions:-
al. That the surface soil averages about three and
half feet In thickness over the whole island that 1t
is stiff yellowish. cayey material, easily cut when
wet, and very hard when dry.
~ That beneath this surface soil there is q
stratum Of very nne sand aminated In places with
dark cleyey matter Where this lamtDati0n exists