Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-07-14
FRIDAY, j ULY ii. Il, 1876.

may seem to rs now, after the expe-
-rience of nearly three-fourths of a
century, the plan was not TO make
use of the rivers emptying into the
lake, for this purpose, but as was
informed many years ago by the late
Ralph Granger, Esq, to whom l am
indebted for the following stste-
ment: It was a plan suggested by 3.
H. aLatrobe, Esq, then On 1907
Superintendent of Public Works,
and Engineer at Washington, ,''Wh hich
was to carry out, from the point near
est deep lwater, a. solid mole or pier,
till it reached the depth of water re-
qaired, and to terminate this pier
with crescent shaped mole, behind
which vessels might lie with safety,
and Oh which their acargoes might
be- deposited Timothy r. IIaw-
leys Esq, was selected as the most
suitable person te make the necessary
examinations, and knowing the i'm
Portance. which would be attached
to his report, he conducted them with
all the skill, and accuracy of which
he was master, The following is a
copy Of the actual survey made by
him in May, 1907; sn ..gl.
gas,r ~ MENoRANDUM,I sls.I fsIf
{. Height of bank of the Lake at
the centre line of Hon. Gideon
Granger's, land, in lot No. ], town
ship -, and Sd range Connecticut
Western Reserve. r.~..,,
-sfTfI The distance from the bottom Of
she bank ON the Lake shore is l9s
feet, and the elevated height from
the water is IS feet 5 inches.
"The. soundings off centre:-
= AT 5 feet water the distance is
5O5 feet @9i-' t'i4i- @
'li1@ AT 8 feet water the distance is
1885 feet. : "
AH''. The. soundiags oHthe rocks west
Of the centres: q ",-t '
'i.At 5 feet water the distance IS
I09' feet 3Gy-1Iiiil1I oini s-ial.-a -'--li
-as"'At g feet water the distance is
1o43 feet. ~ arl iao z515 Z la'ei
IaiMr. FiawIey's report was submit
ted 60 Mr.. Latrobe, who drew a plan
of a harbor, but no attempt was
ever made to construct it. I'D
sdThis is doubtless the Oldest survey
and plan for harbor at Lake Erie.
phe centre line referred to, is the
centre lineiof the Granger tract in
this township, about two miles be-
low the mouth of Ashtabula creek.
Though Yalueless for the purpose
for which it was made, this survey is
valuable infurnishing the means, by
sounding, of comparing the height
of the lake now with what it was
in 1907; a comparison which it is
believed cannot be made at any 9TH
er point, from accurate soundings
for a period of time of equal length,
which, as Mn. Granger remarks, 'fis
desirable, as,well to determine and
record an important fact, as to put
an end to idle theorizing.p.
\ After the failure of this project,
the public attention appears to have
been directed to the Improvement of
the mouth of the. creek, so as to rem
der it accessible, and afford a safe
harbor for navigating the Lake.
But want of means for a long time
prevented any. efforts to accomplish
the object. -,
n 1924 an act was passed by the
General Assembly Of Ohio, to incor-
porate the .Ashtabula Harbor Com.
pany,i for the purpose of construct
ing harbor at the mouth of Ash
tabula creek, which was amended
the following year, but the. company
never went into operation. =
co In 1927 Congress made an appro-
priation of $4,000 to remove OBJ
strdctions at the mouth of Ashtabu-
la creek, and the work was com
menced that year. Col Matthew
Hubbard was appointed local Super
intendentgo The dyke was finished
thea same year, and the east pier
commenced. Aslateroek or shale,
underlying the bluff on the west side
of the creek, extends also under the
creek, forming in one place a serious
obstruction, and rendeFedit imprac-
ticablestoydriEe piles to secure the
strong timber work Of the piers, and
the plan was adopted of making
strong cribs of timber and filled
with stone, athesReight ofElwhich
would sinkand, keep them IN place.
es1nlfs2F ltwOli parallel piers were
constructed, Of an average length Of
214 feet. extending from the mouth
of the river, to- ten feet depth of
water in the lake, aud in the two fol-
lowing years, were carried out and
corApleted TO the extent Originally
contemplated which was 500 yards.
In 1929 vessels lay in security in the
channel between the piers but could
not enter the creek. on sht q - = ~
The years 1880, 1881, and 1882
was chiefly occupied in dredging the
channel. a'iaTsi -sf32 i-los194 iiA '-
- In 1883 sthe piers had been car
ried out about l ,284 feet form-
ing channel Of from 100 to 145
feet broad.I A slate rock stretching
quite across the channel about zoo
wards from the head of the pier and
26O yards in length, and having a
depth of but 6 feet of water upon
it. . obstructed the channel; the re,
! mo7al of which was the chief object
of attention during this and the
three previous years. -c1
In 1884 " about $4,000 ton of stone
aud gravel were removed, and the
channel along the east pier was in
this way deepened to eight or nine
feet.n The report to the Engineer
Department states that " "after the
first of May of this year 53l vessels
had touched, at this port, whereas
but a few years previous the arrivals
would not exceed a dozen vessels the
whole season"
In 1886 the western pier was ex-
tended 204 feet and carried into ten
or twelve feet water. ".The chan
mel was dredged SO as to open a pas
sage of an average breadth of fifty
feet, and a length Of 2I5, and giving
a depth of nine feet across the rock
heretofore described as obstruoting