, 1880-06-20
HARBOR OF REFUGE.
uo,v Government Work Which
-" Has Been Appropri-
ated For.
Secure Place for Vessels to the
q Northeast Of the River
Mouth.
cont. Lydeclzer's Recommends
tions on the Subject.

cont. Lydecker's Recommended
o"' tions on the Subject.
oo u.as made in an interview with
feae.s f.s~-,on Davis, published in yesterdays
Caas'. IN a certain "harbor OF refuge" to
1Rin1 Re:,. ~ the northeast Of the mouth of the
be w." ~ IN he commenced out of an appropr1-
n'e', - x1o1 900 made by Congress at the session
tea - sss inst closed. The Congressman in
WV. tasa.s-tiew expressed the belief that the con-
o. pI.nta;l 4" Improvement was Of greater impor-
Eia. .hon tho somewhat-ralked- OF brcakWater
ua.s ss eouthynrd, iuasmuch as it was directly
~u. '-s, The track Of at least 70 per
WILL. ~ the vessels entering and leaving
eeD. Further examination shows the cor /
1s .poss of this opinion and demonstrates the
w. w. ~ m improvement which was first sug~
'sss ~ ncarly two years ago and whose early
E.s+rucrton is now an assured thing.
THE PROJECT
.. s,st brought before the Board Of Engineer
a.s a1..rs q. S. l., on July "a, ISIS, by Capt.
,-.serer g-. Of the Corps Of Engineers, in charge
:; the improvements OF the haroors OF chicago
O .G.,umet. .1s Lake Michigan, and nf the Illinois
3D.. .3asaIiit n lis report 70 the Secretary Of War
sns1; t,a s,,picct the Board says :" that the i'm
apt as.nce ac Of the Chicago harbor, where
te'1n r. 1panber Of arrivals and departures Is
na,h ~ eer,ot lakes, requires some additional
o. 81 ~ which will facilitate the arrival and de-
*Nn ,re ~ vessels and afford additional secur-
F." II therefore recommended the construc-
y: ~ of breukwatcr to the north and east of
aa w nreseut North Pier, behind which vessels
.sL|ne the port could anchor in security and be
sra1Ioi +, select favorable opportunity to
su,er the river ...... ..-...-..
s4'>@ THE Arrnox1MATE LOCATION
,I-xS$o G$1r
u ~ = traeilg accompanying the report The
" ea at thar time was careful to suggest. how
as.~ p and very properly, that Its exact location
snd mode of construction SHOULD be maoe
saujet Of further study before ocfng nnalls oe-
TS1sasls for this favorable report was letter
.rsn Capt Lylecker, together with the letters
d committee Of the chicago noard or Ifaae as
s.sxs n business and vessel men here in refer
ssce 10 the needs Of the harbor. Capt Ly~
'iarfers letter is IN ablc summary Of the ar1su-
1se5fs in favor Of the proposed harbor ot refuge.
ls,rr showing that tho s's-cullcd outer harbor-
~, Included between the south pier, the east
s+ir lrcakwater Government picr), and the
ssnrp-Xas not designed for harbor OF refuge,
h; 10 give increased facilities for commerce.
snA IN relieve the Oyercrowded state OF the
ryer. Capt Lydecker proceeds:
III remains now for us TO consider whether the
,reuosed works will supply all that is needed or
ssea desirable for the security Of commerce; in
rser words, will vessels be able to enter the
sEbor in security Ut all timesf
ru,, TIE PROPOSED WORKS PROVIDE GOOD
HAHBOR OF REFUGE?
.yortheastcrly storms invariably bring large
rumber Of vessels to this vicinity; at the same M
s;reet bridge to the harbor entrance} IS gcner-
alr crowded with vessels waiting for favor
sdc wind to start on their voyage down the
s1!lnc- vessel to attempt this entrance. have
stated that some vessels r1und the south end or
lie brHkwater ut such times and nnchor nnoer
It's shelter b1t this course being followed by any
lie anchorage ground and block out the late
eomers. The holding-ground IN tne out9r mar
br is in most places too poor TO be rened upon
during strong northerly ta boWs so So o dras tnae
anchor. Drift to the south, 60 nshorc. and become
total wrecks How many vessels have been LOST
IN This WY have not yet been able TO nnd OUT,
but by my own observation / know that TOUR
were wrecked last fall and Il number Of others
we're badlr damaged. II Is true tiat t6e outer
harbor might be dredged to sufficient deptn TO
obtain good holding -ground-vtz-: 70 Gay, EN-
suinauons recently made show it "on!d oe
necessary to dredge to depth Of about twenty
fret below low-waler to accomplish this OBJECT
The approximate amount of excavation n east or
yurds, which, Mt 81 cents per cubic yard- Would
cost ,v00. But 1t does not appear 10 ne tn1t
the outer harbor even then would pe al tnat Is
required for place OF refuge. ana tnGreior9 l
dredging in the outer harbor to depth sufficient
Tor communication-say sixteen feet
The plan of IN exterior brcakwater. locntea
IN deep water TO the northwaru and eastward OF
the North Pier would. III my opinion, provide a
perfect harbor of refuge. and, in connection
with the other works, would complete scheme
Ct Improvement sufficient for all the require
ments Of commerce and navigation. while any
thing less than such scheme is incDnlulensu-
rate with the grcat interests inrolEed. 1 have
aused extensive inquiries to be made In ORDER
to obtain general expression or opinion
as to the desirability Of such break,
water, and have received a unanimous approval
1T the project This breakwater would cause Il
good anchorage OF ample extent for all comers
pf easy access In the most severe storms, and
directly on the route to the port; tugs lying
under its protecuon would be in good position
to reach vessels arriving i'll distress, and the
entrance to the inner harbor would at all times
be satc. The cost Of such a breakwater would
not be excessive, when compared with the in
tercsts at stake and with the expenditures al
ready made and contemplated at other places
For example, comparing the harbors Of Bunalo,
entered and elenred ut these places, from Isl: to
-, inclusive, as per published reports Of the
Chief Of Engineers. aru: Buffalo. 4a,Ist; CleVc-
land, e09: Chicago, IT. ,479 or about 81 peri
more at Chicago than ut both other plnccs COM
hined"
After showing that the amounts previously
appropriated, and the estimated cost OF COM
| were for % Dutiaid p;sS 9. ii Tor CIeyeland Es,i55
e@4. and fur Chicago Sl,,5s,o05, Capt. Lydecker
proceeds:
III We should increase the aggregate for Chi
aEo harbor Dy S6o0, 900, 1t would still
BE LESS THAN THAT FOR EITHER OF THE OTHEE
PLACES,
aud should be sufficient, in addition to complet-
Mg the outer hArbor, to construct detacneo
btakwatcr mile long. located us herein sug-
eested. supposfng the hrcakwater to be OF cflDs
thirty feet wide, and, il necessary, on q Pile
toundatiou.
With the above showing. l have no hesita-
uon IN recommending that this be done: IN fl1-
ing upon the location Of the brcakWater, as IN
aieated. have endeayorcd to make It's COST q
minimum. and at the same time meet the follow
ng conditions: First, to cover q good nnchor'
sse ground: second, to extend its covering
eject over the southerly entrance to the outer
9atbor; third, to provide for continuous Shelter
1rGm Its Outermost limits to the river
This was in 1873. Considerable progress has
ecer made in the meantime on the south or clos.
ieg pier. and now the brcukwatcr project whacf
CAS- not lain idle, has been finally put through
an appropriation large enough to commence tht
*eFk has been secured and before long one
nore much-needed harbor improvement vii
aase been gained.
THE EXACT LOCATION
q this proposed breakwater has not yet beel
stermlncd. Cnpt Lydccker thinks that the LIN
oa&1nally marked out on the tracing rcferred
Gaecompanying the report Of the Board OF I'm
Eneers uthcers,-which would put the break
hs1er about three quarters Of mile uortneas
~ VI me North Ner,-mny be accepted as noou
uR proper thing The question OF locanon
GGoHerer, will be submitted, as usual, to n
so1ef Of EuCinecrs at Washington w1thlI
AfeF, kk6a0