Morning journal and courier., 1881-01-29
Long Island sound.

harbor, for which recommendation for an
of $50, 900 has been made in |
Congress this week
REPORT OF BOARD OF ENGINEERS.
OFFICE OF BoARD OF ENGINEERS FOR
FoRTIFICATIoNs, AND FOR RIVER AND
HARBoR IMPROVEMENT,
ARMY BUILDING, New YORK, Nov. "a, 1879.
GENERAL: The Board of Engineers for
Fortifcations and for River and Harbor Inn
to whom were referred, by your
letter of September 8, 1879, the projects of
Major wv. Barlow, Corps of Engineers, for
q breakwater at the entrance of New Haven
harbor, Conn, have the honor to submit the
following report thereon:
Since 1871 the harbor of New Haven has
been SO far improved by dredging, under
Congressional appropriations, that IA feet
draupht at low water can now be carried to
the city wharves.
It's general direction north and south,
makes it shelter from east and southeast
gales, during the prevalence of which large
numbers of light and medium class vessels
seek it for refuge. Large vessels are, how
ever, excluded, by reason of their great
draught, from the benefits of this harbor
protection. Hence it has been proposed to
construct breakwater in the vicinity of the
lighthouse to cover a deep-water anchorage
of twenty feet or more, and at the same time
to furnish a more accessible shelter to the
coasters that are now compelled to run up
the harbor and thus occupy and block up its
narrow channel when driven from the Sound
by easterly gales.
As early as December, 1874. memorial,
largely signed by prominent commercial peo-
pie, was addressed to the Congress of the
United States asking an appropriation for a
breakwater but it was not until the passage
of the act of March 3, 1879, that $50, 600
were granted to commence the construction.
Major j. W. Barlow, Corps of Engineers
has submitted projects for this breakwater,
showing four positions that it may occupy,
with a descriptive memoir setting forth the
relative advantages and disadvantages of the
different locations indicated. It is upon these
points that we present our views.
The prevailing storms of Long Island
Sound are due to northeast, east, and south
west winds. These give wave reach of
45 to 25 miles. They are sometimes followed
by southwest gales, equally severe, but of
shorter duration. Other gales from the
southwest and west, not following south
casters, occur with sufficient violence to COM
pei vessels to seek the shelter of harbor. To
secure an anchorage at the entrance to New
Haven harbor for vessels of 20 feet draught
against east and southeast gales the cover
ing construction should project into the
Sound as far as the ledge on which the light
house is built. The deep channel to the west
of this point is too narrow to admit of any
obstruction. This ledge therefore seems to
be the proper initial point of the breakwater,
which should extend thence in northeast
erly direction far enough to create behind it
saltwater space sufficiently roomy to ac-
commodate all the shipping that may seek
refuge there during winter storms. Its ex-
tension to DUKES Ledge, five-eighths of a
mile, will doubtless fulfill that purpose.
A second location for this breakwater pro-
posed by Major Barlow rests its east end on
Old Head Reef, and thus meets an objection
urged against the first, that portion of the
anchorage lies to the windward of sunken
ledge. The above objection is however, to
a certain extent apparent rather than real, as
light draught vessels can pass over Old Head
Reef, while the deep-water anchorage will be
nearly the same with one as with the other
construction. We think, therefore, that of
the two positions indicated the outer one will
be the more generally preferred. Neither
will give protection against southwest gales.
Extending the construction west and north
| west 1, 900 feet from Lighthouse Ledge, as
proposed, would in our opinion SO seriously
obstruct the channel of entrance as to be in
| admissible, while the direction of it's lines
| forming re-entering angles would probably
| cause the shoaling of the anchorage by depo-
sition of silt
The other alternative suggested by Major
| Barlow is detached breakwater in the vicin.
| ity of Luddington Rock, as a protection
| against southwest gales. If it be built in 9
| westerly direction, from three-quarters of 6
mile to one mile long, everything Luddingtor
| Rock, it would cover not only the deep-watel
| anchorage but to some extent the harbol
| above. 1t would cost, however, on account
| of its greater length, quite as much as the
| breakwater which it is proposed to build be
| tween Lighthouse Ledge and Quixe's Ledge
One objection lies against this outer anchor
| age, viz, that it is not a good holding
| ground.
Major Barlow further suggests building
! dixie from Sandy Point in a southerly direc
/ ton, near the western edge of the channel
| to contract the waterway over the Fort Hale
| Bar with o view to deepening the water
| thereon by securing; also to prevent sant
| and silt from being forced by west and south
| west waves and currents into this .channe
| and to cover the upper anchorage agains
/ southwest gales.
The dyke in question will cover the upper
| anchorage against those gales and will proba-
| bly, to some extent produce the other results
desired but as the channel over the For
| Hale bar when deepened to II feet by exca
walton filed very rapidly, we are of opinion
| that some current observations and boring
to determine the character of the bottom de
| post and some calculations of the water sup
ply above or basin drained will be needed be
| fore the question of its construction and 10
| cation can be definitely determined. Here
are given estimates for the two breakwaters
| they being 1861, 800 for breakwater from tn
| Lighthouse to DUKES Ledge, and 1868, 334 TO
the one in the vicinity of Ludington's Rock.
The above are very liberal the price TO
| stone delivered being assumed at 81 per yard
or $1.5O per ton. whereas during the past tw'
years at the Stonington breakwater it ha
cost but 951 cents ton. The high price ha
been taken to cover contingencies of varia
| tions in cost of materials, increased expendi
lures due to delays, and injuries arising iron
the destructive effects of storms during tn
| process of construction.
/ CONCLUSION.
| If the question be simply to provide SAT,
| refuge for coastwise vessels drawing not NOR
| than twelve feet of water during the prevail
| ing storms on the Sound, as the anchorage il
the vicinity of Fort Hale is covered agains
al 1gales from the east and southeast, the onl.
protection required is from the southeas
gales, which can be secured by building
dixie similar to that proposed by Major Bar
low on the west side of the channel. If, how
| ever, the demands of commerce, as set fortl
| in the accompanying printed memorial, re
quire harbor of refuge at this locality TO
vessels of draught as great as twenty feet
two breakwaters, viz, the Lighthouse Ledg
and Ludington Rock breakwater, will be re
quired
Prominent citizens of New Haven are O.
the opinion that Lighthouse Ledge breakwa
ter is the most important of the two, ano
| that it should be built first. This opinion il
douDGleSS correct II the comparative frequen
cy and severity of easterly storms be ais
considered but if the easterly storm be fol
lowed by one from the southeast or ives
southwest, the anchorage under the easterl.
breakwater would be rendered dangerous
owing to the Indifferent holding ground, ant
to the presence of Lodges of rock and a rock,
shore to leeward. Hence the board is of tn
opinion that after the completion of a certai,
proportion of the easterly breakwater tn
| westerly one should be promptly commenced
The project of Major Barlow, of Sept. 4
with two Enclosures Gone tracing and on
coast survey chart) referred to the board b,
your letter of Sept. s, together with Majo
Barlow's letter of Sth September 1.-TWO inclo
| sures), are herewith returned.
Respectfully submitted.
! z. B. Tower,
Colonel of Engineers and Brevet Major Gen
U. S. A.
JOHN NEWTON,
Colonel of Engineers and Brevet Major Gen
U. s. A.
/ HENRY L. ABBOTT
Major of Engineers and Brevet Brig. Gen
Brig. Gen. Wright, Chief of Engineers, Z. S.A
l r.