Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-26
Long IsIand sound.

had charge in the illness of Rev. Father Fitzpatrick and Rev. Father Briscoe, the lat. ter of whom is now able to ofaciate in part.
 Long Island Sound
 Port of Refuwe-EfForts Made by Our
 City Governmenf.C Chamber of Commerce
 and CItizens-Actton of Congress-Loea-
 tion by United States sEngineers-PrOg. ress Of Work. sa-
 Citizens representing commercial interests from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico, whom ex-
 perience had taught the7mportance of port of refuge in Long Island Sound, made an ef- fort by petition, in the year 1874, to the United States government through the Hon. Stephen Kellogg, M. O., then representing this (Seeond) Congressional district, to se- cure this desired commercial advantage. This district, lying midway Gnd bordering on the Sound and paying large custom receipts ! into the treasury of the United States, had ample ground for being interested in the subject and ample claims to support the ef- forts thus made. Mir. Kellogg ably advocat- ed the measure to secure the necessary ap- propriation and received a favorable report from the committee, who recommended $1OO, 900 to commence breakwater in Long Island Sound For some reason, however, not satisfactorily explained, the recommendation was crossed of from the river and harbor bill and nothing was done in it's advocacy until the year 1879. Then the Hon. Hobart B. Bigelow, now ex-GoVernor, was elected mayor, and thr ough his untiring efforts and the efforts of the Hon. N. D Sper- ry, Collector of Customs Northrop and
 Thomas B. Trowbridge, Esq, president of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce, and other progressive citizens, this measure so long in abeyance was revived, and by the joint action of the city government and the Chamber of Commerce committee was appointed con-
 sisting as follows Mayor Bigelow, Hon. N.
 D. Sperry, Hon. Henry G. Lewis and Captain Charles H. Townsend on the part of the Cham
 Der of Commerce, and citizens Messrs. George
 M. Harmon and William Fuller, in the part of the Board of Aldermen, and Messrs. M' F. Tyler and George R. Cooley on the part of the Board of Councilmen-
 This committee proceeded to Washington in accordance with an arrangement made by the Hon. James Phelps, the Representative of this district in Congress, and appeared be- before the Congressional Committee on Com- merce, which being convinced of the im- portance of great national work in Long Island Sound again reported favorably and recommended an appropriation of $3O, 900 to commence the work and to defrey the ex- I penses of board of engineers who should l proceed directly and locate in the Sound a ! proper site for such an improvement. Their report being sanctioned by both houses of Congress bill was passed directing the Sec \ %r 6a nf ! to call board of competent engineers to proceed to Long Island Sound for the pur- \ pose stated The board invested with the work consisted of the best engineering talent in the country and second to none in the world viz., Gener- als Tower, Newton and Abbott, together with Colonel Barlow, the officer in charge of the Long Island district. They at once pro tceeded to make the preliminary examination, and after long investigation and much study of the subject, as their exceedingly valuable ! report shows, unanimously recommended two breakwaters in Long Island Sound ln the lower bay at New Haven. The easterly one, it was recommended, should commence l at the lighthouse on Southwest Ledge, | (thereby utilizing the ledge as basis in part for the work), and continue in northeaster- Iy direction of mile to Quixes Ledge
 the westerly one from Ludington's Rock Ca reef also to be utilized the same as South west Ledge) 23 miles southward from Sandy Point and running westwardly. Following were estimates
 ESTIMATE FOR BREAKwATER FROM LIeHTHoUsK POINT TO oU1xE's LEDGE.
 Length of construction-yards JOG
 Average cross section yards 2sa l Cost of 328e00 cubic yards at 8, $657,500.
 ESTIMATE FOR HEREINAFTER VICINITY OF LUDDING- ! TON ROCK. ! Il, 1 Average height-feet.. ..-...............-....- 2s Cross section-square yards .23Sh ! 526,667 cubic yards at S2 S653.S3b.
 ! This board in conclusion say:
 elf the question be simply to provide safe refuge
 for coastwse vessels drawing not than 12 feet o
 the anchorage in the vicinity of Fort Hale is
 against all gales from the east and southeast the
 which can be secured by bailding dyke similar to
 that proposed by Major Barlow on the west side ot l the channel
 "Proninent citizshs of New Haven are of the opin ion that the lighthouse breakwater Is the most i'm
 portaat the two and that it should be built first
 The opinion is doubtless correct if the comparative
 frequency and severity of easterly storms bs alone
 one the southwest west southwest the anch
 age under the eas;erly would be rendered
 and to the presence of ledges of rocks and rocky l shore leeward
 "Hence the board is Of the opinion that after the
 completion of certain portion of the essterly break | water the westerly one should be promptly com ! "Che projectof Major Barlow of September 4th
 with two enclosures tone tracing and one coast sur
 September sth together with Major Barlows let ter
 returned. Respectfully submitted.
 2. B. Tower Colonel of Engineers and Brevit Major 1 General, U. S. A.; John Newton, Colonel of Engi
 neers and Brsvet Major General, U. S. A.; Hetry
 T. Abbott Major of Engineers and Brevet Bri gadlel To Brigad;er General H. c. Wright Chief of Engi. ! neers, U. s. A.
 1 This eminent board of officers are entitled to
 much credit for their extreme diligence and
 care in examining every site OF the Sound which seemed worthy of inspection and after | this site In making this selection there was l taken into consideration the benefit which l might be attained both of local and national | character, not only the commercial advanta- l ges to be reaped but the value of @ port of l refuge as a rendezvous for deep draft ocean
 iron clad ships in time of peace or war and
 also the value of the breakwater positions as sites for iron clad forts Gin case of armed in- vasion by seal for the defense of 1 New Haven both large city and as very important railroad aud shipping terminus. Not only were these
 matters of importance examied, but also the 1 reports of the U. s. signal officer as to pre-
 vailing winds, the Coast and Geodetie survey l tidal reports, were carefully investigated and l compared fer tides, aii I1is showing no lack of | investigation to promote a work of local and l national utility, and of benefit to the commer- clai lntereStS or the country. l6 was 6noWn that l not alone would the town be benefited, but that great benefit would be derived from hav- 1 ing such port of refuge (off city like New I Haven) where ships wind bound and in dis tress could obtain supplies and materials needed. It was also shown that such port
 of refuge would be greatly beneficial as a sure place of safety for the numerous steamers
 enabling them to start out from New York
 on an eastern. bound voyage, even in threat, ening weather, having such port of refuge so near the eastern entrance of the Sound. Fair Haven Items
 A number from here are expecting to at- tend the Old Folks cotillion at Branford to-
 morrow night.
 John c. Elmer. the confectioner, is i'm
 proving. and was able on Saturday to be in
 his place of business and to wait on his cus-
 toners for the first time since the first part of IacE nacaroI1ar