Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-18
THE HARBOR OF NORFOLK.
What Has Been Done and It's Further
Necd Of Improvement.

WAsHNGrON. july 17.-Licutenant O.. j.
Fiebpgcr has made his annual report %
the Engineer Corps regarding the improve
ment Of the Norfolk harbor virginia.. from
which the following synopsis has been
made: The act Of August H. ISIS,
appropriated $4,000 for the work, which
was begun December Is, 1883, and
the dredging through Sewclis Point
bar was finished March II, 1889,
having removed in that time $50 .g57
cubic yards of the material. 1he work re-
suited in q channel nearly 2JJ feet wide
and 25 feet deep 40 ordinary low water.
connecting the deep water at Hampton
Roads with the deep-water channel below
Craney-lslaud lighthouse.
The officer IN charge then goes on To say
that the dredge cut through Sewell's
Point bar is too narrow for easy nayl-
cation. and unless widened VIII soon
be filled. In passing each other deep
draught vessels will break down the sides
and form shoals of the material along the
centre of the channel. It should be
widened TO 500 feet, "a provided
for in the projects Of 1878 and 1883 as soon
as possible; and It Is thought ultimately
10 ESQ feet. which Is about the least width
of channel between SeWells Point bar and
Iambert's Point, whore greater depth Is
maintained, and no dredging has ever been
required.
The material forming the bar is simply
mud Of the same character rs that when
forms the bottom and sides Of the deep
water channel above IL Is estimated that
the cut can be widened TO 500 feet by the
removal Of about 100000 cubic yards of
material, which at fifteen cents would be
$4,000.
In the inner harbor the bars at themouths
of the Eastern and Southern branches are
larAptrrfv from IlgeIrna FnfnnItfUfS
having been specially made about the
former. TO make these improvements
would require the removal of about 35O.0 900
cubic yards of material from the Eastern
branch and 5000 cubic yards from tine
Southern branch-in all 42j.OO0 cubic yards.
which at twenty cents would bee Ss5 600.
Money Statemcnt-AmOuut available
July /, 1883. Sl.775; amount appropriated
August II. 1888. $50 600: amount expended
during fiscal year. Sl9.34A9l; available
balance July /. 1889. 81. 5000; amount re-
gnlred for completion of existing project,
S457. 74456: amount asked for during COM
ing year. $4,000.
In regard 20 the improvement of the APP
proach to Norfolk harbor and the navy
yard. the Lieutenant reports that the
dredging has resulted in a channel at least
zoo feet wide and % feet deep at ordinary
low water from Iambcrt's Point 90 Fort
NDFfDlk. Where IllfIf- WAS liiillflAf Il IAhitINA
400 feet wide Ofthe same depth. I he amount
Of money available for this project onJuly
/. 1888, WAS Sl07,2T amount apprOprl-
ated August II, 1888, $4,000; amount eX-
pended during fiscal year. SSl,6l0H
balance available July l, 1889, S,95O9.39
amount required 10 complete project,
$lOS,OO0.
Work progressed satisfactorily on Nense-
mond river. The money appropriated was
Al. 4 - f.H Il
not spent or contracted for. 10 Will Re-
ouire 1882 500. and the Lieutenant thinks
be can profitably expend $40, 600 next year.
AppomattOx River: In the south chan
mel at Gatlng's the work of constructing
ietties was commenced and finished. The
MISUNDERSTANDING in ber-are of
waffle work where the water is less than
five feet deep and of sheet pillng III deeper
water.
Here the Lieutenant gives an interesting
account Of the June treshet III the river
and says the change in the river was less
than might have been expected, consider
ing the mass of d55ils swept into It,. The
only noticeable effect was the formation OF
four short shOals-one within the city
limits Of Petersburg and three below.
In the Petersburg channel there Is a
tendency 10 shoal at POor-Run dixie. This
is due probably 10 the diminished velocity
of the river during treshets,. caused by
Magazine bend. This part OF the river
could be greatly improved by removing
part of Lieutenant-Run wall replacing the
jetties on the concave bank, which now
retard the velocity by sheet-piling train
ing-wall. The estimated cost Of this i'm
provement is 1000 lineal feet of sheet
piling dixie at SO, 5000; tearing up old
work. 81, 900. Total 1000,
Shoals at upper end OF Paddledock cut
and near Lunben island will have TO be re-
moved. 1t is estimated that it will require
to complete the project, to make the ne
cessary repairs, and to remove shoals exist
ing and those caused by annual freshets,
for the next fiscal year: New dikes and Jet
ties. l2.OSO: dredging 10000 cubic yards
az 80 cents, $4,000 repairs to plant and
works. "a, 900; contingencies, $4,000; total,
$50. $50.
orthe improvement of Currituck sound,
Coanjock bay, and North-River bar, n. o.,
s., 500 was appropriated by act Of August
II. 1888, and there is still an available
balance Of 81, 459.0s. Amount required TO
complete, S39, S85.6S.