The Penn's Grove record., 1893-11-17
1nrno,rnrrr or sAIrM nIvrR.

~AhNH
edge the receipt Of your letter dated the
3lst ultimo, inclosiug newspaper clip
pings to the effect that the appropria'
ton made by Congress for improving
the Salem River near Penn's Grove,
New Jersey, has been injudiciously ex'
pended and that an additional appro'
priation is necessary, and beg to inclose
for your information a copy of a report
made to the Chief of Engineers on the
eth Instant by Major c. W. Raymond,
| Corps of Engineers, in charge of the
Improvement of the Salem River, who
expresses the opinion that there has
been no adequate or permanent benefit
to commerce from any expenditure
| made by the Government upon the Up
| per Salem River, in view of which a
further appropriation is not desirable.
Very respectfully,
DANIEL 5. LAMONT,
Secretary of War.
William 4. Summerill, penn's Grove,
n. j.
| UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE.
Philadelphia, Pa, Nov. 7th, 1898.
Brig. Gen. Thomas /. Casey, Chief Of
Engineers. I. 5, ~, Washington, d.
{.
Genersl:-In compliance with your
Endorsement. dated November :, 1898,
| on the letter Of Mr.. Wm, A. summer
i'll to the Secretary Of War, dated octo-
Der 81, 1898, (Eugr. Dept. $500 with
| reference to the Improvement Of Salem
| River, \. j., l have the honor to sub
nit she following report:
Mr.. Summerlll is mistaken in suppoS
ing that Congress appropriated $500
to dig out the bar in Salem River near
Penn's Grove" The river and harboz
act of July l3, IS92, appropriated $500
for improving Salem River, New Jer-
sey, to be expended above the canal
MI. Summeriu states that the Sppro-
priation has been wasted and that
another appropriation is needed.
Tie upper part Of Salem River is cat
of from The lover part hy g dam, and
connected with The Delaware River by
a canal constructed hy private enter
prise. In 1881, when jAc psGsSt t0r
for improving tie UpgeE Salem &vs1
was adopted, tie estimated eos; q he
Improvement was $500 II lSS AID
lSS2. 5000 were expended IL Jennings
channel GO lesl vide Rad G K feet
deep al low water =? stream grnl TIE
| head Of The canal. Il wss .lss2 report
| sp that il the meaa ums sAaai-ag AAa
been 50 sx;e.stvs tia, from 5000 10
5000 more wouiQ bs repaired &c CON
piete the Improvement.
Although Sl5J0 was appyopr;a I'll iG
this work in 1SS2, the Improvement Eas
not continued and the funds wsrs pass
ed TO the surplus fund in $3.50 IL
every annual report irom lss5 to 1855
inclusive, Lieut.. Col. Robert, then IL
charge Of this district, suggested tla1
1.-THE comprehensive Improvement u
Salem River might b deferred Until
the commerce Of The vicinity sanull
render its Improvement more u-gsn5
than it seems to be a. present" The
following statement from Co. E5hsy-s
annual report for 15S3, EXHIBITS v=ry
clearly the character and conditions 6
this Improvement.
The canal has. Il q great extent. ialt
ed to accomplish its purpose By feaaUl
of its originally insufficient capacity
whereby the tidal rise, which Is abou
6 feet il the Delaware, Is reduced a
about ! foot al the confluence Of tB7
canal and creek,
The natural mouth Of the stream l
INSTRUCTED by extensive sand bars, Il
which dredging mas afforded bat teui
porary relief, aud would continue to d
so unless supplemented by quite expeI'
sive dixie construction, extending aerOs
these shoals and into the delaware Riy
Ell, while the bed Of The upper part o
the river is INSTRUCTED with shoals, O
reduced, from lack Of tldal flow 10 lb
dimensions Of d meadow brook. Jbt
appropriation Of $3.50 IL the act 0
July u, 1892, seems TO have been mad
under the impression tina
the SUN Of $1,000 WAS still available
and that the two Sums together tS4D0V
would suffice 10 complete the improve
ment TO Hawks Bridge. Blu as abOy
remarked, The sun Of $500 previOusi
appropriated was not available, q SUI
Yey made under NY direction in Au
gust, 1892, showed shat lhere bad Deei
very extensive shOallng since the Eus
pension Of dredging in 1882. The III
proved channel had been praeLicaD.
obIiterated except FOL q distance Of wv
or three hundred feet above the head 0
the canal, aid there had been consider
able shoaling in the unimproTed part o
the river. Iu fact the channel was o.
the whole in a worse condition thai
when it was first surveyed in 1919.
LII my report dated August 10, 18sZ
l recommended that the SUN Of $3.50
appropriated in the Act of July %, 1892
he applied towards the re-dredging Of
channel 50 feet wide aud 8 feet deep d
mean low water from deep water q
the head of the canal to deep water be
low Hawks landing, stating that th
improvement would not be permanent
This project WAS approved by the De
partment, and the work was execute
under a contract with Mr. Frank {
Somers Of Camden, n. j., dated Dec
ember 81, 1892. The work was con
pleted on August 80, 1888, the chaDnt