The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-11-24
LETTER TO CHAIRMAN ROVE.
Some Important Information for Local
0YaIelIilaaA

| some Important Information for Local
| Oystermen.
A letter has just been received by
Henry c. Rowe, chairman of the COM
mittee on harbor of the chamber of
| commerce, from Major Smith S. Leach
of the United States engineers in charge
of river and harbor improvements and
| Notifications for this district
In this letter Major Leach requests
Mr.. Rowe to acquaint owners of oyster
grounds which are likely to be disturb
ed by the dredging In the harbor that
| the work of dredging the harbor will
commence about December 1. Major
| Leach kindly gives this information for
| the benefit of oyster growers so that
| they may have some opportunity to
take the oysters off from the grounds
before the dredging reaches them.
Major Leach writes to Mr. Rowe that
| 1.-The first work done will be to dredge
| a straight cut about 200 feet wide, from
the 20 foot contour inside the break
waters, northerly across the bar to the
| 20 foot hole. Across the bar this cut
will be about co-incident in direction
with the 16 foot channel already dredg-
| ed
AS there are large number of own
ers Of ground in the vicinity where the
dredging is to occur and the ground is
divided into small pieces. it would be
impracticable to notify the owners in
dividually, and Mr.. Rowe takes this
method to give public notice.
The dredging to commence on De-
cember 1st is to be vastly more extern
sive than any which has heretofore TAX
en- place. The appropriation which has
been procured from congress under the
efforts of the chamber of commerce
amounts to $345,0OO, which is $1O5, 900
more than the total of all the appropri-
ations for dredging which have hereto
fore been expended on dredging the
harbor by the United States govern
ment during the whole history of New
Haven.
The contractors have a very extern
sive and efficient plant which will be
used in this work. The dredge Is far
more powerful than any ever before in
New Haven harbor, and the removal of
material will be done in three enor-
nous scows, each carrying 1000 cubic
yards, and each towed by a large ocean
going tug. To get the work accom-
plished within the time specified in the
contract with the United States gov
eminent the contractors have arranged
with the authorities Of the state and of
the United States to work by night and
day, and in order to make it safe to de-
nnSit tho Tra6ood of nj t,, tLo ,,;r
time as well as by day, the grounds
that are to be used are to be marked
with lanterns such as are employed by
the United States authorities, and each
tug will be equipped with a powerful
searchlight with which to verify accur-
ately the location of the ground where
the material will be deposited
The contractors have also arranged
with Mr.. Rowe to deposit the material
under their contract upon oyster
grounds belonging to him, which are
situated in the deep water southeastern
ly from Scotch Cap. There was some
question whether the contractors could
lawfully deposit the material in the
night season on the public dumps, but
there Is nothing to prevent their doing
so upon private ground If proper pre-
cautions are taken. or course, the
contractors are LIABLE for all damages
to oyster grounds or oysters where mud
is dumped without the consent of the
owners of the ground, and the CON
tractors, Therefore. will take great pre-
cautions to avoid any possibility of
such accident. They have made the
arrangement with Mr.. Rowe to deposit
the material on his grounds partly to
obviate any question with reference to
dumping nights partly because the tow
is much shorter than to the public
dumping ground, and partly because
the course pursued by the tows in go
ing to the ground southeast of Scotch
Cap Will cross but small part as much
cultivated oyster ground as it would in
going out to the public dumping ground,
so that if any accident should happen
to any of the tows the liability of dam
age to oysters would be much less than
If the material was taken to the public
This great public improvement will
to benefit, if equally divided.
of three dollars per capita, to every
man, woman and child in the city of !
New Haven, and it will be very inter-
estihg to all public spirited citizens to
watch the progress of this work.