The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-06-11

50 modified as to include only the
building and repair Of jetttes and
sand fences Ct Fort Macon and shack
leford points 10 stop erosion.
The survey ordered by Congress in
June. 1880. was made in November
and December following AS 4 result
the engineers in charge recommended
construction of j~ett!es Of loose rock
10 prevent further abrasion of Fort
Macon and Shackleford points, and
the dredging of q channel
them and of a turning-basin near the
town of Beaufort, at a cost Of $S2,-
1033s. The river and harbor act Of
March 8. 1881. however, appropriated
for this work only $40, 900, the amount
necessary for dredging the channel
The survey on which this a%ppropri-
alton was bss d showed the least depth
OF water found in the channel over
water) near its outer end But this
depth was for q short distance only
and the channel deepened as Fort
Macon Was approached through the
successive steps to II feet, 10 feet. Is
feet and 50 on, until a depth If -
feet was attained at a distance SIS Of
a mile from the Fort Then it chang
ed to nothing less than 326 feet un-
til after the Fort Was passed thence
up to the Atlantic and North caro-
lima Railroad depot. at Norehead
City, there was a channel Of excellent
~ 1l-'A u ~ vi - ct
Assistant Engineer Charles Nj
Yeatee. who made the survey. says
The entrance from the sea Is the
first one Of Importance TO be found
going south from the Chesapeake
Capes The Importance of this point
was recognized at an early das. and
the entrance Has fortified by the gen
eral government, Fort Macon being
located on its southern side II has
Of late years become OF more promin
ence. being on or near the lines ~ pro
posed interior water communication
along the coast Of North carolina
THE immediate cause OF the de-
terioTatiOn Il the hsrhor of Beaufort
appears to be the washing away -
Shackleford's Point. AT the entrance
from the sea opposite Fort Macon
The material washed away il de-
posted in the harhor. and the IN
creased width Of entrance must nj.
tmately result in the Shoalinr or The
channel To protect ShaCklcford
Point from further erosion and to
restore II in a NEE are u it, former
condition. II * proposed to construct
three jetties Of spurs 200 feet ip
length each or loose rock The alan
ton Of the same plan AT Fort Macon
has been attended with success. and
other points along the south Atfantfc
Coast have been similarly protected
However as stated. Congress failed
TO make the appropriation and th.
project wes not carried out Wftb
such money as was appropriated some
dredging Was done, and small ietties
were constructed at Sh~arkiefora.e
Point 70 prevent further crasinn
Since that time until the Atlantis i
North Carolina Railroad was Ieasea
70 what Is now the Norfolk 4 Southern
Railway Company. the government's
work on Harobr has been
confined To the maintenance Of The
sane fences AZ the harbor entrance
with a view OF holding the snore line
intact.
With the passing of the Atlantic
q North Carolina Railroad into nri-
Ette hands, however, interest Ia
Beaufort Hdrbor was revived ana ~.
authorities at Washington began ~
again take note Of the dyantagas and
possibilities for its -mproyaren -
lso5. $4,000 was Appropriated. ana
~ oFptefhoer Of that year improve
mehts hegan on the bar. then carving
q depth Of only l. feet. This work
continued until Nav LIST Of this vear
"Hth the appropriation was eg7a,,stad
ana the water on the bar @hov-ed !
ueptA OF 20 feet mean low water.
with q view Of continuing ,bis ,-arg.
and getting a depth Of 25 feet On 3hSo
Bar, the last Congress made . fnrtnar
appropriation of $4,000. The~e -
good reason 70 believe that still further
ana much larger appropriations yin
~ odc III the near future for jetty
Work and making q vet dAener 49,
mel from the harbor to the sea 7,
= pointed out that if his jettvine i
dohe the channel Will scour t,9air
pu1 n the improvements made VII,
. peIinanent, guaranteeing to Beau
Tort n of the deepest and 6nee, -
DOTS on the Atlantic Coast.
Itls the current belief that the in
pIest that the Norfolk & Southern
f'aH"ey IS now showing IN this har-