Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-01-27
Passengers

i'ic' vi WIS STnOunt AiUbObl.ob was spent
on new work. including maintenance OF
previous project. and s94,052.07 on the
maintenance Of the present project only:
total, sso0.6l3S No money was spent on
new work IN 1918. 1914 or 1915, but for
maintenance in 1918 there vas expended
sls,s3a.lS In 1914. $33. 1888 and in 1915 S..
S7OGi
The amount that is estimated will he
required for the completion of the exist
ing project Is given as si7s.soo. and the
amount that can be profitably expended I'm
the fiscal year ending June 81, 1917 for
maintenance Of the improvement Is SO. on
The engineers report describes Burling-
ton harbor as a half-moon shaped bay on
the eastern shore OF Lake Champlain
about 40 miles from the northern end or
foot of the lake at the International
boundary line, which is 30 miles north Of
the southern end or head Of the lake and
20 miles southeast OF the harbor Of Platts-
burg. In the original condition. the re-
port continues. there was ample depth of
water in the harbor which was an open
roadstead. and along the wharves. hut
vessels at the wharves were without pro-
lection against the seas rolling in from
Lake Champlain during storms. Winds
from the northwest to southwest create
seas having a fetch a Burlington OF over
10 miles.
PROTECT DATES FROM 1886
The original project was adopted in 1896
and modified in 1857 and in 1874. There was
expended under this project prior to 1856
SO1.s1l.07. The respective amounts ex-
pended for improvement and malntenanc nee
are not known.
The timber crib breakwater, 1851 feet
in length. built prior to 1886 under the
previous project, did not provide adequate
protection TO the increase of harbor area
needed by an expanding commerce.
Therefore. In 1856. the present project was
adopted for the extension of the breakwa-
ter 1000 feet southerly and 100 feet north
erly. with n gap of 200 feet wide between
the southerly extension and the main
breakwater, to he built according to a
modified plan at an estimated cost Of
$4,000. In 1894 and In 1902, the restoration
of $3.50 linear feet of the superstructure
of the breakwater built under the pre-
vious project by one of stone or concrete
was approved. The estimated cost was
sl13.75o. thus increa sing the estimate for
all the work under the project to 1893, $50
In 1910 the plan was again modified to
provide for the protection of a part Of
the deteriorated substructure built under
the previous project by construction of
a protecting rubble mound along 1,l65
linear feet of the break water. and the es-
timated cost OF of work under the project
was accordingly increa sed to S3s1,3
The plane of reference for operations Al
this locality is low lake level as deter
mined by the zero at the gauge at Fort
Montgomery. The level Of the lake has
worried from o.6 feet below to SIS feet above
the adopted plane. but the usual annual
variation is four to five feet
OPERATIONS AND RESULTS.
timber crib breakwater with stone or
concrete superstructure has been built
parallel to the wharve., extending in a
general north and south direction, and in
two sections 1854 feet and 1913 feet in
length. respectively. separated by gap
of On feet in the direction of the longitu-
dinal axis The timber cribs built In the
earlier times extend from the elevation
Of low lake level to the lake bottom and
have vertical sides The cribs later con-
structed under the present project rest
on n regular mound of rubble stone de-
posted on the lake bottom and carried
up to an elevation Of about "A feet. The
superstructure is composed In some sec
lions of stone and in others of concrete
blocks In each case the stone or blocks
are arched over a core filing OF sma Her
stones and extend to an elevation of about
eight feet. The ends of the two sections
Of breakwater are terminated by piers
about 10 by "a feet which protect the ends
from ice action and also serve as founda-
tons for the lighthouses and lights which
mark the location of the breakwater and
the entrance to the port of Burlington
To June 80. 1914. s34.7j0.49 were expended
under the present project for improve
ment and sss.1s2.OS for maintenance, a
total Of 500, 93o. u.
Under the informal contract these oper-
atoms resulted in the reconstruction OF
the lighthouse pier at the north end Of
the hreakwater. The superstructure OF
the pier was capped with concrete at a
cost of S,G7s5 and the substructure was
reinforced by rubble mound at a cost Of
&S7.92 Expenditures during the year
amounted to S.S70,O4. all for maintenance,
THREE-FoURTHs COMPLETED.
The present project is about 70 per cent
toIlpleteu, ana IuTtneT extensions OF tnc
breakwater are being held in allegiance
pending the adoption and completion Of
plans for a public terminal for the city
Of Burlington. OF the projected extern
sions, Cos feet 1854 feet northerly and 22-
feet southerly) have been completed, Civ
Ing a total length Of 4,157 feet. OF the
superstructure 1861 linear feet have been
rebuilt. Extensive repairs have been
made to the substructure. Inspections
during the year disclosed that the stone
superstructure OF the north extension was
settling. due either to spreading of the
substructure cribs. or settling OF the rub
BILE foundation and filling. No shoaling
has taken place In the vicinity of the
wharves, excepting that resulting from
deterioration of bulkheads; and a draft
Of 1-2 feet at low lake level can be car.
ried to their immediate vicinity with a
large Increase Of depth as the break
water is approached. The head Of nav-
CATION Is at the wharves. The total ex-
penditures for improvements were s2O4-
40 10 and s94.62U for maintenance, a to-
tai OF $685. so IS. There has been no local
cooperation.
The waterborne commerce of this port
during gales from the west IL practically
dependent for its existence upon the pro-
lection afforded by the breakwater. which