dently assured would accomplish the improvement of the river. In 1834, Congress appropriated $70,000 to be expended upon the plan of this improvement, and the expenditure was assigned to Captain Andrew Talcott, of the corps of engineers.

The difficulty of deciding upon so intricate a problem as this section of the Hudson river appears to have presented itself with great force to the mind of the officer, than whom very few, if any, were better qualified to investigate this subject, and such as to induce him to ask counsel and advice of a special board of officers of the corps of engineers. Such a board was ordered, consisting of Colonels Totten and Thayer, with Captain Talcott associated as the local engineer. This board convened in November, 1834.

The system devised by the board from 1835 to 1839 was being carried into effect, with modifications recommended from time to time. by the local engineers, under the superintendence of Captain Henry Brewerton, of the corps of engineers, with appropriations of Congress, amounting to $370,000, during the years 1835, 36, 37, 38, and '39, until the spring of the latter year, when the operations were suspended in consequence of a change of the policy in the national councils on the subject of internal improvements.

The labor was bestowed on the river between Troy and Van Wie Point, and consisted in the erection of longitudinal dikes. After the

abandonment of the works by the general government in 1839, the citizens of Albany felt their interests so much at stake in the existence of the obstructions in the river below their city that they raised by subscription and applied $1,500 in 1840, to excavate the channel through the Castleton shoals.

The works, being suspended in 1843, were then transferred to the charge of the topographical bureau, who, in 1843, considered it important, with a view to the resumption of the work, to cause a complete and accurate survey of the river to be again made from the dam above Troy to a point about one mile below New Baltimore. This survey was made by Captain Hughes, of the topographical engineers, who accompanied it with a report upon the condition of the river; upon the artificial works which had been erected to improve its bed; and upon the effects which they had produced; and also a review in detail of the plans which had been designed for the removal of the obstructions in the navigation. In 1845 the sum of $4,000 was expended by the corporation of Albany, including sums subscribed by the citizens of Albany and Troy, in excavating the several obstructions to navigation through the shoals at Castleton and Cuyler's bar. In 1851 a steam dredging-machine had been purchased by the corporation of Troy, to be ready at any time to remove the shoals so frequently forming in the channel between Troy and Albany. The welfare of Troy required that some watchful care and attention should be uninterruptedly bestowed upon this navigation, and the frequent use of a steam dredging-machine to excavate a channel through the shoals was the system and expedient resorted to by parties living in the vicinity directly interested in the result. The charge of this apparatus was put in the hands of Mr. Smalley, who makes his home in

a great measure on board the machine vessel; has it always in order for the moment necessity calls for its use; and by whose energy in its application Troy has continued to secure to herself a navigation which otherwise she could not have had. This is a useful lesson of experi ence in our future application of funds for the improvement of this river navigation. During the spring and early part of the navigable season of 1851 this steam dredging-machine excavated large quantities of sand from the channel way through Fish-house bar along Sear's island, and between Fish-house and shoals.

In 1852 the evils of navigation not only continued to exist with the opening of the commercial season, but were of increased magnitude, and were more embarrassing in consequence of the immense increase of the trade passing over and through this intricate section of the river. The corporation of Troy was necessitated to use increased exertion with the steam dredging-machine under Mr. Smalley, to remove and deepen the shoals down to Albany. He excavated 25,000 cubic yards of sand from a shoal at the head of Van Buren island; 18,000 cubic yards from Washington bar; and afterwards spent some time in improving Kellog's shoals, Covell's Folly, Washington bar, and Round shoal. Below Albany I could learn of nothing being done since 1845. The evils, however, continued to increase, and Castleton and Cuyler's bar became so shoal as to call for immediate and prompt action. Such of the citizens of Albany and Troy as were engaged in the river trade, together with others of New York city, subscribed $4,000 in the spring of this year to excavate Castleton and Cuyler's bar. So great was the increase of Castleton bar that this sum would not suffice to open the navigation. The legislature of the State, then being in session. appropriated $10,000, to be applied to Castleton bar. The State engineer, Mr. McAlpin, caused 46.636 cubic yards to be excavated from the Castleton bar, between the 26th of May and the 17th of July; and 16,972 cubic yards from Cuyler's bar, between the 19th of July and the 21st of August, at an expendi ture of nearly $13,000. This expenditure sufficed to render the channel navigable throughout the year, affording great temporary relief and facility to the commerce and trade of Albany and Troy, and the widespread and extended portions of our Union receiving and forwarding supplies through this route.

In August, 1852, Congress appropriated the sum of $50,000 for "continuing the improvements of the navigation of the Hudson river above and below Albany, and not above Troy." On the 13th of October of the latter year Major Delafield received instructions from the chief engineer to examine into the subject, and prepare a project for continuing the operations within the meaning of the act making the aforesaid appropriation, together with a plan of administration or mode of constructing and supervising the operation on these improvements. Major Delafield at once entered upon the work in collecting information, and in surveying the river to ascertain its existing state and condition.

In May, 1853, Major Delafield made his report to General Totten, chief engineer, giving a comparative statement of the navigable chan

nel and shoals, as deduced from the surveys of 1819, 1831, 1838, 1843, and 1852, showing the changes that had taken place between the dates of these several surveys. This was done to ascertain how much of the changes-be it improvements or otherwise-is due to the artificial work executed in conformity with the adopted system, and how much is due to the remaining natural source of evil not yet attempted to be controlled for want of means to complete the project; whether such means are calculated to overcome the cause, or whether any other measures can be adopted more effectually to procure the desired result. This report gives the changes from Washington bar or shoal to Beacon or Ten Eyck's island, near and above New Baltimore; the causes of the existing obstruction in the river; the national importance of the navigation, consideration of the system to be adopted at this time for improving the navigation, with a plan therefor.

The report has gone into a full-length statement of the effect of the improvement made by the general government upon the river from Washington bar to New Baltimore. It then enters into a very elaborate discussion of the causes of the existing obstructions in the navigation of the Hudson river, and these causes are, the ebb tides daily and throughout the year, operating to a greater or less degree in disturbing the bottoms and banks of the river. Flood tides are another cause of disturbance, acting as the ebb tides, except more limited in their power. The autumnal and spring freshets, which rise several feet, overflowing the islands, and frequently the landings and docks at Albany and even Castleton, are also enumerated among the causes found more powerful in their effects upon the bed of the river. Ice-dams, steamboat waves, running vessels aground, are classed also as among the causes. Artificial structures are enumerated as among the most powerful causes in their influence upon the channel of the river.

66

It says that the increasing commerce of this section of the country calls for continued facilities to load and unload vessels. Wharves are constantly being constructed with the object in view of reaching the desired depth of water with the least expense. It is not the interest of parties to study or look to the effect such wharves may have either above or below them. It is often the case that they are constructed without its being considered how far they present elements for their own destruction, by the formation of shoals above or below, or by throwing the channel into new directions. In some instances, by repeated prolongations of these obstructions or artificial works, the tide wave is checked, and its benefits are lost to the up-river navigation. Coxsackie, New Baltimore, and Coemans are remarkable places where serious injury has been done to the navigation of the river by such structures. At Albany the direction of the wharves or piers has not been without its injurious effects upon Cuyler bar, and we cannot but believe that many of the jettees and transverse dams have also tended to injure the navigation of the lower section of the river, although they have sometimes deepened it in the immediate vicinity of such artificial structures-as a general rule, the benefit in one section being attended with more or less injury below.

As regards the longitudinal dikes, where the views of the board of engineers, as laid down in the 49th section, (see pages 18, 19 of this memoir,) have been carried into effect, the results have been beneficial, but whenever these longitudinal dikes have created a scouring, corroding, or abrading power upon the bottom or shores, they must be classed with the causes of obstruction, their tendency being to remove the adjacent shoal to deposit the matter below, and as a general rule, to the injury of the lower section of the river. To them, Castleton difficulties must be attributed, notwithstanding the benefit they have secured at their immediate localities." "Such would seem," it says, to be the various causes that, collectively, render this navigation exceedingly embarrassing to the commercial community. The Erie and Champlain canals enter the Hudson river at the upper end of the section of the Hudson under consideration, and all the property coming from or going to these canals must pass over more or less of this portion of the river. This trade or commerce renders the Hudson a national thoroughfare of that importance to the welfare and prosperity of the many as can only be compared to the trade and commerce of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, whose navigation requires the fostering care of the national government. During the year 1850 there arrived at tide-water on the Hudson, through the canals, no less than 2,010,700 tons of property, valued at $54,452,430, mostly from the northern and western States and Canada. During the same year the property that passed up the canals, or from tidewater, amounted to 1,042,751 tons, valued at $100,923, 292-making the sum of $155,475,722 as the value of the property that passed over this portion of the river, independent of an immense amount freighted by steamers, &c., that was received by railroads, the tolls upon which amounted in 1850 to $130,424 92, paid to the State. It was the production and handling of this immense amount of property, nearly all of which passed through the section of the Hudson under consideration, that promoted the agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial industry and prosperity of the multitude. Of the single articles of wheat and flour alone that passed over this section of the Hudson in 1850, it is known from official records that 363, 186 tons, valued at $16,130,357, came from other States of the Union than New York; and for that item alone they must have received a corresponding value as a remuneration for industry. If we add these to the supply for the same year from the State of New York, (the wheatgrowing district of which cannot be considered a local interest,) it swells the tonnage to 461,781 tons, and the value to $20, 218, 188. The receipts at tide-water in 1852, up to the 22d of November, have been 3, 162,375 barrels of flour, 6,052,312 bushels of wheat, 5, 176,419 bushels of corn, and 2,044, 106 bushels of barley. So far, the facts in support of this improvement being national and not local have been derived from the statistical records of the State of New York. If, now, we compare the inland trade passing through this intricate and difficult navigation with the national statistics of commerce, the fact will be even more conclusively established that the improvement of the navigation of the Hudson river is a truly national enterprise, and

worthy of as much of the fostering care and preservation of the government as any navigation in the country.

The total value of the exports of the growth, produce, and manufacture of the United States for the year ending 30th of September, 1851, was $196, 689,718; and, as heretofore stated, the value of the tonnage up and down the New York canals in 1850 was $155,475,722, being equal to 79.04 per cent. of the entire annual exports of the supplies of national industry; and stating the value of property that passed down the river only, (omitting its return or remunerating value, to wit: $54,452,430,) it is equal to 27.68 per cent. of the entire annual exports of the surplus of national industry. It appears that this river's improvement is not only directly beneficial in promoting the interests of our people, but also indirectly, by laying Canadians under contributions annually for the payment of so much of our labors as suffices to transport over this route property imported through our ports to the value of $2,890,306. These facts, drawn from official records, leave no room to doubt the national character of this improvement.

The delay of the government to provide for this service arose out of the provision of the bill requiring notice to be given for proposals to do the service. Nearly an entire navigation season passed before the government authorized any one to do this duty. In the meantime the citizens of Troy induced Mr. Smalley to do the service, encouraging him in the belief that the United States would pay therefor. The committee are of the opinion that Mr. Smalley should be paid by the United States for said services after a reasonable time for making a contract had expired. They therefore report the accompanying bill, and recommend its passage.