Onancock Harbor, Virginia, Letter from the Secretary of War

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
UNITED STATES ARMY,
Washington, D. C., December 28, 1889.

SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith a copy of the report upon the survey of Onancock Harbor, Virginia, dated December 24, 1889, made under the direction of W. F. Smith, United States agent, Major of Engineers, U. S. Army, retired, and authorized by the river and harbor act of August 11, 1888, with accompanying map.

A copy of the report upon the preliminary examination of the harbor, dated December 5, 1888, is also herewith.

The project for improvement contemplates the dredging of a channel 300 feet wide and 8 feet deep at mean low water across the outer bar,
and a channel 200 feet wide and 8 feet deep at mean low water at the inner bar, involving the removal of 62,555 cubic yards of material, at an estimated cost of $12,511.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOS. LINCOLN CASEY,
Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers.

Hon. REDFIELD PROCTOR,
Secretary of War.

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PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF ONANCOCK HARBOR, VIRGINIA.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Wilmington, Del., December 5, 1888.

GENERAL: In compliance with the requirements of section 14 of the river and harbor act of August 11, 1888, and the instructions contained in the letter of September 29, 1888, from the Office of the Chief of Engineers, I have the honor to submit the following report upon the preliminary examination of Onancock Harbor, Virginia, made under my direction by Mr. A. Stierle, assistant engineer, and a copy of his report with full information is herewith inclosed.

As Onancock Harbor or, more properly speaking, Onancock River has been the subject of former surveys, reports, and improvement, a resurvey is recommended, the stream being deemed worthy of improvement.

The estimated cost of the improvement of the bar at the mouth and the shoals in the river is $15,000.

The least amount required to make the survey and report, with estimate of cost of improvement is $450.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. F. SMITH,
United States Agent.

The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A.

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REPORT OF MR. A. STIERLE, ASSISTANT ENGINEER.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Wilmington, Del., December 5, 1888.

GENERAL: In accordance with your instruction I have the honor to submit the following report upon the preliminary examination of Onancock Harbor, Virginia.

The last river and harbor act provides for an examination of Onancock Harbor, Virginia. As there is no sheet of water known under that name and as the Onancock River near the town of Onancock can hardly be called a harbor, since it is only one of several landing places, the examination was made to include the whole of Onancock River.

Onancock River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay and lies within the county of Accomac, eastern shore of Virginia. Its course is generally westwardly. The channel in the river is narrow and somewhat tortuous, with one very abrupt turn near Finney's Wharf and two troublesome obstructions, one at Wise's Point and the other called the Middle Ground. The channel across the bar at the mouth is straight and leads in a west-northwesterly direction into the bay at the junction of Pocomoke Sound with the latter. The depth over the bar is stated to be only 5 and 5 1/2 feet at mean low water for a total and continuous distance of about 1,200 feet, the bottom being fine compact sand. The inner edge of this bar lies and the channel from the river closes at a point nearly three-fourths of a mile from the shore. Inside the river are several narrow and shoal points with a depth of water of not over 7 feet at mean low tide. The width between the banks increases from about 300 feet near Onancock Wharves
to about 2,400 feet at the mouth; these banks consist of light fine sand, easily transported by rains and tide. The total length of the navigable part of the river is about 5 miles; the rise and fall of the tide about 2 feet.

The main obstruction to the present navigation is said to be at the bar. This river was surveyed in 1878 by Capt. Charles B. Phillips, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, and a project submitted and approved for an 8-foot channel, 300 feet wide across the bar and 100 feet wide through the mud-flats near the town of Onancock, at an estimated cost of $10,000. Two appropriations were subsequently made for the improvement of the river, one of $3,000 in 1879 and one of $5,000 in 1880. Under the first a channel 100 feet wide and of the originally proposed depth, 8 feet, was dredged across the bar at the mouth; about 12,000 cubic yards of material were removed. The second and last appropriation was expended in making a channel 7 feet deep and 100 fee wide near and above Wise's Point and in dredging near the steamboat wharf and up to Mile[s]'s saw-mill
wharf, near Onancock, including the construction of a large turning-basin, all to a depth of 7 feet at mean low water. The total amount excavated was 20,297 cubic yards.

The localities dredged within the river have maintained their depth fairly well. At the bar the dredged channel has filled up again and is only about 50 feet wide and from 5 to 5 1/2 feet deep. But it was not expected that this channel would remain open, and Colonel Craighill, Corps of Engineers, who had charge of the improvement, in his report for 1880 says, "If it does, it will be a remarkable case."

The improvements were of great benefit to the shipping on the Onancock. A line of steamers has since been established and maintained with Baltimore which makes semi-weekly trips. The number of sailing vessels has also increased. There are two landing places on the river, one at Onancock and the other at Finney's Wharf. The aggregate amount of shipping from both is very large, consisting mainly of potatoes, the staple product of Accomac County.

Captain Hopkins, of Onancock, states that during the past year there was shipped from the river about 100,000 bushels of sweet and white potatoes; fruit and berries to the value of $20,000, and vegetables and garden truck $25,000.

The imports consisted of 300 tons guano and phosphates; 2,000 tons of coal; 300,000 shingles; 100,000 feet of lumber, cypress and cedar; 200,000 bricks, and general merchandise to the value of $300,000. About 12 sailing vessels, with an average capacity of 50 tons, are owned by parties living along the river.

The impending closure of the channel across the bar will be a severe blow to the commerce of the river, unless some remedy is applied to prevent it.

The commercial interests involved ask for a channel 8 feet deep at mean low water and 200 feet wide at the entrance. No desire has been expressed, so far as known, for improvements within the river proper, although they are needed. It is estimated that the dredging of the channel across the bar with the dimensions indicated would cost about $9,000.

To compare the present conditions of the river with those elicited by previous surveys and to suggest, if possible, some other means for maintaining a free and unobstructed entrance, a survey of the whole river, to include a series of current observations at the mouth, is recommended.

It is estimated that the cost of such a survey would not exceed $450.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. STIERLE,
Assistant Engineer.

Gen. WM. F. SMITH,
United States Agent.

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SURVEY OF ONANCOCK HARBOR, VIRGINIA.

U. S. ENGINEER'S OFFICE,
Wilmington, Del., December 24, 1889.

GENERAL: In compliance with the instructions contained in the letter of April 6, 1889, from the office of the Chief of Engineers, and the requirements of the river and [harbor] act of August 11, 1888, I have the honor to submit the following report upon the survey of Onancock Harbor, Virginia, made under my direction during October, 1889.

The survey seems to show that the only way to keep the channel open across the bar is by dredging, done as often as necessary.

The estimate for the amount needed at first is for the removal of 62,-
555 cubic yards of material, which, at 20 cents per cubic yard, amounts to $12,511.

A copy of the report of the assistant engineer is herewith inclosed.

A tracing of the map of the survey is sent by mail today in a separate package.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. F. SMITH,
United States Agent.

THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A.

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REPORT OF MR. A. STIERLE, ASSISTANT ENGINEER.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Wilmington, Del., December 23, 1889.

SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith a report upon the survey of Onancock River, Virginia, and a project for the improvement of the same.

The Survey was made during the month of October last and embraced principally an examination of the obstructions existing at the mouth. A series of cross-line soundings, commencing at the head of the river, at Onancock, was run throughout the length of the river as far as the mouth, to ascertain the condition of the channel generally and in particular that portion dredged nine years ago. The survey shows little change in the channel since that time, except at a point just below the wharves at Onancock, where a slight encroachment from the north shore has taken place, reducing its former width considerably. With the exception of one or two sharp turns farther down that might be improved by widening them on the convex side of the channel, the navigation of the channel throughout the river by vessels drawing 8 feet is unimpeded.

The shore-line at the mouth was carefully determined by triangulation, and soundings were taken from the shore to deep water in the bay, the lines extending from three-quarters of a mile above to about one-half of a mile below the mouth. A tracing of this portion of the survey is herewith submitted. The channel, which was dredged across the bar in 1880 to a depth of 8 feet at mean low water, and 100 feet in width, has filled up again, as was predicted at the time. The present depth over the bar is 5 1/2 feet at mean low tide, nearly the same depth as prevailed there before improvements commenced. The width of channel over the bar with this minimum depth is about 150 feet. The distance from the nearest point on shore to the bar is 4,400 feet.

About 1,800 feet from the shore, and before arriving at the channel proper over the bar, vessels going out of the river experience great difficulty in passing through a very narrow portion of the channel at a point called the "Middle Ground." The depth in the channel is 8 feet, and sufficient for navigation, but the width is so much reduced, being only 40 feet, that even steamers pass through with great caution. This portion of the channel was from 125 to 250 feet wide in 1880, and had a minimum depth of 10 feet at mean low water.

The question of maintaining an open channel of the required depth, 8 feet, across the bar by artificial structures, is not one of cost alone; the surrounding physical conditions are such that it appears doubtful if such works were built whether the result would meet expectations. It would be a very difficult problem to deal with and a very costly one, the execution of which is not justified by the amount of commerce involved.

Periodical dredging is evidently the least expensive way to keep the channel open, and, judging from past experiences, if the channel should be made of ample width at one time, the increase in cross-section of channel may cause a more concentrated flow of the currents at that point and a proper depth may obtain for a long time.

It is proposed in the project herewith to make the channel across the outer bar 300 feet wide, that at the inner bar or Middle Ground 200 feet in width, both to be dredged to a depth of 8 feet at mean low water. The latter section is projected south of the Middle Ground, instead of following the present narrow channel north of it, as the latter evidently is being rapidly closed by the littoral drift coming down the north shore.

It is desirable if any appropriation is made by Congress to continue the improvement of this river it should be made sufficiently large to carry the improvements herein indicated to completion at one time.

For information in reference to the commerce of the river, I would respectfully refer to the statistics given in the preliminary report.

ESTIMATE.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. STIERLE,
Assistant Engineer.

General WM. F. SMITH,
United States Agent.