In the report for 1895, after $7,000 had been appropriated, is the following:

To complete the original project would require an appropriation of $17,500, but it is believed that the present condition of the improvement will meet all reasonable demands of existing commerce No increase in the ton

nage of the river is apparent.

No further appropriations have been made. The actual amount of commerce on Ipswich River was not reported, it being stated from year to year that it was combined with that of Newburyport. The present commerce is reported to consist of about 1,800 tons of coal and 2,000 tons of fresh fish, the total being 3,800 tons.

It appears that the channels already dredged have greatly deteriorated, and that owing to the character of the material encountered the maintenance of any improvement would be costly.

Weighing the evidence before it leads the Board to the conclusion that the cost of the improvement desired would be out of proportion to the public benefits to be expected to result therefrom. The Board therefore concurs in the opinion of the district officer that Ipswich River is not worthy of further improvement by the United States. For the Board:

D. W. LOCKWOOD,

Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers,
Senior Member of the Board.

O

59TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ( DOCUMENT
1st Session.
No. 143.

BRIER CREEK, GEORGIA.

LETTER

FROM

THE SECRETARY OF WAR,

TRANSMITTING,

WITH A LETTER FROM THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, REPORT OF
EXAMINATION OF BRIER CREEK, GEORGIA.

DECEMBER 11, 1905.-Referred to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors and ordered to be printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 7, 1905. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter from the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, dated August 14, 1905, together with copy of a report from Lieut. Col. James B. Quinn, Corps of Engineers, dated June 19, 1905, of a preliminary examination of Brier Creek, Georgia, made by him in compliance with the provisions of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1905.

Very respectfully,

WM. H. TAFT,

Secretary of War.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,

Washington, August 14, 1905. SIR: Under authority conferred by section 9 of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1905, I have the honor to submit herewith for transmission to the Public Printer a report, dated June 19, 1905, by Lieut.

Col. James B. Quinn. Corps of Engineers, on preliminary examination of Brier Creek from its mouth to Garnett, Ga., ordered by the

aid act.

It is the opinion of Lieutenant-Colonel Quinn, concurred in by the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors and by me, that Brier Creek is not worthy of improvement by the General Government.

Very respectfully,

A. MACKENZIE,

Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army.

Hon. WILLIAM H. TAFT,

Secretary of War.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF BRIER CREEK, GEORGIA, FROM ITS

MOUTH TO GARNETT.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Savannah, Ga., June 19, 1905.

GENERAL: In pursuance of the provisions of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1905, I have the honor to submit the following report upon a preliminary examination made of Brier Creek from its mouth at Savannah River to Garnett, Ga.

The distance, by way of Brier Creek, from the mouth of said creek to a point opposite Garnett, Ga., is between 50 and 60 miles. At its mouth the creek is about 100 feet wide, with a greatest depth of 10 feet. Beginning at a point about 300 yards from the mouth, and throughout the next 50 or 60 miles, the stream is divided at intervals by some eight or ten islands, the two branches thus formed averaging 15 feet in width, with depths varying from 10 inches to 2 feet. Between these islands the creek is of an average width of 35 feet, with depths varying from 1 to 3 feet, except at three or four points where it widens out to about 60 feet, with depths ranging from 3 to 4 feet.

The creek is very crooked and is filled with logs and snags. During freshets the water at times reaches a height of 12 feet. The total length of the stream is over 100 miles.

The surrounding country is heavily timbered with pine on the highlands, and in the swamps with cypress and some cottonwood and oak. The majority of this timber is owned by three large lumber companies, viz, the Hilton & Dodge Lumber Company, the MillHaven Company, and the Southern Coast Lumber Company. At present the timber is transported to the Savannah River, a distance of about 15 miles, over tram roads, where the logs are made into rafts and floated to Savannah.

There is at present no commerce whatever over Brier Creek. In order to make the creek available for the rafting of timber it would have to be widened to at least 50 feet and deepened to at least 3 feet. Owing to the very crooked nature of the stream, it would also be necessary to make numerous cut-offs to make it even reasonably straight. One of the lumber concerns above mentioned, viz, the MillHaven Company, states that they are at present rafting to Savannah, by the Savannah River, per year over 10,000,000 feet of logs, cut from the vicinity of Brier Creek; that even if the creek were sufficiently improved by the Government they would still take their logs to the Savannah River, as being the more desirable and least expensive method.

The improvement of Brier Creek is not considered feasible, except at enormous expense, and from the investigations made it is certain that the commercial benefits which would result from such improvement would be so small as to be entirely out of proportion to the expense involved.

It is therefore respectfully recommended that Brier Creek from its mouth to Garnett, Ga., be considered as unworthy of any improvement by the United States.

Very respectfully,

Brig. Gen. A. MACKENZIE,

JAMES B. QUINN,

Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers.

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

[Second indorsement.]

BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS,

Washington, D. C., July 10, 1905.

Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army. Complying with first indorsement hereon, the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors has given due consideration to the within report on a preliminary examination of "Brier Creek to Garnett, Ga." Those known to be interested in the improvement of this stream were invited by the district officer to submit to the Board such statements, facts, or arguments as they desired in regard to the necessity for the improvement by the United States. No communications have been received in response to this invitation. No previous examinations or surveys of this creek have been ordered by Congress. This stream is very crooked, and in its present condition has neither depth nor width sufficient for rafting lumber or for ordinary steamboat navigation. It is reported to have an available width of from 15 to 35 feet and a depth of from 1 to 3 feet.

It appears that the country bordering this stream is heavily timbered, and that its improvement is desired in the interests of the lumber trade. There are three large firms engaged in transporting timber from this locality. The present method is to carry it to the Savannah River by tramway, and raft it from there to its destination. At present there is no navigation upon Brier Creek.

The physical condition of this stream is such that it would involve extensive and costly works to make it susceptible of being navigated. The Board believes that the cost of any adequate improvement would be entirely out of proportion to the benefits to be expected therefrom. The Board therefore concurs in the opinion of the district officer that "Brier Creek to Garnett, Ga.," is not worthy of improvement by the United States.