CCC 3. EXAMINATION OF SHOAL IN LAKE ERIE. REPORT OF COL. JARED A. SMITH, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1897. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Cleveland, Ohio, September 6, 1897. GENERAL: In submitting my annual reports for year ending June 30, 1897, through an oversight a report of an examination for a shoal in Lake Erie was not included, owing to the fact that a report covering the principal points had been previously submitted. * I therefore have the honor to forward the report in a complete form, together with a summary, both in duplicate. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. JOHN M. WILSON, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. JARED A. SMITH, Colonel, Corps of Engineers. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, GENERAL: In compliance with your instructions in letters dated January 8, 1896, inclosing "Extract from a wreck report signed by the master, of stranding of the steamship John Oades, of Detroit, Mich., on October 16, 1895," and in letter dated March 10, 1896, forwarding copy of Lake Erie Coast Chart with certain corrections and notations, I have the honor to submit a report, as follows: It was impracticable to take any steps toward making the examinations required until after opening of navigation in the spring, when the pressing duties of laying out and supervising works in progress occupied the entire time of the small steamer and party employed for such purposes until the latter part of July. On July 21, 1896, Mr. William T. Blunt, assistant engineer, commenced the examination, employing for the purpose the steamer Swansea, with a crew of six men, all told, the party being so organized that when at work away from the steamer the only persons left on board were the engineer and the cook. On the second day of the examination a rock was found of such a dangerous character that it is a matter of some wonder that it had not been a cause of serious injury to vessels long before it was struck by the John Oades. The rock appears to be a part of the regular limestone formation found in that section of Lake Erie, and it projects abruptly about 6 feet above the general level of the surrounding bottom where the depth of water at mean level of the lake is about 19 feet. On the west end of the shoal are bowlders, over which the depth of water is but 11 feet. At the time the John Oades was nearly wrecked by striking the rock, the surface level of the lake was about 3 feet below mean level, so that the depth over the bowlders was but 8 feet, and but 10 feet over most of the rock itself. The rock is nearly 350 feet long, and has a varying width, the two ends being broader than in the middle, and the extreme width nearly 150 feet. The axis of the rock is nearly east and west, and its location is more than half a mile distant from the point indicated in the wreck report. As soon as the rock was found Mr. Blunt made a preliminary report, and when its characteristics were more fully determined notice was given to the newspapers, and a preliminary report was made to the Chief of Engineers, as follows: UNITED STATES ENGINEER Office, Cleveland, Ohio, July 27, 1896. GENERAL: It gives me great satisfaction to report that in the morning of July 22 my assistant, Mr. William T. Blunt, found the unknown rock indicated in wreck report with your letter dated January 8, 1896. Other work which demanded immediate attention delayed this examination until a few days before the rock was found, so that the examination could not be made earlier. The survey is not yet complete, but I give the location as first determined with a brief description. The rock is shaped like a dumb-bell, having over several places near its westerly end only 11 feet of water, and in one place only 11 feet. There is 19 to 20 feet all around in this vicinity. The rock is nearly a mile from the location given in the wreck report. Mr. Blunt says: "It may be platted on Coast Chart No. 6 (of Lake Erie), one-eighth inch southwest from 'c' in 'clay and sand,' due west from the west point of Kelley Island (Carpenter Point)." Carpenter Point (Kelley Island), E. § N. 1 miles. I shall forward a more complete report with survey as soon as the map is com pleted. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. WILLIAM P. CRAIGHILI, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A., Washington, D. C. JARED A. SMITH, Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers. The rock is more than five-eighths of a mile from the location given in the wreck report, but it is without doubt the same as that on which the steamer John Oades was injured. The rock has been marked by a red and black buoy with horizontal stripes, but as the ice of the ensuing winter will undoubtedly carry the buoy away, I fully concur in Mr. Blunt's recommendation that the necessary steps be taken to have it placed on the regular buoy list of the Light House Establishment. A further search developed the presence of three other rocks of less importance, which are fully described in Mr. Blunt's report. Mr. Blunt reports that the 16-foot shoal shown in red on the chart, received from Chief of Engineers with letter dated March 10, 1896, just east of the 11-foot reef, does not exist. The rock reported east of Kelley Island has not been found, for reasons given in Mr. Blunt's report which is appended hereto, and to which I invite attention, especially to the remarks and suggestions contained in the closing paragraph. I return by mail the chart received with your letter of March 10, 1896, with the location of rocks discovered in this examination platted thereon. The allotment of funds for this survey was $750, all of which has been expended or covered by obligations incurred. In concluding this report I take pleasure in making special mention of the zeal and efficiency displayed by Mr. Blunt in making the examination, which is fully shown by the immediate and satisfactory results. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JARED A. SMITH, Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. Brig. Gen. WILLIAM P. CRAIGHILL, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. REPORT OF MR. WILLIAM T. BLUNT, ASSISTANT ENGINEER. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the examination recently made in the vicinity of South Bass and Kelley Islands, for the location of obstruction upon which the steamer John Oades struck October 16, 1895. The copy of report upon which the examination was based stated that the Oades struck an unknown rock 2 miles ESE, from Starve Island Buoy. A copy of the "protest" filed by Captain Lemay of the Oades immediately after the accident, kindly furnished me by Mr. A. A. Parker, the owner of the boat, states: "In going through South Passage, in the middle of the channel, after passing the can buoys on Starve Island and Mouse Island and when about 14 or 2 miles toward Marblehead, at about 8 o'clock on the morning of the 16th, we struck hard right in the middle of the passage on an unknown rock and immediately commenced to fill." On July 23, during the search, I boarded the Oades on her way through the passage. The captain's statement then was in substance as follows: "Came through the passage on the morning of 16th October, 1895, from Bar Point hunting for consort. Kept chart course, SE. by E., until abreast of Scott Point Buoy, when hauled up one point and headed ESE., thinking barge was off Kelley Island. Drew 14 feet. Ran about 14 or 2 miles (judging only by the time engineer was below oiling, which usually consumed five or six minutes) on a probable speed of 12 miles per hour. Struck an obstruction, rose four feet out of water, rolled off at once. On examination found boat was filling, so headed for Kelley Island Docks. Boat steered badly. After some time wheelman was asked what course and answered ENE. Bright, clear morning, hard westerly wind blowing, and had continued all night. Found seven frames crushed." My own record of gauge at Sandusky shows water surface to have been 3 feet below mean level at the time of wreck, and West Sister gauge agrees. Several other boats have struck in the same general locality, among them being the American Eagle of Put-in-Bay, in the winter of 1894-95. The location given me by her captain, Nagle, was on the exact course from Lakeside Dock to "just clear" Ballast Island to the eastward. His side ranges were only useful in a very general way. He was drawing but 12 feet, with no sea and 2 or 3 inches of ice. As it would be a season's work to examine all the area covered by these conflicting locations, I concluded to combine the most plausible elements for a first search. A buoy was placed at the intersection of the Eagle range and the Oades bearing (ESE. of Starve Island Buoy, as officially sent you), and from this ranges were laid out parallel to the Lakeside-Ballast Island range. Systematic search was begun by sweeping just clear of the bottom with a gas pipe 38 feet long hung by lines from two rowboats. Ranges were 60 feet apart, so that with one boat on a range the pipe lapped surely over each sweep on either side. The first day's sweeping discovered a shoal spot, which upon close examination the next day proved to be a reef of jagged rocks about 350 by 150 feet in extreme dimensions, narrowing at the middle to about 50 feet width. Its shape is as in sketch. It consists of a mass of broken rock, depths generally about 15 feet with 19 feet in clefts. Near the east end are several spots with but 13 feet, and at the west end are two bowlders with but 11 feet over them. Their sides are vertical, so that the rod drops at once to 19 feet. Edges of reef are quite indefinite, but the surrounding bottom is gravel and small stone. A flag placed at the east end of reef was located by sextant angles to prominent land marks and can be readily replaced. A rough spar buoy with red and black horizontal stripes was placed on the reef. It is directly on the course from Lakeside to Ballast Island, continually run by passenger boats large and small. It is almost due ESE. from Starve Island Buoy 24 miles, and directly on the course from abreast of this buoy to Kelley Island Docks. It is thus an exceedingly dangerous place and I respectfully suggest that steps should be taken to place it on the regular buoy list of the Light-House Establishment. Although I felt reasonably sure that this reef was the one the Oades struck, yet in my conference with Captain Lemay he was so sure that he was not so far north and east, that I concluded to continue the search upon the course he gave verbally, i. e., ESE. of Scott Point Buoy. The Swansea was run on that course for the distance indicated and a location flag dropped. Ranges were laid out parallel to the course, and an area of 1,000 feet width by nearly a mile in length was carefully swept as described above. In this area two rocks were found. One covered about 100 square feet, and had 17% feet over its highest point. Another covered about 400 square feet, and had 17% feet upon it. Each of these stood 4 to 44 feet above the surrounding bottom. The most westerly one was marked by a spar buoy with red and black horizontal stripes, and the most easterly one by a red-and-black flag. While weather was such that small boats could not be used, the steamer was allowed to drift in various directions at random with the sweep rod hung overboard. Another rock was discovered in this way close to the chart course but as it had 18 feet over it, with surrounding depths of 21% feet, it was not marked. Any one of these three rocks might have been struck by the Oades under the conditions existing on October 16. She drew.. Water surface was below chart datum.. Under 12-mile speed boat would probably "squat" Hence draft of boat below chart datum might have been............. Feet. 14 3 19 It is hardly reasonable to suppose, however, that such damage could arise from striking any one of these rocks. While the captain gives his course with such certainty, it is quite within reason to suppose that in searching for his consort where chart shows plenty of water he did not pay much attention to a true course after he had passed Starve Island. Looking froin abreast of Starve Island Buoy, the 11foot reef shows clear to the southward of Kelley Island, and I feel convinced it is what he struck. The fact that we have three distinctly different descriptions of his location indicates the truth of the above. However that may be, in the light of the results of search over so small an area I am far from asserting that there may not be very many other rocks or reefs in the vast area we did not touch, some of which may be worse than the three rocks found. I hardly think, however, that any other so serious as the 11-foot reef exists in that vicinity. The examinations mentioned above consumed the greater part of three weeks, as much bad weather was experienced, so that in the absence of definite data from which to start I did not feel justified in continuing longer. I would also report that the 16-foot shoal, shown in red on the chart sent you from Washington, just east of the 11-foot reef, does not exist. It was probably the approximate location of that found, based upon indefinite reports. As to the rock east of Kelley Island, whose approximate location was shown in red on the chart mentioned, I began a search for that, but the very great discrepancies in the descriptions given made it unwise to more than casually examine the locality. Sounding and sweeping about the location at random for about a mile diameter developed not the slightest indication of any shoal. I expect soon to be able to visit the place in company with Captain Shepard, of Huron, who insists most positively that he found the rock, though not sure that he can find it again. The various notes I have been able to obtain give color to the belief that there is an obstruction of some kind in that vicinity. Accompanying this report is the chart sent you from Washington, upon which I have platted the rocks found and area swept; also a table giving the sextant angles at the rocks and at the west end of area swept. By these angles each location can be reproduced within less than 10 feet. I beg leave to call attention to the fact that the existence of such important obstructions in waters hitherto considered clear indicates that the South Passage should be avoided by deeply laden vessels, especially in heavy westerly winds. Many of these bowlders could be easily buried by a dredge or scattered by dynamite, and it may be well to consider the advisabilty of a systematic and conclusive search over the main passage with a view to clearing it up. Very respectfully, Lieut. Col. JARED A. SMITH, WM. T. BLUNT, Assistant Engineer. Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. |