The bulk of the freight neither originates nor terminates in Lorain, but simply is transshipped at that port. During the calendar year 1918, 76 per cent of the iron ore receipts and 100 per cent of the coal shipments, or 87 per cent of the total water-borne freight at the harbor, was of that character. 9. One iron ore and two coal terminals, owned by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co., together with dock space for transshipment of lumber, etc., to or from cars, are open to the public. The ore terminal and the smaller of the two coal terminals are on the river below the Erie Avenue Bridge. Their principal coal terminal is located about 2 miles up the river. Extensive docks of the National Tube Co., located 3 miles upstream, handle iron ore, limestone, and sand, and are not open to the public. This terminal handled 51 per cent of the total tonnage of freight at Lorain Harbor during 1918. One lumber and several fish docks are privately owned. The American Shipbuilding Co. has dry docks and facilities for building and repairing the largest lake vessels. The city of Lorain owns a public dock, without rail connection, which is open to the general public for local business. Terminal facilities are regarded as adequate for the needs of existing commerce. 10. There are no questions of water power or other subjects so related to the interests of navigation that they may be coordinated with the improvement to reduce the cost to the Government. 11. Ordinary fluctuations of water level are from 3 feet above to low-water datum, and extreme fluctuations, produced by wind and other causes, are from 5 feet above to 2 feet below that plane. The harbor is open to navigation on an average of about nine months during the year, from about March 23 to December 23. The direction of storms and high winds is from southwest around through north to northeast. Winds from west of north prevail more than those from directions east of north. The river is obstructed by two swing bridges provided with draw openings of 116 feet at one and 120 feet at the other. 12. The purpose of this examination is to determine whether modification of the project is desirable, with a view to the extension of the east breakwater and enlarging and deepening the harbor area. The commerce of the harbor is entirely in the river. The break waters serve to protect the entrance to the river. The outer harbor of about 60 acres is used only as a turning basin, and has no docks fronting on it. Owing to the curve in the river channel near its mouth and to the direction of the shore line to the eastward (shown on accompanying map), commercial development of the outer harbor east of the piers would entail a considerable extension of the east breakwater. When the west breakwater has been extended to the shore, currents across the entrance to the river will be much reduced. Sedimentation in the outer harbor is considerable, principally from the west and from the river. The west breakwater extension to shore will tend to decrease this shoaling. The present east breakwater affords reasonable protection to the river entrance against storms from the northeast. During such a storm, waves run up the river to some extent but have not seriously interfered with the use of the ore and coal terminals on the west side of the river below the Erie Avenue Bridge. The worst seas in the river come directly from the northwest through the outer entrance between the pierheads. An extension of the east breakwater would not materially improve conditions, so far as entering the river is concerned. 13. No public hearing was held in connection with this preliminary examination, but letters were addressed to all the principal commercial and navigation interests using the harbor and to the city officials of Lorain inviting their views and suggestions. Only two replies were received-one from the National Tube Co., which dwells chiefly upon the need for improvement in the river above the Erie Avenue Bridge, and one from the mayor of Lorain, transmitting a letter from the city engineer, which pertains to erosion of the shore to the eastward and the washing of eroded material into the harbor area. These communications are herewith. As stated in paragraph 3, reports unfavorable to the improvement of Black River above the Erie Avenue Bridge are contained in House Document No. 160, Sixty-third Congress, first session, and in House Document No. 1200, Sixty-fifth Congress, 2d session, and a consideration of the improvement of the river above the Erie Avenue Bridge does not fall within the scope of the present report. 14. The extension of the east breakwater is presented by the city officials as a measure of shore protection, to prevent erosion and consequent shoaling of the harbor area. It is claimed that the construction of the east breakwater is the cause of the present erosion. It is regarded as possible, but by no means certain, that this is true. The east breakwater lies entirely to the westward of the shore in question (see map herewith), and its inner end is 2,150 feet from shore at the nearest point. Northeast storms, which undoubtedly produce the largest waves, owing to unbroken sweep lengthwise of the lake, together with the high water accompanying them, are thought to be the most destructive on this shore. It is to be noted that Lorain Harbor is well toward the westerly end of Lake Erie and northeasterly winds always raise the water level there, sometimes as much as 2 or 3 feet. Storms at the time of high water are especially effective in shore erosion. These storms strike the east breakwater at such an angle that the waves run outward along it. The westward littoral current caused by the waves breaking diagonally on the shore is deflected by the east pier and flows between the pier and the east breakwater, parallel to the latter. Thus, the current on both sides of the east breakwater is toward its outer end. It is difficult to see how the present east breakwater in any way affects the shore erosion to the eastward during northeast storms. An extension of the east breakwater short of connecting with the shore would not prevent erosion and might increase it. Connection with the shore at the inner end of the east pier, the nearest point on shore, or with the outer end of east pier, would protect no shore whatever. A very long extension would be necessary to inclose any great length of shore line within the harbor area. Prolongation to shore along its present line would require 4,000 feet of breakwater and inclose 3,500 feet of shore line. The cost would be entirely out of proportion to any possible benefits received. In any event, the prevention of shore erosion in itself is not regarded as a proper reason for breakwater construction by the United States, and the benefits to be derived by stopping the drift of some material into the harbor from the eastward is not at all commensurate with the cost of such construction. 15. It is believed that the only consideration which would justify an extension of the east breakwater and enlargement of the outer harbor area would be a prospective large commercial development in the outer harbor. There appears to be no probability of such development in the near future. 16. The project depth of 20 feet at low water datum adopted by the river and harbor act of August 8, 1917, in accordance with House Document No. 985, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session, has been obtained in the entrance channel through the outer harbor and in the river up to the Erie Avenue Bridge by dredging completed May 29, 1919. The same depth is available in the channel maintained by the city of Lorain above that bridge. Comparison with project depths at other lake ports, both in the lower lakes and in Lake Superior, where most of the cargoes of iron ore originate, indicates that unless a general project for increased depths at all ports and in connecting channels is contemplated, an increased project depth at Lorain Harbor is not warranted. The maximum draft to which lake vessels are now loaded is about 21 feet, and the usual draft is about 20 or 20 feet. With a controlling depth of 20 feet at low-water datum, or 22 feet at mean lake level, the present project depth at Lorain Harbor, the deepest laden vessels will be able to enter except at very unusual stages of low water produced by strong southwest winds. Extreme low water caused by wind does not persist for more than 6 or 8 hours and is of infrequent occurrence. The present depth has so recently been made available that much of the demand for greater depths is based upon past rather than upon present conditions. 17. For the reasons herein before stated, I am of the opinion that the existing project for the improvement of Lorain Harbor should not be changed at the present time. R. R. RAYMOND, Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers. [First indorsement.] OFFICE DIVISION ENGINEER, LAKES DIVISION, To the CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY: 1. Forwarded. 2. Referring to paragraphs 12 and 13 of the district engineer's report, the purpose of the examination is understood to primarly include consideration of prevention of shore erosion which is particularly desired by interested parties, as indicated by the reply letter received from the mayor of Lorain, and the comment in paragraph 14 of the report is consistent with that heretofore made in paragraphs 5 and 6 of preliminary examination report, paragraghs 3 and 4, first indorsement thereon, and paragraph 3 of survey report in House Document No. 980, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session. 3. It is to be noted that the structures placed for shore protection along the lake shore east of the harbo:, as shown on the map, were placed by interested parties, to a large extent prior to 1910, as shown on the map in House Document No. 644, Sixty-first Congress, second session. 4. I concur in the views expressed by the district engineer in the last sentence of paragraph 14 and in paragraph 15 of his report, and therefore concur in his opinion that Lorain Harbor is not worthy of improvement by the United States further than as provided by the existing project. J. G. WARREN, Colonel, Corps of Engineers. [For the report of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, see p. 3.] LETTER OF THE MAYOR OF LORAIN, OHIO. OFFICE OF THe Mayor, DEAR SIR: I am inclosing herewith a letter and blue print from our city engineer, Mr. C. C. Miller, which I believe gives you the information asked for in your recent letter. Very respectfully, Lieut. Col. R. R. RAYMOND, A. J. HORN, Mayor. Corps of Engineers, Cleveland, Ohio. LETTER OF THE CITY ENGINEER OF LORAIN, OHIO. LORAIN, OHIO, June 7, 1919. DEAR SIR: On March 2, 1919, a river and harbor act was approved by the War Department for an examination of Lorain Harbor. The act included the enlarging of the harbor area and the extension of the east breakwater. So far as the harbor area is concerned, the recent dredging just finished by the Government has put it in first-class condition, and it would seem that the investigation should look to the extension of the east breakwater only. It is my opinion, and the opinion is concurred in by expert advice, that the building of the east breakwater has been the cause of the rapid erosion of the east shore since the breakwater was built. The accompanying blue print showing the erosion of the east shore over a period of years seems to uphold my opinion. The west breakwater is soon to be extended to shore in order to prevent the washing of the shore land into the harbor area by northwest storms. It seems reasonable to expect that the extension of the east breakwater will accomplish the same results, since the greatest amount of material is carried into the harbor by northeast storms. The above, I believe, gives you the information you desire. Yours, very truly, Mayor A. J. HORN, Lorain, Ohio. C. C. MILLER, City Engineer. LETTER OF THE NATIONAL TUBE CO. LORAIN, OHIO, April 3, 1919. DEAR SIR: Your letter of March 24 received, with reference to act of Congress approved March 2, 1919, pertaining to the improvement of Lorain Harbor. Beg to reply to the various questions in your letter, as follows: (a) The principal improvement in which the industries are interested is the elimination of the sharp bend on the west bank of the river just south of the Erie Avenue Bridge. 1 Not printed. The extension of the east breakwater and the deepening of the east harbor, whi not so important, in our judgment, as the elimination of the bend, still would be very good thing for the harbor, as with a longer breakwater a great deal of the curre which in times of storm sweeps by the pierheads would be stopped, allowing vesse to enter the river which at present have to be held outside; and with a deeper harb loaded vessels could be turned inside instead of having to be taken out in the lake. (b) (c) The bend above referred to presents a very dangerous condition for vessel It is necessary for a vessel to pass completely through the bridge before starting swing, then to complete the turn it is necessary to swing the stern of the boat almo over to the east bank, which is rock bottom, and there is always danger of doin damage to a vessel's wheel or rudder. For outbound vessels, it is necessary to com pletely check their progress and straighten them up before entering the draw. Th causes considerable delay to navigation in the river, in addition to the danger abo referred to. (d) We are attaching hereto statement showing the tonnage of ore and limeston received and shipped to our dock from 1899 to 1918, inclusive. In addition to th tonnage, there is the coal handled by the Baltimore & Ohio dock, also the anticipate tonnage of ore and limestone to be handled by the new Cromwell Steel Co., and al the additional tonnage it will be necessary to handle when the American Sheet & T Plate Co.'s plant is built. Yours, very truly, Col. D. W. LOCKWOOD, United States Engineer Office, Cleveland, Ohio. CHAS. FELL, Manager. 1 Statement not included, as it pertains entirely to commerce above the Erie Avenue Bridge. |