1794. The next in date that we have is the "Chart of the coast of North Carolina, from Currituck Inlet to the Savannah River," by Captain N. Holland, May 12, 1794. This chart is upon too small a scale to give many soundings in the channels, (being about five leagues to an inch;) but there is printed upon it, at the entrance of the main or eastern channel, the words "the bar 10 feet at low water, 16 feet at a common tide," and at the rip in the western channel 6 feet. The New Inlet is shown upon this chart, but with no soundings in it. There is represented upon the chart a breach or narrow water-way through Smith's Island, in a north and south direction, separating the eastern portion of the island from Baldhead Point. • 1794. A "Chart of North and South Carolina," &c., by Henry Mowyen and others, 1794, is similar to the above. It has (in print) on the bar of the eastern channel "10 feet bar at low water." The water-way through Smith's Island, shown on the previous map, is represented on this as marsh. The direction of the eastern channel on both these maps of 1794 is more nearly south from Broadhead Point than is shown on previous maps. 1797. The next map is a tracing of the "Sketch of Cape Fear River and entrance, as surveyed in 1797 by Joshua Potts," scale Too This sketch shows 20 feet of water upon the bar of the eastern channel at high tide, and 8 feet upon the rip of the western channel. The New Inlet is shown with 11 feet at high water. The direction of the entrance of the eastern channel is a little cast of south from Baldhead Point. The water-way through Smith's Island, shown on the map of 1794, is not represented on this. The high-water line being continuous both on the inside and outside of the island. 1797-'98. In an engraving of Joshua Potts's map, entitled "Cape Fear River and vicinity from Frying Pan Shoals to Wilmington, 1797-98," a sailingline is laid down for New Inlet, showing that it was used at that time for the entrance of vessels. The sailing-course printed on this line for entering the inlet is "N. 66 W. Federal Point and a white group of trees." The group of trees is represented upon the north side of Snow's Point. It is remarkable that upon this map, as well as upon all previous maps, the Frying Pan Shoals are represented much wider and shoaler than they are now. The southernmost shoal is represented upon the oldest maps as having only two feet of water upon it at high tide, and being about 7 miles wide at the widest point. The whole length of the shoals on Potts's map is 19 miles, on Mowyen's map about the same, and on Holland's map about 26 miles. At present the shoalest spot in the southern part of the shoal is 7 feet at low water, and the greatest width between the 30-feet curves is about 4 miles. Only comparatively small patches, having less than 18 feet at low water, are now seen in the southern half of the shoal. The total length at this time from Cape Fear to the end of the 30-foot curve just north of the light-ship is 15 miles. This shows a marked diminution of this extensive shoal. 1820. In 1820 Major Kearney, of the Topographical Engineers, made a survey, of which a tracing of the reduction is among the accompanying maps and papers furnished by the Engineer Department. Neither the original survey or the reduction, or any contemporaneous report, could be found in the archives of the Department. The tracing is upon a scale of Too, and is meager of details. It only embraces the mouth of the river as far as Smithville, and upon a separate sketch, New Inlet. The bar of the eastern channel is shown to have had only 9 feet of water, supposed to be at low water. The western channel has no soundings at the shoalest part, the rips; but the 6-foot curve appears to be continued across it, thus indicating 6 feet as the greatest depth, at low water, at that point. At the New Inlet the channel had changed its direction since the survey of Joshua Potts, in 1797, and is shown as continuing along the beach of Federal Point to the northeastward about 2 miles, and thence turning to the eastward and crossing its bar. No soundings are given on this bar. 1823. In 1821, 1822, and 1823, Mr. Hamilton Fulton, State engineer of North Carolina, made a survey of the bars at the mouth of the river, and of the shoals at and below Wilmington, which will be referred to in connection with that division of the subject. In this report he says: "A favorable change has taken place on the main bar of the Cape Fear Inlet; the channel remains in the same direction it had when I last surveyed it. but it has so much improved in depth that vessels drawing from 15 to 16 feet water may pass over the bar at high water in perfect safety. so that in the course of eighteen months the depth of water has increased 2 feet." No alteration has taken place in the depth of water at New Inlet. 1839. In 1839 a survey of the entrances to the Cape Fear River was made by Lieutenant Commander James Glynn, United States Navy, by order of the Navy Department, which was published in four sheets. The soundings are numerous, and give, apparently at low water, the depths on the bars of the three channel entrances, as follows, viz: The direction of the eastern channel entrance is very nearly the same as is shown on all the maps of surveys since the opening of New Inlet, viz, nearly north and south after turning Baldhead Point, curving a little to the eastward near the bar. The direction of the New Inlet entrance and the position of its bar are very nearly the same as those on the sketch of the survey of Major Kearney, in 1820. 1851. A survey of the entrance of Cape Fear River and New Inlet, made by Lieutenant J. N. Maflit, United States Navy, and published by the Coast Survey in 1852, gives the following depths, viz: On the bar of the eastern channel. Feet. A comparison of the above with the survey of Lieutenant Glynn, in 1839, exhibits. some remarkable changes. The eastern channel, after passing Baldhead Point, had described a considerable curve to the westward, toward the upper part of "Reeper's Shoal," where it had formed a pocket or shoe 3 of a mile long with over 9 feet depth of water in it. The channel then curved again to the eastward and crossed its bar very nearly in the old position—a little to the eastward of a north and south line, through Baldhead Point. The bar of this channel had increased in width from less than of a mile, in 1839, to more than a mile in 1851. The bar of the western channel had shoaled 1 foot, but had decreased somewhat in width, while the "rip" had shoaled 2 feet, and the distance across between its 9-foot curves had increased to 120 yards. Baldhead Shoal had extended itself toward the channel of a mile, while Baldhead Point had been greatly worn away. The New Inlet bar had worked to the southward, and also had diminished 2 feet in depth. 1853. On March 30, 1853, a commission, consisting of Professor A. D. Bache, superintendent United States Coast Survey; Lieutenant Charles Henry Davis, United States Navy; Captain D. P. Woodbury, United States Engineers, and Major I. I. Stevens, United States Engineers, appointed by the Secretary of War, to report upon the improvement of the Cape Fear River, at and below Wilmington, submitted their report. This report is printed in Ex. Doc., House of Representatives, Thirtythird Congress, first session, part 2. It sets forth fully the value of the exports of the port, amounting to over four and a half millions of dollars, consisting principally of naval stores; its importance in time of peace as a harbor of refuge for vessels coasting along this extensive stretch of exposed coast lying between Beaufort, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina, and its value in time of war as a place of refuge, repairs, and supply for our vessels of war, and also as a coaling-stationa deposit of coal of good quality and in large quantities having been discovered upon the river, about 120 miles from its mouth. Based upon the above considerations and ascertained facts, the commission expressed its opinion as follows, viz: "We find that a harbor, which once afforded easy access to vessel drawing nineteef feet of water, will now admit those of less than thirteen, and we cannot but regard this deterioration as a great national misfortune, and the restoration of the inlet to its original state as a work demanded by the general interests of commerce, both in peace and war.” The past and then condition of the bars is exhibited in the following table: The commission finally came to conclusions, of which the following are epitomes, viz: First. The depth on the main bar of Cape Fear entrance has dimin ished since the earliest records at an irregular rate. In the last fifty years it has shoaled from fifteen feet to eight feet. Second. In general the continued decrease in depth on the main or eastern bar has been attended with a fluctuating increase in depth of the western channel, and vice versa. Third. The deterioration of the main entrance is due mainly to the influence of New Inlet aided by the two smaller inlets south of it, by diminishing the volume of water, which otherwise would and formerly did pass in and out at the main entrance at every tide. This influence is shown in a general way by a comparison in the table above, of the sum of the depths on the main bar and bulk-head of the western channel before the opening of New Inlet and since that period, which have been respectively 23 and 20, and 24, 20, 28, 245, 23, and 224. Fourth. The comparative maps show a great wearing away of Baldhead, amounting at the point to some half or three-quarters of a mile. The site of the old light-house represented on Pott's map, of 1797–98, is now deep water. The great body of sand thus washed away must have had a direct influence in obstructing the main bar. Fifth. The practicability of protecting exposed points by jettees is demonstrated by the excellent effect of the jettees built for the preservation of Fort Caswell. Sixth. The middle ground, between the main and western channel, is iucreased in extent, and more shoal than formerly. The spots "dry at low water" have increased in number and size, and both the channels have shifted toward the land. The commissioners finally make the following (abbreviated) recommendations" as the most economical and as promising the best results, operations which look to the restoration of the main bar to its original condition, twenty feet at high water, by a restoration in the main of the original state of things." Enumerating the operations in the order in which they should be taken, they recommend: First. The protection of Baldhead from further abrasion by jettees like those at Fort Caswell. One jettee was to be placed about one hundred feet from the point on the northwest shore, and to be run out perpendicular to it. A second one, placed near the point on the outer shore, was to be united with the coast by a common branch above high water. A pile-wharf, one hundred yards inside of the first jettee, was to be made to play the part of a jettee by sinking loaded grillages between the piles. The naked sandbeach above high water was to be protected by sand-grass, properly planted, and by the construction of wattled fences. Second. As soon as the above works are fairly commenced, the two small openings near New Inlet, one about 400 yards wide and 4 feet deep, and the other 200 yards wide and 2 feet deep at low water, should be filled up. The construction recommended was a row of piles, squared on two sides, driven 8 or 10 feet apart, and secured at their heads by cap-pieces, between which and the piles a row of sheet-piling was to be driven. Third. A jettee from Zeke's Island to prevent New Inlet from making south. Fourth. Closing up New Inlet. This was to be done by a stone jettee, based on a wooden grillage, built out from Federal Point, and following the line of the shoal until it became necessary to diverge to Zeke's Island. An apron of small stones was to be spread upon the shoal in advance of the grillage to prevent the wearing of the bottom by the quickened current. 1853. April 18. On April 18, 1853, the board of river and harbor improvements, to which was referred the report of the above commission, make report thereon, signed by Colonel R. E. DeRussy, Corps of Engineers, senior member of the board. The board approves of the first of the above recommendations; also of the second as far as relates to the closing of the smaller inlet, 200 yards wide, (Champagne Creek,) south of Zeke's Island, but objects to the closing of the large one, 400 yards wide; does not clearly comprehend the third recommendation, which, with a certain understanding, will be concurred in; and disapproves of the fourth, the closing of New Inlet. Instead of the above, the board proposes its own plan for the improve. ment of the river, as follows, viz: To straighten the channel inside of Baldhead Point by extending the beach inside of the point toward the channel to a width of 250 to 300 yards opposite the light-house, diminishing to 20 or 30 yards at the point; to build on the upper end of Reeper Shoal a wing-dam 400 yards long, with a convex surface, to direct the current of the ebb-tide toward the bar between the Reeper and Marshall's Shoals; to dredge out a channel 100 feet wide and 10 to 11 feet deep through this bar; to construct a jettee from Federal Point along the shoal in a convex line for about a mile, to a point nearly abreast of Zeke's Island, but not to connect it with that island, (the object being to deflect the ebb current toward Horse-shoe Shoal, and so on toward the main bar, and also to allow the inflow of the flood-tide at New Inlet;) and, as a principal material in the construction of the jettees, dikes, and wing-dams specified in the plan, to use brush, on account of its cheap |