RETURN

To an Address of the HOUSE OF COMMONS, asking for the Reports, Plans, and Surveys of the Chief Engineer and his assistants, relating to the construction of a Harbor of Refuge on Lake Erie and on Lake Huron respectively.

SIR, -The Department has frequently had under consideration the importance of making a good and accessible harbor of refuge on Lake Huron, and another on Lake Erie, in case of storms; and the attention of the Government has also been often directed to this subject by shipowners and others directly interested.

The Minister is now of opinion that the time has arrived when some decided action should be taken in this matter, and directs me to request that you will be good enough to take steps for obtaining such information as will enable you to select and report the most eligible places for such harbors of refuge as will best accommodate the trade.

You will find in the Department plans of various places on the above-named lakes, which have been, from time to time, suggested for the purpose, as well as recent reports on the subject by persons employed for that purpose.

The Secretary of Public Works.

OTTAWA, 20th January, 1870.

SIR,-In compliance with instructions conveyed in your letter (No. 2901, Copy prefixed), examinations and surveys have been made of the different harbors and landing places on the east coast of Lake Huron and the north shore of Lake Erie, with a view of obtaining such information as would enable an opinion to be arrived at, as to which of them are the most capable of being made safe and accessible during storms.

On these coasts there are no natural harbors, in which large vessels can find shelter ; whilst the winds that render protection necessary, are generally those that have a tendency to create such seas at the mouths of the existing small harbors as prevent the possibility of their being approached.

Within the past twenty-five years the mercantile navy of the Lakes has been more than quadrupled; the easulties to vessels and frequently their entire loss, together with that of numerous lives and much valuable property, have also greatly increased. This has naturally led to the impression that if "Asylum Harbors" were established, many of these disasters would in all probability be avoided, and that the expense of their formation would bear a comparatively small proportion to the advantages they would ultimately confer on the trade.

But although these facts are generally admitted, many different views and opinions seem to be entertained as to the place or places which should be selected for this purpose. Each locality, where small harbors or landing piers have been constructed, having its advocates in some cases, irrespective of whether nature has at all adapted the place for -shelter or access at the very time when these are most urgently required.

It is, however, believed that no considerations of a merely local kind should be allowed to have much weight in deciding a question of such general importance, but that the place should be selected chiefly on the grounds of its natural advantages, and its position in reference to the known wants of the navigation.

The propriety of establishing "Harbors of Refuge " being acknowledged, it is deemed proper to state at the outset what may properly be understood to constitute a harbor of this kind.

The basin or roadstead should be of ample area to accommodate at one time all the vessels likely to avail themselves of its shelter, and the depth of water be sufficient for loaded vessels to ride without touching bottom, during the oscillations of the surface caused by storms outside. It should have good anchorage ground, be easy of access and egress, and be situated as nearly as possible at a place or point on the coast towards which vessels are most frequently drifted by storms; or where, from the trend of the shore, they may be detained by adverse winds.

Fully impressed with the importance of the subject, every effort has been made to study all the facts bearing upon it that could be collected, such as the winds, currents, character of the coasts, soundings, anchorage, bearings, &c., &c.

All reports and documents relating to the question that could be found, have also been carefully perused, and the result of these enquiries and examinations is now respectfully submitted in the following report.

Lake Huron.

The prevailing winds over a large portion of this continent being westerly, the Canadian shores of the lakes, but specially those of Lake Huron, are peculiarly open to their influence.

On this lake it has been observed that the heaviest storms are generally from the north-west. At such times the central portion of the east coast receives the full sweep of the sea from Mackinac Straits, a distance of over 170 miles; and the lower part is equally open to gales from the direction of Saginaw, a distance across the lake of fully eighty miles.

From Cape Hurd (71⁄2 miles south of the lighthouse on Cone Island, at the entrance of the Georgian Bay) to Chief's Point, a distance of forty-five miles, the general bearing of the shore is south-easterly. It is for the most part rocky, rugged in outline, and studded with numerous islands.

From Chief's 'Point to Point Clark the coast trends towards the southwest, and in this distance of forty-eight miles there is only one island of any considerable extent. From Point Clark to what is called Lakeview, the course of the shore is almost due south for fully 50 miles, when it again takes a south-westerly direction for forty-three miles to the mouth of the St. Clair River. The total distance between the places mentioned being about 186 miles.

The greater part of this shore presents an irregular line of clay bluffs, which at Goderich are about 120 feet high, but towards the north their elevation diminishes, and at many places there are long gradual inclinations from the lake up to the adjoining table land.

These banks overlie the limestone, which is exposed at various places near the shore, and also at or near the outlet of several streams.

The only rivers of any considerable extent which flow into the lake on its eastern side are the Saugeen and Maitland. The former of these drains an area of about 1,400 square miles, and the latter about 600 square miles of country.

Notwithstanding that these rivers are liable to heavy spring freshets, they do not bring down so large an amount of detritus as descends in streams of much less magnitude on the north shore of Lake Erie.

This should be especially borne in mind, as it forms a distinguishing characteristic of the difficulties to be encountered in the construction of harbors on these lakes.

Being fully convinced that any place on the coast, between Chief's Point and Cape Hurd (no matter what natural advantages it might possess), would be much too far to the north and east of the general track of vessels engaged in the trade to be of service as an asylum harbor; my investigations were principally directed to localities lying to the southward.

Having made these general remarks, it is now proposed to describe the different places which have been surveyed and examined.

The soundings or depth of water stated as existing at the various places mentioned, are in all cases (unless specially stated) those found in the fall of 1868, when the level of the lakes was unusually low.

Saugeen River

Is a stream of considerable magnitude, and drains a large extent of country.

It is liable to heavy spring freshets, that frequently carry with them great quantities of driftwood and generally large fields and masses of ice. These, from the contractedness of the outlet, sometimes form a jam or dam that raises the water and causes much damage. In the spring of 1868, the water rose from 14 to 15 feet over its ordinary level, and for a time threatened the destruction of the warehouses built in the vicinity.

At the village of Southampton the banks are from 45 to 50 feet high, and the river from 300 to 400 feet in width. For about 1,000 feet within the line of the piers constructed at its outlet, the depth varies from 7 to 3 feet, but towards the upper part of the distance stated there are clusters of boulders dry at low water.

On the north side a pier has been carried out fully 600 feet parallel with the stream, and on the south side one about 350 feet long, of a curved form, has been placed diagonally to the current, so that at its outer end there is a space of only 200 feet between it and the north pier. In the centre of that portion of the channel situated between the piers, the depth varies from 10 to 15 feet, which is maintained in an oblique direction outwards to the head of the north pier, where the width of water answering to these depths is about 80 feet.

From the south shore a shoal extends out fully 1,050 feet beyond the end of the south pier, in a direction across the entrance on which the greatest depth did not exceed 5 feet. (See plan No. 1.)

From this bar to considerably beyond the line of the north pier, as well as for at least 100 feet to the westward of the bar, the soundings varied from 8 to 9 feet.

This bank shifts its position, and the depth of water over it changes by the action of heavy gales; but for the most part it bars a direct entrance to the river.

There is reason to believe that these extensive shoals are formed more by the currents and action of the lake than from detritus brought down by the river; but to clear them out and guard against their formation is a problem very difficult, if at all possible, to solve.

Still the construction of the north pier has, doubtless, been of great advantage to the locality, and it is quite probable that were it extended beyond the outer end of the shoal, the entrance to the river would at times be more accessible.

Chantry Island. This lies 13 of a mile in a W.S.W. direction from the mouth of the Saugeen River, and fully of a mile from the main land. It is about half a mile long in a N.N.E. course, of a slightly curved shape, with a width varying from 50 to 300 feet, and contains an area above ordinary high water mark of about 9 acres. The central portion is 10 feet high, but its general height is not more than 5 to 6 feet over the lake. It is composed chiefly of a substratum of clay and boulders with a gravel surface, patches of which are mixed with vegetable soil, and sparsely covered with a stunted growth of spruce, pine, and poplar trees. Near the centre of the island the trees are from 45 to 50 feet high, and towards the ends they are from 20 to 30 feet high.

་

The island is surrounded by reefs on its north, south, and west sides. Those at the north and south ends appear to be a subaqueous continuation of the ridge forming the island, and consist chiefly of granite boulders, some of which are of great size.

The easterly side of the southern reef runs south by west from the south point of the island. On this line, for the first 2,000 feet, the depth of water varies from 2 to 5 feet, thence for a like distance there is from 7 to 9 feet of water, and at about a mile from the island, there is a depth of 15 feet, gradually increasing to 40 feet within the next quarter of a mile.

The northern reef runs N.N.E. from the north point of the island, and for about half a mile in that direction the depths vary from 5, 7, 10 to 13 feet, beyond which, on the same line and to the westward of it, there is a large area and several patches, with 14 feet over them; but it is about a mile from the north point of the island before a clear line of 15 feet water is reached, when the depth suddenly increases to 25 feet and upwards.

On the westerly side, for the whole length of the island, there is a large area of an irregular width, closely studded with boulders, partly dry at low water; and it is fully half a mile to the westwards before the line of 15 feet is reached. (See plan, No. 2.)

Near the centre of the island a light-tower, about 80 feet, high has been erected, on which is placed a lenticular lighting apparatus of the second order.

The light stands fully 86 feet over the ordinary surface of the lake, and is visible from the deck of a vessel, in clear weather, at a distance of about eighteen miles.

It will doubtless be of importance to captains and masters of vessels to learn that after a careful hydrographic survey, it has been fully ascertained that both the north and south reefs, as well as the western shoals, can be cleared by keeping at the distance of one mile and a quarter from the lighthouse, and that outside of this line there will be found a gradually increasing depth of over fifteen feet water.

The island at the north end is 4,000 feet, and at the south end 5,400 feet to the westward of the main land. Along its landward or easterly side, the line of 10 feet water varies from 300 to 800 feet out from the beach, and the 15 feet water line is from 600 to 1,400 feet out, except at a few places (near the centre) opposite the northern end, where the depth is only 14 feet.

On the mainland side the 10 feet water line is from 300 to 700 feet from the shore, but there is a small patch about 600 feet to the southwards at 1,400 feet out. The line of 15 feet water is from 600 to 900 feet out, except around the patch above mentioned, where it is nearly 2,000 feet distant from the shore.

The area of the water surface directly east of the island, and between it and the main shore, is 267 acres; of this space there is an area of about 140 acres, in which the depth varies from 5 to 20 feet; bottom generally covered with boulders, but at a few places there is good anchorage.

At the north end of the island a breakwater of cribwork, 683 feet long, has been built in an E.N.E. direction, out to a depth of 16 feet, which, to the southward, forms a small area of comparatively smooth water during north-westerly gales. But as it does not strictly extend beyond the line of 15 feet, and only 200 feet outside of the 10 feet line, vessels really derive very little benefit from its shelter, unless they are of such a draught as can ride freely within the line of shoal water.

In short, the island being low, the trees upon it somewhat scattered and stunted, vessels at any place within the area of deep water inside, are still in a great measure exposed to the sweep of the wind, and to a heavy rolling sea in stormy weather. But it is said that the anchorage is in some places so good, that vessels provided with proper ground tackling, getting fairly under lee of the island, have hitherto been able to ride out heavy gales with safety.

Port Elgin Harbor lies five miles south of the mouth of the Saugeen River, and is formed by an indent in the shore, which, on the southerly side, trends very gradually towards the southwest.

This bay, between what may be considered the outer points, measures about threefourths of a mile across, and from the same line extends about one-fourth of a mile inland.

For 300 feet outwards from the shore the water is from 4 to 6 feet deep, except one part of the northerly side, where there is only 3 feet water at 400 feet out.

Lakewards of the bay there are two large shoals, one of which lies about 600 feet south of the north point, and measures 560 feet from east to west, with a width of from 100 to 300 feet, partly dry at low water; the other is opposite the centre of the bay, and is 868 feet long from north to south, with a width of from 100 to 450 feet, on which there is a depth of from 4 to 6 feet. (See plan No. 3.)

In other parts of the bay the soundings found were from 7 to 13 feet, but in the channel leading from the northwest there is not a clear depth of more than 7 feet.

On a line leading southwest from the head of the landing pier, past the southern shoal, only 7 feet water can be carried, but in a S. S. W. direction from the same place, the least depth found was 10 feet.

A landing wharf, 420 feet long, with a cross-head of 80 feet, was constructed in 1857 and 1858, near the centre of the bay, at the outer end of which there was found a depth of 10 feet. But it being open to all winds from S. W. round to N. W., a breakwater, 420 feet long, consisting of groups of piles driven into the gravel bottom, has been formed at right angles to, and 650 feet out from, the pier. A crib has also been placed on the southern point of the north shoal.

These works are expected by the residents to have the effect of rendering the landing pier easier of access, and of making the water inside more tranquil.

All the expenditure at this place, with the exception of a grant of $4,000 from the Government has been made either by private individuals or by the municipalities.

There is reason to believe that these improvements have been of great advantage to the locality, and especially to the village situated about three-fourths of a mile inland, the residents of which were chiefly instrumental in getting them properly carried out.

Inverhuron Bay lies nineteen miles south-west-by-south of the mouth of the Saugeen River, and two and a half miles south of Point Douglass.

It is about four-fifths of a mile across in a south-easterly direction from the north point to the opposite shore, and extends about one-third of a mile inland from the same line.

On its easterly side there is generally a depth of 10 feet water at 300 feet out from the beach, but on the north side the 10 feet line is within 100 feet of the shore, and at some places less.

The line of 15 feet water is from 400 to 800 feet out from the eastern shore, and on the north side it is from 100 to 250 feet out.