PWPL Micro Film Reel No. 16
The Mining Journal, Marquette, MI p. 1 c.7
Saturday, March 15, 1890

Collided With the Harbor Line

The DSS&A Ry., in its efforts to provide for the rapidly
increasing ore trade of this port has met with an
obstruction, which though not extremely serious, is at
least annoying. The extension of Dock No. 3 will have to be
stopped for the present 215 feet short of the point
intended. Hence theproposed .addition of 100 pockets to that
dock must be reduced to 64 pockets, a loss of 36 pockets
and a consequent diminuation in the docks capacity of about
5,500 tons. The new No. 4 dock will also be slightly
affected. The causes of this are the harbor lines
recommended by the Board of the United States Engineers in
ite report of January 12, 1889, and subsequently approved by
the Secretary of War, Endicott.

For several days the report has been current that the
government would not allow the South Shore to extend its ore
docks to the points desired but no action was taken until
last evening, when Captain Foster, the United States engineer
in charge, notified Engineer Payne that the construction
of No. 3 dock must stop where it now is and that no more
piles could be driven. Notice was also given that the No. A
dock would extend some 40' over the harbor line and must be
reduced accordingly. The extension of No. 3 dock has
‘advanced 385 feet and now reaches the harbor line. It would
not seem that the extension of the full amount of 600 feet
could not interefere with shipping in that quarter of the bay
snd that a revision of the harbor lines now in force might
advantageously be made. Mr. Payne was seen last Thrusday by
a Mining Journal reporter.

"Yes, we have been ordered to stop the extension of No. 3
dock", he said. "It will also be necessary to change the
plans of No. 4 slightly: I ran the harbor lines as leid
down in the report of the Chief engineer's as nearly as could
be done last fall when.there was ice on the bay. I believed
that we could just get No. 4 in. I thought the extension of
No. 3 might run over the line a little bit though not nearly
as much as Captain Foster says, but if it did I can see no
harm as there is plenty of reom there. The end of No. 3 dock is
totally unprotected and if the South Shore was willing to take
the risk I do riot see why the government should object. I
cannot now see how the extension of No. 3 dock to the full
length intended would interefere with shipping. I shall
have to move No. 4 dock in about 40 feet. The number of
pockets will have to be reduced but there will be a little
less room between the first pocket and the shore.

 

- Ore Docks