William P. Craighill and the Baltimore Harbor

, , ~ "I. '.'~. ' f ngrauea in 1847 by Robert HaJ~lsaili~ 9 uesse sand I rary of C:ongress I, ,....,.. - A MONUMENT TO AN ENGINEER'S SKILL: WILLIAM P. CRAIGHILL AND THE BALTIMORE HARBOR .. / PROPERTY OF OFFICE OF HISTORY, OCE by Dr. Harold K. Kanarek About the Author Dr. Harold K. Kanarek received his under· graduate education at Hiram College in Ohio and earned both his M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from the University of Virginia. His publications include "The Pennsylvania Anthracite Strike of 1922" in the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography (April 1975) and "Disaster for Hard Coal: The Anthracite Strike of 1925-26" in Labor History (Winter 1974). Presently, he is writing a complete history of the U.S. Army Engineer District of Baltimore and teaching at George Mason University in Virginia. Baltimore District, Corps of Engineers P.O. Box 1715 Baltimore, Maryland 21203 2 Foreword The history of the Baltimore District, U.S. Army channel which bears his name, has been taken from a Corps of Engineers, encompasses more than 100 years complete history of the Baltimore District soon to be of Baltimore City and Harbor history. published. It tells of the irritating problems which had to be ~lved, his relationships with members of Congress, Baltimore has become one of the leading ports in Baltimore City civic leaders, and his open and private the world, but it was not without the persistent effort of campaign to obtain funds for his project. There was Brigadier General William Craighill who arrived in the opposition to the dredging as there is today but when city as a Major in 1865 and left 30 years later to become Craighill completed the project, he reminded the officials Chief of Engineers, Washington, D.C. of Baltimore City that, "it is not to be forgotten that this Before Craighill undertook the massive channel is an artificial road or highway .... it did not exist excavation of the Patapsco, most of the commerce by nature. It was made, and to be kept in good condition coming into the Port of Baltimore had to be unloaded on it requires care in its use and annual repairs." We the lighters 20 miles from the inner harbor. members of Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have devoted ourselves to total performance This fascinating chapter on the harbor history and of missions assigned us. This is the story of one Craighill, the man who fought for the completion of the individual, his hopes, his despairs, and his success. Colonel, Corps of Engineers District Engineer 3 A Monument to an Engineer's Skill: William P. Craighill and the Baltimore Harbor navigation channels open. The Board built its own primitive dredge. From 1798 on the city spent money Of all the contributions that the Baltimore District dredging the inner harbor.! of the Army Corps of Engineers made to the Baltimore metropolitan area, the excavation of the Baltimore Outer harbor improvement resided with the Harbor stands as the foremost achievement. The federal government. As early as 1826 the Secretary of the widening and deepening of the water approaches to the Navy submitted a report on a survey of the harbor to city and the creation of new channels propelled Congress. The depth of the main channel at mean low Baltimore into becoming the second largest Atlantic port water measured seventeen feet. The Secretary noted to New York City. The water highway connected the that "the water can be readily, and at inconsiderable Atlantic coast and the Mid·West to Europe and South expense, deepened to 20 feet, by means of the admirable America at a time when water transportation was the mud-excavators now in operation in the harbor."2 In 1830 most efficient and least expensive means of hauling the army engineers surveyed the harbor and in 1836 manufactured commodities and raw materials. Congress appropriated $20,000 for deepening the entrance channels. The law stipulated no specific Baltimore has ideal geographical advantages. dimensions. Congress placed the money in the hands of Most importantly, she is the westernmost of all Atlantic the Board of Port Wardens which used it to hire the ports. Yet she is only ten miles from the Chesapeake Bay dredging apparatus belonging to the city.to execute the on the Patapsco River and 150 nautical miles from the improvements.3 By 1838 an additional $35,000 in federal Virginia Capes, the entrance to the Atlantic Ocean. As money had been spent on dredging the Patapsco. The the Baltimore and Ohio railroad surged westward, the tie Engineer Department requested that the Congress between the port and the interior solidified. The tonnage appropriate $25,000 annually for the harbor's of traffic moving to and from the Mid-West through the maintenance. But river and harbor improvements harbor spiraled upward. More American and foreign encountered vociferous political and constitutional ships visited the Patapsco shores annually. criticism after 1838. The Baltimore Harbor received no more federal funds until 1852.4 The swift clipper ship dominated trade until the Civil War and Baltimore led in the construction of these III sailing vessels. But by mid-century, the desire for increased cargo capacity meant that the clipper ships When Captain Henry Brewerton became the could not survive. Large steam powered crafts soon Baltimore District Engineer in 1852, his appointment dominated sea traffic. Naturally as the size of ocean coincided with a reawakened Congressional generosity vessels grew, the need to enlarge the Patapsco River's in allotting funds for internal improvements. Hence new approaches to the city became imperative. federal money became available for the Baltimore Harbor project. Besides overseeing the construction of II Fort Carroll in the Patapsco River, the excavation of the harbor became Brewerton's main responsibility. Even before the advent of steam ocean cruisers, Baltimoreans had an abiding concern in maintaining the Born in New York City at the dawn of the water avenues to their city. After the American nineteenth century, Brewerton entered West Point at the Revolution, the mayor appointed a Board of Port age of twelve and subsequently served in the Corps of Wardens to control harbor traffic and keep the Engineers for nearly half a century until his retirement in 4 1867. Before coming to Baltimore he already possessed half miles below Fort Carroll. The average natural depth an outstanding reputation from his years in charge of of this branch ranged from nineteen to twenty one feet. navigation and defenses in the Mississippi Delta and at The lower division ran nine miles from the point one and a the Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. At both places half miles below Fort Carroll to four miles beyond North he contracted debilitating illnesses which sapped his Point. The average depth here was only sixteen to energy for the balance of his life . Nevertheless, he eighteen feet.s vigorously pursued all his remaining responsibilities both as superintendent of the United States Military Academy Brewerton concentrated his efforts entirely on from 1845 to 1852 and as Baltimore District Engineer this lower branch. He surveyed the route and marked out from 1852 to 1864. the most suitable course for the proposed excavation. He had buoys placed about every half mile, red on the Brewerton's first task upon his arrival in Baltimore eastern side and white on the western. The goal was to was to examine various types of dredging machines and form a channel 150 feet wide and twenty two feet deep.9 select the most efficient model for use in the Patapsco. In all, he envisioned that three dredges would be necessary The dredging, which began on the lower branch in to excavate the Patapsco to a depth of twenty two feet. the fall of 1853, continued until the Civil War. Gradually He finally settled on a single bucket type dredge which the channel took shape. At first the city and the United worked two cranes and two scoops at the same time. States employed a force of one dredge each. In July 1854, Such a machine had the capability of excavating around however, the city added a third dredge to the fleet. In 1857 100 cubic yards of mud per hour. Of course, steam boats the federal government contributed two more dredges would be required for towing dumpers into shallow and a tug boat to the project. By the end of 1858 the water where the excavated matter was to be deposited.s channel could support vessels drawing about twenty feet Both the city and the army engineers initially contracted of water. On August 7, 1858 the Empress of the Seas, the for construction of their own single dipper dredge. The largest ship ever to enter the port of Baltimore up to that city was vitally interested in improving the harbor, time, arrived through the new channel drawing nineteen particularly with the completion of a railroad network and a half feet water depth. The Chief of Engineers leading to the port. As Brewerton noted, "it is intended General Joseph Totten proudly announced that the that the steam-dredge recently constructed for the water "vessel could no doubt, have carried through the new of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coast, shall for the channel with a draught of 21 feet, as there were no present cooperate with the new steam-dredge belonging indications that the ship's keel was near the bottom. "10 to the City of Baltimore . " The city also agreed to tow Brewerton urged that the channel be completed as soon the government's dredge with their steam tug. Since they as possible in order that it could be used by the largest would be working so closely together, Brewerton class of vessels desiring to visit the port.

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