272

SANDUSKY-CAUTIONS-CHANNELS.

on the bar in the lake outside was only about 8 feet, and the controlling depths within the bay were from 7 to 10 feet.

Caution. An anchor lost by the Buffington lies near the turn from the straight channel to the Duck Channel in Sandusky Bay. Vessels entering should use caution until it is known whether the anchor is a menace to navigation.

Jetties. A stone jetty extends from Cedar Point northeasterly into the lake for 950 feet, thence 57° (NE. by E. E.) parallel to and 380 feet easterly from the axis of the outer range for 4,050 feet. An additional length of about 900 feet has been partially built and is submerged to a depth of from 0 to 10 feet below low-water datum. The surface of the completed jetty is about 3 feet above that datum and there is a pile at each 200 feet of its length.

Caution. The outer end of the submerged extension to this jetty, which is a dangerous menace to navigation, is marked by a black spar buoy, and vessels are warned not to attempt to leave or enter the channel on the easterly side except when outside of red gas and bell buoy No. 2. A spur dike 450 feet long has been built from Cedar Point out to the edge of the channel.

West jetty. A second or west jetty was started from the straight channel front range light on Sand Point Bar, but only extends about 108 feet. From this same front light a submerged dam or sill extends northwesterly along the crest of Sand Point Bar for a distance of 800 feet. These structures were completed to the Jabove lengths in 1901, and at present no further work is contemplated.

Channels.-Entrance is made by a dredged channel through the outer bar from the lake to Cedar Point, thence through the naturally deep water around the point and through the dredged straight channel to the city wharves, thence through a dredged channel along the face of the wharves. The old natural channel from Cedar Point to the wharves has been discontinued; the depths in this channel are now probably from 10 to 16 feet.

A depth of 19 feet is available for a minimum of about 300 feet in the channel through the outer bar and of 200 feet in the straight channel. The dock channel has an available depth of 18 feet along its northerly side for a width of 120 to 150 feet.

Turning basin. The westerly portion of the channel widens to 550 feet for a length of 550 feet to form a turning basin, with a minimum depth of 18.5 feet.

Channel ranges and buoys.-The channels are well marked by range lights and buoys. The old channel following the Cedar Point range has been abandoned and its marks discontinued. The bar channel is now straight from the lake to the "deep hole" on the present outer range, but good water is still found on the old range at

the lake end. The "deep hole" has a natural maximum depth of over 38 feet between Cedar Point and Sand Point Bar. Its 19-foot depth is about 400 feet wide with steep banks.

Outer range lights.-The front light, fixed white, 34 feet above water, visible 13 miles, is shown from a square white tower on a crib.

The rear light, fixed white, 60 feet above water, visible 15 miles, is shown from a similar tower on a crib about 875 yards 237° (SW. by W. W.) from the front light.

These lights in range lead through the outer channel between the jetties into Sandusky Bay.

Inner range lights. The front light, fixed red, 33 feet above water, is shown from a square red tower on West Jetty.

The rear light, fixed red, 50 feet above water, is shown from a similar tower on a crib 500 yards 17° (N. by E. E.) from the front light.

These lights in range lead through the dredged channel inside. Sandusky Bay to the city wharves.

The lighted clock tower in Sandusky is on this range.

Buoys. Red light and bell buoy No. 2, showing an occulting light, marks the northwesterly side of the outer end of the dredged channel on the outer range at the 19-foot depth in the lake. The channels are marked by red spar buoys on the starboard hand entering and black spar buoys on the port hand.

Inner red light buoy No. 26, showing an occulting white light, marks the turn from the straight channel into the dock channel opposite the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad wharves.

Dock channel. The dock channel is parallel to a line joining the outer ends of the extreme wharves on the main city front, bearing 244° (SW. by W. W.) for 7,600 feet, to the "Short Line" ore wharves.

Intake Crib Light.-A fixed white light, 10 feet above water, is maintained by the city on the waterworks intake crib in Sandusky Bay, located 87° (E. § N.) about 2,750 feet from the outer corner of the Baltimore & Ohio wharf.

Fluctuations of water level.-In addition to the fluctuations of level which affect Lake Erie somewhat uniformly, as noted in the "General description" of this lake, strong winds produce abnormal fluctuations in Sandusky Bay, which, in combination with prevailing high or low water, may reach a maximum effect of 6 feet above or 2 feet below low-water datum.

Storm warnings.-Day and night signals are displayed from a steel tower on the north water front of the dock at the foot of Jackson Street. Also day signals are shown on the front of the store and post office at Venice, south shore of Sandusky Bay.

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SANDUSKY RIVER AND BAY-DIRECTIONS.

Rules and regulations. On or before arrival masters of vessels should obtain a copy of the rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of War for the use and navigation of the channels about Sandusky, and should carefully comply with same.

Season of navigation. The average dates of the opening of navigation is March 22; of closing, December 19.

Directions. Approach the outside light buoy on any course between 315° (NW. N.) and 124° (SE. E.), and when the outer range lighthouses are in range 237° (SW. by W. W.) steer for them, leaving the light buoy on the starboard hand. Continue on this course for about 14 miles from the light buoy, when the vessel should be abreast red spar buoy No. 14 and on the inner range. Then change course to left and proceed through the straight channel, steering 197° (S. by W. W.), with the inner range lights in range astern. (The city hall clock tower should be dead ahead.)

At night vessels should begin the turn from the outer range into the straight channel in sufficient time to prevent overrunning the inner range.

Sandusky River and Bay.-Sandusky River enters Sandusky Bay at its upper or westerly end, about 14 miles above Sandusky, through the bay and is navigable for small vessels as far up as Fremont, Ohio, about 18 miles above its mouth. Below the New York Central Railroad bridge, crossing the bay about 8 miles below the mouth of the river, there is a general depth through the bay of about 8 feet, with no definite channel; above the bridge the depth is about 6 feet, with no definite channel. At the mouth of the river there exists probably the thread of the channel which was dredged through the soft deposits in 1894. In the river the depths vary from 2 to 13 feet or more, the lesser depths being on the several so-called bars, where there are deposits of sand and gravel. The entrance to the mouth of the river is roughly buoyed by private interests. The bridge above mentioned was originally a pile structure, but has been filled solid in various places, so that now only about two-sevenths of its length is open. This causes very strong currents to flow out and in through the openings, and great caution should be exercised in that vicinity. The northerly draw opening has a clear width of 65 feet and the southerly opening 66 feet, with a clear height above water of 7 feet.

Johnson Island, a large island in the northern part of the bay, lies just within Sand Point, a narrow tongue of land extending southward 13 miles from the Marblehead Peninsula.

CHAPTER XII.

POINT MARBLEHEAD TO MOUTH OF DETROIT RIVER, INCLUDING MIAMI AND ERIE CANAL.

Point Marblehead to Maumee Bay, Ohio-Catawba Island.— Westerly from Point Marblehead, Catawba Island juts out from the peninsula on the north of Sandusky Bay and terminates in Scott Point.

Mouse Island is a small island on the shoal bank about mile north of Scott Point.

Shoals. In the bight within a line connecting Marblehead and Mouse Island the water shoals from 18 feet to the shore, with bowlders and stony bottom. At a point 2 miles southeast of Scott Point the bank has only 2 feet of water mile from shore, with spots of 9 or 10 feet on the outer edge about 13 miles out. (It is further described under South Passage hereafter.)

Locust Point.-Westward of Catawba Island, and inclosed on the west by the shore, terminating in the rounding projection called Locust Point, is a bight or bay with water shoaling from 4 fathoms to shore, the distance between the east and west points of the bay being about 12 miles.

Portage River.-At the head of this bay Portage River enters, with the harbor of Port Clinton (described below) located at its mouth.

Shoals. A large shallow bank, having 14 feet or less water generally, with a 2-foot spot near the outer edge and other scattered patches of 3 to 10 feet, stretches northeasterly from the shore in the vicinity of Locust Point to a distance of about 5 miles, approaching to within a mile of the inner edge of Niagara Reef (described below in Chapter V). Strangers should not attempt the passage between Niagara Reef and the bank.

From Locust Point to Cedar Point, inclosing Maumee Bay on the east, a distance of about 14 miles, the shoal border within the 18-foot curve has a width diminishing from the above-mentioned bank at the former point to about 2 miles at the latter point.

Maumee Bay is a large shallow expanse forming the southwest corner of Lake Erie, having prevailing depths of less than 10 feet and obstructed by several areas of dumping ground, with a dredged

276

PORT CLINTON HARBOR-TOLEDO.

straight channel about 9 miles long leading from the 21-foot curve in the lake to the mouth of the Maumee River, which forms the harbor of Toledo.

Port Clinton Harbor, Ohio. This harbor is situated at the mouth of Portage River, about 26 miles southeast of Toledo Harbor entrance. The river enters the lake at the extreme southerly edge of the bight or bay immediately west of the Catawba Peninsula. This bight is quite shoal, the depths ranging from 10 feet off the end of the piers to 18 feet about 3 miles from shore. There is no distinct bar, but dredged channels outside the harbor do not long retain their depths. Portage River originally emptied into the lake somewhat easterly from its present outlet, but owing to difficulty in keeping the channel open, work was commenced in 1875 upon a project to change its course to a northerly direction and to provide jetties in the lake at its mouth.

Piers.-West Pier consists of a pile revetment running from the north shore of the river out into the lake 957 feet 57° (NE. by E. E.), thence toward the north 301 feet, whence it is continued by a pile dike 723 feet long, forming the outer extremity of the pier. A large portion of the top of the inner section of this revetment has been destroyed by fire, but the channel is in no way endangered. East Pier consists of a pile revetment starting from the shore on the south side of the river and extending northeasterly on an irregular course 2,200 feet, the outer straight section being nearly parallel to West Pier and 190 feet from it. A considerable part of these piers has been reinforced with riprap stone.

Channel. The natural depth in the vicinity of the outer end of the piers is about 6 feet. Soundings taken in August, 1917, showed depths of 9 feet or more in the channel beyond the piers. Between the piers the dredged channel is 100 feet wide, and in front of the city about 200 feet wide, with depths generally exceeding 9 feet, the currents passing through the channel being effective in maintaining these depths.

Directions. The course for entering between the parallel piers is 201° (SSW.).

Portage River.-Above Port Clinton the Portage River is a large basin of varying width and depth, affording a very crooked channel which is navigable for about 4 feet draft up to Oak Harbor, about 12 miles above the mouth.

Light. A fixed red light, 26 feet above water, visible 8 miles, is shown from a square white tower on the outer end of West Pier.

Bridges. A highway bridge with a double swinging draw crosses the harbor at Port Clinton, 2,800 feet above the entrance, having openings with clear width of 50 feet on the north side and 68 feet on the south side, and 10.8 feet clear height. It is advisable for ves