RIVERS AND HARBORS OMNIBUS BILL TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1954 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON RIVERS AND HARBORS, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 a. m., in room 1302, New House Office Building, Hon. Homer D. Angell, chairman of the subcommittee, presiding. Mr. ANGELL. The committee will come to order. The House is meeting at 11 o'clock so it will be necessary for us to proceed with as much dispatch as possible. We have three hearings set. I talked with Delegate Bartlett and it is not possible for him to be present on the Alaska project. I understand that the Governor of Alaska, Hon. B. Frank Heintzleman, is here. If it is agreeable to members of the committee and others we will take up first the Mobile Harbor Project in Alabama, which is House Document 74 of the 83d Congress. MOBILE HARBOR, ALA. We have with us Hon. Frank Boykin of Alabama, who was a former member of this committee, and a very fine member, and who has done a magnificent job representing his district. He has certainly pleaded with me for a long time on behalf of all of these projects in which the great southern portion of our country is so much interested. It has been a great pleasure for me during the 16 years I have been here to serve with the very distinguished Congressman from Alabama. I believe I share the belief with all other members of the committee that we are happy indeed to have him with us. I understand it is agreeable to all that we first have the report of the Corps of Army Engineers. Col. J. U. Allen, Assistant Chief of Civil Works, Rivers and Harbors, is with us and is going to present this project. We are very happy to have you with us, Colonel, and if it is agreeable with you we will hear from you at this time. STATEMENT OF COL. J. U. ALLEN, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF CIVIL WORKS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY Colonel ALLEN. Mr. Chairman, the report on Mobile Harbor, Ala., is contained in House Document 74 of the 83d Congress, 1st session. This report was requested by a resolution of the Committee on Pub lic Works, House of Representatives, and adopted on September 27, 1951. Mobile Harbor, Ala., serves the city of Mobile, which is located in the southwest corner of Alabama on the Mobile River. The port of Mobile serves in addition to itself as an industrial shipping center the industrial area of Birmingham, Ala., which has developed into an extensive iron center. The project at Mobile Bay at the present time consists of a 36-foot by 450-foot wide channel across the outer bar. It consists of a 32-foot by 300-foot channel approximately 30 miles long from the entrance of Mobile Bay up the Mobile River. The depth is continued at 32 feet in the Mobile River, with varying widths up to the highway bridge. The difficulties which are found with respect to navigation at the present time are due to the inadequate depths and the inadequate widths in the present channel. In the period 1946 to 1951 there were more than 60 ships involved in accidents in the Mobile Bay channel. The steamship companies attribute these accidents to the inadequate depths and the inadequate widths for the transit of modern steamships. They state that the narrowness of he channel, which is only 300 feet wide, makes it very difficult for the present-day steamships to transit and pass safely. The depths under the keels are inadequate for proper response to the helm, again adding to the danger in transit of ships. Some operators have complained that while transiting Mobile Bay the ships have drawn mud into the condensers, with the resultant and consequent damage to the machinery of the ship. In 1952 the port of Mobile accommodated in excess of 11 million tons of waterborne commerce. Of that 11 million tons 34 percent consisted of petroleum products, 18 percent consisted of aluminum ore or bauxite, 9 percent was iron ore and manganese. The other major cargoes consisted of seashells, coal, wood and paper products, making up the balance of the 11 million tons. Mr. JONES. Mr. Chairman, may I ask a question at that point? Mr. JONES. Will you relate the history of the increased traffic index to that port for the last 10 to 15 years, Colonel? Colonel ALLEN. In 1941 the tonnage carried on the Mobile ship channel was 5 million tons. That decreased through 1942 with a drop-off during the war to about 3 million tons in 1944. Since 1945 it has shown a considerable increase each year of approximately 1 million tons annually, until last year, in 1952, the last year on which I have figures, it was in excess of 11 million tons, or approximately 11,020,000 tons. Mr. JONES. What is anticipated growth of the commerce? Colonel ALLEN. The anticipated growth in Mobile Harbor will depend to a large extent on the increase in the Venezuelan ore shipments which are en route to Birmingham. Mr. JONES. Are you acquainted with their requirements, Colonel, that is, the steel companies' requirements for port facilities in handling ore going to Birmingham? Colonel ALLEN. No, sir. I am not. Mr. JONES. Have you had any communication from them indicating what they will need in the way of port requirements? Colonel ALLEN. In the report the prospective commerce or the future annual movements of iron ore through Mobile Harbor are estimated at 3 million tons. Mr. JONES. That is the point I wanted to get in. In other words, they expect within the near future to be sending some 3 million tons of iron ore into the Mobile district? Colonel ALLEN. Yes, sir. I might point out that the 5-year average, 1946 to 1951, percentagewise in iron ore, was 6 percent of the total tonnage, and in 1952 that has increased to 9 percent; which serves to bear out the prospective commerce indicated in the report. Mr. MACK. What is the population of the Mobile-Birmingham area, Colonel? Colonel ALLEN. The population of the city of Mobile in 1950 was 129,000. In the metropolitan area of Mobile it was 190,000. Mr. MACK. What about Birmingham? Colonel ALLEN. Birmingham is quite a distance away from Mobile. Mr. BOYKIN. There are some 400,000 people in the Birmingham area. Mr. MACK. How is freight moved from Mobile to Birminghamby rail or water? Colonel ALLEN. There is a navigable waterway up the Mobile River from Mobile to Birmingham. Mr. MACK. What is the depth? Colonel ALLEN. It is 9 feet in depth. Mr. ANGELL. Where does the ore all come from? Colonel ALLEN. The majority of it comes from Venezuela. Perhaps the gentleman from Mobile can verify that. My information is it comes from Venezuela and they are counting to a large extent on developing this Port of Mobile with increased draft vessels to carry that tonnage. Mr. JONES. In other words, if you get an increase in ore shipments there in the next 2 years you will have shipments amounting to approximately 3 million tons of iron ore alone coming into the Mobile port? Colonel ALLEN. In 1952 the tonnage of iron ore was 987,000. The prospective commerce indicated that that would rise to 3 million tons. Mr. JONES. Thank you. Colonel ALLEN. The district and division engineer and the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors recommended modification of the Mobile project to the following depths and widths: They recommended modification of the project to produce a 42-foot depth across the outer bar and an increase in width to 600 feet. They recommend modification of the project to a 40-foot depth in the long Mobile Bay Channel with a width of 400 feet. They recommend a modification of the depth in the Mobile River Channel to 40 feet, maintaining the same width substantially, and recommend the addition of a turning basin of 40 feet in depth and 800 feet wide at the upper limit of the project. The Chief of Engineers recommended the adoption of this project, which has a benefit-cost ratio of 2.77. The annual charges of the project are $512,509, of which $290,000 is maintenance dredging. 39263-54-vol. 146 A report has been submitted to the Governor of Alabama and the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, who advised that they have no objection to the submission of the report to Congress and have no recommended changes. Mr. JONES. Colonel, the depth you propose in this report is the same depth that you are asking for for similar large port areas. Is that true? Colonel ALLEN. A 40-foot depth. Yes, sir. The 42 feet across the outer bar, of course, will provide for the transit of that bar in rougher weather, which does not obtain inside the harbor. Mr. ANGELL. Colonel, what is the Federal cost? Colonel ALLEN. The annual charges? Mr. ANGELL. NO. The cost of the project. Colonel ALLEN. The total Federal first cost was $5,828,000. Mr. ANGELL. And the non-Federal? Colonel ALLEN. The non-Federal was $143,000. Mr. ANGELL. Does the non-Federal cost include any cash contributions? Colonel ALLEN. It includes no cash contributions, but includes the provision of slips and rights-of-way and disposal areas. Mr. ANGELL. Are there any further questions from members of the committee? Mr. NEAL. Colonel, I noticed you advised or recommended 42 feet of depth in the outer bar as against 40 feet over the rest of it. Colonel ALLEN. Yes, sir. Mr. NEAL. Is that because your outer bar is more apt to need dredging in order to maintain that depth? In other words, is the outer bar more apt to fill up more readily? Why do you need the extra 2 feet there? Colonel ALLEN. The extra 2 feet is provided there because of the wave conditions under which the ships have to transit the outer bar. That is, you may have a high wave action which may reduce your ultimate depth, and those wave actions are not encountered to the same degree in the Mobile Bay area. Mr. NEAL. It is not for any particular reason, such as sedimentation, or filling up of the outer bar? Colonel ALLEN. No, sir. Primarily it is to permit of operation during all weather conditions. Mr. ANGELL. Are there any other questions? Mr. MACK. Is the oil imported or exported from Mobile Bay? Colonel ALLEN. The oil is exported. I can't answer that question specifically, though, sir. I can provide it as to the relative imports and exports. Mr. MACK. Thank you. You mentioned among the cargo carried through Mobile Bay that of seashells. What ultimate product do they go into? Colonel ALLEN. Cement and fertilizer. There is a considerable amount. It amounts to 18 percent of the total tonnage in 1952. Mr. MACK. The reason why I asked that question is that we have a tremendous shell industry on the Pacific coast, and I do not know of any use being made of the shell. Colonel ALLEN. Primarily cement. Mr. SCUDDER. Colonel, what is the present depth of the channel at Mobile? |