inside face below water with 3-inch hard-wood sheathing. A contract for the riprap filling has recently been awarded to Edward M. Graves, of Indianapolis, Ind., at an estimated cost of $45,150, and for the sheathing to Walter V. Metcalf, of Cleveland, Ohio, at an estimated cost of $22,537.20. Reference was made in my last annual report to the dilapidated condition of the shore end of the old west break water, between the west opening and the harbor line; the attention of the proper authorities having been called to this matter it was decided that the funds available could be applied to these repairs. Accordingly, plans and specifications were prepared for the repairs necessary to make this part compare in strength and appearance with the remainder of the west break water, and a contract has been entered into with the Hunkin Brothers Construction Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, to do the necessary work at a total estimated cost of $82,255. Active preparations are being made for starting the three contracts above mentioned, and it is expected that they will be well under way by the middle of July. Dredging-No contract dredging work has been done in Cleveland Harbor during the present fiscal year. The U. S. dredge Burton, which was built especially for work in this district, reached Cleveland from the coast on November 18, and after fitting out for dredging work was tested in the east basin between November 26 and December 3. The material raised was a soft mud and silt, which settled in the bins so slowly that it was impossible to obtain anything like a proper load. In fact, after working for an hour or more it frequently happened that little or nothing could be felt with a sounding pole in the bottom of the bins. It was also found that after the bins were full nothing worth while was gained by continued pumping. A very careful analysis of the material raised indicated that from 60 to 100 cubic yards of solid matter could be dredged in this manner per load. Owing to unfavorable weather and the necessity for getting the dredge into winter quarters before a general freeze up took place, all further operations were suspended on December 3 and the dredge sent to Sandusky for the winter. On March 23 of this year the Burton again returned to Cleveland and on the 29th was placed in dry dock for the purpose of enlarging her rudder, reversing her wheels, replacing several plates that had been injured while passing through the Welland Canal, and raising a number of sea cocks, which were found to admit too much sand and grit. It was thought from the tests made in November that the boat did not handle as well as she should for work of this kind, consequently on the advice of the officers of the American Ship Building Company the rudder was lengthened from 6 feet to 10 feet and increased 50 per cent in area. The wheels were also reversed, so as to turn outward instead of inward. This work was completed on April 8, and on the 10th, after again testing her machinery and making a few observations to determine the effect of the new rudder and of reversing her wheels, the Burton left for Ashtabula, where her services were urgently required to remove the bar at the entrance to that harbor. The observations made to determine the effect of enlarging the rudder and changing the wheels show quite clearly the benefit of the increased rudder, the turning radius having been reduced thereby from 830 to 690 feet. It was not evident, however, that the change in the direction of the revolution of the wheels had any effect in changing the turning radius of the ship when operated with her wheels alone, although the master of the ship states that there has been a very decided improvement in her handling qualities. On June 13 the Burton returned to Cleveland, having removed the bars at the entrance to the harbors of Ashtabula, Conneaut, and Fairport, and handled a total of 46,016.5 cubic yards at a field cost of $5,459.53, or 11.8 cents per cubic yard. After some necessary repairs to her wheels, dredging operations were resumed on the 15th in the east basin in front of the Cuddy-Mullen docks, where a bar on which the depth was only 17 feet had formed during the fall and winter. The material encountered has been almost invariably a soft mud or silt, which will only settle in the bins after standing a number of hours. Taking advantage of the experience gained at Cleveland last fall and at Conneaut, Ohio, this spring, where quite similar material was encountered, the overflow openings were closed up, and when the bins were pumped as full as possible the load was taken out and dumped. In order to measure material of this kind it was found necessary to put two gauges in the ship, by which the displacement can be read to hundredths. By means of these gauges the difference in displacement due to a dredged load and a load of clear water of similar size is obtained. This difference is easily reduced to tons, and by means of a number of very careful observations made last fall, to cubic yards. The gauges were in successful operation during five days at the end of June, and from observations then made it was found that an average of 80 cubic yards of solid mate rial per load was being dredged. Based on this determination the work of the Burton in Cleveland harbor has been as follows: Number of loads dredged....... Total field cost Cost per cubic yard.. Sheathing hung on lake side below water.. .hours.. .minutes.. ....hours.. .minutes.. Oak used for sheathing below water.. Oak used for sheathing above water Cost: Labor Material and plant... Total.. 8 13 $2,298.79 $0.128 A survey of the area dredged by the Burton shows that fully 20 per cent more material has been removed than indicated above. The sum of $150,000 was allotted from the funds available, for dredging by contract in Cleveland Harbor, Ohio, to a depth of 25 feet, as authorized by act of June 3, 1902. In view of the rumored improvement of the dock frontage in the west basin by the railway companies it was decided to confine operations under this allotment to a strip about 600 feet wide along the harbor line in the west basin, widened out at the main entrance channel so as to provide easy access to the improved area and the proposed railroad docks. Bids for doing this work, which were opened on May 22, were deemed excessive. The work was accordingly readvertised and the bids opened the second time on June 19. The proposal of the L. P. & J. A. Smith Company to do the work at 114 cents per cubic yard was the lowest received, and the necessary contract with this company is now being executed. East breakwater repairs. These repairs have been continued throughout the year and are now rapidly nearing completion. There yet remains to be put in place about 1,000 linear feet of upper sheathing on the lake side and to be fully bolted about 90 linear feet of under water sheathing on the harbor side. The following is a summary of work accomplished during the year and the totals to date: cubic yards.. 17,920 .do.... per cent.. 224 1,009 975 55,045 371 10 16,546 41,596 103 28 $6,318,70 8,649.06 Total to date. 2,035 2,035 1,069 2,300 2,209 2,300 151,221 7,208 56,682 103, 295 $19, 164. 15 24, 487.73 43,651.88 Miscellaneous repairs.-The oak fenders and concrete superstructure of the outer 322 linear feet of the east pier have been very thoroughly repaired during the past two months, by cutting out and replacing the broken and disintegrating concrete and by entirely rebuilding the box fenders, at a cost of $1,167.28. In addition to repairing the concrete superstructure of the west breakwater the oak fenders have been given two coats of carbolineum. The work of thoroughly repairing the concrete superstructure of the west pier and painting the oak fenders with carbolineum has been commenced, but very little has yet been accomplished. During the winter and early spring our launch, tugboat, barges, and other floating plant were repaired and put in condition for the season's work. New main entrance.-The improvement and enlargement of the main entrance to Cleveland Harbor is being executed by the L. P. & J. A. Smith Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, under a continuous contract dated November 19, 1902, and a supplementary agreement dated May 12, 1904, which provides for certain changes in the quantities and arrangement of the core filling as described and illustrated in the last annual report. Under the terms of this contract, work to the value of $150,000, less the cost of supervision and inspection, should have been completed by December 31, 1903, and a similar amount during each calendar year, when funds were provided. During the first year these contractors earned $50,838.36; during the second year $167,735.05, and during the third year, to June 30, 1905, $21,869.03, giving a total of $240,442.44, for a period during which they should have earned, according to the terms of their contract at least $320,000. Very little has been done to advance the work during the present working season, and it is feared that a still greater delinquency may be shown at the end of the calendar year. The character, estimated total quantities, and cost of executing this contract, the quantities and cost of work done during the fiscal year, and the total quantities and cost to date are shown below: The present condition of the work is as follows: The large riprap foundation ridges for the protection work along the old breakwaters are built up to -15. The upper ridges of the west break water arm have been built up to -16 on the lake side and to -10 on the harbor side. The core filling is up to 20. The lower foundation ridges and core filling of the east breakwater arm are completed up to -20, and about 700 linear feet of the upper ridge on the lake side is up to -16. Both of the pierheads, which mark the new entrance, are in place, and the concrete blocks, forming the base course for the concrete superstructure, have been nearly all set and secured in place. There has been a considerable settlement of both breakwaters, apparently due to springs in the bottom of the lake, from which, when the water is clear, gas in considerable quantities can be seen bubbling up. East breakwater extension.-Hughes Bros. & Bangs, of Syracuse, N. Y., are doing this work under two continuous contracts, dated November 20, 1902, and supplementary agreements dated May 12 and October 25, 1904. The first supplementary agreement provides for a change in the relative quantities and in the arrangement of the core filling, as more fully described and illustrated in the last annual report. The second supplemental agreement was made at the request of the contractors, and on their showing that the work would be facilitated thereby by allowing them to prepare in advance for the paving. The agreement provides for the substitution of quarry-run stone, weighing from 10 pounds to 5 tons, for a considerable proportion of the small riprap stone covering over the core filling, only a sufficient quantity of small riprapstone being used to make a proper bed for the paving stones. In order to arrive at a price per ton which would allow the change to be made without increasing the cost to the United States an experimental section 300 feet long was built, from which it was learned that a reduction of 5 per cent from the small riprap-stone price would offset the extra weight of the quarry run stone construction, giving a price of $1.083 per ton for this class of material. Two thousand feet was built up in this way above the water surface. It was expected that this length would stand in good shape throughout the winter, but in this we were disappointed, as a very considerable settlement took place throughout the whole length prepared. This settlement may have been due to the washing out of the shale from under the quarry run stone, to the washing away of the stones themselves, or to both causes. It is estimated that our loss due to this cause will be about $10,000. Under the terms of the contracts with Hughes Bros. & Bangs, work to the value of about $350,000, less the cost of supervision and inspection, should be done each calendar year. During 1903 the value of work done was $159,096. 22; during 1904, $455,229.85, and during the present year, up to June 30, 1905, $134,342.73, a total of $748,662.80, as compared with a contract requirement of approximately $725,000. The paving of the first section was commenced in May, but owing to the failure of the contractors' quarries to produce satisfactory material in sufficient quantities the progress has been very slow. It is now given out by the contractors that in addition to the material from their own quarries they have arranged to furnish sandstone obtained from the quarries of the Cleveland Stone Company at Berea, Ohio, and limestone obtained from the quarries of the Kelley Island Lime and Transport Company at Kelleys Island and Marblehead, Ohio. In order to carry out this branch of work at proper speed it will be necessary to set at least 50,000 tons of paying per annum, which, in view of the shortness of the season, means practically 2,000 tons per week. The following statement shows the character, estimated quantities and cost of executing these contracts, and the actual quantities and cost of the work done during the present year and to date: The present condition of the work is as follows: The substructure crib for pierhead at western end is in place and the concrete The first section is being prepared for paving, and three 4-foot courses of paving The second section requires an addition of about 7,000 tons of leveling stone to In the third and fourth sections the upper ridges are in and the shale filling up to In the fifth section the upper ridges are practically completed; shale-core filling The lower foundation ridges are practically complete in the sixth, seventh, eighth, Surveys. A very complete and satisfactory survey of the whole outer harbor was |