Increase of business in Salisbury is directly due to the completion of navigation last year to the town. Not only has it stimulated every branch of business, but its main result, steam navigation, is making its influence felt through the country bordering both sides of Wicomico Kiver. Four new wharves have been built and three repaired for the accommodation of steamboats; two large steam packing establishments have been built and are being made ready for work; one new marine railway has been put in operation in addition to two already engaged in building and repairing vessels; a fish-hatching station has been operated, from which millions of fish have been successfully propagated and distributed here and in neighboring waters; whilst a large average of hitherto unremunerative land has been planted with fruits and vegetables.

The commerce of the river is carried by nine schooners, averaging about 60 tons each, and several smaller schooners, almost exclusively engaged in catching and running oysters to Baltimore.

Very respectfully yours,

Col. WILLIAM P. CRAIGHILL.

GEORGE W. PARSONS.

G 18.

REMOVAL OF OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE POCOMOKE RIVER, MARYLAND.

Operations on this river were closed in April, 1880, according to the plan detailed in full in the annual reports for 1879 and 1880.

There was no appropriation in 1880 or 1881. Consequently nothing was done in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882.

EXTRACT FROM LETTER OF HON. THOMAS S. HODSON, COLLECTOR AT CRISFIELD, MARYLAND.

Pocomok River from Snow Hill down.— The trade and business consists of lumber, general merchandising, ship-building, fruit and oyster packing, flour milling, and agricultural productions.

There are on and accessible to the river some ten lumber-mills, three flouring-mills, four ship-yards, two fruit and one oyster-packing establishments. Large quantities of lumber, lime, grain, &c., are transported, and 200 vessels of all classes are engaged in trade, fisheries, and oysters, of which latter large quantities are raised and caught in the Lower Pocomoke River and bays. Two lines of steamers are employed.

G 19.

IMPROVEMENT OF ONANCOCK HARBOR, VIRGINIA.

Operations of this place were closed in April, 1881, according to the plan fully explained in the annual report for 1881. There was no appropriation in 1881. Nothing was done in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, but to make a resurvey and map, in order to show the condition of the harbor and its approaches at the close of operations.

Money statement.

July 1, 1881, amount available..

$444 23

July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.

444 23

EXTRACT OF LETTER FROM T. W. TAYLOR, DEPUTY COLLECTOR AT ONANCOCK, VIR

GINIA.

In reply to your communication of the 25th ultimo, I have to submit the following statements:

There are engaged in the carrying trade from Onancock Creek two steamers, tonnage 1,139.95 tons, and sixteen sail vessels, tonnage 465.20.

During the year 1881 the shipments of produce aggregated about as follows: 18.000 barrels Irish potatoes, value $27,000; 80,000 barrels sweet potatoes, value $160,000; making a total of $292,550.

*

There are two steam saw-mills, with a capacity of 3,500,000 feet, and 20,000 empty barrels, and one factory for canning fruits and vegetables.

The collections for marine hospital service amounted to $1,372.85, for fees $239.50 and fines $20.

No detention whatever was experienced at the bar. Before the deepening of the channel at that point the steamers and nearly all of the sail vessels could only cross it at about one-half high-water. As a consequence they were frequently detained. and their arrival in Baltimore after the usual market hours generally caused a marked reduction in the prices of their perishable cargoes. No one can fail to acknowledge the benefits already resulting from the improvement, and many of the best informed business men estimate that it added at least 10 per cent. to the value of the truck shipped the past year.

G 20.

IMPROVEMENT OF JAMES RIVER BELOW RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

The year's work has consisted in cutting the channel through from the ship lock to Stearn's dike, excepting the lump of solid rock; of the opening of the Goode's Rocks Channel and the trimming of the rock at the head of Richmond Bar; contracting the river from Richmond Bar to the city; opening Curle's Neck Shoal; of the survey for estimating the cost of the 25-foot channel; and surveys for investigating the nat ural forces operating on the river, and their effect upon the artificial works during the past year.

The present navigable depth of the river at high-tide may be stated as 18 feet from the sea to Warwick Bar, 163 feet thence to the wharves of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and 16 feet thence to the city wharves; but by the removal of a few lumps the depth of 18 feet at high-tide can be attained throughout. The channel is still too narrow. The details of work and results are fully given in the appended report of Capt. Thomas Turtle, Corps of Engineers.

Money statement.

July 1, 1881, amount available.

$91,468 07

July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.

87,106 25

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project

525,000 00

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884.. 150,000 00

REPORT OF CAPT. THOMAS TURTLE, CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

Baltimore, July 6, 1882.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following annual report on the improvement of the James River, Virginia, for the year ending June 30, 1882:

In the earlier portion of the year Mr. H. D. Whitcomb was in local charge, with Mr. C. P. E. Burgwyn, assistant engineer, and afterwards, when the supervision was assigned to me, Mr. Burgwyn remained in immediate charge of the prosecution of the work. To him acknowledgements are due for energy and zeal. Mr. C. L. Kalmbach has had charge of the rock excavation, inclusive of the manufacture of the nitroglycerine used, a position of much responsibility and danger, faithfully filled by him; and Capt. Thomas Cunningham has been superintendent of other work, not done by contract, in which his services have been faithful and valuable.

The project under which the improvement is now being carried on is to obtain a depth of 18 feet at low-tide, with a channel width of 200 feet from the sea to Warwick Bar, and a depth of 18 feet at high-tide, with a channel width of 180 feet, from that point to the ship-locks at Richmond, the excavations in rock, which is only encountered in the latter portion, to be carried to 15 feet depth at low-tide.*

At the date of the last annual report the condition of the improvement is summa-` rily stated as affording a depth in the channel of 20 feet at high-tide from the sea to City Point, of 19 feet thence to Warwick Bar, and of 17 feet from the latter point to the Rocketts wharves.

The method of improvement consisted mainly in removing the sand and mud-bars by dredging and contracting the width of the river adjacent for the maintenance of the depth, and in cutting through the solid rock by drilling and blasting.

When the last annual report was rendered there was but one bar with less than the standard depth, 18 feet at low-tide, below Warwick Bar. This bar, which was in Curle's Neck Reach, was removed during the months of June, July, and August by Mr. James Caler, under a contract to obtain 18 feet at mean low-water. The bar was of sand and soft mud, and presented no difficulties in dredging. After the removal of this bar, the distance from Richmond to Warwick Bar (i. e., 5 miles) alone remained with less than 18 feet at mean high-water. Of this distance about one-fifth already possessed the requisite depth, and it was to the intervening spaces that attention was directed during the past year. The material over this distance consists of sand, decomposed rock, cobble-stones, gravel, and solid rock. The sand may be stated as lying between Richmond Bar and Warwick Bar. The solid rock may be stated as existing in compact masses at Rocketts Reef and Goode's Rock. Over the remaining distance there are distributed in mixed masses sand, gravel, cobble-stones, decomposed rock, and solid rock. The general method employed is to begin dredging first and remove all the material that can be dredged, assisted by surface blasts of nitro-glycerine; next to drill the rock and blast from the drilled holes. The diver then hoists with a chain all the large pieces. Finally, the dredge is again put back to remove all the small pieces loosened by the blasts. The area covered by the solid rock amounts in all to about 30 acres.

To facilitate the understanding of the localities, a list of the different cuts or sections of the upper part of the river is here appended, given in consecutive order down stream: 1. Old Dominion Steamship Company.

2. Virginia Steamship Company.

3. Philadelphia Steamship Company. 4. Gillie's Creek Shoal.

5. Baltimore Steamship Company.

6. Davenport's Wharf.

7. Rocketts Reef.

. Brewery Cut.

9. Brickyard Cut.

10. Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company wharves.

11. Almond Creek Cut.

12. Stearn's Dike.

13. Drewry's Island Cut.

14. Quarry Wharf.

15. Goode's Rock.

16. Richmond Bar.

17. Randolph Flats.

1. Warwick Bar.

The first six of these sections are inside the city limits, and there was 18 feet over all of them except Nos. 1 and 4. It was not deemed judicious at this time to do any work

*For the greater part of the material of this report I am indebted to Mr. Burgwyn's report to me, the exact language being used to a considerable extent.-T. T.

here except at Gillie's Creek Shoal. Three cuts were made in the Gillie's Creek Shoal, widening it to 75 feet, but the 18-foot depth was not obtained throughout on account of some lumps of solid rock. At the time of making these cuts there was less water at the wharves above than over these lumps, and they were accordingly left.

Since then the steamship company have, at their own expense, deepened not only the water at their wharves but also a portion of the channel, and these lumps now should be drilled and removed. After leaving Gillie's Creek, 18 feet existed as far as the Brewery Cut, and as no appreciable change was observed here during the past year, no work was done over the intervening sections.

BREWERY CUT.

Three cuts were made through this section. This is the worst section on the river, except those sections which contain solid rock exclusively; that is, Goode's Rock and Rocketts Reef. The dredges encountered solid rock in several places that they were unable to remove, and these lumps have not yet been drilled. They form an impassable barrier across the river to vessels drawing more than 16 feet at high-tide. With the exception of these lumps, there is a fine channel through this cut. The material was almost exclusively gravel, cobble-stones, and decomposed rock.

BRICKYARD CUT.

The Brickyard Cut is a continuation in a straight line of the Brewery Cut, and possesses the same characteristics, the material, however, being in general terms somewhat easier of removal. The same three cuts were carried through, but, as before, there were isolated places that could not be removed by dredging and need to be drilled and blasted.

CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO CUT.

The Brickyard Cut leads into the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Cut with an angle of 54°. Four cuts were made through this section, the fourth cut being added to allow for turning the angle. The dredges removed the material to 18 feet entirely over this section, except at two places. These two points were indicated very clearly by the borings, and seem to be ridges of solid rock, running parallel to each other and to Rocketts Reef.

ALMOND CREEK.

After leaving the Chesapeake and Ohio Cut, the Almond Creek Cut is entered at an angle of 1810. The borings here might have been interpreted, as indicating more rock at this locality than above, but this was not the case, as the dredges encountered a perfect nest of bowlders. As many as 30 were taken out of a linear distance of 200 feet down the channel. They were of various sizes, the largest one being estimated as weighing over 7 tons. Two cuts were made entirely through this section to the depth of 18 feet, and the dredges were at work on a third when they were removed to Randolph Flats to excavate a shoal caused by the winter freshets.

No work was done between Almond Creek and Goode's Rocks.

GOODE'S ROCKS.

The rock force was employed at Goode's Rocks from June until the latter part of December, and from the 1st of May until the end of the fiscal year. As the section originally designated Goode's Rocks was rather indefinite, it may be well to state that the term is used now to describe the area between jetties 26 and 32. The dredges uncovered last fall a quantity of rock that was necessary to blast at a place that had been estimated as sand, and hence it is that it has taken so much longer to finish what is now known as the Goode's Rock Channel. The cuts through the solid rock have been made 100 feet wide, and are completed through that part, but there are remaining 6 or 7 lumps near the head of Richmond Bar that require removal. This work was very much delayed by the diamond drill encountering a garnet-bearing rock, which polished the diamonds to such an extent that they would not cut, and as it was not until November that the percussion drill was put in good working order, the force could not work to the same advantage they now can. It is a subject of congratulation that the diamond and percussion drills work in a manner so supplementary to each other; that is, the percussion drill is eminently well fitted for drilling the hard garnet-bearing rock, whereas it is immediately chocked in soft rock by the sides falling in; and on the other hand, the diamond drill works most readily in soft rock, the force-pump preventing the chocking. As the borings made last fall in connection with the survey for the 25 feet depth was the first systematic means employed in determining the quantity of rock underlying the sand, the previous estimates were necessarily erroneous, that rock was found to exist where sand was supposed to be. The method of taking

out the rock is an economical one, but as the rock has been found to exist over so much greater area than was at first supposed, it follows that considerable time must be con sumed before it can be gotten out entirely.

RICHMOND BAR.

The Goode's Rock Channel enters the Richmond Bar Cut opposite jetty 32, and from here to Randolph Flats nothing was done during the past year except to contract the width of the river. Commencing at the lower end of Richmond Flats, a system of contraction had been carried up to Richmond Bar during the fiscal year ending May 31, 1881. This system of contraction was extended from there to the Brewery during the past year, and comprehended the reduction of the areas over this entire distance. This necessitated the lengthening of the jetties already in existence and the building of new ones.

This work was completed by the 1st of October, so as to be ready to receive the material dredged from the channel. This has been thoroughly done during the winter and spring, the large amount of hard material taken out being excellent for the purpose of protecting the jetties.

RANDOLPH FLATS.

After leaving Richmond Bar, Randolph Flats is reached. As a short shoal had been created here by the winter freshets, it was deemed best to remove it simply by dredging, and it was upon this work that the dredges were engaged at the close of the fiscal year just ended.

As considerable deposit had accumulated at the shore ends of the Varina jetties, these shore ends were removed in order to allow the current to carry off the deposit, and thus prevent the formation of a marsh in front of a valuable private dwelling. A dike of about 350 feet long was built opposite the entrance to Dutch Gap to prevent the washing away of the low bank. This bank was artificially constructed to dike out a submerged area of several hundred acres, and were it to wash away entirely might divert the current into this marsh, to the serious injury of navigation. As a general summary it may be stated that the year's work consisted of cutting the channel through from the Ship Loek to Stearn's Dike, excepting the lumps of solid rock; of the opening of the Goode's Rock channel, and the trimming of the rock at the head of Richmond Bar; of the contracting the river from Richmond Bar to the city; of the opening of Curle's Neck Shoal; of the survey for estimating the cost of the 25-foot channel; and of the surveys for investigating the natural forces at work on the river, and their effect upon the artificial works during the past year. The present navigable depth of the river at high-tide may be stated as 18 feet from the sea to Warwick Bar, 16 feet from there to the wharves of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company, and 16 feet from there to the city wharves; but by the removal of a few lumps the depth of 18 feet at high-tide will be attained throughout. The channel is still too

narrow.

The office work of the year has consisted in the plotting of 60,000 soundings, 10,000 borings, the paths of floats over a distance equivalent to 40 miles, and in placing on record on the maps the information obtained by the surveys.

Cubic yards of material removed by the United States in 1881-1882.