It will be observed that this work has been inaugurated under allotments from three pertinent appropriations, but it is believed that it would be better if the means for its continuation were supplied in the single appropriations for survey of the Northern and Northwestern lakes.

The amount available for this purpose during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1900, should not be less than $100,000, after which appropriations of $75,000 would probably be required for the two or three years following to complete the work.

The estimate submitted for the year 1900 is, therefore, as follows: For survey of the Northern and Northwestern lakes, including all expenses connected with correcting, extending, and issuing charts, and observations and investigations of lake levels, to be available until expended...

Money statement.

July 1, 1897, balance unexpended
Amount allotted from act of June 11, 1896.
Amount allotted from act of June 4, 1897.
Amount allotted from act of July 1, 1898.

June 30, 1898, amount expended during fiscal year.

July 1, 1898, balance unexpended
July 1, 1898, outstanding liabilities.

July 1, 1898, balance available.

$150,000

$26, 597.26 2, 563.51 5,000.00 15,000.00

49, 160.77 13,461.56

35, 699.21 390.50

*35, 308. 71

Dates and amounts of appropriations for survey of northern and northwestern

lakes.

*In addition to this balance reported by Lieutenant-Colonel Lydecker, there remains of this appropriation, unallotted and unexpended, the sum of $13,638.85.

ENG 98-237

PRINTING AND ISSUE OF CHARTS FOR USE OF NAVIGATORS, AND ELECTROTYPING COPPERPLATES FOR CHART PRINTING.

PRESERVATION OF BENCH MARKS ALONG THE ERIE CANAL. REPORT OF MAJ. WILLIAM S. STANTON, CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

Oswego, N. Y., July 14, 1898.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report that the amount, $471.54, expended by me during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1898, on account of the appropriation for the "Survey of Northern and Northwestern lakes," has been applied as follows:

The increase in the height of the lock walls and of the bridge piers in the enlargement of the Erie Canal now in progress by the State of New York would obliterate some of the bench marks which were placed upon these structures by the United States Lake Survey in running a line of levels from the Hudson River to Lake Ontario in 1875, and which are described on pages 611-613, volume 24, Professional Papers, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., Primary Triangulations, U. S. Lake Survey.

The project is to temporarily transfer and secure these bench marks until the completion of the work on the canal, when they will be transferred back to the walls of the locks and piers of the bridges.

Mr. John C. Churchill, jr., assistant engineer, to whom the work was intrusted, reports that the following bench marks have been transferred during the year:

No. 19, at Rotterdam Junction, N. Y., transferred to southeast wing of east abutment of same bridge.

No. 19a, transferred to a point on the bottom step southwest wing of west abutment of Fitchburg Railroad Bridge.

No. 20, at Pattersonville, N. Y., transferred to top of steel drill driven beneath the surface of the ground near the canal bank.

No. 21, transferred to top of steel drill driven beneath the surface of the ground near the canal bank.

No. 23, near Amsterdam, N. Y., transferred to a point on the same structure, which will not be disturbed.

No. 23a, near Amsterdam, N. Y., transferred to a point on the same structure, which will not be disturbed.

No. 24, near Amsterdam, N. Y., transferred to the top of a nail in a maple stake driven beneath the surface of the ground in the canal bank.

No. 24a, near Amsterdam, N. Y., transferred to the top of a steel drill driven beneath the surface of the ground in the canal bank.

No. 39, near Herkimer, N. Y., transferred to the top of an iron rod driven beneath the surface of the ground in the canal bank.

No. 39a, transferred to the top of an iron rod driven flush with the ground in the canal bank.

No. 43, near Utica, N. Y., transferred to the head of an iron spike driven into the joint between two courses of the same structure.

No. 44, in Utica, N. Y., transferred to a corner of a window sill in the brick house facing the structure upon which the bench mark was placed.

No. 44a, transferred to the top of a projection of stone in the foundation of the brick house last mentioned.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. S. STANTON, Major, Corps of Engineers, U. Š. A.

Brig. Gen. JOHN M. WILSON,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

DDD 3.

ANNUAL WATER LEVELS OF THE NORTHERN AND NORTHWESTERN LAKES.

Tridaily observations were made at Charlotte and Oswego, N. Y., on Lake Ontario; at Erie Harbor, Pennsylvania; Conneaut, Ashtabula, and Cleveland, Ohio, and Monroe, Mich., on Lake Erie; at Milwaukee, Wis., on Lake Michigan, from July 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898; and at Escanaba, Mich., on Green Bay, from July 1 to November 30, 1897, and from April 13 to June 30, 1898.

Daily observations were made at Sand Beach, Mich., on Lake Huron, and Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette, Mich., on Lake Superior, from July 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898.

The accompanying table is a continuation of that published in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1897, Part VI, page 4127: Monthly mean of water levels for the several stations below the planes of reference adopted in 1876.

Stations.

1897.

1898.

July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June.

Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet.
3.48 3.49 3.94 4.53 4.73 4.64 4.41 4.03 3.63 3.212.99 2.92
3.50 3.50 4.00 4.63 4.69 4.63 4.46 4.02 3.62 3.19 3.02 2.97
2.38 2.58 2.92 3.36 3.26 3.22 3.17 3.11 2.89 2.33 2.21
2.46 2.59 2.92 2.59 3.32 3.34 3.32 3.20 3.01 2.38 2.29
2.42 2.56 2.90 3.36 3.36 3.40 1.00 3.16 2.93 2.39 2.43
2.48 2.64 2.92 3.41 3.54 3.57 3.52 3.32 3.06 2.48 2.33
2.31 2.53 2.75 3. 16 3.65 3.61 3.66 3.29 2.86 2.35 2.09
3.89
3.95 4.20 4.49 4.75 4.97 5.02 4.88
4.07 4. 16 4.34 4.62 4.98 (a) (a) (a)
3.95
3.94 4.20 4.55 4.67 4.97 5.12 5.06 4.83 4.34 4.22
2.24 2.12 2.18 2.38 2.68 3.11 3.49 3.67 3.86 3.86 3.62
2.26 2.11 2.27 2.49 2.59 3.08 3.58 3.80 3.96 3.72 3.53

2.21

2.28

2.44

2.30

2.12

4.56 4.24 3.96

3.83

(a) b4.50 4.27

4.09

4.06

3.14

3.12

a Bay frozen over.

b Mean of last 18 days of month.

WATER LEVEL OF LAKE ERIE.

REPORT OF COL. JARED A. SMITH, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1898.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Cleveland, Ohio, July 30, 1898.

GENERAL: I have the honor to forward herewith record of water levels on Lake Erie for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898.

The records were taken at the light-house, Monroe, Mich., and in the harbors at Cleveland, Ashtabula, Conneaut, Ohio, and Erie, Pa. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JARED A. SMITH,

Colonel, Corps af Engineers, U. S. A.

Brig. Gen. JOHN M. WILSON,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

WATER-LEVEL OBSERVATIONS FOR LAKE ERIE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1898.

Monthly mean of water levels for Monroe, Cleveland, Ashtabula, Conneaut, and Erie harbors, expressed in feet, below the plane of reference adopted in 1876, that plane being the surface of high water of 1838, and 2.34 feet above the mean level, 1860 to 1875, inclusive.

Stations.

Monroe, Mich
Cleveland, Ohio.
Ashtabula, Ohio
Conneaut, Ohio
Erie, Pa

July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June.

Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet.
2.31 2.53 2.75 3.16 3.65 3.61 3.66
2.48 2.64 2.92 3.41 3.54 3.573.52
2.42 2.56 2.90 3.36 3.36 3.40 1.00
2.46 2.59 2.92 2.59 3.32 3.34 3.32 3.20 3.01 2.38 2.29 2.28
2.38 2.58 2.92 3.36 3.26 3.22 3.17 3.11 2.89 2.33 2.21 2.21

Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet.

3.29 2.86 2.35 2.09
3.32 | 3.06 | 2.48 2.33

2.12

2.30

3.16 2.93 2.39 2.43

2.44

WATER LEVEL OF LAKE ONTARIO.

REPORT OF MAJ. WILLIAM S. STANTON, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1898.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Oswego, N. Y., July 14, 1898. GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith, in duplicate, the monthly means of the water levels of Lake Ontario at Charlotte and Oswego, reduced to the United States Lake Survey plane of references for Lake Ontario, in my charge July 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898, both inclusive.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. S. STANTON, Major, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A.

Brig. Gen. JOHN M. WILSON,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

Monthly mean of water levels of Lake Ontario below the plane of reference in 1876, which is 4.98 feet above the zero of the guage at Oswego.

1897.

1898.

Stations.

July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June.

Charlotte...
Oswego..

Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. 3.48 3.49 3.94 4.53 4.73 4.64 4.41 4.03 3.63 3.21 2.99 2.92 3.49 3.50 4.00 4.63 4.69 4.63 4.46 4.02 3.62 3.18 3.02 2.97

WATER LEVEL FOR LAKE SUPERIOR.

REPORT OF MAJ. CLINTON B. SEARS, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1898.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,

Duluth, Minn., July 2, 1898.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following monthly means of Lake Superior water levels at Marquette, Mich., below plane of reference adopted by the United States Lake Survey in 1876, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898.

Very respectfully,

CLINTON B. SEARS, Major, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A.

Brig. Gen. JOHN M. WILSON,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

Monthly mean of water levels for Lake Superior at Marquette, Mich., below the plane of reference adopted by the United States Lake Survey in 1876, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898.

Station.

1897.

1898.

July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June.

Marquette, Mich...

Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. Feet. 2.24 2.12 2.182.38 2.68 3.11 3.49 3.67 3.86 3.86 3.62

3.14

WATER LEVEL OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

REPORT OF CAPT. GEORGE A. ZINN, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1898.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Milwaukee, Wis., July 5, 1898. GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith diagram* showing water levels of Lake Michigan at Milwaukee, Wis., and Escanaba, Mich., for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, and table of monthly