APPENDIX A A. PRESERVATION OF THE FALLS OF SAINT ANTHONY AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI ABOVE THE FALLS-IMPROVEMENT OF CHIPPEWA AND SAINT CROIX RIVERS, WISCONSIN, AND OF MINNESOTA RIVER AND RED RIVER OF THE NORTH, MINNESOTA AND DAKOTA-RESERVOIRS AT THE SOURCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI. REPORT OF MAJOR CHARLES J. ALLEN, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1885, WITH OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE WORKS. ENGINEER'S OFFICE, UNITED STATES ARMY, GENERAL: I have the honor to forward herewith annual reports upon the works and surveys under my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brig. Gen. JOHN NEWTON, CHAS. J. ALLEN, Major of Engineers. Chief of Engineers, U.S. A. А А 1. PRESERVATION OF THE FALLS OF SAINT ANTHONY, MINNESOTA. The first appropriation by Congress towards preserving the Falls or Saint Anthony was $50,000, made by act approved July 11, 1870. The plea for appropriations was that destruction of the falls would convert the river above them into a succession of rapids, to the destruction of navigation. The recession of the limestone crest of the falls was due almost en tirely to the undermining of the soft underlying sand-rock, the ledge caving in piecemeal and more rapidly in the middle of the stream than at the banks. The rate of recession was accelerated by the action of the waterpower companies chartered by the Territorial legislature in 1857, which companies occupied the bed of the river with dams, sluices, and other works, restricting its width for the practicable discharge of water to about one-third of its natural width, forcing the greater part of the discharge through a channel 450 feet wide at the crest, narrowing down to about 360 feet at the foot of the timber apron afterwards built, and through a height of about 45 feet, to act upon the comparatively soft bed of the stream below. In low water the greater part of the discharge was drawn through the sluices, the limestone ledge between the dams and the crest of the falls being often left nearly bare in winter and exposed to rapid disintegration from the action of frost. In 1866 an attempt was made by the water-power companies to protect the crest by a timber apron, which was destroyed by the ensuing high water. A second attempt, in 1869, was defeated by high water. In the fall of 1868 an attempt was made by private parties to construct a tunnel through the soft sand-rock under the ledge of the Hennepin Island, to form a race for mills to be placed on Nicollet Island, above Hennepin, the water to be discharged through the tunnel below the falls at the foot of Hennepin Island. On October 4 the tunnel had progressed about 2,000 feet, reaching a point near the foot of Nicollet Island. Here the water burst into the tunnel by passing under the limestone near the southwest side of Nicollet Island, and the tunnel soon became a roaring sluice way. Those having the excavation in charge had neglected the precaution of lining as the work progressed, in addition to which, from supposed motives of economy, the excavation commenced at the lower instead of the upper end. This disaster was followed by irrup tions of water washing out the soft sand-rock, causing caving of the limestone in a number of places. The mill-owners and citizens expended much time and money-of the latter, so far as can be ascertained, about $334,000 in all-in attempts to avert the threatened disasters. The appropriations by Congress up to and including that by act approved March 3, 1873, were applied in attempts to exclude the water from the breaks already made, as well as from new ones, by surrounding them with coffer-dams, filling up the chasms, &c., the details of which are given on pages 1161-1165, Appendix S, Part II, Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for year ending June 30, 1879. The total of appro priations by Congress prior to 1874 was $200,000. The river and harbor act of Congress approved June 23, 1874, appropriated, "for continuing the improvement of the Falls of Saint Anthony and for the improvement of the Mississippi River above the Falls of Saint Anthony, Minnesota, $150,000," and it directed that $25,000 of said amount be expended for the improvement of the Missis sippi River above the falls. The present plan for the preservation of the falls, adopted in 1874, contemplated the construction of a concrete dike beneath the limestone ledge forming the bed of the river, to prevent percolation through, and consequent destruction of, the soft underlying sand-rock, the construction of rolling-dams to keep the upper surface of the limestone ledge flooded during the winter, and a timber apron and wings to prevent recession of the crest of the falls and destruction of the dike, &c. The dike was completed in 1876 and the other works by 1878. Since 1878 work has been confined mainly to the preservation and repair of the timber structures. A log sluice was constructed at the westerly side of the main apron, under an appropriation of $10,000 for that purpose by act of Congress approved March 3, 1879. The condition of the falls, as shown by examinations made in September and November, 1884, was stated in a report dated December 5, 1884, to which, with the map accompanying, reference is here made. The report was printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 61, Forty-eighth Congress, second session. The deposits by private parties of rock, earth, and gravel referred to in that report, are described in the annual reports for 1882 and 1883. The appropriation of $10,000 made by the river and harbor act of Congress approved July 5, 1884, was applied, so far as it would go, in repairs to the main apron, the angle, and the east-wing apron, which had become completely undermined. The repairs to the main apron consisted in stripping off the plank covering where most worn and replacing with new plank; of oak, where the danger from wear appeared greatest, and of pine at other points. The repairs to the east-wing apron consisted in strengthening it by driving timbers, 12 inches square and 24 to 40 feet in length each, vertically, by the aid of a pile-driver, through the underlying mass of slabs, bark, and sawdust which had accumulated under and behind the apron, filling the crib pockets with riprap, and replanking the crib-work. The heavy square timbers were driven within the pockets, as close together as possible, and on lines parallel to the face of the wing, and also on lines at right angles to the face. In addition to the riprap filling of the east wing, 520 cubic yards of large stone, of 10 cubic feet and more in size, were placed along the outside face and lower side of the wing, to support it, and to break up, as far as possible, the powerful eddy which aided in the undermining process. This work was done by hired labor and completed in March last. The details of the work and general statement of its condition are given in the reports, herewith, of Assistant R. Davenport, who displayed commendable energy in pushing it during the severe winter months. The timber work is generally in fair condition, though the ice and logs have, since March last, worn off some of the 4-inch decking of the main apron, exposing to wear the next layer, 8-inch, which is all that protects the cribs below it. The stone crib filling under the main apron has settled or moved out since 1877, in some places having subsided 7 to 15 feet. Should the 8-inch plank, from any cause, give way, rapid destruction of the apron would probably follow. The present plan for the aprons and roll-dams, as stated in the report of December 5, 1884, referred to above, is based upon the preservation of the private mill-dams, the flanks of the Government works resting upon those dams, some of which are now leaky and in generally bad condition. Especially is this the case with portions of the mill-dam bordering what is known as Farnham and Lovejoy's Pond. This dam is in bad condition, liable to give way with the first heavy flood, and is a menace to the apron below it, and consequently to the entire work. There seems little probability of the parties owning this dam doing anything to strengthen it. A glance at the map of the falls will show that portions of the width of the river (about 1,000 linear feet in the aggregate) are occupied by high dams of the companies, so that the flow of water through those works is only in small quantities, through flumes, &c., as may be de sired, while the brunt of the flood discharges is borne by the United States works spanning the narrow width of 450 feet. A radical change of plan of exterior works of protection (understanding by these the apron, wings, and rolling-dams), and such as would best serve to preserve the falls, would call for the removal of most, if not all, the mill-dams from the bed of the stream, the extension of the rollingdams from bank to bank, and a large extension of apron work, to consist either of timber or of concrete. If the Government adheres to the present plan of exterior works for protecting the falls, the sum of $150,000 will be needed for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1887, to be expended toward extending the main apron to the front of Farnham and Lovejoy's Mill Pond; protecting this front, so far as necessary; removal of a portion of the point of rocks from the river near the lower end of the pond in order to reduce the eddy; repairing the main apron and east apron, continuing the line of submerged cribs across the bed of the river at the toe of the apron, and for general repairs. One crib, 80 by 80, was completed during the winter of 1882 and 1883, and successfully sunk, after the manner of a caisson, in March, as described in the annual report for 1883. The total cost of work of protection here estimated as necsssary is placed at $210,000. The estimated cost of the present plan, adopted in 1874, as stated in the last Annual Report, was $419,792.* The same report stated that the appropriations made since 1880 inclusive were not considered in determining the amounts still to be appropriated to complete the present project, as those appropriations had been, and were to be, expended for repairs and contingencies; the appropriation of 1879 was for log-sluice. The appropriations applied to the original construction of works under the plan of 1874 were as follows: Leaving as difference between estimated cost of complete plan and amounts appropriated for same... 345,000 74,792 419,792 The expenditures of appropriations from the commencement may be thus summarized approximately: Under plans prior to that of 1874 Under plan of 1874, which is the present plan. $200,000 Construction of log-sluice, under specific appropriation for same by act approved March 3, 1879 345,000 In repairs to and maintenance of the works, including large cribs, 18781885 +60,000 The total of appropriations by Congress for the Falls of Saint Authony is.. 615,000 The cost of works regarded as immediately necessary for continuing the preservation of the falls under the existing plan being $210,000, it becomes necessary to present this sum as a new estimate. *This amount ($419,792) is taken from Report of Chief of Engineers, 1874, Part I, page 285. The original estimate for the present plan has been stated in previous annual reports at $529,726.31. + Of this amount the sum of $9,926.72 was expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884. This work is in the collection district of Minnesota. The nearest port of entry is Duluth, Minn., at which place the revenue collected during the year ending December 31, 1884, amounted to $4,125.63. No steamboats have navigated the river between the Falls of Saint Anthony and Aitken, about 208 miles by river above the falls, for six or seven years, excepting, so far as known, one steamer which made an excursion trip last season, from Brainerd to Fort Ripley, a point about 133 miles above the Falls; hence there is no navigation dependent upon the preservation of the Falls. The commercial statistics of Minneapolis, therefore, refer entirely to the products of the waterpower, and shipments of lumber, flour, groceries, &c., by rail. Money statement. July 1, 1884, amount available..... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884.. July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884.. July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities.... July 1, 1885, amount available..... $472 84 10,000 00 10,472 84 $9,926 72 86 83 10,013 55 459 29 210 000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... REPORTS OF MR. RUFUS DAVENPORT, ASSISTANT ENGINEER. 1. SAINT PAUL, MINN., April 15, 1885. SIR: The following report of the work done at the Falls of Saint Anthony, repair of apron, &c., during the winter of 1884-'85, and accompanying map, is respectfully submitted: The repairs on the east wing apron consisted in driving a row of piles of 12 by 12 inch square timber, from 24 feet to 40 feet long, along and parallel to the face of the apron a short distance back from the water line, with rows of piling at right angles to the face-wall, extending back as far as they could be driven, and the introduction of riprap filling back of the piles. In all 93 piles were driven. * These sums were used before the adoption of the present plan. For sluice-way through public works, &c. For repairs and contingencies, &c., and are not considered in determining the amounts still to be appropriated to complete the present project. |