APPENDIX C C.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE OHIO, MONONGAHELA, AND ALLEGHENY RIVERSOPERATING AND CARE OF THE LOUISVILLE AND PORTLAND CANAL; OF DAVIS ISLAND LOCK AND DAM, AND OF LOCK AND DAM ON MONONGAHELA RIVER-CONSTRUCTION OF ICE HARBOR AT MOUTH OF THE MUSKINGUM, AND HARBORS OF REFUGE NEAR CINCINNATI AND AT MOUTH OF THE GREAT KANAWHA.

REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WILLIAM E. MERRILL, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, BVT. COL., U. s. A., OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1885, WITH OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE WORKS.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Cincinnati, Ohio, July 1, 1885.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit herewith the annual reports on the works under my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885. Since September 18, 1884, I have been assisted by First Lieut. G. W. Goethals, Corps of Engineers.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brig. Gen. JOHN NEWTON,

WM. E. MERRILL, Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers.

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

CCI.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE OHIO RIVER.

On the 1st of July, 1884, the following contract was outstanding:

The river and harbor act approved July 5, 1884, contained the following item:

Improving the Ohio River, continuing improvement, six hundred thousand dollars. Of this sum seventy thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary for the completion of the Davis Island Dam, shall be expended on that work. Fifty thousand dollars shall be used in continuing work on the upper and lower dikes and other improvement at Grand Chain, and seven thousand five hundred dollars for the ice-harbor at the mouth of the Great Kanawba, and fifty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for the improvement of the navigation of the river at Jeffersonville and the protection of the Government property.

With the funds thus obtained it was decided, with the approval of the Chief of Engineers, to let a number of contracts, as shown by the accompanying abstracts of proposals.

By advertisement dated July 19, 1884, proposals were invited for towing, in connection with the United States dredges Ohio and Oswego. The following bids were received and opened on August 5, 1884 :

Contract was awarded to James B. Thompson, and executed under date of August 18, 1884. The Iron City was found, on examination, to be unsuited to the work.

By advertisement dated July 19, 1884, proposals were invited for furnishing iron work for the Davis Island Dam. The following bids were received and opened on August 26, 1884:

Contracts for furnishing the above iron work were entered into, as follows:

(1) Machinery.-With Scaife Foundry and Machine Company, of Pittsburgh, Pa., September 12, 1884.

(2) Wrought-iron pipe.—With William Kirkup & Son, of Cincinnati, Ohio, September 4, 1884.

(3) Cast-iron pipe.-With Cincinnati and Newport Iron and Pipe Company, of New port, Ky., September 13, 1884.

(4) Cast-iron plates.-With Queen City Bridge and Steam Forging Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, September 13, 1884.

(5) Bolts, nuts, and washers.-With Oliver Brothers & Phillips, of Pittsburgh, Pa., September 10, 1884.

On September 26, 1884, a contract was made with Fairbanks & Co., of Indianapolis, Ind., to construct two water tanks at the Davis Island Dam for $3,740.

This proposal was the only one received in answer to advertisement of July 19, 1884.

By circular letter dated July 22, 1884, proposals were invited for furnishing cement for use at Davis Island Dam.

The following bids were received, and were opened on August 14, 1884:

Contract awarded to F. O. Norton, of New York City, and executed under date of August 25, 1884.

By advertisement dated August 27, 1884, proposals were invited for furnishing materials and constructing dams and dikes on the Ohio River. The following proposals were received and opened on September 30, 1884:

Proposals for dike at Merriman Bar, 9 miles below Pittsburgh.

October 22, 1884.

Contract awarded to John B. Holbrook, and executed under date of

Proposals for constructing dam at Black's Island, 54 miles from Pittsburgh, and repairing dam at Brown's Island, 63 miles below Pittsburgh.

* Conditional bid. Withdrawn in accordance with letters accompanying proposal.

49, 879 73

181, 926 40

Contract awarded to Porter, Tucker & Mahan, and executed under date of November 4, 1884.

27 00

2.07

27 00

2 37

031

1 75

34, 573 90

1 50

36, 174 42

2.50

39, 607 42

3 50

40, 776 35

275

47, 207 75

8. 00

48, 195 35

051

1 50 i

031

Proposals for dam at Wheeling Island, 91 miles below Pittsburgh.

Contract was awarded to I. V. Hoag, jr., and executed under date of