Eight hundred and seventy-eight vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 222,723 tons, entered, and eight hundred and seventy-three vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 215,893 tons, cleared during eleven months ending May 31, 1885. The largest cargo that entered was 1,621 gross tons of iron ore; the largest cargo that cleared was 1,578 tons of coal. The deepest draught of vessels entering or clearing was 15 feet 9 inches. July 1, 1884, amount available Money statement. 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, amount available .............. July 1, 1885, amount unavailable Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project $823 96 20,000 00 20,823 96 10, 194 03 629 93 10,000 00 10,000 00 10,000 00 Abstract of proposals for dredging 40,000 cubic yards, more or less, of mud, clay, sand, &c., from the natural channel through Sandusky Bay, and through the outer bar, to deepen same, received and opened by Maj. L. Cooper Overman, Corps of Engineers, at United States engineer office, Cleveland, Ohio, at 12 o'clock noon, Tuesday, August 12, 1884, under advertisement of July 25, 1884. Contract entered into with Stang & Gillmore; dated August 21, 1884; completed November 5, 1884. M M 5. IMPROVEMENT OF SANDUSKY RIVER, OHIO. The Sandusky River rises in Richland County, Ohio, and after a very circuitous course empties in Sandusky Bay about 14 miles from Cedar Point, where the bay empties into Lake Erie. Fremont, the head of navigation, is 17 miles from the mouth of the river. It is a city of about 9,000 inhabitants, and the market place of a large and productive surrounding country. A history of the work carried on in past years for the improvement of the river will be found in Annual Report for 1881. The present project, adopted in 1880, provides for dredging a channel 100 feet wide and 9 feet deep through the various bars between the city of Fremont and the depth of 9 feet in Sandusky Bay. Major Wilson, Corps of Engineers, the then officer in charge, in his annual report for 1882, writes as follows: I am satisfied that but little difficulty will be experienced in keeping open at all times a good channel with a depth of 9 feet between Fremont and the mouth of the river; but the character of the materials composing the outer bar is such that I deem it exceedingly doubtful whether the channel lately dredged through it will remain open for any length of time. I feel sure that no permanent improvement can be maintained without an elaborate system of dikes, the expense of which would not be warranted by the present limited commerce of the port. OPERATIONS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. Balance of appropriation under act of August 2, 1882, at beginning of fiscal year was $628.47. No further appropriation has been made since. The amount on hand was too small to attempt any new work and was reserved for some contingency pending further appropriations. No work was done during the fiscal year. There have been no complaints from vessel-men as to the condition of the channel, nor requests for additional improvements; hence it is assumed that the river in present condition answers all demands of the commerce navigating it. The estimated cost of the present project is $44,000; of this amount $21,500 has been appropriated; $10,000 can be expended during the period ending June 30, 1887. Total amount appropriated for this river to date is $51,500, of which sum $50,871.53 has been expended. The last river and harbor bill (act of July 5, 1884) made no appropriation of funds for this river; hence no work can be done during the fiscal year, ending June 30, 1887. Fremont, the head of navigation, is in the collection district of Sandusky, Ohio. The nearest light-house is at Cedar Point, the entrance to Sandusky Bay. Fort Wayne, near Detroit, Mich., is the nearest work of defense. The collector of the port of Sandusky, Ohio, in whose collection district is the port of Fremont, reports that during the eleven months ending May 31, 1885, the business at the port of Fremont was so very small that it is not worth considering. July 1, 1884, amount available. July 1, 1885, amount available. Money statement. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. $628 47 628 47 22,500 00 10,000 00 M M 6. IMPROVEMENT OF HURON HARBOR, OHIO. The Huron River rises in the northern part of Ohio, and after a very circuitous course empties into Lake Erie about 10 miles east of Sandusky City. For a history of the operations carried on in past years for the improvement of this harbor, see the Annual Reports of 1880, 1881, and 1883. OPERATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR. The act of July 5, 1884, appropriated $7,500 for this harbor. A contract was made dated September 5, 1884, with L. P. & J. A. Smith, of Cleveland, Ohio, for repairs to piers and dredging, also modification to contract dated October 22, 1884, Operations were begun September 5, with dredging from bar in lake beyond end of piers, 5014 cubic yards of material were excavated, which removed the small bar which had formed, and restored the channel to full 15 feet depth. This dredging occupied only two days. Repairs to piers were commenced September 13, 1884, and continued with slight interruptions until December 15, 1884, when the contract was completed and closed. The following materials were used in the repairs: And such old United States material as could be utilized. With the above materials, and necessary labor, the following work was done: One hundred and eighty five linear feet of west pier was torn down to 1 foot below low water mark and the "overhang" torn out to bottom of channel and then rebuilt with a pile-pier; 576 linear feet (not continuous) of the superstructure of west pier was repaired. Forty-eighth linear feet of pile-protection was constructed for channel face of east pier and 72 linear feet of pile-protection of same pier was repaired. Sixty-two linear feet of the shore breakwater at inner end of west pier was repaired besides minor repairs to both piers. Total amount expended during the fiscal year was $7,293.81. The piers were left in only moderate repair. The entire amount appropriated to date (June 30, 1885) for this har bor has been $114,273.71, all of which has been expended except $213.07 and has given a good channel with 15 feet at low water. An examination was made of this harbor in September, 1884, and showed a fair channel with least depth of 16 feet and in such condition that a little work would secure a channel depth of 17 feet. As Huron is one of the best ħatural harbors on Lake Erie it will be proper, if the commerce of Huron increases to extend the piers, out to the 16 foot curve in the lake. The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company have expended considerable for docks and slips at this harbor with view to shipment of coal, &c. The records of the custom house, however, show that at present the amount of commerce to be benefited by further improvements at this harbor is small. The piers are in bad condition, and further repairs are badly needed to prevent a serious breach between inner end of east pier and the land. The estimated cost of renewing the superstructure of the piers was $22,000; $13,500 has been appropriated, but owing to the extra repairs made necessary by the storms of 1883 and 1884, the estimate to complete the renewals should be $15,000 (rather than the remaining balance of $8,500), which increased amount can be expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1887, in rebuilding superstructure, repairing piers, &c. Huron Harbor is in the collection district of Sandusky, Ohio. Fort Wayne, Mich., about 70 miles distant, is the nearest work of defense. There is a fixed white light of the fourth order on the outer end of the west pier. The amount of revenue collected during eleven months ending May 31, 1885, was $28.75. The value of the imports was $59,437, and the value of the exports was $55,280.20 during eleven months ending May 31, 1885. Fifty-five vessels with an aggregate tonnage of 16,090 tons entered and cleared during eleven months ending May 31, 1885. The deputy collector reports that the greater part of the larger vessels doing business at Huron are engaged within the limits of the customs district, and are not obliged to enter or clear; hence are not recorded at the office. Money statement. July 1, 1884, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. $6.88 7,500 00 7,506 88 July 1. 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 ... 7,293 81 July 1, 1885, amount available. 213 07 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... 15,000 00 15,000 00 Abstract of proposals for repairs to piers and for dredging at Huron Harbor, Ohio, received and opened by Maj. L. Cooper Overman, Corps of Engineers, at United States engineer office, Cleveland, Ohio, at 12 o'clock noon, Monday, August 25, 1884, under advertisement of July 25, 1884. 2,443 linear feet, more or less, white oak or red elm piles, 1,620 pounds, more or less, iron tie-rods per pound.. pound 4,150 pounds, more or less, drift-bolts 500 cubic yards, more or less, dredging and removing per pound.. ..... per cord.. ...do 912 pounds, more or less, wrought spike. per cubic yard.. 2,683 62 926 40 64 80 152 36 166 00 132 00 775 00 50 250 00 36 48 Totals 6,075 78 6,252 56 * Bid not complete; no price for iron tie-rods and spike. Considered immaterial, and recommend award of contract, subject to approval of Chief of Engineers. The items of tie-rods and spike in bid No. 1 are calculated on basis of price for driftbolts, viz, 4 cents per pound, and the aggregate thereby obtained for comparison with No. 2 bid. Abstract of contracts for improving harbor at Huron, Ohio, in force during fiscal year ending June 30, 1885. The Vermillion River rises in the northern part of Ohio and empties into Lake Erie about 20 miles to the eastward of Sandusky City. A history of the operations carried on in past years for the improvement of this harbor will be found in Annual Reports of 1880 and 1881. The project of improvement, which was adopted in 1836, when there was a depth of less than 2 feet of water on the bar at the entrance, and which project has been amended from time to time, as the requirements of commerce demanded deeper water, consists of parallel piers 125 feet apart running out to a depth of 12 feet in the lake. OPERATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR. At the opening of the fiscal year there was a balance on hand of $915.08 for this harbor. No further appropriation was made during the fiscal year, and no work was done during the year for want of sufficient funds. An examination of this harbor was made in November, 1884, which showed that there was a good channel with least depth of 12 feet from lake to town landing. The proposed project for this harbor provides for opening a channel 100 feet wide and 14 feet deep from lake to the lower end of the docks at Vermillion; this chaunel to be secured by removing about 2,000 cubic yards of rock and about 25,000 cubic yards of gravel, sand, shale, &c., at |