use of the channels excavated across the bars, to enable him to select his time for work, to prevent interference with it, and to prevent the passage of vessels at unseasonable times. Authority to direct crossing of the bar is now vested in a number of persons more or less independent, and subject to no sufficient penalty for damage they may inflict upon commerce in any other way than by collision. Managers and captains of tow-boats, bar-pilots, and shipmasters are of this class. Any one of them can, at his own pleasure, either with or without a knowledge of the channel and the currents through it, attempt a crossing, force the dredge-boat from her work to make way for his vessel, and perhaps obstruct work for days, causing deterioration of the channel, without its being in the power of any one to call him to account for his action. Our work has frequently suffered annoyance from this heedless state of affairs, usually either because of the impatience of ship-masters, ignorance of pilots, or intention of tow-boat captains. In a previous communication I have stated reasons why the tow-boat association do not desire improvement of the natural crossings over the bars, and have cited instances in which I am positive its employés have maliciously grounded vessels, so as to either blockade our work or to cause deterioration of the channel we had formed. Vessels drawing less than 17 feet have been grounded by them on the sides of a channel 18 feet deep at mean low tide, (20 feet at high tide,) 250 feet wide at its narrowest point, and its limits marked on each side by a line of sparbuoys. All groundings on the sides cause rapid deposits and changes in the channel, and add greatly to the labor and expense of keeping it open. This work is not the only one subject to annoyance and damage from unlimited public license. I extract the following from a report of Major William E. Merrill, found on page 416, Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1870: "We need very much some laws to protect our works after they are built, and to regulate the extent to which cities and individuals shall be permitted to encroach upon the river channel. At present there seems to be no authority anywhere to protect works built for the common good from being destroyed by any individual who may feel himself aggrieved, nor to prevent cities from building out into the stream to any extent, regardless of the effect upon navigation or individual rights." The work at the mouth of the Mississippi, which at best can be made but a deep, narrow, and well-defined canal under existing regulations, can at any time, to suit the whim or serve the interests of any individual of the classes I have named, for a period be rendered valueless. I have already reported the beneficial results following my assumption of control at Southwest Pass in March, 1871. I can of course do the same again should a like emergency warrant it, but yet without legal right or power to make my regulations respected should the parties interested choose to act contrary to them. I submit for consideration the draught of an act of Congress required to give me the necessary authority. (See Appendix.) The following financial statement is submitted: Balance on hand June 30, 1870.... Received from appropriation of 1869 Available from appropriation of 1870 Available from appropriation of 1871 $2,799 76 20,000 00 300, 000 00 125,000 00 Total available since June 30, 1870 Expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1871..... Available June 30, 1871 447,799 76 ·140, 520 96 307,278 80 In United States Treasury, Washington..... $306, 228 97 608 70 In office safe, New Orleans... 441 13 $307,278 80 Amount of contract for new dredge-boat.... 218,300 00 1869.... 7,000 00 225,300 00 81,978 80 Available for work to June 30, 1872 No outstanding indebtedness. The following statement of the commerce benefited by the work has been received from the collector of the port of New Orleans, and is submitted: Number of entrances at this port, steam... Number of clearances at this port, steam. Number of entrances, sail.. Tonnage 916 949, 230. 06 1, 201 1, 231, 161. 15 1,091 562, 824. 46 1, 141 566, 415. 69 $18, 185, 294 00 1, 145, 825 00 93, 953, 081 00 1,293, 710 00 5,899, 390 85 The excess of clearances over entrances arises from clearances of coastwise vessels with merchandise in bond. Project for the year ending June 30, 1872. During this year it is proposed, first to make necessary repair to the Essayons, the extent or cost of which cannot now be correctly estimated. Afterward (all repairs being completed) to resume work on the bar at such times as it may be required to accommodate the fleet of vessels usually arriving in the early part of the winter. On the arrival of the new dredge-boat, she will be placed at work, relieving the "Essayons." The latter will then be held in reserve or put to work at Pass à l'Outre, as may be hereafter directed by the Chief of Engineers. The steam-launch will be retained at the mouth of the river with a surveying party, to continue tidal and other observations, and to make surveys of the bars, as may be required from time to time during the summer. The barge Cavallo will be kept at the head of the passes for the use and supply of the surveying party. Estimate. An additional appropriation of $30,000 is asked for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1872. An appropriation of $125,000 is recommended for the fiscal year end. ing June 30, 1873. The work is not susceptible of permanent completion. It is located in the collection district of New Orleans, and at Southwest Pass, near the light-house at the entrance to that pass. II.-IMPROVEMENT OF BAYOU TECHE, LOUISIANA. An act of Congress approved July 11, 1870, appropriated for this work the sum of $17,500. By letter of July 19, 1870, I was directed to proceed with the work contemplated by the act, in accordance with a project submitted in my report of June 14, 1870. August 12, advertisements were issued soliciting bids for performing the work by contract. September 20, I was obliged to report that no bids had been received, and to recommend the prosecution of the work under the immediate supervision of this office. The unhealthfulness of the season prevented further action until December, 1870. Agreement was then made for the construction of a wrecking-flat suited to the work to be done. This was completed, and delivered at Brashear City early in February, 1871. The flat was then equipped, a working-party em ployed, and work commenced February 15, under the superintendence of . Mr. D. M. Kingsbury. Work was continued from that date until June 30, when, owing to the high stage of water in the bayou, it was consid ered advisable (on the score of economy) to suspend until the next low water season. The work has resulted in clearing the bed of the stream of all obstructions found between its mouth and the town of New Iberia. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1872, it is proposed to complete the work to St. Martinsville. It is believed that the cost of completed work will fall considerably under the amount of the appropriation. In United States Treasury, Washington.... No appropriation is asked for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1872. The work has benefited the local and coastwise commerce of the bayou as far up as New Iberia. It is located in the collection district of New Orleans. The nearest light-house is that at the entrance to the Atchafalaya River. III.-IMPROVEMENT OF THE INNER BAR AT THE ENTRANCE TO GALVESTON HARBOR, TEXAS. By act of Congress approved July 11, 1870, there was appropriated for this work the sum of $25,000. By act approved March 3, 1871, a further appropriation of $20,000 was made. By letter dated "Office of the Chief of Engineers, Washington, D. C., July 20, 1870," I was directed to submit a project for the prosecution of the work, in accordance with a plan for excavating and preserving a channel 12 feet deep and 80 feet wide, across the bar, by the ordinary method of dredging. It was then recommended that the work be done wholly by contract. The prevalence of yellow fever along this coast prevented further action until December 15, 1870, at which date I caused to be made a survey, to afford data for an advertisement requesting bids for the work. Advertisement was issued on the 19th of December; a copy is appended. In answer, but two bids were received, one from E. B. Bishop, and one from John Halliday; copies appended. February 15, 1871, both bids were rejected, for reasons evident after their perusal. It was then proposed to hire a dredge-boat, scows, and tug-boat, to purchase in open market fuel, provisions, and other supplies necessary, and to employ the labor required to prosecute the work direct from this office. After much time spent in search of an available dredge, I was forced to abandon this project, all dredges on this coast being fully employed on more remunerative work. April 11, 1871, authority was granted me to purchase a dredge-boat, scows, and tug. Negotiation for the purchase of a Morris & Cummings dredge, employed near New Orleans, was at once commenced. The owners residing in New York, and having other offers than the one made by myself to consider, did not give me a decided answer until early in May. They then offered to sell, delivered at Galveston, for $30,000, giving preference over a bid of that amount from another party. This price was considered excessive and the offer declined. An agreement was then made with Morris & Cummings to build a dredge-boat and deliver at Galveston within one hundred working days from date of agreement, for the sum of $25,000; (a copy of the agreement. is appended.) Work on this boat is progressing well. On the 14th of June an agreement was made with Mr. J. H. Lynch, of New Orleans, to build and deliver at Galveston, within sixty days, two first-class stump-scows, as per drawing and specifications given him, for the sum of $5,600. Work on these is well advanced. It is not yet decided whether to provide a tug-boat by hire or purchase. Should no unforeseen cause for delay prevent the builders of dredge and scows from complying with the terms of their agreements, I expect to commence the work of dredging about the middle of September. It will be placed in charge of a civil assistant, who will hire men, purchase supplies, and conduct the work under orders from this office. Estimated cost of work from October 1, 1871, to June 30, 1872.... 11,000 00 Deficiency. 3,776 76 Estimates. . Additional appropriation asked for fiscal year ending June 30, 1872 .... Appropriation recommended for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873 .... $4,000 00 16,000 00 20, 000 00 Total... The work is not susceptible of permanent completion. It will benefit much of the commerce of Galveston, Texas; the amount I have not been able to ascertain. It is located at the entrance to Galveston Harbor, in the collection district of Galveston, and near the light-house on Bolivar Point, Texas. A PROJECT FOR IMPROVING THE ENTRANCE TO GALVESTON BAY AND HARBOR, SO AS TO ADMIT VESSELS DRAWING EIGHTEEN FEET. 1st. Considerations on which the project is based. On examination of Coast Survey and other charts of the Texas coast, there will be observed a striking general resemblance between the entrances of all its harbors. The coast itself is for the greater part of its length but a succession of long narrow sand islands, between which debouch these entrances or passes. Behind the islands are large bays or lagoons, forming tide reservoirs, into which water from the Gulf of Mexico is daily ponded during flood-tide, and from which it is daily discharged during ebb-tide, through the passes. The scour of the current thus created gives a navigable depth of channel between the islands, where both ebb and flood currents work to this end. At their inner extremities these channels are lost in the shoal water of the bays; at their outer, in a bar separating them from the deep water of the Gulf. These bars are formed on the lines, where, owing to the expansion of the passes, the ebb-current loses all eroding effect on the bottom. Were no opposing agencies at work to prevent it, the line of deepest water across the bar (theoretically) should be formed along the axis of the pass, and the first method for improvement suggested would be that of converging jettees, extending from the islands beyond the crest of the bar, and on either side of the axis. It is evident, however, in the case of these Texas bars, that other agencies are at work to modify |