ABSTRACT OF CONTRACTS IN FORCE DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1905. Contract dated August 12, 1903. Name of contractor: William E. Rooney, Toledo, Ohio. Amount and character of work: $17,410.70; time work by dredging plant. Price per unit: $14 per working hour in Lake St. Clair; $11.75 per working hour in St. Clair River. Date of approval: August 26, 1903. Date of beginning of work: September 28, 1903. Date of expiration and completion: November 5, 1904. Contract dated August 19, 1903. Name of contractor: Lake Superior Contracting and Dredging Company, Duluth, Minn. Amount and character of work: $64,004.87; time work by dredging plant. Date of approval: September 18, 1903. Date of beginning of work: November 2, 1903. Date of expiration and completion: August 17, 1904. Emergency contract dated April 26, 1904. Name of contractor: H. W. Hubbell & Co., Saginaw, Mich. Amount and character of work: $4,219.63; hire of steam derrick boat, etc. Price per unit: Derrick boat, $6.15 per working hour; dynamite, 18 cents per pound. Date of beginning of work: May 6, 1904. Date of expiration: About August 20, 1904; completed August 5, 1904. Contract dated March 28, 1905. Name of contractor: Lake Superior Contracting and Dredging Company, Duluth, Minn. Amount and character of work: $20,000; time work by dredging plant in Lake St. Clair. Price per unit: $25 per working hour. Date of approval: May 5, 1905. Date of beginning of work: June 8, 1905. Date of expiration: About October 5, 1905. REPORT OF MR. E. S. WHEELER, CHIEF ASSISTANT ENGINEER. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, COLONEL: I have the honor.to submit the following report of operations under my charge connected with the improvement of the ship channel connecting the waters of the Great Lakes between Chicago, Duluth, and Buffalo, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1905: The dredge S. Birckhead, owned by the W. E. Rooney estate, continued time work under contract dated August 12, 1903, until November 2, 1904, when the contract was completed. During the fiscal year this dredge excavated and removed 15,438 cubic yards from the Grosse Pointe Cut, and 33,271 cubic yards from lower entrance of St. Clair Flats Canal, at a total cost of $9,908.70, or 20.34 cents per cubic yard. The two dredges, Port Huron and No. 2, owned by the Lake Superior Contracting and Dredging Company, continued time work under contract dated August 19, 1903, completing the same on August 17, 1904. On July 1, 1904, dredge Port Huron, while coming in from Lake Huron shoal for shelter, sunk and did not again resume work, No. 2 continuing until the completion of the contract on August 17, 1904. During the fiscal year there was excavated and removed 9,038 cubic yards from shoal opposite mouth of Black River, and 33,818 cubic yards from shoal at foot of Lake Huron, at a total cost of $10,077.68, or 23.51 cents per cubic yard. Dredge No. 2, owned by the Lake Superior Contracting and Dredging Company, commenced work on May 27, 1905, under contract dated March 28, 1905. During the fiscal year this dredge excavated and removed 56,936 cubic yards from the Grosse Pointe Cut, at a total cost of $9,255.12, or 16.25 cents per cubic yard. This contract is still in force. COLONEL: I have the honer to submit the following report of operations for improving the sections in St. Marys River of the 20 and 21 foot ship channel during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1905: WIDENING ANGLE AT SAILORS ENCAMPMENT. Section 3, item E.-Location is 22 miles below St. Marys Falls Canal. Under emergency contract dated April 26, 1904, with H. W. Hubbell & Co., for hire of steam derrick boat at $6.15 per working hour, the removal of material left above grade by the dredges was completed on July 11, 1904. The improved areas were swept over with the raft bars suspended at grade of 21 feet for low-water stage of 578.8 and then opened to navigation. The derrick boat worked 71.7 hours and was delayed 4.1 hours; 17 pounds of dynamite were used for blasting, and 80 cubic yards of bowlders were picked up and removed to the dump pile at a cost of $443.81. The total cost of widening the additional 200 feet was $52,397.38, exclusive of engineering and office expenses. The extreme width of the channel at this angle is now 825 feet. The approved project of 1904 provides for a width of about 1,000 feet, and this will be secured during the coming season by hire of plant by the working hour. This bend of the river is a particularly dangerous one for navigation on account of the large deflection angle of over 61 degrees from sailing course No. 8 to No. 9, in combination with timbered shores obstructing view of channel approaches, a swift cross current, and rocky banks. SURVEYS. In August a survey was made for widening Round Island shoal No. 2, item A2, an additional 200 feet on the south side. There were 6,910 soundings taken, 10 by 25 feet apart, over an area 400 by 4,300 feet. About 2,400 soundings were taken on the Little Mud Lake, Squaw Island, and Sweets Point shoals. The character of the materials in these shoals was determined by borings and by the diver making examinations. Sketch maps of the shoals were duly prepared and computations made to determine amounts of material to be removed for safe draft of 21 feet. A progress report was made in October of the work completed and that remaining to be done in the St. Marys River sections under the 1902 project. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col. CHAS. E. L. B. DAVIS, Corps of Engineers. JOSEPH RIPLEY, OO 2. IMPROVEMENT OF ST. MARYS RIVER AT THE FALLS, MICHIGAN. The work now in progress comprises the construction of a movable dam, the acquisition of lands, etc., covered by the project of 1886, and its extensions; also the canal widening and further improvement authorized by the river and harbor act of June 13, 1902, and provided for by the river and harbor act of March 3, 1905, which appropriated $420,000 and authorized work to the extent of $600,000 more for the prosecution of the project submitted in final survey report of December 3, 1904 (H. Doc. No. 215, 58th Cong., 3d sess). The total expenditures up to June 30, 1905, are $4,354,066.55, leaving $829,798.45 available for payment of outstanding liabilities and for further work. The diversions provided for by the act of June 13, 1902, allowing $20,000 for special work at Sailors Encampment (already so expended), $20,000 for an international commission, and about $85,000 for St. Clair Flats Canal work, as now estimated, will leave about $723,000 for completion of the 1886 project and for continuing improvement as explained in preliminary report of June 4, 1900, and project of December 3, 1904, already referred to. The unfinished work of the 1886 project, including movable dam, will require about $303,000, the purchase of lands about $90,000 additional; the widening, etc., of the 1904 project will require about $1,020,000, and the new lock proposed in the same project will require about $3,300,000, giving a total of $4,713,000, of which $723,000 is actually available; $600,000 has been authorized but remains to be appropriated, leaving $3,390,000 still unprovided for. The operations of the past fiscal year were as follows: Work on the proposed widening of the canal above the locks has been confined to the preparation of plans and surveys for the same, except the excavation of a test pit to show the character of the material, and the raising of the level of the cofferdam surrounding a portion of the site of the widening at points where the natural settlement of the clay filling had rendered this advisable. The actual work of construction must await the acquisition of about 6 acres of land if the entire excavation is to be provided for in one contract, and that is the most advantageous and economical method. The purchase of lands fronting on the river between the Weitzel lock and the old Fort Brady reservation was continued, $122,600 being paid for 2.15 acres in five lots. Negotiations are in progress for the purchase of the remaining lands needed. The studies for movable dam and new lock were continued, and esti mates of the weight and time of operation of the various types of movable dams were made. The commerce passing through the St. Marys River, shown by the statistics of traffic through both the Canadian and American locks at the Sault for the navigation season of 1904, a period of seven months and twenty-seven days, was 31,546,106 tons of freight, valued at $334,502,686. The number of passengers reported in transit through the locks was 37.695. Daily readings of water gauges above and below the locks were made throughout the year and their monthly means and differences computed. Details of operations are given in the appended report of Assistant Engineer Joseph Ripley, under whose immediate supervision the work has been carried on. Money statement. July 1, 1904, balance unexpended $544, 892. 48 Amount appropriated by river and harbor act approved March 3, 1905.. 420,000.00 964, 892.48 June 30, 1905, amount expended during fiscal year, for works of improvement.. @135, 094. 03 July 1, 1905, balance unexpended 829, 798.45 July 1, 1905, outstanding liabilities and diversions of act of June 13, 1902. 106, 429. 11 July 1, 1905, balance available July 1, 1905, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project ....... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1907, for works of improvement, in addition to the balance unexpended July 1, 1905 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sundry civil act of June 4, 1897. 723, 369. 34 778.50 600,000.00 600,000.00 APPROPRIATIONS. On past finished projects of 1856 to 1885, $2,875,692, including $10,000 diverted from Great Lakes harbors appropriation of 1864. On present project: ABSTRACT OF CONTRACT IN FORCE DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1905. Emergency contract dated June 30, 1905. Name of contractor: Municipal Engineering and Contracting Company, Chicago, Ill. Amount and character of work: $778.50; furnishing and delivering one concrete mixer and engine. Price: lump sum of $778.50. Date of beginning of work: July 10, 1905. Date of expiration: July 30, 1905. REPORT OF MR. JOSEPH RIPLEY, ASSISTANT ENGINEER. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of operations for improving St. Marys River, at the falls, Michigan, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1905: a Includes payments by Treasury Department, account of Michigan Central Railroad Company Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad Company. $12.52 6.26 18.78 The cofferdam surrounding the site of the proposed excavation for widening the canal above the locks was raised about 3 feet in the places where the clay had settled. Borings to rock along the cofferdam trench on north side of proposed canal widening were made and platted, to show the profile of rock surface for use in making estimates of cost. A test pit about 15 feet square and 30 feet deep was excavated near the west end of the cofferdam inclosure, to determine the character of the rock to be excavated and to enable prospective bidders on excavation to more accurately estimate the probable cost of the work. Observations were continued to determine changes in length and alignment of the Poe lock walls for use in connection with studies for walls of new lock. A tape comparator for use in standardizing tapes was so far completed as to be of use, and several tapes were compared with a standard tape. A float gauge, to be read in connection with automatic gauge below the locks, was established in the gauge house and the elevation of the staff gauge at the head of canal was checked by levels from established bench marks. The self-registering gauges above and below the locks were inspected regularly, the elevations of water surface at hourly intervals were scaled from the rolls and recorded, and the rolls sent to the United States Lake Survey Office for file. Daily readings of staff gauges above and below the locks of the St. Marys Falls Canal were taken, as usual, throughout the year. The monthly mean elevations referred to the system of levels heretofore in use are as follows: The changes to aids to navigation in St. Marys River, which were specially reported, related principally to shifting of buoys and float lights in connection with dredging operations of widening and deepening channels. Suggested changes, so far as concerned St. Marys River, were submitted for use in preparation of Bulletin No. 15, Survey of Northern and Northwestern Lakes. Negotiations were continued for purchase of lands located north of Water street. Payment was made by the United States in December, 1904, to George Kemp, James Strachan, Charles R. Miller, Hotton Brothers, and Mrs. M. C. H. Wells of $122,600, the appraised value of five lots containing 2. 15 acres of land. All the dock property along the river frontage between the Weitzel lock and old Fort Brady pier is now owned by the Government. Papers are being prepared for title to remaining 2 acres fronting on Water street, at an approximate cost of $90,000. Studies for movable dam were continued, general plans and estimates being prepared for a balanced gate with vertical axis and the weight and probable time of operation of twenty-one types being considered and specially reported. Studies for new lock were continued, these studies including various plans for filling and emptying the lock, design of gate and valve operating machinery, etc. Assistant Engineer L. C. Sabin had special charge of this part of the work. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lieut. Col. CHAS. E. L. B. DAVIS, Corps of Engineers. JOSEPH RIPLEY, |