hauled out by teams, and dumped on one side of the reservation. About 1,200 cubic yards were moved in this manner.

The old timbers on the Lake Washington end of the canal, the remains of an old lock, were removed by blasting, which materially widened the mouth of the channel. The old lock gates, which had sunk in the canal, were also removed, thus giving the

water an unobstructed entrance into the canal.

The old log gate at the portage dam was almost entirely rebuilt. The north side was torn out, new gate sills put in, embedded in concrete, lowering the sills about 1 foot, and the north side entirely rebuilt with new lumber, widening the gate from 6 feet 9 inches to 8 feet wide in the clear.

The south side of the gate was also greatly strengthened by the addition of new timbers. A heavy log gate, operating with hand lever, rack, and pinion, was constructed and found much more satisfactory than the old method of loose drop-plank gate, besides being much safer.

During the fall of 1903 a number of piles had been driven on the lower side of the old dam. These were used to build an addition to the existing dam. The lower row of piles were trimmed and furred out and sheathed with 4 by 12 inch planking, and the space between bulkhead and old dam was filled with selected earth placed in thin layers and well rammed in place. All earth fill next to log gate was placed in a similar manner.

At the upper side of the dam an intake for siphons was excavated, walled, and floored with heavy planking. The intake is 12 feet 6 inches wide and an average length of 10 feet, sufficiently large for four 30-inch siphons placed side by side. The floor is on the same general level as bottom of canal, which makes the top of intake opening of siphons at elevation 30, or about 3 feet below the summer level of Lake Washington.

In building the intake provision was made for a cofferdam at the outer end, so that repairs could be made to siphons without having to close down the canal.

On October 1 all work necessitating the canal being empty being completed, the temporary dam was removed, the canal filled, and a test of the dam made, which proved to be thoroughly water-tight.

The old 30-inch siphon was removed and remodeled on the same plans as the two new 30-inch siphons, for the building of which a contract was awarded to the T. F. Clark Company, of Seattle.

The work of completing and installing the siphons being delayed, owing to the difficulty the contractor had in getting some of the parts, the siphons were not finally installed till December 11, 1904. The three 30-inch siphons are placed side by side, sufficient room being left in the intake for placing a fourth siphon if ever found necessary to do so.

Siphon No. 2 was put in operation December 13, 1904. Stopped March 18, 1905. No attempt was made to start it up till March 29. Stopped again April 17, and Lake Washington being low and falling it has been allowed to remain idle.

The stopping each time of siphon No. 2 was caused by logs grounding in the canal, thus forming a temporary dani and preventing sufficient water flowing to supply the siphons.

The removing of the old lock timbers at the head of the canal, cleaning out and widening the canal, widening and deepening the log gate, and placing two additional 30-inch siphons have greatly increased the amount of water flowing through the canal into Lake Union.

CANAL CUT BETWEEN FREMONT AND SALMON BAY.

The work on this section of the canal consisted principally of bulkheads and brush work for bank protection.

At a point on the south bank of the canal 900 feet west of the Fremont Bridge 40 piles were driven for a distance of 235 feet. All loose material was cleaned from around the piles, and brush, commencing from solid bottom, was placed 2 feet thick. Commencing from the brush, 3 by 12 inch planking was spiked on the canal face of the piles above the highest water mark. Brush, before planking was begun, was weighted down with sacks filled with gravel and clay.

Two rows of piles were driven across the old channel, 28 piles in all, all loose material cleaned away, and brush, starting from hard bottom and extending back to inner row of piles, was placed 2 feet high and weighted down with sacks. Three by 12 inch planking was spiked on the canal face of the outer row of piles. Brush was

used against the inner row of piles and the core partly filled with earth. This dam was built to confine the flow of water to the new channel, preventing further cutting out and probably encourage filling of old channel.

Across the channel, 300 feet above Ross Bridge, two rows of 7 piles each were driven for the purpose of building a dam to keep out tide water at any time it may be necessary to do so to facilitate repairs in the canal above.

The south bank of the canal, between Lake Union outlet gates and the Fremont Bridge, was repaired by placing a heavy layer of brush 3 to 4 feet thick and weighted down with sacks filled with clay and the inner end of the brush covered with earth. Sixteen and five-tenths rods of fence were built across the sand spit at the lower end of Salmon Bay to prevent trespass on the right of way. No other work was done on the lower end during the year. An allotment has recently been made for improving the channel from deep water to the wharves at Ballard, but work has not yet commenced.

*

During the latter part of May two teams and two laborers were put to work removing a sand and gravel bar which had accumulated in the channel about 1,000 feet west of the Lake Union outlet gates and changed the current as to direct it against the north bank, causing it to cave.

Part of the gravel was removed and a deeper and straighter channel made. The material moved was placed against the toe of the caving bank, forming an apron, and preventing the water washing against the bank and causing further caving.

On May 19 siphon No. 3 stopped and has been allowed to remain idle. This siphon was first put in operation December 12, 1904, and with the exception of once stopping on February 18, 1905, when it was immediately started up again, it had been in continuous operation one hundred and fifty-eight days at the time it stopped on May 19.

Siphon No. 1 was first put in operation December 13, 1904, and has been in continuous operation one hundred and ninety-nine days when it was stopped on June 30 to be shut down during the low-water season.

In view of the provisions of the last river and harbor appropriation act it is not practicable to submit estimates for continuing the work.

Money statement.

July 1, 1904, balance unexpended

$2,511.51

Amount appropriated by river and harbor act approved March 3, 1905.. 125,000.00

June 30, 1905, amount expended during fiscal year, for maintenance of improvement..

148, 511.51

9, 969. 15

Two sailing vessels and 3 steam vessels of 2,098 total net tonnage were built at

Ballard during the year.

SIR: I have the honor to hand you herewith commercial statistics and report for Lakes Union and Washington and Salmon Bay for the calendar year 1904. The statistics for Lakes Union and Washington show a decided increase for 1904, in many of the items, over those for 1903. The greatest increase is in agricultural implements, eggs, feed, general merchandise, logs, lumber, and shingles.

The increase in farm products and farm implements is due to the steady increase in acreage which is being brought under cultivation on the east side of Lake Washington. Many new settlers are coming in who are purchasing small farms from 5 to 100 acres each, which are rapidly put under cultivation, producing fruits and general farm products.

There is a large tract of land on the east side near the south end of the lake, which was opened up during 1904, known as the Garden of Eden. This is being sold in lots and 5 and 10 acre tracts, many of which have been settled on and put to producing.

Two new shingle mills and one lumber mill have been built and put in operation since January, 1904. This, and the improvement of existing mills, accounts largely for the increase in the lumber and shingle business, as shown by these returns.

The large consumption of lumber, all of which is cut from the land immediately around Lake Washington, will naturally raise the question of the future lumber supply. From information obtained from conservative parties who are well posted in this matter it is claimed that the supply of lumber accessible to Lake Washington will be sufficient for all demands for forty years yet at the present rate of consumption.

There are 12 steamers of 15 to 500 gross tonnage at present operating on Lake Washington in a general freight and passenger business between the east and the