COMMERCIAL STATISTICS.

The Siuslaw River is in the collection district of Yaquina, on Yaquina Bay, Oregon. The nearest light-house is at Heceta Head, 84 miles north of the entrance to the river. The following-named commerce was carried by vessels across the bar at the mouth of the river during the calendar year 1900:

List of merchant vessels crossing the bar at entrance to Siuslaw River, Oregon, during year ending December 31, 1900.

The original project (completed) for obtaining a permanent channel having the least depth of 17 feet at high tide across the bar at the entrance to the bay, and the present project for removing a cluster of rocks on the side of the channel about 2,000 feet beyond the sea end of the south jetty, are mentioned in the summary of this report.

The operations during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1901, were confined to removing the most northerly of the three rocks shown on map opposite page 4292 of the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1900, as being beyond the sea end of the south jetty. This rock was found to consist of a pinnacle reef rising from the rocky bottom which underlies the entrance to the bay. It was about 23 feet long and 18 feet wide, and was composed of a gray argillaceous sandstone of fine grain, very hard and brittle, and similar in character to the underlying portions of the reefs which are exposed at low tide on the north headland of the bay. The least depth on the highest point of the most northerly rock in question, when work on it was commenced, in August, 1900, was 6 feet at mean lower low tide. In September, 1900, when

operations were suspended on account of the approaching fall storms, this depth had been increased to 12 feet at mean lower low tide.

The work of removing the rock during the past fiscal year was carried on by hired labor and with Government plant, U. S. S. General H. G. Wright, its crew of about six men, and a diver and a diver's attendant, being employed.

The first shipment of explosives was received at Yaquina Bay on August 7, 1900, and the second and last shipment was received on August 28, 1900. The work of removing the rock was practically commenced August 7, 1900, and was suspended September 16, 1900, the rough bar rendering further operations in the open sea impracticable. The total quantities of explosives used were 1 ton of 75 per cent giant powder, and 2 tons of gelatine dynamite composed of 75 per cent nitrogelatine, 5 per cent nitrocellulose, 11 per cent sodium nitrate, 5 per cent magnesium carbonate, and 4 per cent wood flour. The explosives were purchased of the Giant Powder Company, of San Francisco. After various experiments in handling and exploding the the charges the following method was adopted: The explosives were taken out to the site of the rock by U. S. S. General H. G. Wright. The latter was securely moored nearly over the point to be blasted, and held in position by four anchors, and the diver was sent down to select a suitable place for the charge, such as a crevice or against a steep face of the rock. The explosives were passed down to the diver with a line, in 50-pound boxes, which were tied up in sacks containing also a sufficient amount of sand to overcome buoyancy. After the main charge was placed by the diver a priming charge, consisting of an electric exploder attached to several sticks of giant powder and connected with about 1,000 feet of double leading wire, was passed down and fastened by the diver to one of the boxes of giant powder. The diver was then hauled up and the steamer moved to a safe distance. Two men in a yawl fired the charge with a battery at a distance away of about 700 feet. The size of the charges varied from 150 to 700 pounds of giant powder and gelatine dynamite mixed. The average charge was about 500 pounds. In all, eighteeen blasts were made, on fourteen different days. At first the charges were placed in crevices and clefts and against steep faces, and good execution resulted, but the rock was soon crushed into a mass of débris, which remained more or less in place. Six or seven tons of this débris was loaded into a weighted stone box by the diver and taken away and dumped into deep water. The solid rock broken up in the operations during the year was about 70 cubic yards.

Mr. James S. Polhemus, assistant engineer, was in local charge of removing the rock.

It is estimated that the balance available July 1, 1901, will be sufficient to complete all proposed work at Yaquina Bay, by removing the remaining two rocks of the cluster during the summer of 1901, and that the sum of $2,000 will be required in addition to the balance available July 1, 1901, for maintenance of improvement during fiscal year ending June 30, 1903, this work of maintenance to consist of caring for the Government property and plant at Yaquina Bay.

No deterioration occurred during the past fiscal year.

At this time this harbor is not considered unworthy of improvement to the extent of completing the work of removing the cluster of rocks beyond the end of the south jetty with the funds now available.

Money statement.

July 1, 1900, balance unexpended.

June 30, 1901, amount expended during fiscal year

July 1, 1901, balance unexpended......

July 1, 1901, outstanding liabilities

July 1, 1901, balance available ....

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1903, for maintenance of improvement, in addition to the balance unexpended July 1, 1901...

Submitted in compliance with requirements of sundry civil act of June 4, 1897, and of section 7 of the river and harbor act of 1899.

$19,972. 32 7,067.83

12, 904.49 170.00

12, 734. 49

2,000.00

Yaquina Bay is in the collection district of Yaquina. Yaquina is the port of entry. The nearest light-house is at Yaquina Head, 44 miles north of the entrance. The following commerce passed into and out of the bay on vessels during the calendar year 1900:

List of merchant vessels crossing the bar at entrance to Yaquina Bay, Oregon, during the year ending December 31, 1900.

V V 8.

YAQUINA BAY, OREGON, EXAMINATION.

The object of the examination and the results were printed in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1900 (pp. 4293).

The expenditures during the past fiscal year were in settlement of liabilities incurred during the previous year.

In accordance with authority of the Chief of Engineers dated February 26, 1900, the unexpended balance of the appropriation of $5,000 made by the act of March 3, 1899, for the examination of the bay was returned to the Treasury July 18, 1900.

Money statement.

July 1, 1900, balance unexpended

July 18, 1900, balance in Treasury United States..

1 $310.40 2310.40

NOTE. The sum of 64 cents was expended by the Treasury Deparment in fiscal year ending June 30, 1901, in making settlement with the Southern Pacific Company, leaving the unexpended balance of the appropriation as of June 30, 1901, $309.76, all of which is in the Treasury of the United States.

March 3, 1899

APPROPRIATION.

$5,000

V V 9.

IMPROVEMENT OF TILLAMOOK BAY AND BAR, OREGON.

The project (now completed) for obtaining the least depth of 9 feet at mean high tide in a selected channel from Hobsonville, on Tilla mook Bay, up to Tillamook City, on Hoquarten Slough, and the results of operations in former years are mentioned in the summary of this report.

The operations during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1901, were in continuation of the operations in progress at the close of the previous fiscal year, mentioned in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1900 (pp. 4314-4318), and consisted of dredging shoals and constructing deflecting dikes in and along the selected channel leading from Hobsonville up to Tillamook City.

The work of widening by dredging the channel through the mud flat opposite Bay City, commenced with the Government dredge scow on June 16, 1900, was completed July 11, 1900. Between July 1 and 11, 1900, 1,735 cubic yards of material was dredged in widening this channel. The widths at bottom and top of this channel are 60 and 80 feet, respectively, and the channel is about 9 feet deep at mean high tide.

Includes $17.69 in hand July 1, 1900.

'Includes $17.69 returned to Treasury July 18, 1900.

Upon the completion of the work of widening the above-named channel the work of dredging a channel 675 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 10 feet deep at mean high tide through a shoal opposite the southern end of the dike built in former years across the head of Middle Channel was commenced and completed with the Government dredge

SCOW.

On July 20, 1900, the dredge scow was moved up to Tillamook City, and between that time and Septemper 29, 1900, dredged several abrupt bends in Hoquarten Slough below Tillamook City, removing about 9,200 cubic yards of material.

The five spur dikes, 154, 255, 186, 147, and 63 feet long, on the south side of Hoquarten Slough, at Dry Stocking bar, the construction of which was in progress at the close of the last fiscal year, were completed during the past year by filling them with brush and rubblestone, furnished and placed in the dikes under a proposal received in response to a circular advertisement dated March 10, 1900. The quantities of materials placed in these five dikes during the year were 250.22 cords of brush fascines, 604.4 tons of rubblestone, 3,025 feet B. M., of lumber, 2,039.75 pounds of wire, and 123 pounds of spikes. The two spur dikes, 356 and 313 feet long, on the south side of the selected channel, opposite the old mouth of Wilson River, under construction at the close of the last fiscal year, were completed during the past year by placing in them 200 cords of brush fascines, 736.9 tons of rubblestone, 11,409 feet B. M. of lumber, 548 pounds of wire, and 850 pounds of spikes.

The 581-foot spur dike under construction at the close of the last fiscal year, on the east side of the selected channel, opposite the southern end of the dike built in former years across the head of Middle Channel, was completed during the past year by placing in it 173 cords of brush fascines, 479.4 tons of rubblestone, 6,548 feet B. M. of lumber, 1,344 pounds of wire, and 362 pounds of spikes.

The work of extending the southern end of the dike built in former years across the head of Middle Channel, which was in progress at the close of the last fiscal year, was completed during the past year by placing in the 300-foot extension 85 cords of brush fascines, 247.5 tons of rubblestone, and 746 pounds of wire.

Minor repairs were also made during the past year by placing small quantities of brush fascines, rubblestone, etc., in the dike across Wilson River, built in 1895, in the dike extending north from Dicks Point, and in the shore protection at "revetment point," opposite Dry Stocking Island.

All the brush fascines, rubblestone, lumber, wire, and spikes used in the work during the past year were furnished in place by George W. Kiger, of Tillamook City, Oreg., under his proposal received in response to circular advertisement dated March 10, 1900. The prices for the materials in place were: Brush fascines, $3 per cord; rubblestone, $1 per ton; lumber, $16 per 1,000 feet B. M.; wire, 64 cents per pound; spikes, 5 cents per pound. Operations under this advertisement and proposal, which were commenced June 25, 1900, were completed October 30, 1900.

The authorization of the purchase of about 1 acre of land, for use in connection with storing and mooring the Government plant when not in use, was mentioned on page 4318 of the last annual report. This land was purchased during the past year of Horace Holden, payment