pletion, together with an estimate of the amount that can be profitably expended during the year ending June 30, 1884. The reports of the officers in charge of the various improvements will be found in the Appendix, and to these reports special reference should be made whenever detailed information is desired concerning the progress and condition of each work. The examinations and surveys at one hundred and forty-five localities required and provided for in the river and harbor act of August 2, 1882, have been distributed and assigned to the officers in charge of the several river and harbor districts. The act provides that no survey shall be made of any of the harbors or rivers therein enumerated until the Chief of Engineers shall have directed a preliminary examination of the same by the local engineer in charge of the district, and then only when said local engineer shall have made such examination, and shall have reported to the Chief of Engineers that, in his judgment, said harbor or river is worthy of improvement, and the work is a public necessity. These preliminary examinations are now in progress, and when their results have been acted upon by this office, an allotment will be made of funds required for such surveys as may come within the above provision of the act, and the surveys at once undertaken. The reports thereon will be submitted to Congress from time to time during the ensuing session as far as received. ATLANTIC COAST. IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS AND HARBORS IN THE STATES OF MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND MASSACHUSETTS. Officer in charge, Col. George Thom, Corps of Engineers, who had under his immediate orders until March 18, 1882, First Lieut. William T. Rossell, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army. 1. Breakwater in Saint Croix River, near Calais, Maine.-This breakwater was built by the United States Government in 1856 upon the "Ledge," which is situated in mid-river, about 5 miles below the bridge at Calais, Me. It consists of three crib-work piers, ballasted with stone, and is so located as to prevent vessels in descending on the ebb-tide from being thrown upon the ledge by the strong tidal current which sets directly upon it. This work having been nearly destroyed by freshets, floating ice, and decay, an appropriation of $4,000 was made by the river and harbor act of March 3, 1881, for rebuilding the work. Under a contract made therefor it was completed in December, 1881. July 1, 1881, amount available July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881 . (See Appendix A 1.) $3,975 41 3,975 41 2. Lubec Channel, Maine.-The following appropriations have been made for the improvement of this channel, viz: By the river and harbor act of March 3, 1879.. Total $44,000 20,000 45,000 20,000 129,000 The project for the improvement of this channel was based upon a survey made in 1878, the object being to make it navigable in all stages of the tide by giving it depth of not less than 12 feet at mean low-water, or about 9 feet at low-water of spring tides. This required the deepening of several bars situated between the head of "The Narrows" and "Western Bar Beacon" (a distance of about 2 miles), the shoalest of which have a depth of not more than 5 feet at mean low-water. Under the appropriation of March 3, 1879, a contract was made in September, 1879, for the partial dredging of this channel. Under that contract the removal of the spit off Leadurney Point was completed, and some dredging was done at the lower end of the bar near the "Western Bar Beacon," after which (in March, 1880) the contracting party abandoned the work. On the 2d of September, 1880, a new contract was made for prosecuting the work under the two appropriations of 1879 and 1880, then available, under which contract dredging operations were commenced June 1, 1881, and continued up to the end of June, 1882, during which period the following work has been done, viz, 41,330 cubie yards of dredging done at the lower end of the bar near the "Western Bar Beacon," and all the dredging completed at the shoals at and near the head of "The Narrows" above Leadurney Point. Under the appropriation of March, 3, 1881, a contract was made December 31, 1881, for 100,000 cubic yards, more or less, of dredging at the lower shoal below Leadurney Point, the same to be completed on or before the 31st of December, 1882. The appropriation of $20,000, made by the river and harbor act of August 2, 1882, it is proposed to apply to improving the channel below Leadurney Point. The officer in charge asks that $25,000 be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, for completing the projected improvement of Lubec Channel. July 1, 1881, amount available.. July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of $102, 209 15 outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881. $25, 257 20 July 1, 1882, outstanding liabilities.. 9, 108 80 34,366 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. (See Appendix A 2.) 25,000 00 25,000 00 3. Moose-a-bec Bar at Jonesport, Maine.-The project for the improvement of the channel at this place was adopted in 1881, the object being to afford a safe and direct channel of not less than 200 feet in width and 14 feet in depth at mean low-water, or 113 feet at low-water of spring tides, the mean fall of the tides being 11 feet. The main channel is very narrow and tortuous, and so much obstructed by sunken ledges as to make navigation very unsafe. The estimated cost of this improvement, as amended, is $40,000. By the river and harbor act of March 3, 1881, the sum of $10,000 was appropriated for this work. Under this appropriation a contract was made for 28,000 cubic yards, more or less, of dredging on the bar, at 324 cents per cubic yard, measured in scows, which was completed on the 30th of June, 1882, whereby a channel has been opened through the bar to a depth of 14 feet at mean low-water, for a width of about 85 feet. It is also expected that under the appropriation of August 2, 1882, this channel will be opened to an additional width of 65 feet. An additional amount of $20,000 will be required for completing this improvement, viz, $14,000 for dredging, and $6,000 for the removal of the sunken ledge. July 1, 1881, amount available.. $9,991 25 July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.... 9,476 £7 July 1, 1882, amount available......... 514 28 Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882. 10,000 00 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883..... 10,514 28 20,000 00 20,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. (See Appendix A 3.) 4. Belfast Harbor, Maine.-The project for the improvement of this harbor was adopted in 1876, the object being to give a depth in front of the wharves sufficient to enable steamers and other vessels to arrive and depart in all stages of the tide. In the upper part of the harbor, in front of Lane's wharf, there was not more than 4 feet of water at mean low-water, when surveyed in 1875, and this depth increased downwards to about midway between Sanford's Boston steamer wharf, and McGilvery's ship-yard, where there was 12 feet of water at mean low-water. Under the several appropriations, aggregating $22,000, made in the years 1876, 1878, and 1879, this harbor has been excavated to a depth of 10 to 12 feet at mean low-water from the wharf-lines out to deep water, in completion of the project adopted, leaving unexpended the appropriation of $3,000, made therefor by the river and harbor act of June 14, 1880. July 1, 1881, amount available.. (See Appendix A 4.) $3,000 00 3,000 00 5. Rockland Harbor, Maine.-The project for the improvement of this harbor was adopted in January, 1881, the object being to afford a safe and convenient harber of refuge at this place, by means of two rubblestone breakwaters, one to be built out from Jameson Point in a direction of about south 1640 east for a distance of 1,900 feet from high-water mark, and the other to commence at South Ledge and extend in a direction about north 9° east for a distance of 2,640 feet. The estimated cost of these breakwaters is as follows: Jameson Point Break water.. South Ledge Breakwater.... $135,000 415, 000 By the river and harbor act of June 14, 1880, the sum of $20,000 was appropriated for this harbor, under which a contract was made for furnishing and placing in the Jameson Point Breakwater 24,000 tons of rubble-stone, which contract was completed on the 23d of November, 1881. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, is $9,048.88, whereby the breakwater has been built out for an aggregate length of 663 feet to a point distant about 783 feet from high-water mark. The appropriation of $40,000 made for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883, it is proposed to apply to continuing the construction of the Jameson Point breakwater. The officer in charge asks that $75,000 be appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, for completing the breakwater at Jameson Point. July 1, 1881, amount available. $9,176 08 July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.... 9,048 88 July 1, 1882, amount available.... 127 20 Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882. 40,000 00 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883.... 40,127 20 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project............. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. (See Appendix A 5.) 490,000 00 75,000 00 6. Richmond Harbor, Kennebec River, Maine.-The project for the improvement of this harbor was adopted in 1881, the object being to afford a channel of navigable width and of not less than 10 feet in depth at mean low-water at the shoals at the upper end of Swan Island and at Hatch's Rocks, 2 miles below; and not less than 11 feet at mean lowwater at the foot of Swan Island. The channel at the first two places is narrow, and not more than 8 feet in depth at mean low-water, whilst at the foot of the island it is not more than 30 feet in width for a depth of 11 feet at mean low-water. Under the appropriation made for the improvement of this harbor by the river and harbor act of March 3, 1881, the projected wing-dam at the head of Swan Island was completed in October last, and some progress has been made in improving the shoal at the foot of Swan Island, with a probability of its completion about the middle of August, 1882. Under the appropriation of $10,000 made by the river and harbor act of August 2, 1882, it is proposed to complete all the work projected for the improvement of this harbor. July 1, 1881, amount available... July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881 . July 1, 1882, amount available... Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882.... Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883...... (See Appendix A 6.) $9,980 98 3,449 95 6,531 03 10,000 00 16,531 03 7. Cathance River, Maine.-The project for the improvement of this river was based upon the survey made in 1879, the object being to afford a channel of navigable width and of not less than 10 feet depth at mean low-water (or 15 feet at mean high-water) from the outlet of the river into Merrymeeting Bay to the channel of Kennebec River near "The Chops," a distance of about 2 miles. The natural channel was crooked and had but 6 feet of water at mean low-water in its shoalest part. By the river and harbor act of June 14, 1880, the sum of $10,000 was appropriated for the improvement of this river, of which there was expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1881, the sum of $9,459.69, which was applied to the completion of the channel by dredging through "the outer bar" (near "The Chops"), and to its completion at the lower part of the Bar III, for a width of 100 feet. By the river and harbor act of March 3, 1881, the additional sum of $6,000 was appropriated for this river, under which a contract was made for widening the channel at the lower part of Bar III to a width of about 130 feet, and to opening a channel to a width of about 125 feet through the upper part of this bar, which was completed on the 22d of October, 1881. It is proposed to apply the appropriation of $5,000 made for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883, to the completion of this work by the further improvement of the channel at the "outer bar" near "The Chops." July 1, 1881, amount available.. July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881...... July 1, 1882, amount available...... Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882.. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883.... (See Appendix A 7.) $6,540 31 6, 481 64 58 67 5,000 00 5,058 67 8. "Gut" opposite Bath, Maine.-The project for the improvement of the channel at this place was adopted in 1870, and modified in 1878, the object being to afford a navigable chanuel not less than 90 feet in width at and near "Upper Hell Gate," in Back River, and of not less than 11 feet in depth at mean low-water above the gate, and 12 feet in depth below it. The channel was originally very crooked and narrow, and much obstructed by dangerous sunken ledges, the shoalest of which had not more than 3 feet of water on it at mean low-water. The total amount expended to the 30th of June, 1881, on the project now being executed was $34,801.08, whereby the channel above the gate had been opened to the projected width (110 feet) and depth, and in the gate and below it to a depth of 12 feet at mean low-water for a part of its extent only. Under the appropriation of $7,000 made by the river and harbor act of June 14, 1880, a contract was made for breaking up and removing about 175 cubic yards of the remaining sunken ledges, which has been completed during the past year. Under the appropriation of $5,000 made by the river and harbor act of March 3, 1881, a contract was made for breaking up and removing all the remaining sunken ledges in completion of all the work projected for the improvement of this channel, of which 62.8 cubic yards have been removed during the past year, leaving about 57 cubic yards to be done under said contract, which will probably be finished in August next. July 1, 1881, amount available.. July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881. July 1, 1882, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1882, amount available.. (See Appendix A 8.) $10,348 92 $7, 141 09 226 08 7,367 17 2,981 75 9. Portland Harbor, Maine.-The project for the improvement of this harbor by building a breakwater on Stanford's Ledge was adopted in 1833-36, and was modified in 1866, 1872, and 1881 as to the plan for the completion of the breakwater and the improvement of the harbor by dredging. The amount expended thereon up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1881, was about $263,000, by which the following work had been done, to wit: 1. The breakwater extended and completed for a total length of 2,005 feet, including the granite pier, 25 feet in diameter, at its outer extremity. 2. A channel dredged through the Middle Ground Bar to a width of 500 feet and to a depth of 20 to 22 feet at mean low-water, on the |