The steam-drills used were the "Ingersoll.” The churn-drills were 12 feet long, and worked by 3 men to the drill. The gang-drills were about 24 feet long, and worked by 2 strikers and 1 holder. The block-drills were the ordinary single-hand drills. The work of bowlder-quarrying at the end of the protective wall, described above under "canal work," is not here included, though really a part of the project for river improvement. Mr. A. J. Brownlie was in immediate charge of the force on the river, and much credit is due him for his energetic prosecution and efficient superintendence of the difficult and dangerous work assigned him. It will be impossible to give with any definiteness the results of the season's work on river improvement before next fall or winter, when the river will have again reached a low stage. The large masses of rock that were broken up were left to be removed by the current of the river at high water. Whether this will be done or not, or what degree of improvement will result from such removal, cannot yet be told. It is certain that the work at Old Garrison Rapid effected an immediate and perceptible improvement, while the removal of several dangerous bowlders at different points has made the navigation of the river much more safe than it was. During the year the tow-boat has been fitted with a complete set of bulkheads, which were needed to render her secure in case of accident. The drill-scow has undergone considerable repairs to fit her for the work of river improvement. Early in the season a "landing-stage," consisting of a raft of several large logs, with mooring-posts framed and fastened to it, was constructed and anchored at Bowlder Point Landing for the use of the tow-boat, and proved a great convenience. Frequent trips were made by the tow-boat during the low-water season from the Lower Cascades to Bowlder Point Landing, without experiencing any difficulty whatever in ascending the various rapids. Only a few trips were made through the Big Eddy Rapid, of which the following is a record: On February 9, with the river nearly full of running ice, and with water on gange 2 reading 73.1, the tow-boat attempted to tow the wood-scow through the rapid, but failed owing to the fouling of the wheel and rudders of the tow-boat and the piling up of the ice in front of the scow. * A detailed statement is appended showing the money expenditures and the cost of the various items of canal and river work during the fiscal year. COMMERCIAL STATISTICS. The Cascades of the Columbia River are in the collection district of Willamette. The nearest port of entry is Portland, Oreg., 63 miles distant by river. The nearest light-house and works of defense are at the mouth of the Columbia River, 151 miles distant. The amount of revenue collected at Portland for the thirteen months ending June 30, 1884, is $402,290.76. The value of the principal products of the Upper Columbia country at Portland for the twelve months ending June 30, 1884, is $5,669,865. (See table with report on the Upper Columbia and Suake rivers.) The completion of the improvement will make a good continuous navigation from the seaboard to The Dalles, 45 miles further, which is on the western border of the extensive agricultural and grazing region of the Upper Columbia. Beyond the obstructions here which require improvement or a portage are nearly 400 miles of continuous navigable river. 5908 EN-142 Total.. 244 57 13, 449 29 13, 693 86 1,790 71 1 790 71 4 46 13, 698 32 1, 790 71 23 30 23 30 23 30 58, 011 34 15, 887 28 73, 898 62 17, 266 59 3, 994 07 3, 246 29 7,656 30 15, 355 98 4,662 51 534 15 1, 135 03 35, 511 83 92, 237 71 *Inspection reports for plant condemned May 23, 1883, were received from Washington after the last annual statement was completed, so that the "total expenses for the year" is $3, 994. 07 in excess of the true expenses for the year, and also some of the prices per units of work are in excess of the true prices. tRiver improvement, $24,161.02. Q Q 6. IMPROVEMENT OF ENTRANCE TO COOS BAY, OREGON. The plan here is to build a half-tide jetty or training dike from near Fossil Point, inside of the entrance, on a slightly curved line, towards Coos Head, exterior to the entrance. The original estimate was $600,000. The total amount appropriated since the adoption of the present plan is $130,000, of which $99,977.96 have been expended thereon. To the beginning of the year, 1,645 feet of structure, measured from high-water mark, had been made, the newest part of which is an enrockment, 302 feet in length, inclining seawards from low tide to 12 feet below that level, and made in depths of water from 12 to 36 feet. The older parts of the jetty are described in the Reports for 1881-283. The enrockment had been made by dumping from cars on an elevated track, resting on piles driven through the ballast of the old work or through the new dump; near the shore the track rested on bents bolted to the ledge rock. Piles were driven by a drop-hammer on a swinging frame supported on two dump-car trucks. The gauge of the track is 3 feet; it has a small grade outwards. The cars were pushed by hand. The stone is a light soft rock, quarried from the low bluff near the jetty end. The bank of earth over the quarry was sluiced during winters. A moderate supply and head of water for the sluicing were obtained during the rainy months by damming a small water-course of the vicinity. Operations during the year consisted mainly in extending the enrockment by means previously used, and during July and August. Work was then stopped, from near exhaustion of the balance remaining of the appropriation for the previous year, and amount received by authorized transfer of some stone-scows to another improvement. An advance of 42 feet was made, as measured by the jetty track extension, in depths of water of 36 and 42 feet, making the total length of the jetty from high-water line 1,689 feet. The top of the dump extension was 18 feet below low tide at the outer piling; beyond there was the slope of the dump. The quantity of rock placed for the extension is 6,856 cubic yards; 433 yards were dumped on some inshore parts. At the close of work the last 90 feet of track piling was strengthened for better resistance against winter seas by screw-bolting 6x6-inch timbers on middle of caps of piling. Iron was removed from the track exterior to the timber cribs, and stored with dump cars and tools. From November to April quarry-sluicing was done by the watchman, aided by two men, when the supply of water permitted. Four thousand six hundred and thirty-nine cubic yards of inaterial were reported as having been removed. Prospecting was done for a supply of suitable stone, which could be cheaply placed in the work by dump. Scows. The best stone found was on some vacant lands on Coos Head, which could also furnish piles, wood, and brush. Application was accordingly made to have these tracts withrawn from market and devoted to the use of the improvement. Au examination of the bar channel, sands, and jetty changes was made in June. A progress map is presented herewith with maps of earlier surveys for comparison. The general effect of the jetty, so far, has been to partly erode the north spit and to deflect the ebb about one-half from its original direction to that desired. The depth of the bar chanuel has not improved, but the channel has been kept practically in one position since the first consider ble advance of the jetty without shifting. This stability of channel is quite |