during the fall of 1873, and at the close of the working season of that year the old pier was in comparatively good order.

The opening of navigation in 1874, however, showed the pier to be a perfect wreck as previously described, and operations were commenced upon its repair in the latter part of April. By the close of the fiscal year the largest breach, 100 feet long, was closed, all the minor ones repaired, and the outer sections renewed upon 250 linear feet of the portion that was destroyed.

Much work is still to be done upon the old pier, but it is anticipated that the repairs will be entirely completed by August, 1874.

In the repair of the old pier the following materials have been used:

135,682 feet, board-measure, of hemlock timber.

4,759 feet, board-measure, hemlock plank.

19,537 feet, board-measure, pine timber.

10,957 feet, board-measure, pine plank.

135 treenails.

929 pounds of screw and washer bolts. 17,298 pounds of drift-bolts.

1,181 pounds of spike.

138.6 cords of stone.

During the present season it is proposed to complete the repairs of the old pier, and to add about 520 linear feet to the new pier, 460 feet to be upon the prolongation of the present line of the pier, and 60 feet in rear as counterforts. The work will be done by hired labor and purchase of materials in open market; agreements have already been made for materials at prices 20 per cent. less than under last contract for hemlock timber and iron, 12 per cent. less for pine timber, and 30 per cent. less for stone; the work will be pushed forward rapidly.

The original estimate for the new breakwater was $1,161,682; up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874, $425,000 had been appropriated, of which amount $349,650.96 had been expended, about $12,000 of which has been used upon the repairs of the old pier. About $700,000 will be required to complete the work.

Fort Ontario is situated here. There is a light-house, exhibiting a fixed white light. of the third order, and a beacon on the other end of the pier showing a fixed red light of the fourth order.

The amount of revenue collected at this port during the fiscal year was $765,992.67 ; the value of the imports was $7,356,646; the value of the exports was $260,876. Three thousand and eighty-four vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 547,061 tons, entered, and 3,527 vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 577,700 tons, cleared.

An abstract of contracts in force and a financial statement are trans mitted herewith.

Financial statement.

Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873.
Amount in hands of officer and subject to his check.
Amount appropriated by act approved June 23, 1874

Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874.
Amount available July 1, 1874

Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876

$107, 156 24

5,350 14 75,000 00

112, 157 34 75,349 04 300,000 00

F 8.

MOUTH OF BLACK RIVER, NEW YORK.

The history of this work, from its inauguration in 1836 up to the 30th of June, 1873, was given in the last annual report.

By the act of Congress approved March 3, 1873, an appropriation of $5,000 was made for the removal of the bar at the mouth of Black River, New York. As this bar is generally affected more or less by the spring freshets it was determined to take no action until they were over. Accordingly, on June 10, Mr. W. P. Judson was ordered with a party to this locality, and directed to make a complete survey of the bar and the river and bay in the vicinity; this was accomplished by June 30.

In June proposals were invited for dredging 11,500 cubic yards of mud, sand, &c., and at the opening of bids July 16, 1873, the work was awarded to Mr. C. Daly, of Ogdensburg, N. Y. The object in view was to open a channel about 25 feet wide and 6 feet deep through the bar for temporary relief, although, as stated in the last annual report, it was anticipated that it would soon fill up again; the language of the law making the appropriation was so specific, that the engineer in charge felt as if he had no authority other than to at once do the best he could with the funds available.

Operations were commenced August 8, and by the 28th a cut had been made through the bar 3,000 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 7 feet deep, at low water; this was personally examined by the engineer in charge, and by his direction the cut was widened to 35 feet, and operations suspended for want of funds, September 17, 1873, 11,500 cubic yards having been removed.

The bar is composed mainly of silicious sand, the up-stream portion being coarse, with a specific gravity of 1.693; the middle, a degree finer-specific gravity, 1.8; the outer, very fine-specific gravity, 1.963; on this sand there rests a large quantity of water, soaked shavings, and sawdust the specific gravity of which is 1.063.

It was observed while dredging that the sand rapidly flowed into the excavation, and was aided in this by westerly winds; the sawdust was very easily moved; and on the 15th of September, during a westerly gale, an island was formed, standing about two feet out of the water, starting from a point about 100 yards off Catfish Point, and running northwest for nearly 1,000 yards. This was so compact that men walked upon it, and it was estimated to contain about 40,000 cubic yards of sand, sawdust, shavings, &c.; in two days it was all scattered. After operations were suspended there was a strong westerly gale for three days, and at the end of that time a resurvey was made of the bar, when it was found that the cut had filled up very much, and in some parts of it there was scarcely any evidence that dredging had been done.

The system of piers mentioned in the annual report for the last fiscal year is deemed absolutely necessary, if it is proposed to improve the mouth of Black River, as it is deemed impossible to keep the channel open without them.

Dexter, just above the mouth of the river, is a port of entry in the collection-district of Cape Vincent.

The estimated cost of the improvement of this harbor, under the plan submitted, is $214,000. Since the commencement of operations $5,000, the entire amount appropriated, has been expended.

The amount of revenue collected during the fiscal year was $700; the value of the imports was $85,950; the value of the exports was $1,500.

Two hundred and fifty-four vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 6,500 tons, entered and cleared during the year.

Abstracts of proposals and contracts and a financial statement are transmitted.

Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874

$4,600 00 24 29

4,575 71

Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, if it is proposed to carry on the work......

50,000 00

Abstract of proposals for dredging at mouth of Black River, New York, opened by Maj. John M. Wilson, Corps of Engineers, July 16, 1873.

Abstract of contracts for improving harbor at mouth of Black River, New York, in force during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874, by Maj. John M. Wilson, Corps of Engineers, United States Army.

The first survey of this harbor by the General Government was made in 1855, under direction of Major Turnbull, of the Corps of Topographical Engineers, but no appropriation having been made no plan of improvement was presented.

By the act of Congress approved June 23, 1866, an examination and survey was ordered, and in July the work was placed in charge of Capt. C. B. Reese, Corps of Engineers, under whom a survey was made and a plan of improvement submitted.

In the spring of 1867 Lieutenant-Colonel Blunt being in charge of the work, an appropriation of $40,000 was made by Congress, and in June of that year a board of engineers was convened for the purpose of considering and reporting a plan for the improvement of the harbor. The board decided that for the present the improvement should be confined to dredging selected channels, removing bowlders, &c., and that there should be no resort to piers until it was shown that the dredged channels would not be permanent.

The recommendation of the board having been approved, proposals

were invited and a contract made in August, 1867; operations were commenced in the latter part of September, and about 12,000 cubic yards removed from the St. Lawrence Channel, near the custom-house wharf. The contractor complained that he had misunderstood the character of the materials to be removed, and consequently abandoned the work.

In May, 1868, another board of engineers was convened to devise a plan for the improvement of the harbor. This board, after a careful examination of the subject, decided that the work to be done should consist of

First. Deepening the channel over the outer bar.

Second. Deepening the water by dredging at the wharves of the Northern Railroad and Northern Transportation Company.

Third. Dredging the channel of the Oswegatchie River below the bridge.

Fourth. The excavation of a continuous channel 150 feet wide and 12 feet deep at low water, along the river front of the city, connecting the mouth of the Oswegatchie with the deep waters of the St. Lawrence, and the construction of a concave pier to maintain this channel, if it proved to be necessary.

In reference to dredging at the wharves of the Northern Railroad Company and Northern Transportation Company, the board, while admitting its absolute necessity, decided that it should be done by the wharf-owners, rather than by the General Government. This project having been approved contracts were made in September, 1868, and a channel dredged through the bar near the light-house, 300 feet wide and 14 feet deep, and considerable progress made in dredging at the mouth. of the Oswegatchie.

Lieutenant-Colonel Blunt was relieved in January, 1869, and in May of that year Major Bowen assumed charge. Operations were continued during the year 1869, dredging the Oswegatchie River between its mouth and the bridge; the work here was exceedingly difficult, the bottom consisting of bowlders, rock, and hard pan. An appropriation of $15,000 was made in 1870 and operations were continued, dredging at the mouth of the Oswegatchie, and work was commenced on the channel connecting that river with the deep waters of the St. Lawrence. In January, 1871, Major Bowen was relieved by Major Wilson, of the Corps of Engineers. In April, operations were resumed, dredging the channel in the St. Lawrence River, parallel to the line of docks, and the work has been continued from time to time until it is now nearly completed; the bottom in many places was found to consist of an aggregation of small bowlders, cobble-stones, gravel, &c., strongly cemented together, which rendered the dredging exceedingly difficult.

In 1871, an appropriation of $25,000 was made; in 1872, one of $10,000; and in 1873, one of $6,000.

The work of dredging, as laid out by the board of engineers, is nearly completed. The hard bottom of the Oswegatchie has been scraped, the channel parallel to the line of docks nearly completed, and that over the bar widened and deepened. It is not deemed advisable to commence the construction of the piers until the result of one more season is learned, in order to show whether they are necessary.

OPERATIONS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1874. The opening of the fiscal year found operations in progress, dredging the channel in the St. Lawrence River parallel to the line of docks, under contract with Cornelius Daly, of Ogdensburgh, N. Y.