G 4. IMPROVING OTTER CREEK, VERMONT. In consequence of the failure of E. R. Seward to fulfill his contract for dredging this creek, the work was re-advertised for proposals, to be opened on August 13, 1873, and but one proposal was received; this, being for 60 cents per cubic yard, was considered too high, and inquiries were made by Mr. White, my assistant on Lake Champlain, to see if a dredge could not be found in that vicinity to do the work at a reasonable rate; after some delay, an offer was made by Mr. J. D. Hancock for 40 cents per cubic yard, which was accepted, and contract entered into with him to do the work. Operations were commenced in September, 1873, and were restricted to the improvement of those points of the creek which were found to be the most embarrassing to its navigation, viz: at Brick-Yard, a channel of 70 feet in width and 8 feet deep, at mean low water, has been dredged through the shoal; and at "Smith's Bend" and "Bull Brook" the channel has also been widened and deepened to about the same extent. At the steamboat-landing and vicinity, the creek, to nearly its whole width, has been cleared of silt, sunken timber, and bowlders. The basin from the docks on the east bank, to nearly two-thirds of its width, and extending from the steamboat-landing to the upper coaldock, has been dredged to the required depth. The amount of materials removed from the different points dredged is as follows: Consisting of clay, sand, gravel, silt, stone, and saw-mill débris. The improvement thus made enables vessels to reach the wharves at any point on the east side of the basin. And for the improvement of the navigation of the west side of the basin, in order to facilitate the shipment of freight by the manufacturing establishments located on the west shore, near the foot of the falls, and for completing the improvement of the channel, the sum of $48,146 will be required. Amount available July 1, 1874... Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874.. Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876, (to complete the improvement)... 58,146 00 $10,000 00 9,772 73 $7,500 00 2,074 13 9,346 86 227 27 48,000 00 APPENDIX H. ANNUAL REPORT OF MAJOR F. U. FARQUHAR, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1874. [Letter of transmittal under Appendix A.] H 1. PRESERVATION OF THE FALLS OF SAINT ANTHONY, AND NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. Owing to the small amount of funds available, the work has been confined to the repair of damages caused by the freshet in the spring of 1873, and securing the upper portion of the tunnel from further incursions of water from the river. During the first half of July, 1873, the tunnel being filled with water and the river at a high stage, all work was suspended except that of framing timber for the bulk-head under the shaft. On the 15th of July the water was drawn off from the tunnel, and the work of clearing out débris from the second break to the shaft commenced. A passage was cut through the masonry bulk-head where it had been undermined, and a large amount of fallen rock and sand removed. On the 29th of July work was commenced on the bulk-head under the shaft. This consisted of a crib work of timbers 12 inches square, laid 2 feet apart in each direction, and framed together, having a base of 32 feet with a batter of one-third on each face. The interstices between the timbers were filled with well-rammed concrete, composed of one part Louisville cement, two parts sand, and five parts broken limestone. A sewer of iron pipe 36 inches in diameter was laid through the bulk-head along the floor of the tunnel, and continued to about the middle of the second break, a distance of 252 feet. The flow of water through this sewer is controlled by a gate at the lower side of the bulk-head, operated through the shaft. The excavation formed by the washing out of the sand rock at the west end of the masonry bulkhead was cleared out, floored with concrete, and a lining of timber and masonry built. Stone walls were built in the upper part of the tunnel wherever required to support the limestone ledge; the above work being completed about the middle of September. The tunnel from the new bulk-head to the upper end of the sewer-pipe was filled with well-rammed gravel, brought by portable railroad from the hill on the east bank of the river. A cross-wall of concrete 4 feet in depth was put in below the floor at the back of the masonry bulk-head. At the upper end of the floor a trench was dug to the undisturbed sand-rock and filled with gravel. The floor was found to be undermined near the center of the tunnel to a depth of about 6 feet. The portion of the tunnel filled has a uniform depth of 16 feet, and varies in width from 35 to 120 feet. The total amount of gravel put in was about 11,000 cubic yards, at a cost of about 50 cents per yard. The filling was finished November 28, and the appropriation being nearly exhausted, work was suspended for the winter. It was thought advisable that the space inclosed by the coffer-dams be overflowed during the winter, and with this intention the portion of the tunnel above the gravel-plug was allowed to fill with water; but as this largely increased the flow from the spring at the bifurcation of the tunnel, the water was again drawn off. The citizens of Minneapolis having raised funds for the purpose, work was resumed on the 14th of February, 1874. The first work undertaken was the clearing out and filling with gravel of the channel on the east side of Nicollet Island, formed by the break of July 3, 1871. A trench was dug along the east side down to the hard stratum of sand-rock, drains laid to convey several small springs to the iron sewer-pipe, and the entire channel filled with gravel, well rammed. Several small channels in the soft stratum of sand-rock were found, through which water passed to the spring at the bifurcation of the tunnel. After the drains were laid the flow from the spring diminished from 230 to 80 gallons per minute, and has continued since to flow at the latter rate. The fallen rock and débris in the upper part of the second break were removed, and this, together with the lower part of the channel from the first break, filled with gravel. The lower part of the channel from the break of May 17, 1873, 325 feet in length, has been cleared out, drained, and filled. A timber bulk-head has been built in the west branch below the bifurcation, and a gravel plug 50 feet in length has been put in below the end of the lining in the main tunnel. Before the spring freshet the deep holes in the bed of the river at head of the ledge, outside the bank, were filled to a level with the top of the ledge with stone and gravel, protected by heavy riprap. The amount raised by the citizens for the above work was $17,157.50. Since June 13, 1874, when the funds furnished by the citizens were exhausted, work has been continued with the balance of the appropriation of 1873, which will be sufficient to complete the filling of the second break. April 15, 1874, a board of engineers assembled in Minneapolis for the purpose of considering the plan for the preservation of the Falls of Saint Anthony, and forwarded a report which I would respectfully request might be printed with this report in annual report to Congress. If the $200,000 asked for this improvement had been appropriated in 1872, so that the plan recommended by the board of engineers of that year could have been carried out, I think there is no doubt that the work would now be finished; but, as will be seen above, the amount appropriated by act approved March 3, 1873, was entirely expended in meeting the continually-occurring emergencies. Of the amount appropriated by act approved June 23, 1874, ($150,000,) $125,000 will be expended in constructing the wall or dike recommended by the board of engineers assembled in April, 1874, and the remaining $25,000 will be expended in removing obstructions in the Mississippi River between the Falls of Saint Anthony and Sauk Rapids. I would recommend that an appropriation of $200,000 be asked for, for continuing the work at the Falls of Saint Anthony in accordance with the recommendation of the above-named board of engineers. The further improvement of the Upper Mississippi River will be made the subject of a future report after a careful survey of the river has been made. Financial statement. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873 $20,000 00 due on material not yet paid for)... Amount in hands of officer and subject to his check, (including $5,244.62 21,880 78 Amount appropriated by act approved June 23, 1874.. 150,000 00 Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874. 35, 147 63 Amount available July 1, 1874 Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876 151,488 53 200, 000 00 H 2. PRESERVATION OF THE FALLS OF SAINT ANTHONY, MINNESOTA. No. 32.] Report of Board of Engineers. [Special Orders.] HEADQUARTERS CORPS OF ENGINEERS, A board of officers of the Corps of Engineers, to consist of Col. J. N. Macomb, Lieut. Col. J. D. Kurtz, Maj. G. Weitzel, Maj. O. M. Poe, Maj. F. U. Farquhar, will assemble at Minneapolis, Minn., on the 14th day of April, 1874, or as soon thereafter as practicable, to consider and report upon the subject of the preservation of the Falls of Saint Anthony. By command of Brig. Gen. HUMPHREYS. THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, The board met in Minneapolis, April 15, 1874, in pursuance of the above order, present all the members. Major Farquhar laid before the board all the information in his possession. The board having made a care personal examination of the locality and works, and having discussed the questions of the proper plans for the preservation of the Falls of Saint Anthony, submit the following REPORT. 1.-HISTORY OF THE FALLS OF SAINT ANTHONY FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE EXCAVATING OF THE TUNNEL TO THE PRESENT TIME. On the 7th of September, 1868, a company known as the Tunnel Company commenced the excavation of a tunnel at a point near foot of Hennepin Island, (marked A on accompanying tracing,) and continued this up under the island towards the foot of Nicollet Island. This was excavated for the purpose of forming a tail-race under the sites of manufactories to be built. The water to furnish the power for these manufac tories was to be introduced from the level of the mill-ponds on either side of Nicollet Island. On the 4th of October, 1869, this excavation had reached a point under the foot of Nicollet Island, when the workmen were driven away and the tunnel invaded by the waters of the Mississippi River coming in from a point marked B at the head of the limestone ledge. The original cross-section of the tunnel was 6 by 6 feet, but in a very short time the rushing waters excavated a much larger cross-section, (163 feet high by from 10 to 90 feet wide.) In a few days so much of the sand-rock between Nicollet and Hennepin islands was washed out that a large portion of the superincumbent lime-rock fell into the tunnel, (opening marked F.) After great effort on the part of the citizens a rude coffer-dam was constructed inclosing a space extending from above the point B on the west side of Nicollet Island down stream to the head of Hennepin Island, and another connecting the east sides of the foot of Nicollet and head of Hennepin Islands. This almost entirely checked the flow of water through the tunnel. The tunnel was then plugged at the lower end of the break between the two islands and the opening covered over, thus forming a new floor to the bed of the river between the two islands. The river and harbor appropriation bill approved July 11, 1870, made the first appropriation for the preservation of the Falls of Saint Anthony. The amount appropriated was $50,000. Under this appropriation Col. J. N. Macomb took charge of the work. The following report of Franklin Cook, engineer in local charge, gives the history of the work during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1871: [See Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1871, pp. 294-7.] During the fall of 1870 the citizens of Minneapolis commenced the building of the great wooden apron to protect the foot of the falls, and continued this work during the following winter. The river and harbor appropriation bill approved March 3, 1871, appropriated $50,000. On the 3d of July, 1871, a break into the tunnel from the east side of Nicollet Island occurred. The following report of Mr. Cook, and letter of Colonel Macomb transmitting the same to the Chief of Engineers, give a full account of this new trouble. This break is marked C on accompanying tracing. [See Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1871, pp. 297-8.] The new channel, marked D, from the tunnel to near the foot of the falls on west side of Hennepin Island, described in the above report, caused great alarm, and the citizens at once set to work to raise the necessary funds to line the tunnel. By the last of August, 1871, they had raised $100,000 for the lining of the tunnel and the building of the apron to protect the foot of the falls. The work done by the United States and the citizens of Minneapolis during fiscal year ending June 30, 1872, is set forth in the following reports, taken from the annual report of the Chief of Engineers for 1872: [See Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1872, pp. 296-306.] The amount appropriated for this work in the river and harbor bill approved June 10, 1872, was $50,000. The history of the work during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, is given in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1873. Maj. F. U. Farquhar relieved Col. J. N. Macomb of the charge of this work April, 1873. [See Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1873, pp. 408-11.] The river and harbor bill approved March 3, 1873, appropriated $50,000 for this work. The work accomplished during the first half of the present fiscal year is described in the following reports transmitted to the Chief of Engineers December 10, 1873: UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Saint Paul, December 10, 1873. GENERAL: I have the honor to make the following report of operations, during the past season, of the Falls of Saint Anthony, and also a report of the present condition of the work at that place. As soon as the high water of the Mississippi River had sufficiently subsided work was commenced to repair the damages caused by breaches through the cofferdams and through the soft sand-rock underlying the limestone between the head of the ledge and the mouth of the tunnel between Hennepin |