and closed by a hydraulic gate, in one of the dams of the Monongahela Navigation Company, provided that the chute and gate be constructed in accordance with the plans of the United States engineer in charge of the improvement of the Ohio River, and provided, also, that the Monongahela Navigation Company shall pay one-half the actual cost of construction, without any charge for the use of their dam or of such tools or working-machinery as they may have on hand. It should also be agreed that, in consideration of the foregoing provisions, the chute and gate shall become the property of the said Navigation Company, but that both chute and gate shall be subject to such changes or modifications, at the joint expense of the United States and the Navigation Company, as may be directed by the United States engineer in charge, until in his opinion further change or experiment is unnecessary. It should further be agreed that in case the experiment should prove a failure, the United States shall be liable for no charges for the cost of removing said chute and gate, and restoring the dam to its original condition. There are still many details to be elaborated in the practical construction of the Brunot gate which the pressing necessity for an early report, and the unexpected amount of time and labor required to collect the foregoing information, make it impossibe for the board to complete. They believe, however, that they have sufficiently covered the subject in the foregoing, and would recommend that the duty of preparing the prac tical details of construction be assigned to the engineer in charge of the improvement of the Ohio River. Respectfully submitted. G. WEITZEL, Major of Engineers, Brevet Major-General, U. S. A. Major of Engineers and Brevet Colonel. Brig. Gen. A. A. HUMPHREYS, N 4. IMPROVEMENT OF THE MONONGAHELA RIVER. In my report of September 1, 1873, the progress of this work was given up to that date. This consisted in the purchase of land for the site of the proposed lock and dam at Hoard's Rocks, W. Va., and the letting of a contract for the construction of the lock. Work was begun by the contractors in opening a quarry for stone in September last, and soon after the excavation for foundation was commenced. The progress of the work has thus far been slow, and I hardly think it probable that the contractors will be able to complete the lock this season, as contemplated by their contract. The excavation for the foundation is now complete, and a large quantity of stone of all classes is ready for the walls. From present appearances, not over five or six courses will be built by the close of the season. These, however, are the ones that are most troublesome and most subject to delay by rises in the river, and by land-slides. After they are finished, the work can progress smoothly and rapidly. The funds appropriated for this work will probably be sufficient to complete the lock, and a small margin may be left toward building the dam. The additional sum of $22,000 will, however, be necessary to complete the improvement at Hoard's Rocks, being the difference between my estimate for the current year ($47,000) and the amount ($25,000) appropriated by act of June 23, 1874. To complete the improvement of this river so as to properly connect with the slack-water system already established on the Lower Monongahela, will require two additional locks and dams, one of which should be built at or near Cheat River Ripple, and the other at Jacob's Creek. In estimating for a lock at Cheat River Ripple, I only do so because a lock must be built at or near this place in order to carry out the system of improvement recommended by me and approved by Congress. The question as to who should build it is an open one, as this matter has never been settled; but presuming that my opinion would be desired, I give it herewith. I think that it would be better if the United States were to build this lock, although it is in the State of Pennsylvania. The Monongahela Navigation Company is bound by law to make a navigation to the State-line, but not beyond it. The Hoard's Rocks lock is beyond this line, and a good navigation cannot be made up to it without two more locks, or one, besides the one which the company must build. But should they comply with their obligation and build a lock with a lift of 16 feet, the one to be built by the United States need have only 4 feet of lift. The 16-foot lock would have a lift that experience has shown to be too great for useful service and the 4-foot lock would have an absurdly small lift. As a matter of law, I suppose that the navigation company could be compelled to build the lower 10-foot lock and pay a proportion of the cost of another lock of equal lift above. As a matter of expediency, however, I would recommend that the United States assume the entire cost, and, therefore, the undivided control of the lock at Cheat River Ripple, only requiring of the Navigation Company a relinquishment of all claim to control the navigation of that part of the Monongahela, and an agreement that the lock, which they must build, shall have 6 feet at low water over its own lower miter-sill, and shall raise the surface of the water 10 feet. Several of the locks on the present navigation have but 4 feet on their lower miter-sills in low water, but the Company is now engaged in raising its dams so as to give 6 feet, and my own calculations have all been based on a 6-foot navigation in the part of the river in the State of West Virginia. If the United States should build the lock suggested it will require an appropriation of $110,000; I therefore make a contingent estimate for this amount, presuming that all legal questions as to its construction will be settled with the navigation company by the proper authorities. ESTIMATE. Completion of dam at Hoard's Rocks..... $22,000 110,000 132,000 A statement of the financial condition of this work at the close of the fiscal year is hereto annexed. Financial statement. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873.. Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874 $90,000 00 409 14 25,000 00 6,120 13 108,066 89 132,000 00 N 5. IMPROVEMENT OF THE GREAT KANAWHA RIVER. Mr. A. M. Scott has been my assistant engineer in local charge of the Government work on this river. The first appropriation for the improvement of this river was made for the fiscal year 1873-74, and my last annual report contains a statement of the contracts made under that appropriation, and an account of the work done under it up to September 1, 1873. The present report will bring up the record to August 15, 1874, at which date, in obedience to your orders, the work was transferred to Maj. W. P Craighill, Corps of Engineers. The last annual report stated that contracts had been made for work at Cabin Creek Shoals, Elk Shoals, and Two-mile Shoal. Cabin Creek Shoals.-Sixteen miles above Charleston, and seventythree and a half miles above the mouth. This contract was let soon after I took charge of the river, and before Mr. Scott, the superintendent, had an opportunity to acquire sufficient local knowledge of its peculiarities. It being important to get to work as speedily as possible, in order to utilize the low-water season, I told Mr. Scott to follow the advice of the Kanawha board, and make the best estimates that he could. The contractor for this work also got the contracts at Elk Shoal and Two-mile, and spent all his time on them. He died before he could begin at Cabin Creek, and his contracts passed into the hands of his executor. The latter asked to be released from the Cabin Creek contract, and Mr. Scott having concluded, after the preparation of a detailed map of the locality, that the proposed dike would not answer the purpose for which it was designed, recommended that the release be granted. For the reasons assigned by Mr. Scott, I approved of the application and you granted the release. The contract was therefore annulled, and no work has been done at Cabin Creek Shoals. Elk Shoal.-Half a mile below Charleston, and fifty-seven miles above the mouth. The dam at this point has been completed. The total amount of stone in the dam is 4,427 cubic yards. The original improvement consisted of a narrow chute, varying in width from 110 to 120 feet, bounded on each side by walls composed of loose stone and of material dredged to make the chute. This method of improvement was useful to packets, but injurious to coal-fleets, as the chute was too narrow for their use, and in consequence they ran entirely outside of it whenever the stage of water would permit. To remedy this, the right wall of the chute was removed, and the opening was made 100 feet wider, but the space taken in was left at a higher level than the bottom of the chute, in order not to increase the width of channel in dead low-water. This work was done by hired labor and has been completed. It necessitated the removal of 4,300 cubic yards of stone, gravel, and bowlders. The dike starts at the right bank, and connects with the new right-hand wall of the chute. Two-mile Shoal.-Two miles below Charleston, and fifty-five miles above the mouth. The dam at this place has been completed. There were used in its construction 4,128 cubic yards of stone and 79 cords of brush. It was built in order to stop the waste of water behind Blaine's Island. REMOVING OBSTRUCTIONS. My last annual report (p. 507, Report of Chief of Engineers, 1873) described the large grapple which I had caused to be made for use on the Great Kanawha and Ohio rivers, its special use being to raise large bowl. ders lying in the bed of the river, and too large to be lifted by any ordinary hoisting-apparatus. This machine has done admirable service, although it can only work occasionally, when the river happens to be low and clear. In October, 1873, 112 large rocks and 10 snags were removed, and three wrecks of sunken coal-barges were torn to pieces in fourteen days. The grapple was not used in the Kanawha again until July, 1874. During this month its work was as follows: Cabin Creek.-Took 18 rocks from foot of shoals; deposited them in 11 feet water above Ault's Landing. Two lying in the right of channel were too large for the grapple, and were blasted and removed. Witcher's Creek.-Removed from foot of shoal a large sycamore 100 feet long. Machine Ripple.-Took twelve rocks from this place. Several of them were large and badly spike-marked. Campbell's Creek.-Removed several logs from this landing. Two-mile Shoal.-A large stump from Young Two-mile, and two logs from channel at mouth of creek. Island Shoal.-Removed a stump 6 feet in diameter from foot of chute. Tyler Shoal.-From head of chute, 4 big bowlders. Peeled Maple.-Took out 25 big rocks and a large root. One mile above Coal's Mouth.-Moved Christy's Rock to left shore. Coal's Mouth.-Took a sycamore 100 feet long and 5 feet in diameter, with a bad root, from the landing. Scary.-Removed 4 rocks and a snag from head of chute. Near George Wright's Landing.-Took 2 big elms and a large rock from the middle of the river. Tacket Shoal.-Four rocks from foot; one of them was very large and badly rubbed and marked. Two mills below Tacket.-Took a large snag from the middle of the river. Summer's Shallows.-Blasted and took out 2 large rocks. One mile above Red House.-Blasted, and removed in five pieces a well-known troublesome rock. Red House.-A big rock and a small snag from foot of shoal. Tucker's Creek Bar.-Took off 13 rocks. Big Hurricane.-Moved 14 large rocks from this ripple. Gillespie's Ripple.-Fifteen rocks from head; one, very large, was blasted and taken out, and a large sycamore from foot of ripple. Vintreaux Shallows.-Nearly four days were spent in these shallows; in all 91 rocks were removed; several of them had to be blasted. Mary's Shallows.-Took from lower end 23 rocks. Knob Shoal.-Removed 4 dangerous rocks from foot. Buffalo Shoal.-Removed 32 rocks here, several of them very large; considerable time spent. Buffalo Shallows.-Removed 20 rocks; also a big snag from opposite Widow Sibbrell's landing. Near Atkinson's Landing.-Took out a snag and 4 rocks. Eighteen-Mile.-A bad rock from the ripple. Arbuckle Shoal.-Removed 3 rocks from head and a very large elm from foot of chute. Thirteen-Mile Shoal.-Six rocks and 4 troublesome logs. Three-Mile Bar.-Took out a bad sycamore snag about 75 feet long. The Kanawha board were so much pleased with the work of this grapple in removing from the river many large rocks, that for years had been the terror of pilots, that at their request I had a design prepared for the smaller grapple, to be used by them in removing the smaller rocks, for which the large grapple was not well fitted. PURCHASE OF MAPS. The general map of the river which we use, was made by Messrs. Lorraine and Byers in 1856-57. The set transferred to me by Major Craighill was incomplete, but negotiations were then in progress for the purchase from the widow of Mr. Byers of the missing maps and profiles. With the approval of yourself and of the Secretary of War, I purchased these documents from Mrs. Byers for fifteen hundred dollars. Our general map is therefore complete. During the year, Mr. Scott, with one assistant, has been employed in copying and arranging the purchased material, and in making detailed surveys at places where improvements were contemplated. Detailed maps on a scale of one inch to 200 feet have been made of Cabin-Creek Shoal, Witcher's Creek Shoal, and of the river from Charleston to the foot of Wilson's Island. NEW APPROPRIATION. At its last session Congress appropriated $25,000 for the improvement of the Great Kanawha. As I have been directed to transfer the charge of this river to Major Craighill, I offer no project for the expenditure of this sum, nor do I submit any estimate for the fiscal year 1875-76. Financial statement. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873. $25,000 00 352 98 Amount appropriated by act approved June 23, 1874.. 25,000 00 Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874. 14,322 21 34,524 27 N 6. IMPROVEMENT OF THE WABASH RIVER. Mr. F. Stein has been my assistant engineer in local charge of this work. The work of snagging and dredging in the lower end of the river and the rock-excavation and construction of wing-dam at Coffee Island Chute, all of which were under contract with Mr. R. Mackenzie, dated August 27, 1872, have been completed, and the contracts closed. The following is a summary of the work done under this contract: Snagging in the lower river, 134 days. Dredging in the lower river, 115 days. Rock-excavation at Coffee Island Chute, 10,809,65 cubic yards. Wing-dam at Coffee Island Chute, 40,307 cubic yards. |