designed. The delay in the execution of this portion of the work has already done harm to the unfinished parts, and will continue to do so. This sum is required to complete the rock-excavation at the head and foot of the canal, to complete the dam on the crest of the falls, and to raise the protection-wall at the upper end of the canal. The past season was short and unpropitious for work, but all the work under contract was completed during the year, and in addition 3,100 cubic yards of rock were taken from the ledges at the head and foot of the canal by hired labor. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873. Amount in hands of officer and subject to his check, (including $20,889.17 percentage due on contracts not yet completed).. 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 (See Appendix O.) $149,989 00 31,501 18 154,273 78 27,216 40 100,000 00 To carry out the provisions of the second and third sections of the act of Congress of May 11, 1874, "providing for the payment of the bonds of the Louisville and Portland Canal Company," Major Weitzel was instructed to confer with the president and directors of the company with a view to making the necessary arrangements for receiving and taking possession of the canal, "and all the property, real and personal, of said company as the property of the United States." The transfer was duly made and the canal delivered into the possession of the United States on the 10th June, 1874, from which date the reduction of the tolls took effect. IMPROVEMENT OF TENNESSEE RIVER, OF CUMBERLAND RIVER BELOW NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, AND OF THE TOMBIGBEE RIVER WITHIN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. Officer in charge, Maj. Walter McFarland, Corps of Engineers, with Capt. L. C. Overman, Corps of Engineers, under his immedate orders. 1. Tennessee River above Chattanooga.-Operations have been confined almost exclusively to the works which were in progress at the close of the last fiscal year, namely, Sandy Shoals, Watts's Bar, White's Creek Shoals, Half-moon Shoals, Caney Creek Shoals, between Chattanooga and Kingston; and Long Island Shoals, Seven Islands Shoals, Wilson's Island Shoals, Bogart's Shoals, and Sweetwater Shoals, between Kingston and Loudon. A small amount of work was done besides at Kelly's Shoals, just below Watts's Bar, and at Turner's Bar, just below Caney Creek Shoals, but it is not designed to attempt other improvements in this part of the river until those now in progress are finished. At Sandy Shoals, White's Creek Shoals, and Caney Creek Shoals the work as originally designed has been completed, and the success of these improvements is gratifying. Sandy is no longer an obstruction, steamers passing regularly all through the spring and summer; but to make the lower end of the channel perfect another dam is needed. At White's Creek Shoals there are now from three and a half to four feet water where formerly at the same season there were but eighteen inches or two feet. This, which was formerly the first place to obstruct navigation as the river fell, is now no longer an obstacle. An additional dam will, however, be required here to perfect the improvement. At Caney Creek Shoals also the improvement is completed, except for the construction of a dam, and the gain of depth is twelve inches, which is to be increased eight more. At the other points mentioned the improvements are in general from one-half to two-thirds finished, as at first designed, and there is every reason to anticipate successful results from them when completed. All the work done in this improvement during the year has been done by hired labor and is of the most substantial character. Three miles in length of these dams have been subjected to the action of last winter's heavy freshets, and yet the damage is so slight that two hundred cubic yards of stone will repair it all. The available balance will be exhausted by the close of the calendar year. Balance in Treasury of the United States July 1, 1873.. Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874. Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876. (See Appendix P 1.) $25,000 00 19,527 60 25,000 00 45,389 03 24, 138 57 65,000 00 2. Tennessee River below Chattanooga, including the Muscle Shoals.-The only work done in this part of the river during the year was at Ross's Towhead, Tumbling Shoals, and Colbert Shoals. At Ross's Towhead seven hundred lineal feet of the dam at the head of the island, intended to throw the current into the left chute, have been built. At Tumbling Shoals over three hundred cubic yards of rock have been removed from the channel. At Colbert Shoals the work of channel excavation and construction of dams, as ordered in the original specifications, was completed, and much rock in addition was removed from the channel above Hoop-pole Reef. During the winter a part of the dam built under contract at the head of Colbert Island was carried away, making the passage of the channel dangerous. The repair of this, and the reconstruction of the other dams built by contract, are necessary to insure success in this improvement. The dams built by hired labor have withstood the winter freshets without injury, although quite as much exposed to the rush of water as that which gave way, and furnish a marked contrast to the latter in solidity and neatness of construction. Muscle Shoals.-It was expected that the last appropriation, in addition to the balance of the one which preceded it, would have enabled the commencement of the work of repair and enlargement of the old canal between Lamb's and Campbell's ferries long ere this; but the unfortunate destruction of the result of seven months' work upon the detailed surveys and estimates made for laying out this work by the burning of the United States engineer office at Chattanooga has disappointed this expectation, and compelled the awaiting of the collection and preparation of additional data. A party is now engaged in this, and the officer in charge expects to be able to report substantial progress in this work before the close of the calendar year. He desires to call especial attention to the inadequacy of the appropriations for this work. It will be impossible to attain satisfactory or economical results by beginning a work of this magnitude with so comparatively small a sum as is now available for it. He thinks the appropriation should not be less than $500,000. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873 Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874. Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.. $130,000 00 16, 233 33 100,000 00 60, 835 41 185,397 92 750,000 00 3. Improvement of Cumberland River below Nashville.-The improvement of this river has, so far, been restricted to that part of it which lies below Nashville. During the past fiscal year operations have been carried on at Harpeth Shoals-the most serious obstruction below Nashville-both by contract and by hired labor. The contractor, who should have had his work finished by the 1st of January, 1873, applied for and received two extensions of time of one year each to enable him to fulfill his contract. This led to the conclusion to do the additional work, for which an appropriation had been made, by hired labor, and work by that system was begun in November, 1873, and by the close of the fiscal year twelve thousand cubic yards of stone had been quarried and moved to the river-bank in readiness for boating to the sites where the dams were to be built. Preparations were also made for the beginning of channel-excavation and the construction of the dams. In the meanwhile the contractor was carrying on his work, and at the close of the fiscal year there remained only about a quarter of his work to be done, which since then has been completed. By the close of this calendar year it is expected that the work so far ordered for Harpeth Shoals will be completed and the appropriation exhausted. No appropriation has yet been made for the improvement of the Cumberland River above Nashville, but a survey for the purpose of ascertaining the probable cost of this improvement was ordered by Congress, and was made in 1871. The improvement appears to be of so much importance to the welfare of the States of Tennessee and Kentucky that an appropriation of $100,000 for the purpose is recommended. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873... Amount in hands of officer and subject to his check, (including $319.66 Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874....... (See Appendix P 2.) $35,000 00 15,912 76 21,506 04 27,989 80 175,000 00 4. Improvement of Tombigbee River.-Under the act of Congress approved March 3, 1873, the remainder of the appropriation of June 10, 1872, for the improvement of this river, was to be expended within the State of Mississippi. An examination of the needs of the river commerce within the limits of this State led to the conclusion that this money could be best expended above Aberdeen. A force of men, therefore, was set to work removing drifts, logs, stumps, overhanging trees, &c., which impeded the navigation of this part of the river during high water, and carried their operations from Aberdeen to a point about five miles above Cotton Gin Port, where the winter rise put an end to further operations for the season. During the present season the same method of improvement will be carried up to Barr's Ferry, on the road from Smithville, Miss., to and across the Tombigbee, which will exhaust the balance of the appropriation. No attempt is to be made to improve the low-water navigation of this part of the river, as it would be too expensive, if not impracticable. To complete the improvements according to the surveys which have been made will take $46,500. Amount in hands of officer and subject to his check.. Amount available July 1, 1874. Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.... (See Appendix P 3.) $4,667 05 2,350 77 2,316 28 46,500 00 Examination of Oostenaula River, Georgia.—The examination and sur vey of this river, which was made in compliance with provisions of the act of March 3, 1871, extended only to the mouth of the Coosawattee. At the request of one of the Representatives in Congress from the State of Georgia, Captain Overman was instructed, in the absence of Major McFarland, to extend this examination from Resaca to Carter's Mill. For his report, which contains an approximate estimate for the improvement of the navigation between those two points, see Appendix P 4. BRIDGING THE NAVIGABLE WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES. 1. Bridge across the Genesee River at Charlotte, New York.-An act of Congress, approved March 3, 1873, authorized "the construction of a railroad draw-bridge across the Genesee River, in Monroe County, New York," and required that the bridge "shall be built and located under and subject to such regulations for the security of navigation of said river as the Secretary of War shall prescribe." A board of engineer officers was convened at Charlotte to examine and report upon the plans submitted by the bridge company, and its report will be found in Appendix Q 1. 2. Bridging the channel between Lakes Huron and Erie.-Section 3 of "An act making appropriations for the repair, preservation, and completion of certain public works on rivers and harbors, and for other purposes," approved March 3, 1873, "authorized and required" the Secre tary of War "to detail from the Engineer Corps one or more engineers, whose duty it shall be to inquire into and report upon the practicability of bridging, consistently with the interests of navigation, the channel between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, at such points as may be needful for the passing of railroad-trains across said channel, and also its effect upon the navigation of the same; and, further, to inquire into the number and character of the vessels navigating said channel, and the number of trips made by each, and, if said bridging be practicable, to report, what extent of span or spans and elevation above the water will be required in the construction of such bridge or bridges so as not seriously to injure the navigation of said channel." A board of engineers was accordingly organized, by orders from the War Department, for the purpose indicated, and its report will be found in Appendix Q 2. 3. St. Louis and Illinois bridge across the Mississippi River.-Congress, by acts approved July 25, 1866, and July 20, 1868, (Statutes at Large, vol. 14, pp. 245, 246; vol. 15, p. 123,) authorized the St. Louis and Illinois Bridge Company to build a bridge across the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Mo. Representations having been made by parties interested in preserv ing the free navigation of the river that the bridge, when completed, would materially obstruct and injuriously modify that navigation, a board of officers was convened by the War Department August 20, 1873, to examine and report upon the same. The report of the board, together with its supplementary report, are printed in Appendix Q 3. To comply with the request from the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce of April 9, 1874, au examination was made, under the direction of Colonel Macomb, of the ponton railway bridge across the Mississippi at Prairie du Chien, with the view of procuring information bearing upon H. R. bill 2588, to legalize and establish said bridge. Colonel Macomb's report will be found in Appendix Q 4. IMPROVEMENT OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER-REMOVAL OF THE RED RIVER RAFT-IMPROVEMENT OF TONE'S BAYOU AND OF CYPRESS BAYOU, RED RIVER, AND CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS AND DREDGING AT THE FOOT OF SODA LAKE-IMPROVEMENT OF CALCASIEU PASS, LOUISIANA; AND OF ENTRANCE TO GALVESTON HARBOR, AND OF RED FISH BAR, TEXAS. Officer in charge, Capt. C. W. Howell, Corps of Engineers, having under his immediate orders the following officers of the Corps of Engineers, viz: Lieut. H. M. Adams, from July 1, 1873, to June 1, 1874; Lieut. E. A. Woodruff, from July 1, 1873, to September 30, 1873; Lieut. C. E. L. B. Davis, from July 1, 1873, to June 30, 1874; Lieut. James B. Quinn, from July 1, 1873, to June 30, 1874. 1. Improvement of the mouth of the Mississippi River, Louisiana, at Pass à l'Outre.-From June 30, 1873, to June 30, 1874, a channel from 17 to 20 feet deep was available each day at high tide at Pass à l'Outre. The act of Congress, passed at its last session, giving the Secretary of War control over the use of the channel in course of improvement, though not yet enforced, has had a beneficial effect. Regulations, provided for by the act, will be established and enforced during the pres ent year, and, it is thought, will result in preventing blockades. In connection with the improvement of the mouth of the river, whether by canal, jetties, or dredging, numerous surveys, borings, and measurements have been made, the results of some of which have been reported from time to time as the work progressed. This field-work has not yet been completed. During next year the dredge-boat Essayons, which will then have been in active service seven years, will require extensive repairs, for which $100,000 will be required in addition to the appropriation of $150,000 for running expenses. Balance in Treasury of the United States July 1, 1873.. Amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874.. Amount appropriated by act approved April 3, 1874. Amount appropriated by act approved June 23, 1874. Amount required for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876: (See Appendix R 1.) Running expenses.. Repair of dredge.... $85,083 00 7,748 55 2. Removing the raft in Red River, Louisiana.-A navigable channel through the whole length of the raft was obtained in November, 1873, since which time work has been directed to the removal of the remaining portions of the raft and to clearing the banks of the river, where necessary, to prevent the re-formation of raft and the deposit of new obstructions from caving banks. Balance in Treasury of United States July 1, 1873. 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. (See Appendix R 2.) $54,000 00 40, 141 47 50,000 00 94,068 72 50,072 75 20,000 00 3. Improvement of Tone's Bayou, Louisiana.-The raft-dam reported in course of construction last year was completed and remained in place during the year, but produced no apparent useful effect; the bayou |