ing up and grading the yard at the site of Lock No. 31 and building thereon workshops, etc.; in the purchase of machinery and plant for the construction of the cofferdam and Lock No. 31; in excavating rock from the channel of the river above Wetumpka Bridge, and in building a breakwater to divert the current from the lock site. During the year ending June 30, 1893, the sum of $62,937.51 has been expended. The land at the site of Lock No 31 has been procured by condemnation proceedings; the lock-keeper's house, to be used during the construction as an office and quarters, has been built; the rock excavation from the channel above the Wetumpka Bridge has been continued, the soft rock has been deposited as a protection to the caving bank, and the hard rock has been broken up for use in making concrete; a dredge and machinery for pumping sand from the river bed have been procured, and a large quantity of sand has been pumped up and stored for use in making concrete; 380 linear feet of cofferdam has been built. The construction of the cofferdam has been attended with unusual difficulty on account of the depth of water in which it is necessary to build it and on account of the succession of floods, caused by the excessive rainfall extending throughout the year. Lock No. 31 is to be built of concrete. A very complete plant for carrying on the work has now been obtained, and it is expected that the lock can be rapidly pushed to completion after the cofferdam is finished and that the available funds will be exhausted by June 30, 1894. Should the new appropriation be sufficiently large, it is intended to begin with it the construction of locks Nos. 30 and 29, and to use in that work the plant which has been bought for building Lock No. 31. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended ................ Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 $104, 736.06 100, 000. 00 204, 736. 06 June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year.... 62, 937.51 July 1, 1893, balance unexpended 141, 798.55 July 1, 1893, amount covered by uncompleted contracts. $5,053, 70 8, 127. 20 July 1, 1893, balance available... 133, 671.35 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project..... 4,843, 074.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix P 11.) 600,000.00 12. Operating and care of canals and other works of navigation on Coosa River, Georgia and Alabama.-The expenses of operating and care of locks Nos. 1, 2, and 3 and the canal between locks Nos. 2 and 3 during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, amounting to $9,366.56, have been paid in the manner indicated by section 4, act of July 5, 1884. (See Appendix P 12.) 13. Cahaba River, Alabama.-The report of the examination of this river from its mouth to Centerville, Ala., in 1874, states that— On thirteen of the shoals there is only 1 foot of water, and on two as little as eight-tenths of a foot. Besides this there are innumerable snags, the accumulation of years, and also a great quantity of leaning trees, which must be removed owing to the narrowness of the stream even at a stage several feet above low water. The river is spanned by three bridges. The railroad bridges are only a few inches above high water, while the road bridge is sometimes submerged. The road bridge mentioned was carried away by the flood of 1881. Under the acts of Congress approved June 23, 1874, and June 17, 1880, examinations and partial surveys were made in 1874 and in 1880, and a plan of improvement was adopted which provides for obtaining for the lower Cahaba River, from its mouth to the town of Centerville, a distance of 88 miles, a navigable channel with a width in open river of 100 feet, and in soft rock and bar cuts of 60 feet, and a depth at low water of 3 feet, by the removal of snags, etc., from the channel and overhanging trees from the banks, by cutting through the soft rock and gravel bars, and by contracting and regulating the channel. The expenditure up to June 30, 1886, of $28,989.79 had resulted in the partial improvement of the river from its mouth to the town of Centerville, for high-water navigation; but, on account of the obstruct ing railroad bridges, steamboats were unable to make any use of the improved river. Since that time no work has been done, because of a proviso in the river and harbor act of August 5, 1886, that No part of said sum [$7,500 appropriated for this work] shall be expended until the officer in charge shall have reported that the railroad and other bridges across said river have been provided with good and sufficient draw openings. These bridges continue to obstruct the navigation of the river, not having been provided with draw openings. The act of September 19, 1890, provided that The existing provision restricting the expenditure of the balance now available for continuing the improvement of said river is hereby repealed, and said balance shall be expended in continuing the improvement thereof. Between June 30, 1886, and June 30, 1892, the sum of $8,430.44 was expended. In the spring of 1891 active operations on the river were resumed. A log boat suitable for snagging operations was built, and employed during the following summer in work below Wallace Ferry. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, $3,610.31 was expended in working on the lower 21 miles of the river. At the close of operations in December, 1892, the channel for this distance was free from overhanging timber, logs, and snags, but no commercial use was made of the improvement. On March 31, 1892, the officer in charge, in conformity with section 11 of the act of September 19, 1890, reported that the navigation of the Cahaba River was obstructed by the bridge of the Birmingham, Selma and New Orleans Railroad, about 10 miles above the mouth of the river, and by the bridge of the Alabama Central Division of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, about 22 miles above its mouth. Neither of these bridges has been provided with draw spans. The officer in charge was directed to grant a hearing to each of the railroad companies, in accordance with the instructions of the War Department of September 16, 1891. No commercial benefit commensurate with the cost of the work can be derived from continuing the improvement of the river, unless the obstructing bridges are provided with draw spans, to permit of steamboat navigation. There is no apparent desire on the part of those interested that the railroads shall be compelled to provide the bridges with draws. At the hearing mentioned above many affidavits by residents along the river were submitted, protesting against compelling the railroads to provide the bridges with draws, and not a word was received in favor of such action. In view of these facts it is not considered that any money can be profitably expended in the improvement of the river during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895, and no estimate is submitted therefor. The preliminary examinations of the following localities, required by act of July 13, 1892, were made by the local engineer, Capt. Philip M. Price, Corps of Engineers, and reports thereon submitted through the Division Engineer, Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers. 1. Bar at the mouth of Alaqua Bayou, Florida, at its entrance into Choctawhatchee Bay.-Capt. Price submitted report of examination under date of September 16, 1892. It is his opinion and that of the division engineer, concurred in by this office, that the locality is not at this time worthy of improvement by the United States. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 86, Fiftysecond Congress, second session. (See also Appendix P 14.) 2. Bar at the junction of Choctawhatchee Bay and Santa Rosa Sound, Florida.-Capt. Price submitted report of examination under date of April 21, 1893. It is his opinion and that of the division engineer, concurred in by this office, that the locality is worthy of improvement by the General Government. No further survey is necessary for preparation of project and estimate of cost of improvement. (See Appendix P 15.) IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS AND HARBORS IN WESTERN ALABAMA AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI, AND OF BOGUE CHITTO, LOUISIANA. This district was in the charge of Maj. A. N. Damrell, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. Eben E. Winslow, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders; Division Engineer, Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers. 1. Mobile Harbor, Alabama.-The channel had originally a minimum depth of 5 feet through Choctaw Pass and 8 feet on Dog River Bar. This was deepened to 10 feet through both by dredging, under appropriations from 1826 to 1852 of $228,830.68. In 1860 the channel in Choctaw Pass had shoaled to 73 feet. From 1870 to 1873 the channel was deepened by dredging to 13 feet, under appropriations amounting to $401,000. Length of cut, 8 miles. From 1881 to 1888 the channel was deepened by dredging to 17 feet, under appropriations amounting to $740,000, but this project was not completed when the last project was adopted. The length of cut was 25.91 miles. The present project for the improvement of this harbor was adopted in August, 1888, the object being to afford a channel of entrance from the Gulf of Mexico to the city of Mobile of 280 feet width on top of cut with a central depth of 23 feet at meau low water, by dredging, at an estimated cost of $1,980,000. Act of September 19, 1890, extended the work up Mobile River to the mouth of Chickasabogue Creek, and increased the estimated cost to $2,043,800. The entire length of channel under present project is 33.09 miles, and the entire length of continuous cut is 32.27 miles. The amount expended on the present project up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $581,878.55. The average central depth of the dredged channel on June 30, 1892, was 24 feet, and the minimum depth on that date was 20.2 feet. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $178,319.38, and on that date the average central depth of the entire channel was 23.89 feet by the new gauge and 25.59 feet by the old gauge, and the minimum central depth was 19.6 feet by the new gauge and 21.3 feet by the old gauge, with an increased or bottom width wherever excavated of from 20 to 80 feet. The river and harbor act approved July 13, 1892, authorized contracts to be entered into for completion of the present project of improvement for this work, to be paid for as appropriations may from time to time be made by law. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. Amount appropriated by sundry civil act approved March 3, 1893 $18, 121.45 212,500.00 500, 000.00 730, 621.45 681, 300.00 180,000.00 681, 300.00 July 1, 1893, balance available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project........ 2. Black Warrior River, Alabama, from Tuscaloosa to Daniels Creek. The present channel is only navigable during very high water, and is even then extremely dangerous. The present project for the improvement of this section of the river was adopted in 1886, the object being to afford a waterway for the transportation of coal, iron ore, iron, etc., in barges from the Warrior coal fields to the Gulf of Mexico, by the construction of five locks and dams, at an estimated cost of $741,670. The amount expended to June 30, 1892, was $324,454.92, resulting as follows: Lock No. 1: Complete as to masonry, with south bank sloped, paved, and turfed. Lock-tender's house built; dam filled to 9 feet below crest. Lock No. 2: North wall of lock built and one-third of bank wall. Lock No. 3: Cofferdam built and 356 yards of ashlar quarried. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, is $79,979.97, and the condition of the work June 30, 1893, was as follows: Lock No. 1: Masonry of lock and abutment completed; lock-tender's house built; lock yard paved and both banks sloped and paved, nearly; timber and stone filling for dam on hand; needle dam ready to put in. Lock No. 2: Lock masonry completed; south bank sloped, paved, and tarfed; rock filling for dam on hand, 378 yards; grading done for abut ment, 3,091 yards; lumber for needle dam on hand and partly framed; face stone and coping for abutment in readiness. Lock No. 3: Lock chamber excavated; masonry commenced; 2,579 yards of cut stone on hand; 1,750 yards of backing on hand; 932 yards earth excavated for bank wall; 2,321 yards sand for mortar hauled. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended............ Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.. June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1893, balance unexpended July 1, 1893, balance available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... $31,795. 08 200, 000.00 231,795.08 79, 979.79 151, 815. 11 5, 190.56 146, 624.55 185, 420.00 185, 420.00 3. Warrior and Tombigbee rivers, Alabama and Mississippi.-(a) Warrior River, Alabama.-The channel of this river was originally obstructed to such an extent by logs, snags, overhanging trees, and numerous bars that navigation at low water was impossible and at high water extremely hazardous. The present project for the improvement of this river was adopted in 1890, the object being to obtain a channel 6 feet deep at ordinary low water from Tuscaloosa to its mouth by removal of logs, snags, and overhanging trees, the improvement of bars, bank revetments, and the construction of locks and dams at an estimated cost of $557,000. The amount expended up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $48,671.86 in preparation of plant and the removal of snags, logs, and overhanging trees, no increased depth being obtained, but the time required to run the river and the hazard attending have both been reduced. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $16,294.82 in the removal of snags, logs, slip-ins, and overhanging trees, and resulted in considerably reducing the time required to run the river and the hazard attending at. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended .... Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1893, balance unexpended.......... $10, 296. 12 75,000.00 85, 296. 12 16, 294.82 69,001.30 457, 000.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... b. Tombigbee River up to Demopolis, Ala.-At the present time the channel has a minimum depth of 2 feet. The present project for the improvement of this section of the river was adopted in 1890, the object being to secure a channel of 6 feet depth at low water, by removal of logs, snags, and bank revetment, and construction of locks and dams at an estimated cost of $508,808. The entire length of this section is 191 miles. The amount expended prior to June 30, 1892, was $48,187.85, |