No appropriation was made for the year ending June 30, 1873. Fort Niagara, mouth of Niagara River, New York, in charge of Major John M. Wilson, Corps of Engineers.-This work is situated at the mouth of the Niagara River, commanding its debouch into Lake Ontario. During the past year the force upon the work has been engaged in repairing and pointing scarp-wall; constructing sewer and drains in main ditch; grading and seeding ditch; paving postern-road, and setting pintle and traverse stones and irons; paving casemates; repairing seawall; constructing slope-wall protection for salient angle of north bastion; repairing old crib-work protection at westerly angle of fort; and building new, and repairing breaks, in parapet, and counterscarp. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $25,000. During the present fiscal year it is proposed to complete the cribwork protection at the westerly angle of the fort, and rebuild the jettees on lake-front, necessary for the preservation of the site of the work. Fort Ontario, mouth of Oswego River, New York, in charge of Major John M. Wilson, Corps of Engineers.-This work protects the city from a sudden attack or coup de main, or the levy of a contribution by a small force of the enemy on shipboard. The work in progress upon the fort is the replacing of the olden timber scarp by more durable materials, and the modification of the barbette for the heavy modern ord nance. Appropriation asked for the next fiscal year, $30,000. During the past year the force upon this work has been engaged completing the gallery in right flank of bastion E; continuing the gallery in left flank of bastion A; building the connection of gallery in bastion D to proposed magazine; and forming and sodding parapet on fronts Nos. 5 and 3. During the coming year it is proposed to complete the galleries in bastion A, and the parapet to the right re-entering angle of that bastion; and to construct the gallery in the right fiank of bastion C, and the parapet to the salient of that bastion. Fort Montgomery, outlet of Lake Champlain, New York, in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel John Newton, Corps of Engineers.-This work occupies an important strategic point, and commands the entrance to Lake Champlain from Richelieu or Saint John River. During the past year no work has been done except slight repairs to magazines, retainingwalls, and general care of the work. No appropriation was made for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1873. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $28,000. Projects for the modification of the work to suit its armament to modern guns have been prepared by the board of engineers for fortifications, and should be carried out. Fort Knox, Bucksport, Penobscot River, Maine, in charge of LieutenantColonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers.-This work, situated at the narrows of the Penobscot River, furnishes a defense for the city of Bangor and other towns bordering the Penobscot, and renders the river available as a secure harbor of refuge for the shipping of the extensive eastern sea-coast. The work is essentially completed, with the exception of some modifications in its barbette-batteries to fit them for the large guns now used. No appropriation was made for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1873. No appropriation asked for the next fiscal year. The condition of this work remains the same as at the close of the last fiscal year. No operations, excepting the necessary care of the work, have been carried on. Fort Popham, mouth of Kennebec River, Maine, in charge of LieutenantColonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers.-This work defends the entrance, through the mouth of the Kennebec River, to the rich valley of this river, the cities of Bath and Augusta, and the United States arsenal at the latter place. It has been finished upon its gun-fronts to the level of the barbette-batteries. The projects for its completion have been prepared, and are now under consideration. No appropriation was made for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873. The condition of the work remains the same as at the close of the last fiscal year. No operations, excepting the necessary care of the work, have been carried on. Fort Gorges, Portland Harbor, Maine, in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers.-During the past year the earth-work of the gorge has been entirely completed, and that of front I very nearly completed. The embankment for the parados, and coverings of bombproofs, on the southerly and western fronts, was begun in June. This is expected to be nearly completed by the end of the next fiscal year. The last three positions are now ready for their platforms. Amount appropriated for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, 20,000. No appropriation asked for next fiscal year. During the present year it is proposed to complete the earth-work of the parados on fronts II, III, IV, and V, and the sodding of one-half of the same, and to finish the stairways and magazines. Fort Preble, Portland Harbor, Maine, in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers.-During the past year the great magazine and the easterly traverse-magazine, with their communications, were built in the old redoubt. The embankments upon the same were built, and all their slopes, together with all those of the traverse and parapet, at the junction of this redoubt and the north battery, were sodded and finished. The breast-height wall of the easterly section of the old redoubt was built. In the south battery, the second new traverse-magazine was built, but not graded; about one-half of the parapetembankment built, and the first two sections made ready for sodding. During the present year it is expected to entirely finish the old redoubt, ready for the last three new gun-platforms. The south battery will be made ready for all its gun-platforms, and the first three sections finisbed. Amount appropriated for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, $42,500. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $80,000. Fort Scammel, Portland Harbor, Maine, in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers.-This work, commanding four of the channels leading into the harbor, occupies a very important position. The stone piers in the parade of the west bastion have been built. In the old fort two-thirds of the parados on front I, and the whole of that on front IV, have been built, and their earth embankments made ready for sodding. The communications through the traverses of front IV, and the rock-excavation for the great magazine, have been completed, and the concrete floor and drains under the latter laid. In the old fort, during the present year, it is expected to complete the great magazine with its earth covering; to finish about one third of the slopes; to make most of the gun-positions ready for their platforms; and, in the west. bastion, to put on the concrete covering. Amount appropriated for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, $42,500. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $100,000. Battery on Portland Head, Portland Harbor, Maine, in charge of Lieu tenant-Colonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers. Further than the completion of the projects and making-drawings for this work, no work of construction has yet been done. As soon as the title to the lands can be perfected, the work will be commenced. Amount appropriated for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, $50,000. No appropriation asked for next fiscal year. Fort McClary, Portsmouth Harbor, Kittery Point, Maine, in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers.-This work, together with Fort Constitution, opposite, forins the only defense to the mouth of the Piscataqua River, and to the navy-yard at Kittery, Maine. No appropriation was made for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873. No appropriation asked for the next fiscal year. The condition of this work remains the same as at the close of the last fiscal year. No operations, excepting the necessary care of the work, have been carried on. Fort Constitution, Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire, in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers.-This is a casemated work, and the Engineer Department is not prepared, at present, to proceed with its construction. No appropriation was made for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1873. No appropriation asked for the next fiscal year. The condition of this work remains the same as at the close of the last fiscal year. No operations, excepting the necessary care of the work, have been carried on. A plan, prepared by the board of engineers, for the construction of an earthen barbette-battery for fourteen guns, in rear of the partially casemated work, at an estimated cost of $83,500, was approved by the honorable Secretary of War, May 21, 1872. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $50,000. Batteries in Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire, in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers.-A project for the increased defense of this important harbor was prepared by the board of engineers for fortifications, and was approved by the honorable Secretary of War on the 21st of May, 1872. It provides for the construction of a twelve-gun barbette-battery of sand at Gerrish's Island, Maine, at an estimated cost of $45,240. No appropriation has been made as yet for this work. Batteries in Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire, in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. Duane, Corps of Engineers.-A project prepared by the board of engineers for fortifications, providing for the construction of a twelve-gun barbette-battery of sand at Jerry's Point, at an estimated cost of $46,824, has been approved by the honorable Secretary of War. No appropriation has been made as yet for this work. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $25,000. Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, in charge of Colonel Henry W. Benham, Corps of Engineers.-This important work is for the defense of the main channel of entrance to Boston Harbor and command of the anchorage of Nantasket Roads. In bastion A the removal of the paradewall has been completed; the piers of all the arches have been built, and the full center arch and the arch over passage-way to right-flank casemate have been completed and covered with concrete. The stone faces of the arch at the gorge, and of arch over stairway at the right of this, have been completed. The remaining arches in the bastion, and the wing and sustaining wall on the right of the gorge, have been partially constructed. In the demi-lune the masonry of the parados has been completed, and the embankment or earth cover of the traverses and parados about completed up to the top of the concrete masonry, and partially sodded; and the sustaining-wall of the gun-platform on the left, with the foundation of that platform and of the breast-height wall in front, is laid. Amount appropriated for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, $85,000. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $100,000. During the present year it is proposed to complete bastion A, the demi-lune battery, and the additional traverse-magazine, and to commence work upon the four-gun battery upon the cover-face of front No. II. Battery at Long Island Head, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, in charge of Colonel Henry W. Benham, Corps of Engineers.-This important work is especially intended to command the entrance into Boston Harbor through Broad Sound. During the past year operations have been mainly directed toward the erection of the buildings necessary for the work, such as quarters, shops, store-houses, &c.; the construction of an oak-pile wharf, and a railway of 1,000 feet to the summit of the bluff, and the excavation for the eastern mortar-battery and the parados in rear of it; the commencement of the concrete masonry of these positions, and the construction of the drains in rear of them. No appropriation was made for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1873. No appropriation asked for the next fiscal year. Fort Winthrop, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, in charge of Colonel Henry W. Benham, Corps of Engineers.—In the east battery four of the seven traverse-magazines, the remaining three being finished except their earth cover and sodding. Two of the three new center-pintle platforms were finished, except as to irons, one partially finished, and some progress made with the four front-pintle platforms. The breast-height wall of this battery is completed except for the four depressible-gun positions, and about half of the new sand parapet is essentially completed. In the south battery during the year the breast-height wall for four gunpositions has been built. At the mortar battery the most western magazine and shell-room, and the pit for mortar-beds next to the west was completed, or fully one-third of this battery. With the funds available it is expected that during the present year the east battery will be completed, as also the masonry of the breast-height walls and the new gunplatforms of the unfinished portion of the south battery. The concrete arches of the four traverse-magazines of the south battery not yet commenced will probably be completed, and some progress made with the new sand parapet of this battery, and the screened earth cover of its magazines. Amount appropriated for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, 864,000. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $63,000. Fort Independence, Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, in charge of Colonel Heary W. Benham, Corps of Engineers.-During the year there were completed the breast-height walls of the east, the southeast, and the north bastions of the enciente; and the six center-pintle 15-inch-gun platforms of these three bastions, and the breast-height walls of the northWest bastion, and curtain of front I, were commenced. The masonry of the traverse-magazine on the left flank of the north bastion was com pleted and partially covered with earth. The remaining center-pintle platforms of the barbette-battery of the enciente are at their sites ready to be set. The excavations for the sand parapet of fronts I and II, and the completion of the earth cover of the magazines and gun-positions of these fronts, as also the necessary repairing walls, have been partly completed. During the present fiscal year it is contemplated to complete the masonry of the remaining three center-pintle platforms and the six front-pintle platforms of the enciente, as also the three traversemagazines, the new sand parapets of fronts I and II, and the earth slopes covering the magazines and the gun-positions, thus completing, as far as the present orders authorize, the barbette-battery of the enciente of this work. Amount appropriated for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, $42,500. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $35,000. Fort at Clark's Point, New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, in charge of Major G. K. Warren, Corps of Engineers.-Nothing has been done at this work during the past year, and it has been under the charge of a fort-keeper. The board of engineers has recommended an earthen barbette-battery for twenty-six heavy rifled or smooth-bore guns. No appropriation was made for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873. Fort Phoenix, New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, in charge of Major G. K. Warren, Corps of Engineers.-Nothing has been done at this work during the past fiscal year, and no expenditures were made there for any purpose. The buildings and property there are of little value, and were looked after by the ordnance-sergeant. No appropriation was made for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873. Fort Adams, Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, in charge of Major G. K. Warren, Corps of Engineers.-During the past fiscal year the work performed consisted mainly in making preparations for resuming work on the new batteries by putting the wharves and roads in good order, opening new communications about the work, and repairing those leading from the southeast front to the artillery-stables. The facing of the embrasures on the water-fronts was also completed. The special enumeration of the work is as follows: Completing the new road around the northeast salient; raising the arch of the sally-port on north front, and grading the roadway for carriages, and paving it; repairing wharf at artillery-stable, and the approaches to the wharf on north front; preparing place for coal-yard cut of the way of the wharves; repairing and regrading the passage-way out of the southeast front; reconstructing drain in front of the horn-work; completing the refacing of the embra sures on the north and east fronts. The modification of the new batteries to admit the depressing guncarriage had not been made in time for operation before the 30th of June. Amount appropriated for fiscal year ending June 30, 1873, $85,000. Appropriation asked for next fiscal year, $140,000. The work the current year will consist in building a new set of quar ters for the commanding officer outside of the fort, and in the construction of the new heavy batteries on the water-front. The estimates for the fiscal year contemplate a rapid prosecution of the work on the new batteries, the building of some additional quarters, and repairs upon the old ones, which are very dilapidated, and whose use cannot yet be dispensed with. Dumpling's Battery, Canonicut Island, Rhode Island, in charge of Major G. K. Warren, Corps of Engineers.-Nothing has been done at this site during the past fiscal year. It has been proposed to place here ten |