$10,000, and $5,000 respectively-work was begun and continued under an approved project for a channel 32 feet wide and 6 feet deep, extending down from the railroad bridge 6,500 feet on the south side, with some straightening and widening for about 4,300 feet further down, and was brought to a close in February, 1883. A survey in March, 1883, showed considerable filling of the dredged channel, and it was not deemed expedient to continue dredging without the construction of regulating works, for which the estimate was submitted of $32,000. No further appropriations have been made. (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix H 8.) $32,000 00 9. Indian River, Delaware.-The main obstruction in the Indian River in its original condition existed in "The Bulkhead," over which there was a depth of only about 2 feet at low water; the bar at its mouth, with a depth over it of only about 2 feet at mean low water, and a few obstructions in Indian River proper. The original project consisted in dredging a channel 80 feet wide and 4 feet deep through "The Bulkhead," thence a channel straight to the inlet, protecting it by means of a dike on its northern side, through to the outer or sea-beach, and construct a >-shaped dike to bring the cur rents on each side of Burton's Island into more regular confluence. The estimated cost of this project was $50,000. Up to June 30, 1883, the sum of $1,392.16 was expended, and 2,476 cubic yards of material were removed from "The Bulkhead." The sum of $8,307.84 was expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, and 20,850 cubic yards of material were removed. The cut through Bulkhead Shoal was completed, but not to the full width originally contemplated. The cut was 60 feet wide, with 4 feet depth, at low water, for one-third of its length, and 80 feet wide, with the same depth, through the other two-thirds. The total length of the cut is 3,300 feet. If this work is to be completed, the sum of $35,000 should be appropri ated to be expended on "The Bulkhead," the channel through the beach, and to begin the dike. The dredging here will amount to more than the original estimate, and will certainly cost $60,000. Its entire completion, therefore, will require the sum of $50,000 additional. An examination in December, 1884, of this cut through the Bulkhead Shoal showed that "this channel had filled again at its seaward end, having only a depth of 2 feet at low water, leaving the channel in about the same condition as before the dredging was done." July 1, 1884, amount available $300 00 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 .... 300 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... ... Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix H 9.) 50,000 00 10. Susquehanna River above and below Havre de Grace, Maryland.The history and circumstances of this work have been very fully given in the last and previous Annual Reports. The two important interests of that section of the river, the navigation and fishery, are somewhat in antagonism, as the means deemed necessary for securing a perma nently deeper channel below Havre de Grace, viz, jetties and other regulating works, are greatly opposed by those engaged in the fisheries. The alternative was submitted to Congress in the last Annual Report of appropriating at once $100,000 for these regulating works to be put in to the detriment of the fishery interests, or to appropriate $20,000 annually for dredging. The appropriation approved July 5, 1884, is in the following words: Improving Susquehanna River above and below the railroad bridge, Maryland: Continuing improvement, $20,000; of which sum $5,000 shall be expended for the completion of the channel to Fishing Battery light-house, and for repairing, strengthening, and extending the piers and breakwaters. Under this act the $5,000 hast een expended under designs of the U. S. Fish Commission, and the remaining money is being expended under contract in the removal of shoals formed since the completion of the dredging in 1884 between the Fishing Battery and the light house at Havre de Grace, and in widening the cut above Watson's Island to give freer passage for the ice and prevent the hurtful gorging which has sometimes happened there. The work under the contract will doubtless be completed early this autumn. The appropriation of $15,000 made by Congress being smaller by $5,000 than asked for, it was deemed proper to dredge the shoals only to 100 feet in width and 12 feet in depth at mean low water, and to expend the remainder in enlarging the channel for ice above Watson's Island. It is expected that this channel will be sufficiently widened this season, and hereafter appropriations can all be expended on the channel for navigation. Continuing the estimate of last year under the alternative seemingly adopted by Congress, the amount that can profitably be expended dur ing the fiscal year ending June 30, 1887, is $20,000, of which so much will be expended as shall be needed to preserve the channel in the condition in which it was left in 1884. July 1, 1884, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 $3.94 20,000 00 20,003 94 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884. $7,066 37 July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities... 1,293 70 8,360 07 July 1, 1885, amount available .............. 11,643 87 Amount (estimated) required for annual dredging. 20,000 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1887 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. 20,000 00 (See Appendix H 10.) 11. Elk River, Maryland.-The first appropriation by the United States for this river was in 1874, previous to which the channel in some places was not over 12 inches deep at low water, with an average rise of tide of only about 24 feet. In much of the river, however, the depth was, in some places, not less than 24 feet. The width near the town of Elkton is 100 feet, and for 23 miles below averaged about 200 feet. The width increases to threefourths of a mile at the mouth, which is 16 miles below Elkton. The plan for the improvement was the building of a dike 900 feet long on the right bank of the stream, beginning about 1,100 feet below the bridge; the dredging of a channel 8 feet deep at mean low water, feet wide, with a turning basin at the town. 60 The amount expended up to June 30, 1882, was $15,000, with the results above stated. An appropriation of $6,500 was made August 2, 1882. A part of this was applied in March, 1883, to the removal of the old dike, which had become decayed. The earth which had been dredged from the river and put behind the dike, having been consolidated, was at the same time sloped back. The river has thus a better bank than by nature, as it has also a better direction. A resurvey of the river in 1883 showed the importance of widening the channel for the accomodation of vessels trading on it. This was expected to be done in 1883, but it was impossible to get a dredge on the river in that year. The effect of the improvement has been to increase notably the amount of freighting on the river and to cheapen the rates by allowing successful competition with the railways. The work was completed on the giving a channel to the bridge of 70 feet in width and 7 feet in depth at mean low water. No recommendation for further expenditure is made. July 1, 1884, amount available July 1. 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 . (See Appendix H 11.) $2,901 31 2,901 31 12. Chester River at Kent Island Narrows, Maryland.-The approved project was to reopen a channel formerly existing between Chester River and Eastern Bay, which had been shut up by a solid causeway under the authority of the State of Maryland. This project was.completed, and an unexpended balance of $2,500 has remained since 1878. No further work is deemed necessary. The channel opened seems to be of little use, and as no steamers pass through it has been gradually filling up. July 1, 1884, amount available (See Appendix H 12.) $2,500 00 2,500 00 13. Chester River from Spry's Landing to Crumpton, Maryland.Before the improvement was begun only 6 feet of water could be carried between these two places. The approved project was for dredging an artificial channel 120 feet wide and 8 feet deep at mean low water. This project was completed in July, 1883. No report on the present condition of the improvement is available. July 1, 1884, amount available July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 (See Appendix H 13.) $458 54 458 54 14. Corsica Creek, Maryland.-Originally the condition of the creek was such that navigation above Hooper's Wharf was kept up by the lighters. The first plan of improvement was for a channel 100 feet wide and 8 feet deep at mean low water, from Hooper's Landing to the village of Centreville Landing, with a turning basin at the head. The estimated Cost was $30,000. The approved project under first appropriation of $5,000, August 2, 1882, and dependent on that amount, was the dredging of a channel 50 feet wide and 8 feet deep, at mean low water, to a point about 1,600 feet below Centreville Landing, which was completed in April, 1884. The approved project for expenditure of the appropriation of $5,000, July 5, 1884, was for a continuance of the channel of 50 feet width and 8 feet deep, at mean low water, to the Centreville Landing. This was completed under contract on the 9th of May, 1885, giving a channel of the requisite depth of 50 feet in width to within 344 feet of the county bridge, allowing steamers with not more than 8 feet draught to go as high as Ozman's Wharf, thus avoiding lighterage, heretofore necessary to reach sea-going or bay steamers. The sum of $20,000 can be profitably expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1887, and if appropriated it is proposed to widen the present channel to 100 feet and to continue it to the county bridge and make a turning basin at the upper end of the channel 200 by 300 feet, with the depth of 8 feet at mean low water, and would thus furnish all the improvement at present demanded by the commerce of the locality. July 1, 1884, amount available................. Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. 834 32 5,000.00 5,034 32 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities.. $4,715 06 4,725 46 July 1, 1885, amount available..... 308 6 20,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. (See Appendix H 14.) 20,000 00 15. Harbor of Annapolis, Maryland.-There are two bars, with not more than 183 feet water on them at mean low water, which prevent very large ships from passing into the deeper water (24 feet and more) of the Severn River, just abreast of the Naval Academy. The commerce of Annapolis is small. Its importance arises mainly from its being the seat of the Naval Academy and from its strategic relations to the capital of the nation. The project adopted for the improvement of the harbor and the entrance to it has been the excavation, by dredging, of a channel 24 feet deep at mean low water, with a minimum width of 150 feet. The rise of the tide is only about 1 foot. The cost of this improvement has been estimated to be $66,000. Two appropriations have been made, one of $5,000, June 14, 1880, the other, also of $5,000, March 3, 1881. As the expenditure of $10,000 would not effect any substantial improvement, it has been decided to await further action of Congress in this case. July 1, 1884, amount available July 1, 1885, amount available Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project......... (See Appendix H 15.) $9,205 98 9,205 99 56,000 00 56,000 00 16. Choptank River, Maryland.-In the original condition the Choptank River, between Denton and Greensborough, had a width varying from 100 to 650 feet, while the depth varied from 2 to 8 feet at mean low water. The original plan was to make an artificial channel from Denton to Greensborough, with a minimum width of 75 feet and a depth at mean low water of 8 feet, and the estimate for the work was $79,000. There have been four appropriations for this work of $5,000 each, and all have been expended in the direction of this plan. With the first a channel 75 feet wide and 6 feet deep at low water was made available to a point 4,000 feet above the Brick Mills. The second carried a channel of the same depth, but with a width of only 60 feet, 6,250 feet farther up the river. With the third a channel with a minimum width of 22 feet and 6 feet depth was made available for a distance of about 7,000 feet to a narrow point of the river, from which for a distance of 2,300 feet there was a natural channel of 3 feet or more. Then a channel 22 feet wide and 5 feet deep was made in the shoal opposite Case's for a distance of 1,250 feet. With the fourth appropriation dredging was begun at the lower end of the 22-foot cut, and the channel was widened by a cut of 25 feet, giving 47 feet in width in all. This was continued to Case's Wharf at Greensborough. Work was completed on the 27th of June, 1885. Should the amount asked for be appropriated, it is proposed to expend it in widening and deepening the channel according to the original plan, and to remove one shoal, carrying only 7 feet of water, situated below the town of Denton. July 1, 1884, amount available............. Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. $50 3 5,000 00 5, 050 33 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 July 1, 1855, outstanding liabilities.. $3,856 83 4,943 01 July 1, 1885, amount available... 107 32 57,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project (See Appendix H 16.) 57,000 00 17. Harbor of Cambridge, Maryland.-The town of Cambridge, the county seat of Dorchester County, is situated about 18 miles from the mouth of the Choptank River, on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake, about 70 miles from the city of Baltimore. Communication with Baltimore is maintained by two lines of steamboats. The town is also the terminus of the Dorchester and Delaware Railroad, which connects it with the railroad system of Delaware and brings it into direct and speedy communication by rail with the principal cities of the middle Atlantic region. The original survey by the Engineer Department was made in October, 1870, which showed the harbor and the entrance to it from the Choptank River to be very shoal. The citizens of the place had previously endeavored to improve the harbor themselves, but what they did with their limited means amounted to little in the way of permanent improvement. The plan of improvement carried out by the Engineer Department has been to make a channel from the deep water of the Choptank to the railroad wharf in the inner harbor, and to increase the dimensions of that harbor, the outer channel to be not less than 100 feet wide, and the depth of all the dredging to be 8 feet at mean low water. The plan was completed in March, 1879. There seemed to be no necessity for more work until, in December, 1883, it was reported that the channel to the harbor needed enlarge ment in order to the proper accommodation of the greatly increased number of vessels using it. A resurvey having been made as soon as |