wings were extended into the pool above the dam. The passage of the falls has been much improved, and navigators are well satisfied with the results thus far attained. Jeffersonville levee.-As required by the last river and harbor act, a levee is in process of construction at Jeffersonville, Ind. At the close of the fiscal year the levee was about one-tenth finished. Special surveys.-During the year twenty-nine special surveys were made of parts of the river requiring improvement. The adopted method of improvement has been to remove snags and rocks, to close up duplicate channels by low dams, to hold up and guide the water by dikes where the river is too wide, and to remove hard bars and projecting points. The construction of the Davis Island movable dam is the first step towards a more radical improvement. The amount appropriated for the improvement of the Ohio River, from the first appropriation in 1827 to July 5, 1884, is $3,770,479.25. In addition to this there has been allotted to this river a portion of twenty-three different combined appropriations for the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas rivers, which aggregate $1,947,000, but the amount thus allotted is unknown. July 1, 1884, amount available ... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities... $19,082 00 600,000 00 619,082 00 .$179,260 10 44,061 71 223,321 81 395, 760 19 July 1, 1885, amount available Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 18~7 1,000,000 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix C C 1.) 2. Operating and care of Davis Island Lock and Movable Dam, Ohio River. The estimated amount required for operating this work during the year 1885-86 is $5,865; and during the year 1886-'87 is $5,865. (See Appendix C C 2.) 3. Operating and care of Louisville and Portland Canal.-During the fiscal year the canal was in operation 336 days; it was closed eight days on account of high water, and twenty one days on account of ice. During the year 4,886 vessels, representing an undertonnage of 1,217, 231 tons, passed through the canal. The total number of vessels that passed Louisville by canal and river combined was 6,397, representing an undertonnage of 1,704,941 tons. The new iron dredge for the canal has not yet been completed. During the year the middle miter sill of the new locks was wholly rebuilt, and a house was built for the use of the attendant at the Eighteenth Street Bridge. Iron water-pipes have been placed on the locks in order to remove deposits after a rise. The total expenditures for the year ending June 30, 1885, were $72,368.58. The total receipts from all sources were $831.69. The estimated amount required for operating and maintaining the canal during 1885-86 is $91,840, and during the year 1886-87 is $108,840. The question of a high-water lock has been decided in the negative. In lieu thereof the officer in charge recommends that the basin at the head of the new locks be brought down as near to the locks as practi cable, so as to expedite the service of the locks. The estimated cost is $120,000, and it is proposed to extend the work over two seasons. (See Appendix C C 3.) 4. Falls of Ohio River at Louisville, Kentucky.-Owing to sundry legal complications, work was not begun on the enlargement of the canal until October 10. A drainage ditch, 1,900 feet long, was dug through the middle of the area to be excavated, and 2,363 cubic yards of rock were removed. On June 24, 1885, bids were opened for the excavation of the area lying between the north line of the Government tract and a line drawn parallel to the present north wall of the canal, and 25 feet north of it. Bids were lower than was expected, and so large a surplus of funds was left that another contract has been let since the close of the fiscal year, carrying the excavation up to the cross-dam. Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884............... July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities.. July 1, 185, amount available. $300,000 00 $15,650 44 15,818 39 284,181 41 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. 1,035, 363 00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30,1887-500,000 C0 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix C C 4.) 5. Monongahela River, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.-Work on Lock No. 8 was resumed in the latter part of July and continued until December. The whole lock, except the lower wing-wall, was completed to a height of from 2 to 4 feet above Pool No. 7. Before work was begun on the Upper Monongahela it was unnavigable, except in freshets. The originally-adopted project contemplated the construction of three locks and dams, so as to extend the existing slackwater from New Geneva to Morgantown. Of these No. 7 was to be built by the Monongahela Navigation Company, and Nos. 8 and 9 by the United States. The amount appropriated up to July 5, 1884, toward carrying out this project is $307,000, of which sum $303,275.66 had been expended up to June 30, 1885. The result obtained is the construction of one masonry lock and dam, and the second lock is about two-thirds finished. The amount required is to complete Lock and Dam No. 8, all of which can be profitably expended during the next fiscal year. July 1, 1884, amount available ..... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 July 1, 1885, amount available $2,159 26 45,000 00 47,159 26 43, 434 92 3,724 34 121,276 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... (See Appendix C C 5.) 6. Operating and care of Lock and Dam No. 9, Monongahela River.The breach in the dam was thoroughly repaired and a crib-work was placed below the dam, which will probably destroy the reaction that originally caused the damage. The total expenditures for the year were $10,091.78. The estimate for 1885-'86 is $1,000, and the same for 1886-287. For some reason the Stoney valve does not work as well as it did at first, and efforts will be made to ascertain and remove the cause. (See Appendix C C 6.) 7. Allegheny River, Pennsylvania.-During the past fiscal year 70,649 cubic yards of rock, 848 snags, 3,555 cubic yards of gravel, and one wreck were removed from the bed and banks of this river. The officer in charge recommends that this kind of work be continned as far up-stream as Olean, and that an inclined plane be built to facilitate the passage of the Corydon Dam by rafts, and to lessen the danger to life. The method of improvement adopted on the Allegheny River has been to close duplicate channels by low crib-dams (only two have thus far been built), and to remove the many large rocks that obstruct the bed and banks. The work of improvement was begun in 1879, and thus far there has been expended on this river the sum of $104,365.71. July 1, 1884, amount available.......... Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884. July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of oustanding liabilities July 1, 1884 July 1, 1885, amount available.... $816 69 35,000 00 35,816 69 35, 182 40 634 29 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1887 100,000 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of section of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix C C 7.) 8. Ice-Harbor at mouth of Muskingum River, Ohio.-Work of construction was resumed in July, and continued until the end of November. A little more than half the lock is completed, but the work is two-thirds done, as the most difficult and tedious part is finished. The project consists in building a new and much larger lock through the State dam across the Muskingum near its mouth, with a view to securing access to the lower pool of the Muskingum for Ohio River steamboats and barges that may desire to seek shelter there during winter. There has been expended on this work to date $199,145.37, and $836.63 remain on hand. To complete this work will require $95,163 in addition to the sum on hand, all of which can be profitably expended in the next fiscal year. July 1, 1884, amount available Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 $5,522 90 50,000 00 July 1, 1885, amonnt expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884. 55,522 90 $54,557 73 July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities. 128 54 54,686 27 836 63 July 1, 1885, amount available.... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix C C 8.) 95, 163 00 95,100 00 9. Harbor of Refuge near Cincinnati.—A contract for a third dike at Four Mile Bar, Ohio River, 10 miles above Cincinnati, was made on the 28th of November. Work was begun in June, and at the end of the fiscal year the dike extended into the river 450 feet out of a total proposed length of 2,500. The object of this work is to protect the commerce of Cincinnati during winter by catching and holding back ice-floes, and secondarily to deepen the water on Four Mile Bar. Two dikes have been built, and the third and last is now under construction; $63,470.39 have been expended on this project, and $15,000 more will be required in addition to the amount already on hand to complete it. The whole amount can be profitably expended during the next fiscal year. July 1, 1884, amount available............ Amount appropriated by act approved July 5, 1884 July 1, 1885, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884.. July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities.. $7,753 16 5,717 23 13,470 39 July 1, 1885, amount available.. 19,466 61 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.... 15,000 00 15,000 00 (See Appendix C C 9.) 10. Harbor of Refuge at mouth of Great Kanawha River, West Virginia.— A contract for erecting two ice-piers in the Great Kanawha River, a little more than a mile above its mouth, was made on February 23, 1885. At the close of the fiscal year the pier on the north side was three-fourths, and the other one-half, completed. The object to be attained is the protection of floating craft from icefloes descending the Great Kanawha River. The cost of these piers is borne by allotments of $7,500 from each of the appropriations for the Ohio and the Great Kauawha rivers. No additional funds are required. Amount allotted from act approved July 5, 1884 July 1, 1885, amount exp nded during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1884 July 1, 1885, outstanding liabilities.. July 1, 1885, amount available,. (See Appendix C C 10.) EXAMINATIONS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPROVEMENT TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF THE RIVER AND HARBOR ACT OF JULY 5, 1884. The following localities were exained by the local engineer in charge and not recommended for improvement: 1. Shawneetown Harbor and Levee, Illinois.-(See Appendix C C 11.) 2. New Albany Harbor, Indiana, and the river and shores adjacent to said harbor.-(See Appendix C C 12.) 3. Harbor at Paducah, Kentucky.-(See Appendix C C 13.) Reports on the above were transmitted to Congress, and printed in House Ex. Doc. No. 71, Forty-eighth Congress, second session. And it appearing, after preliminary examination by the local engineer, that the localities were worthy of improvement by the General Government, Lieutenant-Colonel Merrill was charged with and completed the following, the results of which were transmitted to Congress, and printed as executive documents of the Forty-eighth Congress, second session. 1. Scioto River, Ohio.-Printed in House Ex. Doc. No. 234. (See also Appendix C C 15.) 2. Lawrenceburg Harbor, Indiana.-Printed in House Ex. Doc. No. 154. (See also Appendix C C 16.) 3. Bar in the Ohio River opposite the mouth of the Licking River, Kentucky.-Printed in House Ex. Doc. No. 253. (See also Appendix CC 17.) Lieutenant-Colonel Merrill was also charged with survey of Muskingum River, Ohio. This survey is in progress, and the results will be submitted as soon as received. IMPROVEMENT OF GREAT KANAWHA AND ELK RIVERS, WEST VIRGINIA, AND OF NEW RIVER, IN VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA. Officer in charge, Lieut. Col. W. P. Craighill, Corps of Engineers. 1. Great Kanawha River, West Virginia.-This river flows through a fertile and picturesque region, filled also with mineral wealth, especially coal and salt. It was by nature divided into a number of pools, some of considerable length and depth, separated by shoals of gravel and coarse sand, which were the principal obstructions to navigation in low water, there being often on them at such seasons but a few inches of water. In some of the pools were found shallow places also obstructing navigation. There were also snags and loose rock in the channel. The navigation above Charleston was more obstructed than below. Above, it was almost suspended in summer. The coal and salt were generally sent out on rises, which enabled the boats to pass safely over the obstructions that otherwise would stop their movements entirely. The use of the river for the movement of these valuable products was therefore unsatisfactory and intermittent. By the agency and superintendence of a board acting under the State, first of Virginia and then of West Virginia, considerable improvement in the river was from time to time effected, tolls being charged on the commerce for payment of expenses. The object of the improvement, begun several years ago by the United States, was to give a constant navigable depth of at least 6 feet throughout the whole length of the Kanawha to its mouth at the Ohio River, to be accomplished by large locks and dams. Those already built have been about 350 by 50 feet in the clear. The peculiarity of most of the dams is that they can be lowered, when the stage of water in the river will suffice, over the shoals. This gives them the name of "movable dams," and enables an open river to be had when the water is high enough. Dams 3 and 2, both above Paint Creek, are fixed, as the declivity of the river in that section is too great to permit the advantageous use of the movable system. Dam 1 will also be fixed. Up to June 30, 1884, the amount expended was $1,411,739.15. At that date Lock and Dam 3, 21 miles above Charleston Ferry, had been completed, as also Locks and Dams 4 and 5, respectively 15 and 9 miles above the same point. Lock 6, 4 miles below Charleston, was also |