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IMPROVEMENT OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER BETWEEN MOUTH OF MISSOURI RIVER AND MINNEAPOLIS.

This district was in the charge of Maj. A. Mackenzie, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. William V. Judson, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders since February 13, 1893; Division Engineer, Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers.

1. Operating snag boats and dredge boats on Upper Mississippi River.At the beginning of the fiscal year there was available under act of August 11, 1888, the sum of $25,000.

From July 14 to November 6, 1892, April 10 to May 2, and May 21 to June 30, 1893, the snag boat General Barnard was employed removing snags and other obstructions and assisting interests of navigation between Minneapolis and the mouth of the Missouri River.

The snag boat J. G. Parke, dredge Phoenix, and a number of barges and dump boats were employed as a dredging and wrecking plant, August 10 to September 10 and October 26 to November 5, 1892.

The total amount expended for snag-boat service on the Upper Mississippi River, between Minneapolis and the mouth of the Missouri River, to June 30, 1892, is $624,640.

By the river and harbor act of August 11, 1888, provision was made for operating snag boats and dredge boats on the Upper Mississippi River under a permanent appropriation, the sum so expended not to exceed $25,000 annually.

The total amount of freight transported on the Upper Mississippi River during the calendar year 1892 was, approximately, 4,500,000 tons.

The amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $25,000.

(See Appendix Z 1.)

2. Mississippi River between Missouri River and Minneapolis.-Under the head of "improving Mississippi River from the mouth of the Ohio River to Minneapolis," the river and harbor act of July 13, 1892, allots $600,000 for work between the Missouri River and Minneapolis, and the sundry civil act of March 3, 1893, contains a further allotment of $866,666.67, available July 1, 1893, for the same purpose. Reports on general improvements between those limits are combined under the above head.

Under this appropriation is carried on the improvement of through navigation.

Work has been in progress under approved projects since 1878, and very favorable results have been secured, showing that with a continuance of the work under liberal appropriations the low-water channel of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and the Missouri River can be made comparatively deep, available, and permanent. The interests

for which the improvement is being made are very large and important. The amount of freight carried during 1892, including the logs and lumber floated in the river, aggregated, approximately, 4,500,000 tons.

The original condition of the channel between the Missouri River and St. Paul was such that, in low stages, the larger boats were unable to proceed farther up the river than La Crosse or Winona; and in many seasons, at points much lower down, their progress was checked or seriously hindered. In all such cases through freight was reshipped on small and light-draft boats or barges. The originally adopted project for the improvement, which has not been materially changed, proposed the contraction of the channel or waterway by means of wing and closing dams to such an extent as, by means of the scour thereby caused, to afford a channel of sufficient width and of a depth of 4.5 feet at low water, to be eventually increased to 6 feet by further contraction.

There was expended on the permanent improvement of through navigation to June 30, 1892, the sum of $3,601,622.52, or $5,044.29 per mile. At that date, and for several years previous, the condition of the channel was such as to permit the passage of the largest boats at very low stages through to St. Paul.

During the past year work has been carried on by day's labor and use of Government plant between Minneapolis and St. Paul, between St. Paul and Lake Pepin, between Minneiska and La Crosse, at Rock Island Rapids, between Keithsburg and Montrose, at vicinity of Des Moines River, Hannibal, Hickory Chute, Louisiana, and Reeds Landing; by informal agreement between Minneapolis and St. Paul and between Reeds Landing and Minneiska, and by contract between Reeds Landing and Minneiska, between Genoa and Prairie du Chien, between Glenhaven and Dubuque, between Bellevue and Savanna, between Dubuque and Clinton, and between Keokuk and Quincy. The work of the year has resulted in increased width and depth of channel at all the points mentioned.

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended....

Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892

Amount appropriated by sunday civil act approved March 3, 1893..

$197, 317.83 600,000.00 866, 666.67

1,663, 984.50 446, 138. 30

June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year...........

July 1, 1893, balance unexpended
July 1, 1893, outstanding liabilities..

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July 1, 1893, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.... 267, 422.78

280, 558.75

July 1, 1893, balance available....

937, 287.45

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 Z 2.)

866,666.67

3. Des Moines Rapids, Mississippi River.-This work was commenced in 1867. The adopted plan provided for the building of a closed canal 8 miles long and for cutting an open channel in the rock bed of the river over the remaining 4 miles of rapids. The canal was opened in August, 1877, and has been in operation since that time.

During the past year a machine shop was built at Lower Lock and a small amount of repairs were made to the canal embankment. The work remaining to be done under approved project is the removal of a small amount of rock above grade in the open canal.

There has been appropriated and allotted for this work the sum of $4,574,950. The net cost to the United States has been to June 30, 1892, $4,554,519.39.

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended...

June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year.

July 1, 1893, balance unexpended....

(See Appendix Z 3.)

$5,842.43

3, 161.98

2, 681.45

4. Operating and care of Des Moines Rapids Canal and Dry Dock.During the past year the Des Moines Rapids Canal was open for navigation 237 days, during which time there passed through it 670 steamboats and 234 barges, carrying 10,846 passengers, 31,318 tons of merchandise, and 53,257 bushels of grain. There also passed through 80,190,519 feet, B. M., of lumber, 16,350,200 feet of logs, 29,121,020 shingles, and 28,896,260 lath. The dry dock was in constant use during the whole year. The cost of operating and care of the canal is provided for by an indefinite appropriation made by act of March 3, 1881. The amount expended during the year was $57,057.21. (See Appendix Z 4.)

EXAMINATIONS MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED JULY 13, 1892.

The preliminary examinations of the following localities, required by act of July 13, 1892, were made by the local engineer, Maj. A. Mackenzie, Corps of Engineers, and reports thereon submitted through the division engineer, Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers.

1. Hamburg Bay, on the Mississippi River, in Calhoun County, Ill.— Maj. Mackenzie submitted report of examination under date November 7, 1892. It is his opinion and that of the division engineer, concurred in by this office, that the bay is worthy of improvement by the General Government to an extent justified by the interests concerned. The information now on hand and such additional surveys and examinations as can be made in connection with the improvement of the Mississippi River will permit the preparation, at any time, of project and estimate of cost of improvement at this locality. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 26, Fiftysecond Congress, second session. (See also Appendix Z 5.)

2. Mississippi River, Iowa side, from mouth of Iowa River to Burlington, to determine the best method of removing the bars and deepening the channel.-Maj. Mackenzie, in report of examination submitted under date of November 7, 1892, states that a "method of removing the bars and deepening the channel" of Mississippi River was adopted in 1878 and has been successfully followed since that time; that the section of the Mississippi River referred to is worthy of improvement; that work under the approved method mentioned has been in progress there for many years, and that surveys of portions of the section are being made continually in connection with such work of general improvement; no further survey is therefore required, and no special appropriations are needed for this work, it being practicable to allot such amounts as are necessary from the existing general appropriation for improving Mississippi River from mouth of Missouri River to Minneapolis. These views are concurred in by the division engineer and by this office. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 88, Fifty-second Congress, second session. (See also Appendix Z 6.)

3. Harbor at Moline, Ill.-Maj. Mackenzie submitted report of examination under date of November 7, 1892. It is his opinion and that of the division engineer, concurred in by this office, that the locality is not worthy of improvement by the General Government in the manner desired and proposed by the city of Moline. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 30, Fiftysecond Congress, second session. (See also Appendix Z 7.)

4. Mississippi River at and near Bellevue, Iowa, with a view to so repairing and fixing dam that ferry channel will be restored.-Maj. Mackenzie, in report of examination submitted under date of November 7, 1892, states that the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Bellevue is worthy of improvement, and the work of restoring the ferry channel by repairing and fixing the dam is a proper one, it being incidental to the work of channel improvement; no special survey of the locality is necessary, and no special appropriation is needed, appropriations being now available for the improvement of Mississippi River between the mouth of the Missouri and Minneapolis which can be properly applied to work on the dam when other work is carried out in the vicinity of Bellevue. The division engineer concurs in the views of Maj. Mackenzie, and it is the opinion of this office that the locality in question is worthy of improvement in the manner indicated. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 83, Fifty-second Congress, second session. (See also Appendix Z 8.)

5. Lake Pepin, Mississippi River, as to whether additional harbors of refuge are necessary, and if necessary, where the same should be located.— Maj. Mackenzie submitted report of examination under date of November 7, 1892. It is his opinion that additional harbors of refuge on Lake Pepin are necessary and that the matter is worthy of consideraby the General Government; but that one such harbor located on the Minnesota shore near Kings Coulee will for the present at least serve all purposes of navigation. He also states that no additional special surveys are required in advance of the preparation of plans and esti mates of cost of the work, and that such plans and estimates can be prepared from information now at hand or obtainable in connection with the general work of improving the Mississippi River. These views are concurred in by the division engineer and by this office. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 52, Fifty-second Congress, second session. (See also Appendix Z 9.)

IMPROVEMENT OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER ABOVE FALLS OF ST. ANTHONY, MINNESOTA; OF RIVERS IN WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA TRIBUTARIES TO MISSISSIPPI RIVER, AND OF RED RIVER OF THE NORTH, MINNESOTA AND NORTH DAKOTA; GAUGING MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT ST. PAUL.

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This district was in the charge of Maj. W. A. Jones, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. Hiram M. Chittenden, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders to April 2, 1893; Division Engineer, Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers.

1. Mississippi River above Falls of St. Anthony, Minnesota.-The present project, adopted in 1880, consists in the improvement of the river between Aitkin and Grand Rapids, a distance of 130 miles, by removal of snags, bowlders, bars, and leaning trees from the channels and construction of wing dams where necessary to afford 3 feet depth at low-water stage, the cost being estimated at $54,127. In 1889 the estimate was increased to $63,000. Under the appropriations of 1880,

1881, and 1882, the river between the points named was well cleared of large numbers of obstructions. Between 1884 and 1888, and during the flood of the latter year, large numbers of snags and leaning trees were formed.

The appropriation of $10,000 made by act of August 11, 1888, was applied to removal of obstructions between Grand Rapids and a point about half-way to Aitkin, and in addition a number of bowlders was removed to within 20 miles of the latter point.

Before improvement commenced in 1880 the stream between Aitkin and Grand Rapids was so obstructed that navigation was difficult, and at times almost impossible for steamers of lightest draft.

The total expenditures under present project to June 30, 1892, including outstanding liabilities, were $61,177.86.

There was then a general depth in the improved channels of 3 feet at low water. A few bowlders, snags, and leaning trees offered some obstruction, but did not seriously interfere with navigation.

During the winter of 1892-'93, 130.25 cubic yards of bowlders was removed from the channel in the vicinity of Pine Knoll.

For a number of years previous to the present season several steamers have navigated this portion of the Mississippi, carrying passengers and freight to the settlements and supplies for lumber camps.

The opening, during the winter of 1889-'90, of the Duluth and Winnipeg Railroad from Duluth to the Mississippi River resulted in one steamer being withdrawn from the freight and passenger business, though at the beginning of the season of 1891 she was again put into commission.

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended....

June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year..

July 1, 1893, balance unexpended..

July 1, 1893, outstanding liabilities.

July 1, 1893, balance available

(See Appendix A A 1.)

$1,843.06 1, 827.48

15.58 10.35

5.23

2. Reservoirs at head waters of Mississippi River.-The object of the reservoirs is to collect surplus water, principally from the precipitation of winter, spring, and early summer, to be systematically released so as to benefit navigation on the Mississippi River below the dams. The reservoir project is the outcome of surveys and examinations made in 1869, 1874, 1878, and 1879. From the results of these examinations and further examinations made in 1880, the first cost of constructing reservoir dams in Minnesota and Wisconsin was placed at $1,809,083. The cost of land and other damages to result from construction and operation of the proposed dams was not included in that estimate, as they could not be predicted with any approach to accuracy.

The present project consists in constructing reservoir dams at head waters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota, that locality having been selected for commencing the work in consequence of an appropriation made by the river and harbor act approved June 14, 1880, for construction of a reservoir dam at Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota, and for other reasons given in Appendix Y to the Annual Report for 1886. By 1886 four of the reservoirs had been created. In the spring of 1891 the construction of a fifth reservoir at Sandy Lake was commenced, and one-half was built by the fall of 1892, but its completion has been delayed by the provision in the river and harbor act of Congress, July 13, 1892, providing for a navigable pass in the dam. Plans embodying the

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