location are approved by the Secretary of War, the erection of the bridge shall not be commenced, and should any change be made in the plan of said bridge during the progress of construction, such change shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of War. SEC. 6. That the United States shall have the right of way for such postal telegraphic lines across the said bridge as the Government may construct or own. SEC. 7. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved, and the right to require any changes in said structure, or its removal at the expense of the owners thereof, whenever Congress shall decide that the public good requires it, is also hereby expressly reserved. LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, March 3, 1887. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the letter of the 9th of December last from the clerk of your committee inclosing, for the views of the Department, Senate bill No. 2904, "to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Willamette River at Portland, Oregon." In reply, I beg to inclose a copy of the report of the 14th ultimo of the Board of Engineers appointed to consider the question of the construction of this bridge. The Chief of Engineers states that the Board have given the subject careful and intelligent consideration, and that he concurs in their views. The recommendations of the Board are embodied in the accompany. ing draught of a substitute for Senate bill 2904, and are commended by the Chief of Engineers for adoption. The bill is herewith returned. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. S. J. R. MCMILLAN, WILLIAM C. ENDICOTT, Secretary of War. Chairman Committee on Commerce, U. S. Senate. X X 6. RAILWAY BRIDGE ACROSS RED RIVER AT SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, March 1, 1887. The Secretary of War has the honor to transmit to the House of Rep resentatives a letter of the 25th instant from the Chief of Engineers, together with a report and accompanying papers from Capt. J. H. Willard, Corps of Engineers, which will, it is believed, afford the information called for by House resolution of the 11th ultimo, as follows: Resolved, That the Secretary of War be requested to inform the House what steps. if any, have been taken to cause the removal of the sand-bar which has formed against the piers of the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway Bridge spanning the Red River at Shreveport, La., and which for more than six months has entirely prevented the passage of boats through the draw of said bridge on a river navigable 300 miles above and 500 miles below the bridge. Resolved further, That the Secretary inform the House whether or not the Department holds that it is the duty of said railway company to remove said obstruction, and if so, what demand to do so has been made upon said company, when made, and their reply, and what steps, if any, have been taken to enforce the demand. Resolved further, That the Secretary inform the House what steps the Department proposes to take to cause the removal of said obstruction. It will be seen from the accompanying report that the attention of the president of the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway Company was, under date of July 13, 1886, called to the fact that the bridge in question was obstructing the navigation of the Red River. A response was received from him July 26, 1886 (copy herewith), stating that he had instructed the chief engineer of the company to examine into the matter at once and report to him in full, which would, in due course, be submitted to the Engineer Department. Nothing further on the subject has been received from him, but the inclosed report shows that examinations of the bridge and river have been in progress preparatory to action. Section 8 of the river and harbor act of July 5, 1884, provides: And on failure of the company or persons aforesaid to make and establish such additional structures within a reasonable time, the said Secretary shall proceed to cause the same to be built or made at the expense of the United States, and shall refer the matter without delay to the Attorney-General of the United States, whose duty it shall be to institute, in the name of the United States, proceedings in any circuit or district court in the United States in which such bridge or any part thereof is located, for the recovery of the cost thereof. The reasonable time mentioned in the act is deemed now to have elapsed during which the company should have taken some steps in the matter, and its provisions will therefore be carried into effect without further delay. WILLIAM C. ENDICOTT, The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. LETTER OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY, Washington, D. C., February 25, 1887. SIR: I have the honor to return herewith the resolution of the House of Representatives dated January 11, 1887, which was referred to this office, requesting the Secretary of War "to inform the House what steps, if any, have been taken to cause the removal of the sand-bar which has formed against the piers of the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway Bridge spanning the Red River at Shreveport, La.," and to state that the resolution was referred to Capt. J. H. Willard, Corps of Engineers, January 13, 1887, a copy of whose report thereon, dated February 17, 1887, is herewith submitted. Captain Willard gives a full his tory of the matter so far as regards the action of this office and of the railway company, which it is hoped will prove satisfactory. Captain Willard states that "it is safe to say that navigation through the draw opening is now impracticable at any stage less than 5 feet above low water." In regard to the clause of the resolution "that the Secretary inform the House whether or not the Department holds that it is the duty of said railway company to remove said obstruction; and, if so, what demand to do so has been made upon said company, when made, and their reply; and what steps, if any, have been taken to enforce the demand," I beg to say that under the provisions of section 8 of the river and harbor act of July 5, 1884, the attention of the president of the Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Pacific Railway Company was, under date of July 13, 1886, called to the fact that the bridge was obstructing the navigation of the Red River, as will appear from the accompanying report of Captain Willard, and a response was received from him July 26, 1886 (copy herewith), stating that he had instructed the chief engineer of the company to examine into the matter at once and report to him in full, which would, in due course, be submitted to this office. Nothing further has been received from him. Section 8 of the act above referred to provides "and on failure of the company or persons aforesaid to make and establish such additional structures within a reasonable time, the said Secretary shall proceed to cause the same to be built or made at the expense of the United States, and shall refer the matter without delay to the Attorney-General of the United States, whose duty it shall be to institute, in the name of the United States, proceedings in any circuit or district court of the United States in which such bridge or any part thereof is located, for the recovery of the cost thereof." It is deemed now that the "reasonable time" mentioned in the act has elapsed, and that the provisions of the act should therefore be carried into effect without further delay. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM C. ENDICOTT, Secretary of War. J. C. DUANE, Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers. SAND-BAR AGAINST THE PIERS OF THE VICKSBURG, SHREVEPORT UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, SIR: I have the honor to make report in compliance with instructions contained in a letter from your office, dated January 13, 1887, inclosing a resolution of the House of Representatives, of which the following is a copy: [Forty-ninth Congress, second session.] CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. January 11, 1887. Mr. Blanchard, from the Committee on Rivers and Harbors, submitted the following; which was agreed to: Resolred, That the Secretary of War be requested to inform the House what steps, if any, have been taken to cause the removal of the sand-bar which has formed against the piers of the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway Bridge spanning the Red River at Shreveport, La., and which for more than six months has entirely prevented the passage of boats through the draw of said bridge on a river navigable 300 miles above and 500 miles below the bridge. Resolved further, That the Secretary inform the House whether or not the Department holds that it is the duty of said railway company to remove said obstruction; 8872 ENG 87--168 and, if so, what demand to do so has been made upon said company, when made, and their reply, and what steps, if any, have been taken to enforce the demand. Resolved further, That the Secretary inform the House what steps the Department proposes to take to cause the removal of said obstruction. Attest: In order to show what steps have been taken by the War Department in this matter, I give herewith the report of my predecessor, Capt. Eric Bergland, Corps of Engineers, transmitted to your office June 18, 1886, with a tracing of a survey made under his direction, a copy of which accompanies this report, in compliance with instructions given by indorsement upon a letter from Hon. N. C. Blanchard, member of the House of Representatives from Louisiana, to the Secretary of War. Captain Bergland's report contains all the information that could be obtained in regard to the construction of the bridge, with reference to the laws and extracts from all the official correspondence upon the subject on the files of this office. LETTER FROM HON. N. C. BLANCHARD TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U. S., SIR: At Shreveport, La., there is a railroad bridge across the Red River, constructed and maintained by the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad Company. It is a fine and costly structure. A suitable draw was provided for the passage of steam-boats, which has served every purpose until now. But now the channel has shifted to a span of the bridge other than where the draw is, and as a consequence the boats can not, at this low stage of the river, get above the draw. I inclose yon marked copies of the Shreveport Times, showing the trouble more fully than I can here describe it. The Red River is one of the longest rivers in our country. At high water it is navigable 500 miles above where the said railroad bridge is, and the bridge is 500 miles above the mouth of the river. Many steam-boats navigate the river. I respectfully call the matter of the change in the channel of the river at the bridge to your attention, in order that you may take steps to have the trouble obviated. The bill or act authorizing the railroad company to bridge the stream shows, I presume, the obligations assumed by the company in respect to maintaining navigation at and through the bridge. I would suggest that you officially call upon the company to fulfill its covenant in this regard; or, if the railroad company can not be compelled to keep open the channel through the bridge, I would then suggest that you promptly direct the United States officer in charge of Red River improvements to take immediate steps to dredge the channel through the draw. Whatever is done should be done at once. An early reply will be appreciated. If you conclude to communicate with the officer in charge of Red River, I would suggest it be done by wire to save time. N. C. BLANCHARD, M. C., Hon. SECRETARY OF WAR. Louisiana. [First indorsement.] OFFICE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. ARMY, Respectfully referred to Captain Eric Bergland, Corps of Engineers, for thorough investigation and full report upon the several points within presented; to be made at the earliest date practicable. To be returned. JOHN G. PARKE, Acting Chief of Engineers. [Second indorsement.] U. S. ENGINEER OFFICE, Vicksburg, Miss., June 18, 1886. Respectfully returned to the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, with report of this date. ERIC BEBGLAND, Captain of Engineers. COPIES OF MARKED PORTIONS OF SHREVEPORT TIMES INCLOSED WITH ABOVE LETTER. [Shreveport Times, June 1, 1886.] THE SAND-BAR. The steamer John G. Fletcher, after unloading her freight near the Silver Lake landing, attempted to pass through the railroad bridge, but was compelled to back out and tie up. The sand-bar which has formed from the Bossier side above the breakwater erected by the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad Company extends below the pivot pier. There is now barely 18 inches of water between the pivot and the pier nearest the Bossier bank, and steam-boats, therefore, will be unable to go through the bridge. The channel of the river has changed positions, and the greatest depth is between the second pier and the bank on the city side of the river. Unless the sand-bar is removed by the railroad company the navigation of the river to all intents and purposes will be closed until the next rise. [Shreveport Times, June 2, 1886.] LOW WATER IN RED RIVER-AN EXTENSIVE SAND-BAR IN FRONT OF SHREVEPORT CLOSES NAVIGATION. By reference to the meteorological report published in the river column of the Times it will be seen that Red River is now lower than it has been in the past eleven years. Sand-bars are creeping out gradually as the river falls, and before long it will be an easy matter for a person to cross from shore to shore in many places without a skiff or boat. In front of the city yesterday soundings were made by Uriah Vincamp, foreman draw-tender, assisted by Michael Spellman, assistant draw-tender and night toll-collector on the railroad bridge. A sand-bar extends diagonally from the old ferry landing down the center of the river, and leaves a channel from the breakwater on the east side down the river varying from 5 to 15 feet. There is also a channel on the west bank from the steam-boat landing near Cross Bayou down the river which varys from 5 to 15 feet in depth. From the line of the railroad bridge up to where the bar has formed on the east bank the water in depth varies from 18 to 36 inches. The soundings. taken under the west arm of the draw give a depth ranging from 74 feet to over 16 feet; under the east arm, between the pivot pier and the Bossier side, there is a depth of water ranging from 10 to 16 feet. The west channel between the bank on the eity side and the first stone pier under the line of the bridge shows a depth of from 5 to 11 feet. Up-stream from the line of the bridge to the steam-boat landing the water varies from 4 to 11 feet. Up-stream from the line of the bridge, from the center span, the depth is from 1 to 4 feet. Upstream from the west arm of the draw the water is from 1 to 5 feet. The visible bar is below the center span, and the impediment to navigation is above and not below the railroad bridge. How to remedy this and open a regular channel to accommodato steam-boats ascending and descending the river is the question. One thing is positive; the sand-bar will not wash away, and it is more than probable that in a few days the people will be enabled to walk over to Bossier without going over the bridge or crossing in a skiff. If there is a remedy to open the channel it should be applied without delay. REPORT OF CAPTAIN ERIC BERGLAND, CORPS OF ENGINEERS. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, SIR: In compliance with first indorsement, dated Office Chief of Engineers, 8th instant, referring for thorough investigation and full report letter of Hon. N. C. Blanchard to the Secretary of War, dated 7th instant, stating that the channel of Red |