Pile-drivers.-A new set of leads and braces and one lead, one brace, and one wenchpost were added, the former to No. 19 and latter to No. 21.

Slight repairs, calking, &c., were made to Nos. 1, 9, 10, and 17.

The floating machine shop was transferred to the depot on the 11th of April, since which time the machinist has been engaged in overhauling and repairing machinery to pile-drivers.

Drivers Nos. 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 15, and 18 have been put in thorough repair. These drivers, except No. 3, are furnished with Worthington pumps, in which were used brass packing. These were found to cut easily in muddy water; to be, therefore, defective and expensive, and the pumps were altered by our machinist so as to use other less expensive and more useful packing-a description of which I will give in his words, viz: "In working the Worthington pump it was found necessary to substitute some other packing for that used to secure at all times a full valuation of her working capacity. The original packing (a brass ring fitting the plunger and held by a gland stationary in the center of the pump, the plunger traveling through same) in pumping muddy water would cut and enlarge ring so that churning of water would occur, necessitating new rings in order to secure valuation of pump.

"Our manner of substitution is to bore out the middle partition where the original brass ring was held, fitting it in a stuffing-box and gland, the box having four turns of five-eighths inch square elastic packing. When churning commences with this packing the heads of the water-ends of the pump must be taken off and gland screwed up; not over fifteen minutes' work.

The elasticity of the filling insures a tight packing.

"One filling will be sufficient for a pump an entire season, doing full work, at a cost of about $1.20-3 pounds of rubber and canvas.

"The stuffing-boxes and glands will outlast the pump.

“No. 10 driver—the first to which the improvement was applied-after being used about three months was subjected to a test of water pressure of 179 pounds to the square inch (one-third more than it was calculated to bear), and on examination of the packing it was found to be in perfect shape, thus proving the substitution to be what our service requires, a simple, easily adjusted, and inexpensive packing, comprehensive to any one.

"Since the 11th of April we have put new stuffing-boxes and glands in drivers Nos. 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, and 18."

Barges. The bits, timber-heads, kevils, capstan-bed, deck, and sheathing of No. 9 were repaired, and her top sides calked all around.

Four new timber-heads, four braces, and five cross-chains were added to No. 46, her hull repaired and calked.

Four pieces of gunwales and two planks on the rake on one side, and two pieces of gunwales, one stiffener, and three rake planks on the other side of No. 53 were renewed, hull repaired and calked.

59.

Nos. 12, 23, 32, 49, and 51 were placed in dry-dock and thoroughly repaired.

Slight repairs were made to Nos. 14, 17, 25, 27, 28, 33, 34, 38, 40, 42, 54, 57, 58, and

The pumps and bitts of No. 10 were repaired, top sides, calked all around, and hull painted.

The bow of No. 13 was raised from the water with side dock, a plank below water line cut by the ice was replaced by a new one, her hull calked and painted.

Bitts, capstan-bed, deck, and hatches of No. 16 repaired, her hull calked and painted.
The pumps of No. 20 were repaired and hull painted.

The top sides of Nos. 22 and 26 were calked all around and hull painted.
Mattress-barges.-That part of the ways extending over the sides of No. 3 were re-

paired.

Quarter-boats.-Slight repairs were made to Nos. 2, 4, and 6. The canvas renewed in several places on the roof of Nos. 4 and 6, and roof painted.

Wharf-boat.-Slight repairs made twice during the year.

Small boats.-Yawls, skiffs, large and small flats have been overhauled, repairs made where needed. Those in service repainted, such as are not needed at present put under cover, and all re-marked "United States Engineer Department," with their individual numbers in the respective series.

The private telephone of the Engineer Department, which puts the depot in communication with headquarters and the several engineer parties, and the city wires which connect it with the machine shops and the material and supply market in the city, have greatly facilitated operations here by enabling us to meet the wants at the works without the delay incident to ordinary means of communication.

With much respect, your obedient servant,

Maj. O. H. Ernst,

Corps of Engineers, U. S. A.

C. L. STEVENSON,

Supply Clerk.

14.

SUBSISTENCE.

REPORT OF MR. S. S. VAN NORMAN, SUBSISTENCE CLERK.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER DEPOT,
Saint Louis, July 7, 1883.

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit my report of operations in the subsistence department connected with the works of improvement under your charge, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883.

The present system of providing for employés under your direction was first introduced in March, 1882, and as I believe it embraces features new to many engaged on works of public improvement where large bodies of men have to be cared for, this report is made to include the time from the adoption of the system up to the end of the fiscal year.

ORGANIZATION.

(1) Subsistence clerk.-The subsistence clerk has special charge of the procurement and issue of subsistence supplies at Saint Louis, and regulates the bill of fare according to the season.

He also acts as special inspector of boarding masters, and visits, from time to time, the boarding houses, inspecting the boarding master's subsistence records, and the manner in which they perform their duties, reporting the result of his inspection to the officer in charge.

(2). Boarding masters, cooks, and waiters.-For each kitchen there is employed one boarding master at a compensation of $60 per month, one cook at $50, and one cook at $30, with attendants in the proportion of one for every eighteen men provided for; the compensation of attendants being $20 per month; all of these persons being provided with subsistence in addition to the above salaries.

The boarding masters are responsible, under the direction of the resident engineers, for the proper preparation and service of the food, for the timely procurement of supplies, for the good order and cleanliness of the sleeping quarters, mess-rooms, and kitchens, and for the preservation of the bedding, furniture, and subsistence stores.

QUARTERS.

Portable quarters, placed upon barges or on the shore, are provided, each set of which will accommodate seventy-two men and their attendants with kitchen, messroom, and sleeping quarters.

Allowance of mess furniture for one mess-room accommodating seventy-two men.

Allowance of furniture for one kitchen accommodating seventy-two men.

Two men occupy one bunk. Straw is provided for filling the bed-sacks and bolster

cases.

Single bunks are provided for the overseers, who are also allowed moss pillows in place of bolster-cases.

Resident engineers are furnished with a cot, mattress, and feather pillow each, besides the necessary allowance of blankets, sheets, and pillow-slips.

SUBSISTENCE STOREHOUSE.

This building is located at the engineer supply depot, foot of Arsenal street, about 3 miles from the central portion of the city. It is a frame structure, 25 feet wide by 125 feet long, with a cellar of the same dimensions.

The building will easily hold two months' supplies for 2,000 men.

PROCUREMENT OF SUPPLIES.

When stores are required the subsistence clerk procures proposals from the principal dealers, accompanied by samples, and then makes requisition upon the officer in charge for the articles, forwarding at the same time the proposals, with an abstract thereof, and a recommendation as to which one should be accepted.

The above applies to all subsistence stores, except fresh vegetables, which are purchased in open market, as required.

At least one month's supply of non-perishable stores is kept on hand in the sub

sistence storehouse.

DISTRIBUTION OF SUPPLIES.

Fresh meat and vegetables are issued semi-weekly; potatoes, flour, and butter weekly, and other supplies semi-monthly.

Requisitions from each boarding master are sent direct to the subsistence clerk three days in advance of the time the stores are required.

Invoices and receipts accompany each lot of supplies sent out.

Resident engineers sign receipts for stores received by each boarding master under their charge, and return them direct to the subsistence clerk. In addition to these duplicate receipts are made, one of which is signed by the mate of the boat on which the supplies are shipped and returned to the subsistence clerk; the other is signed by the boarding master receiving the stores and returned to the mate, who holds it as his voucher.

QUALITY OF SUPPLIES.

The quality of supplies furnished may be termed "choice." Flour is required to grade choice, and other farinaceous foods are the best the market affords.

Cured meats are of the best quality, and fresh meats the best to be had without specifying "stall-fed."

The following list of supplies provided gives detailed information as to variety and quality:

In addition to the above, about thirteen different kinds of fresh vegetables are furnished in season.

COST OF SUBSISTENCE.

The average daily cost per man, with the average number of men subsisted daily, is given in the following table, and includes cost of service of all persons employed in connection with subsistence:

From the above it appears that while there were more than double the number of men subsisted during the first four months of 1882 than for the same time in 1883, the average daily cost per man in the first case was 47 cents, and in the latter only 44

cents.