adapted to the passage of the largest vessels navigating the Northern and Northwestern lakes, and to limit and locate the lines of channel to be improved by the United States, and of docks that may be constructed by private individuals, corporations, and other parties, and clearly define the same; also, to present estimates of the proposed improvement, and to designate the legislation necessary to prevent encroachments being made and maintained within the limits of the channel designated. The Board met at the United States Engineer office at Chicago, Ill., on the 3d instant, and continued in session several days in the execution of the duties assigned. The maps and other sources of information bearing upon the subject were consulted, and a personal examination of the river was made from Lake Michigan to Lake Calumet. There are no engineering difficulties presented in the way of excavating and maintaining a navigable channel from Lake Michigan to the forks of the river near Lake Calumet, and with proper regulations it is believed that after the completion of the channel the cost of maintenance will be comparatively small. The largest class of vessels navigating the Northern and Northwestern lakes draw about 15 feet, and it is desirable that the river depth should be somewhat more than that at all stages. As the water level in the river depends upon that in Lake Michigan, which is subject to considerable fluctuations, the depth of channel should at least be 16 feet below the mean level of its surface. It is the opinion of the Board that the importance of this improvement, together with the necessity for avoiding legal complications, justifies the recommendation that the channel to be improved and controlled by the Government be in general 200 feet in width, and that the boundaries of this channel be established as a dock line to limit any construction by private parties or corporations. * It is considered desirable to limit the channel as far as practicable by straight lines, a full description of which it has not been deemed necessary to insert in the report. They are, however, fully outlined in the accompanying map, together with the ownership of the bordering lands. As these lands belong to private and corporate parties, and as it will be necessary in some instances to encroach thereon in the furtherance of this project, it is recommended that no part of the improvement be undertaken until the right of way be conveyed to the Government, and that it be fully released from all liability for damages to adjacent property. The lands bordering the river are low, marshy, and covered with water at times, and without the improvement of the channel are of comparatively little value. In presenting this project the Board does not intend to limit the distance between the docks to the width of 200 feet; on the contrary, it is desirable to have it wider, and to have slips constructed; but any excess beyond the width fixed upon by the Government should be improved by adjacent owners, the expense to the United States being limited to the excavation and maintenance of the channel of 200 feet herein recommended. The Board approves of the recommendation of Major Lydecker that the work be done by machinery owned by the Government, experience having shown conclusively that by this means the expense will be much less than by contract. In addition it may be stated that it will be necessary to retain one of the dredges, after the completion of the work, in order to keep and maintain the channel to its original depth and width, as undoubtedly more or less filling will occur from time to time. * Omitted. Printed in Senate Ex. Doc. No. 9, Forty-seventh Congress, second session. It is the opinion of the Board that some legislation is necessary in order to prevent obstructions to the channel by vessels and other water craft, as well as to prevent encroachments upon the channel by parties using or owning the docks, and that a general law should be enacted, the main points of which are embodied in the draught herewith. ESTIMATES. The amount of material required to be excavated to make a channel in the Calumet River from Lake Michigan to the forks, 200 feet wide and 16 feet deep, is, in round numbers, 2,500,000 cubic yards. The lowest average price per cubic yard at which such work has been done by contract in this locality is 25 cents; this would amount to $625,000. The Board, however, recommend that the work be done by the Government owning its own dredges; the estimated cost being: For dredges and outfit 2,500,000 cubic yards, at 5 cents Total... $100,000 125,000 225,000 This latter estimate is based upon the assumption that sufficient funds are appropriated at the outset to provide the necessary plant and perform a season's work. D. C. HOUSTON, Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers, Brevet Colonel. JARED A. SMITH, Major of Engineers. W. H. H. BENYAURD, Brig. Gen. H. G. WRIGHT, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. AN ACT to preserve and prevent encroachment upon the excavated channel of the Calumet River, Illinois. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this act, the Secretary of War is directed to assume full control over the channel of the Calumet River, to be improved by the Government, so far as the same may be necessary to prevent encroachment being made upon the improved channel-way, or any part of it that may be in course of excavation and improvement, and also to keep the same open and free from all obstructions, and he may establish such rules and regulations respecting the use of or passage through the said channel as he may deem necessary to protect the same and to facilitate the contemplated improvement. Such regulations shall be conspicuously posted at the entrance of the harbor of Calumet, and copies of the same shall be printed in two daily papers of the city of Chicago. These regulations may be changed from time to time, should it be deemed expedient for the better protection of the channel. That it shall be the duty of all persons navigating said channel, or using it and its bordering docks, to observe the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of War, as aforesaid, and any person who shall willfully or negligently obstruct said channel, or make or attempt any encroachment upon the same, or cause any impairment, injury, filling up, or shoaling thereof, or who shall fail to obey and observe any of the prescribed regulations, shall be liable to a penalty of not less than fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, to be recovered by information or by action of debt, with cost of suit, in the district court of the United States for the northern district of Illinois. And if such damage or injury to said channel or its approaches be caused by any steamer, vessel, or water craft, or by the masters of other persons in charge thereof, or if the master or other persons in charge of such vessel shall willfully or negli gently violate the regulations aforesaid, a penalty of not less than fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars shall be incurred, and such vessel shall be liable for the penalty aforesaid, and may be proceeded against by way of libel for the recovery thereof in any court of the United States within whose jurisdiction such vessel may be found. That all bridges that may hereafter be constructed across the Calumet River shall be built and located under and subject to such regulations for the security of navigation and the maintenance of a free and unobstructed channel as the Secretary of War shall prescribe, and to secure that object the company, corporation, or other party desiring to build a bridge shall submit to the Secretary of War, for his examination and approval, drawings, with proposed location of such bridge, together with all information that may be necessary for a satisfactory understanding of the matter, and until the said plan and location be approved by the Secretary of War, said bridge shall not be erected. Should any bridge constructed under this author ty be found an obstruction to the free and convenient navigation of the said river, it shall be subject to modification or removal, at the expense of the owners thereof. And the authority for its construction may at any time be revoked by act of Congress, should the public good so require. GG 3. IMPROVEMENT OF ILLINOIS RIVER. The project for the improvement of this river, now in course of execution, contemplates the construction of a lock and dam at each of the sites selected, Kampville and La Grange, and the dredging of the channel from the lock at Copperas Creek to the mouth of the river. PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR. The high water in the Illinois River caused a suspension of operations from September, 1881, to July, 1882. On the 19th of this latter month the plant (which had been undergoing repairs at Beardstown) was sent to the La Grange lock site, and the work of excavating the lock pit was commenced. In the mean time pile-driving and pumping machinery had been purchased, and when the water had fallen to a sufficiently low stage, about August 23, the coffer-dam (700 feet long and 200 feet wide) for this work was commenced, and completed October 4. The dam was then pumped out, and the pile-driving for the lock foundation was commenced on the 24th of the same month. The nature of the soil caused considerable difficulty in keeping the coffer-dam entirely free from water, and necessitated the use of three pumps working continually. The lock foundation was started early in November, and work continued upon it until January 6, 1883, when the closing of the river by ice put a stop to the work for the season. In addition to the construction of the cofferdam and excavation of the lock pit, the following amount of work was accomplished upon the lock foundation proper at La Grange: Number of bearing piles driven.. Linear feet of sheet piling driven. 1,800 5,854 12, 890 1,093 1,037 The work at the Kampsville lock was not commenced until later in the season, owing to the high stage of water. On the 1st of September one dredge, with the necessary scows, &c., was sent to this lock site, and the work of excavating the lock pit and construction of coffer-dam was commenced. This latter work was of the same dimensions as that at La Grange, 700 feet long and 200 feet wide. The coffer-dam was completed September 22, and pumping was commenced the same day. On the 24th, when the water was reduced nearly 4 feet, one section of the dam showed signs of weakness. This rart was immediately reinforced by building a section of dam wall 175 feet in length on the outside of the original work. This proved entirely sufficient, and no further difficulty was experienced. One pump was amply sufficient to keep the water in lock pit down, after the pit had been emptied. The lock foundation was commenced October 14, and work thereon continued until December 23, when high water, caused by an ice gorge in the river, put an end to operations for the season. In addition to the construction of the coffer-dam and excavation the following amount of work was accomplished: Number of bearing piles driven.. Linear feet of longitudinal timber laid. 3, 357 7,444 15, 134 930 800 During the winter and spring season the entire plant was overhauled and thoroughly repaired for operations during the coming season. This work has been under the immediate supervision of Mr. R. A. Brown, assistant engineer. The land at both lock sites was condemned by the United States circuit court at Springfield on June 22, and awards, amounting to $582.50, were made to the various parties in interest. The proceedings had not at last accounts been forwarded to the Department of Justice for final approval though the United States attorney has informed me that everything relating to the condemnation was perfectly satisfactory. Advertisements inviting proposals for stone for lock walls were published March 20, 1883, and opened April 21. The lowest bid was that of Sanger and Moody, of Joliet, Ill., to whom the award was made, contingent upon the approval of the land condemnation proceedings by the honorable the Attorney-General of the United States. PROPOSED APPLICATION OF FUNDS AVAILABLE. The amount available June 30, 1883, exclusive of outstanding liabili ties, is $290,514.18. This will be applied to finishing the lock foundations at La Grange and Kampsville; purchasing stone for the La Grange lock, in accordance with the proposal of Sanger and Moody, and laying the same to the extent of the funds available. The long season of high water not only retarded operations, but added to the cost of construction of the lock foundations otherwise, on account of the necessity of repumping the lock pits whenever operations were to be resumed. The cost of pumping also was greatly increased at the La Grange lock, due to the springy nature of the soil. Three pumps had to be kept constantly at work, in order to keep the water in the lock pit down to a level sufficiently low to allow the men to get in the foundation timbers; whereas at Kampsville one pump was sufficient to keep the water at a proper level. At this latter site, I found it neces sary to double the number of bearing piles, due to the nature of the subsoil. This was found to be different from what had been at first supposed, when the original boring was made. Its character was not definitely ascertained until we commenced the pile driving. It is proposed to build the walls wholly of masonry, as at Herny and Copperas Creek, instead of concrete, with masses of stone imbedded; to raise them to the height of about 30 feet, so as to take them above the highest water ever known; and to extend the upper and lower wing walls. Taking into account the above changes, I have deemed it ad visable to revise the estimate for the entire work of lock construction. Estimating the cost of the masonry upon the basis of the lowest bid, that of Sanger and Moody, together with the cost of the foundations, I have increased the estimated cost of the lock foundations and locks complete to $360,000 each, leaving the cost of the dams as originally estimated. ESTIMATE FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1885. It is expected that the awards for the lands condemned will be approved at an early date, when the contract will be made with Messrs. Sanger and Moody, in accordance with their proposal of April 21. The funds now available will, in addition to other necessary work on the foundations, complete the lock at La Grange, which will be accomplished in the course of the present season, so that at the end of the present fiscal year the funds will be totally exhausted. Should the necessary appropriation be made for the continuance of the work, the entire plant will then be transferred to Kampsville, and the construction of that lock commenced. Estimated cost of the locks and dams..... $850,000 00 Appropriated and made available for entire work (in round numbers).. Amount available for lock construction............... 484,500 00 To complete the work will require, therefore. 365,000 00 Amount available June 30, 1883 (including outstanding liabilities). 305,634 30 25,000 00 The locks should be completed as soon as possible in order to open the river to ordinary low-water navigation at all times, and would respectfully recommend that a sufficient allotment be made to carry on the work satisfactorily during the coming season. The amount, exclusive of previous appropriations, necessary to complete the present plan of improvement, is $365,000, exclusive of dredg ing. There is submitted below a statement of the amount of commerce on the river. This affords, however, no adequate measure of the importance of the proposed improvement, for when the latter is completed, taken into consideration with the enlargement of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, there will be a continuous line of water communication through from the lakes to the Mississippi, adapted to the largest class of steam ers. Illinois River is in the customs district of New Orleans. The length of the section below Copperas Creek lock remaining to be improved is 135 miles. July 1, 1883, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1882.. .$150,685 23 July 1, 1883, outstanding liabilities.. July 1, 1883, amount available... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1885. 350,000 00 290,514 18 547, 150 55 |