(d7) Plum Point dikes.-Nothing done here during the year and nothing contemplated during the coming year. (See Annual Report for 1891.)

(d 8) Osceola Bar revetment.-Rapid caving of the channel face of Osceola Bar, or Towhead, having begun, a continuous revetment of brush and stone was begun last year. It was continued this year. At the beginning of the year the revetment extended from the downstream end of the Towhead a distance of 4,500 feet upstream. Operations were resumed in October and continued until the latter part of November. The revetment was extended about 1,000 feet farther upstream, and was there terminated, any further extension being for the present unnecessary. The supply of stone being insufficient, the work was not carried as high up the face of the bank as is contemplated. Further ballasting is required here.

(d 9) Bullerton revetment.-Nothing was done here during the year and nothing is contemplated for the coming year. (See Annual Report for 1891.)

(d 10) Osceola and Bullerton dikes.-Nothing was done here during the year and nothing is contemplated for the coming year. (See Annual Report for 1891.)

Results in Plum Point Reach.-The river reached an unusually low stage during the months of October and November, though the minimum gauge reading at Fulton, Tenn., was not as low as in 1887, 1888, or 1889, and at Memphis it was not as low as in 1871, 1872, and 1888. A discharge of only 91,000 cubic feet per second was measured at Memphis, October 16, with the gauge 0.4 higher than the minimum, which it subsequently reached. The least depth found in the improved part of the reach was 64 feet. It was found in the crossing between Gold Dust and Ashport Bar. Diminished depths were found in some of the other crossings. They are to be attributed to the large amount of channelchoking material thrown into the river by the caving of the banks, such as in Ashport and Fletchers bends, the protection of which had not been completed. The favorable results heretofore reported were not therefore fully maintained.

(e) Surveys, gauges, and observations.-Discharge observations were made at Cairo and Plum Point during the low-water period of 1891, and at Columbus, Ky., and Fulton, Tenn., during the high-water period of 1892. A hydrographic survey was made of the Plum Point Reach. A survey was made of Hickman Harbor in October. The survey at New Madrid has already been mentioned.

(f) Levees.-The only levees constructed by the United States in the first district are the two short detached pieces in the vicinity of the Plum Point Reach, built in 1886-'88. Nothing was done to them during the year. (See Annual Report for 1891.) There is no general system of levee maintained by local authorities within the limits of this district.

For details of the operations in the first district, see report of Capt. S. W. Roessler, hereto appended (Appendix 5).

SECOND DISTRICT.

(Foot of Island No. 40 to mouth of White River, 180 miles.)

(a) Memphis, 230 miles below Cairo.-Works for the protection of the harbor at Memphis include the protection of the city front, and of Hopefield Bend, above and on the opposite side of the river. The latter

work was begun in 1882, but for the reasons given in former reports it. could not be completed until February, 1889. By that time the downstream end of the bend had receded so far that the approach of the river to the Memphis landing was no longer favorable to the maintenance of the upstream portion of the landing. A bar had formed here in front of the landing, where there are some important business interests, such as the grain elevator and railway transfer. During the low-water season of 1891 a channel was dredged through this bar, as in previous years, and there was no interruption of steamboat traffic to the elevator.

The damage to the revetment of Hopefield Bend, noted in the last Annual Report as having been inflicted by the high water of 1891, proved to be more serious than was then supposed. After the river had fallen two breaks were discovered, one about 2,750 feet long at the head of the 1884 work; the other about 600 feet long in the 1887 work and just above the repair work of 1890. The necessary repairs were begun in September and completed in January. Besides restoring the revetment at the places just referred to, additional stone ballast was placed where it was deficient at other places. During the present high water there have been two new breaks, one of them in the new work placed this year. The extent of these breaks is not accurately known, but appears to be moderate. It is proposed to repair them during the coming season. The protection of the city front was begun in 1878, before the organization of the Commission, at the upstream end of the landing. With the changes in Hopefield Bend the point of attack has moved downstream and the protection has from time to time been extended in that direction. The most recent work is the system of spur dikes, known as the "Citizen's Protection," originally built in 1886 with funds subscribed by property owners in the vicinity, the work being executed under the direction of the officer in charge of the district with plant belonging to the United States. They were raised and covered with stone by the Commission in 1889. They, as well as the revetments higher upstream, remain in serviceable condition, but there has been a decided settlement of the dikes. After the high water of 1891 a subsidence amounting to about 4 feet vertical was noted, but without lateral movement towards the channel. Caving continues slowly along the bluff further downstream.

(b) Helena, 306 miles below Cairo.-Nothing was done here during the year. See Annual Report of 1891.

(e) Surveys, gauges and observations.-Discharge observations were made at Memphis and Helena during the low-water period of 1891, and at Helena during the high water of 1892. A survey was made of Memphis Harbor in October, and one of Nonconnah Rock in the same month. The report of the latter survey is hereto appended. A survey was made also for a new levee behind Lake Charles (357 L), as the cav ing at the head of the lake and below it in the vicinity of Andersons Landing and Pushmataha has approached so close to the existing levee that new and extensive loops will be necessary or a new levee behind the lake.

(d) Levees.-The levees in the second district include on the right bank the White River front, which extends from Helena to and including Laconia Circle, a distance of about 78 miles by river, and on the left bank so much of the Yazoo front as lies within its limits, a distance by river of about 120 miles. The lengths of levee are much shorter than these distances. Work was carried on during the year to a small extent upon both fronts.

(d 1) White River Front.-Upon the White River Front at the beginning of the year a levee extended southward from Helena a distance of about 15 miles, and another extended northward from Laconia Circle, leaving a gap between them of about 30 miles, in which there was no levee except the old and badly broken-up State Levee. During the year the Helena Levee was extended southward 28,338 feet, of which 5,000 feet was enlargement of an old levee and the balance new work. It was built with a crown of 8 feet, side slopes 1 on 3, and grade 3 feet above highest known water (1890.) The Laconia section was extended northward 4,240 feet, with crown 8 feet, side slopes 1 on 3, and grade 4 feet above highest water of 1890.

(d 2) Upper Mississippi Levee District.-Upon the Yazoo Front the work consisted in enlarging the existing levee above Hushpuckena (352 L) to a height of from 3 to 4 feet above highest water, with a crown of 10 feet and land slope of 1 on 3. In addition to this much work was done by the local authorities, the amount and location of which has not been reported to the Commission. Allotments have been made to this district under the title Upper Mississippi Levee District.

THIRD DISTICT.

(Mouth of White River to Warrenton, Miss., 220 miles.)

(a) Lake Bolivar Front, 417 miles below Cairo.-Nothing was done here during the year. The work has accomplished the object for which it was built and remains in good condition, except that additional stone ballast is required above the water surface, which it is intended to supply at an early day. See Annual Report for 1891.

(b) Ashbrook Neck, 446 miles below Cairo.-As explained in the last Annual Report, the protection of the upstream side of Ashbrook Neck had become necessary in order to prevent a cut-off. The work was begun in 1890. At the beginning of the present year 2,820 linear feet of revetment had been placed at the narrowest part of the neck, but the lower 500 feet of it having been constructed during a high and rising river, was of insufficient width and had suffered some damage. Operations were resumed in August and continued until January, when they were suspended on account of high water. The old work was repaired and was then extended downstream a distance of 2,500 feet. An extension upstream was begun and was carried a distance of 1,300 feet. Further extension in that direction is contemplated. To prevent flow across the neck at high water a levee was constructed near the axis of the neck. It has suffered material injury during the present high

water.

(c) Greenville, Miss., 478 miles below Cairo.-The work at this place, begun in 1887, had for its object the protection of the bank in front of the town, which was caving rapidly. A sketch of the operations to the beginning of the present year is given in the last Annual Report. At that date the original protection of the town front had been taken in flank by the continuous caving of the bend above, and the upstream end of it had been destroyed. The necessity of protecting the bank just above the town was urgent. It was undertaken as soon as the stage of the river would permit. Operations were resumed in August and continued until January, when the project for the year was com pleted. A continuous revetment 6,600 feet long was placed, extending upstream from the upper end of the portion of the original work, which remained intact. As was stated last year, the certain way to protect Greenville is to protect the bend above throughout its whole length.

The amount of funds required for that have not been available. The work done this year should afford relief from immediate danger. It seems probable that further extensions of the revetment may be necessary in the future.

(d) Lake Providence Reach, 517 to 552 miles below Cairo.-A brief sketch of the operations in this reach, from the time when they were begun in 1882, was given in the last Annual Report. It then appeared that, for reasons beyond the control of the Commission, the earlier works had either been destroyed or had become uncertain in their action, and that although the beneficial results obtained by them still remained, the river throughout the reach was not under control, and there was no certainty that the results were permanent. A systematic and permanent improvement involved the construction of a new series of works, beginning with Louisiana Bend, at the head of the reach. A new protection of this bend was begun in 1889 and completed for a length of 6,024 feet. At the beginning of the present year this work was in good condition, except about 200 linear feet at the downstream end which had been injured by the erosion of the bank below it. Operations were resumed in September and continued until the latter part of January. The damaged lower end of the old work was replaced and the revetment extended 5,000 feet, making 5,224 linear feet of revetment placed this year. The total length of revetment in Louisiana bend is 11,024 feet, all of it standing intact. It is proposed to extend the work during the coming year.

(e) Vicksburg, 599 miles below Cairo.-The works for the maintenance and improvement of Vicksburg Harbor consist, first, of the revetment of Delta Point, to prevent its further recession, which would allow the river to abandon the present Vicksburg front entirely instead of partly, as is now the case; and, second, of a dredged canal leading to a dredged basin at the upstream part of the city front.

The Delta Point revetment, covering 10,700 linear feet of bank, was constructed between 1878 and 1884. It has required no repairs for several years. The subaqueous portion is still in good condition, but the upper bank portion is in places in need of stone ballast to replace the brush which has rotted. It is proposed to place the necessary stone during the coming year. Higher upstream the bank continues to cave slowly, and it will probably be necessary to extend the revetment in that direction in the future, but it is not evident that that will be required during the coming year.

At the beginning of the year the canal had been excavated approximately to the plane +8 feet on the Vicksburg gauge and dredging was in progress. It was continued until September 7, when it was suspended on account of low water. At that time the canal had been excavated to a plane between +5 and +6 feet on the Vicksburg gauge. A greater depth had been anticipated from the season's operations, but a heavy deposit from the river occurred during the high water of the previous spring and summer, against which the dredge had to work. Dredging was resumed February 8, 1892, and on the 15th of May was still in progress. At the latter date one cut 40 feet wide through the canal had been excavated to a plane zero on the gauge and another cut to the same depth partly through. The amount of material excavated during the year was 315,079 cubic yards. The amount previously excavated in canal and basin was 954,514, making the total amount of excavation since 1888, when the work was begun, 1,269,593 cubic yards, measured in the scow. The excavated prism now existing should have involved the excavation of 1,020,800 cubic yards, measured in the scow, had there been no fill from deposits by the river. The dif

ference, or 248,793 cubic yards, measures the amount of the deposits in four years.

(f) Surveys, gauges, and observations.-Discharge observations during the low water of 1891 were made at Wilsons Point in October, and during the high water of 1892 at Arkansas City and Wilsons Point. Surveys were made near Ashbrook Neck, Greenville, and Louisiana Bend while the works were in progress. In October a hydrographic survey was made of Lake Providence Reach and one in the vicinity of Pecan Grove, to note the changes, if any, due to the Raleigh crevasse of 1890. (g) Levees, east bank Lower Mississippi levee district.-On the east, or left, bank of the river the levees in the third district extend from opposite the mouth of White River to Eagle Lake, covering the lower half of the Yazoo Basin, a distance by river of about 190 miles. The length of the levee line is much shorter, being about 167 miles. It covers the local organization known in the allotments as the Lower Mississippi levee district, and overlaps for 28 miles upon the local Upper Missis-. sippi levee district. The small amount available for levee construction was devoted to strengthening the levee at Catfish Point (423 L) and building loops to cover breaks in the line at Greenville (478 L), Stella (502 L.), and Shipland (543 L). The total yardage placed by the Government was 288,072 cubic yards. The local authorities, the Lower Mississippi levee board, placed during the year 1,896,518 cubic yards at various points not reported to the Commission. An estimate was given last year of the yardage required to raise the levees in this district to a height 3 feet above the calculated high water of 1890. It is possible that the experience of this year may cause the standard to be changed. The State authorities have made strenuous efforts to strengthen their line. Their levees have generally a width of crown of 8 feet, with crests at least 2 feet above the flood of 1890.

(h) Levees, west bank.-On the west, or right, bank of the river the levees in the third district extend from Amos Bayou, about 17 miles north of Arkansas City, along Cypress Creek, to Lucca Landing, on the Mississippi, and thence to the southern limit of the district, covering the upper half of the Tensas Basin, a distance by river of about 181 miles. The length of the levee line is about 173 miles, of which 84.8 miles is in the State of Arkansas and the remainder in Louisiana. The local levee organizations are the Desha County levee board, the Chicot County levee board, both in Arkansas, and the Fifth Louisiana levee district. The Tensas Basin levee district, a Louisiana organization, is authorized by the law of its State to expend money in Arkansas Tensas Basin. Allotments for levees on this bank have been made under the titles "Levees Tensas Basin, Arkansas," and "Levees Tensas Basin, Louisiana, third district.

(h 1) Tensas Basin, Arkansas.-The old levees of Arkansas are generally of flimsy character, the prevailing type through the district having a crown of about 4 feet and height about that of the flood of 1890. The local boards have barely sufficient revenue to keep them in repair. Most of the efficient work done of late years in the district has been done by the United States or the State of Louisiana. At the beginning of the present year the extension of the Lucca loop (428 R) was under construction. It was duly completed. With the small amount available for levee construction this year the levee at Opossum Fork (427 R) was enlarged, and loops were built at Sunnyside (491 R), Cracraft (513 R), a spur constructed on Leland short line (470 R), and the enlargement of the levee below Lower Boggy Bayou (445 R) was begun. The total yardage placed by the United States was 270,377 cubic yards. The Desha County levee board enlarged the levee in