district officers and levee engineers platted, the sheets paraffined till fairly transparent, and blue-print copies made. By this means, with some days lost for want of sunlight, fifteen copies of the entire series (26 maps) were completed on April 11. Of 1,460 permanent marks searched for, 635 were found and remarked where necessary; 180 are known to have caved into the river; 37 to have been dug up; 32 to have been broken or otherwise destroyed; 127 to have been covered by levees, or by sedimentary deposit beyond hope of recovery without great expenditure of time and labor. Many of the earlier marks were even with the ground surface, and were not well indicated by blazes or other guide marks. It is very possible that a sufficient expenditure of time, should the need of them justify it, may recover more of them. Of the marks which have been dug up, many appear to have been disturbed ignorantly in clearing the ground, and were found lying near their places, but not accurately replaceable by their descriptions. It is noteworthy that the levee engineers have paid little respect to the bench marks of the Commission. Marks have been buried in enlargement or building of levees with no note of them, and have been dug up in obtaining the earth supply with no apparent attempt to protect them. Of the triangulation marks, about one-quarter were found; these were of various characters, some not durable, and many near the river. Of the precise level marks, a little over one-half were found; these in this section were generally near the river. Of the stone-line marks, over two-thirds were found; those near the river are in many lines lost by caving. No line is entirely lost, and most have still two or more marks. This examination shows that a buried stone or tile with iron pipe extending well above ground has made the most permanent and recoverable mark; that sills and marks in masonry are valuable only when placed in buildings of permanent importance; that levees and their immediate neighborhood are unfavorable locations; and that public roads and property boundaries are by far the most favorable locations. Report of Assistant Engineer Morrow is appended (marked E). A study of areas of land lost, and probable volume of earth swept into the river, has been made by Assistant Engineer Ockerson. His results are appended (marked F). The field work of surveys has been continuous since April, 1891, or, including reconnaissance, since March, 1891. The triangulation work closed at Fort Louisa on July 28. The same day the steamer Patrol and quarter boat Illinois started down the river. On the morning of July 31 the quarter boat was left at Hop Hollow, near Alton, and a part of the force began looking up permanent marks for the topographical work. The Patrol reached St. Louis on August 1, coaled on 2d (Sunday), and left on 3d. Topographical work began with full force on August 4. This work closed at Hannibal on November 13. The Patrol reached St. Louis on November 15 and left on November 17, with Caving Bank and Stone-line party. This party returned on April 12. The repairs of Patrol were completed at Cairo on April 18; she arrived at St. Louis April 20, her boilers were tested on April 23, and left on triangulation work on same day. The reconnaissance party, in the field since March 28, joined at New Boston and work began on April 25. The personnel of these parties was transferred from work to work as the same progressed. The precise level parties, independent in organization, were, in addition to these, in the field up to September 28 and October 20. The topographical party got out of the upper river less than a week before the first closing of the ice lowered the water. The Caving Bank party finished their work before the sloughs were full, and made their return trip on a rising river. The triangulation party reached their field before the rise of the Upper Mississippi became important. All parties were inspected one or more times in the field. Manuscript charts, etc.-On July 1, 1891, detail charts, scale 1:10000, were completed, except titles and notes, as far as the southern boundary of the city of St. Louis, with two sheets extending to Alton, projected and outlined. They are now completed, except titles and notes and mechanical printing of topographical signs, to include No. 121, extending to stone line 74, 3 miles above Cap au Gris. Nos. 122-3-4, extending to midway between stone lines 85 and 86, are in prog ress. In connection with them the sounding plat, serving also as index sheet for charts in progress, is completed to stone line 88; the field plats are traced to stone line 82. Sheets 1 and 2, index charts, for charts on scale 1:20000, have been prepared. A plat of the triangulation of 1891 has been made. Copy is herewith presented (with Assistant Engineer Stewart's report). The office force for this work consists of the field topographers. All surveys and mapping have been under supervision of Assistant Engineer Ockerson. On July 1, 1891, topographical maps, scale 1 inch: 1 mile, were completed to 6 miles above Chester, Ill. (126 miles above Cairo), with one sheet extending to 148 miles above Cairo in progress. They are now completed to Waterworks, St. Louis (195 miles above Cairo), with one sheet extending to mouth of Missouri River (207 miles above Cairo) in progress. This work is in the hands of Mr. C. W. Clark. Published charts and maps.-The charts and maps published by the Commission are the following; except official issues under resolution of the Commission, they are, in accordance with law, sold at the prices annexed. The publication of the first is completed; that of the others is in progress: Alluvial Valley (scale, 1 inch: 5 miles). Cents. 10 per sheet.. - per set (8 sheets).. 40 - per sheet.. 20 ....do.... 5 On July 1, 1891, of the charts, scale 1:20000, sixty-six sheets, extending from Cairo to Donaldsonville, La. (numbered southward from 3 to 69), and three sheets, extending from Cairo nearly to Cape Girardeau (numbered northward from 101 to 103), were published; six sheets, extending to Chester, Ill., were in the hands of the printer. The southward series has not been extended. Of the northward series, fourteen sheets (Nos. 101-114), extending 2 miles above stone line 50, or nearly to southern limit of Carondelet, are now published. On July 1, 1891, of the inch: mile maps, the series from Cairo southward in thirtytwo sheets (numbered southward 1 to 32), with index chart (three sheets), and table of distances (one sheet), was complete. Of the series from Cairo northward, five sheets (numbered 101 to 105), extending to 148 miles above Cairo, are in hands of the printer; unsatisfactory proofs have been received. There have been issued, July 1, 1891-May 31, 1892 Proceeds of sale, $61.60, have been deposited with the assistant treasurer of the United States at St. Louis. Physical data.-Records of gauges under the Commission, as also of certain others under Majs. Mackenzie and Miller and Capts. Willard and Taber, Corps of Engineers, under the Weather Bureau, and the Cincinnati waterworks, have been received, tabulated, and printed in pamphlet form, together with descriptions of gauges and bench marks revised to date. Results are appended (marked G). Computation of discharge measurements made in 1891 has been completed; also three of 1890 received in January, 1892. Results, with field reports, are appended (marked H). High-water marks for the period reported have not been received. The gauge records received at date of report do not yet show the highest waters of the period. A table of lowest gauge readings exceeding those reported in the Annual Report for 1891, pages 3555-3575, is appended (marked I). Current gauge records have been checked, tabulated, and platted on office hydrographs. This work has been under charge of Assistant Engineer K. Tully, with Assistant Engineer George H. Johnson, and C. A. Bonfils, computer. Plant. The plant held under this allotment consists of the survey fleet (1 steamboat, 2 quarter boats, 14 row boats), the field and office instruments, the printing plant, and office furniture. On January 1 the Patrol was sunk near Commerce Landing, Miss.; the circumstances are stated in connection with survey of Caving Banks. Telegraphic report was received at this office on the 1st, and telegrams sent to Assistant Engineer Ockerson, who was at Memphis en route to inspect the work, and to Capt. Roessler, asking assistance. The services of the Halliday wrecking plant and diver, at Cairo (the only one known to the office), were engaged, and the steamer Minnetonka put in commission and a supply of lumber and tools put on board. (This was done in absence of the secretary, who returned from leave of absence on the morning of January 3.) The Minnetonka, with wrecking boat in tow, arrived on January 4, and bulkheading was begun at once. The Halliday plant proved inefficient, and a boat with sand pump was engaged from the McNeely Towing Company at Memphis, on January 5. The work was carried on under great difficulty. The diver's work and the pumping were seriously impeded by the continuous cold. During the first half of the work the river was rising. Navigation was stopped by running ice during more than one week, and there was great difficulty in feeding the party as well as in obtaining supplies for the work. On January 22 the boat was raised and floated by barges alongside. On the 28th she reached Cairo, but the ways being occupied, could not be hauled out at once. February 5-24 she was on the ways. Her hull had received little injury, but the labor of cleaning her was considerable. The outriggers of one side were crushed. Apart from the breaking of all connections by the displacement of the boilers and the breaking of the capstan engine, her machinery has suffered very little either from shock or submergence. It was cleaned as far as possible during the wrecking operations and well cared for. It is noteworthy that even steam-tight parts as valve boxes were found full of mud. February 24-April 18 repairs were completed with some changes in cabin, galley, quarters for deck crew, and coal bunkers. Boilers were inspected on April 23, and she returned to service same day. The repairs were under supervision of T. C. Hockridge, foreman, master of the boat for several years. Quarter boat Illinois, repaired last year, is in fair condition. Quarter boat Kentucky, repaired last year, and then estimated as good for one year's service, carried the double-precise-level party from St. Paul to Savanna without accident. While being towed thence to Quincy, she showed such weakness as to prove her unfit for service as quarters; she may be useful for storage if fit for towing to the general service fleet at Cairo. Field instruments are in good condition, except one transit, broken by a fall on the ice during survey of caving banks. Five precise-levels, with appurtenances, are in hands of Missouri River Commission. The printing plant has been rearranged and refitted at a cost for day labor and lumber of about $60, and the fonts of type replenished, with gain of promptness of issue of printed records and publications of the Commission. GENERAL SERVICE. Stone supply.-On July 1, 1891, supply of stone to first and second and third districts was in progress; on that date 12,673 cubic yards were delivered, 6,447 en route. After that date deliveries were confined to first and second districts. This work was closed by the barges being required for service in the districts on September 7; 46,728 cubic yards in all were delivered, 33,526 to first district and 13,202 to third district. This work was delayed in its earlier stages by the quarries being flooded, and was in favorable progress during the last three weeks only; in these three weeks 16,535 cubic yards were delivered at Daniels Point and Fletchers, Ark. The loaded barges were left for service at place of last delivery, the unloaded sent on return of towboats. The total piece and yard mileage for above were: The total expense of delivery (not including repair of plant nor interest on the value) was $24,883.24, or 1.6 +mills per yard per mile. The stone was delivered on barges at 624 cents per cubic yard; its transportation cost At Daniels Point.. At Fletchers.. At Greenville.. Cents. - per cubic yard.. 36 ..do.... 37 ..do.... 90 The purchase and delivery of 35,000 cubic yards of riprap stone was authorized on January 25 and of 15,000 cubic yards in addition on February 16. The barges were then still in use in the districts. On notice that the barges were free for this service, the Minnetonka was sent out, on February 21, to collect them; as received they were cleaned, examined, and repaired, and refitted where necessary; loading began at the quarry on March 19. On May 31 there had been delivered 12,600 cubic yards. About 3,500 cubic yards were loaded at quarry. This work has been delayed by rain and by rising water. The quarryman has floated his boilers and opened new fronts as the water rose, and has now done drilling probably sufficient for the whole delivery. With a fall of water loading can be done at a rate of about 1,000 yards per working day. Towing by Mississippi and Minnetonka can keep up with this. Plant.-The plant held under this allotment consists of the general service fleet (4 towboats, 80 stone barges, 6 fuel barges, 1 store boat, 3 camel docks, 13 row boats, 2 calking flats, with their equipment), general tools, and office furniture. Towboats.-The Mississippi, built in 1883, has had the damage by snagging (reported last year) repaired; a new roof has been laid; sleeping accommodations in forward cabin have been increased; the boat has been painted throughout. The Minnetonka, built in 1885, has been hauled out, her hull scraped and calked, her chain fastenings renewed. The Etheridge, built in 1880-'81, has had small repair, her boilers, already old when placed in her, were inspected in January, in the third district, and pressure allowed 125 pounds; she needs a new battery of boilers and general repair. The l'edette, used as a fleet tender, has had small general repair. All, except the Etheridge, are in good condition. The stone barges are of four classes. Thirty, built in 1889-'90, 120 by 30 by 7 feet, framed, flush-decked, bottom planked fore-and-aft, are in good condition. Twentysix, built in 1883, 120 by 30 by 6 feet, gunwaled, sunk-decked, bottom planked and athwartship, repaired last year, some of them by sheathing, are still serviceable, but will not bear much more patching; most of them are worth rebuilding from the bottom at a probable cost two-thirds that of a new barge. Twenty-four, built in 1885, 100 by 25 by 5 feet, gunwaled, flush-decked, bottom planked athwartship, are in same condition as second class; of these, two carry cabins of old survey boats, and are used as quarter boats. All have had current repair in service during the period reported. The fuel barges, built in 1886, 120 by 25 by 6 feet, framed, without deck, are in good condition. The store boat, an old coal barge (bought second-hand in 1885), covered with a slightly framed store house, has had general repair and is in fair preservation. The camel docks, two built and one rebuilt in 1891, in frequent use during the period reported, are in good condition. The Mississippi has been used on inspections by the Commission, and to a small extent in towing. The Minnetonka has been used in towing, at wreck of Patrol, and as fleet tender in absence of smaller boats. The Etheridge has been used in towing; on September 12 she was turned over to the third district for service during working season; she was towed back in the spring unserviceable for want of boiler power. The Vedette has been used as fleet tender; on October 28 she was turned over to the third district for service during the working season; returned to the general service on March 10, and in service since as fleet tender. The barges, except two used as quarter boats, and three retained in the districts for some time past, have been used in towing stone and as working barges in the districts. The repair of model barges belonging to the third district was completed in September, 1891. They were sent down with last tow and by Etheridge. The plant while not in use, and for repair, has lain at Cairo during the period reported. No water front there is controlled by the Commission. No rent has been paid. TONNAGE AND TRAFFIC, CALENDAR YEAR 1891. The traffic on the sections of the Mississippi River, under charge of the Commission, is mainly carried on by lines of steamers and barges plying from St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Pittsburg to New Orleans and intermediate landings and to ports on Red River. The upstream loads are comparatively light. The custom-house records are of registered tonnage only. A statement is appended. The Merchants' Exchange of St. Louis keeps, by calendar years, minute record of shipments and record of receipts in bulk. As freights from the upper river are reshipped here, this represents the northern traffic. Statements of shipment by New Orleans boats and by Memphis, Vicksburg, and Natchez boats, taken from their last annual statement, are appended. The last-mentioned line makes landings above the mouth of the Ohio; one-fourth of their shipments is deducted in preparing the table of commercial statistics for this report. The most important shipment from St. Louis is of grain in bulk for exportation; a detailed statement of this shipment from the Merchants' Exchange is appended. This traffic was rendered difficult by low water till the middle of January and after the first week of August. From November 27 to December 20 no freights were shipped for New Orleans. The river was not closed by ice, though navigation has been impeded by running ice. The direct foreign shipment, via New Orleans, of grain in bulk aggregated in 1891 251,500 tons. The importance of this line of traffic is shown by the average rates of freight. St. Louis to Liverpool, via river to New Orleans Cents per bushel. 15.75 23.55 I quote two paragraphs from the report of the Merchants' Exchange of St. Louis; the second is from the statement of the Valley Line Transportation Company. "The short wheat crops of Europe caused a large demand upon the United States for that cereal and large orders came to St. Louis. During July and August about 3,500,000 bushels were forwarded and there was a demand for all the barges could transport. But, unfortunately, early in August the river declined to a very low stage and so continued for the balance of the year, reducing the ability of the barge line to one-fourth of its usual capacity and for a portion of the time absolutely suspending navigation. Notwithstanding these hindrances 6,940,215 bushels of wheat, 1,482,731 bushels of corn and 45,600 bushels of rye were forwarded by river to New Orleans for export, and 1,575,321 bushels of wheat and 506,936 bushels of corn forwarded by rail to Cairo, Ill., and Belmont, Mo., and there taken by the barges, making 10,350,803 bushels of grain exported from St. Louis via the Mississippi River during 1891." "The export trade, chiefly carried by barges, is of a character necessitating time contracts, often extending over a period of four to five months, and guaranteeing the delivery at New Orleans of given quantities of grain during the first and second half of certain months, thus fixed, far in advance. These contracts, being always attended by heavy penalty of vessel demurrage in case of failure, must be complied with at whatever loss; thus such unlooked for difficult and disastrous navigation falls especially heavy on the export as well as carrying interest of our river commerce." The total traffic from St. Louis on Mississippi, below Cairo, and Red rivers, in 1891, is Shipments Total..... Tons. 416, 150. 209, 095 625, 245 Of the tonnage and traffic on the Lower Mississppi coming from the Ohio River, I can obtain little trustworthy information. Of the enrolled tonnage, the customhouse at Pittsburg can not separate that which plies on the Mississippi below Cairo; that at Paducah, owing to recent transfer, can give no report. Of the traffic, I have sought information from the Boards of Trade (or like organizations under other title) of all the leading cities; I have received reply from the Business Men's Association of Evansville only, reporting shipments of 7,000 tons. The reports of the district officers, who have authority to require this information from sailing masters, can not reach me in time for compilation. I can therefore present, in addition to the above report of the Upper Mississippi, only the following incomplete statement of enrolled tonnage: Financial statements, list of civilian engineers employed, and statement of plant are appended. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Gen. C. B. COMSTOCK, CARL F. PALFREY, Colonel of Engineers, President Mississippi River Commission. |