2. Water supply, District of Columbia; the 48-inch main.-The work of laying the 48-inch main for which $575,000 was appropriated by the act of March 2, 1889, and the laying of the 30-inch main on Capitol Hill, which was done by means of the same appropriation, were completed in the fiscal year 1889-'90. With the amount that remained of the appropriation, and as a remedy for the loss of head in the high area in the vicinity of M, N, and O streets, northwest, between Tenth and Thirteenth streets, arising from the small sizes and bad condition of the District's street mains, it was decided to lay a 24-inch main in Eleventh street, northwest, between K and U streets, and, for a similar reason, and looking to the future of Capitol Hill, it was decided to lay a new 30-inch main in New Jersey avenue between B and L streets. Contracts were made early in the last fiscal year for the materials for both of these mains, and on the 3d of October, 1890, sufficient of the pipe and special castings had been received to warrant the commencement of laying the Eleventh street main, which was steadily carried on until its completion on the 14th of November. It is 5,142 feet, or about 1 mile, long. It connects at K street with the 30-inch main, at Massachusetts avenue with the 36-inch main, at R street with the 48-inch main, and at U street with a 12-inch District main. The supply to the main is from the 48-inch main at R street. The gain in pressures in the vicinity of the main was very marked, as will be observed in the table appended to the report of the officer in charge, showing the pressures in pounds and the head in feet on Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth streets before and after the comple tion of the main. A plat of the main, showing the positions of its connections, main valves, air valves, and blow off valves, will also be found with the report of the officer in charge. The work of laying the new 30-inch main in New Jersey avenue, was commenced on the 14th of November, 1890, and finished on the 16th of January, 1891. It is 4,410 feet, or rather more than three-fourths of a mile long. It connects at L street with the 48-inch main and at B street with both the old 30-inch main in B street and the new 30 inch main leading through the Capitol Grounds and East Capitol street to Eleventh street, east. This main being entirely for the benefit of Capitol Hill, no connections were made with the District's distribution system anywhere on its route. The gain in pressures on Capitol Hill by the construction of this main is shown in a table which, with a plat of the route of the main, accompanies the report of the officer in charge. When the Eleventh street main and the New Jersey avenue main just mentioned had been completed, it was decided, as there yet remained of the appropriation sufficient money for the purpose, to lay a 24-inch main in K street northeast, extending as far as Eleventh street. This was done for the purpose of increasing the supply to northeast Washington, which is rapidly increasing in population, and at the earnest solicitation of the District government. The necessary contracts were entered into, and the work of laying the main, which commenced on the 24th of April, 1891, was completed on the 13th of June. It is 6,760 feet, or about 14 miles, long, and is supplied through the by-pass at New Jersey avenue and L street from the 36-inch main. A table showing the pressures in the vicinity of the main before and after its completion and a plat of its route will be found with the report of the officer in charge. In addition to the foregoing, there was completed early in the last fiscal year the following work connected with the 48-inch main that remained to be done at the beginning of the year, viz: Filling over the 48-inch connection with the auxiliary gate-house and by-conduit at the distributing reservoir; the construction of the masonry well for the stop timbers for controlling this connection; the completion of the laying of the new service pipes in M street, Georgetown, between TwentyNinth and Thirtieth streets, to enable the service pipes connected with the 12 inch main, which endangered the foundation of the 48-inch main, to be cut off; and the rebuilding on the canal road of the portion of the wall of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal which fell under the weight of the 48-inch pipes deposited on the side of the road before they were laid in the trench. The following table shows the locations and lengths of mains laid by means of the act of March 2, 1889, providing for the construction of the 48-inch main, and the total length of these mains, viz, 15,293 feet, or about 8 miles : A table showing the details of the expenditure of the appropriation will be found in the report of the officer in charge. There remains of the appropriation the sum of $10,669.91 that can be reverted to the Treasury to the credit of the surplus fund. The following is a money statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891: July 1, 1890, balance unexpended.. June 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended. July 1, 1891, outstanding liabilities.. July 1, 1891, balance available...... No estimate for further appropriation is submitted. (See Appendix D D D 2.) $125,387,65 114, 521. 07 10,866.58 196.67 10, 669.91 3. Increasing the water supply of Washington, D. C.-This work was commenced under an appropriation made in the act of Congress approved July 15, 1882. All operations on this project are suspended, and no work has been done under it during the year. The timber lining of the Foundry Branch shaft, which had become decayed, gave way last fall during a rainy period to a depth of about 30 feet below the surface of the ground (or to the point where the shaft entered the rock), and the broken timber and supported earth fell to the bottom of the shaft, filling it to an unknown depth. The falling of the lining at this shaft led to an examination of all the other shafts except Rock Creek shaft, and it was found that the upper part of the lining of each of them should be renewed for the purpose of preventing damage to the shafts as at Foundry Branch. Rock Creek shaft is, and has been for a long time, filled with water, so that it is probable that the timbering in it has not decayed. The work of renewing the lining, which could not be done in winter when the ground around the shafts was saturated with water on account of the danger of slips, was commenced in March, and has been prosecuted as fast as the weather would allow till the end of the fiscal year, when the lining of the Foundry Branch shaft had been completed and the one at Champlain avenue had been nearly completed. The work consisted in making an entirely new lining of the best quality of Georgia pine, either from the surface of the rock or from the top of the brick lining, that had been carried at the west shaft near the distributing reservoir to a depth of about 10 feet, and at the Howard University shaft to a depth of about 23 feet below the surface of the ground. The lining of the Foundry Branch, and Champlain avenue shafts is entirely of wood. It is expected that the work at all the shafts, except Rock Creek shaft, which, as before stated, is filled with water, will be entirely completed early in this fiscal year. A watchman has been employed during the year at the new reservoir, and, it being found that the piles of stone at the mouths of the shafts which have a market value and should be reserved for the use of the United States and the District of Columbia for the repairs of roads, was being depredated upon by contractors for private work, his duties have included the guarding of the stone at the mouths of all the shafts except the one at Foundry Branch, which is under the care of the watchman at the distributing reservoir. The following is a money statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891: July 1, 1890, balance unexpended on all items of appropriation. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended July 1, 1891, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1891, balance available...... No estimate for further appropriation is submitted. (See Appendix D D D 3.) .$436, 608.54 2,816.07 433, 792. 47 1,331.82 432, 460.65 4. Erection of fishways at Great Falls.-Plans and specifications for a new system of fishways, the first of which is to be erected at Great Falls, having been prepared by theCommissioner of Fish and Fisheries, as contemplated by the act making appropriations for the fish ways, proposals for their construction, which had been extensively advertised for, were opened on the 1st of June, 1891. Mr. Isaac H. Hathaway, of Philadelphia, Pa., was the only bidder, and a contract, which is to be finished on or before the 12th of November, 1891, was entered into with him on the 9th of the same month. By direction of the Secretary of War, the construction will be carried on under the direction of the commissioner above mentioned, the engineer officer in charge being held responsible only for the proper protection of the aqueduct dam at Great Falls and for the disbursement of the funds appropriated. The only expenditures during the year were for advertising and the printing of the plans and specifications. The following is a money statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891: July 1, 1890, balance unexpended... July 30, 1891, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.... July 1, 1891, amount covered by uncompleted contract (about).. July 1, 1891, balance available..... $30,020.32 146. 14 29,874. 18 28,520.32 1, 353.86 The Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries is of the opinion that in addition to the funds available the sum of $15,000 will be required to complete the fishways at Great Falls, and an estimate for an appropriation of this amount is submitted. (See Appendix D D D 4.) IMPROVEMENT AND CARE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, AND CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Officer in charge, Col. O. H. Ernst, major, Corps of Engineers. The various improved parks and reservations have received the care and attention required to maintain them in good condition. The Washington Monument received necessary attention, and the improvement of the surrounding grounds was continued as far as available funds would permit. The rough grading of the low ground north of the monument was nearly completed, additional roadway surface was constructed, and footwalks laid. There were 159,160 visitors to the top of the shaft during the year, making a total of 456,305 persons who have made the ascent since the monument was opened to the public in October, 1888. Additional buildings were erected in the nursery grounds. About 402,000 plants were propagated in the greenhouses during the year, nearly all of which were set out in the public grounds in May and June. In the Smithsonian Grounds additional asphalt road pavement and footwalks, and in Henry (Armory) Park additional asphalt footwalk were constructed. Reservation No. 162, at the intersection of Ohio avenue with Fourteenth and C streets, north west, was, by authority of the act of Congress approved December 15, 1890 (vol. 26, Statutes, page 690) transferred to the Commissioners of the District of Columbia as a site for a truck house. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia having, pursuant to a provision in the District of Columbia appropriation act approved March 2, 1889 (vol. 25, Statutes, page 798), established a circle at the intersection of New Hampshire avenue, Sixteenth and U streets, northwest, to be called "Hancock Circle," it was transferred by them in December, 1890, to the charge of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds as belonging to one of the classes of reservations under the jurisdiction of that office. Iowa Circle was entirely remodeled, and new asphalt walks placed throughout. Reservation No. 158, at the intersection of New York avenue, First and M streets, northwest, was improved by being graded, planted with young trees and shrubs, and inclosed with an iron post-and-chain fence. Additional progress has been made in the improvement of Judiciary Square and reservation 17 (Garfield Park), and in the park first named asphalt road pavement and asphalt footwalks were constructed. The statue to the memory of General Lafayette and his compatriots was erected upon the new site selected at the southeast corner of Lafayette Square. The work of constructing the foundation, placing the granite base thereon, and rearranging the grounds was performed by the officer in charge of public building and grounds while the erection of the marble pedestal and the bronze figures was done by the contractors in accordance with the terms of the contract. The exterior of the Executive Mansion was repainted, some of the apartments redecorated, new carpets and window draperies purchased, some of the furniture renovated, new tile floors laid in the kitchens and upon the south portico, and a system of wires and lamps for electric lights introduced. Attention is invited to the detailed report of the officer in charge and to his estimates for the coming fiscal year, as follows: For improvement and care of public buildings aud grounds... Salaries of employés Fuel, light, contingencies, etc $171,722 55,680 32,500 500 $9,060 3,600 12,660 273,062 (See Appendix E E E.) SURVEY OF THE NORTHERN AND NORTHWESTERN LAKES. A survey at Marquette Harbor, Mich., was ordered during the year. The field work was done in January and March under the direction of Capt. Walter L. Fisk, Corps of Engineers, and the plate will be corrected as soon as practicable. (See Appendix F F F 1.) PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION OF CHARTS OF THE NORTHERN AND NORTHWESTERN LAKES. Under the supervision of this office additions have been made to the engraved copperplates of charts of Lake Superior, Nos. 1, 2, and 3; River St. Marie, No. 1; Straits of Mackinac; North end of Lake Michigan ; South end of Lake Michigan; Beaver Island Group, Lake Michigan; North end of Green Bay South end of Green Bay; Lake Michigan coast charts Nos. 1, 4, and 8; Lake Huron; Detroit River; Grand and Little Traverse bays, Lake Michigan. Corrections and additions to quite a number of the other plates have been ordered, and work thereon is progressing. During the year 6,477 charts were issued under the supervision of Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers, 599 of which were sold at 30 cents each, 5,339 at 20 cents each, and 39 at 10 cents each, and the amount of $1,251.40 turned into the Treasury. In addition, 47 charts at 20 cents each and 2 at 10 cents each, aggregating 49 charts, were sold at this office, and the sum of $9.60 was deposited in the Treasury. The total amount received for the sale of charts was, therefore, $1,261. The total appropriation for printing and distribution of these charts was $2,000 only, so that the actual charge to the Treasury for the issue of about 6,500 charts was less than $800. If it were not for the fact that the distribution is made from an office already organized for river and harbor work, the necessary supply of |