January 1, 1889) better progress was made with the pile-driving. The creosoted bearing piles were driven from a false work resting on intermediate wooden piles, the latter being drawn as the work proceeded. For convenience of construction the contractors were allowed to carry out the wharf in two sections, the easterly section comprising somewhat more than one-half of the entire structure. On February 1, 1889, the iron piles had been put in on the easterly section out to a line 168 feet from the shore. The winter proved to be generally favorable for operations of this kind, and with the exception of occasional delays of a few days from storms, the work proceeded continuously, although the rate of progress was still slow. On the 1st of April the piles on the easterly section had reached a line 280 feet from the shore. The work of filling the iron piles with concrete, bolting on the steel beams, struts, and rods, and the laying of the flooring, was carried on at the same time, each class of work being kept several panel lengths behind the preceding class. On May 1, 1889, the piles on the easterly section of the wharf had all been put in, and work was commenced on the westerly section. On June 30, 1889, all the iron piles had been put in place, and nearly all of the creosoted wooden piles for the fender system driven. Steel beams, struts, and diagonal rods had all been put in place on the easterly section of the wharf, and the flooring of the same section nearly laid. Some beams had been fitted in place on the westerly section of the wharf. The old wharf has now been entirely removed. The roadway between the wharf and Mill Creek Bridge was badly injured near the bridge by the severe storm and high tide of April 6, 1889. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad has permission to enter the reservation, and it is understood that it is to cross this roadway at a low grade and provide a new roadway crossing the tracks over grade. For this reason it seems advisable to delay repairs to the existing roadway. The great storm of April 6, 1889, caused a considerable accretion to the shore at the site of the wharf, and may render it necessary at some future time to construct works to prevent the further encroachment of the shore line. The advance during this great storm referred to, was unprecedented. July 1, 1888, amount available... Money statement. Amount appropriated by act of August 10, 1888. July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888.... July 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts. July 1, 1889, balance available..... 2 B. $9,670.31 75,000.00 84, 670.31 $73, 626.69 8, 147.26 54, 277.36 30, 619.00 IRON PILE-BRIDGE OVER MILL CREEK AT FORT MONROE, VIRGINIA. The act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Goverument for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, contained the following item of appropriation for the construction of an iron bridge over Mill Creek at Fort Monroe, Va.: For the construction of an iron bridge over Mill Creek between the military reservation of Fortress Monroe and Elizabeth City County, Virginia, twenty thousand dollars; to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of War. ENG 39-30 near the shore the plans provided for disk piles, the depth of sand be ing sufficient to permit their use. These were sunk first, by the use of the water jet. Within the site of the old wharf numerous obstructions were met consisting of old piles, logs, and wrecks. When the contractors commenced driving wooden bearing piles the pile-driver which they had provided was found to be entirely insufficient for the work. From these causes the construction proceeded very slowly. On August 10, 1888, an additional appropriation of $75,000 was made by act of Congress for the enlargement of the wharf, as follows: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause the plans and specifications under which contract has been entered into by the United States for the construction of an iron wharf at Fortress Monroe, Virginia, to be amended and changed so as to require all bearing piles and floor beams of said wharf to be of iron or steel instead of wood, and to enlarge the dimensions of the said wharf as designated, and make such other modifications in the plans and speci fications as may be required to meet the necessities of commerce, for which purpos the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to be immediately available, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Approved August 10, 1888. On September 6, 1888, I submitted a project to the Chief of Engi neers for changes in the construction of the wharf, and for the enlarge ment of the same in accordance with the above act. It was recom mended: (1) That steel beams be substituted for oak beams; (2) tha the wooden bearing piles be creosoted; (3) that the wharf be enlarge by adding two panels (of 14 feet each) to the width, and three panels t the length; (4) that a wooden fender system be built outside of the iro wharf resting on creosoted wooden piles. The contractors proposed t do this work for prices which were reasonable, and which, for the mos part, were the same as those under the original contract. The projec was approved September 18, 1888, and on September 28, 1888, a sup plemental agreement was entered into with the Groton Bridge an Manufacturing Company for the modified construction and enlargemen of the wharf in accordance with the approved project, the prices of th work to be as follows: For wrought iron or steel, 5 cents per pound for cast iron, 44 cents per pound; for pine lumber, $33 per M feet, boar measure; for oak lumber, $42 per M feet, board measure; for creosote wooden bearing piles for iron piles, in the extension of the wharf, $3 per pile; for creosoted wooden piles for the fender system, $24 pe pile; for creosoting wooden bearing piles comprised within origina design of the wharf, $14 per pile. The creosoting was to be done wit the best coal-tar creosote to the amount of 12 pounds per cubic foo The time for the completion of the work was extended to April 1, 188 Detailed drawings were prepared for the modified wharf during Oct ber and November, 1888, and copies furnished the contractors. In th mean time the construction at the site of the structure had proceede very slowly. On the 1st of October, 1888, about 825,000 pounds cast-iron piles had been delivered at the wharf, but up to the 15th October only twenty-three piles had been put in position. There wa also delay in ordering the steel beams. The tools and appliances provided were not suitable, and the supe intendence on the part of the contractors was unsatisfactory. On O tober 31, 1888, a letter was addressed to the contractors calling the attention to the delay and unsatisfactory progress of the work, and als to the requirements of the contract relating to this subject. On N vember 30, thirty-four piles had been put in. During December, 1888, new pile-driver was received and fitted up, and after it was put in use (abo January 1, 1889) better progress was made with the pile-driving. The creosoted bearing piles were driven from a false work resting on intermediate wooden piles, the latter being drawn as the work proceeded. For convenience of construction the contractors were allowed to carry out the wharf in two sections, the easterly section comprising somewhat more than one-half of the entire structure. On February 1, 1889, the iron piles had been put in on the easterly section out to a line 168 feet from the shore. The winter proved to be generally favorable for operations of this kind, and with the exception of occasional delays of a few days from storms, the work proceeded continuously, although the rate of progress was still slow. On the 1st of April the piles on the easterly section had reached a line 280 feet from the shore. The work of filling the iron piles with concrete, bolting on the steel beams, struts, and rods, and the laying of the flooring, was carried on at the same time, each class of work being kept several panel lengths behind the preceding class. On May 1, 1889, the piles on the easterly section of the wharf had all been put in, and work was commenced on the westerly section. On June 30, 1889, all the iron piles had been put in place, and nearly all of the creosoted wooden piles for the fender system driven. Steel beams, struts, and diagonal rods had all been put in place on the easterly section of the wharf, and the flooring of the same section nearly laid. Some beams had been fitted in place on the westerly section of the wharf. The old wharf has now been entirely removed. The roadway between the wharf and Mill Creek Bridge was badly injured near the bridge by the severe storm and high tide of April 6, 1889. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad has permission to enter the reservation, and it is understood that it is to cross this roadway at a low grade and provide a new roadway crossing the tracks over grade. For this reason it seems advisable to delay repairs to the existing road'way. The great storm of April 6, 1889, caused a considerable accretion to the shore at the site of the wharf, and may render it necessary at some future time to construct works to prevent the further encroachment of the shore line. The advance during this great storm referred to, was unprecedented. ly 1, 1888, amount available.... Money statement. Amount appropriated by act of August 10, 1888. July 1, 1889, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of liabilities outstanding July 1, 1888..... Jaly 1, 1889, outstanding liabilities aly 1, 1889, amount covered by existing contracts. July 1, 1889, balance available.... $9,670.31 75,000.00 84, 670. 31 $73, 626.69 8, 147.26 54, 277.36 30, 619.00 2 B. IRON PILE-BRIDGE OVER MILL CREEK AT FORT MONROE, VIRGINIA. The act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Govrament for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, contained the followng item of appropriation for the construction of an iron bridge over Mill Creek at Fort Monroe, Va.: For the construction of an iron bridge over Mill Creek between the military reseralios of Fortress Monroe and Elizabeth City County, Virginia, twenty thousand arg to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of War. ENG 89-30 The work was assigned to my charge by letter of the Chief of Engi neers, dated April 3, 1889. A project for the construction of a new bridge was submitted on April 9, 1889, and approved on April 12, 1889. The proposed plan of construction is as follows: The new iron bridge is to be built on the site of the existing wooden pile-bridge, which will be kept open for travel until the new structure is completed. The bridge will be built of cast-iron piles arranged in bents of three piles each. The piles of each bent will be 10 feet apart from center to center, and the bents 20 feet apart in the direction of the length of the bridge. The bottom of the creek is chiefly soft mud, so that disk piles could not be safely used. The iron piles will, therefore, be supported on wooden piles cut off about 2 feet above the bed of the stream. The iron pile will be cast so as to encase the wooden pile for a length of G feet (or for a distance of 4 feet below the bottom), and at the same time will have an ample bearing on the top of the wooden pile to support the weight coming from the bridge. The iron piles will be cast in one, two, and three sections, depending upon the depth of water. In the deeper water the bent of piles will be braced by a systém of sway bracing. At the tops of the piles the bents will be united in pairs by lateral bracing, so as to form a series of trestle towers. The floor beams will be of oak, and the floor joist and plank ing of pine. The width of the bridge will be 24 feet, and it will be provided with substantial hand-railings and wheel-guards. Plans and specifications for the bridge have been prepared, and under date of June 25, 1889, an advertisement for proposals has been issued, the proposals to be opened July 25, 1889. Money statement. Amount appropriated by act of March 2, 1889 $20,000.00 20,000.00 APPENDIX No. 3. POST OF WILLETS POINT, NEW YORK-ENGINEER SCHOOL OF APPLICATION-BATTALION OF ENGINEERS-ENGINEER DEPOT. ANNUAL REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WILLIAM R. KING, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN COMMAND, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889. UNITED STATES ENGINEER SCHOOL, Post of Willets Point, New York Harbor, July 28, 1889. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following annual report on the Post of Willets Point, N. Y., the United States Engineer School, the Battalion of Engineers, and the Engineer Depot. POST OF WILLETS POINT. At the close of the fiscal year the garrison consisted of 26 commissioned officers and 393 enlisted men (for roster and changes during the year see report of the battalion commander herewith), including the following general staff, artillery, and infantry officers: Capt. E. C. Carter, assistant surgeon, U. S. Army. First Lieut. J. L. Wilson, Fourth Artillery. First Lieut. David Price, First Artillery. First Lieut. Charles B. Hardin, Eighteenth Infantry. First Lieut. Theo. De Witt, assistant surgeon, U. S. Army. Maj. J. C. G. Happersett, surgeon, U. S. Army, was relieved from duty at this post on April 22, 1889. First Lieut. J. D. Glennan, assistant surgeon, U. S. Army, was as signed to duty at this post November 2, 1888, and relieved June 1, 1889. Acting Asst. Surg. Theo. De Witt was assigned to duty at this post June 1, 1889. He was appointed assistant surgeon with rank of first lieutenant to date June 7, 1889, as per circular from Adjutant-General's Office June 10, 1889. He is at present, and since June 5, 1889, on duty with detachment of engineer troops at Johnstown, Pa. Three artillery officers and seven infantry officers were assigned to duty at this post in Special Orders No. 276 and 280, headquarters of |