To which may be added the appropriation made on the 3d of March, 1871....

Leaving available for current fiscal year..

$10,000 00 9, 903 56 96 44

10, 000 00

10,096 44

which will be applied to continuing the work under a new contract, which has been entered into with Mr. S. A. Hooper, on terms differing but little from those of his previous contract.

As the Minnesota River, above the south bend, must be, for some years to come, the main channel of communication for developing the region through which it flows, I would ask for a further appropriation for completing its improvement of fifteen thousand dollars.

The work upon the Illinois River improvement is fully set forth in the accompanying report (marked E) from Mr. R. E. McMath, civil engineer, assistant in local charge of the operations, by which it will be seen that the contract with F. D. Van Wagenen for work in the upper part of the river was nearly completed at a cost of some $80,843 59, of which there was paid by me $34,755 48, the larger part having been paid by my predecessor, (see my exhibit of expenditures under head of "Repair, preservation, &c.," herewith.)

Under the contract with J. T. Hayden, for work upon the lower portion of the river, there has been paid for engineering and office expenses...

And for work done by contractor..

Leaving available to be applied to continuing this work the sum of..

$11, 763 75

14,506 35

26, 270 10

63, 729 90

which will be required for the contract now in course of execution.

The assistant in charge presents an estimate for the completion of the work in accordance with the present plans, amounting to the sum of $292,000, of which $150,000 could be expended profitably during the coming fiscal year. In this I agree with him, and would respectfully ask for an appropriation for the fiscal year ending 30th June, 1873, the sum of $150,000 for continuing the improvement of the Illinois River.

DES MOINES RAPIDS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

This work has been pushed forward with commendable zeal, as set forth in the accompanying report (marked F) of Captain A. H. Burnham, Corps of Engineers, the assistant in local charge of the operations. To this report of the resident engineer I am compelled to refer for all details concerning the last year's operations.

It will be seen by it that his estimate for the completion of this great work is $1,000,000, and I agree with him in the opinion that if the amount can be granted in one appropriation, at an early day, it will conduce greatly to economy in the execution of the work remaining to be done.

I have received for this work during the year from the various appropriations heretofore made for it the gross sum of...

And expended during the fiscal year....

Leaving on the 1st of July due from the United States... At the same time there was in the Treasury available for this work, in all......

Showing a remainder still applicable on the 1st of July, 1871....

$494,979 70

605, 923 76

110,944 06

400, 000 00

289,055 94

which will be absorbed in the present season in payment of sectionwork, lock-work, and contingencies, in fulfillment of existing contracts. I would ask for an appropriation for the completion of this improvement, in accordance with Captain Burnham's estimate, the sum of $1,000,000.

ROCK ISLAND RAPIDS.

The report (marked G) of Major E. F. Hoffman, civil engineer, assistant in local charge, gives a history of the work for the past year, by which it will be seen that, from circumstances beyond our control, much less work than usual has been accomplished during the year. Whilst we have lost by death the contractor to whom the work was awarded in the past season, there is reason to believe that from the zeal and activity displayed by the present contractor in the last contract in which he was engaged with us, there will be no time lost in the completion of this work; also, that the Government has made more favorable terms in the new contract than in that which was canceled.

Cash received for this work during the year from the

appropriation of 25th July, 1868..

From the appropriation of 11th July, 1870

Expended during the fiscal year...........

Leaving on hand 1st July, 1871...........

$3,597 28

27,000 00

To which should be added the amount available in the
Treasury of about.....

Making a total available of ...........

18,010 44

253,000 00

271,010 44

which will be applied to continuing the work during the current fiscal year according to the project submitted to you on the 7th April, 1871, for perfecting this improvement, and meeting all probable contingencies in closing up this work, such as clearing out all patches of rock between the places already improved, &c. I would ask for an appropriation of one hundred thousand dollars for the fiscal year ending 30th June, 1873, ($100,000,) for improvement of Rock Island Rapids.

UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER IMPROVEMENT.

This work was in the local charge of United States civil engineer, H. C. Long, up to the time of his death. He had just gone to La Crosse, with a view of making preparations for the season's work, when he died, on the night of the 10th of April, 1871. He had continued in the field during the season of 1870, until about 11th of November, when it became necessary to lay up for the winter the boats employed upon this service.

During the season of 1870, good service was rendered by the steamers. The Caffrey, being the smaller of our two boats, was employed on that part of the river between St. Paul and Lake Pepin, and the Montana was employed below the lake. In the present season the boats were assigned to the same districts, and worked with good effect until the river fell to such an unusually low stage as to prevent the Caffrey from working above Prescott.

Since this work of scraping the bars of the Upper Mississippi River was begun, some four years since, by my predecessor, we have not had such low water in the Mississippi as during the present season; still the work has been carried on with useful results in such parts of the river as our boats could reach. The necessity of having boats built of light draught expressly for this duty is made more manifest than ever by the low water which has this season impeded our work at the time when our assistance was most needed. I therefore trust that there may be an appropriation made to enable me to build at least one boat of light draught, for working as far up the river as St. Paul at the lowest known stage of water.

During the fiscal year ending 30th June, 1871, I received for this work...

And at the commencement of the fiscal year I had on hand applicable to it from the appropriation for "Repairs, preservation," &c., approved July 25, 1868..

Expended during the year

$31,000 00

3, 449 19

34, 449 19 36,385 05

Leaving due from United States on 1st July, 1871 ....
To meet which there was in the Treasury, at that date, avail-
able for this work....

1,935 86

47,000 00 Leaving for expenses of the current fiscal year the sum of. 45,064 14 the greater part of which will be required for the current expenses of these operations in the fiscal year ending on 30th June, 1872.

For the fiscal year ending on the 30th June, 1873, I would submit the following estimate:

For a steamer to work at scraping bars in shoal water..... $30,000 00 For equipping two steamers for the season, say 7 months, at $6,000 a month

42, 000 00

Total for improvement of Upper Mississippi River.. 72,000 00

REPAIR, PRESERVATION, EXTENSION, AND COMPLETION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC WORKS.

Of the above-named appropriation, approved on the 25th

July, 1868, I had on the 1st July, 1870, the sum of...... $4,863 24 And received during the fiscal year ending June 30th, 1871 179, 295 31

Making to be accounted for

184, 158 55 Of which I have expended during the fiscal year for the extension, &c., of works to which this fund was allotted, the sum of $165, 781 65, as follows: Improvement of Upper Mississippi River Improvement of Des Moines Rapids...

....

$3.449 19 123,979 70

to be applied to closing up old work carried on under this appropriation on above-named improvements.

Of the appropriation approved 11th July, 1870, for "Examination and surveys, for improvements on the north and northwestern rivers," &c., I received during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1871, $12,000 00 Of which I expended during the fiscal year the

་་

following sums:

For survey of ship canal from Henepin, Illinois,

to Mississippi River, the report upon which I

transmitted to you on 15th May, 1871................. $7,389 93

Examination Upper Mississippi River, improve

ment between Falls of St. Anthony and mouth

which, having been reappropriated by the act of 3d March, 1871, for the fiscal year ending 30th June, 1872, will be applied to such surveys as may become necessary in the field in my charge, one being now in progress above the Falls of St. Anthony.

For necessary surveys, in connection with the works of improvement under my care, I would respectfully ask for an appropriation for the fiscal year ending 30th June, 1873, for the sum of $7,500.

I submit herewith a tabular statement of funds showing amounts received, expended, and available, also amounts required for fiscal year ending 30th June, 1873.

All of which is respectfully submitted, by your most obedient servant,
J. N. MACOMB,
Colonel Engineers, United States Army,
General Superintendent U. S. Improvements.

Brigadier General A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A., Washington, D. C.