high-water mark to Castle William, covering the entire southwest side of the island. By the act approved August 7, 1882, $39,000 were appropriated "for completing a sea wall already commenced on the southwest side of Governor's Island, New York Harbor, and constructing a sea wall on its southeastern portion."

Under this appropriation and one of $15,000 made in the sundry civil bill, approved March 3, 1883, the wall was extended 206 feet along the south side of the island and 1,502 feet along the east side to the coal wharves. From this point the island is inclosed by wharf-fronts and by the "ordnance wall," extending around the northeast side and along the northwest side to within about 1,075 feet from the engineer wharf and the Castle Williams wall.

In 1884, an allotment of $500 was made for completing the filling and grading behind the east wall, left unfinished on account of exhaustion of funds.

Under the appropriation of September 22, 1888, $50,000 was made available for this work, and after duly advertising proposals were opened March 11, 1889, and a contract dated April 4, 1889, was entered into with Francis H. Smith, of New York City, to construct a masonry wall on the north shore of the island from the existing ordnance wall to the Castle Williams wall, a distance of about 1,075 feet, at a rate of $14.70 per cubic yard of concrete foundation, $15 per cubic yard of wall, and 25 cents per pound for dowels, if required.

The wall is to consist of a concrete foundation to a height of four-tenths of a foot above mean low water, the depth of the foundation, being determined by the character of the bottom, varies from 1 to 8 feet. Above the foundation is a wall of cut stone, backed with concrete, 10 feet high. Preliminary work, consisting of the erection of derricks, tool-house, sleeping quarters for men, etc., was commenced by the contractor April 2, 1887.

Substantial sheet-piling of 3-inch spruce plank, supported by round piles and stringers, was driven for a distance of 137 feet on the rear line of the wall, and 141 feet in front of the wall, just east of the engineer wharf. A clam-shell dredge, and a 10-inch wrecking pump, were employed in excavating between this sheet piling.

A number of large bowlders were removed from the line of the wall by blasting.

The work of construction of the sea-wall was begun the 1st of May at the end nearest Castle Williams and is still in progress.

To June 30, 338 cubic yards of concrete foundation were put in, and 277 cubic yards of cut-stone wall were laid. The foundation was completed a distance of261 feet from the Castle Williams wall, and the cutstone wall for a distance of 180 feet, some of the lower courses being laid for a further distance of 50 feet.

A Reihle cement-testing machine was purchased, and numerous tests have been made of the cement used in construction of the sea-wall and also of cement for work on the mining casemate at Fort Wadsworth. Three hundred and fifty-eight briquettes were broken in testing nine different brands of cement.

Bids for placing filling back of the sea-wall were opened May 16, 1889, and the contract awarded to Michael Donnelly, of Brooklyn, N. Y. No work has as yet been done under this contract, but the contractor is about to commence work.

In order to complete the project adopted in 1865 for inclosing the entire island, there is yet to be built, in addition to the work provided for under existing contracts, about 1,500 feet of sea wall south and east

from Castle Williams wall, near low-water line, to connect with the wall built in 1866. This part of the island is now partially protected by a dry-stone wall near high-water line which, however, does not keep refuse from lodging on the beach, nor prevent the caving of the bank behind it; it should be replaced by a masonry wall, as designed.

The cost of this sea-wall is estimated at $50,000, which sum could be profitably expended in its construction during the next fiscal year.

Abstract of proposals for construction of sea-wall on Governor's Island, New York Harbor, opened March 11, 1889, by Lieut. Col. D. C. Houston, Corps of Engineers.

*Entered into contract April 4, 1889; in progress.

NOTE.-Amount available for contract work, $40,000.

Abstract of proposals for embankment at Governor's Island sea wall, New York Harbor, opened May 16, 1889, by Lieut. Col. D. C. Houston, Corps of Engineers.

APPENDIX No. 2.

WHARF AT FORT MONROE, VIRGINIA-BRIDGE OVER MILL CREEK AT . FORT MONROE, VIRGINIA.

REPORT OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL PETER C. HAINS, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889.

IMPROVEMENTS.

a. Wharf at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

b. Bridge over Mill Creek at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Washington D. C., July 9, 1889.

GENERAL: I have the honor to transmit herewith my annual report pertaining to works under my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A.

PETER C. HAINS, Lieut. Col. of Engineers.

2 A.

WHARF AT FORT MONROE, VIRGINIA.

At the close of the last fiscal year, June 30, 1888, work was in progress under the contract of the Groton Bridge and Manufacturing Company, for the construction of an iron wharf at Fort Monroe, Va., the operations of the contractors prior to that date having been confined to the casting of iron piles, and to other similar work at their shops in Groton, N. Y.

The Light House Wharf was repaired and enlarged by the Quartermaster Department, and after these repairs were completed in July, 1888, that wharf was made use of as a landing for steamers in place of the Baltimore Wharf, which was included within the site of the new wharf. The contractors commenced the actual work of putting down the iron piles of the new wharf on August 2, 1888. In the shoal water

near the shore the plans provided for disk piles, the depth of sand being 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 specifications as may be required to meet the necessities of commerce, for which purpose 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 enlargement of the same in accordance with the above act. It was recommended: (1) That steel beams be substituted for oak beams; (2) that the wooden bearing piles be creosoted; (3) that the wharf be enlarged by adding two panels (of 14 feet each) to the width, and three panels to the length; (4) that a wooden fender system be built outside of the iron wharf resting on creosoted wooden piles. The contractors proposed to do this work for prices which were reasonable, and which, for the most part, were the same as those under the original contract. The project was approved September 18, 1888, and on September 28, 1888, a supplemental agreement was entered into with the Groton Bridge and Manufacturing Company for the modified construction and enlargement of the wharf in accordance with the approved project, the prices of the work to be as follows: For wrought iron or steel, 5 cents per pound; for cast iron, 43 cents per pound; for pine lumber, $33 per M feet, board measure; for oak lumber, $42 per M feet, board measure; for creosoted wooden bearing piles for iron piles, in the extension of the wharf, $30 per pile; for creosoted wooden piles for the fender system, $24 per pile; for creosoting wooden bearing piles comprised within original design of the wharf, $14 per pile. The creosoting was to be done with the best coal-tar creosote to the amount of 12 pounds per cubic foot. The time for the completion of the work was extended to April 1, 1889. Detailed drawings were prepared for the modified wharf during Octo ber and November, 1888, and copies furnished the contractors. In the mean time the construction at the site of the structure had proceeded very slowly. On the 1st of October, 1888, about 825,000 pounds of cast-iron piles had been delivered at the wharf, but up to the 15th of October only twenty-three piles had been put in position. There was also delay in ordering the steel beams.

The tools and appliances provided were not suitable, and the superintendence on the part of the contractors was unsatisfactory. On October 31, 1888, a letter was addressed to the contractors calling their attention to the delay and unsatisfactory progress of the work, and also to the requirements of the contract relating to this subject. On November 30, thirty-four piles had been put in. During December, 1888, a new pile-driver was received and fitted up, and after it was put in use (about