pended for this purpose. The navigation of the river has been very materially improved by this method and the danger to boats lessened. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, the sum of $96,497.23 was expended upon this improvement. Two snag boats were employed in removing obstructions to navigation between the mouth of the Missouri River and New Orleans, La. The boats worked a total of fifteen months, removing 2,946 snags, cutting down 8,214 trees, removing 16 drift piles, and traveling a total of 17,982 miles. The work accomplished by the snag boats has been of great benefit to navigation and commerce. Formerly the wrecking of steamboats from running against snags was of frequent occurrence, but since the snag boats have been regularly at work such wrecks are seldom heard of. The boats were thoroughly overhauled during the past spring, and necessary repairs were made to them together with some small renewals of machinery. An annual appropriation for carrying on this work was made by act of August 11, 1888. The amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $96,497.23. (See Appendix Y 1.) 2. Mississippi River between Ohio and Missouri rivers.-The original condition of the navigable channel of this portion of the Mississippi River, before the work of improvement was begun, was such that the natural depth at low water was in many places from 33 to 4 feet. The channels were divided by islands which formed sloughs and secondary channels, thus wasting water available for navigation. The project adopted for improvement consisted in closing sloughs and secondary channels, and also in construction of works of contraction in order to concentrate the flow into a single channel about 2,500 feet wide, the object being to thereby obtain a depth of 8 feet in the channel between St. Louis and Cairo, and 6 feet between St. Louis and the mouth of the Missouri, at standard low water which corresponds to a reading of 4 feet on the St. Louis gauge. Also in revetment of banks when necessary. The amount expended up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $4,080,803.15, and the result of the work was that but little difficulty to navigation was experienced throughout the improved portion, and then only at extreme low water. For stages of water above 4 feet on the St. Louis gauge there was generally a depth of at least 6 feet in the channel. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $283,767.17, and was applied to repairing plant and carrying on works at the following-named localities: Twin Hollows.-One hurdle 362 feet long was built and another partly built. Pulltight.-The work consisted in repairing Hurdle No. 4, in extending it 630 feet, and in driving 400 linear feet of drift clumps above the old part of this hurdle to protect it; also in repairing Hurdle No. 5, and restoring it to its original length. Hurdle No. 1 was extended. Hurdle No. 2 was repaired and extended 1,200 feet, and 1,500 linear feet of new work (Hurdle 6) built. Chesley Island.-The bank protection was repaired. Rush Tower Reach.-Operations consisted in the construction of 6,800 linear feet of protection of the Illinois shore above Durfees Land ing. About 1,225 feet of bank along Lowrys Field was partially revetted. Three hundred linear feet of hurdle at Michaels was repaired. Construction of hurdles was begun at Fish Bend and 1,815 linear feet nearly completed. Fort Chartres Reach.-The work of the year consisted in protection of the bank, below medium stage of water, from Sycamore Landing downstream for a distance of 5,500 feet, and the building of Hurdles 2 and 3, having a total length of 3,525 feet, on the west side of Bruce Island. These hurdles were considerably damaged upon the breaking up of the ice in the latter part of February, and subsequently by heavy fields of driftwood. As soon as possible, in March following the breakup, the work of repairing these hurdles was undertaken, and was continued until about the middle of May when, on account of the high stage of water, work on the hurdles was temporarily suspended. The total amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $283,767.17. The original estimated cost of the work, as revised in 1883, is $16,397,500, of which $5,388,333.33 from appropriations to date has been available for the work. In general the works constructed have benefited the navigation. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 Amount appropriated by sundry civil act approved March 3, 1893.. $124, 196.85 525,000.00 658,333.33 June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year.... 1,307, 530. 18 283, 767. 17 July 1, 1893, balance unexpended July 1, 1893, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1893, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.... 149, 295.24 179, 860. 64 July 1, 1893, balance available 843, 902. 37 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.....11, 009, 166. 67 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895... Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix Y 2.) 758,333.33 3. Harbor at St. Louis, Mo.-St. Louis Harbor is about 18 miles long and divided into two nearly equal parts by the Eads Bridge. The upper part, included between the bridge and the northern limits of the city, is about 10 miles in length. Three miles above the Eads Bridge is the Merchants' Bridge. The lower part of the harbor, included between Eads Bridge and River Des Peres, is 8 miles long. The channel in this part of the harbor has sufficient depth and accessible landings at all points. Good depth exists above the Merchants' Bridge. Congress, by act approved September 19, 1890, appropriated $182,000 for this harbor. The navigable reach between the Eads Bridge and Merchants' Bridge was at that time obstructed by a number of middle bars. The project adopted for improvement of the harbor under the appropriation of 1890 consisted in a contraction of the waterway, between those bridges, to a width of about 2,000 feet in order to concentrate the flow upon the bars and thus cause scour to the depth desired. The contraction works consisted of a series of hurdles extending out from the Illinois shore, the object of the hurdles being to collect deposits of material brought down during floods and thus build up a new bank to the line desired. This work, which was accomplished by the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, caused extensive deposits of sediment along the line of hurdles and has resulted in considerable increase in channel depth with corresponding benefit to navigation. Amount expended upon the work to July 1, 1892, $150,530.21. The full amount of the estimate for improvement of this part of the harbor has been appropriated. With the balance remaining it is proposed to repair damage that may occur to the hurdles from ice and drift and to extend them wherever found necessary to do so. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.................. July 1, 1893, balance unexpended July 1, 1893, balance available (See Appendix Y 3.) $31, 469.79 31, 469. 79 230.04 31, 239. 75 4. Gasconade River, Missouri.-The navigation of this stream, before its improvement was undertaken by the Government, was seriously obstructed by snags, logs, and leaning timber, and at times almost suspended on account of numerous shoal crossings. Snags are liable to be found after every flood, which also carries more or less drift. The latter is apt to be deposited at the shoals or at other points, causing trouble to rafts and steamers. Improvement by the Government began in 1880. The project adopted contemplated the removal of snags and logs from the channels, and of leaning timber from the banks of the river when necessary, and construction of wing dams and training walls to concentrate the flow of water upon the shoal crossing. The amount expended to July 1, 1892, was $44,689.51, which resulted in placing the river from its mouth to Arlington, a distance of 138 miles, in good navigable condition; but the high water of that year carried many snags into the river that afterward had to be removed. The work during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, resulted in further facilitating the navigation. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 10,000.00 Submited in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix Y 4.) 5. Osage River, Missouri.--The project for improvement of this stream, adopted in 1871, has consisted in removal of obstructions to navigation, as snags and leaning timber, and in deepening channels over shoals by means of dredging and construction of cross and wing dams, to concentrate the flow of water over shoal places. The first efforts were ex pended in an attempt to deepen the water over the shoals by dredging. After this the method consisted in construction of wing dams and training walls, to regulate the width of waterway for the low-water discharge of the river. Snags and other obstructions found in the channel were also removed, and leaning timber was cut from the banks. The construction of a lock and dam near the mouth of the river was authorized by the river and harbor act of September 19, 1890. The amount expended to June 30, 1892, was $211,701.72. It resulted in benefiting the navigation from its mouth to Osceola, Mo., a distance of about 230 miles. The tower 60 miles of the river was the most bene- ́ fited. The work during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, put the river in good navigable condition from its mouth to Grand River. New obstructions may be expected from time to time with each rise and fall in the river, and will require removal. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year.... July 1, 1893, balance unexpended July 1, 1893, balance available Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix Y 5.) $48,298.28 50,000.00 98,298.28 3, 871.78 94, 426.50 327.67 94, 098.83 110,000.00 *65, 000.00 6. Kaskaskia River, Illinois-The original condition of this river was such that navigation at low water was almost if not entirely suspended by reason of snags, shoals, and bars, and depended to a great extent on the state of water in the Mississippi River as to its duration. The least depth found, when the St. Louis gange read 6.5 feet, was 9 inches, over what is called the "Nine Mile Shoal," 6 miles above its mouth, which virtually "blocked" the river at low water. At high water navigation was possible as far up as New Athens. The first appropriation for improving the river was in 1890, and the project adopted for its improvement consisted in excavating a channel through the shoals of such depth as would insure a low-water navigation of 36 inches, and in the removal of snags, and obstructions from the channel, at an estimated cost of $10,500. Congress, by act of September 19, 1890, appropriated $6,000 for improvement. The river was not at a suitable stage to admit of performing work under that appropriation until the fall of 1891. The amount expended upon the work to June 30, 1892, was $5,760.48, resulting in a channel. 75 feet wide and 36 inches deep through Nine Mile Shoal and a channel 60 feet wide and 34 inches deep through Evansville Shoal and the removal of a number of snags, to the benefit of navigation. A further appropriation of $4,500 was made by the act of July 13, 1892. The work of the year consisted in removal of snags and other obstructions, thus further improving the navigation. The result of all the work done is that steamboats are enabled to navigate the stream at lower stages and for low-water seasons of greater length than formerly was the case. * $10,000 in removing obstructions; $55,000 in constructing lock. . IMPROVEMENT OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER BETWEEN MOUTH OF MISSOURI RIVER AND MINNEAPOLIS. This district was in the charge of Maj. A. Mackenzie, Corps of Engineers, with Lient. William V. Judson, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders since February 13, 1893; Division Engineer, Col. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers. 1. Operating snag boats and dredge boats on Upper Mississippi River.— At the beginning of the fiscal year there was available under act of August 11, 1888, the sum of $25,000. From July 14 to November 6, 1892, April 10 to May 2, and May 21 to June 30, 1893, the snag boat General Barnard was employed removing snags and other obstructions and assisting interests of navigation between Minneapolis and the mouth of the Missouri River. The snag boat J. G. Parke, dredge Phoenix, and a number of barges and dump boats were employed as a dredging and wrecking plant, August 10 to September 10 and October 26 to November 5, 1892. The total amount expended for snag-boat service on the Upper Mississippi River, between Minneapolis and the mouth of the Missouri River, to June 30, 1892, is $624,640. By the river and harbor act of August 11, 1888, provision was made for operating snag boats and dredge boats on the Upper Mississippi River under a permanent appropriation, the sum so expended not to exceed $25,000 annually. The total amount of freight transported on the Upper Mississippi River during the calendar year 1892 was, approximately, 4,500,000 tons. The amount expended during fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $25,000. (See Appendix Z 1.) 2. Mississippi River between Missouri River and Minneapolis.-Under the head of "improving Mississippi River from the mouth of the Ohio River to Minneapolis," the river and harbor act of July 13, 1892, allots $600,000 for work between the Missouri River and Minneapolis, and the sundry civil act of March 3, 1893, contains a further allotment of $866,666.67, available July 1, 1893, for the same purpose. Reports on general improvements between those limits are combined under the above head. Under this appropriation is carried on the improvement of through navigation. Work has been in progress under approved projects since 1878, and very favorable results have been secured, showing that with a continuance of the work under liberal appropriations the low-water channel of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and the Missouri River can be made comparatively deep, available, and permanent. The interests |