In the last annual report it was mentioned that the jetty tramway had reached the outer limit to which it was proposed to extend the jetty, 4 miles from the shore end at station 25+80, and that the jetty was being constructed by throwing in rock throughout this whole distance. This process has been continued during the present year. The results thus far obtained are very marked in the manner in which it has caused Clatsop Spit to be raised out of the water, checked the flow over that spit, and concentrated the scouring effect upon the bar. Soundings made during the latter part of June, for the purpose of developing the deepest water over the bar, show a decided improvement since my last annual report. The 30-foot curves on the outside and inside of the bar on the north side of the channel are fully threequarters of a mile nearer to each other than they were at that time, and at two points these curves have come together, giving depths of 30 feet over the bar at low.water. The width of the 27-foot channel is now about three-quarters of a mile, and the 25-foot channel about one mile and a half. The strong southerly winds, and at many times storms, which prevailed during last winter and spring have kept the sands banked up against the mouth of the river more than would otherwise have been the case and made more work for the ebb currents to keep the channel clear. The principal work during the year has been receiving rock from the contractors, transporting this and placing it upon the jetty, and keeping the plant in good serviceable condition. Under the contract dated January 22, 1891, in force at the beginning of the fiscal year, 97,052 tons of rock was received. In addition to this 263 tons was purchased in open market at the contract rate. The last delivery of rock received was made February 10, 1893. On the 15th of February, 1893, the proposals received, after advertisement, for delivery on board barges of 100,000 tons of rock, with the privilege of doubling this quantity, were opened. A contract was entered into for the delivery of this quantity of rock on board barges at Hinkle's Quarry, about 15 miles above Vancouver, on the Columbia River, for 63 cents per ton of 2,000 pounds. The first delivery under this contract was made March 29. From that date to the end of the fiscal year 34,292.5 tons was received, making a total of 131,608 tons received during the year. The total received from all sources since the commencement of the work is 610,498 tons. The top of the jetty for the first two miles will average about the mean high-water line; for the remainder of the distance the average will be about 4 feet above the mean low-water line. The delivery of rock was suspended from the end of January to the end of March. Opportunity was taken of this interval of suspension to renew the stringers and caps in portions of the tramway that had decayed to such an extent as to be dangerous to move trains over, and also to make general repairs that were much needed to the barges, towboats, and rolling stock of the plant. A board of engineer officers was convened for the purpose of considering the results obtained and data collected during the construction of this work and reporting upon the matter of its completion, with an estimate of cost. The board rendered its report under date of May 27, 1893, and recommended that when considered as completed the top at the shore end, station 25+30, should be at reference 12 above datum plane, and should slope thence to reference 10 out to station 122+00 (1.8 miles); thence to reference 4 at the outer end; the rock necessary to raise the jetty to this height to be dumped upon the present pile, letting it take what slope it will in cross section under the action of the waves. To give greater permanence to the sand and to increase the quantity. that may accumulate in the vicinity of the north side of the jetty, which would seem to be the direction from which danger is most likely to come, the board recommends that four low groins be built out from the main jetty. Assuming the condition of the jetty as it was March 1, 1893, the board's estimate for completion, in accordance with its recommendations, was $583,203.50. The recommendation and estimate of the board have been approved. The estimate of the cost of this improvement, submitted with the project of the board of 1882, was $3,710,000. To March 1, 1893, there had been appropriated for the work $1,687,500. The balance then available for its further prosecution was $245,024.11. For the entire completion of the work in accordance with the project now recommended an additional appropriation of $338,180 will be required. It is scarcely necessary to call attention to the fact that under existing circumstances the completion of this work cannot be long delayed without great risk of largely increasing the cost. It is, therefore, advisable that this amount be made available at as early a day as practicable. 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, amount covered by uncompleted contracts July 1, 1893, balance available... $53,796.77 350,000.00 403, 796.77 214.985, 79 188,810.98 41, 724.29 147, 086.69 338, 180.00 (Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30,1895 338, 180.00 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 W W 1.) 2. Columbia River between Vancouver, Wash., and mouth of Willamette River.-The project for this improvement, as set forth in House Ex. Doc. No. 36, Fifty-second Congress, first session, was submitted to comply with provisions of the river and harbor act approved September 19, 1890. It consists in closing the chute behind Hayden Island, opposite Vancouver, by a dam 4 feet in height above low water, and throwing all the water which passed down this chute at this stage into the main channel between the island and Vancouver. Abont 36 per cent of the low-water discharge of the river passed behind this island. The difficulty to navigation that it is expected will be removed by this work is a sand bar located between the mouth of the Willamette River and Vancouver on which at low water there is but 9 feet. Were this removed vessels drawing 20 feet or more could easliy ascend above Vancouver. The increased current due to this addition of water in the main channel is expected to produce deeper water on this bar and eventually remove it. The dam is built of piles, brush, and rock, and when finished will have a width of 6 feet at the top and a base of from 25 to 30 feet in width in the deepest water. The shore ends are protected for a distance of 250 feet along the banks by brush mattresses covered with rock. The length of the dam is 2,900 feet. At the end of March, when the work was nearly completed, it was necessary ENG 9329 to suspend the delivery of materials on account of high water in the river. This stage continued to the end of the year. The results produced by the dam and the effect of high water upon it can not be ascertained until the water subsides. The total amount of the estimate for this work, $33,000, was appropriated by the river and harbor act of 1892. Proposals for furnishing the material in place necessary for this dam were advertised for and a contract entered into September 29, 1892, with Messrs. Borthwick & Davison, the lowest bidders. The contract should have been completed January 6, 1893. The work was commenced October 14, 1892, but by reason of a want of proper energy and management on the part of the contractors it was not completed when the summer rise in the Columbia River began in April and material could not be received. In consequence of this the dam, although nearly completed, can not be finished until the water subsides. It is believed that the balance on hand at the end of the present fiscal year will be sufficient for the completion of the work. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. July 1, 1893, balance unexpended................ July 1, 1893, amount covered by uncompleted contracts... July 1, 1893, balance available.... (See Appendix W W 2.) $33,000.00 24, 905.76 8,094. 24 6,000.00 2,094. 24 3. Canal at the Cascades, Columbia River, Oregon.-The general scope of the improvement which it is desired to effect at the Cascades of the Columbia River includes a reach of about 4 miles, where the river rushes through a narrow gorge in the Cascade Mountains. The fall in the distance is about 45 feet at high water and 36 feet at low water. The principal obstruction to navigation occurs at the upper end of the reach known as Upper Cascades. The project for the improvement contemplates that the river should be improved below the Upper Cascades by removing bowlders and projecting points in the bed and banks so as to give good navigable water from its lowest up to a 20foot stage. The fall at the Upper Cascades is to be overcome by dig. ging a canal of 3,000 feet in length across the neck of a low projecting spur, around which the river is forced at the entrance to the gorge, and placing in this a lock and other suitable structures, which would permit of the passage of boats up to a 20 foot stage of water in the river, this lock and canal to be so arranged that, should the future necessities of commerce so demand, additional structures may be added which will permit of navigation at much higher stages. The first part of this project, that of improving the river below the foot of the Upper Cascades, is practically finished. The difference of level between the head and foot of the canal as now established is 15 feet at high water and 24 feet at low water, and difference in height between high and low water at the foot is 54 feet and at the head 45 feet. At the commencement of the present fiscal year there was a balance of $17,833.60 available for the prosecution of the work. At that time the high water of the Columbia River filled the lock pit and no field work other than stonecutting was in progress. At the end of July all active operations were suspended. The office force was engaged dur ing the year in making detailed drawings of the work still to be done, in order to complete the improvement according to the present project. During the month of March some bowlders that were in the way of boats running to the lower entrance to the lock at low water were removed by blasting. During the year 5,236 cubic feet dimension basalt and 1,659 cubic feet of face basalt stone were cut. To comply with the provisions of the river and harbor act approved July 13, 1892, respecting this work, specifications were prepared and proposals invited for completing it according to the present project. The proposals received after sixty days' advertisement were opened November 15, 1892. The proposal of J. G. & I. N. Day, San Francisco, Cal., being the lowest, a contract was entered into with this firm under date of December 27, 1892; and such portions of the Government plant as they might require for the prosecution of their work were turned over to them on the 10th day of February. By the terms of the contract "the work must be commenced within ten days from the date of notification of the approval of the contract, and must be so conducted that the contractor may earn, in carrying out the work prescribed by the engineer officer in charge, each of the amounts (after deducting the estimated amounts necessary for all contingencies of engineering superintendence, etc.) that may be appropriated for this work within one year from the date of approval of contract, or within one year from the date of the act appropriating each amount;" estimates for payment, to be made monthly, to include the excavated material removed and the material delivered in place during the preceding month. The act approved March 3, 1893, making appropriations for sundry civil purposes contains an item of $1,239,653 applicable to this work. The contractors were duly notified of the order of the work to be done and paid for with these amounts. At the time the contractors took charge of the plant the ground was covered with snow to a depth of six feet or more, making active outdoor work at that time impossible. The whole of the months of February and March were very unfavorable for work and the month of April was also unfavorable. By the end of June the contractors had made preparations for bringing rock to the Government grounds as rapidly as they will probably be able to get stonecutters to cut it. They obtain their stone, which is an excellent quality of basalt bowlders, from a point about 3 miles east of the Government stone yard. This they reach by running two miles on the Union Pacific tracks and one mile on a spur of their own. They began preliminary work in the quarry during the latter part of March, began quarrying April 17, and brought the first stone to the yard on the 30th of May. Stonecutting was commenced June 6 and from that date to the end of the month the average was 31 cutters per day. The quantity of granite and basalt to be cut will furnish employment for 150 cutters for eight months. The granite required in the work is being quarried and cut near Raymond, Fresno County, Cal. At the end of the year the orders for the metal work, the estimated weight of which is over 1,600 tons, that will be required in the construction of the locks had not been placed by the contractors. They have received at the works 2,850 barrels of cement which the tests show to be of excellent quality, and have other cargoes en route, that are expected to arrive by the time that the cement will be required for use this fall. About 46,000 barrels will be required for the work. It is evident that the contractors will have to increase their force largely and push their work much more rapidly than they have been doing up to this time in order to complete it within the time required by the specifications. No material can be put in place by the contractors until after the water has fallen below the lower bulkhead and the lock pit can be pumped out, which will probably not take place this year until the middle or latter part of August. The State Portage Railroad continued in operation across the Government grounds during such portions of the year as the connecting boats, one above the Cascades and one below, were not laid up on account of ice or high water. The boats began to run July 30 and continued until December 17, when they suspended until March 1 on account of ice. They resumed again at that time and continued until one laid up for repairs, May 15. At that time the water below the lock was 31.5 feet above low water. On June 30 this boat, which is provided with only moderate power, commenced her regular trips again on a 36foot stage of water. It is now fully demonstrated that boats of reasonable power will have no difficulty in ascending the rapids to the locks at all ordinary high-water stages. During the year there were 5,553 passengers and 7,800 tons of freight transported by these two boats. This comprehends all the river tonnage of the Middle Columbia between The Dalles and Cascade locks. The amount expended upon this work to June 30, 1893, is $1,875,581.80. The balance unexpended on that date is $1,564,338.33, which, so far as can now be ascertained, is believed to be sufficient to complete the work according to the present project. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended............ Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. Amount appropriated by sundry civil act approved March 3, 1893.. June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1893, balance unexpended...... July 1, 1893, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.. July 1, 1893, balance available.... (See Appendix W W 3.) $17,833. 60 326, 250.00 1, 239, 653.00 1,583, 736.60 19, 398.27 1,564, 338. 33 1, 521, 265.00 43, 073.33 4. Columbia and Lower Willamette rivers below Portland, Oregon.The object of this improvement now is to make and maintain a navigable channel from the city of Portland, Oregon, to the sea, having a low-water depth of 25 feet. There is included in this reach 12 miles of the Willamette River and 98 miles of the Columbia, measured along the deep-water channel. Before the commencement of the improvement made under previous projects, the low-water depth of channel at the shoalest places was between 10 and 15 feet. At the end of the last lowwater season there was a depth of 20 feet throughout the entire distance, except at two points in the lower reach of the Columbia. The depth here was 19 feet, with an average rise of tide of 7 feet in the locality. The original project under which this improvement has been carried on, with modifications and extensions, was adopted in 1877. Some dredging work had been done previous to that time. It contemplated that a navigable low-water channel having a depth of 20 feet should be maintained by means of permanent construction to protect the banks, contract the rivers in wide places, direct the currents, and control the amount of water that should pass through sloughs having a detrimental influence upon the main channel. While these constructions were be |