in the construction of a channel 8 feet deep at mean low-water, with a width of 110 feet through a bar of clay, sand, gravel, and small bowlders, which had been an annoying and somewhat dangerous obstruction to the navigation. The appropriation of $3,000 in the act of March 3, 1881, was intended for the improvement of the upper part, or rather what had been the upper part of Salem River, but which some years previously had been separated from the lower part of the stream by a dam, and provided with a separate outlet by means of a canal. The improvement of the entrance would involve the construction of permanent works, the cost of which would have exceeded the interests concerned, and for this reason no project was submitted. The appropriation of $3,000 was therefore used towards the excavation of a channel through the shoals at Biddle's Landing. During the interval of three years since the original examination was made, these shoals had increased from the flow of the currents, and largely from the presence of the wrecks of two canal barges, which had caused additional deposits. A channel 60 feet in width and from 6 to 7 feet in depth at low-water was dredged from the head of the canal to a point about 200 feet above the landing, leaving about 700 linear feet of distance yet to be traversed to reach deep water below Hoxie's Landing. The cost of completing this channel and of removing the other shoals existing at other points will be from $4,000 to $6,000, depending upon the contract price that may be obtained for doing the work. Reference is invited to the report of the survey of Salem River which accompanies this Annual Report. Salem River is in the collection-district of Bridgeton, N. J., which is the nearest port of entry, the revenue collected there during the past fiscal year amounting to $3,317.49. The nearest fort and light-house are, respectively, Fort Delaware and Finn's Point range lights. Total appropriations to June 30, 1882. $13,000 00 12,862 07 Money statement. July 1, 1881, amount available. July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881..... $3,027 14 2,889 21 July 1, 1882, amonnt available Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883 ................ 137 93 1,500 00 1,637 93 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 4,000 00 Abstract of proposals received July 20, 1881, for dredging in Salem River, New Jersey. Abstract of contract entered into during fiscal year ending June 30, 1881, for improving Salem River, New Jersey. IMPROVEMENT OF CHESTER CREEK, PENNSYLVANIA. As reported last year, contract was made in July, 1881, under the ap propriation of $3,000 in the act of March 3, 1881, for the construction of a channel 73 feet deep at low-water, with a width of 40 to 50 feet from the Third Street Bridge to deep water in the Delaware. The contractor was to have begun operations in November. but asked an extension of time for commencement until May, 1882, which was granted, with the understanding that the work should be completed before June 30, 1882. The contractor failing to comply with the terms of his agreement, further extension was refused, and operations were deferred until Congress should have taken action upon the additional appropriation now under consideration. This work is in the collection district of Philadelphia, which is the nearest port of entry, at which the revenue collected during the past fiscal year amounted to $11,969,231. Fort Mifflin and Schooner Ledge range lights are, respectively, the nearest fort and light-house. Total appropriation to June 30, 1882 Total expenditures to June 30, 1882 . $3,000 36 Money statement. July 1, 1881, amount available.. July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.... July 1, 1882, amount available.... Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882.. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1883. $2,963 08 36 00 2,927 08 3,000 00 5,927 08 F 16. IMPROVEMENT OF RANCOCAS RIVER, NEW JERSEY. The original examination of this stream was made in 1880, and a report submitted under date of January 4, 1881, which was incorporated in the last annual report. The general project for the improvement was in effect an estimate of the cost of obtaining a 6-foot low-water navigation, with a width of 150 to 200 feet, from the mouth to Centreton, a distance of 74 miles, where the main business of the stream terminated. To comply with the requirements of the act of June 14, 1880, directing the survey, a continuance of the navigation to Mount Holly, 53 miles further, with a depth of 5 feet, was also estimated for. The examination showed that near Hamill's Island, in the lower section, a dike would be required to restrict the flow of the stream to the main channel and prevent injurious interference with the action of the currents by the outflow from Mill Creek. With the $10,000 appropriated in the act of March 3, 1881, preparations were made for beginning work in this locality where the worst obstructions existed, known as Coates's Bar. The dredging contract was so drawn as without additional expense to the United States to secure the construction of the dike from the north bank to the upper end of Hamill's Island, parallel to the channel. This dike was first constructed with a total length of 723 feet, and immediately thereafter dredging operations were begun and continued until the appropriation was exhausted. The result, as shown by subsequent examinations, may be summed up as follows: The aggregate amount of material, mostly fine sand, removed was 17,000 cubic yards. A continuous channel, with a width of 85 feet and depth of 63 feet at mean low-water, was made through Coates's Bar. The upper part of the shoal, as is frequently the case early in the im provement of a stream, had somewhat filled from the increased action of the augmented current upon the disturbed bed, but there was at no place less than 5 feet of water at low-water. The dike was fully doing its work in regulating and protecting the main channel, the outflow from Mill Creek discharging back of the island and joining the river without conflict. During the ensuing year, should appropriation be made, it is proposed to complete the improvement at Coates's Bar by increasing the width of the 6-foot channel to 150 feet, and thereafter to proceed to the points above, as described in the original report. The sum of $25,000 will be required for the continuance of this work during the fiscal year 1883-284. Rancocas River is in the collection district of Burlington, N. J., which is its neares. port of entry. Fort Mifflin is the nearest fort, and the Horseshoe range lights the nearest lighthouse. Total amount appropriated to June 30, 1882.. Total amount expended to June 30, 1882. $10,000 10,000 Money statement. July 1, 1881, amount available.. Amount appropriated by act passed August 2, 1882.. July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881. Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project. Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. 25,000 00 61,236 00 Abstract of contract entered into during fiscal year ending June 30, 1832, for improvement of Rancocas River, New Jersey. *Price for dredging includes construction of dike. Contract completed. F 17. IMPROVEMENT OF SAINT JONES RIVER, DELAWARE. With regard to this stream, there is nothing to add to what is contained in the annual report for 1881. The department having approved the recommendation that for the reason therein set forth the expenditure of the $5,000 appropriated in the act of March 3, 1881, should be deferred until further action by Congress, no action has been taken towards applying the amount now available. Reference is invited to the accompanying report of the survey of the Murder Kill, in which the improvement of both entrances is discussed. Saint Jones River is in the collection district of Delaware, the nearest port of entry being Wilmington, at which the revenue collected during the past fiscal year amounted to $50.530. Its nearest fort and light-house are, respectively, Fort Delaware and Mahon's River light. Total appropriation to June 30, 1882. Total expenditures to June 30, 1882. $5,000 00 167 90 Money statement. July 1, 1881, amount available.. July 1, 1882, amount expended during fiscal year, exclusive of outstanding liabilities July 1, 1881.... July 1, 1882, amount available. $4,902 70 20 60 4,882 10 30,000 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... F 18. IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, PENNSYLVANIA. During July, 1881, the contract of September 20, 1880, for the completion of the North Branch of the Susquehanna, was completed by the removal of 3,661 cubic yards of clay and gravel from the shoal near the foot of Wilkes-Barre Island, and the paving of 425 linear feet of the dike at the head of the island to intercept the low-water flow down the north channel. This work completed the projected improvement of the river as far as Wilkes-Barre. Under the appropriation of $15,000 made in the act of March 3, 1881, and the project submitted from this office under date of June 17, 1881, advertisement for proposals for a continuance of the work was made June 25, 1881, but no bids were received. The call was repeated by circular letter, and on September 6, 1881, contract was made for the dredging of a channel above Wilkes-Barre through "Gas House Riff," "Hillman's Riffle," and the shoals between Forty Fort and Monockonock Island. The channel dimensions in view were a width of 60 feet and a summer stage or low-water depth of 3 feet. In order to avoid as much as possible the disadvantageous reduction of the water-line above the cuts through the shoals, the gravel dredged from the channel was deposited in such manner as to form submerged dikes or deflectors to back the current and direct it into the cuts. The dredging plant on the North Branch of the Susquehanna consisted of a single dredge of small capacity owned by the canal company. In consequence the contractor, Mr. R. C. Mitchell, made arrangements to build one, the construction of which delayed the commencement of the work. Dredging began in October, and after completing the channel through "Gas House Riff" by taking out 2,354 yards of heavy gravel, the high stage of the river compelled a suspension until April, 1882. An extension of time for completion was given to August 20, 1882. Up to June 30, 1882, 6,042 cubic yards of gravel, sand, and bowlders had been dredged from Hillman's Riffle and Forty Fort Shoal. The work in progress will have been completed in August, proximo, and the survey will be made, as the stage of river may allow, to exhibit the results attained. With regard to the future improvement of this stream, it appears desirable to say that the work, in accordance with the method of oper- ` ating hitherto in progress, has reached a point where, if it is to be continned, a change of plan is necessary. The problem is one of the improvement of the navigation of a freshwater stream, with a strong slope and current, alluvial and drift shores and bed, great variation in level at different seasons, and in winter heavy ice gorges. The average slope between Pittston and Wilkes-Barre is about 14 feet to the mile, the fall, as usual, being taken up by a succession of pools and "riffles" or bars. During high stages the surface rises 20 to 30 feet above the summer stage. In this connection the following extract is made from my report of April 1, 1882: The method of operating hitherto has been to make narrow cuts 40 to 60 feet wide through the bars, using the materials (cobbles, coarse gravel, and sand) to direct the low-water flow into the cuts, and when islands divide the currents, to concentrate the low-water flow into one channel by means of low dams across the other. These methods, however, are of limited application only, aud owing to the loose character of the bed and banks, and the eroding and transporting power of the stream at high stages, cannot be expected to secure permanent results. Furthermore, although they have, for the time qeing at least, effected a substantial improvement of the navigation from Wilkes-Barre downward, the favorable influence of the dam at Nanticoke contributing to this result cannot be overlooked, and as the pooling due to this dam terminates near Richard's Island, it is not certain that the simple system of operating hitherto pursued will avail to any great distance above Wilkes-Barre. For a continued systematic treatment of the stream it is nearly certain that (raised) dams at intervals will be indispensable, and the construction and maintenance of these will constitute the most serious and costly part of the undertaking. To guide the judgment of the engineer intrusted with the direction of work of this character, it is essential that the limiting condition of the problem should be clearly defined, in order both that an intelligent comprehension of its nature and extent may be formed and that the detailed information necessary to its solution may be collected and thoroughly digested. It seems proper to say that in my judgment Congress should be asked to indicate with what view and to what extent the improvement of the North Branch of the Susquehanna is to be considered; and if seriously undertaken, to make provision, first, fər the careful surveys and examination necessary to determine the proper methods of permanent improvement, and afterwards to appropriate such sums as shall be requisite for its annual progress in execution. With the opening of a channel through the Forty Fort Shoals, which will be completed during this season, the current appropriation will have been exhausted. The effect of the operations of this time will have been to afford a 3-foot low-water navigation from Richard's Island upwards past WilkesBarre to near the foot of Monockonock Island, 4 miles above, where lie the bars and "riffs" known as the Ram's Horn, on which the fall is 3 feet. The cuts already made are available for navigation so far as depth of |