Branford (Roland Bluff). From there to Ellaville the channel is to be 60 feet wide and 4 feet deep.

Up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, $39,677.07 had been expended on this improvement. A long cut, now partly obliterated, had been made through the shoals between the mouth and deep water of the Gulf of Mexico, and a practicable bat not safe channel had been opened as far as Hudson.

During the past fiscal year operations have been carried on by the United States snag boat Suwanee, and the channel between Branford and Luraville has been widened and deepened so that a channel safe during medium and high stages, and fairly safe and 3 feet deep at the lowest stages, now exists as far as Hudson, 15 miles below Ellaville. The channel across the Suwanee Basin was partially opened and was marked with palmetto piles.

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended....

August 10, 1891, amount refunded by land-grant railroad..

June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended

Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.

Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893 .

$1,322.93 .55

1, 323. 48 1,085. 15

238.33 3,000.00

3, 238. 33

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project....... 21, 158.00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867.

(See Appendix O 13.)

IMPROVEMENT OF CERTAIN RIVERS AND HARBORS IN GEORGIA, FLORIDA, AND ALABAMA.

Officer in charge, Capt. Philip M. Price, Corps of Engineers, with Lieut. William E. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, under his immédiate orders; Division Engineer, Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers.

1. Apalachicola Bay, Florida.-In 1879 there was a minimum depth of 3 feet in the channel over the bar at the mouth of the Apalachicola River.

The bar begins about one-half mile below the town of Apalachicola, Fla., and is about 7,300 feet wide.

In 1879 a plan of improvement was adopted which contemplated dredging through the bar a straight channel 11 feet deep and 100 feet wide, to be afterwards increased to 200 feet wide should the first cut produce results to warrant it.

In 1891 this project was amended to include dredging a straight channel through Bulkhead Shoal 9 feet deep and not less than 100 feet wide.

Up to June 30, 1891, the sum of $88,539.01 had been expended on this improvement in dredging a straight channel through the bar at the mouth of the river, whenever funds were available, between the years 1881 and 1890. On account of inadequate appropriations the dredged cut has never exceeded 90 feet in width and 9 feet in depth, and has gradually filled up, partly by the deposit of silt from the river and partly by the washing in of material from the sides of the cut by the currents produced by the tides and the prevailing easterly winds.

During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, $18,412.31 has been expended. Under the contract with the Alabama Dredging and Jetty

Company, approved August 3, 1891, 54,458 cubic yards of material was dredged on Bulkhead Shoal, between October 26, 1891, and February 6, 1892, at 25 cents per cubic yard. A straight cut was made about 4,000 feet long, 9 feet deep and 120 feet wide. Between February 6 and 27, 1892, 11,461 cubic yards of material was dredged from the shoalest places in the straight channel over the bar at the mouth of the Apalachicola River, when further operations were suspended on account of exhaustion of funds.

It is anticipated that the cut through Bulkhead Shoal may be reasonably permanent. Experience has shown that the channel through the bar at the mouth of the river will require redredging at least once in two years, unless the cut is made deeper and wider than has been hitherto possible with the funds available. It is probable that a deeper and wider cut may be more lasting.

2. Apalachicola River, Florida.-The examination and survey of the Apalachicola River, finished in 1873, showed that the river, throughout its length of 105 miles, had a natural channel not less than 6 feet deep. The channel was, however, much obstructed by the accumulation of logs and snags brought into it by the freshets in the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. At Moccasin Slough the river had been obstructed by piles, driven by Confederate authorities during the war. Drift logs had accumulated against these piles, and formed a dam across the river, and forced a narrow and very crooked channel through its banks into the river Styx. Navigation was difficult at the Upper and Lower Elbows on account of the abrupt bends and narrow channel. The original project for the improvement of the river provided for securing a channel, 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep, by the removal of snags and overhanging trees, and widening and straightening the channel at Moccasin Slough and the Elbows, at an estimated cost of $80,333.

In conformity with the act of September 19, 1890, this project was in that year modified by adding thereto the securing of a channel 60 feet wide and 5 feet deep, through the Cut-Off, Lee Slough, and the Lower Chipola River, at an estimated cost of $7,500.

The expenditure, from 1874 to June 30, 1891, of $43,811.43, had resulted in clearing out the great accumulation of logs and snags and overhanging trees, and in annually removing the logs and snags brought down by the freshets in the rivers above.

A partial improvement had also been effected at Moccasin Slough and the Elbows, but navigation at these points was still difficult.

A little work had been done on the Cut-Off and Lower Chipola River, in order to enable steamboats to reach the landings above and below Lee Slough, but the funds available had not been sufficient to do any work on Lee Slough itself.

During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, the sum of $754.47 has been expended in removing the snags, sunken logs, and overhanging ENG 92-13

trees from the Apalachicola River, and from the Cut Off and Lower Chipola River, which lead to Lee Slough. The country bordering on Lee Slough is now attracting the attention of settlers, and would be rapidly developed if the Cut-Off and Lee Slough and Lower Chipola River were so cleared of obstructions that the river steamboats could get through them on their regular trips. The river affords the only practicable means of transportation for the products of this country. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended....

June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year

Amonnt appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 ... (See Appendix P 2.)

$754.47

754.47

5,000.00

3. Flint River, Georgia.-Before the improvement was begun the river was only navigable at low water from its mouth up to Bainbridge, and the channel over this portion was narrow, crooked, and much obstructed by logs, snags, and overhanging trees.

The present project for the improvement of this river was adopted in 1873 and modified in 1879, the object of the original project being to afford a channel 100 feet wide and 3 feet deep at low water from its mouth up to Albany, Ga., an estimated distance of 105 miles; and of the modification, to provide a navigable channel for light-draft steamers, at moderate stages of water, from Albany to Montezuma, an estimated distance of 77 miles.

Previous to the act of June 18, 1878, $70,000 was appropriated for the "Chattahoochee and Flint rivers," of which $18,000 was expended on the Flint River.

The expenditure up to June 30, 1891, of $140,220.84, had resulted in obtaining a navigable channel, having a low-water depth of 3 feet, from the mouth of the river to Albany. Above Albany the river had been partially cleared of logs and snags, and, to a limited extent, of loose rock, between Albany and Montezuma.

During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, $12,080.74 was expended in the care and preservation of plant and in continuing work under the approved project.

Between the mouth of the river and Bainbridge, Ga., the river is in a fairly navigable condition, and only requires the annual clearing out of snags brought in by the winter freshets.

Between Bainbridge and Albany, Ga., a channel having a low-water depth of 3 feet and a minimum width of 50 feet has been secured, but in many places this channel is too narrow and tortuous for safe navigation, and will be improved as funds are available. The work will consist in drilling, blasting, and removing rock from the marl and rock shoals. When completed the improvement will be comparatively permanent; but, for the preservation of the improvement, it will be neces sary to maintain a snag boat on the river, at an annual cost of $6,000. Between Albany and Warwick, 38 miles above, low-water navigation is prevented by a series of rock shoals, on which the depth of water varies from 6 to 18 inches. The loose bowlders have been partially removed from the channel on this portion of the river.

Between Warwick and Montezuma the improvement consists mainly in the removal of logs and snags and overhanging trees, and has been sufficiently accomplished to permit navigation at moderate stages of water. Fresh logs and snags will, however, be brought in by each winter's freshets. So far as known no commercial use has been made of the river above Albany since July, 1890, when the Montezuma Steamboat Company sold their small steamer to the Albany Navigation Com

pany, which has since used it on the river below Albany. There are no indications that any use will be made of the river above Albany in the near future. For this reason no measures have been yet taken to require the owners of the two bridges, which now obstruct navigation, at distances of 16 and 41 miles respectively above Albany, to provide their bridges with draw openings.

Between Albany and Bainbridge a considerable river trade has been developed in consequence of the improvements already effected. The business will be much increased as low-water navigation is facilitated by further work.

Between Bainbridge and the mouth of the river the many steamboats plying on the Chattahoochee and Apalachicola rivers run regularly and do a large business.

4. Chattahoochee River, Georgia and Alabama.-The river was originally much obstructed by logs, snags, and overhanging trees, and by a number of rock and marl shoals and sand bars, so that navigation was difficult and dangerous. Steamboats could only run by daylight, and not unfrequently lay on sand bars for weeks at a time, waiting for a rise in the river. Very many were lost by striking logs and snags. The present plan of improvement, adopted in 1873 and modified in 1882, contemplates a low-water channel 4 feet in depth and 100 feet in width from Columbus, Ga., to Chattahoochee, Fla., a distance of 224 miles, by the removal of snags and other obstructions from the channel and overhanging trees from the banks; by the excavation of rock shoals, and by works of contraction and shore protection.

Previous to the act of June 18, 1878, $70,000 was appropriated for the "Chattahoochee and Flint rivers," of which $52,000 was expended on the Chattahoochee River.

The expenditure of $251,941.23, up to June 30, 1891, has resulted in securing and maintaining a fair navigable channel between Chattahoochee, Fla., and Eufaula, Ala., at all seasons of the year, and between Eufaula, Ala., and Columbus, Ga., at all times except during low water.

Steamboats now make regular trips, with but few detentions, running by night as well as by day.

The limited annual appropriations for this improvement have not been sufficient to maintain properly the works of contraction already constructed, nor to extend nor modify them as required.

During the year ending June 30, 1892, $9,604,64 has been expended in maintaining the existing improvement, excavating rock shoals, and in making a partial improvement at Mound Bar, by contraction and shore protection works. The most serious obstructions are now at the Mound and Woolfolks bars, between Eufaula and Columbus, Ga. At both these places the banks are caving badly, and navigation is yearly becoming more difficult and dangerous. At low stages boats have to be warped over the bars. Trouble is also experienced at Fran

cis Bend, above Eufaula, and Kings Rock, about 200 miles below Columbus.

If sufficiently large appropriations were made to permanently im prove these localities, it is believed that thereafter the navigation of the river could be maintained in good condition throughout the year, by annual appropriations of $10,000, for the repair and maintenance of the plant and improvements, and for the removal of the annual accumulation of logs and snags brought in by the winter freshets.

The hull of the snag boat Chattahoochee is nearly worn out, and is not worth repairing further. The snag boat will have to be practically rebuilt, at an estimated cost of $10,000.

Regular lines of steamboats do a large passenger and freight business on this river, which affords the only practicable means of transportation to a considerable section of country.

5. La Grange Bayou and Holmes River, Florida.-La Grange Bayou is situated on the north side and near the head of Choctawhatchee Bay, and into it flows Cedar Creek, a deep stream from 90 to 160 feet wide, on which is situated the town of Freeport, 14 miles above the bayou. The channel though the bayou was originally narrow and shoal, and obstructed by logs and drift.

An examination of the bayou was made under the act of Congress approved March 3, 1881, and an estimate submitted for dredging the channel, so as to admit the passage of vessels drawing 4 feet at mean low water, at a cost of $19,994.30.

In 1883 the sum of $2,000, allotted from the appropriation of $20,000, made by the act of August 2, 1882, for the improvement of Choctawhatchee River, Florida, was expended on La Grange Bayou, mainly in removing snags and drift, and in dredging a small amount of mud from the shoalest part of the channel. Since then no work has been done.

The act of August 5, 1886, appropriated $2,000 for this improvement. So small a sum could not be profitably expended, and it was decided to withhold it until an additional appropriation was made for the work. The act of August 11, 1888, appropriated $3,000 for completing the improvement of La Grange Bayou, including Holmes River, up to the town of Vernon.

An examination and partial survey, made in 1889, showed that the amount of $5,000, then available for the improvement, was not sufficient to complete it as required by the act, and the Secretary of War therefore directed that no further expenditures should be made.

Before the completion of the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad the town of Freeport was the center of trade for a large section of country surrounding it. This trade was mainly carried on in vessels plying between Pensacola and Freeport.

Since the completion of the railroad, however, the commerce of Freeport and La Grange Bayou has diminished to such an extent that in 1889