reasonably free, easy, and unobstructed. In each case the changes required to be made were specified in the notice, and reasonable time was prescribed in which to make them. A detailed statement of the cases is given further on in this report.

Reports made in compliance with the requirements of section 2 of the river and harbor act of July 5, 1884, and section 4 of that of August 5, 1886, of instances in which piers, breakwaters, or other works built by the United States in aid of commerce or navigation are used, occupied or injured by a corporation or an individual, will be found in Appendix Z Z.

The engineering works in the charge of this office are arranged in five divisions, and officers of the corps assigned as division engineers to overlook the work, as follows:

West of the Rocky Mountains: Pacific Division, Col. George H. Mendell. East of the Rocky Mountains: Northeast Division, Col. Henry L. Abbot; Southeast Division, Col. Wm. P. Craighill; Southwest Division, Col. Cyrus B. Comstock; Northwest Division, Col. Orlando M. Poe.

South Pass of the Mississippi River.-During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, the legal channel was maintained at the head of South Pass and through the Pass itself, but during a period of thirty-two days, from May 20 to June 20, both dates inclusive, such channel did not obtain through the jetties at the mouth of the Pass. During this period, however, there was a navigable depth of 28.1 feet.

Rules and regulations for the use of canals.-Section 7 of the river and harbor act approved July 5, 1884, authorized the Secretary of War to prescribe proper rules and regulations for the administration, and use by the public, of the Des Moines Rapids Canal, the St. Marys Falls Canal, and the Louisville and Portland Canal, and provided penalties for willful violations of such rules. Similar legislation was subsequently enacted by acts of August 11, 1888, and September 19, 1890, applying to the South Pass of the Mississippi River and the Des Moines Rapids Dry Dock.

It is desirable that similar authority should be granted to the Secretary of War with respect to all the canals owned and operated by the Government, and that the willful violation of such rules as may be prescribed should be declared a misdemeanor, and penalties therefor be provided. The need of rules to govern the use and navigation of these works, and of adequate provision for their enforcement, applies alike to all the canals. Express legislation in some cases indicates that Congressional action is necessary in all cases for the sufficient and proper enforcement of whatever rules the Secretary of War may promulgate, and difficulty has already arisen from the lack of authority to enforce rules and regulations prescribed for the use of canals not embraced in existing enactments.

The following draft of an act, which will, it is believed, accomplish the objects desired with respect to all United States canals and similar works of navigation, is proposed and recommended for passage by Congress:

AN ACT providing for the establishment and enforcement of rules and regulations for the use and navigation of United States canals and similar works of navigation, and for other purposes. 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 is hereby, authorized to prescribe and publish such rules and regulations for the government, use, and navigation of any or all canals and similar works of navigation that now are or hereafter may be owned, operated, or maintained by the United States as may seem necessary, proper, or expedient for the purpose of regulating the use of such canals or similar works by vessels passing through them, and of preventing any obstruc

tion to the channels through such canals or similar works and any injury to the bed and banks thereof, and to the works constructed for the improvement or in connection with them.

SEC. 2. That any willful violation of any rule or regulation made by the Secretary of War in pursuance of this act shall be deemed a misdemeanor, for which the owner or owners, agent or agents, master or pilot of the vessel offending shall be separately and collectively responsible, and on conviction thereof, in any district court in the United States within whose territorial jurisdiction such offense may have been committed, shall be liable to punishment by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding six months, at the discretion of the court, for each offense.

SEC. 3. That it shall be the duty of all persons using or navigating such canals or similar works, their channels and approaches, or using any of the piers, breakwaters, docks, wharves, or other improvements belonging to the United States, to observe the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of War as aforesaid; and any person who shall willfully or negligently strand or sink any steam vessel, boat, or craft in such canals or similar works, or in the channels or approaches, or who shall willfully or negligently, or by failure or neglect to observe the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of War for the use thereof, obstruct or impair such canals or similar works, or cause any impediment, injury, filling up, or shoaling therein, or in the approaches thereto, tending to obstruct or impair the navigation thereof, or who shall willfully damage or injure the piers, breakwaters, wharves, docks, or other improvements of such canals or similar works belonging to the United States, or who shall fail to obey or observe any of said prescribed regulations, shall be liable to the penalty prescribed by section two of this act, and shall, in addition thereto, be liable to the United States, or to any person aggrieved by such obstructions, or injuries, or unlawful acts, or omissions, in a civil action for all damages occasioned thereby, or by any of said unlawful acts, to said United States or such aggrieved person.

ATLANTIC COAST AND GULF OF MEXICO.

IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS AND HARBORS IN MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Officers in charge, Lieut. Col. Jared A. Smith, Corps of Engineers, to December 3, 1891, and Lieut. Col. Peter C. Hains, Corps of Engineers, since that date.

1. St. Croix River, Maine.-An examination and survey of the St. Croix River were made under the provisions of the river and harbor act of August 11, 1888, and the reports on same were published in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1890 (page 463). The available depth, at mean low water, over the shoals, was found to be from 6.5 to 9.5 feet, and in the upper part of the harbor at Calais but 1.5 feet. The channel was also narrow. In the report on the survey it was proposed to obtain a channel 12 feet deep at mean low water, with a general width of 200 feet, but narrowed to 150 and 100 feet at the upper end. Such an improvement would enable steamboats to reach landings at the upper end of the harbor, and would allow large lumber vessels to fully load at the wharves instead of having to drop down stream about 4 miles to complete their cargoes.

An appropriation of $35,000 was made by act approved September 19, 1890, coupled with the proviso "that the Government of the Dominion of Canada shall expend a like sum in the improvement of said river."

No work has yet been done, pending action by the Dominion Government, and none of the appropriation has been expended.

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended

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

(See Appendix A 1.)

$35,000,00

35,000.00

245,000.00

2. Lubec Channel, Maine.-This channel lies between the eastern extremity of the State of Maine and Campobello Island, Dominion of Canada.

Originally the channel was but 5 feet in depth at mean low water, and but 2 feet at low water of spring tides.

The project, adopted in 1879, and subsequently modified, was for a channel 275 feet wide, 300 feet wide in the bends, and 12 feet deep at mean low water.

The expenditures to June 30, 1891, amounted to $168,929.42.

The expenditures during the past year were $25.

At the close of the fiscal year 1891 the project had been practically completed, and no work has been done since.

Under the provisions of the river and harbor act of September 19, 1890, an examination of Lubec Channel was made, and the report was published in the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1891 (page 616).

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended

June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended...

(See Appendix A 2.)

$70.58

25.00

45.58

3. Moosabec Bar, Maine.-Before the improvement was commenced the entrance at the eastern end of Moosabec Reach was difficult, the channel being crooked, with ledges on either hand. The direct entrance was obstructed by a bar on which the depth was only about 6 feet at mean low water.

The project, adopted in 1881, provided for a channel 14 feet deep at mean low water, and not less than 200 feet wide, through the bar at the eastern entrance to the reach. In 1888 the project was extended to provide for widening the 14-foot channel to 300 feet, for removal of ledges obstructing the channel, and for the construction of a small breakwater to divert cross currents.

The expenditures to June 30, 1891, were $53,888.29. At the latter date the 300-foot channel had been completed to the full projected width and depth, the construction of the breakwater had been commenced, and a small quantity of ledge had been removed.

The expenditures during the past year amount to $6,530.48, which was applied to the completion of the small breakwater included in the project. The work remaining to be done consists of the removal of ledges obstructing the channel at its west end.

The benefits derived from the improvement are not local, the thoroughfare being extensively used by coastwise vessels, both as a harbor of refuge and as a sheltered route.

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

(See Appendix A 3.)

24, 581.23

65,000.00

4. Pleasant River, Maine.-Originally the channel above Addison Point was obstructed by bowlders, while below navigation was rendered

dangerous by two rocks and a shoal of ledge and gravel in mid-river. The act of September 19, 1890, appropriated $3,500 for completing the improvement.

The project was to mark the rocks by a beacon and the shoal by a spindle, the remainder of the appropriation to be expended in removing bowlders from the channel above Addison Point, the work to be done by hired labor and purchase of materials in open market.

The work was commenced in June, 1891, and completed during the following August. A stone beacon was built on "Channel Rocks" and an iron spindle was established on the shoal known as "Coffins Rocks." Seventy large bowlders, weighing in the aggregate about 55 tons, besides about 100 smaller ones, were removed from the river above Addison Point.

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended....

June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year..

(See Appendix A 4.)

$3,500.00 3,500.00

5. Narraguagus River, Maine.-The obstruction to navigation consisted in a bar at the mouth of the river, over which there was a navigable depth of less than 6 feet at mean low water, and less than 4 feet at extreme low water.

The project for improvement is to dredge a channel not less than 200 feet wide, having 11 feet depth at mean low water, from the deep water of the bay to Long Point, and a depth of 9 feet from thence to the anchorage.

The expenditures to June 30, 1891, amounted to $22,341.57.

At the latter date the following work had been accomplished: At the lower steamboat wharf, and at the new steamboat wharf, about 1,800 feet further down stream, the channel had been dredged to a width of about 300 feet. Between these points the channel was about 100 feet wide. From the new steamboat wharf to the deep water of the bay the dredged channel had widths of 90 and 55 feet. All dredging was to the full depth of 11 feet at mean low water.

The expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, amounted to $5,121.85, chiefly for liabilities incurred during the previ ous fiscal year. The contract for dredging which was in progress at the date of the last annual report, was completed July 11, 1891, and no work has been done since, so that practically no work has been in progress during the year just ended. By the dredging done during July, 1891, a least channel width of 90 feet was obtained from the new steamboat wharf to the deep water of the bay.

July 1, 1891, balance unexpended...

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..

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

(See Appendix A 5.)

$5,158 43 5, 121.85

36.58 7,500.00

7, 536.58

15,000.00

6. Breakwater from Mount Desert to Porcupine Island, Maine.-The anchorage in front of the town of Bar Harbor, as well as the wharves at which steamers land, is exposed to storms and seas from southerly directions, at times rendering the anchorage insecure, and the landing of passengers and freight at the wharves difficult.

The original project was to construct a riprap breakwater in a direct line from Porcupine Island to Dry Ledge, and thence to within a short distance of Mount Desert Island. The direction of that portion west of Dry Ledge was afterward slightly changed, so that the westerly end of the breakwater will be somewhat further to the southward.

The expenditures up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, amounted to $19,144.53. Up to the latter date operations had been confined to that part of the work between Porcupine Island and Dry Ledge, and 17,520 tons of stone had been placed in position, or rather more than one-fourth of the entire quantity (66,000 tons) estimated for that portion of the breakwater. The work had not reached a stage to be of much benefit to the harbor.

The expenditures during the last fiscal year were $15,060.84, making the total expenditures under the project $34,205.37. At the date of the last annual report work was in progress, under contract. About the middle of November, 1891, after 19,080 tons of stone had been delivered, the contractor stopped work. Subsequently, in March, 1892, the contract was annulled, on the ground that it had been assigned.

The entire quantity of stone placed in the work is 30,473 tons, which was all deposited in that part between Porcupine Island and Dry Ledge. During June, 1892, new contracts were let for continuing the work, operations to be commenced by July 1, 1892.

July 1, 1892, amount covered by uncompleted contracts.

July 1, 1892, balance available...

Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892

Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.

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

(See Appendix A 6.)

1, 159.63 50,000.00

51, 159. 63

656,000.00

7. Bagaduce River, Maine-When the project for improving this locality was adopted the channel near South Penobscot was crooked and obstructed by ledges of rock, and the least depth at low tide did not exceed 2 feet.

The approved project is to obtain, by dredging and rock excavation, a channel 100 feet wide, and 6 feet deep at low tide, from Bridges Point to Bowden's Wharf, South Penobscot, a distance of about 4,000 feet, the cost being estimated at $45,000. It was also intended to remove a small quantity of rock obstructing the southern channel at Johnsons Narrows, at an estimated cost of $1,875.

The expenditures to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, amounted to $100, which were for preparation of plans, etc. No work had been done. The first appropriation, $3,000, was too small to be judiciously expended. Enough rock excavation to be of any practical benefit could not be accomplished with that amount, and the situation was such that without the removal of rock no practical benefits could be acquired by dredging.

There were no expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, and no work was done.