above Sharkey, because the funds were not sufficient, and because until 1890 the steamboat interest reported that boats would not run above that landing, except to make occasional trips at high stages, when navigation was as good and about as safe as in the lower river. No benefit was derived from the work done in 1880, 1881 and 1882 above the mouth of Coldwater to Batesville, required by the appropriation acts, for the reason that there has been no trade in that part of the stream. In the past fiscal year a snag boat was employed during the month of October in the lower 50 miles of river. The water was at a low stage and effective work was done. Operations were not resumed to the end of the fiscal year, as there were no funds available. The original estimates were for completing this work in two seasons at a cost of $40,000, but the aggregate of the appropriations from 1879 to the end of the fiscal year 1892 was only $37,500, of which the law required $10,000 to be expended on a part of the stream not included in the project. New obstructions are brought into the river every year by sliding and caving banks, and the shifting and scouring of the channel exposes others or lodges them upon the bars. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended. June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended. July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities. 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 V 12.) $2,031. 02 2, 012. 50 18.52 17.00 1.52 5,000.00 5, 001.52 7,500.00 13. Steele and Washington bayous, Mississippi.-The improvement of Steele Bayou was commenced under the act of 1884. Washington Bayou, about 7 miles long, which connects Steele Bayou with Lake Washington, was added by act of 1886. The project contemplates removing snags, stumps, drift, and leaning timber, to improve highwater navigation. The amount expended to June 30, 1891, was $9,020.66, with which Steele Bayou was worked over twice from its source in Swan Lake to its mouth, and the obstructions in Washington Bayou were removed in 1886. This work resulted in greater ease and safety to steamboat navigation at high stages, but was by no means thorough on account of the small amounts appropriated. In the past fiscal year work was carried from the mouth upstream about 22 miles before the available balance was exhausted. Steamboat navigation in this stream was not commenced until 1879, and since the construction of a railroad through the country in 1884 it has fallen off until for several years the trade has amounted to little or nothing. The stream is navigable only when the Mississippi is high enough to fill the lower portion with backwater, and owing to the uncertainty of steamboat transportation there is no probability that the trade will revive. In view of the foregoing, no recommendation is made for continuing the work. 14. Big Sunflower River, Mississippi.-Work in this river commenced in 1879. The project contemplated building wing dams to scour a channel from 3 feet to 40 inches deep at the bars, and the removal of snags, sunken logs, and leaning timber obstructing navigation. The amount expended to June 30, 1891, was $56,196.07. Operations during the thirteen years extended over the navigable part of the river from Clarksdale to the mouth, though little was done above Faisonia since 1882, for the reason that it would have resulted in no benefit to commerce or navigation to clear the upper river and allow the lower portion to remain obstructed, the amounts appropriated at irregular intervals having been too small to permit work over the whole river. To obtain the greatest benefit with the means available, it has been the endeavor to keep the lower river open the year round, and to extend navigation higher as the work progresses. Steamboat men report that before the improvement commenced the river was navigable for very light boats about six months of the year; now it is navigable to Woodburn the year round, but difficult and dangerous at low stages on account of shoals, snags, and sunken logs. Larger boats are used, and make the round trip from Vicksburg (about 180 miles and return) in five days, while before the improvement it was unusual for a boat to make the trip under eight days. Freight rates are reported to be 50 per cent less. The lands along the river are being cleared and settled rapidly of late years, which is attributed in part to the improved navigation. In the past fiscal year the small balance available was expended August 18-30 for the operation of a small snag boat, which worked over the river from the mouth up to within half a mile of Faisonia. 15. Big Hatchee River, Tennessee.-This work commenced in 1880. The project contemplated removing logs, snags, leaning timber, etc., to render the river navigable for light-draft boats throughout the year from the mouth to Bolivar, Tenn., about 240 miles. Before work commenced navigation was virtually suspended by the obstructions. The amount expended to June 30, 1891, was $26,999.19, rendering the stream navigable for light boats from 7 to 9 months of the year. In the past fiscal year a snag boat worked from the mouth upstream about 67 miles, where operations were suspended by high water. 16. Forked Deer River, Tennessee.-Work in South Fork of this river commenced in 1883. The act of 1888 added North Fork and main river under the general head improving Forked Deer River. The project contemplated removing snags, logs, leaning timber, etc., obstructing navigation in South Fork below Jackson, North Fork below Dyersburg, and the main stream from the forks to the Mississippi. The amounts expended to June 30, 1891, were $12,500 for South Fork, $4,500 for North Fork, and $2,500 for the main river. With these expenditures the two forks were put in fairly good navigable condition, but no material benefit was gained in the main stream. Navigation of South Fork is carried on by flatboats, and before the improvement commenced about one boat in three was lost on account of the obstructions; now they make the trip in comparative safety and at less cost. The work in North Fork enabled boats to run at a stage 3 feet lower than formerly. In the past fiscal year a light snag boat worked over the main river and North Fork until the funds were exhausted. This work resulted in a greater depth of clear channel between Dyersburg and the mouth, by the removal of snags and logs, and gave greater ease and safety for the passage of boats. 17. Water-gauges on Mississippi River and its principal tributaries.— These gauges were designed to secure information from continuous records, with a view to protecting alluvial lands against overflow, improving navigation, and giving correct reports of the stages of water, for the benefit of river men and planters, and their establishment and the maintenance of daily observations was enjoined upon the Secretary of War by joint resolution of Congress approved February 21, 1871 (Statutes at Large, vol. 16, page 598). The amount expended to June 30, 1891, was $86,886.40, with outstanding liabilities amounting to $211.87. Nineteen gauges were established originally, and under the portion of the joint resolution of 1871 authorizing gauges "at such other places as the Secretary of War may deem advisable," the following have been added, viz: At Nashville, Tenn., Cumberland River, in 1873; Shreveport, La., Garland, Ark., and Fulton, Ark., Red River, in 1890; and Donaldsonville, La., Mississippi River, in 1890. The gauge at Rock Island, Ill., was abandoned in 1879, and the one at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., in 1886, but a record at the latter place has been maintained by the Missouri River Commission. There are now 22 gauges maintained under this work, and in addition to the extensions mentioned above the service has been improved very materially of late years. In 1881 bulletins were erected at the stations on the Mississippi for the purpose of giving passing steamboats the stage of water and indicating whether the river was rising, stationary, or falling, and in 1890 these were replaced by larger bulle tins, and the old ones repaired and used in extending the service to the tributaries. Since February 1, 1887, the gauges have been read and bulletins posted twice a day to secure greater uniformity and accuracy; formerly they were read only once a day. Records of the readings have been published by the Mississippi River Commission to the end of the calendar year 1891. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended... Amount allotted for project for fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, approved June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.......... July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities.. July 1, 1892, balance... (See Appendix V 17.) $247.31 5,100.00 5, 347.31 5, 319.33 27.98 27.92 .06 18. Survey of Cypress Bayou and the lakes between Jefferson, Texas, and Shreveport, Louisiana.-This survey was ordered by river and har bor act of September 19, 1890, to ascertain whether the navigation of the bayou and lakes can be materially and permanently improved by the construction of locks and dams, and, if found practicable, the probable cost thereof. The original estimates for the survey amounted to $12,000, but only $10,000 was appropriated, and owing to this insufficient amount and delays by high water the work was not completed. A report was submitted by Captain Willard, the local engineer in charge, February 6, 1892, stating the progress made in the conduct of the survey, and the necessity for further consideration and investigation of the subject, with the recommendation that the additional sum of $2,500 be provided to complete the work. This report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 126, Fifty-second Congress, first session (see also Appendix V 18). Officer in charge, Capt. H. S. Taber, Corps of Engineers; Division Engineer, Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers. 1. Removing obstructions in Arkansas River.-Prior to the first improvements in 1833, shifting sand bars, numerous driftpiles, and dangerous snags constituted the obstacles to navigation in the lower reaches, and gravel and rock shoals, with a few snags and many overhanging trees, constituted those of the upper. Except for a few special reaches, like the Fort Smith and Pine Bluff, the general plan of improvement has consisted in snagging operations, including the cutting of overhanging trees, in building wing dams to improve the shoals, and in surveys looking towards plans for its permanent improvement. The appropriations to June 30, 1891, amount to $485,251.37. Of this sum there had been expended to June 30, 1891, $400,619.10. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, $10,327 was expended in snagging operations at or near low water. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.... June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1892, balance available Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.. $12, 344. 46 10, 327.00 2,017. 46 1.25 2, 016. 21 20,000.00 22, 016. 21 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project annually 35, 000. 00 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867. (See Appendix W 1.) 2. Arkansas River.-Work during the past season has been carried on under three different acts of Congress. By the act approved August 5, 1886, $75,000 was appropriated, its distribution being indicated in the following words: Improving Arkansas River, Arkansas: Continuing improvement, $75,000, according to the plan and recommendations in Appendix V 13, Report of Chief of Engineers, 1885, pages 1601 to 1611; of which there are to be expended $8,000 at Pine Bluff, $13,000 at Fort Smith, and $10,000 at Dardanelle, or so much thereof under these sums, respectively, as may be necessary at those points. This appropriation, except a small sum out of the $10,000 for Dardanelle, was expended prior to June 30, 1890; at Dardanelle the $10,000 was to be expended in erecting a permeable dike above and opposite the town in such a position as to remove the sand bar in front of the wharves. By act of August 11, 1888, the sum of $150,000 was appropriated for the improvement of this river, under plan providing for the formation of a channel at least 200 feet wide and 6 feet deep at low water from Little Rock to the Mississippi River; and the formation of a channel 2 feet deep at low water and from 200 to 300 feet wide from Fort Gibson to Arkansas City, as contemplated in the Report of the Chief of Engineers for the year ending June 30, 1885, and in House Ex. Doc. No. 90, Forty-ninth Congress, first session, and authorized in the act approved August 5, 1886. By act approved September 19, 1890, the sum of $180,000 was appropriated. The approved projects for the expenditure of this amount may be summarized as follows: At Van Buren, $4,000 to be expended in erecting a permeable dike at a suitable point a little above the town and upon the opposite side of the river, to contract the channel and prevent it from leaving the city wharves. From Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, to the mouth of the ENG 92-16 |