of about 1,800 feet has been protected. The cost of the bank-head complete was $11,265. The 5,000 linear feet of continuous revetment which it has replaced would have cost $35,000. (See report of Assistant Engineer S. Waters Fox, Appendix J.) REMOVAL OF OBSTRUCTIONS. The snag boat belonging to the Commission began the work of removing snags at the mouth of the Missouri River on August 8. It pro. ceeded upstream as far as Lexington, Mo., turning back from there September 15 and working downstream to Jefferson City. The boat was taken from this point to St. Louis on an inspection trip September 21-25. The boat returned to the Missouri September 30 and worked upstream to New Frankfort, Mo., turning back on October 24 and working downstream to the mouth, where she arrived November 6. She left the next day for her winter quarters at Paducah, Ky. She left Paducah March 8 and came to St. Louis, where she underwent some repairs and waited for the high water to subside. On May 13 she resumed snagging in the Missouri River at its mouth and worked upstream to Lexington, Mo., where she removed the wreck of the ferryboat Eagle. She turned back from Lexington June 17, and worked down to Chamois, where she was laid up for the summer. The total number of snags removed during the year was 1,203, weighing 13,087 tons. There were 316 trees cut, 11 drift piles, and 289 dike piles removed, and the total distance run was 2,258 miles. OSAGE RIVER. The project for the improvement of this stream, adopted in 1871, consisted in the removal of obstructions to navigation, such as snags and leaning timber, in deepening the channel over shoals by means of dredg ing, and in the construction of cross and wing dams to concentrate the water over the shoal places. The original estimated cost of the project was $230,000, but afterwards the work was made to cover more ground than was originally intended, and for a number of years past no estimate of the cost of the improvement by this method has been rendered in the annual reports. From the nature of the project, which contemplates only temporary relief from year to year, and the removal of obstructions which are constantly forming anew, no definite time can be fixed for its completion, and no estimate made of its ultimate cost. The improvement must be continuous, and the annual estimates must depend upon conditions as they arise. The amount expended by the General Government under this project to June 30, 1897, is $230,947.49, of which sum $2,754.39 was expended during the past fiscal year. The result has been a temporary benefit to navigation along the river for a distance of about 245 miles above the mouth. The operations of the season began August 17, 1896, at Osceola, Mo., and continued downstream to the mouth. The work accomplished includes the removal of 499 snags and 661 drift trees, the felling of 294 trees, and the scraping of 450 yards of gravel from a bar in Kirkman Shoal. The total distance run was 210 miles. The construction of a lock and dam near the mouth of the river was authorized by the river and harbor act of September 19, 1890. The estimated cost was $200,000. The approved project for Lock No. 1 contemplated a structure of stone masonry, the interior dimensions being 276 feet between quoins by 52 feet wide. As stated in the last annual report, a material change in the original plans was made necessary in consequence of the effect which the Missouri River improvements had had upon the stage of water in the lower course of the Osage. No satisfactory adjustment of the contract price for the additional work having been found possible, authority was obtained for terminating the contract then in force for the construction of the lock and for the purchase of the contractor's plant and material. The contract was surrendered and the transfer made on the last day of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896. Up to this time the work under this project included the acquisition of lands and construction of a dwelling and office, the building of a cofferdam and the excavation of the interior to the amount of 17,000 cubic yards, the opening of a quarry in the bluff back of the lock, and some dredging in the river below the lock. The above change in the original plan for constructing Lock No. 1 was so important that it was thought advisable to prepare a revised project better suited to the new conditions. A partial project, as revised, was approved by the Chief of Engineers November 23, 1896, and the complete project for lock and dam was approved June 29, 1897. Work under the revised project was begun July 17 and continued until suspended by high water early in January, 1897. Great difficulty was encountered in making the necessary excavation inside the cofferdam, owing to the excessive inflow of water, but the work was finally accomplished, and the driving of the piles for the foundation was com pleted shortly before the suspension of the work. Gravel was dredged from the bed of the Osage River near the lock, and Missouri River sand from the Osage Chute in quantities sufficient for the entire construction of the lock and dam. Cement, timber, iron, and other materials, sufficient for the construction of the lock have also been purchased, and most of them have been delivered, and everything is in readiness for a resumption of work as soon as the high water subsides sufficiently. Negotiations are in progress for the purchase of additional land for the erection of buildings at the site of the lock. The amount expended under the project for lock and dam to June 30, 1897, is $112,947.78, of which sum $60,314.81 was expended during the past fiscal year. For the details of the work see reports of Captain Chittenden and Assistant Engineers Maltby and Seddon, Appendixes K, M, and L. GASCONADE RIVER. The project for the improvement of this stream, adopted in 1880, consisted in the removal of snags and logs from the channel and of leaning timber from the banks of the river where necessary, and the construction of wing dams and training walls to concentrate the flow of water upon the shoals to increase the depth over them. From the nature of the project, which contemplates only temporary relief from year to year, and the removal of obstructions which are constantly forming anew, no definite time can be fixed for its completion, and no estimate made of its ultimate cost. The improvement must be continuous, and the annual estimates must depend upon conditions as they arise. The original estimated cost of the project was $50,000, and the principal work contemplated by it has been accomplished, but for reasons just stated the work can never be considered completed. The amount expended under the project to June 30, 1897, is $61,249.99, of which sum $4,653.44 was expended during the past fiscal year, and the river has been kept reasonably free from obstructions for a distance of 108 miles above the mouth. The work of the past season began about the middle of September, and continued until the middle of November. It consisted, as heretofore, mainly in the removal of snags, the building of dikes, and in surveys of places requiring improvement. Work was done at the following points: Bocks Bar, Woodpecker Island, and Stake Shoal. For details of work, see report of Mr. L. P. Butler, United States assistant engineer, Appendix N. GENERAL REMARKS. The progress of the work for systematic improvement of the river by continuous work by reaches, which was started in 1891, has been seriously interfered with during the past year by the requirements of the river and harbor act of June 3, 1896, which specified numerous localities, separated by many miles, where work was to be done, notwithstanding the fact that the amount of money appropriated was largely reduced from that of previous years. In order to carry out the work indicated, it was necessary to break up the organization of the work in one of the divisions of the First Reach, in order to supply forces and plant for detached works. The Osage Division was seriously disorganized for this reason, and the work that was done in that division during the year was placed under the direction of the Gasconade Division engineer, and it has been considered necessary for economical reasons to discontinue the Osage Division altogether, merging it into the Gasconade Division. The work in the Gasconade Division has been much restricted. The work heretofore done upon the First Reach has extended from about 4 miles above Jefferson City to the Gasconade River, a distance of 45 miles, the whole length of the reach to the mouth of the river being 141 miles. The results obtained have shown beyond any question the practicability of controlling the river, holding its banks, and giving ample channels for navigation, but the cost and uncertainty of permanence of the work and slowness of progress have been such as to discourage the public and the National Congress in the effort to improve the river for such a distance as would give promise of the building up of its commerce and the benefiting of the general public to a degree commensurate with the cost of the work. The effect of this is plainly visible in the reduction of the appropriations, and the yielding to demands for the application of considerable portions of the reduced appropriations to detached works in scattered localities, where the interests of navigation do not require immediate work, and where the only objects to be attained are the protection of local private interests. The Commission and their executive officers have, during the past year, given much study and effort to the vital question of reduction of cost of work, in the hope that it might be so reduced as to make that part of the improvement of the river confided to the Commission such, in cost, efficiency, and rate of progress, as would insure early and suf ficient benefit to the general public, and to such a degree as to commend the improvement as being wise and worthy of its making. It is believed that much progress has been made toward a very great decrease in the cost of work that will not only be efficient in accomplishing the purposes of the improvement, but in making it permanent. The principal work on the river consists of dikes for regulating the width and directing the channels and work for protection of banks. Modifications of dike construction and new methods of bank protection have been tried, with most promising results; but it is yet too early in the progress of these efforts to assert with perfect confidence that the entire work of improvement can be made at a very great decrease from the cost of methods heretofore used. Unceasing efforts will be put forth to accomplish a result so much to be desired. For some of the details concerning these efforts, attention is invited to the appended reports of Mr. S. H. Yonge, in charge of Omaha work, and Mr. S. Waters Fox, in charge of the Gasconade division, Appendices F and J. For commercial statistics see report of Assistant Engineer A. H. Blaisdell, Appendix C. RECOMMENDATIONS AND ESTIMATES. MISSOURI RIVER. The act of July 13, 1892, provided for continuous annual appropriations for the river for a period of four years, and the provisions of the three succeeding appropriation acts permitted a concentration of effort in the systematic improvement of the river by continuous work. The results obtained were quite remarkable and the work was carried on in an exceedingly satisfactory manner. In the act of June 3, 1896, while provision was made for four years' work, the amount of annual appropriations was very much reduced and it was provided that considerable portions of the appropriations should be expended on scattered localities. The result of the latter act has been to seriously disarrange the systematic work, and the small amounts of the appropriations have made it impossible to keep up the plant, a considerable amount of which has been disposed of during the year, having become unserviceable, and not replaced. It is earnestly urged that when it may be deemed proper to provide for work at specified localities on the river not included in the systematic work in progress separate additional appropriations should be made, so that the systematic work and the maintenance of plant may not be left unprovided for by the diversion of funds to other purposes. In the last annual report the Commission stated that it was expected to largely reduce the cost of future work and that it was believed that the improvement of the first reach could be completed for considerably less than the amount previously estimated in the preceding annual report, viz, between $3,000,000 and $3,500,000. There has been a reduction in the cost of the work, and it is believed there will be considerable further reduction in the future, but until more progress has been made in this direction, no definite reduction of estimate is deemed advisable. Any reduction of cost, however, must necessarily be largely dependent upon appropriations being made in sufficiently large sums to warrant systematic continuous work. OSAGE RIVER. When the work of constructing the dam is commenced it is of the utmost importance that it be completed in a single season. To permit the annual floods for five or six months to pass over it in a partially completed state would cause so much damage as to increase greatly the The estimates for work under the existing project are the same as for Estimates for continuing works of improvement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899. Improving Missouri River from mouth to Sioux City, Iowa, including office and traveling expenses and salaries of Commission, surveys, gauges, physical data and publications, operating snag boat, and sys- $1,000,000 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of June 4, 1897. |