Twenty-three tracings of figures and apparatus for the illustration of cavalry gymnastics, with blue prints of same, were made. A large portion of the year was given to the projection and compilation of sheets of the "military progressive department map" as outlined and directed by letter dated War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, Washington, December 2, 1895, with tracings and blue prints for issue to officers detailed for topographical work. Revised instructions, with details and models for the preparation of the sheets of the "progressive military map of the United States," were received April 20, 1897. New projections, skeleton tracings, and blue prints of the sheets assigned to this department for the season of 1897 are being prepared for issue to the topographical officers. Various reports referred to this office for information and action and miscellaneous work as follows: Twenty maps and plans, drawn by hand; 43 tracings made; 553 blue prints made; 24 maps mounted on muslin; 90 department maps issued. There are no funds available for the use of this office. Very respectfully, THOMAS H. BARRY, Assistant Adjutant-General, Engineer Officer. Brig. Gen. JOHN M. WILSON, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. DDD 3. EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA. ANNUAL REPORT OF LIEUT. J. D. MILEY, FIFTH ARTILLERY, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1897. ENGINEER OFFICE, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA, San Francisco, Cal., July 7, 1897. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of operations in this office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897: First Lieut. J. F. Reynolds Landis, First Cavalry, aid, was (under paragraph 3, General Orders No. 15, dated headquarters Department of California, June 4, 1895) acting as engineer officer until relieved by me under General Orders, No. 17, current series, headquarters Department of California, June 14, 1897. C. Winstanley, clerk, has been continuously on duty in the office as topographer and draftsman. The energies of the office have been almost exclusively directed to carrying out the instructions from the Adjutant-General of the Army of December 1, 1895, and numerous sheets were prepared thereunder until the receipt of the revised instructions, dated April 7, 1897, when all work on the former map and sheets was abandoned and a new index map was at once prepared, the sheets corresponding in area and number with those of the index map on file in this office. Polyconic projections, for sheets, in accordance with these instructions were at once prepared, but owing to the lack of reliable maps, showing wagon roads and the other information that was called for on the skeleton sheets to be prepared in the office, but little progress has yet been made in completing them. Wheeler's surveys west of the one hundredth meridian did not afford us any information of the desired portion, neither did the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, except in the immediate neighborhood of harbors. Several very useful sheets were found in the United States Geological Survey, but the lake survey did not assist us, being too remote from this department. Four maps have been purchased for the use of this office from the contingent fund by the adjutant-general of the department, one of the neighborhood of San Francisco Bay, one of the southern part of the State, one of Contra Costa County, and one of Marin County, the last two being on a large scale. From these much valuable information can be derived. From the excess of acid used in its preparation, black-print paper, when kept in rolls ready sensitized, quickly deteriorates and becomes very brittle. To obviate this I have made arrangements to sensitize my own paper, as required, and print the sheets at once. By this means I hope to get better results and prints that can be handled without breaking the paper. By an act of the California legislature, approved March 9, 1897, the State granted and released to the Federal Government certain pieces or parcels of land extending 300 yards out beyond low-water mark, adjoining all military reservations bordering on tidal water, maps of all such reservations and the land added thereto to be placed on file in the office of the recorder of deeds of the county in which the reservation might be situated, and also in the office of the surveyor-general of the State. In consequence, maps of a convenient size were prepared and transmitted to the adjutant-general of the department of the Presidio of San Francisco, Fort Mason, Alcatraz, and Angel Islands, Benicia Arsenal and Barracks, and San Diego Barracks. Lieut. Milton F. Davis, Fourth Cavalry, prepared a very comprehensive map of the Sequoia and General Grant national parks, the topography and information contained in which will be transferred to the sheets of the military information department map as soon as that portion is reached. This remark also applies to a map of the Yosemite National Park, prepared by Lieut. Harry C. Benson, of the same regiment, several copies of which have been supplied to the cavalry troop now patrolling the park. Copies have also been furnished to the deputy United States surveyor (Campbell), who is about to resurvey the boundaries and set suitable monuments. Very respectfully, J. D. MILEY, Brig. Gen. JOHN M. WILSON, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. DDD 4. EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE COLORADO. ANNUAL REPORT OF LIEUT. JOHN L. SEHON, TWENTIETH INFANTRY, A. D. C., FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1897. ENGINEER OFFICE, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE COLORADO, SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the official transactions of this office for the period covered from September 1, 1896 (date of last report), to June 30, 1897. PERSONNEL. First Lieut. George T. Langhorne, First Cavalry, aid-de-camp, remained in charge of the office since submitting last report until May 8, 1897. First Lieut. John L. Sehon, Twentieth Infantry, aid-de-camp, in compliance with General Orders, No. 12, headquarters Department of the Colorado, May 24, 1897, assumed charge of the office June 8, 1897, relieving Second Lieut. J. B. Bennet, Seventh Infantry, detailed to perform the duty until the arrival at these headquarters of an officer of the personal staff of Brig. Gen. E. S. Otis, United States Army, the present department commander. Mr. Charles Kern. an efficient topographer and draftsman, has continued on duty in the office as assistant to the engineer officer. OFFICE WORK. Excellent work nas been done on the progressive military map, the section cards returned to this office from the several detachments now engaged in the field revision of the same indicating that more satisfactory results will be attained under the system recently adopted than obtained under the method followed when the scheme was first instituted. No map of the Department of the Colorado has ever been prepared since the organization of the department with the present territorial limits, a substitute for such being had in general land office maps of the States of Colorado and Utah and Territories of New Mexico and Arizona obtained from the Interior Department, but these can not be secured in sufficient numbers to permit a general distribution to all officers serving at posts in the department who may desire them. With a view to surmounting this deficiency, it is the intention to commence at the first opportunity a drawing for the production of a map of this military department containing all attainable information, but with the services of only one draftsman available in the office, progress upon such a work will necessarily be slow. One hundred and fifty five maps of portions of this department have been issued, 15 maps drawn by hand, 36 tracings made, 208 solar prints of different maps made, 51 maps mounted on muslin, and 188 maps mounted on cardboard. Some miscellaneous work has been done in addition to the foregoing, and numerous verbal reports to the department commander and adjutant-general of the department made at various times. No funds have been available for the use of this office during the year, a few necessary materials and some requisite articles of office, equipment having been furnished by the quartermaster's department. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN L. SEHON, First Lieutenant, Twentieth Infantry, Brig. Gen. JOHN M. WILSON, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. APPENDIX E E E. LAWS FOR PROTECTION OF NAVIGABLE WATERS. [Printed in House Doc. No. 293, Fifty-fourth Congress, second session.] OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY, Washington, D. C., February 10, 1897. SIR: Section 2 of the river and harbor act of June 3, 1896, directs the Secretary of War "to cause to be prepared a compilation of all general laws that have been enacted from time to time by Congress for the maintenance, protection, and preservation of the navigable waters of the United States which are now in force, and to submit the same to Congress" at its present session, "together with such recommendation as to revision, emendation, or enlargement of the said laws as, in his judgment, will be advantageous to the public interest." In pursuance of the foregoing provision of the act, I have the honor to submit herewith (1) a compilation of the general laws relating to the maintenance, preservation, and protection of navigable waters of the United States now in force, and (2) a draft of an act embodying such revision and enlargement of the aforesaid laws as the experience of this office has shown to be advantageous to the public interest. The draft submitted covers every subject embraced in the existing laws, together with some additional subjects, except those authorizing the Secretary of War to make regulations for the navigation of Government canals and for the opening of drawbridges, which are comprehended in sections 4 and 5, respectively, of the act of August 18, 1894. These two laws have been omitted for the reasons that they appear unobjectionable in their present form; regulations under their provisions have been prescribed with much care and published at much expense; their force and constitutionality have been sustained by the courts, and no public advantage could be obtained by any change in their provisions. Much care has been given by this office to the preparation of the draft submitted, and the views of some of the most experienced officers of the Corps of Engineers have been invited and considered in connection therewith. It is believed to be clear and free from ambiguity, and better adapted to conserve the important interests of commerce and navigation than the laws in their present form. As the Secretary of War has given personal consideration to the question of changing the existing law relating to the removal of wrecks, special care has been exercised in the revision of the law on that subject, which will be found in sections 11 and 12 of the draft submitted. In this connection attention is respectfully invited to a separate paper* containing a draft of a law for the removal of wrecks, which, it * Not printed. |