APPROPRIATIONS.

By act of Congress approved June 13, 1902 ..

$25,000

CONTRACT IN FORCE.

Contract was entered into with the Northern Dredge Company of Duluth, Minn., February 18, 1904, for dredging about 15,000 cubic yards in removing shoals, dredg ing a turning slip, etc., at 17 cents per cubic yard; approved by the Chief of Engineers March 3, 1904. Time to begin work as soon as the conditions of ice and weather would permit in the spring of 1904, and to be completed June 30, 1904. Time for completion extended for a reasonable period by the Chief of Engineers, June 29, 1904.

COMMERCIAL STATISTICS.

Arrivals and clearances of vessels at Portwing, Wis., for calendar year 1903.

For a detailed description of this harbor see pages 2863-2864, Appendix K K, Report of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, for 1901 and earlier reports.

By act of Congress approved June 13, 1902, the sum of $40,000 was appropriated for continuing improvement and for maintenance of this work.

Under this appropriation the harbor front channel was extended 900 feet westward in June, 1903, as described in the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1903.

The contract entered into with A. Donald & Co., dated March 23, 1903, provided for placing riprap alongside and on top of a portion of the breakwater, which is a temporary structure of piles and slabs, so as to form a rubble mound with the present breakwater as a hearting. Previous to this work, it should be stated, a large quantity of dredged material from the United States channel and from private slips had been dumped alongside the breakwater during recent years, amounting to probably as much as 300,000 yards, for the purpose of forming a partial embankment of earth and to serve as a foundation for the riprap embankment. This earth fill raised the bottom to a height of 10 feet or more for the greater portion of the length of the break water, and it is expected that more will be added. All private dredgings are required by this office to be so deposited. This earth fill has therefore been placed without cost to the United States, excepting for the salary of an inspector to watch and direct the private dumping at times.

The work of depositing rock under the present contract began June 6, 1903. Up to June 30, 1903, 2,722 tons had been placed, as reported in 1903. Work was continued during the season of 1903, resumed in the spring of 1904 under an extension of time, and the contract was completed on June 29, 1904. Amount of rock placed during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, was 29,277 tons. The total amount of rock placed under said contract was 31,999 tons, at the price of 85 cents per ton of 2,000 pounds, and a contract cost of $27,199.15. This revetted 1,766 linear feet of the breakwater, beginning at the east end of the older and narrower portion (20 feet wide), which was built in 1889 and is the most decayed. The point of beginning is 1,021 feet from the extreme easterly end of the breakwater. The portion thus revetted is 24 per cent, or about one-fourth of the entire length of breakwater, and all of it needs the same treatment for maintenance. The riprap placed last year is now intact and has settled but little, or something like one-tenth of a foot on an average, and promises to be permanent and effective. The remainder of the breakwater should be revetted as soon as possible to prevent its going to pieces. This is deemed of more importance at the present time than further extensions of the break water.

The harbor front channel, as extended 900 feet in 1903, now reaches to 100 feet west of the prolonged west line of Beaser avenue. The extension is 100 feet wide, with a least depth of 19 feet, as shown by a survey made September 16, 1903. The entire dredged channel is about 4,360 feet long, with a least depth of 18 feet at low-water datum for a width of 90 to 140 feet. The channel is not marked in any way at present. It is straight, and at the northerly end the east line of the channel is 500 feet off the outer end of the Commercial dock, while at the south end the east line passes 60 feet outside the Barker & Stewart lumber docks, and terminates off the fourth one of this set of lumber docks, counting from the north. The channel can be used by the largest vessels at the usual stages of water.

Available balance and appropriation recommended will be applied to further dredging and maintenance.

(Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project ... ... 386, 500.00 Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1906, in addition to the balance unexpended July 1, 1904:

For works of improvement..
For maintenance of improvement

$25,000.00

100,000.00

125,000.00

Submitted in compliance with requirements of sundry civil act of June 4, 1897, and of section 7 of the river and harbor act of 1899.

ABSTRACT OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR IMPROVING HABBOR AT ASHLAND, WIS.

Arrivals and clearances of vessels at Chequamegon Bay (Ashland and Washburn) for the

Arrivals.
Clearances.

Total..

calendar year 1903.

Shipments and receipts of principal articles during calendar year 1903.

NOTE. There was in addition a local business between Ashland and Washburn and Bayfield of 2,700 trips of ferryboats carrying about 55,000 passengers and 60 tons of freight, and a number of tugs towing stone, etc.

II 6.

IMPROVEMENT OF HARBOR AT ONTÓNAGON, MICHIGAN.

For further details see previous Annual Reports of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, particularly the one for 1896.

A survey of the harbor and of the river up to a distance of about five-eights of a mile above the bridge was made in June, 1903, under directions of this office, by H. H. Wadsworth, assistant engineer. A reduced copy of the resulting map accompanies the report for 1903. By act of Congress, approved June 13, 1902, the sum of $5,000 was appropriated for the maintenance of this work. The sum was mostly expended in dredging the harbor above the entrance piers, work on which began June 29, 1903, and was completed July 7, 1903. Contractor, James Pryor. Amount dredged was 18.054 yards. Price, 23 cents per yard. This price was high, on account of the small size of the contract and the distance necessary to tow the dredge.

This dredging made a channel 1,000 feet long and 100 feet wide, with least depth of 15 feet at low-water datum, through the bar at inner end of the entrance piers and up to within 50 feet of the lumber dock and Commercial dock. Elsewhere between the piers, where dredging could not be done for want of funds, the least available depth was 12.5 feet at low-water datum, and this is therefore the maximum draft that could be carried at the time of the last survey in 1903.

For results of a preliminary examination of this harbor, authorized by the river and harbor act approved June 13, 1902, see current summary, and House Document, No. 235, Fifty-eighth Congress, second session; also Appendix I I 14, herewith.

Available balance and appropriation recommended will be applied to further dredging and maintenance.

July 1, 1903, balance unexpended.

Money statement.

$5, 156. 87

June 30, 1904, amount expended during fiscal year, for maintenance of improvement

4, 821.51

July 1, 1904, balance unexpended

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1906, for maintenance of improvement, in addition to the balance unexpended July 1, 1904...

Submitted in compliance with requirements of sundry civil act of June 4, 1897, and of section 7 of the river and harbor act of 1899.

335.36

10, 000. 00

ABSTRACT OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR IMPROVING HARBOR AT ONTONAGON, MICH.

COMMERCIAL STATISTICS.

Arrivals and clearances of vessels at Ontonagon, Mich., for calendar year 1903.

Logs received, 1,500,000 feet B. M.; logs shipped, 900,000 feet B. M.

IMPROVEMENT AND OPERATING AND CARE OF WATERWAY FROM KEWEENAW BAY TO LAKE SUPERIOR, MICHIGAN.

For the history of this waterway and its purchase by the United States see Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1892, Appendix II, page 2158. For the work of improvement by the United States see subsequent annual reports. A complete detailed description of this waterway is also given in Bulletin No. 14, published by the survey of the Northern and Northwestern Lakes, April 15, 1904, pages 60 to 65. The dredging under contract with James Pryor, which was in prog ress June 30, 1903, was completed September 9, 1903. With the completion of this contract the authorized appropriation of $1,065,000, by act of Congress approved June 3, 1896, was practically exhausted. The approved project is not fully completed, however, and about $45,000 additional funds are needed in order to make a channel 20 feet deep and 120 feet wide throughout. See current summary for further details.