River, and a list furnished by the Cleveland Yacht Club, a number of which are moored at the river, and others running in from time to time.

In addition to these we inclose a list of other vessels which use the river as occasion requires and the number of vessels used for fishing purposes by Captains Horn and Slater, whose headquarters are on the river and whose fishing grounds are 3 or 4 miles distant.

It is possible that a much larger number of vessels than the above use the river, but as no record has been kept it is impossible to give the particulars. Hoping this information may be of service to you, we remain,

Very truly, yours,

Maj. D. C. KINGMAN.

THE CLIFTON PARK LAND AND IMPROVEMENT COMPANY,
J. J. CROOKS, Secretary and Treasurer.

LETTER OF THE LAKEWOOD (OHIO) YACHT CLUB.

CLEVELAND, OHIO, August 30, 1902.

DEAR SIR: Inclosed please find a list of boats belonging to the Lakewood Yacht Club. All of these boats are moored at Rocky River, Ohio:

The CLIFTON PARK LAND AND IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, J. J. CROOKS, Manager.

LIST OF YACHTS ENTERING ROCKY RIVER BELONGING TO THE CLEVELAND (OHIO) YACHT

LIST OF CERTAIN FISHING AND OTHER VESSELS USING ROCKY RIVER, OHIO.

PP 15.

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF SANDUSKY RIVER, OHIO, FROM ITS MOUTH TO FREMONT.

[Printed in House Doc. No. 242, Fifty-eighth Congress, second session.]

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,

Washington, December 1, 1903.

SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith report, dated April 27, 1903, by Maj. Dan C. Kingman, Corps of Engineers, on preliminary examination of Sandusky River, Ohio, from its mouth to Fremont, authorized by the river and harbor act approved June 13, 1902. In his opinion the improvement of the locality to the extent of securing a depth of 9 feet is desirable if it can be accomplished at a reasonable cost, and this opinion is concurred in by the division engineer, Col. O. H. Ernst, Corps of Engineers.

The Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors has reviewed this report, in accordance with the provisions of sections 3 and 14 of the above-mentioned act, and submits report in indorsement of June 12, 1903, thereon. Careful consideration has been given by the Board to available data, and a public hearing was held at Fremont, at which interested parties appeared and advocated the improvement. A full history of the commerce and the operations heretofore carried on by the United States for the improvement of this stream is given in its report, and for reasons stated the Board concludes that it is not advisable for the United States to undertake the further improvement of Sandusky River from its mouth to Fremont.

I concur in the opinion of the Board.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

G. L. GILLESPIE,

Brig. Gen., Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army.

Hon. ELIHU ROOT,
Secretary of War.

REPORT OF MAJ. DAN C. KINGMAN, CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

ENGINEER OFFICE, UNITED STATES ARMY, Cleveland, Ohio, April 27, 1903. GENERAL: In compliance with instructions contained in the Department letter of June 23, 1902, and under authority of the river and harbor act of June 13, 1902, I have the honor to submit the following report of a preliminary examination, made by me, of the Sandusky River in the State of Ohio, from its mouth to the city of Fremont:

This river has already had a considerable sum of money expended upon it for its improvement. The earliest work known to have been done consists of dredging on certain bars in the river, which was paid

for to the amount of $17,000 by the citizens of Fremont and by the county of Sandusky. The river and harbor act of 1866 called for a survey of this river, and the survey was made in the same year under the direction of Col. T. J. Cram, by Captain Farquhar, Corps of Engineers, and the results are published in the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1866. A blueprint of the map prepared by Captain Farquhar is transmitted in a separate package.

As a result of this survey Colonel Cram prepared a project for the improvement of the river so as to afford a depth of channel of not less than 12 feet and a navigable width of from 160 to 200 feet. This improvement was to be obtained entirely by dredging and its estimated cost, in round numbers, was $68,000. Several appropriations were made toward the execution of this project, but Captain Gillespie and Major Farquhar, successors to Colonel Cram, in charge of this work, were of the opinion that it was useless to attempt to secure a depth of 12 feet in the river until a corresponding depth was attained in Sandusky Bay, through which the navigable channel would have to pass. Up to 1880 about $40,000 had been expended upon this project. At that time another survey was called for by the river and harbor act of 1880 of the river in the vicinity of Fremont, but by authority of the Chief of Engineers this survey was extended over the entire river from Fremont to the mouth and outward to deep water in the bay. This work was done under the direction of Major Wilson, Corps of Engineers, and the results are published in the Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1881. Major Wilson prepared a project to secure by dredging a channel 100 feet wide and 9 feet in depth through the river and outward into the bay of Sandusky. The estimated cost of this improvement was $44,000, in addition to the amount already expended. Work was carried on under this project for several years until about $18,000 had been expended, the last appropriation having been made in 1892. The total amount expended by the United States for the improvement of the river has therefore been $58,000 in a period of about thirty-six years.

There has never been sufficient money available to complete either of the projects proposed, and the long periods that elapsed without any appropriations at all were very disadvantageous to this class of improvement. No doubt results of temporary value to commerce were secured by such dredging as was possible under the appropriations, but in an alluvial river of this character no improvement by dredging should be expected to be absolutely permanent.

Taking advantage of the presence of the Government inspection boat at Sandusky, I visited that place on April 14, 1903, and proceeded with the boat to the upper end of Sandusky Bay. The draft of the inspection boat was 7 feet. Near the upper end of the bay the depth of water was reduced to about 6 feet and I was unable to find a channel of sufficient depth for the boat, although along the line where dredging had formerly been done the bottom was soft and did not offer an insurmountable obstruction. I thought it prudent, however, to have the upper end of the bay more carefully examined before attempting to force the boat through the mud, and by taking advantage of a favorable opportunity the crew of the boat were able to sound out the best channel that existed and to mark it accurately with stakes.

a Not printed.

On the 24th of April, everything being ready, I made another attempt to enter the river. Shoal water was encountered nearly 2 miles from the river mouth, and for a long distance the boat had to be forced through the mud, where the depth of water was at least a foot less than its draft. The pumps were clogged and had to be cleaned out before the boat could proceed. After entering the mouth of the river a sufficient depth of water was found, and we proceeded to Fremont without any further trouble. We found every where a channel not less than 8 feet in depth. The bars described in the earlier reports still exist, and no new ones were discovered. So far as could be ascertained by occasional soundings the general depth of the river was unchanged. I was somewhat surprised at this, because the last survey was made nearly twenty-three years ago, and the wash from the cultivated land that borders the river ought to furnish a considerable amount of bar-making material. It is possible, however, that the current of the river during freshets is strong enough to sweep all of this light material out into the bay.

I think there is no doubt that the river is susceptible of an improvement so as to secure a depth of 9 feet at moderate cost. A greater depth would involve the necessity of dredging and maintaining a very long channel in the shallow portion of Sandusky Bay. I am of the opinion that the dredging in Sandusky Bay could advantageously be done by an elevator dredge and the material discharged to the right and to the left through a long pipe. The channel in the bay should be at least 200 feet wide and the discharged material would form submerged banks or jetties which would tend to define the channel and to confine in part the discharge of the river and in this way to maintain the depth. Of course, if the material to be dredged is sand and not clay this disposition of it might not be judicious.

On my arrival at Fremont I met and conferred with a number of the citizens of the place who were interested in the improvement of the river. Some of them accompanied me on the boat upon my return to Sandusky. The desire for the improvement seemed to be general. I received from those who were with me three letters setting forth the particular use which would be made of the river in case it was improved. These letters are transmitted herewith.

It appears that a large factory has recently been erected at Fremont for the manufacture of beet sugar. This factory would make extensive use of the river if it were navigable, and its improvement would be of advantage not only to the owners of the factory, but to all the farmers owning land bordering upon the river, upon the bay of Sandusky, and upon the shores of Lake Erie. The river itself is not long enough to justify the employment of a special class of boats suited to its navigation. If it is used to any valuable extent it must be by vessels capable of navigating the lake.

I am of the opinion that the river is worthy of a proper and complete survey, and if the survey indicates that the improvement that I have described can be attained at moderate cost, then I am of the opinion that the improvement is desirable. The survey should furnish the following information: The length, width, and general topography of the river and of the country adjacent thereto; the total fall of the water surface and the fall at each shoal; the depth of the river through

a Not printed.