Embankment at Shawneetown.-Riprapping and paving of levee, for its protection, was completed April 5, 1892. Big Hocking River.-The work of improving navigation on this stream is paid for out of the appropriation for the improvement of the Ohio River, and it therefore appears under that heading. The object to be attained is to permit the Ohio River steamboats to ascend to Coolville, 5 miles above the mouth, during high and medium stages of the Ohio, taking advantage of the back water. The work was completed September 1, 1891. Operations of United States dredges.-The dredges, after undergoing the usual spring repairs at Pittsburg, started down the river July 2, working wherever it was necessary until December 20, when they were put in winter quarters. During the five months they removed from the river between Pittsburg and Louisville 6 wrecks of river craft, 171 piles, 24 snags, 23,232 cubic yards of loose rock and pudding stones, and 81,564.3 cubic yards of gravel. Removal of rock and other obstructions.-In October a small party was put to work removing dangerous obstructions from the channel between Pittsburg, Pa., and Steubenville, Ohio. During the short time the water permitted them to work they removed 332 cubic yards of rock, the wreck of a coal boat, and some snags. Encroachments.-Information has been received at various times that parties along the Ohio River were dumping material into the river or over its banks. Investigations have been made, and wherever the parties have persisted in violating the law the matter has been reported to the United States district attorney for his action. July 1, 1892, amount covered by uncompleted contracts... 16, 331. 13 24, 491. 12 July 1, 1892, balance available.... 33, 695.32 Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. 360, 000.00 Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.... (See Appendix D D 1.) 393, 695. 32 2. Operating snag boats on Ohio River.-During 1891 extensive repairs and betterments were made on the snag boat E. A. Woodruff. She worked from September 8 to November 22, removing 473 snags, 11 rocks, 1 mass of pudding stones, 3 large pieces of iron (wreckage of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Bridge), and wrecks of 9 steamboats, 24 coal boats, flats, and barges, 1 brick boat, 1 model barge, and one ferry-boat hull. The total distance traveled was 1,396 miles. (See Appendix D D 2.) 3. Operating and care of Davis Island Dam, Ohio River, near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. This dam was built to test the adaptability of the system of movable dams to the peculiar condition of the hio River and to the special character of the commerce that navigates it. It was intended to be the first step in the radical improvement of the Ohio River, designed to give a minimum depth of 6 feet at all times, except when ice was running. Incidentally this dam has been of great value to the city of Pittsburg by securing an ample depth of water in its harbor throughout the low-water season. It has also been of immense benefit to the coal trade by enabling them to bring loaded boats out of the Monongahela River at any time. The natural harbor room of Pittsburg is very limited and before the Davis Island Dam was built the great bulk of coal barges were held in the Monongahela. In short rises the amount of coal that could be shipped south was absolutely limited by the number of barges that could be locked through the lowest dam in the Monongahela during the passage of the rise. Under present conditions this limit no longer exists, and all coal can now be shipped for which towboats are available. During the fiscal year the lock and dam have been operated successfully without the least interference with navigation. The dam has been raised and lowered four times and has been up 115 days during the fiscal year. (See Appendix D D 3.) 4. Movable dam in Ohio River below mouth of Beaver River, Pennsyl vania. The first appropriation for this work was made September 19, 1890, $250,000. The land necessary for the site of this dam, on both sides of the river, has been acquired, drawings have been prepared, a project for the season's work has been submitted and approved, and the preparatory work for construction of the lock begun. The amount expended on this work up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $1,381.23. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended June 30, 1892, amount ex pended 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 D D 4.) $248, 618. 77 5, 364.01 243, 254.76 123.92 243, 130. 84 100,000.00 343, 130.84 550,000.00 5. Monongahela River, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.-The seven lower locks and dams on the Monongahela River belong to the Monongahela Navigation Company, and they create slack water from Pittsburg to Dunkard Creek, a distance of 88 miles. Locks and Dams Nos. 8 and 9, belonging to the United States, continue this slack water to Morgantown, W. Va., a further distance of 14 miles, the distance from Pittsburg to Morgantown being 102 miles. The original condition of the river from the head of slack water of Monongahela Navigation Company to Morgantown was, that it was absolutely unfitted for navigation. In 1871 a very light boat, drawing but 12 inches of water, was built for the express purpose of running to Morgantown. She only succeeded, however, in making five trips in the year. The originally adopted project for the improvement of this river was the construction of two locks and dams to continue slack water to Morgantown, W. Va. The amount expended thereon up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $436,098.34. The improvement was completed in 1889. A few minor repairs and betterments have been made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892. As the cost of operating these locks and dams is a charge against the indefinite appropriation for "operating and care of canals and other works of navigation," reference is made to the report under that heading for further particulars. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended... June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892, for beginning work on Lock and Dam No. 10... Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893.. (See Appendix D D 5.) $801.66 443. 18 358.48 25,000.00 25, 358. 48 6. Operating and care of Locks and Dams Nos. 8 and 9, Monongahela River. These locks and dams have been successfully operated throughout the year, and, while some minor repairs have been made to the dams and operating machinery of the locks, no stoppage to navigation was caused thereby. (See Appendix D D 6.) 7. Purchase of Lock and Dam No. 7, Monongahela River.-The case of the United States vs. The Monongahela Navigation Company, for the condemnation of this structure, was heard in the circuit court of the United States for the western district of Pennsylvania, in November, 1890, and the value of the work was fixed by the court at $209,000. The Navigation Company took an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, where the matter is still pending. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.... July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.. (See Appendix D D 7.) $161, 835.45 161, 835. 45 8. Purchase of Lock and Dam No. 6, Monongahela River.-Under the act of Congress no steps can be taken towards the condemnation of this lock and dam until the United States has acquired title to Lock and Dam No. 7. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended July 1, 1892, balance unexpended (See Appendix D D 8.) $167,000.00 167,000.00 9. Cheat River, West Virginia.-The channel of this river was originally filled with rock obstructions, which interfered with the free passage of drifting logs, thereby making the transportation of timber from the vast forests at the head waters of this river to the markets along the Monongahela and Ohio rivers very hazardous. The originally adopted project for the improvement of the river was. the removal of rock obstructions that interfered with the free passage of logs on a 6 or 8 foot stage of water for a distance of 30 miles from Rowlesburg to Beaver Hole. This project was modified at the request of those interested in the improvement, and a low-water channel was made from Rowlesburg, 8 miles down the river, in which logs can be floated on rise of from 2 to 3 feet. The amount expended on the project up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $5,108.15. At this time the work was progressing and continued until January 9, 1892, when this appropriation was exhausted. The river is now in fair condition as far down as Green Island, 20 miles below Rowlesburg. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended (See Appendix D D 9.) $7.891.85 .7, 884.35 7.50 10. Allegheny River, Pennsylvania.-The original condition of the Allegheny River as to depth, width, and navigability, can not be stated in definite figures, as there is no defined plane from which to measure; both the low-water line and the elevation of the river bed being variable. The approved project for the improvement of the river is the removal of obstructions from the channel and the construction of low dams to close duplicate channels, and of dikes to confine the water way where the river is too wide. The amount expended on this project up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $161,400.12. Much benefit to navigation has resulted. There was available at the beginning of the fiscal year $18,599.88. The following work has been done during the fiscal year: Dam at Cornplanter Island, 204 miles above Pittsburg.-Construction finished. Dam at Hickory, 157 miles above Pittsburg.—Commenced and finished during the year. Dam at Pithole, 143 miles above Pittsburg.-Construction finished. Five hundred cubic yards of rock was removed from the bar at foot of Pithole Ripple, and 621 cubic yards of rock and 11 snags from the channel of the river between Kittanning and Pittsburg. The construction of these dams and the removal of obstructions has resulted in great good to the general navigation. Encroachments.-Navigators had frequent occasion to report parties engaged in filling material into the stream. These cases were investigated and guilty parties notified to stop their unlawful practice, which in every case they did. Amount available for fiscal year ending June 30, 1893...... (See Appendix D D 10.) $18,599.88 16, 977. 73 1, 622. 15 163.00 1,459.15 25,000.00 26, 459. 15 11. Dam at Herr Island, Allegheny River, near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The object of this dam is to begin a system of slack-water navigation and enlarge the harbor room at Pittsburg to the extent of the pool formed by the dam. The original project was for a fixed dam, but in compliance with the request of the authorities of Pittsburg and Allegheny City, the Secretary of War has ordered that the dam at Herr Island be made a movable one. The land required, on both banks of the river, was purchased, drawings prepared, and the work of construction was about to begin, when a number of suits for damages were brought in the circuit court of the United States by riparian owners; these suits are still pending and the construction of this important work delayed thereby. The amount expended on this work up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, was $36,851.77. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended. June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year.. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended........ 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 D D 11.) $70, 648.23 1,951.38 68, 696.85 40,000.00 108, 696.85 484,500.00 12. Ice harbor at mouth of Muskingum River, Ohio.-The object of this work was to furnish a place of refuge for Ohio River craft during ice floods. The project was the construction of a large lock through Dam No. 1, Muskingum River, to permit Ohio River vessels to pass into the pool. There has been expended thereon, up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, $307,866.78. The lock was nearly finished and was ready for use December 1, 1891, but it can not be made available for Ohio River craft until a draw is placed in the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad bridge, just below it. The time granted .the railroad company for completion of the work for providing such draw expired July 1, 1892, and the work has not been done. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended.. June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.... (See Appendix D D 12.) $20, 114.29 20,063.51 50.78 13. Operating and care of ice-harbor lock at mouth of Muskingum River, Ohio. This lock was ready for use December 1, 1891. An allotment of $1.200 was made December 10, 1891, for its operation and care. The expenditures during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, amounting to $852.98, were for lock-keepers and assistants, and for some minor repairs. (See Appendix D D 13.) 14. Muskingum River, Ohio.-This report is limited to work carried on under the appropriation of August 11, 1888, for the construction of a lock at Taylorsville and the reconstruction of the lock at Zanesville, Ohio. There was expended thereon up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, $66,867.84. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, some work was done on the Taylorsville Lock, but this lock can not be made available until a draw is placed in the county bridge, just below it. The commissioners of Muskingum County, to whom the bridge belongs, were ordered to change it, but thus far they have made no move toawrds obeying the order. |