As to the construction of a mortar battery Lieutenant Colonel King reports:

The buildings for storehouse, office, and blacksmith's shop were completed and derricks and steam drills were kept at work during the year when the weather would permit. Cars and track were bought, and a substantial wharf, with an incline connecting it with the battery, was completed.

A suitable stationary engine was procured and set up at the head of the incline for handling cement, sand, and other heavy materials that will be required in the construction of the battery.

The earth excavation for all the mortar pits and magazines and passages was completed, excepting a part of one mortar pit, and nearly all of this earth and some of the rock was placed in embankment where it will not have to be removed again.

The rock excavation, which is the most serious item of the work required, has also been pushed during the year, and nearly all that required to be removed from two mortar pits and all of the magazines and passageways has been removed and a third pit is partly excavated.

The condition of the work is now such that the concrete work can be commenced at once, and a stone crusher will be set at work at an early day to supply the broken stone. There is enough stone on the ground that has been taken from the pits to supply all the stone needed for concrete on the entire work, and it can be crushed for a mere fraction of what it would cost to buy the stone already broken.

The entire quantities of materials removed during the year are the following, viz:

Washington, District of Columbia.-Officers of the Corps of Engineers in charge: Lieut. Col. Peter C. Hains, until November 23, 1891; then Maj. Lewis C. Overman, until December 7, 1891; then Capt. Thomas Turtle, until January 25, 1892, and since that date Maj. Charles E. L. B. Davis, with first Lieut. George A. Zinn under their immediate orders; Division Engineer, Col. William P. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, from January 5, 1892.

The approved project of defense contemplates emplacements for four 12-inch guns on lifts, six 10-inch and three 8-inch guns on disappearing carriages, eight 12-inch mortars, and submarine mines operated from two mining casemates. A project for the construction of emplacements for two 10-inch guns was approved July 11, 1891. In July and August, 1891, preparations for the work were made, plans were prepared, and the collection of a plant begun and, in September, 1891, active operations were commenced.

The site of the emplacement being 125 feet above the river, an extensive plant for handling and delivering material at the site of the work had to be constructed. A new wharf was built, 210 feet long, extending to 17 feet at low water, and provided with four derricks and a hoisting engine. An inclined railway was built up to the top of the hill where a large hoisting engine was placed. Bins for storage and high trestle tracks were constructed, and the necessary cars and machinery purchased. A pump and pipe connections for water supply of boilers and concrete mixer from the river were provided. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, the excavation was practically completed.

Hampton Roads, Virginia.-Under charge of the officers in charge of defenses of Washington, D. C.

The approved project of defense contemplates, for the present, five 12-inch guns on lifts, ten 10-inch guns on disappearing carriages, thirtytwo 12-inch mortars, and submarine mines operated from two mining casemates. At the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, a project for emplacements for two 10-inch guns had been approved and work commenced. The track for steam railway had been extended, a bridge across the ditch and storage bins for concrete material built, a concrete mixer with its necessary plant installed, and a telephone line established between all parts of the work. In October, 1891, the removal of the old redoubt with its concrete gun platforms and magazines was commenced and proved a difficult and expensive piece of work. In March, 1892, the mixing and laying of concrete were commenced.

San Francisco Harbor, California.-Officer in charge, Col. George H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers, with First Lieuts. Henry C. Newcomer and Charles L. Potter, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders, the latter until July 28, 1891.

The approved project of defense contemplates, for the present, eighteen 12-inch guns on lifts, twenty-three 10-inch and thirteen 8-inch guns on disappearing carriages; fifteen 12-inch, five 10-inch, and six 8-inch guns on nondisappearing carriages; one hundred and forty-four 12-inch mortars, and submarine mines operated from seven mining casemates. During the year estimates and working drawings for four emplacements were submitted. Of these one was for a disappearing and three for nondisappearing guns. Wharfage and storage facilities and the water supply were increased. Of the rock used, part was obtained from a Government quarry and part by contract at 89 cents per ton of 2,000 pounds.

The excavation necessary for the six emplacements for three 12-inch and three 10-inch guns was completed. The concrete work of three has been completed as far as it can be now done. Excepting the gaps left in the parapets in front of the three gun positions, the masonry is ready for the 3-inch top layer of bituminous rock. Almost 20,000 cubic yards of concrete have been placed in position, and necessary drains have been placed. Much back filling has been executed.

The final completion of all emplacements for guns must await definite information as to the position and the details of gun platforms for carriages, which can not be had until the models for carriages are adopted. Estimates are submitted for emplacements for six 12-inch, eight 10. inch, and four 8-inch guns, and for one mortar battery.

Balances on hand from previous appropriations should not be considered as justifying any reduction of these estimates, as these balances pertain to works entirely distinct from those for which estimates are now submitted.

MINING CASEMATES.

During the past fiscal year three mining casemates have been com pleted, forming part of the defenses of Washington, D. C., Hampton Roads, nd San Francisco; one for the defense of Portland, Me., is expected to be completed in about six weeks; two for the defense of Philadelphia, for which allotments were made June 8 and October 10, 1891, will be completed during the present working season, and one at Charleston, S. C., is near completion. Working drawings and estimates of cost of two mining casemates for the defense of Narragansett Bay are about ready to be submitted.

The defenses proposed for the places named and for Boston include twelve mining casemates, in addition to those completed or under way, and an estimate is submitted for $150,000, in order that the construction of six of these may be undertaken.

Two special storage sheds for submarine-mining material have been completed at New York and San Francisco, and a third required at the former place will be commenced as soon as the site can be graded and prepared.

SITES FOR FORTIFICATIONS.

The act of August 18, 1890, authorized the acquisition by condemnation, purchase, or donation of sites needed for fortifications. By this act and that of February 24, 1891, $1,000,000 was appropriated for this purpose.

In the fiscal year 1891 the greater portion of sites for one 3-gun battery and two mortar batteries at Grovers Cliff, near Boston, about 50 acres, had been acquired. The title to small portions of these sites, not then acquired, has since been passed upon, and the Attorney-General has been requested to initiate condemnation proceedings for some few lots which it has not been practicable to purchase. The sum of $7,045 was obtained by selling at auction buildings which it was necessary to remove from the site of the mortar battery.

At the southern entrance of New York Harbor places selected as sites for fortifications owned by private parties were located at Coney Island, Fort Hamilton, and Bayside (near Keansburg), N. J.

After examination of the site proposed at Coney Island a new site was selected on Plumb Island, immediately in rear of the eastern end of Coney Island.

Failing to purchase the lands referred to near Fort Hamilton and on Plumb Island at reasonable and equitable rates, proceedings were instituted by the Attorney-General, at the request of the Secretary of War, for condemning the lands in the United States courts.

The decree of the court was rendered in the case of the land on Plumb Island July 7, 1891, and the total amount paid for 50 acres to the owners under the decree was $99,547.76.

After properly recording them, the papers in the case were filed with the Chief of Engineers December 26, 1891.

In the case of lands near Fort Hamilton, 56.54 acres, the decree was rendered November 18, 1891, and the amount paid owners was $292,315.86. The Treasury Department paid, in addition, the sum of $10,452.27 for expenses incurred by the United States district attorney,. making the total cost of the land $302,768.13.

The land near Keansburg, N. J., 25.3 acres, was purchased, on authority of the Secretary of War, by agreement, September 11, 1891, at $200 per acre, and the title papers were approved by the AttorneyGeneral of the United States June 6, 1892. Payment will be made in July.

Other sites at this entrance lie west and southwest from the Fort Wadsworth reservation, and amount to about 129 acres. ourteen acres, with improvements thereon, were purchased for $110,000, its valne, as appraised by an expert employed by the Government. Condemnation proceedings have been initiated for the acquisition of other portions of this property.

At Sheridans Point, below Washington, D. C., on the Potomac River, the purchase was authorized of 291 acres of land at a cost not exceed ing $65 per acre. But as the owners declined to sell at this figure, con

demnation proceedings for the acquisition of 90 acres of this tract were instituted. The resulting award was $140 per acre. This was so much in excess of what was considered a fair price that the appraisement was not accepted. Further proceedings in this case are not now pending.

At Willoughby Point, Virginia, a site for a mortar battery, containing about 47 acres, and two rights of way were condemned; the award, which was accepted, was $23,500. The expenses attending this acquisition were $766.85. This land had been once offered to the Government for $1,000, and later for $500 per acre. Jurisdiction has not been ceded over the sites acquired in New York and New Jersey.

At Point Lobos, California, condemnation proceedings in the case of 54.05 acres approached completion.

It is thought that the unallotted balance of existing appropriations will hardly suffice for the acquisition of sites whose condemnation has been requested; and as it is estimated that nearly 1,900 acres should be acquired at different localities on the coast, an estimate of $500,000 is submitted, which amount can well be applied to this purpose.

Statement of funds pertaining to the acquisition of sites.