they made an allotment of $25,000 from that appropriation to extend and repair the revetment, as the decline of the preceding flood had revealed a situation still more alarming. In making these repairs the original plan was modified by extending the upper bank protection to high water. The allotment sufficed to do small patches of work at the most urgent points, and only postponed the danger. The river and harbor act of July 5, 1884, contained a provision for the expenditure of $200,000 in the protection of Memphis Harbor. With this sum available an opportunity was afforded to abandon the old work and plan and begin anew upon the later and more successful methods which had by that time been developed at other points.

The new plan contemplated the protection of the bank by continuous revetment from the mouth of Wolf River to the lower end of the paved levee, a total distance of 7,700 feet. Greater efficiency was secured by extending the subaqueous mattress 150 to 300 feet from low water as against 125 and 130 feet in the old work. Increased stability was obtained by carrying a continuous longitudinal bond through the mattress, so that any part receiving too great strain could transfer the excess to adjacent portions above and below, and avoid the destruction of the work by successive attacks upon isolated pieces. Economy in construction resulted from a decrease in the thickness of the brushwork, thus reducing the amount of material required to cover a given

area.

Operations under the new plan were begun at the end of July, 1884, under unfavorable conditions. The river was considerably above low stage and rising, with much drift running. The first attempt was to build two mats, each 150 feet wide, to be sunk side by side, making a protection 300 feet wide. When these were finished, the strong current and accumulation of drift under the cuter one made it manifestly dangerous to try to sink it as originally intended, and it was dropped down and sunk below its companion. A few days later a mat 300 feet wide was begun, and when 700 feet had been built an attempt to sink it was made. During the operation it tore in two, and the parts were sunk separately. This mishap determined the postponement to a more favorable stage of river of the construction of wide mats, and to give temporary protection a mattress 150 feet in width was laid from Wolf River to Jefferson street, a distance of 4,800 feet, and the corresponding upper bank work put down. Early in November, 1884, the wide mats were resumed, and under the more favorable conditions then prevailing were built and sunk without loss or difficulty from a point 400 feet below Wolf River to the middle of the elevator, a distance of 1,600 feet. Their construction was then interrupted by rising water which put an end to the working season.

The small balance remaining did not justify the resumption of work. There remained to be protected the entire length of the city landing, which had been graded and paved by the city at a cost of nearly half a million dollars. Changes in the regimen above had, meanwhile, transferred the maximum strain from the vicinity of the elevator to the upper end of this landing, and it began to yield gradually, the pave ment from low to high water affording a measure of protection. That the landing was not destroyed before further funds became available I attribute to the fact that Hopefield Point opposite was at that time receding at a very rapid rate, causing the point of greatest strain on this side to travel down stream so fast that there was not time to do great damage at any one place.

The river and harbor act of August 5, 1886, contained an appropria

tion of $56,250 to complete this work. Operations were resumed in October following. As the late beginning made it improbable that the entire landing could be protected before high water, and as the greatest danger was then at the lower end, the usual order of construction was reversed and the work done from the lower end up-stream.

Four mats were laid during the season, leaving but one more to complete the work. The first, or down-stream one, was 285 feet wide, the next 265, and the rest 250.

In September, 1887, the last mat was laid and the protection was thus made continuous for the entire length originally projected.

The last 3,000 feet of this work has been done since the last detailed report, and an itemized statement of expenditures is submitted with this report. This part required no upper bank protection, the pavement of the city landing taking its place. The junction between the two is not so satisfactory as that between the two parts of a full revetment, and some device for improving this connection may be found necessary, though I think not. Should it be so, however, the balance of funds now on hand will suffice to do whatever is required as well as to make all needful repairs for years to come.

The entire work is to day in as perfect condition as when built, not a stick nor a stone can be seen to be displaced, and not a foot of earth has been lost behind the revetment. The degree of confidence placed in the work by those most familiar with it may be inferred from the fact that several manufacturing and warehousing concerns on and near the bank have recently erected extensive and costly additions to their buildings. The elevator and compress companies have built out on piles driven through the revetment so as to recover a considerable part of their lost space. The appropriations for the execution of the present project have been $256,250, of which $239,651.35 have been expended. This would make the actual cost of this work about $30 per foot of bank, but this figure is much above the probable cost of future work of the same character. Adequate explanations of the large cost of this particular work will be found in a perusal of the failures and mishaps chronicled above. Taking the last 3,000 feet as a basis for future estimates, it will be seen from the appended statement that the subaqueous work cost less than $12 per foot of bank. For complete work it has been found, both here and elsewhere, that a subaqueous mat 150 feet wide is 50 per cent. of the total cost. These mats were 250 to 300 feet wide, but assuming that the percentage is no more than for the narrower ones, or 50 per cent. of the whole, we should have the cost of completed work less than $24 per foot.

This is the heaviest and most costly work of its kind ever put down, and it will certainly protect any alluvial bank on the Mississippi River, no matter how difficult. These figures, from actual experience, more than justify a prediction which I hazarded before this last part was done, to the effect that work of this character and strength could be put down for $25 per foot. I am now able to state positively that it can be done for less than $25 per foot, which figure may be assumed as the cost of protecting the few banks of very unusual difficulty which may be encountered. For all ordinary banks the cost will be much less. The work under the first plan described above was done by Maj. W. H. H. Benyaurd. The final repairs to it were made by Maj. A. M. Miller; the new work to Jefferson street was done by Capt. C. B. Sears, and that below Jefferson street by the writer of this report. During the entire execution of the present project Mr. W. M. Rees has served

as assistant engineer in local charge with zeal and ability, which have contributed in no small degree to the success of the work.

MEMPHIS REACH.

This reach extends from the foot of Island 40, 10 miles above Memphis, to Scanlan's Landing, 18 miles below. These 28 miles of river have for several years been characterized by more than average difficulty of navigation, and were for that reason included, under the title above given, in the first report of the Commission, as one of the six localities most urgently demanding improvement. In 1882 a comprehensive project for the reach was formulated, and an allotment of $300,000 was made from the appropriation of August 2 of that year, to provide plant and begin the work. Since that time appropriations have not justified the allotment of funds for serious prosecution of the general plan, but the necessary small amounts have been applied as they could be spared to secure the unity and safety of the work which was undertaken under the stimulus of the more liberal appropriation of 1882.

The work mentioned is the protection of a caving bank in Hopefield Bend, immediately above and opposite Memphis. It was intended to serve the double purpose of preventing the river from leaving the harbor of Memphis and of avoiding certain unfavorable changes of regimen which that caving, if unchecked, would surely have produced in the river below. Since my report for the fiscal year, an allotment of $60,000 has become available for the extension of this work. A project was submitted and approved for the application of this sum to the construction of a standard revetment from a junction with the foot of the old work down-stream as far as the money would go. Based on the latest experience, the cost was estimated at $20 per foot of bank, and arrangements were accordingly made for materials to build 3,000 feet. Work was begun early in September, and up to date 3,000 feet of subaqueous work has been laid and half that distance of the upper bank work, with such results as to cost as to make it certain that 25 to 30 per cent. more work will be done with this money than was at first thought possible. Prices both of materials and labor are the same as heretofore. This great saving results partly from an unusually favorable season for work, but principally from more rapid progress due to increased experience.

To make this work complete and self-sustaining it should be extended about 2,000 feet below the point which will probably be reached under the present allotment. The old work is in good condition and no losses have occurred in the protected part of the bend, though the rest has been caving continuously and at times rapidly.

LEVEES.

Yazoo Front.-No work has been done on this line since the date of my annual report. At the last meeting of the Commission an allotment of $60,000 was made for a back line from Hushpucana to Malone's Landing, 353 and 357 miles below Cairo, respectively. This allotment was conditioned upon the contribution by the levee district of a sum sufficient to complete the line, estimated to cost $100,000. The condi tions of the allotment have been formally accepted by the Levee Board of the Upper Yazoo district. In view of the difficulty of raising the necessary funds during the present fiscal year, which ends February 1,

1888, and the risk attendant upon beginning such an important line, crossing several water-courses, so late in the season, the Board decided to postpone the work until next year and made an appropriation of $7,500 to repair the front line and hold it during the next high water. White River Front.-At the same meeting of the Commission an allotment of $75,000 was made to rebuild and repair the levee on the White River Front from Helena, Ark., down, conditioned upon the contribution of $50,000 towards the work by the Cotton Belt Levee District, No. 1, of Arkansas, or other parties.

After much delay, resulting mainly from the difficulty of securing the required concert of action among the large owners, many of whom were absent, it was finally decided to proceed under the State laws to assess a tax upon the lands benefited. The necessary valuations and assessments were made, and at a legal meeting held for the purpose a tax of 9 per cent. upon the increased valuation of the lands was voted. Based on the collection of this tax and upon certain individual guaranties, the Board was enabled to make a contract at a reasonable price with a prominent and reliable contracting firm. From this firm I received satisfactory assurances that they would put up unconditionally under their contract $48,000 worth of actual embankment. Allowing, as a moderate estimate, $2,000 for the expense of inspection, which is borne by the Board, this secures the expenditure of $50,000 as required by the Commission. Bids for the United States work were therefore received.

The following is an abstract of them:

Abstract of proposals for levee work on levees, White River Front, received in response to advertisement dated October 8, 1887, and opened October 27, 1887, by Capt. Smith S. Leach, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army.

The award was made to the lowest bidder on each section, as follows:

Sections 8, 11, and 12 to D. T. Hartnett, at 15 cents.

Sections 9 and 10 to D. T. Hartnett, at 144 cents.

153 153 163 163 171 17

18 18 18 18 18
16

:::

15 1

401

Section 13 to J. T. Jefferson, at 16 cents.

Sections 14 and 15 to J. J. Cooney, at 19 cents

The average price for the line is 163 cents.

Contracts have been made with the parties named, and the line will

be completed by February 15, 1888,

CITIZENS' BLUFF PROTECTION.

This is practically a continuation by private subscription of the Memphis Harbor revetment. It consists of a series of five spur-dikes of brush and stone, resting upon large floor mats, to prevent undercutting. The origin and history of the enterprise and the general plan and early results of the work are described in full in my annual report. I am now able to present sketches of the general plan and principal details of construction and the present condition of the dikes and bottom. There is also an itemized statement of the cost of the original dikes.

The repairs and extensions of the system mentioned in my last report are now in progress. With these finished, it is believed that the system will be complete and self-sustaining until such time as it will no longer be needed.

It will be remembered that the river at this point has not the usual alluvial bank, but flows at the foot of a bluff nearly 100 feet high. Reasons growing out of this circumstance induced the substitution here of the spur-dike for the mattress revetment. The favorable results obtained afford an assurance that where the conditions are unfavorable to the use of mattress revetment, spur-dikes may, at a slightly greater cost, be relied upon to secure the desired result.

Seven sketches of the spur-dikes, detailed statements of expendi tures for the same, and for Memphis Harbor, and financial statements and balance sheet for all works in the district accompany this report. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

General Q. A. GILLMORE,

SMITH S LEACH,

President Mississippi River Commission.

Captain of Engineers.