Report of the shoal places in the Mississippi River, etc.—Continued. NOTE.-F denotes falling, and R rising river. Reported by D. A. Hiner, pilot of tow-boat Jay Gould, Saint Louis and Mississippi Valley Transportation Company. APPENDIX D. REPORT OF LIEUTENANT JAMES L. LUSK, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, SECRETARY OF COMMITTEE ON CONSTRUCTION. THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION, OFFICE OF THE COMMITTEE ON CONSTRUCTION, 2653 Olive Street, Saint Louis, Mo., May 31, 1888. SIR: Complying with instructions contained in your letter of the 28th ultimo, I have the honor to submit the following report upon the operations of this office for that portion of the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1887, and ending May 31, 1888: Part of the general-service fleet and all of the survey fleet, except the steamer Patrol, have remained at Chester during the whole period under consideration. No damage whatever was done by ice during the past winter, which was the third consecutive one that the fleet has spent at Chester. Nineteen of the general-service stone-barges and one store-boat were docked and repaired on account of general deterioration, and one stone-barge on account of injuries received in towing. Under a modification of the contract of February 24, 1887, with James Mack, of Cincinnati, Ohio, six of the eleven coal-barges were completed and accepted late in the fall of 1887. There was then practically no navigation on the Ohio River, and the barges could not be got to Cairo until December 20. The Emma Etheridge, sent to Cairo to tow them to Chester, reached the former point just as navigation closed on the Upper Mississippi, aud was unable to get back to Chester until early in March of the present year. Requisitions for stone were received as follows: From the second district, June 20, 1887, for 8,300 cubic yards, and October 27, 1887, for 2,400 cubic yards, all to be de livered at Hopefield Bend; from the third district, August 29, 1887, 11,000 cubic yards, to be delivered at Greenville, Miss. Agreement was made with S. P. McKelvey, of Saint Louis, for supplying the first 8,300 cubic yards for Hopefield Bend, at 50 cents per cubic yard, loaded on the barges at Hop Hollow, Ill. The river fell so rapidly that only a part of the quantity could be loaded at the locality named, and arrangements were made with the contractor to change the loading-point to Apple Creek, Mo., about 4 miles below Grand Tower; and his offer to load the 11,000 yards for Greenville and the additional 2,400 yards for Hopefield Bend was accepted at the price named, 70 cents per yard. Bad navigation prevailed during the entire season after August 1, and it became necessary to secure a light-draught steamer for use between the quarries and Cairo. Accordingly a small boat was bought for this service, as well as to act as a tender to the fleet when laid up. She was given the name Vedette. Extremely low water having been supplemented about November 1 by dense smoke from forest fires over nearly all of the river between Grand Tower and Memphis, it became necessary during November to use all of the general-service steamers, as well as the Emma Etheridge and Osceola, belonging to the third district. For days together the boats could not move from the bank or could run only a few miles about midday. This state of affairs lasted through the greater part of November. The loading of stone was suspended about December 1 owing to the appearance of ice in the river. The final cost of the stone delivered at Hopefield Bend was $1.51 cents per yard, and of that sent to Greenville, $2.38 cents per yard. The effect of the absence of competition is shown by the increase of 20 cents per yard in the price of the stone loaded during the latter part of the season. This increase is chargeable partly to legislation on the subject of convict labor, which rendered it impossible to purchase stone at Chester, and partly to low water in the Ohio River, which rendered the quarries on that stream inaccessible. The quantity of stone delivered at Hopefield Bend during the season was 10,678 yards; at Greenville 11,104 yards; or a total of 21,782 yards. The mileage of the steamers in moving stone was as follows, the numbers indicating piece-miles. Considering the state of navigation, the list of casualties during the season was short. One barge was lost by grounding at Silver Rest, Tenn., on October 15, 1887, and another seriously damaged. The total loss of stone in transit was 217 yards. The mechanical draughtsman has been employed in making a survey and complete drawings of the tow-boat Alert, belonging to the Missouri River Commission; in preparing specifications for building a companion steamer to the tow-boat William Stone, also belonging to the Missouri River Commission; a complete set of specifications for building a companion steamer to the tow-boat Minnetonka; in designing a store-boat for the use of the general-service fleet; in studying and designing barges to replace the present plant and estimating cost of construction and maintenance of said barges, if built of wood, wood and steel, or entirely of steel; in making working drawings of a wooden-framed stone-barge; and in routine work connected with the repair and maintenance of plant. There was available on July 1, 1887, $155,767.87; of this $45,000 was transferred by re-allottment. Expenditures to include May 31, 1888, were $85,832.39, leaving an available balance June 1, 1888, of $24,935.48. The expenditures for the general service incidental to moving stone are apportioned among the first, second, and third districts according to the work done for each; the general expenses of the office, and those for repairs to and care of plant, are divided equally among the first, second, and third districts. During the period covered by this report there was one specifically authorized expenditure on account of the fourth district, which was charged directly to that district. I present herewith a directory of the Commission, with the officers and districts under improvement; statement of value of plant May 31, 1888; detailed statement of expenditures by the general service; detailed financial statement of all expenditures from July 1, 1887, to May 31, 1888, and a general statement of appropriations and expenditures from March 3, 1881 to May 31, 1888.* * Instead of the above are appended financial statements by Captain Powell, Secretary of the Commission, to June 30, 1888. THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION. Col. and Bvt. Maj. Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore, Corps of Engineers, president (to April 7, 1888). Col. and Bvt. Brig. Gen. Cyrus B. Comstock, corps of Engineers, president (from April 7, 1888), 33 West Houston street, New York. Lieut. Col. Charles R. Suter, Corps of Engineers, 1415 Washington avenue, Saint Louis. Major Oswald H. Ernst, Corps of Engineers (from May 15, 1888), Galveston, Texas. Henry Mitchell, civil engineer, office U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington, D. C. B. M. Harrod, civil engineer, Cotton Exchange Building, New Orleans. Hon. Robert S. Taylor, P. O. box 1648, Fort Wayne, Ind. S. W. Ferguson, civil engineer, Greenville, Miss. First Lieut. Jas. L. Lusk, Corps of Engineers, secretary, 2828 Washington avenue, Saint Louis. THE COMMITTEE ON CONSTRUCTION. Messrs. Gillmore (to April 7, 1883), Comstock, Suter, and Harrod. First Lieut. James L. Lusk, Corps of Engineers, secretary and assistant, 2653 Olive street, Saint Louis. Officers of Corps of Engineers in charge of districts. Approximate value of plant belonging to the United States and used in the work of improving the Mississippi River (general service). EXPENDITURES ON ACCOUNT OF APPROPRIATION FOR IMPROVING MISSISSIPPI RIVER (NO LIMIT) FROM ALLOTMENT FOR GENERAL SERVICE, FROM JULY 1, 1887, TO JUNE 30, 1888. Available July 1, 1887........... Received from appropriation Mississippi River Commission to cover disallowed expenditure on account thereof.... Withdrawn for re-allotment..... Balance Expenditures apportioned. Balance in Treasury. Balance in hand $19,789.79 29, 975.06 38, 171.52 52.00 $155,767.87 3,490.95 $159, 258.82 45,000.00 114, 258. 82 87,988.37 $24, 317.82 26, 270.45 *Illinois River to Ohio River and protection of the easterly bank of the Mississippi, near Cairo: Available July 1, 1887... Plum Point Reach: Available July 1, 1887 Drawn from Treasury for general service... Transferred from care of plant, first and second districts. Withdrawn for re-allotment.... Balance Expended Balance in hand Hickman, Ky. : Available July 1, 1887 (none of which has been expended) Columbus, Ky: Available July 1, 1887 (none of which has been expended) Maintenance of existing works, first district: Available July 1, 1837 (none of which has been expended) 8, 589. 15 8, 589. 15 $326, 307.25 366, 091.04 337,250.00 28,841. 04 26,500. 41 2,340.63 18,750.00 18,750,00 27, 250.00 $45,000.00 19,994.00 25, 006.00 20,890.31 $4,006.00 109.69 4,115, 69 $5,500,00 *Includes only funds under act of July 5, 1884. 10,000.00 4, 190, 67 5,809.33 |