Dates of ice closings and openings on the Missouri River, 1872-1887-Continued.

Locality.

1880-'81.

1881-82.

1882-'83.

1883-'84.

Closing. Opening. Closing. Opening. Closing. Opening. Closing. Opening.

Ice closed at Quindaro.

The exact date of closing not given. December 14 river was full of running ice, and on December 21 ice was 10 inches thick in channel.

APPENDIX A 1.

REPORT OF SECRETARY ON PRECISE LEVELING.

MISSOURI RIVER COMMISSION,

Saint Louis, Mo., November 21, 1887.

SIR: I have the honor to report that the work of precise leveling between Saint Louis City Directrix and United States Engineer P. B. M. 17 of Missouri River (published list of 1881) has been completed by Mr. O. W. Ferguson, who had charge of the party.

It will be remembered that the Missouri River levels were based on P. B. M. 12 of the Mississippi River Commission, situated at the mouth of the Missouri River. The elevation of this P. B. M. 12 was given, at first, as 13m.2824 above Saint Louis City Directrix. On this the published Missouri River elevations were calculated. In March, 1886, it was discovered that the elevation of P. B. M. 12, as finally determined and published in Annual Report of Mississippi River Commission for 1883, was given as 0m.104

13.3869, a difference of + S 0.341 S

From that time to date this +0.341 has been adopted as the proper correction for all the Missouri River elevations.

The line of precise levels now completed had for its object a direct check on the elevation of Mississippi River Commission, P. B. M. 12 above Saint Louis City Directrix, and as a result the determination of the constant correction, if any, to be applied to the published Missouri River elevations.

The results are shown on the table appended.

From an examination of the table it will be seen that the constant correction to be applied to the elevations on the Missouri River as published is +0.300 instead of 70 .341.

It should be borne in mind that this +0.300 error is not to be charged to the level work done on the Missouri River.

The last column of the table gives the corrections for the Missouri River due to instrumental and other field work errors for the work between the mouth of the river and Saint Charles; and when it is remembered that the wye level alone was used on the Missouri River, the figures referred to are an indorsement of the opinion expressed in the Annual Report of the Commission for 1886, that the elevations as determined along the Missouri River are quite reliable.

It is proposed to publish, as soon as may be, a correct list of Missouri River elevations.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Lieut. Col. CHAS. R. SUTER,

THEO. A. BINGHAM,

First Lieutenant of Engineers, U. S. Army,
Secretary Missouri River Commission.

Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army,

President Missouri River Commission, Saint Louis, Mo.

* Letter of January 30, 1886, says it is at same level as City Directrix.

APPENDIX A 2.

Descriptions and elevations of bench-marks on the Missouri River, referred to Saint Louis

City directrix, May, 1888.

List of bench-marks No. 1 was issued 1881-82. This list is No. 2. It is corrected by all data on file up to date. Its elevations were determined by wye levels, except the following, which are precise level determinations: 6 (12)—7 (11)—8 (10)—9° ̊ (9)—11 (7)—15 (3)—17 (1)-Each bench-mark has two numbers. The one in parenthesis is the one in the note books; the other is that of the complete old series reckoning from the mouth up. A new series is in progress. The new bench-marks are placed on lines generally straight across the valley, these lines being about 5 miles apart. The desig. nations of the new bench-marks are in the form of a fraction, the numerator being the number of the line reckoning from the mouth up; the denominator being the number of the bench-mark in that line reckoning from the right bank. All elevations refer to the Saint Louis City directrix, which is 433.97 feet above the Cairo datum and 412.71 feet above the Mississippi River Commission 1881, determination of mean Gulf tide at Biloxi, Miss.]

No.

1 (17) Mouth Mis. souri River.

2 (16) 3 (15) 4 (14)

Equals P. B. M. 12 of Mississippi River Commission; "top of copper
bolt in stone in ground in corner of woods, 20 meters west of Co-
lumbia Road, 800 meters from river, 9 miles above Saint Louis
water-works, on land owned by

Chambers"

On east side of 1.5-foot elm, in woods behind willow bar, 140 feet west
of high bank, 2,200 feet south of mouth of Missouri River..
Equals B. M. 80 of 1879; on east side of 2.5-foot sycamore on edge
of high bank bebind willow bar, 520 feet south of Missouri River..
On northwest side of 4.5-foot sycamore, 600 feet from river, 200 feet
north of 1-story frame dwelling of Christ, Hurstmann, on south side
of a small clump of timber 13 miles above mouth of river, vicinity
of P, 521.

Descriptions and elevations of bench-marks on the Missouri River, etc.-Continued.

No.

Description.

Eleva Above tion. the mouth.

5 (13)

6 (12) 7 (11) Jamestown. 8 (10)

9

(9)

10

(8)

On west side of 3.2 foot sycamore, 900 foot from river, 400 feet from
edge of high bank, 30 feet east of fence line between fields, one-
fourth mile below foot of isiand tow-bead, 22 miles above mouth of
river: vicinity of P. 517.

On 1.9 foot black oak, on side of bluff, 70 feet from river, one-half
mile below mouth of creek at site of Fort Belle Fontaine
Equals" B. M. 79" of 1879; on 2.5-foot cotton wood, on lower side of
ravine at Jamestown Landing

Horizontal furrow in head of copper bolt leaded into northwest ex-
posure of hard limestone ledge, about 500 feet below foot of island
tow-bead, 780 feet above fence, 2,900 feet above Jamestown Landing.
On 1.6-foot pignut hickory, in field on side of bluff, 150 feet from
river, at lower end of small bottom, 2 miles above Jamestown Land-
ing; vicinity of ▲ 920..

On 3.1-foot cottonwood, on edge of high water bank, behind willow
and cottonwood flat; opposite head of small island tow-head, one-
half mile below foot of Pelican Bar; vicinity of sounding stake A 175.
Horizontal furrow in head of copper bolt leaded into hard limestone
ledge, on south side of wagon road, and 4.5 feet above its level, 220
feet below lower end of stone quarry, 1,200 feet below Hall's or
Music's ferry...

On north side of 2-foot burr oak, 170 feet from river, on line between
woods on west and fields on east, one-quarter mile above small
island willow tow-head, 14 miles above Hall's Ferry.

On west side of 2-foot elm, 120 feet from river, on west side of clump
of timber 1 mile below Charbonnier Bluff, and about one-quarter
mile below head of Charbonnier Island..

On west side of 3.3-foot cottonwood, 120 feet from river, 215 feet
south of 1-story frame dwelling of Louis Knapp. The tree stands
in lane, 500 feet above Charbonnier Bluff.

On 1.2-foot black oak, on east side of wagon road, 40 feet from edge
of high-water bank, 1 mile from edge of shore bar, about 1 mile above
Charbonnier Bluff..

On northwest side of 1.6-foot cottonwood, 150 feet from edge of high-
water bank, in cottonwood timber, opposite or a little way above
head of Holme's Island, about 1 mile from edge of shore bar, 3
miles below Saint Charles Bridge...

Horizontal furrow in head of copper bolt leaded into northwest side
of seventh pier from Saint Charles end of bridge at Saint Charles,
Mo.

Gauge B. M.-A cross (+) cut on top of horizontal surface of pro-
jecting rock, on first course of masonry above ground, on southwest
corner of Pier No. 1 (counting from left bank), of Saint Charles
Bridge, at Saint Charles, Mo.....

"B. M. 77" of 1879-on southwest corner of offect course of west col-
umn supporting trestle-first column west of west pier, Saint
Charles Bridge

35.893

B. M. 78" of 1879. Top of foundation-course at northeast corner of
2-story brick, on southwest corner of Second and Wood streets,
Saint Charles, Mo

39.568

18 (157)

On 3.3-foot sycamore, westward one of a pair standing 100 feet from
river, midway between A's 884 and 886.

19 (156)

20 (155) 21 (154)

On 1.4-foot cottonwood, on south side of dry chute, 1,500 feet below
A 870..

On 2-foot maple, 30 foot from foot of bluff, 125 feet from bank, at point
of bluff nearest river, just above 882

22 (153)

On 2.5-foot cottonwood, 20 feet from bank, at landing near ▲ 862, oppo-
site middle of Catfish Island...

23 (152) 24 (151)

On 8-inch sycamore, 300 feet from river, opposite A 863, 1,800 feet be-
low A 858; opposite foot of Bonhomme Island

On 2.5-foot box alder, standing alone in a cultivated field, 350 feet from
river, 2.250 feet below 856..

23. (150)

On 1.7-foot pignut hickory, 150 feet from bank, 1,000 feet south from
house, 300 feet above 854.

26 (149) Cottleville.

On 1.9-foot black walnut, one-quarter of a mile west from house of
Ernest Kroenig, 250 feet from river, about opposite Cottleville
Landing

47.912

43.8

27 (148)

On 2-foot elm, 300 feet southwest from house of William Walter, one-
quarter of a mile from river, about opposite R. B.

28 (147)

On 3.3-foot maple, 100 feet from river bank, on bank of ditch or dry
creek, opposite Howell's Island

On 1 9-foot linn, 120 feet from river, at foot of bluff, 400 feet below low-
est point of rock bluff above Howell's Island.
On 1.7-foot sycamore, at mouth of dry branch, in gully at
Horizontal furrow in head of copper bolt leaded into vertical face of
rock 600 feet above Tavern Rock, and 20 feet above large crag lean-
ing against cliff.............

Descriptions and elerations of bench-marks on the Missouri River, etc.—Continued.

32 (113) St. Albans. 33 (142)

On 1.5-foot linn, 40 from river, 300 feet below first point of bluff be-
low Saint Albans, Mo

On 1.7-foot oak, in recess between bluffs, known as "Eddy Hollow,"
under main bank, just below

34 (141)

On a doubled and twisted white walnut, 2.5 feet in diameter, in gully
just above A 832.

67.208

56.4

35 (140) 36 (139) Augusta. 37 (138)

On 1-foot cottonwood, on east bank of dry slough, 500 feet north
from house, vicinity of A 830

38 (137) 39 (136)

On 1.5-foot cottonwood, 900 feet from river, standing alone in wheat
field just opposite Augusta, Mo

On 2-foot black oak, 200 feet from river in grove about three-fourths
mile above 828, 200 feet below fence corner, 1,500 feet above farm
house

On 3-foot box alder, 2,500 feet below 826, 250 feet from river, in
field owned by -Hinkle..

40 (135)

41 (134) South Point.

On 1.2-foot hackberry, 200 feet from river, 150 feet below fence be-
tween wheat field and first timber below South Point, Mo.
On I-foot white walnut 100 feet south from railway, in glade, one-
half mile above section house, 14 miles below South Point, Mo..
Horizontal furrow in head of copper bolt leaded into face of cut rock,
about 1,000 feet above depot at South Point, Mo.

42 (133)

On 1.5-foot elm, 20 feet south from railway, by spring, about 1 mile
below Washington, Mo

T. B. M. 3', on corner of red sandstone, top layer of west abut-
ment, river side of open culvert "No. 14a" of Missouri Pacific
Railroad, about seven-eighths of a mile above Washington, Mo.,
railroad station house..

"B. M. 75" of 1879; northeast corner of door-sill of Elm street en-
trance of two-story brick building on northwest corner of Water
and Elm streets. Washington, Mo...

B. M. 74" of 1879; northwest corner water-table of three-story
double brick, on southeast corner of Water and Elm streets, Washi-
ington, Mo

On 2.1-foot sycamore, on main bank, 300 feet from chute, 200 feet
from railway, 14 miles above Washington, Mo

T. B. M. 5, on extreme southwest corner of large cut stone used for
bearing for the west end of the south iron plate girder of the Mis-
souri Pacific Railroad iron bridge over the St. John's Creek, about
23 miles from Washington, Mo

T. B. M. 5', is a point within the upper loop of the "B" of the
railroad "B+M," cut in the upper surface of the south end of the
west abutment of the iron bridge No. 15," over the St. John's
Creek, Missouri Pacific Railroad, 23 miles above Washington, Mo..
One 10-inch cottonwood, 50 feet southwest from reference tree of A
812.

45 (130)

Mark "0" cut on northwest corner of top of riverward wall of cul-
vert 2 miles below Newport, Mo..

On 2.3-foot oak, 300 feet south from railway, on west side of bluff,
2,000 feet below Newport, Mo....
T. B. M. 10, is a

chiseled on the southeast corner of the top cop-
ing stone, east end of land-side wall of the arched culvert of the Mis
souri Pacific Railroad over the "Little Bouf" Creek, 300 feet above
Dundee, Mo., station-house.
T. B. M. 10', is a

87.733

78.2

chiseled on the southwest corner of west end stone of coping stone on retaining-wall east side creek, landward side of arched culvert over the "Little Bauf" Creek, 300 feet above Dundee, Mo., station-house.

81.602

47 (128)

On northeast corner of top of east abutment of railroad bridge No. 16,
1 mile above Newport, Mo...

48 (127)

Horizontal furrow in nead of copper bolt set into cut rock at head
of chute or cut off above Newport, Mo

94.549

49 (126)

On northeast corner of west abutment of bridge 13 miles below New
Haven, Mo...

On northeast corner water-table of 3-story brick store of New Ha
ven Merchandise Company, New Haven, Mo.

52 (123)

On northeast corner northwest wing-wall of Missouri Pacific Rail-
road culvert, 150 feet above head of willow bar, at 796..
On 3.2-foot elm, on main bank, behind willow bar, near A 794 and
railroad station Etlah..

53 (122)

Hoehn's
Landing.

On 2-foot elm, 200 feet from river in field, at head of long willow bar,
2,000 feet above 792, at Hoehn's Landing, Mo...

54 (121)

On 3-foot sycamore, 200 feet from river, at eastern edge of timber,
1,200 feet above A 790..

55 (120)

56 (119) 57 (118) Bates Island

On 1,7-foot elm, on bench, midway between R. B. O's 467 and 468.
On 1.7-foot elm, 200 feet from river, about 1,500 feet below 786, in
first woods below Bates' Island

On 10-inch sycamore, 20 feet from railway, at base of bluff, 1,500 feet
west from house of August Gatzmeier