The estimated cost of the whole work, based upon present prices of labor and materials, will be about as follows: 57,644 feet of trenching and boxing, including filling with pitch, at 22 cents per foot $12, 681.68 1,001,905 feet of conductor at 44 cents per foot delivered in Washington.. 45,085.72 Supervising laying cable, expert joiners, electrician, etc., for 1,001,905 feet conductor, at cent per foot.. Total Add 10 per cent. for approximate cost of taking cables into buildings, and contingencies Grand total............... 5,009.52 62, 776.92 6, 277.69 69,054.61 It will be observed that in this estimate I have carried out literally the terms of the resolution and confined my estimates to the underground wires for telegraph and telephone service, but carrying them into the operating rooms in the various buildings. The cost of the few telegraph instruments and the eight switch-boards which will be required will be about $1,000; the expense of the telephones will be a matter of more importance, and will depend entirely upon the number of instruments that may be required in each department. The president of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company informs me that his company has no authority to sell telephones, but will rent them at the rate of $20 per set per annum, each set consisting of one hand telephone and one transmitter. I have been told that in case the instruments can be purchased they will cost about $40 per set. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A. JOHN M. WILSON, Lieut. Col. of Engineers, Colonel U. S. Army. Z Z 3. WASHINGTON MONUMENT. OFFICE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, Washington, D. C., October 4, 1888. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of operations upon the completion of the Washington Monument up to the close of the month of September, 1888. By direction of the President of the United States, as contained in Special Orders, No. 76, Headquarters Army, Adjutant-General's Office, Washington D. C., April 3, 1888, I reported to the Joint Commission for the Completion of the Washington Monument, on April 4, 1888, as engineer in charge of the construction of the monument, vice Col. Thos. Lincoln Casey, Corps of Engineers, relieved at his own request. The last report made by my predecessor to the Commission was dated December 1, 1887, and submitted to Congress on December 17, 1887. Under the terms of the act of Congress approved October 2, 1888, known as the sundry civil bill, the joint commission created by the act of August 2, 1876, for the completion of the Washington Monument was dissolved at its own request, and the Secretary of War was charged with the custody, care, and protection of the monument. Since December 1, 1887, operations have been in progress under contract with Mr. Thomas H. Lyons, of Baltimore, constructing an earthen embankment around the monument; during this period he has deposited about 120,000 cubic yards of earth in position, making in all about 205,000 cubic yards deposited under his contract. The total amount that will be contained in the mound when completed has been determined by accurate calculation to be 267,412 cubic yards, of which 250,000 yards are to be furnished by Mr. Lyons under his contract. Careful instrumental surveys have been made from time to time in order to accurately determine the quantities of earth in position delivered by the contractor. The steam machinery and the electric light plant have been put in running order, and under the terms of the act of October 2, 1888 (sundry civil bill), the elevator and machinery connected therewith will be started at an early day. On the 18th of February, 1888, proposals were invited for the construction, at the expense of the Washington Monument Society, of a marble lodge house, to be situated about 40 feet from the monument. The contract was awarded to Messrs. Lane & Malnati, of this city, for the sum of $10,720. The location was afterwards changed by direction of the Monument Commission to a position about 480 feet east of the monument, and for the necessary work connected with this change an additional sum of $930 was allowed the contractors by the Commission. Cperations were commenced early in April at the original site selected, but suspended in May and again resumed early in June at the new site. The progress of the work has been slow but the character of the materials and construction has been satisfactory. At the close of September, 1888, the walls of the building were nearly completed. During the present fiscal year it is proposed to finish the construction of the terrace under contract, to cover its entire area with good soil, to seed it down, to commence laying out roads and walks, to complete the new lodge, to begin a system of drainage for the grounds, to insert in the walls of the monument the memorial stones on hand, and to maintain in good order the machinery connected with the elevator and electric lights. The following estimate for operating the elevator, the electric lights, and machinery connected therewith, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890, is submitted: Three night and day watchmen, at $60 per month.. $1,200 960 720 600 540 900 F40 540 2, 160 Fuel, lights, oil, waste, packing, tools, matches, paints, brushes, brooms, lanterns, rope, nails, screws, lead, electric lights, heating apparatus, oil stoves for elevator car and upper and lower floor, repairs to engines, boilers, dynamo, elevator, and repairs of all kinds connected with the monument and machinery, and purchase of all necessary articles for keeping the monument, machinery, elevator, and electric light plant in good order.. 2,340 10,500 An estimate for continuing the improvement of the grounds around the monument has been submitted in my report upon Public Buildings and Grounds for the last fiscal year. Statement of expenditures from December 1, 1887, to September 30, 1888. APPENDIX A A A. CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF ROADS AND BRIDGES IN THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. ANNUAL REPORT OF MAJOR CHARLES J. ALLEN, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1888. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, Saint Paul, Minn., July 6, 1888. SIR: I have the honor to forward herewith my report, in duplicate, upon the improvement and construction of roads and bridges in the Yellowstone National Park for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, CHAS. J. ALLEN, The CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, U. S. A. CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF ROADS AND BRIDGES IN THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. In charge of Capt. Clinton B. Sears, Corps of Engineers, until April 16, 1888. Since that date in charge of Maj. Charles J. Allen, Corps of Engineers.] The beginning of systematic road and bridge construction in the park followed an appropriation of $40,000 made by act of Congress approved March 3, 1883, the portion of the appropriation allotted to construction work to be expended under the supervision and direction of an engineer officer detailed by the Secretary of War. Capt. D. C. Kingman was the officer so detailed. He continued in charge until April 1, 1887, when he was relieved by Captain Sears. Those officers accomplished a large amount of excellent work in repairing old roads and in opening routes to regions in the park theretofore inaccessible to tourists. The project for this improvement consists in repairing old trails and in the construction of substantial roads, about 18 feet in width, well crowned, ditched and drained, with easy grades, and, where necessary, covered with gravel or broken rock; also, the building of good bridges over the streams. The permanent roads to cover a circuit of about 145 miles, extending from the park line at Gardiner, Mont., to the Mammoth Hot Springs; thence to Norris Geyser Basin; thence to Upper |