ing put in place, and until their influence was fully developed, dredging was resorted to in several localities to give a temporary relief to commerce. Works of a permanent character have been erected in the Willamette River across the head of Swan Island Chute, at the head of Willamette Slough, to control the amount of water passing into that channel; also along the left bank of the river from that point to its mouth, to prevent erosion and excessive widening of the river; also across other sloughs and channels near the mouth of the Willamette River, to control its waters and those of the Columbia in that vicinity. Permanent structures were placed in the Columbia River at St. Helens, Burke Slough, and Martin Slough.

The project was extended in 1891 with the view to obtaining by the same methods a low-water channel having a depth of 25 feet. Under this modification the contraction works have been placed in the Willamette River at St. John and Post-Office Bar and in the Columbia River at Walker Island and Cathlamet Bay at the expense of the port of Portland. Similiar works have been placed in the Columbia River at Martin Island Bar, and additions have been made to the works at St. Helens Bar at the expense of the United States. All these contraction works have produced and continue to produce very beneficial effect upon the navigable channels in their vicinity.

The amount expended by the United States on this since the adoption of the project, July 1, 1877, is $775,138.58. It appears that previous to that date $221,780.46 had been expended in various operations looking to the improvement of these rivers between Portland and the sea. The aggregate of the appropriations and allotments, including proceeds from sales of property to other appropriations up to June 30, 1893, is $1,039,745.71. The citizens of Portland, prior to the adoption of the project for obtaining the 25-foot channel, had from time to time expended considerable sums in assisting to keep open a deep channel to the sea. The aggregate of these amounts can not now be ascertained. The amount available for the work at the end of the present fiscal year is $42,827.42.

The season for active field operations commenced this year about the first of September. During the first ten days in December a snag boat worked on the Lower Willemette and Columbia rivers, removing 29 snags from the channel. On the 7th of September the Government dipper dredge resumed operations upon Swan Island Bar, in the city of Portland, and was kept in commission until the end of March. At this time the Willamette had risen to a 6-foot stage, which made the water at the point where the dredging was done 28 feet deep, which is the limit at which the dredge could work. Operations were then suspended for the season.

The season proved to be very unfavorable for dredging. There were 176 working days of eight hours each within the time that the dredge was in commission. Of this number, the equivalent of 78 days was lost through high water, bad weather, delays on account of repairs to breakages, and removals from channel to allow vessels to pass.

The work of the dredge was confined to widening the old channel that has been dredged and redredged through Swan Island Bar. The dredging heretofore has been confined to a width of 100 feet and a lowwater depth of 20 feet. The work this season consisted in widening this cut to 150 feet and digging the widened portion to a depth of 22 feet. There was removed during the season 45,887 cubic yards of material, the greater portion of which was towed in the dump scows 3 miles down the river and deposited behind the dike above St. Johns.

About one more month's work with the dredges would have put this locality in very good condition for passing vessels of any draft that will probably enter this port. To afford greater accomodations for vessels loading and anchoring in this part of the harbor, the dredging should be extended on both sides to the established harbor lines. It is expected, however, that the contraction of the water caused by the construction of the dam across the chute behind Swan Island, and the building of docks in this vicinity out to the harbor lines will not only keep the dredged cut open, but gradually enlarge it.

The total expense of the dredging operations, including all repairs to the dredge, the tender, and the dump scows, and all other expenses, excepting the cost of two new dump scows, which was $3,600, was $15,897.54. It should be stated that this amount includes extraordinary repairs to the amount of $4,550 to the dredge and dump scows, which had been lying idle for a long time.

The dike at Martin Island Bar, Columbia River, 2,500 feet in length, which is called for by the present project for this improvement, was built by contract for the material delivered in place at a cost of $20,335.11.

The lower 1,600 feet of the dike, at St. Helens Bar in the Columbia River, and its crossdike were strengthened by additional brush and rock delivered in place under contract, the cost of which was $10,521.19. This addition to the St. Helens dike will have the effect to contract the water and keep open and enlarge the channel across the bar which, when last examined, had a low-water depth of 22 feet.

A hydraulic dredge boat was provided for this work during the year, for the purpose of assisting the permanent contraction works in opening the 25-foot channel required by the project. This boat was built and the machinery placed in it by contract. It was finished in the latter part of June and cost, with a complete outfit, $66,000. The boat is 143 feet 6 inches over all, with 38 feet beam.

It is provided with propelling power and with two large centrifugal pumps. There are four bins forward of the midship section, into which the dredged material is delivered. These bins have an aggregate capacity of 500 cubic yards. The material is discharged through a hole in the bottom of each bin. By actual trial the pumps have filled the bins in 45 minutes.

Under the permission granted by the Secretary of War to the Port of Portland Commission to build dikes and do dredging, in accordance with the approved project for obtaining 25 feet depth of water from Portland to the sea, 1,300 feet of dike at Walker Island and 19,700 feet in Cathlamet Bay, in the vicinity of Snag Island, were finished, in addition to the lengths reported as finished in my last annual report. The aggregate length of the dikes built in the Willamette and Columbia rivers by this commission to the end of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, is 43,000 feet, a little more than 8 miles. It has dredged during the year 87,150 cubic yards of material; of this amount 25,230 yards was taken from the Swan Island Bar, 5,355 from the mouth of the Willamette River, 32,630 from St. Helens Bar, and 23,935 cubic yards from Martin Island Bar.

The original estimate for procuring the 25-foot channel was $772,464. The port of Portland has expended on this project $381,107.51. In the river and harbor act approved July 13, 1892, an appropriation of $150,000 was made applicable to this purpose. One hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred dollars can be profitably expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895.

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended

Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892

June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year

July 1, 1893, balance unexpended..................

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix W W 4.)

$18, 160.03 150,000.00

168, 160.03

125, 332.61

42, 827.42

153, 600.00

153, 600.00

5. Willamette River above Portland, Oregon.-The project for this improvement was adopted in 1878. It consists in snagging operations, bar scraping, contraction of water over shoals and rock removal, with the object of giving easy navigation for light-draft boats from Portland to Eugene City, Oregon, a distance of 172 miles. The mouth of the Yamhill River, 40 miles above Portland, was the head of an inconvenient low-water navigation in a draft of 23 feet; only 1 foot could be carried above at the same stage.

Although navigation at stages above low water has been very much improved, there are still some bars on which at low water of last season the governing depth did not exceed 1 foot.

The total amount appropriated for this work since the adoption of the project is $151,000, not including the $3,000 allotted to the improvement of the Yamhill River, Oregon, from the appropriation of July 13, 1892.

The snagging operations during the year extended over the whole river, from Portland to Eugene City.

During the season 1,300 snags and a large quantity of overhanging trees and limbs were removed. Dams for the purpose of closing chutes and concentrating low water over shoal bars to the extent of 635 feet were built.

Yamhill River, Oregon.-The item in the river and harbor act approved July 13, 1892, making appropriation for improving Willamette River at and above Portland, Oregon, provides that $3,000 of the amount appropriated shall be used in removing obstructions in the Yamhill River up to McMinnville.

Under this allotment a small party of men, with teams and ordinary road-scrapers, was engaged about three weeks in August, scraping the bar at the mouth of this river and increasing the channel depth through it to 25 inches at extreme low water. This work permitted the regular steamboats, plying between Portland and Dayton, 5 miles above the mouth of the river, to continue their trips throughout the low-water

season.

The crew of the snag boat removed from this reach of the river 126 snags, blasted out 2 rocks and pulled 18 piles, the remains of an old bridge at Dayton.

A small party of men with a skiff, axes, saws, powder, and other outfit necessary for the purpose, was employed during the greater part of October and November, clearing snags, logs, stumps, and overhanging trees from the bed of this river between its mouth and McMinnville, 17 miles above. During this time about 1,200 trees and snags of various description were cut, which floated away during the next rise. In the latter part of November, in consequence of heavy rains, the stream had risen to a 12-foot stage, at which height the rapids at Lafayette

are submerged sufficient to permit of boats passing above them. It was at that time in as good condition for navigation as it is possible to make it. No boats took advantage of this condition to ascend aboveDayton.

The cost of this work was $1,526.22, leaving a balance of $1,473.78 from the allotment, to be yet expended.

There is a balance at the end of the fiscal year of $17,477.87 available for work upon the Willamette. This is exclusive of the abovementioned balance of the allotment for the Yamhill River.

This balance will be expended in the improvement of bars and snagging operations and will be exhausted before the end of the present working season.

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended.....

Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.

June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year..

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended............

Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project...... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix W W 5.)

$3, 113.93 30,000.00

33, 113.93

14, 162. 28

18, 951.65

60,000.00 60,000. 00

6. Cowlitz River, Washington.-The project for the improvement of this river, adopted in 1882, contemplates the removal of sand bars, rocks, snags, overhanging trees and other obstructions in the channel from its mouth to a point about 50 miles above. Work has been done to Toledo, 30 miles above the mouth. The ruling depth at low water prior to the commencement of this was 14 inches. A low-water depth of 30 inches now prevails. Steamboats can now run to Toledo a month later than formerly.

The original estimate for the improvement was $5,000, for the first year and an annual expenditure thereafter of $2,000 per year. The total amount that has been appropriated for the improvement is $22,000.

During the year a wing dam 329 feet in length was built at Keegans Bar, 3 miles below Toledo; also one at Toutle River Bar 765 feet in length. These dams were both very effective, resulting in a deepening of the water about 15 inches at each place. This work was done by the crew of the Government snag boat. There were 163 snags and overhanging trees removed at the same time.

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended

Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892

June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year ..

July 1, 1893, balance unexpended

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix W W 6.)

$2,015. 31 3,000.00

5, 015. 31 2,742.55

2, 272.76

3,000.00

7. Youngs and Klaskuine rivers, Oregon.-The project for this improvement contemplates the removal of snags, sunken logs, and overhanging trees from Youngs River as far up as the lower end of the cutoff, a distance of 7 miles; and also from the channel of the Klaskuine

as far up as Kamms Wharf, a distance of 2 miles. The latter river empties into the former 6 miles above Youngs Bay.

The estimated cost of this improvement was $1,600, which has been appropriated. The total amount expended is $1,206.79, which has resulted in a channel of 7 feet at high tide to the limits named. The balance now available, $393.21, will be suflicient to complete the project. No further appropriation is asked.

July 1, 1892, balance unexpended July 1, 1893, balance unexpended (See Appendix W W 7.)

$393.21 393.21

8. Gauging waters of Columbia River, Oregon and Washington.-The object of these gaugings is to ascertain and keep a record of the fluctuations of the Columbia River, with the view to gathering information that may be useful in works of improvement on the river, and also by gauges established at various points to indicate to pilots, captains, and others interested in navigation the stage of water on crossings and places of difficult navigation.

A self-registering gauge has been in operation at Astoria, Oregon. Daily sheets from the Astoria gauge were exhibited on a bulletin board in that city. These show the stage of water and condition as to roughness on the bar at the mouth of the river, and are of great service to

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 Submitted in compliance with requirements of sections 2 of river and harbor acts of 1866 and 1867 and of sundry civil act of March 3, 1893. (See Appendix W W 8.)

1,000.00

EXAMINATIONS MADE IN COMPLIANCE WITH RIVER AND HARBOR ACT APPROVED JULY 13, 1892.

The preliminary examinations of the following localities, required by act of July 13, 1892, were made by the local engineer, Maj. Thos. H. Handbury, Corps of Engineers, and reports thereon submitted through the Division Engineer, Col. G. H. Mendell, Corps of Engineers.

1. Willamette River above Oregon City, Oregon.-Maj. Handbury submitted report of examination under date of July 28, 1892. It is his opinion and that of the division engineer, concurred in by this office, that the river above Oregon City is worthy of improvement by the General Government. The cost of surveys necessary for preparation of project and estimate of cost of improvement is estimated at $12,000. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 36, Fifty-second Congress, second session. (See also Appendix W W 9.)

2. Yamhill River, Oregon, from mouth to McMinnville, for slack-water navigation by lock and dam at Lafayette.-Maj. Handbury submitted report of examination under date of December 5, 1892. It is his opinion and that of the division engineer, concurred in by this office, that the river is not worthy of improvement by the United States to the extent proposed. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 145, Fifty-second Congress, second session. (See also Appendix W W 10.)