The preliminary examinations of the following localities, required by act of July 13, 1892, were made by the local engineer, Capt. Philip M. Price, Corps of Engineers, and reports thereon submitted through the Division Engineer, Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers. 1. Bar at the mouth of Alaqua Bayou, Florida, at its entrance into Choctawhatchee Bay.-Capt. Price submitted report of examination under date of September 16, 1892. It is his opinion and that of the division engineer, concurred in by this office, that the locality is not at this time worthy of improvement by the United States. The report was transmitted to Congress and printed as House Ex. Doc. No. 86, Fiftysecond Congress, second session. (See also Appendix P 14.) 2. Bar at the junction of Choctawhatchee Bay and Santa Rosa Sound, Florida.-Capt. Price submitted report of examination under date of April 21, 1893. It is his opinion and that of the division engineer, concurred in by this office, that the locality is worthy of improvement by the General Government. No further survey is necessary for preparation of project and estimate of cost of improvement. (See Appendix P 15.) IMPROVEMENT OF RIVERS AND HARBORS IN WESTERN ALABAMA AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI, AND OF BOGUE CHITTO, LOUISIANA. This district was in the charge of Maj. A. N. Damrell, Corps of Engi neers, with Lieut. Eben E. Winslow, Corps of Engineers, under his immediate orders; Division Engineer, Col. C. B. Comstock, Corps of Engineers. 1. Mobile Harbor, Alabama.-The channel had originally a minimum depth of 5 feet through Choctaw Pass and 8 feet on Dog River Bar. This was deepened to 10 feet through both by dredging, under appropriations from 1826 to 1852 of $228,830.68. In 1860 the channel in Choctaw Pass had shoaled to 73 feet. From 1870 to 1873 the channel was deepened by dredging to 13 feet, under appropriations amounting to $401,000. Length of cut, 8 miles. From 1881 to 1888 the channel was deepened by dredging to 17 feet, under appropriations amounting to $740,000, but this project was not completed when the last project was adopted. The length of cut was 25.91 miles. The present project for the improvement of this harbor was adopted in August, 1888, the object being to afford a channel of entrance from the Gulf of Mexico to the city of Mobile of 280 feet width on top of cut with a central depth of 23 feet at meau low water, by dredging, at an estimated cost of $1,980,000. Act of September 19, 1890, extended the work up Mobile River to the mouth of Chickasabogue Creek, and increased the estimated cost to $2,043,800. The entire length of channel under present project is 33.09 miles, and the entire length of continuous cut is 32.27 miles. The amount expended on the present project up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $581,878.55. The average central depth of the dredged channel on June 30, 1892, was 24 feet, and the minimum depth on that date was 20.2 feet. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $178,319.38, and on that date the average central depth of the entire channel was 23.89 feet by the new gauge and 25.59 feet by the old gauge, and the minimum central depth was 19.6 feet by the new gauge and 21.3 feet by the old gauge, with an increased or bottom width wherever excavated of from 20 to 80 feet. The river and harbor act approved July 13, 1892, authorized contracts to be entered into for completion of the present project of improvement for this work, to be paid for as appropriations may from time to time be made by law. July 1, 1892, balance unexpended Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892.. Amount appropriated by sundry civil act approved March 3, 1893 June 30, 1893, amount expended during fiscal year 681, 300.00 180,000.00 681, 300.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project............... Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1895 2. Black Warrior River, Alabama, from Tuscaloosa to Daniels Creek. The present channel is only navigable during very high water, and is even then extremely dangerous. The present project for the improvement of this section of the river was adopted in 1886, the object being to afford a waterway for the transportation of coal, iron ore, iron, etc., in barges from the Warrior coal fields to the Gulf of Mexico, by the construction of five locks and dams, at an estimated cost of $741,670. The amount expended to June 30, 1892, was $324,454.92, resulting as follows: Lock No. 1: Complete as to masonry, with south bank sloped, paved, and turfed. Lock-tender's house built; dam filled to 9 feet below crest. Lock No. 2: North wall of lock built and one-third of bank wall. Lock No. 3: Cofferdam built and 356 yards of ashlar quarried. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, is $79,979.97, and the condition of the work June 30, 1893, was as follows: Lock No. 1: Masonry of lock and abutment completed; lock-tender's house built; lock yard paved and both banks sloped and paved, nearly; timber and stone filling for dam on hand; needle dam ready to put in. Lock No. 2: Lock masonry completed; south bank sloped, paved, and turfed; rock filling for dam on hand, 378 yards; grading done for abut ment, 3,091 yards; lumber for needle dam on hand and partly framed; face stone and coping for abutment in readiness. Lock No. 3: Lock chamber excavated; masonry commenced; 2,579 yards of cut stone on hand; 1,750 yards of backing on hand; 932 yards earth excavated for bank wall; 2,321 yards sand for mortar hauled. 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 July 1, 1893, outstanding liabilities July 1, 1893, balance available..... Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project $31, 795.08 200,000.00 231, 795. 08 79, 979.79 151, 815. 11 5, 190.56 146, 624.55 185,420.00 185, 420.00 3. Warrior and Tombigbee rivers, Alabama and Mississippi.—(a) Warrior River, Alabama.—The channel of this river was originally obstructed to such an extent by logs, snags, overhanging trees, and numerous bars that navigation at low water was impossible and at high water extremely hazardous. The present project for the improvement of this river was adopted in 1890, the object being to obtain a channel 6 feet deep at ordinary low water from Tuscaloosa to its mouth by removal of logs, snags, and overhanging trees, the improvement of bars, bank revetments, and the construction of locks and dams at an estimated cost of $557,000. The amount expended up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $48,671.86 in preparation of plant and the removal of snags, logs, and overhanging trees, no increased depth being obtained, but the time required to run the river and the hazard attending have both been reduced. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $16,294.82 in the removal of snags, logs, slip-ins, and overhanging trees, and resulted in considerably reducing the time required to run the river and the hazard attending at. 457, 000, 00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. b. Tombigbee River up to Demopolis, Ala.-At the present time the channel has a minimum depth of 2 feet. The present project for the improvement of this section of the river was adopted in 1890, the object being to secure a channel of 6 feet depth at low water, by removal of logs, snags, and bank revetment, and construction of locks and dams at an estimated cost of $508,808. The entire length of this section is 191 miles. The amount expended prior to June 30, 1892, was $48,187.85, and resulted in the removal of logs, snags, trees, etc., from the river for 140 miles, in the repair of jetties at Osage and Barneys shoals, and the partial removal by blasting of rock shoals at Woods Bluff and McGrews and Pearsons shoals. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $20,595.29, and resulted in the removal of logs, snags, trees, etc., from the portion of the river not worked over in the preceding two years and the working over again of 37 miles. Work of other character was almost completely prevented by the long continuance of high water. 328,808.00 328, 808. 00 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. c. Tombigbee River from Demopolis, Ala., to Columbus, Miss.-The present channel has a minimum depth of 1 foot. The present project for the improvement of this section of the river was adopted in 1890, the object being to obtain a channel of 6 feet depth at an ordinary low water by removal of logs, snags, etc., bank revetment, and construction of locks and dams, at an estimated cost of $779,400. The amount expended prior to June 30, 1892, was $15,000 and resulted in the preparation of a working plant and the clearing of 22 miles below Windham of snags, logs, trees, etc., and a similar unprovement at Ten Mile Shoals. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $10,575.28 and resulted in clearing 125 miles of the river, from Pickensville to Demopolis, of snags, logs, trees, etc. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892 July 1, 1893, balance unexpended...... $35,000.00 10, 575. 28 24, 424. 72 729, 400.00 Amount (estimated) required for completion of existing project.. d. Tombigbee River from Fulton to Columbus, Miss.-The channel before improvement was not navigable at all, except during high water, and navigation was practicably suspended when the river reached 12 feet above low water. The project for the improvement of this section of the river, from Fulton to Columbus, 144 miles, was adopted in 1873, the object being to give a good high-water channel for navigation throughout by the removal of snags, logs, and overhanging trees and was completed. The amount of $3,193.47 has been expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, in the removal of snags, logs, and overhanging trees, in preservation of the improvement. Amount appropriated by act approved July 13, 1892. July 1, 1893, balance unexpended.... $6,000.00 3, 193.47 2,806.53 Amount (estimated) required for preservation of improvement.. $10,000.00 e. Tombigbee River from Walkers Bridge to Fulton, Miss.-The channel was originally only navigable for small rafts during high water and very troublesome for them. The present project for the improvement of this section of the river was adopted in 1888, the object being to obtain a good channel for navigation during high water by the removal of snags, logs, stumps, and cutting overhanging trees, at an estimated cost of $11,000. The amount expended up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $7,591.11 and resulted in completion of the project. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, was $2,279.48 and resulted in the removal of the annual accumulation of snags, logs and trees, in preservation of the improvement. 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 preservation of improvement $408.89 3,000.00 3,408.89 2,279.48 1, 129. 41 1,000.00 1,000.00 4. Noxubee River, Mississippi.-The original condition of the river was such that during all seasons of the year and at all stages of water navigation, except by small flatboats, was practically impossible. The present project for the improvement of this river was adopted in 1880, the object being to afford a channel for small river steamers from its mouth up to Macon, Miss., of navigable width and depth when the water is above ordinary low-water stage. The amount expended up to the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, was $49,899.29, and resulted in completion of the project. The amount expended during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, $3,067.12, was for repair and alteration of steamer and care and preservation of public property. 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 preservation of improvement.. 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 Q 4.) $3,100.71 3,000.00 6, 100. 71 3,067.12 3,033.59 6,000.00 6,000.00 5. Pascagoula River, Mississippi.-The channel over the bar before the improvement commenced had a least depth of 3 feet. This was increased to 72 feet with a width of 180 feet by dredging from 1878 to 1880 at a cost of about $42,500. From the light-house near the mouth of the river to its head there was a navigable channel obtained by the |