through or under them reasonably free, easy, and unobstructed, specifying in the notice the alterations required to be made, and prescribing a reasonable time in which to make them, as follows: 1. County bridge across the Kentucky River at St. Clair street, Frankfort, Kentucky.-Notices, dated September 8, 1891, served on the judge of the county court of the county of Frankfort, Ky., September 26, 1892, and the mayor of the city of Frankfort, Ky., October 6, 1891. Alterations required: Raising the bridge to a clear height of 48 feet 4 inches above the normal level of Pool 4 of the Kentucky River, and providing it with a channel span having a clear water way of not less than 150 feet at normal pool level. Alteration to be made and completed on or before September 1, 1892. 2. Society Hill and Marlborough Bridge Company's bridge across the Great Pedee River near Society Hill, South Carolina.-Notice dated September 8, 1891, served on the president of the bridge company September 24, 1891. Alterations required: A double line of piles to be driven above the bridge from the pier supporting the end of the fixed span for a distance of 150 feet, the piles in each line to be 12 feet apart, and the two lines 8 feet apart, and the piles to be thoroughly braced with waling and pieces and diagonal braces. From the center pier the fender to be built both above and below the draw span of sufficient length to prevent a passing steamer from swinging under either half of the open draw span; the construction above the pier to be similar to that above described, and below the pier to be of a single line of piles. In the draw opening itself two fender piles to be driven on each side of the draw to protect the center pier and the pier supporting the fixed span from actual contact with passing steamers. Alterations to be made and completed on or before September 1, 1892. 3. Bridge across the St. Joseph River, Michigan, near its mouth.-Notices, dated December 10, 1891, served on the president of the Chicago and West Michigan Railway Company December 17, 1891. Alterations required: (1) Through the existing draw opening of the bridge. Removal of all obstructions to navigation in the existing draw passages of the bridge to the full depth of 15 feet, to the full width of both passages, and to the full extent to which the draw structure occupies the water way. Alteration to be made and completed on or before May 15, 1892. (2) North channel through the bridge. Opening of the navigation of the north channel in the harbor by the construction of a suitable draw 70 feet in clear width of opening, its location to be about 200 feet from the north shore to the south side of the draw. Alteration to be made and completed on or before November 1, 1892. 4. Bridge across Tulls Creek at Tulls, North Carolina.-Notice dated Febmary 17, 1892, served on the chairman of the board of commissioners of Currituck County, N. C., March 14, 1892. Alteration required: (1) Repairing the rotating apparatus of the draw so that it can be easily turned. (2) Constructing suitable fenders of piles and planking above and below the draw opening to prevent collisions by passing boats. Alteration to be made and completed on or before June 1, 1892. The alterations have been completed. 5. Highway bridge across the Casper (Gasper) River, near its mouth, Kentucky.-Notice dated February 24, 1892, served on the county judge of Warren County, Ky., March 7, 1892. Alteration required: The bridge to be raised 6 feet so as to make its clear height above pool level 24.60 feet. Alteration to be made and completed on or before July 1, 1892. 6. Drawbridge across Newtown Creek at Meeker avenue, Brooklyn, New York.-Notices, dated April 11, 1892, served on the chairman of the boards of supervisors of Kings and Queens counties April 20, 1892, and May 13, 1892, respectively. Alterations required: The removal of those parts of the existing solid abutments which project beyond the legal bulkhead lines, the widening of existing draws to 65 feet in the clear on each side of the pivot pier, and the opening of a water way 20 feet wide approximately along the bulkhead line on each shore. Alterations to be made and completed on or before October 1, 1892. 7. Highway bridge across the Chippewa River at Durand, Wisconsin.— Notice dated May 7, 1892, served on the president of the Chippewa Valley Bridge Company May 13, 1892. Alteration required: Construction of a sheer boom 200 feet long, extending up streain from the drawrest pier and supported by two cribs, one at the upper end and the other 75 feet therefrom; the said boom to be 4 feet wide, and 1 foot deep and located on the prolongation of a line drawn tangent to the west faces of the pivot and draw-rest piers. Alteration to be made and completed on or before June 16, 1892. A flood occurred on the Chippewa during the month of May, in consequence of which, and the great quantity of loose logs in the river, the time for completing the work was extended to December 15, 1892. 8. Bridge across Coopers Creek at Federal street, Camden, New Jersey.-Notices, dated May 7, 1892, served on the director of the board of freeholders of Camden, N. J., and the president of the Camden Horse Railroad Company, May 12, 1892. Alteration required: The board of freeholders to reconstruct the draw of the bridge, with a clear opening of 40 feet, so that it can be operated with facility; and the railroad company to remove the electric trolley wire from above the draw span over the bridge. Alteration to be made and completed on or before September 30, 1892. 9. Railroad bridge across Commencement Bay at Tacoma, Washington.-Notice, dated June 3, 1892, served on the president of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company June 9, 1892. Alteration required: Providing a draw having clear openings on each side of the pivot pier of not less than 125 feet in the clear and a draw rest extending to the full length and width of the draw span when open, both up and down stream. Alteration to be made and completed on or before March 1, 1893. 10. Railroad bridge across Buffalo Bayou at Houston, Texas.-Notice, dated June 27, 1892, served on the vice-president of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Company July 11, 1892. Alteration required: Lines of fender piles to be placed as indicated by red dotted lines on map attached to the notice, the total length of the lines of piling to be 167 feet on the right bank and 115 feet on the left bank; the piles to be 5 feet apart between centers and to be cut off at an elevation of 13 feet above mean low water, to be well driven and to be strongly connected with one another on the shore side by two lines of stringpieces placed horizontally, the whole well braced by timbers bolted at intervals to the fender piling and to a second row of piles between the fender piles and the bank; all the piling or other obstructions on the channel sides of the fender piling that have been placed by the railway company to be removed, and a cap to be placed on the projecting timbers of the abutment as indicated in red on the drawing. Alteration to be made and completed within three months from date of service of notice. 11. San Jacinto street highway bridge across Buffalo Bayou at Houston, Texas.-Notice, dated June 27, 1892, served on the mayor of the city of Houston, Tex., July 14, 1892. Alteration required: A line 40 feet long of fender piles to be placed on the right bank, connecting the bank with the upstream pier as shown by red dotted line on map attached to the notice; four piles to be placed between the piers on the right bank as also shown on the map; the piles to be cut off at an elevation of 13 feet above mean low water, to be 5 feet apart between centers, well driven and to be strongly connected with one another on the shore side by two lines of stringpieces placed horizontally, the whole well braced by timbers bolted at intervals to the fender piling and to a second row of piles between the fender piles and the bank. Alteration to be made and completed within three months from date of service of notice, OCCUPANCY OF AND INJURY TO PUBLIC WORKS BY COR. PORATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS. Under the requirements of section 2 of the river and harbor act approved July 5, 1884, and section 4 of the river and harbor act approved August 5, 1886, there are submitted herewith reports of officers in charge of river and harbor districts of instances in which piers, breakwaters, or other works built by the United States in aid of commerce or navigation are used, occupied, or injured by corporations or individuals. (See Appendix Z Z.) MISCELLANEOUS. [Public works not provided for in acts making appropriations for the construction, repair, and preservation of works on rivers and harbors.] MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF WASHINGTON AQUEDUCT—WATER SUPPLY, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ACT MARCH 2, 1889-INCREASING THE WATER SUPPLY OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA— ERECTION OF FISHWAYS AT THE GREAT FALLS OF THE POTOMAC. Officer in charge, Lieut. Col. George H. Elliot, Corps of Engineers. 1. Washington Aqueduct.-The masonry dam at Great Falls is in good condition. Some of the riprap back filling that had been carried away by ice in the previous fiscal year could not be replaced by reason of the inadequacy of the appropriation for preservation and repair and the pressure of more immediately important work. The feeder at the head of the conduit at Great Falls has been cleaned out several times during the year. The trunk mains that lead from the distributing reservoir and supply the distributing system of mains that are under the care of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia are in excellent condition. A break occurred in the main in K street east, but it was not extensive and was repaired at small expense. No other serious leaks occurred during the year. An extension of the blow-off in the 48-inch main near M street bridge was extended to Rock Creek by means of 20-inch castiron pipe and the outlet of the blow-off on the 36-inch main at Foundry Branch was repaired. A serious leak of from 30,000 to 40,000 gallons a day that existed for some years near Cabin John Bridge has been stopped, and the officer in charge, taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the necessary emptying of the conduit for making the repair, made a thorough inspection of the whole length of the interior of the conduit from Great Falls to the distributing reservoir on the 1st of September last. A full account of the results of it may be found in his report. As was to have been expected, large deposits of silt and sediment, the accumulations of nearly thirty years, and estimated at more than 15,000 cubic yards, were found in the conduit. The masonry of the conduit was generally found to be in excellent condition, but there are several cracks in the conduit arch. As a general rule these were found where the conduit was built on high embankments at the culverts and where settlement doubtless took place soon after the conduit was constructed. None of the cracks leak except one at culvert No. 26, and from none of them is any present danger to the conduit to be apprehended. They will be repaired as soon as the conduit can be cleaned out and money can be had for the purpose. Considerable progress has been made in the removal of the deposits, but as the work which must be done while the water is cut off at Great Falls and the conduit is emptied is done mainly at night, it is expensive and tedious. The annual appropriations for the maintenance and repair of the aqueduct, and the reservoirs, mains, roads, etc., connected with it, are so small that the work of removing the deposits can not be done without neglect of other necessary work, and, even with this neglect, to finish the work by means of these appropriations would require many years. A special estimate of $14,000, which would enable the entire conduit to be cleaned out in one year, is included in the estimates for the next fiscal year. Several times during the year, when the water on the dam at Great Falls was low, and also 'during the times the water from Great Falls was cut off to enable the work of cleaning out the conduit to be carried on, it was found necessary to reënforce the distributing reservoir by the water of the receiving reservoir and the three streams that flow into it. The surveys and marking by monuments of the boundaries of the aqueduct lands, both in the District of Columbia and in Maryland, have been continued. The conduit manholes, 66 in number, mainly under the Conduit road, were uncovered and their distances from reference stones along the road were measured for future use when the manholes are opened for cleaning out accumulation of deposits or for repairs. It was found that several of the casings of the manholes should be raised. Nine of the reference stones that were missing have been replaced by new ones. The work of erecting strong guard fences at the high embankments on the Conduit road was continued; 3,200 feet of these fences was built in the fiscal year, making 7,464 feet, or about 14 miles, in all. Improvements were made in the approaches to wasteweirs Nos. 1 and 2 and in the means of controlling the water at wasteweir No. 3. New frames for the two waste gates set in the wall under the weir were built and a leak that has existed at wasteweir No. 1 for several years was stopped. Repairs were made to the pavement of the Conduit road, which was made for the protection of the conduit under the road, at many places, but the appropriation for preservation and repair is not sufficient to keep the entire pavement in as thorough repair as is desired. The officer in charge suggests that this beautiful drive, which is, the major part of it, beyond the District line, is worthy of a special appropriation for its improvement and adornment by sodding of the slopes, planting of trees, etc., but as this work is not strictly necessary for the purposes of the aqueduct, he does not include it among his annual estimates. The bridges are in good condition with the exception of the bridge over the spillway from the receiving reservoir, and the floors of Griffith Park and Cabin John bridges. A new bridge of masonry is required to replace the old wooden bridge at the former place, and Griffith Park and Cabin John bridges should be paved with granite blocks. The officer in charge renews his request for an appropriation for the additional works required for restoring to use the receiving reservoir for the double purpose of improving the quality of our Potomac water by relieving it of the muddiness that it has in winter and spring, and of regaining the capacity for the storage of Potomac water that was lost when this important reservoir, which has a capacity of about 175,000,000 gallons, was thrown out of service by reason of the pollution by some small streams that lead into it; for the further improvement of the quality of the Potomac water by lowering the height of the cross dam at the distributing reservoir; for the protection of the inlet to the aqueduct at Great Falls; for extending an important wasteweir, which is liable to be obstructed by the private owners of adjacent land; for cleaning out the distributing reservoir, and for the purchase or condemnation of a site for a storage yard for supplies for use in case of breaks in mains. He also calls attention to the necessity of widening and deepening the spillway from the receiving reservoir; of rebuilding the bridge over this spillway; of repaving Griffith Park and Cabin John bridges; of a storehouse at Great Falls; of protecting the conduit at waste weir No. 1; of inserting air valves and blow-off valves in the old mains, and of completing the removal of the accumulation of deposits from the conduit as soon as money can be obtained for the purpose. These objects and the desired general provision of law relating to appropriations for the Washington Aqueduct, as well as the small increase asked for in the general appropriation for preservation and repair of the aqueduct and its accessory works, are of great importance, and the renewal of the recommendations of the officer in charge in respect of them is concurred in. July 1, 1891, balance unexpended June 30, 1892, amount expended during fiscal year July 1, 1892, balance unexpended July 1, 1892, outstanding liabilities $23, 944. 25 21, 705. 74 2, 238.51 2,238.51 The estimates of the officer in charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894, are as follows: For improving the receiving reservoir by the works required for cutting off the drainage into it of polluted water and sewerage from the surrounding country for the purchase or condemnation of the small amount of land required for the purpose, and for the excavation necessary at the head of the reservoir... For improving the receiving reservoir by deepening its margins and pro- For lowering the height of the cross dam at the distributing reservoir. For extending the outlet of wasteweir No. 3 For purchase or condemnation of a site for a storage yard. $150,000 140, 625 12,500 5,000 2,500 For cleaning out the distributing reservoir....... 10,000 For storehouse at Great Falls.... For widening and deepening the spillway at the receiving reservoir 13, 825 2,000 5,000 For protecting the conduit at wasteweir No. 1, near Great Falls 1,500 For inserting air valves and blow-off valves in the 36-inch and 30-inch mains For removing the accumulation of deposits in the conduit.. For rebuilding the bridge over the spillway at the receiving reservoir..... For maintenance and repairs of the aqueduct, the reservoirs, mains, roads, etc., connected therewith.... Total.... (See Appendix A A A 1.) |