OPERATING AND CARE OF CANALS AND OTHER WORKS OF NAVIGATION, APPLIED TO FOX RIVER, WISCONSIN. [Section 4 of river and harbor act of July 5, 1884.] Detailed statement of expenditures for fiscal year ending June 30, 1907. Detailed statement of expenditures, etc.-Continued. Character of work, etc. Item of expense. Amount. Total. General repairs to plant, boats, dredges, machin- Repairs of flat scow No. 4... ery, etc.-Continued. $20.31 Do.. Repairs of barge Princeton 42.37 Do.. Do. Do.. Repairs of dump scow No. 2. 55.87 193.34 64.00 REMOVING SUNKEN VESSELS OR CRAFT OBSTRUCTING OR ENDANGERING NAVIGATION. Wreck of tug J. W. Bennett in Green Bay, Wisconsin.-On August 18, 1906, the steam tug J. W. Bennett was sunk in collision with the steamer Saugatuck in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The tug sunk in about 32 feet of water at a point NE. N. and about 11 miles distant from Tail Point light station, on the regular sailing course between Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay. An examination showed that there was less than 18 feet of water over the wreck and that it was a dangerous obstruction to navigation. Several attempts to remove the wreck were made by its owners, Nau's Tug Line, of Green Bay, Wis., who finally, on October 13, 1906, formally abandoned it. The wreck was removed by the United States under an emergency contract entered into November 13, 1906, with the Leathem and Smith Towing and Wrecking Company at a total cost of $443; which was paid for from an allotment from appropriation for removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation, indefinite. The work was completed May 31, 1907. Wrecks in Kewaunee Harbor, Wisconsin.-Five wrecks of vessels lying within the established harbor lines of Kewaunee, Wis., having obstructed navigation for a period longer than six months, were removed by the United States under the provisions of section 19, river and harbor act of March 3, 1899. The wrecks removed are as follows: Tug James N. Brooks; schooner Edith H. Koyen; schooner Exchange; barge Liberty; small unknown vessel. The work was done by Mr. Charles Metzner, Kewaunee, Wis., under an emergency contract dated October 30, 1906, at a total cost of $141, and was paid for from an allotment from appropriation for removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation, indefinite. The work was completed November 22, 1906. APPENDIX L L. IMPROVEMENT OF CHICAGO AND CALUMET HARBORS AND CHICAGO RIVER, ILLINOIS, OF CALUMET RIVER, ILLINOIS AND INDIANA, AND OF MICHIGAN CITY HARBOR, INDIANA; SURVEY OF ILLINOIS AND DES PLAINES RIVERS, ILLINOIS, FOR WATERWAY FROM LOCKPORT, ILLINOIS, TO ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. REPORT OF LIEUT. COL. W. H. BIXBY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1907. 1. Chicago Harbor, Illinois. 2. Chicago River, Illinois. 3. Calumet Harbor, Illinois. IMPROVEMENTS. 4. Calumet River, Illinois and Indiana. 5. Michigan City Harbor, Indiana. 6. Survey of Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers, Illinois, for waterway from Lockport, Illinois, to St. Louis, Missouri. 7. Removing sunken vessels or craft obstructing or endangering navigation. UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE, GENERAL: I have the honor to forward herewith the annual reports upon the works in my charge for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1907. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. H. BIXBY, Lieut. Col., Corps of Engineers. Brig. Gen. A. MACKENZIE, Chief of Engineers, U. S. A. L LI. IMPROVEMENT OF CHICAGO HARBOR, ILLINOIS. For description of the outer basin and the improvements accomplished therein see Report of the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, for 1905, page 2065. For statement of projects see summary, page 624. Under the contract with the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, as approved August 16, 1905, dredging in the outer basin was continued throughout the entire year, except while stopped by winter weather, from December to May, and 506,699 cubic yards of material (845,017 total under contract) were removed at contract price of $0.10 per cubic yard, the material being deposited back of the harbor line of Grant Park. This contract is about 99 per cent completed. The 21-foot depth area now extends over about 71 acres of the outer basin, in the shape of a strip about 1,200 feet wide from the lake wall of the basin westerly, and about 2,897 feet long from the river piers southwardly. Under a contract with the Jackson & Corbett Company, approved July 28, 1906, work on the concrete superstructure of the North Pier was commenced July 24, 1906, and continued throughout the year, except while stopped by winter weather, from December to May. About 400 linear feet of the old superstructure over the North Pier was removed, and a foundation for the new superstructure practically completed over this entire length; a new 30-foot crib was sunk in place at the west end of the pier and filled with stone; 2 clumps of piles were driven at the westerly end of the pier, and 77 concrete blocks were made. This contract is about 21 per cent completed. This pier superstructure work progressed much more slowly than anticipated, the difficulties being explained by the following extracts from the annual report of the Assistant Engineer: The old superstructure was in a deplorable condition, caused by a number of collisions with vessels, by accidental fires on several occasions, and by natural decay; and when the original substructure (crib work) was reached, this was found to be, to a great extent, in as bad, if not worse, condition * * The west 60 feet of the crib work was known, prior to the letting of the contract, to be entirely unfit for repairs, and provisions were therefore made in the specifications for the entire removal of this crib, which had been sunk on the sand bottom in 1867, and a new crib was provided to take its place. The adjoining cribs were cut down in some cases to depths of 7 and 8 feet below city datum. The mode adopted for the preparation of the foundation on these cribs was as follows: Cribs Nos. 2 and 3, of a combined length of 74 feet, were cut down to depths varying between 3 and 8 feet; sheet piling was driven on both sides of the cribs and held together with wales and tie-rods, after which a support for the timbers forming the foundation for the concrete blocks was made with bags of No. 1 concrete placed in layers along each side of the crib, the middle part being filled with rubblestone and gravel. Cribs Nos. 4 to 8, inclusive, a combined length of 250 feet, were not so badly damaged. The dovetails were, however, in many parts of these cribs so badly worn as to be devoid of sufficient power to hold the side walls together; the method used to remedy this was to drive piles in pairs on opposite sides of the cribs and connect these opposite pairs with tie-rods through waling pieces on the outside, after which the timber work was built up to the required level. This low-level work was completed for a distance of 127 feet, and partly so for 130 feet more, on December 15, 1906, at a total cost of $14,065.63; but it is expected that more work of this kind will be found necessary on the work further out. The rubblestone in the old superstructure has been used in filling the new crib, and will be used as riprap around the clumps of piles and along the sides of the pier. The construction of concrete blocks began on August 22, and 48 blocks were made. These were placed on the work in December, but with the understanding that they were not accepted, but would be allowed to be so placed to serve as a protection to the completed part of the foundation over winter. Two clumps of piles were placed at the westerly end of the pier, but they have not as yet been accepted, as the riprap has not been completed. The new crib was sunk on pile foundation on October 4, 1906. ** Owing to almost incessant northeasterly winds for about 5 to 6 weeks in the spring, no work could be done on the pier and caused to a great extent the lateness in resuming operations. During April, 1907, soundings were commenced at the river entrance and in the outer basin, to ascertain the amount of dredging to be done under the new appropriation. The field work has been carefully looked after by Assistant Engineer G. A. M. Liljencrantz. The piers and breakwaters (except at the places to be replaced with concrete superstructure as indicated above) are generally in fair condition, though somewhat decayed in spots. Being constructed of wooden cribs ballasted with stone, their superstructure must in course of time be entirely rebuilt, but for the present the repair work will be |