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survey has been made that this caving has had the effect of moving the main channel toward the left bank and thereby threatening the stability of the West Pass levee, the necessity would arise for an extension of the revetment upstream.

Reid-Bedford Bend, La. (603 R.).—(For description see current annual report of the Mississippi River Commission, and map No. 8,' herewith.) The effective length of this revetment at the beginning of the season was 3,500 feet, to which is to be added 1,880 feet constructed by the fourth district the past season, consisting of an upstream extension between stations 6+20 and 25 of the standard form of revetment used in that district. Repairs were also made to the old work.

Red Fork, Arkansas River.- (For description see current annual report of the Mississippi River Commission, and map No. 1, herewth.) The effective length of this revetment is 1,200 feet, all of which is in fair condition. Minor repairs were made the past season, stations 5 to 6+30 and stations 0+40 to 1+70, and repairs made to the upper bank slope. Work was begun March 1 and completed March 6, 1911.

The cost of this work was $3,674.10. (For details, etc., see statement No. 7, herewith.)

STONE AND PLANT.

Operations under the above heads have been under the charge of Assistant Engineer Arthur Hider, and the following reports are from data furnished by him:

STONE.

Quarrying stone.-Preliminary work was begun January 26, 1910, with a small force of self-subsisting labor setting-up machinery, cleaning the yard of trash, and breaking and banking the stone blasted at the close of the previous season. The main force was regularly organized and active operations begun February 8. An average force of 100 laborers was employed. Operations were conducted along the usual lines of quarrying and loading stone.

Navigation opened February 27, 1910, and the first tow of barges reached the quarry March 4. Loading was begun on the latter date and was suspended on account of low water on April 22. During the season 11,000 tons of stone were shipped and 15,000 tons banked on the yard, filling up the quarry floor. The quarry was stripped to a width of 30 feet throughout its length, and 15,000 tons of stone drilled ready for blasting. Operations were suspended on July 9. The following is a statement of this work:

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Towing stone. After the completion of the Red Fork revetment work, on February 4, 1910, the towboat Arthur Hider was transferred to the work of towing stone. On account of low stage of water in White and Little Red Rivers the boat did not arrive at the quarry with the first tow of empties until March 4. Previous to this date she was engaged in towing the outfit from Red Fork to Greenville and Vicksburg and in towing the empty barges from the latter points up White River as far as Nigger Hill. During the season the boat

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towed 30 barges-11,117 cubic yards of stone to Greenville. Nine of these3,442 cubic yards-were delivered to the towboat H. St. L. Coppee, for use at Lock No. 8, Ouachita River, Ark. In addition, the boat made three trips to Vicksburg for repairs and for empty barges. The towing season was unusually short, and the low stage of water in both White and Little Red Rivers, together with lack of barges, restricted the available output more than one-half. The Hider continued in service until May 25, 1910, when she left for Keokuk, Iowa, to bring down the barges built for this district at the yards of the Rock Island (Ill.) engineer district and for docking and other repairs.

The following statement gives the cost of the various items of towing:

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Unloading stone. This work was begun March 10, 1910, and continued until May 5, 1910. One foreman and an average of 25 laborers were employed. The price paid for labor was $1.25. The stone was received from the Government quarry and was unloaded on the bank at Greenville. The following is a statement of the work:

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Seven barges, containing 2,628.1 cubic yards, were held loaded to save the cost of rehandling the stone.

Loading stone.-The contractor, the Foster-Creighton-Gould Co., began the delivery of stone at the Southern Railway tipple July 25, 1910, and completed delivery January 4, 1911. A total of 25,282.58 tons was delivered at a cost of $1.99 per ton unloaded from cars. Of this stone 20,435.8 tons were loaded; the remainder is still in the storage yard at the Southern Railway tipple.

Active loading at the tipple was begun October 6, and from the reserve a quarter of a mile downstream, November 21, 1910. After November 21 two loading plants were used until all the reserve, 5,046.8 tons, was loaded, December 20. From December 23, 1910, to January 16, 1911, all stone loading was suspended, as the contractors, Oscar F. Barrett and John Riess, furnished all the

stone that was required for carrying on revetment work. During this period the services of two foremen and a junior engineer were transferred to repair work on Greenville front revetment, one foreman being retained to care for the plant. Loading stone was resumed with one loading plant January 16, and with both loading plants January 26, 1911. This work was suspended February 3, the bridges torn down, and all material stored on loading barges.

During the time loading was carried on with only one plant, one junior engineer and two foremen were employed for supervision; and while loading with two plants, one junior engineer and four foremen. Laborers were paid $1.25 per day, and teams $3 per day up to December 23, after which they were hired under a new agreement at $2.90 per day. Two carpenters were kept constantly employed calking and repairing barges. The cost of these repairs is included in the cost of labor for loading stone.

Below is given a detailed statement of the work:

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Estimated net cost of loading stone, exclusive of repairs to plant, and allowing 50 per cent for deterioration of loading outfit, is 293 cents.

Active operations the present season were begun at the quarry on March 7, 1911, and the time to April 4 was devoted to stripping the top of the quarry, and breaking and banking the stone quarried last season after towing had been suspended.

Owing to the unusually low stage of water during January, February, and March, it was impossible for the towboats to reach the quarry. The steamer Hider arrived at the foot of the shoals March 9 with a tow of six barges. These barges were taken to the quarry by hand. The towing stage in Little Red River the present season has existed for only 25 days in April. The first tow of empties reached the quarry March 13, but loading was not begun until April 4 on account of insufficient water. On April 1 there were 25 empty barges just below the mouth of Little Red River awaiting a boating stage to the quarry. The towboat arrived at the quarry with the second tow of empties April 6, 1911. During April, 24 barges, containing 9,473 cubic yards of stone, were shipped from the quarry, and 2,385 cubic yards loaded on barges ready for shipment, leaving approximately 4,000 cubic yards on the floor of the quarry ready to load at the close of the month. Of the amount shipped, 7,094.7 yards arrived at Greenville, one tow being en route, and 3,164.7 yards of this were unloaded as a reserve at Greenville. Should the towing season continue during May it is expected to obtain at least 20,000 cubic yards of stone for revetment purposes from the quarry this season. Two towboats are at present engaged in towing, one with a daylight, and the other with a day and night crew.

The cost of operating the quarry to May 1, 1911, was $7,700.93.

The following is the amount of reserve stone on hand at close of the revetment work:

Vicksburg, Miss_
Greenville, Miss_
Red Fork, Ark..

Valued at $13,578.31.

Cubic yards.

1, 656. 79 4,846. 78 325.00

6, 828. 57

PLANT.

The plant at present available for revetment work consists of the following:

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The steel dock, two mooring barges, six material barges, one field office quarter boat, one line barge, and four steel barges have been added to the plant during the year. The wooden barges are built of Oregon fir, creosoted.

Two wooden material barges have been transferred to the Vicksburg district for use on Ouachita River during the year; the wooden dry dock has been beached and burned; and one hydraulic grader will be presented for condemnation.

It is proposed to construct the following additional plant to complete outfit for three revetment parties:

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The cost of care of plant for the year was $11,018.30. The average number of employees engaged in care and repairs of plant for the year was 50. Statement of cost of repairs is herewith. (Statement No. 9.)

PART 2.-SURVEYS.

This work has been under the charge of Assistant Engineer A. M. Todd, and data for this report have been prepared by him.

The season's work contemplated the usual annual hydrographic surveys, covering all existing and projected revetment work and all reaches where important levees or interests were threatened by active caving banks. The annual allotment of $5,000 was made to cover the cost.

The usual annual survey was also made of the Yazoo Diversion Canal and Vicksburg Harbor, using the organization of the third district, but charging the cost of the survey to the allotment for " Yazoo River, at mouth."

The survey party was organized for field work September 12, 1910, with Inspector E. F. McMurtrey chief of party, and work was begun at Reid-Bedford Bend. The steamer Columbia, of the Vicksburg engineer district, was used. The revetment and reach surveys were made in order, working upstream, and the reach surveys, where no revetment had been authorized, were made on the way down the river after completing the revetment surveys. The survey of the Yazoo Diversion Canal was made after completion of the Mississippi River surveys. All field work was completed and the party disbanded November 28. The steamer Columbia was transferred to the Vicksburg district in commission the same day.

The surveys made were of three general kinds, as follows: Revetment, revetment and reach combined, and extended reach and shore-line surveys.

The first includes laying out and retracing base line, and marking off same into stations of 100 and 200 feet, at which points ranges are set along the full length of the revetment. The ranges are sounded across the width of the revet

ment and beyond, and at intervals of about 2,000 feet they are sounded across the entire width of the river. The second includes, in addition to the revetment survey as above, a reach survey extending beyond the limits of the revetment. The third includes a shore line located along the full reach surveyed, and at intervals of about 2,000 feet ranges are laid off and sounded the entire width of the river. The existing levee lines are also retraced and other prominent features are located where necessary.

Following is a statement in detail showing work done, costs, etc.:

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