The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-03-17

81
We fud among the printed documents
hccompanying9th annual report Of the Seq
rotary of War, dated Dec(nber 4th, 1854,
the following report made. by Gapt.=J.H.
SIMPSON, Superintendent Of the, Govern
ment Roads in this Territory. The report
shows the great degree Of energy which this
able officer has devoted to his duties, and
is document which win we'll repay an at
tentive perusls aES. I4gRSk .i=
OFFICE OF GENERAL GOVERNMENT ROADS,
.IEG3 TFRRsronYs MA SEsoFA,r *
St. Paul, Sept. 10, 1854.
S1R:s1 have the honor to make the follow
ing annual report of operations on the, general
government roads in this Territory. The date
Of my last report was September. 18th, of last
YEAR. Since then tas .,sa ..s,-s .s-a..f g,eyi
Oh, the Point Douglas and St. Loui, riuer
road.--A bridge Of three spans, each Of twenty
five feet, has been made over Sunrise river;
and the contract Of John d. Ludden, Esq, for
the portion between the sixty eighth mile sta
tions, has been reported to me finished. The
expenditure on account Of this road from the
Both of June last year have been $l6,6l8 Al.
On the Point Douglas and Fort Ripley
road.-The bridge across Rum river, repre-
sented in my last report as nearly completed,
has been finished. This bridge is one OF a sin
gle span, of one hundred and thirty-seven and
a half feet, and is twenty -four feet above the
water at its ordinary height 1t has been
constructed according to the plan OF the IN
proved brace bridge of Colonel Long, OF the
Typographical Engineers. and in the precision
of its joints, the complete manner in which its
parts have been compacted together, and its
unvielding stiffness as whole, is all that could
be desired So we'll was it put together, and
so judiciousy were the joints arranged, that
when the scaffolding was taken away it was
found to have settled only half an inch. My
assistant in the erection of this bridge Was
Charles L. Emerson, Esq, civil engineer, and
the contractor Orrin w. Rice, Esq, to both
of whom tender my Acknowledgements for the
faithful manner in which they have performed
their respective duties. The amount expend-
ed on account of this road since June 30th has
been 1875 81. l,.f Lao -
On the Wa6asha and Mendoza road,
The contract of F. S. Richards, Esq, men-
tione,' in my last report as in process of COM
pletion, has been finished. The portion COW
cred by this contract includes the bridge OF
thirteen spans, each of twenty-five feet, with
its embarked approaches; the grading Of the
adjoining hills and the construction of the
portion Of the road alongside the bluff of the
Mississippi river just above Reeds Landing,
and the continuation of it on through the ra-
vine back of Racot's to the table land above.
These several portions of work, especially the
first and the last mentioned, were very heavy
in their character, and required an outlay OF
money greatly disproportionate to what will
be required on the road generally. There yet,
however remains a couple OF formidable
pieces-the causeway over Hay Greek marsi.
and the bridge over Canon river and bottom.
the latter OF necessity nearly half a mile long
which will also cause dlsproportionate
outlay. The amount expended on account OF
this road since June Both has been $3.50 40.
Having now given statement of the oper-
atoms during the past year, proceed to lay
before you detailed statement of all the work
which has been done on all the roads under my
charge since the date Of the first appropria-
ton tor them by Congress, July IL, 1850, and
forward herewith a map, the better to illus
trate the report:
Road from Point Douglas to the mouth
of the st. Louis rirer Of Lake Superior "a
Wisconsin. This road has been surveyed
and staked out from Point Douglas to the falls
of the st. Louis river, the most northern ter.
minus, according to the acts of July l8, 1850
and January I, 1853; and has been construct
ed from mile station q to mile station 70, a
distance of ffty-seven miles; three fourths OF
the distance being through dense heavy woods
and a considerable portion of itinvolving some
deep and difficult cutting and the construction
of large number OF culverts and bridges, two
of the latter, that over Deep ravine, neal
Saltwater, and that over Sunrise river, being
of considerable character. have stated
that the road has been surveyed and staked Oh
from Point Douglas to the falls of the ST.
Louis river, the northern terminus, according
to the acts of July, 1850, and January, 1858
But more recent act--that of July last
provides that so much of any former act as
requires the road to terminate at the falls OF
rapids of the st. Louis river be repealed, anC
makes the mouth of St Louis river, in Wis
consin, the terminus. This being the case, the
survey and location will have to be extended
from the falls of the ST. Louis river, or from
some point north Of the already constructed
portion of the rOad--that is, from some pOin,
north of mile station 78-to the mouth OF thai
river, in one of the modes suggested by my let
ter of the 18th August, as the department
may direct. Besides this survey and location
which it is proposed to have done under the
recent appropriation of $4,000, it is also
proposed, agreeably to the sanction of the de-
partment, to make this appropriation 60 as far
as. possible towards opening the road through
to Lake Superior, and making it passable. In
order to this, the road will be simply Gu,
through, and, if necessary, grubbed to width
say eighteen feet, just sufficient to enable teams
to pass; the bridges, culverts, and causeways
be made well where required; and, after get
ting through iu this way, it is proposed to &c
over the road again, widen, grub, and other