New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-26

A
and the work is stcadily progressing vnder
| an extension Of this CONTRACT.
| The lower locks arc rapidly approaching
| completion, The section work can De mn
| ished the coming winter and the entire
| work by the next working season, provided
| the necessary appropriations are made.
| The amount available during the fiscal
year, $879, 16l expended during the same
| period, $746,756 As; remaining July l, 1870,
! S4OO, 900; amount required to complete i'm
! prOvement over previous appropriation,
| $4,000, which sum would be advan-
tageously expended during the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1872.
improvements of the Rock Island rapids.
Mississippi river-The plan adopted in 1864
for the Improvement of the rapids has been
followed without modification during the
fiscal year. The work has been done under
contract. and has consisted during the year
in rock excavation from the dam at Syca-
more chain, III removing points above grade
and other rock, and the dam at Moline chain
and excavation at Dutch creek.
The chain at Campbelps dam was COM
pleted in August, inclosing space OF forty
three acres. A rapid rise in the river over
flowing the dam, stopped the work until the
latter part of November, when the dam was
pumped out and the work carried on, when
ever the weather would permit.
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1871.
The channel will be excavated through
Smiths chain, and the balance of the apprO-
priatiOn will be expended at those points
where it can be most advantageOusly done.
Resurveying will also be made entire.
The channel between Davenport and Le-
Understanding work upon these rapids
| can be finished during next low water, pro-
| vided early appropriation is made, and the
w
can be required. Amount available July
II, 1869, $642, 800 SO; received during the
fiscal year, 100000; expended during the
same period, $l64,82O 50; appropriated by
act Of July ii, 1870, $l5O,OOO; amount re-
quisite to complete the improvement, $780,
600.
Improvement of the Illinois River-work
during the fiscal year consisted in first
dredging ut all the shoals and bars wherever
necessary to give a depth Of seven feet
between Henry and Copperas creeks. After
the proposed dam and lock at the latter
place shall have been built by the State of
Illinois until means for slack water navi-
cation are fortunately finished, expenditure
will be confined to opening channel one
hundred and fifty feet wide and to building
catchment and wing dams, in order to add
permanent improvement thereby to those
portions which have less than four feet IN
the channel and surveys of the river.
The resurvey ground covered by the pres
ent contract has led to q considerable IN
crease over former estimates in the probable
quantity of deciding required, but the ex-
penditure may be kept within the limit OF
available funds by diminishing the width Of
the channel wherever it can be done without
detriment.
Allotted from appropriation, April 10, 1869,
$S4, $50; expended during fiscal year, $l2,-
O73 81; remaining July l, 1870, $72,076 66;
appropriated by act Of July l, 1870. $780,.
100000. To continue dredging these will
require s75,OOO,OOo.
For the improvements of the navigation
of the Ohio and the enlargement OF the
Louisville and Portland canal-officer in
charge, Major General Wetzel, Chief OF
Engineers. Since the last annual report the
apron dam at the head of the Louisville and
Portland canal has been completed.
The object OF this dam was to prevent
vessels entering the canal from being drawn
upon the docks by side currents at certain
stages of water. 1t has been found to an
swer the purpose for which it was intended.
About one-third of the crib dam across the
river is also finished.
A contract has been made for removing
the rock on the inside of this dam, SO that
there shall not be less than six feet water
when the dam is completed. The cOnstruc-
ton of the remaining wall on the outer
bank near the upper guard gates. and ex-
cavatiOn incident, there is also widening.
The canal from its head to the upper guard
gates were begun and continued, and
nearly all Of the earth excavations are
completed aud the walls begun.
A contract was also made for putting in
new locks for working condition and open
ing the channel to the river below and old
canal above, all Of which it is expected will
be done this fall. An appropriation of $685.
900 in the act of July Ii 1870, will be ex-
pended in widening the canal to the width
of ninety feet from the upper guard gates
to the branch Of the new canal. Amount
estimated as cost of the work for the extern
sion of the Louisville and Portland canal,
1913 $50, goo; second, for two dams and one
lock across the falls of the river, $3l 900 900;
total. $243, 500 600. of which there were
allotted the former appropriations of 1868
and 1869 of S26,3N,OOO; appropriated by act
of July II, 1870, $l5000O; total, $5l3, 1000.
Amount still required, $4,000; amount re-
ceived during the fiscal year, $l2O, 600; ex-
penditures during the same period, 1885,
700; remaining July !, 1870, Sl03,2OO; re-
quired for fiscal year ending July 10. 1870,
and which can profitably be expended,
$4,000
Bridge the Ohio Rivera board of engi-
neers have been constituted in compliance
with the fifth section Of the act of July II,
1870, to examine all the bridges now erected
or in process of erection across the Ohio
river, and to report whether such bridges do
not interfere with the safe navigation of
the river, and If so, what modification Of
the space and elevation will be required to
prevent obstruction, with estimates of cost
of the required change.
This report, when received, will be duly
submitted in the presence of the Ohio river
commission, in charge of William Roberts,
OF the United States Civil Engineers.
until June II, 1870 when relieved by
Major W. c. Emerill, of the corps of engi-
neers now in charge.
During the fiscal year some omissions on
the survey of the river, caused by high wa
ter, were completed. Repress dams were
finished, and much work done on five Others
The channel was dredged at several places,
and rocks and boulders removed but there
was much interruption from high water.
Alabama Claims.