The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-09
COST OF DREDGEs. ETC.


The dredge "Admiral Newport'' cost
$4,000, and the deck lighters 81 ,OlS, one
pile-driver S2,775. These amounts, with
the cost of cars, tools and every article ne
cessary for the improvement of the river,
make an aggregate of s55,074. This in
cludes the da images for Dutch Gap canal.
WORK SUSPENDED.
The work on Trent's Reach at Rockets,
and on Richmond bar, was suspended in
all thirty-two days from 11th November,
1870, to July 1st, 1871. The causes were
ice, freshets, and repairs of machinery.
EXISTING CONTRACTS.
The existing contracts are with G. Reder
4 Son for hosting engine, $1,000; G. j.
Fox, ST., deck lighter, 81 100; w. Roane
Ruffin, $4,000 feet pile and crib timber,
81 1892; Joseph Hall & Co., iron for dump
ing boxes, &c., $7l3; b. Mallefert, for
giving channel Of eighteen feet at mean
low water at Drewry's Bluff, and removing
distractions, $4,000; making in all S1l,-
705.
EMPLOY EES-THEIR PAY.
A list of all the persons employed, with
their pay per month, is given in the report,
from which we learn that Captain R. d.
Minor, engineer-in-chief, gets 5000 per
month; Thos. Cunningham, captain and
superintendent of dredging, $125; w. p.
Armstead, engineer of tug, s65; Clarke
Scull and John II. Comber, engineers of
dredges, s75 each Timothy Keilty, black
smith, $40; James r. Werth, superintend-
ent dyke work, 50 so per day; VIM.
Bishop, car penter, 50 80 per day. There
are nearly fifty other employees, who re-
~ ..fl L.. n
per month. l
AUDITORS STATEMENT. ..f
The statement of Mr.. Allderdice, City
Auditor, of the expenditures on account of
the James river improvement shows total,
between February 9th, 1870, and June 80,
1871, of $Sl ,0SS, leaving balance to the
credit of said improvement of $50, 0,952--the
appropriations made by the Council having
netted little over $162 900.
AMOUNT RECEIVED.
The engmeerrepor the amount of dredg
ing done for outside parties, at the wharves,
&c., at a fraction over 5000.
THE CHEAPNEss OF THE WORK.
Colonel Ordway, by way of introduction
to his report, calls attention to the fact that
while all parties regularly engaged in work
of this character make q deduction of 33A
per cent. ior suspensions and delays, the
James River improvement has so far been
prosecuted with a loss of only 20 per cent.
in this regard also, that the actual cost per
cubic yard of material dredged has been
less than under any private contract known.
.arI WORK DONE. A#
Captain r. ID. Minors statement shows
that the gross amount of sand moved at
Trent's Reach since the present engineer
took charge, and up to the LIST of July, III,
is II 200 cubic yards; daily average ofwork
212 cubic yards. The depth of the cham
mel way is IA feet {; width, IS feet; length.
1887 feet, and throughout its entire length
is distinctly marked by nun and spar buoys.
| At Rockets the gross amount Of sand
moved is $500 cubic yards, leaving a depth
of channel way Of Ia feet; width, 100 feet;
length, $50 feet.
| From the Richmond bar the gross amount
of sand moved is 1850 cubic yards, with
daily average of 495 cubic yards. The
depth of the channel way at that point is
10 feet at mean low-water width 25 feet
for a distance of $50 feet, and so feet for
300 feet length of channel, $50 feet, and
all marked by spar bouys. f f
Besides the above, at Trent's Reach two
dangerous snags We're removed at Rock
etts seven stones, averaging one ton each,
and four heavy logs and at the Richmond
bar five stones, averaging half q ton each
were removed.
Captain Minor suggests that the improve.
ment be continued with energy and a dc
termination to secure a depth of fifteer
feet of water from Richmond to the sea a