Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-11
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
Report 20 CongreAs from General :. =
Humphreys, ChieT OF Engineers OF
the United n tsfes Army.

The report Of General S. 5. Hum
phreys, chief Of engineers, 10 the secre-
Iary of war, contains the following IN
reference TO the progress made in river
improvements under the "act making
authorizations for the repair, preserva-
ion. aud completion OF certain public
X,,oTks on rivers and harbOrs,n approved
Mar eh 3, 1873, furnishing the means for
coDtit Nuing, during the past year, opera
ffona Z the several localities named
therein in accordance with approved
,,roiacfI The river and hsrbOr act, alp
proved Jul 9 %, 1874, IN addition to
making apt Vopriations for continuing
in1roysunenty heretofore begun, made
provision for some new works. win
The amounts thus made available, opera
lions have been continued during the
present working sea son, anu the neces-
sary preliminary steps nave Deen taken
for the execution Of thu new work specl-
fed.
The act further directe . that surveys
IA made and estimates submitted for
the improvements recommended by the
senate select committee on transpoIta-
ton routes to the seabOsrd, upon the
four routes indicated by the report OF
said committee, and also upon route
indicated, forming an extension OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal. THESE
surveys have been assigned to Officers
havingchsrge OF works in the districts
through which the proposed routes OF
communication pass. The approprIa-
ton was allotted to these officers in pro-
-. ,rtioD 10 the extent and magnitude of
- survey assigled each. Parties were
,1Tgs, lied aud SEN into the field at as
.eaTlv day as possible, and il Is trusted
that suf,, cient data VI. be obtained TO
enable all the officers ~ submit projects
for the impr. 1vements rel commented, To-
gether with Approximate estimates Oh
cost OF each, in time to be ST DnllIted De-
fore the close OF the next sess. 'oh Oh con
s1ess. 1t should be bourne ~ hlho,
Towever, that, owing TO the lat sneHs OF
l. passage OF the set, the season IaNoi-
the sor active 2eld-WOsk was We II ad-
aDie before the parties could OH
F@uceu nations.
mence op, Soations or surveys directe d
10 he made at - an spec. If The act
named i'm lie Sc, ,Hn,. section =" ' L. az ~
81 Jupe o, 1874, are nov in proc, =
execution. Il Is EXPECTED that repor,.
upOn the greater portion OF these will be
received ia time for TRANSMISSION during
the approaching session OF congress.
The third section Of the act Ioade pro-
vision for the organization OF board of
engineers, and directed that ''said
board shall make a survey Of the mouth
Of the Mississippi river, with view TO
determine the best method Of obtaining
and maintaing depth Ofwater sufficient
for the purposes OF commerce, either by
canal from said river to the waters Of
the gull, OF by deepening one or more of
the natural outlets Of said rivers" etc.
The board was constituted by general
orders No. "A OF the war department,
dated July ., 1874, snd copy Of the sec
ton was Incorporated in the order for
the information and guidance OF the
members. The BOARD Is now engaged
in the prosecution Of the duties assigned,
and will doubtless be able TO comply with
the requirements Of the law as TO the ,
lio4e Of Submitting the report.
Ia accordance with the requirements
Of the act approved June -, 1874, "to
provide for the appointment Of COM ,
mission Of engineers to investigate and
report a permanent plan for the recla-
nation Of the ailuvial basin Cf the Mis-
sissippi river subject TO inundaton,n a '
board Of commissioners was constituted [
by general orders No. %, OF the war de-
pariment Of July 2, 1874 The board
mas bteu uiSaulnEut anu TIE membe
are now actively engaged in making
the Investigations necessary to a full {
understanding and a proper presenta- {
ton Of the matter under consideration. |
-~S
Immense Preparations are making IN
New Orleans for the reception OF the
knight TemIlars Of the Union who at
tend the cOuvOcatiOn of the order De- I
cember 1st. From seven to ten thousand
Tempiars are expected. The fraternity
are very enthusiastic and ample prepare
tons are being made to accommodate
all who desire to come.
Dr.. William Parker of Connellsville,
+ Pennsylvania, arrested on the twenty
sixth ultimo by Special Agent
Myers, of the pOstofiice depart
ment, on the charge of using the I
United States mails to defraud
members Of the English parliament,
mad q hearing in PittsbuTg yesterday
before United States Commissioner
hnCandless. and was committed ia de-
fauit of two thousand dollars bail to APP
near at the next term of the United
Sfates court. A large amount of testi-
mony proving the guilt of Parker was
produced on the trial.