The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1874-12-11

paid % their debt In full; sixteen still re-.
main indebted TO the United States.
The line Of military telegraph from San
Diego, California, 10 Prescott and T,cson
Arironia, provided for BY the act Of is5S'
which appropriated, upon an estimate ot
this Department, sj0,3ii.s0 for It's cons,ruc.
ton, was built by labor Of troops.
The cost Of the line has already bccn more
than repaid In the saving Of expense and
loss In the pursuit Of savages who have
broken out from the reservations and com.
mitted depredations. Messages from all
points are retransmitted 10 order aud or.
ganike the movements Of pursuit. and the
cost Of couriers has been much diminished
Under the act appropriating a million Of
dollars Tor placing hcadstcnes at the graves
OF soldiers Inferred In the National Military
Cemeteries, contracts have been made
for the whole work, which are within the
sum appropriated, and the same is now in
progress.
There are seventy-six Cemeteries, dcsig.
mated ne National, in which are Inferred
l3s,'t2 unknown aud id2,07q known sol.
diers. siSty-eight superintendents are on
duty.
The cemetery established at the city Of
Mexico during the Mexican war having been
declared National Military Cemetery by
act Of tongress, aud committed TO the care
Of this Department, many improvements
have been made.
In the Medical Department, notwithstand.
ing the occurrence Of eases IT yellow fever
ut Forts Jefferson aud Rcrrancs during the
summer Of 1873, the army enjoyed unusual
good health during the year
Under the Chief Of Engineers the work
Tor the defense OF the coast have been pros
ecuicd with vigor and as rapidly ~ the ap-
preparations In hand would permit and in
several OF our important harhors some OF
the larger works are approaching compile.
ton. Generally, the works are notifications
| Of existing dcfenscs, constructed for les.
powerful ornaments than those nov used.
The rapid advances that have been made in
power of modern ordnance, renders II essen.
tial that these works should he pushed for.
ward 10 completion aud properly armed
The trials with torpedocs, which for some
years past have been going an ut Willct's
Point, have developed system inferior, il
II believed, to none in use abroad, which
viii furnish Us at small cost with q means Of
barring our harbors against the inroads ~
iron-clad vessels, furnishing Us with one
form Of ob,'ruction for holding them under
the FIRE Of our guns
Satisfactory progress has been made upon
the works for the improvement Of rivers aud
harbors.
The provisions Of the second and third
sections Of the act approved elay II, 1874,
providing for the payment Of the bonds Of
the Louisville and Portland Canal Com
pany" 50 far rs relates TO the transfer Of all
the property OF said company to the United
states, have been complied with.
In compliance with the provisions Of the
act approved June %, 1874, authorizing the
construction of a substantial iron and ma
l... A
Auacosta, or Eastern Branch Of the Potomac
River, ut or near the site Of the present
Navy-lard bridge, II contract has been Gu
tered into with responsible parties for the
construction and completion Of the said
bridge.
An act approved June -, 1874, provided
for the appointment Of n commission Of en-
gincers TO investigate a permanent plan for
the reclamation Of the alluvial basin Of the
Mississippi River subject to inundation. The
commission has been organized.
The amounts appropriated by the river
aud harbor act of June %, 1874, are applied
to the specific objects therein designated.
The survey Of the lakes has been carried
ON during the year with it, accustomed en-
crgy and success.
Microscopic researches are being made
with promise Of identifying American
rocks with wcll-known types in Europe.
The geographical surveys and explorations
west Of the one hundredlh meridian in Cal.
ifornia, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado,
New Mexico, Wyoming. and Montana, have
been carried on successfully.
In the Ordnance Department the Sccre-
tary reports material progress. The Spring
field rifle has been adopted As an arm In the
service aud the immediate manufacture Of
half q million of the best arms is recon.
mended for protection in case Of any emer.
gencies. An increase in the annual appro.
priation for arming and equipping the whole
body Of the militia is brought to the con.
sideration Of Congress, with the hope OF
some legislation thereon.
The sale Of several Of the numerous arscnals
east Of the Mississippi river is advised and
the building up Of q grand arsenal on the
sea-board and also the establishment of a
powder depot and experimental ground for
heavy cannon.
The regular instruction in military signal.
ing is progressing.
The acs approved June IL, 1874, maintain.
ing the signsl-scrvice at force providing
for one hundred and fifty scrgeants and
thirty corporals, and priyates in the proper.
ton of two for each sergeant, have been pro.
ductive OF good results. The men who have
enlisted under il are of superior quality.
During the year twenty-three stations OF
which reports are deemed necessary to en-.
able proper warnings 10 be given Of the APP
proach and force of storms aud Of other
meteoric changes for the benefit Of agricul-
tural and commercial interests
The daily exchange of Geographic reports
with the Dominion Of Canads has been main
tained and warnings of threatened danger
have been regularly sent to be displayed at
the ports of the Dominion.
4 series of daily Geographic reports has
been received from stations in the West
Indies, extending from Cuba, by Jamaica, to
Barbados and the Windward Islands. The
most eastern station thus established, and in
the course OF possible cyclones, lies 1880
miles to the southwark and eastward Of
Washington.
Legislation il recommended in regard to the
dismissal Of army officers detected in pre-
sentins duplicate vouchers for pay in re-
gard to leave of absence OF army officers re-
spectibg provisions for the support OF wild
ows aud orphans Of army officers; for appro-
priations to locate q military prison At Fort
Leavenworth; for the establishment Of n
Professorship Of Rhetoric and English lii.
erature atWest Point and for the publication
Of the official records OF theWar OF the Rebel
lion