New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-03

SIGH perfeck dieeiplin that they kin kerry
the State anvhow7 It's q staggrer.
PETROLEUM V. Nasty,
Toledo Blade. Ref0rmer.
Report of the Chief of Engineers.
The annual report of General A. A. Hum
phreys, chief OF engineers, has been COM
pleted. 1t presents Q detailed statement of
the various operations of the Engineer De-
partmant dusing the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1876, sketches of those which are
now in progress, aid makes numerous
recommendations for the future. The num-
Der of officers holding commissions in the
corps Of engineers, United State. army, ct
the end of the fiscal year, was lO7 on tho
active list, and Eve on the retired list. The
latter, however, under the law of January
81, 1870, and not available for duty. In tho
duties devolving upon the corps by law, the
employment of q number of scientists and
assistant engineers has been necessary. After
q .reful study of the subject of sea coast
defenses by the corps of egineers, and with
the light afforded by the experience of active
conflict between seq coast defenses and tho
new naval armaments, the system to govern
the future construction of our works was
elaborated in 1869 and received the sp-
prevail of the General of the army, and the
Secretary of War, and since then has been
repeatedly Endorsed by the action of Con-
gress. The main features of this system arc
the uae of heavy earthen bsrbette batteries
with parsd0s and traverses of heavy mortar
batteries, and of distractions in the chan
nels (mainly electrical torpedoeel to hold
vessels from running past the batteries,
and reaching the cities or depots beyond
them. Works of this character have been
steadily progressing since 1863, and in many
OF our harbors are we'll advanced to ward
completion, but in none of the harb0rs ara
these alterations finished, while in some Of
our important harbors along the Gulf coast
works are scarcely commenced.
Regarding the pressing necessity for the
ties, General Humphreys urges the prepare
ton of our harbOrs for successful resistance
against the incursions of the powerful IRON
clads of the present day.
Among the estimates for appropriations
which General Humphreys earnestly recon-
menda are the following: For the compile
ton of defensive works at Fort jackson,
Mississippi river. S25 600; Fort st. Philip,
Mississippi river, $4,000.
On the subject of river and harbor ap-
preparations for the current fiscal year,
General Humphreys Gays of the amounts
appropriated for the public works on rivers
and harbOrs by the act approved August Ia,
1876, certain allOtments had been made, in
compliance with the instructions of the
Secretary of War, of September 4, limiting
the expenditures under the act to 81 ,00O, 900,
and directing that no new work of improve
ments should be begun.
The following statement exhibits these
allOtments in detail: For the improvement
of the South Pass of Mississippi river,
$50 900; SURVEYS at South Pass of Missis-
sippi river, SIS, 900; Galveston bar, $50 800;
Mississippi, Missouri and Arkansas rivers,
snsgging operations, $4,000; Mississippi
river, between mouth Of the Ohio and the
Illinois river. $l21 900; Mississippi river
channel opposite st. Louis, $25 900; Des
Moines rapids $ll5, 200; Rock Island rapids
$4,000; Upper Mississippi river, $4,000;
Falls of st. Anthony, $1,000; annual ex-
pense Of gauging waters OF Mississippi and
tributaries, $4,000; removing raft in Red
river and leasing Tones bayou, Louisiana,
So, 900; improvement of Ohio river, $780,
900; improvement of Tennessee river, $780,
900, Great Kanawha river. 81, 900; illinois
river. $40 900; Fox and Wisconsin rivers.
waukee harbor, $4,000; Chicago harbor,
$1,000: Harbor of Refuge, Lake Huron, $75,-
900; Saginaw river, Sl1 900; Toledo harbor,
So, 800; Cleveland harbOr, $4,000: Erie
harbor, $4,000; Duluth harbor. Minnie
sofa, $6000 entrance to Superior Bay, Wis
consin, $500; Ontonagon hsrbor, Michigan,
$1,000; Marc uette, Michigan, $1,000; Ahlar
pee, Wisconsin, $1,000; Two Rivers harbor,
Wisconsin $1,000; Manitowac harbor, Wis
consin, $4,000; Sheboygan harbor, Wiscon-
sin, $4,000; Calumet harbor, Illinois, $1,000;
White river harbor, Michigan, $1,000; Grand
Haven harbor. Michigan, $l5, 600; Stugata
harbor, Michigan, $1,000; South Haven har-
Dor, Michigan. $500; St. Joseph harbor,
Michigan, $4,000; Au Sable river, Michigan.
$1,000; Sandusky harbor, Ohio, $l2 500;
Vermilion harbor. Ohio, $1,000; Fairport
Black river, Ohio. 5000; Michigan City
harbOr, Indiana, SIG, 1000.
In determining the amounts to be allotted
to each work named, reference has been
had to the balances on hand of previous ap-
for the works specified. ALI
these improvements, for the continuance
OF which parts of appropriations have
been allotted, are, in my judgment, clearly
national allOtments to improvements Of
lesser magnitude and cOnseQuence-are in
dlspensably necessary to protect what is
already done. Officers in charge of the
improvements were notified of the amounts
allotted, and the works are now being CON
Quoted on this basis.
The report epitOmizes detailed accounts
given by various officers of river and har-
Dor improvements, ETC., now in progress
under their respective managements, to-
gether with q statement of the amounts
which these officers estimate can be prOtita-
bly, expended during the next fiscal year,
Among these estimates are the following
for improvements of the Mississippi river:
Between the mouths of the Illinois and
Ohio rivers, $500, 600; for the mouth of the
Mississippi river. $4,000; for the upper
Mississippi, $9l, 500; tor the Improvement of
the De Moines rapids, $135 900; Rock
Island rapids, $50, 900; for the Illinois river,
$80, coo; for the Ohio river, $3.50, 900; for
the Wabash river, $l45, 800; for the
Great Kanawha river, 100000; for re-
moving snags and wrecks from the Miseis-
sippi, Missouri and Arkansas rivers, 1855, 600;
improvement of Cleveland harbor, $500 GEO;
Improvement of Sandusky harbor, SIS 900;
Improvement at Port Clinton, Ohio. go, 600;
Toledo harbor, $4,000; Monroe harbor,
Michigan. 81 900; Cheboygan, Michigan,
harbor, $35, 900; Saginaw river, Michigan,
$52, 900; Detroit river, 500, 900; Harbor Of
Refuge, Lake Huron. 100000; st. Marys
Falls canal, 100000; Chicago harbor,
$l5O, 900; Michigan City harbor, $6S, 900. In
transmitting these statements of amounts,
which his subordinate officers cay can be
probably expended during the next fiscal
year, your Chief Of Engineers makes no re-
commendation Of hia own concerning thsma