, 1880-12-22
essary shears and gfapples 10 remove the
anna nlof,r. itaa I'll. hla nhnnnnl

essary shears and grapples 10 remove the
worst ones along tho naylgable channel.
"'rhe aggregate length Of dams at Pearf
Shoals ard Fishers and Atwell's 1'ars,
built during the year, Ia 5,B,8 feet Tho total
humber Of snags removed WINS eighsy-four.
"Tlo work Ut improvement IL still far
FROM complete. The bars improved during
thu past year were the W0Ist remaining on
the river, limiting navigation during tho low
water senson 10 dranRllt OF two feet. As a
result Ut the work done, from four to five
feet cnn bu carried III these places at low
water; a.,d that Is toro than can be carried
through tho Intervals between these bars,
anil ut many other patts Of the river. Tho
length OF river covered by our operations
during the year does not excecd eight ies,-
leavtttK tn atlnKgtng out Ut collsitlerMlt0n.-
but the resulting benefits reacti much further,
ns. the grentest obstruction to navigation, Iii
tf1is river below Naples has been reilloveC,
ular packet-llnes.
PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS.
"'rhe amount available JuMe 80, 1890, WAS
e1+3.g!D45, Of which $4,000 WIS appropr!..
ated by Tue net approved june II. 1880. and
S4Stson " ds Sssss ae speees Ct e INT Rdey' e sa a
Ut 5iQ. .00 shall he applied tu dredging. Ac-
cording1y It ~ proposed tn amply thls amount
10 operating the hfutige atNl ,nac hinefy oWned
y III n s: sats 5 k. n 9 14a sS"ytsaetnf 49 s e
l.nIntci,anceo q the .lrcdgcl channels. ThIs
Is H. continuation Of the present plan Of OBJ
erlitons, which f,aH been sanctioned by pre-
v1HaS ,pprpT{aptlatgs' BY Gonstess, ", ,..bar
require t!ut fl!c sun! Of Sl00,00 shall be
axpendctl ui l0cks md dnms'; therefore i Is
proposed to apply the amount specified to
thnt purpose.
For completing the slnck-water improve.
i1,cnt of the Illinois River, two p!ans are be-
furc the Department: First, tl,nt presented
BY, the Itoarl Of ENGINEERS IN lsts. wl,lc, IN:
ys,yss ta ccnstra!cton Of tl,ree oeks and
Ollu. that proposed III my rGturts Ut Aug. 20.
1858, uild May 10, 1870, which involves tic
construction of two lucks aid dau!s.
"1.ocal examinations are necessary for dc.
either p1s.n; and would propose that these
he commenced ny soon rs practicable. Hay.
lug fixed upon TIE sites. detailed p!alis and
est,stes ,ay os tspaFe4 u ts w1rK ot
with the present appr9prlatlon We Will bo
nlle to contract for building the foundation
."Th hougl! ti,o radical Improvement Of the
rntctl by tlse provisions Ut this years Appro.
priatiun ht!t, il larEr amount VI dredging will
sttl! ren1Aln 70 be doHe, yiz.: froni tio
IS r,yfFs % ,'uiI t,ot W to the ,'T 'Tst t iosk
ably near. Co!unbln1la, about Thirty miles
nbvn tlle l'l0utt! (which pAEt of tile river, 1t
Is believed. can By completely improved by
.trt.lEing 1loaa: drc!lglnE channels throllgl,
pU1ls,. by which the system can bc carried
uut with tta,ns of less hight, Diminishing
thereby the amount Of iluwage: tinally, to
renlDyB distractions that will he brought
into the t1fath river by tts tributaries.
"1fAyISG COMMENCED THE sI4AcK-wArER
HfATEM.
subsequent appropriations Should hle 1uadc
ample for Its energetic prosecution ard
spGedy completion. d. this course only Gun
tile, work le accomplished with economy,
lWrl0tl uf tfine. II but two locks Mld dams
ire required for tho completion {nlld, Us set
forth IN previous reports, such IL my optn-
ioul. 1t would le u great saving tn cost, a
a1id lnnrked ndvulItaEet0 navigation, II both
works could bo prosecuted simultaneously.
Until the sites are. tixetl and letuiled p1ans
nle prepared. procise estiiiate Of the cost Is
impossible: but It may be stHted with con-
tldGncu that each lock, with daln aTd uiI nc
cessolies and enitlnge1lsles, will cost between
S:to ou aud $4ao,UO ;rlc cost of tho two
bui!t By ti.e State of 9!!!noIs tat Henry and
Afr. j: c: Jenne, tic Chlcf ii, glnccr Of tho
Illinois Il Michigan Canal, under Whose d.
rectinn these works were constructed.
..Ihe snnI 9pproprlate4 by Congress for
tractlng for The foundations OF QUO Jock only.
After tits Is done, thu co'lerzlan,s and other
auxiliary 11leasurts tor protecting tlc uil..
tintshe;ai work from tlali!age BY fres'tets n,,d
ao1c expense mill tlle permanent structures
are ~ condition to tuke care Ut themselves.
Aly own experience will, this CLASS OF
W0rks.-WilicIl llhs been quite tSseutlett,-il0
dangvr n,ia risk vt excessive cost to which
tie structure IL 1fablo when left tn all un-
finished stAtr.
=" For tho "bose reasons, md IN order tl,at
: may be conducted With vIgur a,ltt economy,
WOutd earnestly rectnnlend that
THE srM OF S500,000
be appropriated for the fiscal year ending
june ~, isS.., With this sum the work uf
dredging ca,' bc carricd IN: both locks, wi:ll
Il, compilation, utit Will tu ,natln absolutely
safc aEninst ttnnmge from rntnrni causes.
as tug CONSTRUCTION Ut locks aild tianis
will probaoly Involve ult"stto''s ot acqutst-
ty, It Is Iteslrablu that Cnlsxr.ss should paSsn
bill by which We ulny contenn lanu When
necessslry, VI wlten 1t y impossible to aEa'o
upon II price. ,u!d hy which tha a.Iotl,ts duu
:o tllS owners Ut liowed lanss may W de-
"'Iho object Of thelnlproycment, rs carried
OIL Mp tu tho present tlnle. WIS tU alt1 ,asi-
kato BY d,r;fdElng Il!d so,!s.rnctlp wlng
nsen. Of TIC river BY this p!a.. was not cos..
nmplatMl, nor was nnyI estimate Ut cost
inudt,-,tla Noard VI E,lglneers having given
its opinion IN 1857 Tint It WIS tduabtfnl
tllis plan would Eive atl available depth for
navigation OF more than four feet at extreulc
"I'hs Hlaount appropriated for tho ln,-
$5Su, l50, ot which taere had been expended
to June ", 16S0, S1U,I ,I50.h3.