Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-22
MILLIONS FOR WATERWAYS.

Features of the River and Harbor Appro-
priation Bnl-Movable Dam at Beaver
Ship Channel Through tho Great Lakes
"A Contract System Adopted.
WASHINGTON, March N.-The House
| Committee on Rivers and Harbors to-day
completed consideration Of the regular
river and harbor appropriation bill. 1t ap.
propriates &c, 700.O O00 which is about $4,000
less than the amount carried by the bill re-
ported by the committee in the last Con-
gress, and nearly $4.0Oo,000 less than the
amount of the bill which became law In
the last Congress-.
The greatest feature of the bill is the ex-
tent to which the committee enlarges the
policy adopted in the last Congress on plac-
ing some of the most important projects
under the contract system, by means OF
which work can be undertaken with the
amount appropriated for the year covered by
the bill and contracts entered into FOR the
completion of the work and of its con-
tinuance without serious interruption as
has sometimes happened when the con-
tinuance Of the work was entirely dependents
upon river and harbor appropria tions for
each Congress before the work could again
be pushed ahead. This year the committee
authorizes additional contracts to be en-
tered into aggregating $S2, ,l5l ,7O6, distributed
as follows: Charleston, s. c., &H1,OOO;
Savannah, $3,2l7 900; Mobile, Ala, $l,AS,sOo;
Hudson river. $2,447906; Columbia river,
Oregon, 81, ,70o, ,000 the Great Lakes, 50, ,0OO
Point Judith, Rhode Island, 81, IT'S 900; Beaver
Dam, Ohio $3.50, 900; the Mississippi river,
SIG, 100000.
improvement OF the mississippi.
The bill authorizing the contract system
to be applied to the Mississippi river pro-
vldes for improving the Mississippi river
from the head Of the passes to the mouth Of
the Ohio river, including salaries, clerical,
office. travelling and miscellaneous expenses
of the Mississippi river commissions and
continuing improvements g., 100000 (the
amount directly appropriated in this years
Dill), to be expanded under direction OF the
Secretary OF War; in accordance with the
pf tbs Rver ena co@@issen for the
general Improvement Of the river, for the
building of levees and for surveys including
the surveys from the head OF the passes to
ner as in their opinion shall best improve
navigation and promote the interests of
commerce at AL stages of the river.
Additional contracts may be entered into
by the Secretary OF War for such materials
and work as may be necessary to carry on
continuously the plans of the Mississippi
purchased and work done otherwise than by
contract. to be paid for as appropriations
may be made from time to time, not exceed
ing In the aggregate 81, 100000 per annum
for three years, commencing July l, 1888,
and for improving the Mississippi river
from the mouth Of the Ohio to St. Paul
S. 800 Additional contracts may be made
by the Secretary of War to carry on con-
tinuously the systematic improvement OF
the Mississippi, between the points mem
toned or material may be pun chased and
IN
annum for three years, commencing July !,
1898 ~ ' ~ O'''-' OO
Provided further. that of the amount ap-
propriated 500, 900 shall be expended from
the mouth OF the Ohio to the mouth Of the
Missouri river and $500, ,0c0 from the mouth of
the Missouri to st. Paul and the amounts to
which additional contracts are authorized
to be entered into shall be expended In like
proportions"
Money Meant For Ship Canal.
In the case of the great lakes project
s4oO, 900 is appropriated in the bill for a ship
channel 20 and 81 feet in depth and of a
minimum width OF $50 feet in the shadows of
the connecting waters of the great lakes be-
tween Chicago, Duluth and Buffalo.
In the cases of the other Improvements
vides that the Secretary of War may enter
into contracts 'To complete the present
project of the improvements to be paid for
as appropriations may be paid by law" the
aggregate cost of the contracts it being pro-
vided in each case shall no exceed, inclusive
Of the appropriations made directly. in this
bill the cost heretofore named as the limit
of cost of completion of the improvements
For these projects there is directly appro-
priated in the bill the following amounts:
Charleston Harbor, $300,0CO: Mobile Harbor,
$3.50, 900: Savannah river, $425, 600; improving
the Ohio river by the construction of q
dam at or below the mouth of
Beaver river, Pennsylvania, 500. 900; Point
Judith Harbor OF Refuge, Rhode Island $780,
O00 Columbia river, Oregon, at the Cascades,
S43j 900.
the following is list of the more import
ant appropriations:
S25, 600 -.. -.
Ohio-Ashtabula, $4,000: Cleveland, $780,
COO; Fairport. $S5, 600; Huron, $4,000; Port
Clinton. $4,000; Sandusky City, SAL, ,7l2: To-
ledo Stra ght Channel through Maulnee Bay,
$500 900; Conneaut. $25. 900.
Ohio-Ohio, $350,000; Ohio (at or below
mouth of Beaver river, construction of
movable danny, 500 600.
Examinations, surveys and contingencies |
Of rivers and harbors $l75 900: expenses con- |
nected with inspection OF bridges, $4,000.