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Signal-apparatus, lanterns, &c.....

Minor equipments, freights, superintendent, &c.

Estimated cost of a life-boat station.

Station-house

Life-boat, self-righting and self-bailing.

Life-boat carriage

50 00

350 00

2,995 00

$1,800 00

2,500 00 250 00

Signals, lanterns, &c...

Minor equipments, freights, superintendence, &c

40.00 200 00

4,790 00

SUMMARY.

23 life-saving stations, complete, at $5,302.15 22 life-boat stations, at $4,790

5 stations, houses of refuge, at $2,995

$121, 949 45 105,380 00 14,975 00

242,304 45

The cost of a station would be affected somewhat by its locality. It would be considerably less, for instance, upon the lake coasts than upon the Pacific, and less in the vicinity of settlements, where materials and labor are plentiful, than in remote locations, where both would have to be transported long distances. In the foregoing estimate we give what would be about the average cost.

We have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servants, S. I. KIMBALL,

Chief of Revenue-Marine and the Life-Saving Service.

JOHN FAUNCE,

Captain U. S. Revenue-Marine and

Superintendent of Construction of Life-Saving Stations.

J. H. MERRYMAN, Captain U. S. Revenue-Marine,

Inspector and Superintendent of Construction of Life-Saving Stations.

Hon. Wм. A. RICHARDSON,

Secretary of the Treasury, Washington, D. C.

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A report, in answer to a resolution of the House of December 18, 1873, showing progress of work on harbor of refuge at mouth of Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan Ship Canal at close of navigation, 1873.

FEBRUARY 4, 1874.-Referred to the Committee on Commerce and ordered to be printed.

The Secretary of War has the honor to transmit to the House of Representatives, in compliance with House resolution of December 18, 1873, a letter of the Chief of Engineers of the 27th instant, inclosing a report and sketch from Maj. D. C. Houston, Corps of Engineers, showing progress of work on harbor of refuge at mouth of Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan Ship-Canal at close of navigation, 1873.

WAR DEPARTMENT, January 29, 1874.

WM. W. BELKNAP,

Secretary of War.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, D. C., January 27, 1874.

SIR: I have to acknowledge the reference to this office for report of the following resolution of the House of Representatives of December 18, 1873, viz: "That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, instructed to furnish to this House, at as early a day as practicable, a report of the progress and condition of the work on the harbor of refuge at the mouth of the Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan ShipCanal, Wisconsin, at the close of navigation, 1873;" and beg leave to submit herewith a copy of a report from Maj. D. C. Houston, Corps of Engineers, (with inclosures,) which it is believed will furnish the desired information.

The resolution of the House of Representatives is herewith respectfully returned.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. A. HUMPHREYS, Brigadier-General and Chief of Engineers.

Hon. W. W. BELKNAP,

Secretary of War.

JACKSONVILLE, FLA.,

January 14, 1874. GENERAL: 1 have the honor to submit the inclosed report of Capt. J. W. Cuyler, Corps of Engineers, showing the progress and condition of the work on the harbor of refuge at the mouth of the Sturgeon Bay Ship-Canal, Wisconsin, called for by resolution of the House of Repre sentatives, Forty-third Congress, first session, dated December 18, 1873. I inclose also a tracing showing plan of the work, which, with the above-mentioned reports, will furnish the information called for. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, D. C. HOUSTON,

Brig. Gen. A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Chief of Engineers, U. S. A., Washington, D. C.

Major Engineers.

MORRISTOWN, N. J.,
January 3, 1874.

SIR: I have the honor to make report as follows, relative to "harbor of refuge," Sturgeon Bay Canal, Wisconsin, as required by your letter to me of December 27 ultimo:

At the close of navigation of 1873, both "pile-piers" designed in the ap proved projet for this harbor, the one on the north and the other on the south side of the mouth of the canal, had been piled and built out for a total length (to each pier) of 762 feet from their starting-points, just inside the original shore-line, making a total of 1,524 feet of pier-work constructed at this harbor during the season of 1873. The inner 150 feet of each of these piers consist of the so-called "slab-pier" construction. a species of work less elaborate and expensive than the regular "pilepier," as shown in the approved drawings, but here answering for the in-shore ends of the piers, where the water is shoal. This "slab-pier" work ends in each pier at 6-foot water-line, and the balance of each pier, the outer 512 feet, is of the regular "pile-pier" construction, 14 feet in width, which is also width of "slab-pier" construction. The outer ends of both piers terminate at the 15-foot curve. Of all this pier-work, the two "slab-piers" have been completed; the two "pile-piers" have been completed as to the piling, the superstructure, the brush-filling in them. and two-thirds of their stone-filling in the north pier and one-third of same in south pier. There but remains, to make a completion of this whole work for season of 1873, in accordance with the original designs, to complete this stone-filling in these two piers, about 100 cords of stone being required to be put into north pier and 200 cords into south, a total of 300 cords of stone-filling, equal to about $3,000 worth of work. I have the honor, sir, to remain, very respectfully, your obedient serv ant,

Maj. D. C. HOUSTON,

JAS. W. CUYLER,
Capt. Engineers, U. S. A.

U. S. Corps of Engineers.

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To the proposed construction of a powder-magazine on the old Lazaretto tract, near Fort Mifflin, Delaware.

FEBRUARY 4, 1874.-Referred to the Committee on Military Affairs and ordered to be

printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT, January 31, 1874.

The Secretary of War has the honor to transmit to the House of Representatives, for the information of the Committee on Military Affairs, in reply to letter of said committee of the 15th instant, a report of Lieut. Col. J. D. Kurtz, Corps of Engineers, and accompanying papers, upon House bill 1064, "to authorize the Secretary of War to lease not exceeding five acres of the tract of land known as the old Lazaretto tract, for the purpose of erecting thereon a magazine or store house for the storage of gunpowder."

The views and recommendations expressed by Lieutenant-Colonel Kurtz are approved by the Chief of Engineers, and concurred in by this Department.

WM. W. BELKNAP,
Secretary of War.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER OFFICE,
Philadelphia, Pa., January 28, 1874.

GENERAL: I have the honor to report as follows on the subject of the bill of the House of Representatives, H. R. 1064, referred to me by indorsement from your office of 19th instant.

The "Old Lazaretto" tract in question (of which a plat accompanies this report) adjoins Mud Island, which is the site of Fort Mifflin, and it has become attached to and a part of that site. It contains about seven acres, mostly high land that is above high-water level, most of the vicin age being reclaimed marsh or meadows. In one corner of the tract is a grave-yard, which Messrs. DuPont & Co. propose not to include in their lease. The tract is not the site of proposed permanent defenses. There are some old buildings on it going to decay, the principal one being a

large substantial brick building, the old "pest-house," now out of repair, and the roof decaying, but inhabited. The tract, together with most of the land about Fort Mifflin; is now occupied by Mr. Black, who, some twenty years ago, reclaimed the site by tide-banks, and also built a road from Fort Mifflin to the high land toward Penrose Ferry of the Schuylkill. For this service he was granted a lease of all the land till September, 1850, for tillage purposes. This lease is regarded as of no legal value, but he is allowed an equitable use of the property. His farm hands live in the pest-house.

The necessity for a magazine site for the convenience of Philadelphia is as follows: By recent legislation (City of Philadelphia Digest of Laws and Ordinances, 1869, page 213) the governor of Pennsylvania was authorized to sell the State powder-magazine situate in Philadelphia, reserving the use thereof until a magazine shall be erected, &c. The sale has been made and no new magazine erected. By State law (Purdon's Digest, Brightly, 1862, page 518) gunpowder cannot be kept in the city, except in the public magazines, or in small quantities which must be removed every night. It has, therefore, been necessary to make some provision for the storage of gunpowder, and Messrs. DuPont & Co.'s large interest in the business leads them to undertake this.

The whole subject of State and city legislation will be found in the two digests named, in connection with the citations I have made. The subject is presented in the governor's annual message to the legislature in the following terms:

61 POWDER MAGAZINE.

"Your attention is particularly directed to that part of the report of the adjutant-general which refers to the sale of the old and purchase of a new site for a powder-magazine in the city of Philadelphia, with a suggestion that the new site be sold on account of its unfitness for the special uses designed, and the additional reason that to build a new magazine would subject the State to an expense of at least $25,000, The parties storing powder, under any proper restrictions imposed by the city authorities of Philadelphia, will doubtless gladly avail them selves of the privilege to erect store houses or magazines of their own, and the State will thus be relieved of a charge which may hereafter be the cause of the destruction of property and a consequent claim for damages."

The tract of ground in question is away from the built-up portion of the city, but within the city limits, nearly five miles from the old Statehouse. There are magazines at Fort Mifflin, containing usually a moderate quantity of powder, and a naval magazine, just above the fort, which supplies ships of war. The opinion of the Navy Depart ment may, therefore, be desirable as to the propinquity of the proposed magazine to theirs.

Messrs. DuPont & Co. propose to fence in the tract asked for with a close fence, to erect a fire-proof building about 20 feet by 40 feet by 10 feet; one end to be used for themselves, the other for storage for other per sons wishing it, and to maintain a keeper, present at all times, for whose use the pest-house will be repaired by them. The magazine to be placed at a considerable distance from other buildings, and three lightningconductors to be placed about it at a moderate distance from it.

In view of all the circumstances of the case, it seems to me expedient to allow the proposed use of the tract, which will be for the general convenience of Philadelphia as well as a private one for the lessees.

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