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- 18 RIVER AND HARBOR BILL. Roughly speaking twenty-five per cent of the money carried by this ses- sion's river and harbor bill which passed the house of representatives last week is for the great lakes pro- jects. The authorizations and cash appropriations for the great. lakes amount to close to $20,000,000 while the total for the bill is $83,816,138. Although the river and harbor ap- propriations did not reach a hundred millions which was the battle cry of river and harbor advocates, the amount reported by the house committee ex- ceeds any that have been: appropriated by any previous congress. It is alto- gether probable that the senate may add some to the bill but Chairman Burton,, who is opposed to any amendments generally prevails in the conference committee between the two houses. There 'has been intro- duced in the senate, amendments which would double the amount ap- propriated by the house bill but it is not thought that the bill will be changed much from its present form when it is put upon its final passage. As is shown in the subjoined table the only bill which approaches the size of this session's appropriation is the one that was passed in 1896. rae 0.00 0 0 0.0 5,606 6 60) 6 9 0 0 00 6) 0 6 068 00 6 0 0 0700 06 0 09.6 Bec mere ee re seer ee eeree eee ewer et ee eeeeegeres wae e eee eer rere eer eee rere eee eerste ee eeeeerees 1905 wee eee ee wee ee eee err ee reese seresseeeseeseresees 1907 (as reported by Committee on Rivers and Har- bors) eee meee ee eee meee eee reese eee eeseeeeeeeoes This session's bill was formulated with a view of completing as many large projects as possible. In provid- ing for this the committee adopted a new policy. On this subject, Chairman Burton in his report says: "It has been thought best to under- take no new improvement unless the whole amount required for its comple- tion, whether the project involves large or small expense, is appropriated or authorized. This policy has been followed with barely an exception. It is believed that the advantages of such a method are sufficiently obvious. As- sured results will be obtained at an early date by the completion of the improvement. More substantial bene- fit will be conferred by selecting the most deserving projects and avoiding the scattering of appropriations, The expense for each improvement will be very much diminished, because work can be more advantageously and eco- nomically prosecuted if the whole amount necessary to complete is made available. It is also true as a practi- cal fact that when the total expense is 'priations for both. Sixty-eight TRE Marine REVIEW to be provided at one time more care- ful consideration will be given to a proposed improvement and the ques- 'tion of its adoption more intelligently considered. The tule has been fol- lowed that between two projects equally deserving it is better to com- plete one than to make partial appro- mil- lion seven hundred and_ seventeen thousand three hundred and ninety- eight dollars of the amounts, included in the bill are for improvements of considerable magnitude already under- taken by the government or for fur- ther improvements in connection therewith, where increased traffic re- quires additional facilities." There are nineteen items in the bill which exceed a million dollars. Of this class, three of them are on the great lakes. They are the Cleveland harbor, with a total appropriation of $1,123,- ooo, St. Mary's river at the falls, addi- tional lock and duplicate canal (to complete) $6,200,000; Detroit river, al- ternative channel (to complete) $6,670,950. 'The new lock at the Sault Ste Marie will be the largest in the world when it is completed. Its length between the gates will be 1,350 ft. giving the: usable length of not less than 1,300 Cash. Authorized. Total. . $12,659,550 00 $59,616,404 91 $72,275,954 91 - 16,091,841 94 23,866,324 13 39,958,166 07 - 26,771,442 00 38,336,160 00 65,107,602 00 - 18,181,875 41 17,184,657 63 48,634,526 00 35,366,533 04 << 35;181,612 00 83,816,138 00 ft. With extreme low water, the depth of the water in the lock is not to be less than 24 5-10 ft. - This prac- tically establishes the lakes on a 25-ft. basis, as it is thought that future im- ft: froin ft. shorter than the one that is author- ized in this bill for the great lakes. A complete list of the projects in the bill which exceed a million dol- lars is tabulated on this page. Not the least important part of the bill to the great lakes are a number of . surveys which are authorized. The survey authorized for the Duluth harbor provides for a report upon the feasibility of constructing another canal across the Minnesota point. The war department is given the widest 'range of authority in the bill with in- structions to prepare some sort of plan for the improvement of Duluth harbor. There are several plans pro- posed and the secretary of war is in- structed to investigate all of them. Among the other surveys authorized for the great lakes are, Calumet river, with a view of obtaining a depth of 25 122nd street to its. forks. Channel between Russell island and Grand point in the St. Clair river. On- tonagon harbor with a view to deter- mining if a change in the course of the Ontonagon river aid in maintain- ing the harbor; Menominee 'harbor to determine whether a breakwater is necessary; Keweenaw canal, to con- struct a harbor of refuge at its east- ern entrance; Munising harbor on Sa- ble river, to obtain a depth of Io ft.; Grand Marais harbor to rebuild the westernly pier at the entrance and en- larging basin; Lake Superior, to locate a harbor or harbors on the north shore; Ogdensburg harbor, to obtain a depth of 19 ft. in the four existing channels and the excavation of. the bar between the two entrance channels in the lower harbors. Niagara fiver from Tonawanda to.Gill creek; harbor at Rocky river with a view to repair- BERS) CLASS.--$1,000,000 OR MORE. Authoriza- Hath Cash. tion continu- arbor at Boston, 35-foot channel (to co ing contract. 7 miplete). 3... Hero ot New York, Ambrose channel (to So ee a SOE E00 eee no ock Harbor and channel ee ae ee 1,148,510 eee baad below Philadelphia (to complete) Ss 1,000,000 eee Channel from deep. water "a art nee, (complete) 0000711. 500000 1,715/000 Sey a eit eet we ae : 15s Savannah Harbor a. oe = eee 282,000 850,000 gel Wartibe, Wattor Got Gogg tse ceeess secs. 300,000 700,000 Soe cst Pass, Mississippi River, below New a. FRAO a 350,000 1,842,000 galveston "Harbor <5 250s S (to complete). . 1,000,000 1,500,000 Cleveland Harbor OP ee. 300,000 700,000 ock and Wang Ne de Gh ei cI! 223,000 900,000 Ohio "River "eencral ange ee Oe et! 265,000 800,000 se Midosesp and damereovement Gnd completing' nied "work oe . foes at the Falls, additional lock Bet duolicste eisai ay 881086 50a Detroit River alternative cha mined Cis eae ek Tt ees 2 troit River, eee. 1,200,000 5,000,000 AeeSsib ps ae nee of Passes to mouth of ee a 2 ae go 000 4,670,498 Mississippi River, between' the: Mina eee HNTB. TT 2803000 730,000 : ween the' Missouri Ri Me as Sic cs 250, 750, Mouth of Columbia River, Washington and one fs: es. ote Lee A ee ss a $14,774,210 $36,670,460 Total of appropriations and authorizations, provements of the harbors will be in line with this depth of water. The only lock that will approach this new one at the Sault in size, will be the Panama canal lock. Even these locks will be only 900 ft. in length or 500 $51,444,670, Ing existing structures and extension of the harbor, Lorain harbor; that ' portion of the Black river from the in- e. end of the government piers to ast Erie avenue bridge; Maumee river, from deep water in Lake Erie to