I do not know of any appropriation that more requires to be made available until expended like appropriations for river and harbor improvements, light-houses, etc., than the appropriation for the maintenance and repair of the Washington Aqueduct. I urgently recommend, therefore, that it be done, and that the following clause be attached to the next appropriation for this purpose:

Provided, That the appropriation for the maintenance and repair of the Washington Aqueduct for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896, and thereafter until otherwise provided by law, shall not be considered as a fiscal year appropriation, but shall be available until expended.

DESIRED INCREASE IN THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF THE AQUEDUCT AND THE RESERVOIRS, MAINS, ROADS, ETC., CONNECTED THERE WITH.

I renew the following statement made in my former reports respecting the importance of increasing the appropriation for maintenance and repair of the aqueduct:

While works that have cost $565,000 have been added to the aqueduct system by the laying of more than 8 miles of 48-inch and other large water mains under the act of March 2, 1889, with their numerous valve chambers, main valves, air valves. blow-off valves, and other adjuncts, all of which have to be carefully watched and kept in repair, there has been no increase in the appropriation for maintenance and repair of the aqueduct.

It has been for many years and is now $20,000, and it proves entirely inadequate for keeping in repair the long line of works, including the dam at Great Falls, the conduit, the Conduit road (which is paved for the protection of the conduit), the reservoirs, the gatehouses, the fences of the aqueduct and Conduit road lands, the dwellings of the watchmen of the different divisions, and the more than 20 miles of trunk mains in the city supplying the distributing system of the District of Columbia, besides paying the salaries of the watchmen and other employés.

Twenty-one thousand dollars was asked for in my last annual estimates, and it is again asked for. It is not a large sun to provide for the annual maintenance and repair of works that have cost more than $4,000,000, and I could expend much more in works of preservation and repair that would be for the best interests of the Government.

Amount that can be profitably expended in fiscal year ending June 30, 1896. 21, 000. 00

The estimates of appropriations that should be made for the year ending June 30, 1896, are as follows, and I again urgently recommend that the provision of law suggested in this report be attached to the next appropriation for maintenance and repair of the aqueduct for the reasons just stated:

For completing the improvement of the Dalecarlia receiving reservoir by the
works required for cutting off the drainage into it of polluted water and
sewage from the surrounding country; for completing the purchase or con-
demnation of the small amount of land required for the purpose, and the
excavation necessary at the head of the reservoir..

For raising the height of the dam at Great Falls, together with the cost of
such other work as may be found Lecessary in connection therewith, includ-
ing the cost of strengthening the conduit, and for damages on account of
flooding of land and other damages..
For commencing the widening of the macadam pavement of the Conduit
road to 30 feet by widening that portion of the road that lies between the
lower end of the distributing reservoir and the Dalecarlia receiving reser-
voir; widening the road and the embankments over the culverts on the
line of the aqueduct where necessary for this purpose; making the neces-
sary changes in the drainage, and the planting of shade trees..
For lowering the height of the cross dam at the distributing reservoir
For protecting the inlet to the aqueduct at Great Falls

For purchase or condemnation of a site for a storage yard

For cleaning out the distributing reservoir....

For the storehouse at Great Falls

For inserting air valves and blow-off valves in the 36-inch and 30-inch mains.
For removing the accumulation of deposits in the conduit

For rebuilding in stone the bridge over the channel from the spillway at
the Dalecarlia receiving reservoir.

For raising the height of the masonry casings of the conduit manholes where necessary

$37, 500

125,000

34, 500 12, 500 5,000 10,000

13, 825 1,500

6, 250 14,000

18, 000

600

For maintenance and repair of the aqueduct and the reservoirs, mains, roads, etc., connected therewith..

21,000

Appropriations made for the Washington Aqueduct, with the dates of acts for the same.

NOTE.-Reverted to the Treasury: (a) $2.81, (b) $46.25. (c) $560.87, (d) 35 cents, (e) $1.109.87, (f) $381.06, (g) $1,354.17, (h) $2,266,34, (i) $4.12, (j) $5,500, (k) $2.49; total, $11,228.33. Since 1878 one-half of the amounts appropriated have been contributed by the United States and the other half by the District of Columbia.

ABSTRACT OF PROPOSALS.

Abstract of proposals for drilling plant for the Washington Aqueduct, received in response to advertisement dated June 16, 1893, and opened June 28, 1893.

The Ingersoll-Sergeant Drill Company, New York, N. Y.
Contract awarded to the Ingersoll-Sergeant Drill Company.

$3,982.30

Abstract of proposals for forcite tunnel powder and exploders for improving the Dalecarlia receiving reservoir, received in response to the advertisement dated July 26, 1893, and opened August 7, 1893.

Abstract of proposals for gelatine tunnel dynamite and exploders for improving the Dalecarlia receiving reservoir, received in response to circular letter dated August 11, 1893, and opened August 21, 1893.

*Not received until the day after the day fixed for opening of bids.

Contract awarded to the American Forcite Powder Manufacturing Company.

Abstract of proposals for sewer bricks and vitrified bricks for improving the Dalecarlia receiving reservoir, received in response to circular letter dated November 29, 1893, and opened December 11, 1893.

Awards were made to the Frederick Brick Works and McMahan, Porter & Co., respectively, their samples being the best.

Abstract of proposals for natural hydraulic cement for improving the Dalecarlia receiving reservoir, received in response to advertisement dated December 18, 1893, and opened December 28, 1893.

This work was commenced under an appropriation made in the act of Congress approved July 15, 1882.

The plan consisted in raising the dam in the Maryland Channel at the Great Falls of the Potomac to an elevation of 148 feet above mean

tide at the Washington navy-yard, and its extension at that height across Conns Island and the Virginia Channel of the river; extending the Washington Aqueduct from the distributing reservoir above Georgetown to the site selected for the new reservoir near Howard University by a tunnel 20,696.3 feet long; constructing at the tunnel outlet a new reservoir of about 300,000,000 gallons capacity, and connecting this reservoir by a new line of large mains with the existing system of water mains in the city of Washington.

All operations on this project are suspended, and no work has been done under it during the year.

By reason of the improvement and change of grade of Champlain avenue by the District government, it was found necessary in July to place a timber crib 8 feet high around the Champlain avenue shaft of the tunnel to the new reservoir near Howard University.

On August 28 $470.90 was paid to Thomas Ready for a parcel of land between the distributing reservoir and the intersection of the Conduit and Foxhall roads, conveyed by said Ready and wife to the United States by deed dated March 10, 1886, and the deed and a plot of the land were recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds of the District of Columbia on August 31, 1893. This payment was specially authorized in the provisions for the Washington Aqueduct in the act of Congress approved March 3, 1893.

A watchman has been employed during the year at the new reservoir. His duties have included the guarding the stone at the mouths of all the shafts, except the one at Foundry Branch, which is under the care of the watchman at the distributing reservoir.

The following is a list of the appropriations for this work, with date of act for the same:

BBB 3.

ERECTION OF FISHWAYS AT GREAT FALLS.

Under a ruling concerning the act of July 15, 1882, providing for the construction of these fishways, the Secretary of War decided that the engineer officer in charge should be held responsible only for the proper protection of the aqueduct dam at Great Falls and the disbursement of the funds appropriated, the Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries being responsible under the act for the plans and specifications of the fishways and their execution.

No work has been done on the fishways during the last fiscal year for want of funds. Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and a portion of the perma nent dam, have been completed. There remains to be constructed the remainder of this dam and section 1.

The Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries is of the opinion that an additional sum of $7,890 will be required to complete the work, and requests that the estimate for it contained in my last annual report be submitted. It was not acted on by Congress, and it is again submitted. His letter to me is as follows:

I have to request that you include in your estimates for the ensuing fiscal year an item of $7,890 for the completion of the Great Falls fish ways. The additional appropriation asked for is made necessary, first, by reason of an increased cost of sections 2 and 3 over and above the estimate; second, by reason of the construction of a permanent deflecting dam which was found essential for the better protection of the fishways, and to obtain control of the water supply to the same; third, for the reason that a sufficiently large amount is included to cover the work of cleaning out the river bed between the fishways, and to construct a tool shed with small office; and lastly, to provide a small fund with which to repair any damage to the fishways from the effects of the spring freshets before the completion of the perinanent deflecting dam.

The appropriations for this work to date are as follows:

Amount deemed necessary by the Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries for

the completion of the work...

7,890.00