Statement of quantities of alcoholic wines and liquors produced in this country export foreign countries and their destination, as also such imported and re-exported without ing duties, from the customs district of New Orleans, from January 1, 1879, to Apr 1879.

Report of Maj. W. P. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, of surveys of Shenandoah River, also of Tread Haven Creek, Choptank River, and Secretary Creek, Maryland.

FEBRUARY 9, 1880.-Referred to the Committee on Commerce and ordered to be printed.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, February 5, 1880.

The Secretary of War has the honor to transmit to the United States Senate a communication from the Chief of Engineers, dated the 3d instant, and accompanying copies of reports of Maj. W. P. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, of examinations and surveys made in accordance with the provisions of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1879, of the Shenandoah River, Virginia and West Virginia; of Tread Haven Creek, Maryland; of Choptank River, Maryland; and of Secretary Creek, Maryland.

The PRESIDENT

of the United States Senate.

ALEX. RAMSEY,
Secretary of War.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, D. C., February 3, 1880.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, to comply with provisions of the river and harbor act of March 3, 1879, copies of reports to this office from Maj. W. P. Craighill, Corps of Engineers, of the results of examinations and surveys made under his direction of the Shenandoah River, Virginia and West Virginia; of Tread Haven Creek, Maryland, for a distance of three miles below Easton; of Choptank River, Maryland, between Denton and Greensborough; and of Secretary Creek, Maryland.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. G. WRIGHT,

Chief of Engineers,

Brigadier and Brevet Major-General, United States Army.

EXAMINATION OF SHENANDOAH RIVER, VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA.

UNITED STATES ENGINEER Office,
Baltimore, January 5, 1880.

GENERAL: An examination or survey of the Shenandoah River, Virginia and West Virginia, was directed in the river and harbor act approved March 3, 1879. The charge of it was committed to me by letter of the Chief of Engineers dated May 13, 1879.

Attention was very early given to the improvement of this stream. General George Washington took special interest in the subject, as is manifested by reference to it in his letters and in his will. Legislation concerning the river was had by the general assembly of the State of Virginia as early as December 16, 1790. Later acts are also recorded in the statutes of that State as far down as March 19, 1860.

At one time boats with round bottoms, such as are now seen on the New River in Virginia and West Virginia, were used for transporting flour, pig-iron, &c., but these were supplanted by the flat-bottom boats called gondolas, which were found to carry heavier loads with less draft of water. These gondolas were from 40 to 65 feet in length and 8 to 10 feet wide.

Early in this century several locks were constructed on the portion of the river below the falls now known as Little's, which are 6 or 7 miles above Harper's Ferry. Above that point, sluices were de pended upon for passing the falls and rapids. The value of the freight brought down the river was large; considerable tolls were collected, and the artificial works kept in a fair condition. The up-stream busi ness was small, the navigation being difficult on account of its steepness. The gondolas, or flatboats, were frequently, if not generally, sold in the lower portion of the river, and broken up, yielding good plank, for rough purposes, at cheap rates.

The use of the river was of course interrupted by the civil war. After the war, the construction of the Valley Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad diminished greatly the importance of the Shenandoah river as a route for freighting. Still a small business continued to be done until the autumn of 1870, when much injury was occasioned to the navigation works by a very severe freshet.

By an act of the legislature of West Virginia, dated February 27, 1872 (copy herewith), a company was incorporated for the purpose of "improving the navigation of the Shenandoah River." This act could, of course, apply only to that portion of the river in West Virginia. The law regulated the tolls to be collected, &c. It is supposed that the rights of the old Shenandoah Navigation Company still exist over the part of the river in Virginia, as granted by the laws of that State.

The question arises as to the propriety of expenditure by the general government of funds from the United States Treasury, until the rights of the companies incorporated under State laws are formally surren dered.

The company incorporated in West Virginia by the law of 1872, obtained the sum of $5,000 from the county of Jefferson, which was spent on the river about 1874. A small amount was also raised by individuals and applied in the same way. The work was very poorly done, and was of very little value. It was rendered nearly useless by the severe freshet of 1877, one of the highest of which we have any testimony, written or oral.

When the question of an examination or survey was presented, in

consequence of the indications of the law of Congress of March 3, 1879, search was made in the office of the Board of Public Works of Virginia, at Richmond, for maps and reports of former surveys. All available information was courteously placed at my disposal by the officials of that Board, Governor Holliday being ex-officio president, and Mr. Mayo the custodian of the records. Thanks are also due and hereby rendered to Colonel McCrae, the State librarian, who assisted me very kindly and fully in referring to the old laws concerning the river.

Very fortunately, the excellent maps and note-books of the survey of 1833, of Mr. James Herron, were exhumed. Copies of his reports are herewith. A copy is also appended of a report by Mr. Charles B. Fisk, dated February 26, 1849.

The maps and note-books of Mr. Herron were exceedingly useful to Mr. N. H. Hutton in his reconnaissance of the river from Port Republic to Harper's Ferry, made in August, 1879. The great rapidity of his movement was necessary because of the small amount of funds which could be allotted for the examination of the Shenandoah River. He went over about 150 miles in less than two weeks. He was enabled, however, to verify the accuracy of Mr. Herron's survey and maps. A copy of Mr. Hutton's report is forwarded herewith.

All these reports indicate the very considerable expense of an attempt to slackwater or highly improve the navigation of the Shenandoah River. Its present importance as a route for moving freight is not suf ficient to justify the expenditure of a large sum upon it. This is par ticularly true since, in addition to the existing Valley Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railway, the construction of the "Shenandoah Valley" Railway seems an assured fact. In the future, somewhat distant, when the population of this magnificent and productive valley becomes as dense as that of many of the European nations-as of France, for instance, where, notwithstanding the network of railways with which that fine State is covered, almost every river is made navigable, if not so naturally-and many canals are in use, and many more projected, the Shenandoah may be itself highly improved, or become the watersupply of a canal along or near it.

An intimation of the extent of the improvement now desired at the hands of the United States may be drawn from the following extract from the letter of May 9, 1879, to the Chief of Engineers, from the Hon. B. F. Martin, Representative from West Virginia, of the Shenandoah district, in the lower house of Congress:

My information is that the object of the survey is to ascertain whether, with a small expenditure, the Shenandoah cannot be made navigable for what is known as flatboats, upon which the people along the river can transport their grain and other products to market. It is not expected that there shall be any locks or dams; only that some rocks be removed from the bed of the river in certain places. It is believed it can be done with a small expenditure of money.

To make the stream navigable, as Mr. Martin states, and as the people wish, will require the refitting of the locks formerly existing on the 6 or 7 miles next above Harper's Ferry. The estimate, which is the result of Mr. Hutton's examination of the river, contemplates an open river, downstream navigation, with channels through all bars and ledges of a width of 20 feet and a depth of 18 inches at the low stages of the water, with only such amelioration of the slope, &c., as can be gained by an economical distribution in wing-dams, &c., of the rock removed from the ledges, the portion of the river below Little's Falls to be restored to the condition existing before the war.

The estimate is as follows:

Fion Port Republic to Little's Falls..
Fion Little's Falls to Harper's Ferry...

$52,250

20,000

$72,250

The connection of the navigation of the Shenandoah with that of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal at Harper's Ferry has been long had in view, and with this object an outlet was made from the canal to the river, just opposite that town. This outlet is in bad condition and would need reconstruction, the expense of which would, it is supposed, be borne by the canal company. With the same object, I am informed, provision is made for a towing path, if needed, on the downstream side of the fine bridge of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at the junction of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.

While the improvement of the Shenandoah River has been under con sideration, my attention has been called by the authorities and other citizens of Harper's Ferry to the importance of rebuilding a wall once existing there on the ground pertaining to the United States, and for its protection against the violence of freshets. The freshets of 1870 and 1877 greatly injured the United States property as well as private prop erty in Harper's Ferry.

A separate estimate is herewith presented for such works as would prevent further injury in such floods even as those just mentioned. The sum needed for this purpose is $10,000.

I desire to return my thanks to several gentlemen of Jefferson County, who have furnished valuable information as to the Shenandoah River, viz: Mr. Thomas H. Willis, Mr. E. Tiernay, Mr. J. G. Cockrill, Mr. S. Howell Brown, county surveyor of Jefferson; Mr. Thomas Moore, clerk of the county; Mr. Yantis, mayor of Harper's Ferry, and Mr. Courad. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. P. CRAIG HILL, Major of Engineers Bt. Lt. Col., U. S. A.

Brig. Gen. H. G. WRIGHT,
Chief of Engineers, U. S. A.

REPORT OF MR. N. H. HUTTON, ASSISTANT ENGINEER.

BALTIMORE, December 15, 1879. DEAR SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of a rapid rèconnaissance of the Shenandoah River and its south branch, made under your direction in the latter part of last August.

Starting from Port Republic, at what may be called the head of the South Branch. the stream was descended in a flat boat, for a distance of about 140 miles, to the bead of Little's Falls, whence the examination was continued by land about 6 miles farther to the mouth of the old canal of the Shenandoah Navigation Company, at a point about 1,200 feet above the junction of the Shenandoah and Potomac, at Harper's Ferry.

Having the use of the very clear notes and maps of a survey for a lateral canal, made in 1832, by Mr. James Herron, for the State of Virginia, this examination was confined to a general observation of the ledges and shoals obstracting open-river navi gation. No instrumental work was done except on the lower 64 miles, embracing the old canal, and at a few points above where Mr. Herron's notes were deficient in the

levels of water surface.

The South Branch of the Shenandoah is formed by the junction (at Port Republic) of the "South and Middle Rivers," which above their junction are mere mountain creeks. It flows with a very tortuous course northeasterly, between the Massanutten Mountain on the north and the Blue Ridge on the south, for a distance of 94 miles, to its junction with the North Branch, near Front Royal. The united streams form the main Shenandoah, which, with an almost equally tortuous course, flows more easterly for 52 miles, to its junction with the Potomac at Harper's Ferry.