Statement showing the collections returned, &c.—Continued. Returns from the following districts have not been received for January: Arizona and 5th North Carolina for February, Arizona and 5th North Carolina; for March, Arizona, 3d Alabama, 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th Cali. fornia, Dakota, 7th Indiana, 2d and 9th Kentucky, 2d Mississippi, 3d Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, 3d, 5th. and 7th North Carolina, 6th Ohio, 6th Tennessee, 2d and 3d Texas, Utah, 2d Virginia, Washington, Oregon, and 3d South Carolina. NOTE.-The United States is divided into 240 collection districts o which 238 have made returns for January and February and 214 for March. ST. CLAIR FLATS. LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR. TRANSMITTING Communication from the Chief of Engineers, asking an appropriation to preserve from decay the timber to be used in the dikes of the St. Clair Flats improvement. APRIL 29, 1868.-Referred to the Committee on Commerce and ordered to be printed. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, April 23, 1868. SIR: I have the honor to send herewith, for the consideration of the proper committee, a communication of April 13 from the Chief of Engineers, recommending an appropriation of $27,300, to cover the expense of preserving from decay, by "creosoting," all the wood above water which is to be put into the dikes of the St. Clair Flats improvement. Your obedient servant, Hon. SCHUYLER COLFAX, EDWIN M. STANTON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. HEADQUARTERS CORPS OF ENGINEERS, SIR: I beg leave to transmit a copy of a communication from Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General T. J. Cram, corps of engineers, in relation to the protection from decay of the timber to be used above water in the dikes of the St. Clair Flats improvement, by the application of Seely's creosoting process. The application of General Cram is approved, and an appropriation of $27,300 is respectfully recommended, to cover the additional expense. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. E. M. STANTON, A. A. HUMPHREYS, Brigadier General of Engineers, Commanding. Secretary of War. UNITED STATES ENGINEER Office, SIR: I have the honor to suggest that we should be acting with great econ omy by "creosoting" all the wood above water to be put into the dikes of the St. Clair Flats improvement. The original method of the process was by Bethell, in England. Professor Seely, of New York city, has improved the method of applying the creosote oil to wood. The proofs of the advantage of the process are numerous, and conclusively show that railway sleepers have borne the test, when creosoted, for 21 years, without decay, and were then found as sound as ever, and will continue to be sound - years. In our dikes there will be 182,000 cubic feet of timber, subject to natural decay just about as railroad sleepers are, and which do not last, "uncreosoted," more than seven years before requiring to be renewed. The cost of creosoting will be 15 cents per cubic foot. The cost of the timker uncreosoted is 21,3 cents per cubic foot. The cost of framing and putting in is 9 per cubic foot. Creosoting the timber before putting it into the work would bring the timber in the work to cost 46 cents per cubic foot. The measure of the economy may be estimated as follows: We know that timber creosoted has, as before stated, lasted 21 years. Hence in 21 years we should save the difference between 46 and 93 cents* per cubic foot, or 47 cents, which applied to 182,000 cubic feet in the dikes gives us the total saving in 21 years of $85,540, which divided by 3 gives the saving of $28,513 for every period of seven years. From this we perceive we should save more than enough in the first period of seven years to reimburse us for the first outlay of creosoting, which is for the whole 182,000 cubic feet only $27,300; and every succeeding period of seven years we should save in repairs $28,513, at least, and as long thereafter as the process will be found to preserve the timber. Mr. Brunell, in 1850, expressed his opinion that after 40 years the timber would be found as sound as ever if well creosoted before being put into the work. In my original estimate of the cost of the work, I, having had no time to investigate this method of creosoting, put in nothing for it. If it should be thought advisable to adopt the process it will be necessary to ask for an additional appropriation for this purpose to the amount of $27,300. I have seen the gentlemant who is applying the process, and he assures me he can creosote the timber as fast as the contractor can put it into the work. I respectfully submit the question for such action as you may deem proper to take upon the subject, merely adding, in conclusion, that if we adopt the process there is no time for delay in bringing it about, as we shall in a few weeks hence be framing the timber. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, T. J. CRAM, Colonel Engineers, Brevet Major General. Brevet Major General A. A. HUMPHREYS, STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY W. T. PELTON. Statements in regard to use of creosote for preserving wood in Europe. Mr. Brunell believed that longitudinal timbers, thoroughly creosoted and properly put together, were at least as durable as the iron rails, and he might even say that under certain circumstances the timber would last the longest. He *Ninety-three cents is the cost of original and renewing twice. tW. T. Pelton, Esq. |