"abc7bd24-4d73-442b-81f9-4d32b237eb71"@en . "CONTENTdm"@en . "REPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS."@en . "http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1198198"@en . "Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia"@en . "British Columbia. Legislative Assembly"@en . "2016-03-30"@en . "[1879]"@en . "https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcsessional/items/1.0060008/source.json"@en . "MAP \"PORTION OF OSOYOOS DISTRICT, B.C. 1878\" [Between pages 258 and 259]"@en . "application/pdf"@en . " REPORT\nOP THE\nCHIEF COMMISSIONER OF LANDS AND WORKS\nOF THE PROVINCE OF\nBritish Columbia.\nFOB THE\nFISCAL YEAE ENDING THIRTY-FIRST DECEMBER,\n1878.\nVICTORIA: Printed by Richard Wolfenden, Government Printer,\nat the Government Printing Office, James' Bay.\n1879.\n18 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 257\nReport\nOF THE\nCHIEF COMMISSIONER OF LANDS AND WORKS\nFOR THE PROVINCE OF\nBRITISH COLUMBIA,\nFOR THE\nFiscal Year terminating 31st December, 1878.\nTo the Honourable Albert Norton Eichards, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of\nBritish Columbia.\nMay it please Your Honour:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nI have the honour, herewith, to lay before you the Annual Eeport of the Department, as required by the \"Public \"Works Amendment Act, 1873.\"\nThe Eeport contains a statement of the construction and cost of maintenance of\nvarious public works during the year 1878.\nA detailed account of expenditure, from the first January to the 30th June, is added,\nwhile the outlay for the balance of the year will be found in the Public Accounts.\nAppended, also, are statements with reference to the survey of new lines of road,\nand reports thereon ; surveys and sales of Provincial lands; and a schedule of the\ntenders for works submitted to contract.\nGEO. A. WALKEM,\nChief Commissioner of Lands and Works.\nLands and Works Department,\nVictoria, 31st December, 1878. 42 \"Vic Report of Public Works. '259\nREPORT\nOF\nPUBLIC WOEKS, BEIDGES, EOADS, BUILDINGS,\n&c, &c, &c\nThe last year was an exceptional one, in a legislative point of view\u00E2\u0080\u0094two sessions\nhaving been held during that period. The first session was convened on the 7th\nFebruary and lasted until the 10th of April; shortly after which a dissolution of the\nHouse took place. The political changes, which followed, led to the retirement from\noffice of my predecessor and his colleagues on the 27th June last. The House next met\non the 29th July, and closed its session in September. The present report being an\nannual one, as prescribed by Statute, must therefore necessarily embrace the period of\nsix months immediately preceding my induction in office.\nDuring the first, or April, Session, one-half only of the Estimates submitted by the\nlate Government for public works was voted, except in the instance of Kootenay, to\nwhich district the full amount set down was allotted on account of its distance from the\nseat of Government.\nEven these greatly reduced Estimates of expenditure were, I regret to say, found,\nafter a careful examination of the public accounts, to be far in excess of provincial means\nto meet them. Large quantities of road work, which had been commenced in May and\nJune in some of the Electoral Districts, had consequently to be stopped without delay.\nSeveral road parties were disbanded, and it was also found necessary to dispense with\nthe services of foremen who had for some years past been almost constantly employed by\nthe Government.\nThe expenditure for the last half-year has, therefore, been unavoidably confined to\nworks of absolute necessity. Fortunately the year has not been unfavourable to such a\ncourse, as no material damage has been sustained by roads or bridges from river freshets\nor from storms.\nThe unfinished contracts of 1877 have been completed and the contractors paid.\nThe condition of the public buildings of the Province is satisfactory, and the outlay\nupon them for repairs may be regarded as unimportant. From this general observation\nGovernment House must, unfortunately, be excepted. During the October rains, this\nbuilding commenced to leak so badly that considerable loss seemed inevitable from\nimpending destruction to the ceilings, walls, and furniture of some of the principal\napartments, into which the water very freely flowed from defects in the roof. A\nmechanic was at once sent to examine the building and report upon the minimum amount\nof work necessary to stop the leaks, and thereby prevent further damage. From a rough\nestimate\u00E2\u0080\u0094for a close one was impossible\u00E2\u0080\u0094it was considered that a sum ranging between\n$250 and $400 would accomplish this object. Under the pressing circumstances mentioned, the necessary repairs were ordered to be made as rapidly as the weather would\npermit. On stripping portions of the roof, as the rain now and then abated, its condition\nproved much worse than was anticipated. Shingles apparently sound were found to be\nsplit or rotten, entailing the necessity of re-shingling the entire roof. The gutters were\nalso found to be full of holes and cracks, as well as out of grade,\u00E2\u0080\u0094defects which caused\nthe water to run down the sides of the building, destroy the outside plastering, and\nmake the walls on the inside of the House wet. The timbers supporting the valley\ngutters, proved to be badly strained and decayed, and the principal part of the tinwork\nutterly worn out. To stop the work in such weather, or to defer its execution to a\nfuture day, would have been impossible, without incurring the certain penalty of great\ndamage to the interior, and of adding largely to the cost hereafter of repairs. These unforeseen difficulties caused the original estimate to be considerably exceeded; but it is 260 Report of Public Works. 1878\nsatisfactory to be able to state, that the expense thus incurred will indirectly save the\nGovernment a much larger sum for more extensive repairs which would unquestionably have been forced upon the Province hereafter by the extension of the area of the\nmischief by daily decay.\nThe advisableness of inviting public competition for this work, and doing it by\ncontract, was carefully considered before it was undertaken; but the urgency of the\noccasion, as well as the impossibility of even approximately ascertaining the extent of\nthe repairs needed, prevented the adoption of such a course.\nIt may, perhaps, be well to mention that Government House when originally purchased by the Vancouver Island Government, in 1866, only consisted of the stone portion\nof the structure, and that the wooden, or frame, portion has since been added piecemeal.\nProm the outset the building has been a continual source of heavy expense. This may\nbe partly accounted for by the composite form of the structure\u00E2\u0080\u0094part wood, part stone,\nthe one settling deeper than the other in some places, and more rapidly in others ; and\npartly from the nature of the foundations of the wooden portion, some of the sills of\nwhich rest on piers placed on rock, while others are laid on clay. These irregularities\nin the foundations cause the building to settle unevenly, and thereby damage the gutters\nand crack the plaster and ceilings. The building is also too low, or, in other words,\nthe floors are too close to the ground, which gives very imperfect ventilation, and causes\ninjury to the sills, joists, and flooring. The house and furniture are insured for the sum\nof $31,000, which is much below the estimated value of the property.\nThe ventilation of the House of Assembly has been much improved by cutting out\nsix panels in the dome and introducing wire cloth. Large openings have also been cut\nin both ends of the roof and been covered with similar material.\nThe repairs to the other buildings have been small, consisting of repairs to gutters\nand discharge pipes, portions of verandas, renewal of locks, glazing, &c, &c.\nThe two entrances from Fort Street to the School Eeserve, purchased by the\nGovernment last year, have been graded and macadamized from the street to the school\nfence. The entrances are graded 18 feet clear of the ditches. A large quantity of\nblasting was required to carry out the work, which was done by the chain-gang. A very\nconvenient carriage drive can now be made from one entrance to the other, past the\nprincipal door of the school building.'\nThe Government grounds, James' Bay, have been further improved during the\nyear, the gravel walks extended, and the ground levelled and laid down in grass. A\nmoderate outlay will complete the grading of these grounds. A few trees will be\nrequired along the Menzies Street boundary of the reserve, in order to effectually shelter\nthe grounds from the south-west winds.\nThe gaol prisoners have been employed during the latter part of the year in grading\nthe pathway on Fort Street, near Moss Street. This work entailed the removal of a\nlarge quantity of rock. The path has been covered with a layer of broken stone, and\nwhen completed will be gravelled and rolled. The Municipal Council of Victoria have\nagreed to pay all the expenses for the tools and material used in the work.\nIn Victoria District all the work carried out to the 30th June was performed by\nday work, under the supervision of competent foremen. The cross road from Cedar Hill\nChurch to the Saanich Eoad has been materially improved, the low places having been\ngraded and gravelled, and the grades also reduced. The East Saanich Eoad has been\nextended to Eyan's, on Shoal Harbour. The roads throughout this district are in a fair\ncondition. Some gravelling is required between Swan Lake and the Eoyal Oak, and\nbetween Bryant's and the Prairie Tavern. The latter portion was graded in 1877. The\nMount Newton cross road requires some outlay.\nThe work on the Cofferdam at Esquimalt has been progressing very slowly during\nthe past year. Under the head of Esquimalt District will be found the report of the\nEesident Engineer, on the progress of the work, the condition of the cement stored at\nEsquimalt; also copies of the correspondence between the Government and Messrs. Eeed\nBros. & Co.'s agent, the Eesident Engineer, and the Engineers-in-Chief, since the date\nof the last return.\nIt being incumbent on the Government to erect the auxiliary pump in a suitable\nposition, for the purpose of pumping out the water behind the dam on its completion, a\nplatform on piles has been constructed under the personal supervision of the Eesident\nEngineer, who anticipates that the pump will be in running order at an early date. 42 \"Vic Report op Public Works. 261\nNo new contracts have been entered into since the date of the last annual Eeport on\nPublic Works, but, as therein stated, tenders have been received for the wrought\ncaisson, and arrangements made with the Chief Engineers to advertise for tenders for\nthe main dock work on the receipt of any telegram to that effect.\nIn Esquimalt District, all the road work carried out has been by day work. A sum\nof nearly $200 was expended gravelling the Gorge road between the bridge and the\nCraigflower-Colquitz bridge road. A deviation has been made on the Sooke road,\nbetween the commencement of the burnt timber and the \"Eagle's Nest,\" avoiding two\nvery steep hills. The new piece of road is practically level. The above-mentioned work\nwas performed prior to the 30th June last. Since that date a party commenced to cut a\ntrail from the North Fork of Leech Eiver to the head waters of San Juan Eiver, for the\npurpose of decreasing the labour and expense of conveying provisions and tools to the\nnewly-reported gold mines in that neighbourhood. The trail party met with serious\ndifficulties, as bush fires raged in the woods during the greater part of the time they\nwere at work, and the foreman was in consequence compelled to return to Victoria, when\nwithin about four miles of the terminus of the line. His report will be found annexed.\nIn Cowichan District, new piles have been driven to replace the piles in the T, or\nmain part of the Cowichan wharf, which had been eaten through by the worms close to\nthe mud. The wharf is now safe and will stand for some years.\nA new wharf has been constructed in Miner's Bay, Mayne Island (Plumper's\nPass). It is long enough for the steamers plying between Victoria and New Westminster\nto lie alongside at any stage of the tide, and has proved a great boon to the settlers.\nSection 2 of the Cowichan and Goldstream road, placed under contract last year, has\nbeen completed and the contractor, Mr. Joseph Nicholson, paid. This section is llf\nmiles in length, commencing at a point near Thain's, in Shawnigan District, and\nterminating at the south end of Shawnigan Lake. Tenders were invited in 1877 for the\nconstruction of Section No. 1 of this road, extending from Goldstream to Shawnigan\nLake, a distance of about 15 miles, but the contract Avas not awarded. Work was\ncommenced on this section on the 4th May last by a party of men under the foremanship\nof Mr. George Jones. By the end of June some 1,700 yards of the road were graded 12\nfeet wide, at a cost of over $1,400. This being considered very expensive work, it was\ndeemed advisable to disband and pay off the road party, which was accordingly done\non the 3rd July. Several road contracts were let in this district, the particulars of which\nwill be found in a later portion of this report.\nThe Legislature having voted money for increased school accommodation at\nNanaimo, arrangements were made to purchase five town lots in Block 22, from the\nVancouver Coal Co. at a maximum price of $650. These lots are pleasantly situated on\nthe rising ground in about the centre of the city. Plans and specifications were prepared\nfor a now building, and tenders called for last Spring. The contract was awarded to\nJohn Hilbert, who completed the structure a short time since. The work has been\naccepted, and the contractor paid. The principal objection to the Old school house is\nits close proximity to the railway of the Vancouver Coal Co., the trustees and teachers\nbeing constantly afraid of accidents befalling the smaller children during play hours.\nThe house, when completed, will consist of a main building and two wings, two storeys\nin height. The North wing, which has been lately finished, is 50 ft. by 24 ft.; the height\nof the ceiling in the lower storey is 15ft. 6in., in the upper storey 12ft. 6in. Suitable desks\nand seats have also been provided by the contractor.\nThe amount appropriated for the Nanaimo District has, with the exception of a\nsmall sum, been expended in pushing forward work on the road from the town of\nNanaimo to Nanaimo Eiver bridge. The road has been opened to the bridge, and\nmoderate expenditure will complete it. The Wellington road has also been repaired.\nA wharf has been built on Gabriola Island at a point nearly abreast of the Nanaimo\nRapids, which has proved a great convenience to the settlers.\nThe amount voted for Comox District has been disbursed for work done during the\nyear 1877, under instructions from the Road Superintendent, and for repairing the\nComox wharf. The piles of the wharf were found to have been eaten off by the worms\nand were renewed. More piles were driven, and the T portion enlarged to enable\nwaggons to turn more conveniently. The large bridges over the Courtenay and\nPuntledge Rivers are reported to be in good order. 262 Report op Public Works. 1878\nThe work in New Westminster District has been confined to repairing the existing\nroads and bridges, with the exception of placing a portion of the Coast Meridian road\nunder contract, and constructing a sleigh road from the North-East road, opposite\nEodick's farm, to Hayman's clearing, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile. The\nCoast Meridian road contract was let on the 3rd of June, but was stopped a month\nafterwards on account of the limited means at the disposal of the Government. In the\ndetailed statement of expenditure annexed will be seen an item \"J. Mcintosh, award of\narbitrators, $2,645 00.\" This claim arose out of a contract for the construction of\nSection No. 4 of the New Westminster and Hope waggon road, let in the year 1874 to\nJames Mcintosh, .the contract price being \u00C2\u00A714,000. Mr. Mcintosh claimed that he was\nentitled to compensation on account of a portion of the road, across Sumass Prairie,\nhaving been changed from its original course along the flats to the foot hills,\nnecessitating a large quantity of extra blasting and heavy grading. The matter was\narbitrated upon in April, 1878, and an award made in favour of Mr. Mcintosh for the\nfull amount of his claim, without costs.\nThe Sumass Dyking Act, 1878.\nMr. E. L. Derby applied for and obtained, during the first Session of the past year,\na special Act of the Legislature for the purpose of dyking those portions of the\nChilliwhack, Sumass and Matsqui settlements which are subject to overflow from the\nFraser during high water. The Act provides that if Mr. Derby shall effectually dyke\nthese lands in accordance with plans and specifications furnished by the Chief\nCommissioner, he shall receive certain grants of land from the Government, and be at\nliberty to levy assessments on the lands benefited by the scheme. It is also stipulated\nthat the entire dyking shall be completed by the 1st July, 1880. Work was commenced\non the Matsqui portion in May last, and Mr. J. A. Navarre, C. E., was appointed to\nsupervise it by the Government. His report of progress will be found in the detailed\nreturn of contracts for New Westminster District. Mr. Derby, I regret to state,\nhas not pushed forward the work with the rapidity anticipated. Nothing has been\ndone on the Chilliwhack and Sumass portions of the scheme up to date.\nIn the Osoyoos Division of Yale District a contract for the construction of a\nlog lock-up was let by my predecessor. The building is 24ft. by 13ft. inside measurements,\nand is divided into a court room and two cells. The amount placed on the Estimates\nfor the structure was \u00C2\u00A7400, while the lowest tender was $825. This difference arose\nfrom the difficulty of obtaining suitable lumber and from the heavy cost of iron-work in\nthat neighborhood. The work is still in the hands of the contractor.\nThat portion of the Yale-Cariboo trunk road passing through Yale District, and\nabout 116 miles in length, has been kept in good order, and the road foremen report it\nto be in excellent condition. The snow fall having been light during the winter of\n1877-78, no \"breaks\" of any consequence followed the Spring freshets. Although strict\neconomy has been exercised, a largo sum has been expended in the maintenance of this\nthoroughfare. Old cribbing has been advantageously replaced with stone walls; bridges\nhave been renewed and a considerable amount of gravelling done.\nThe Mission Creole bridge, Okanagan, mentioned in the last report as having been\nplaced under contract, has been satisfactorily completed.\nSection No. 2 of the Kamloops-Nicola Valley road, which was commenced by the\ncontractor, D. A. McDonald, last year, has been finished and accepted. Mr. McDonald\nhas made a claim for nearly $3,000 for alleged extra work on this road, but in the\nabsence of sufficient information respecting it, I have not as yet felt justified in allowing\nit. Several small road contracts have been undertaken in different portions of the\nDistrict, the particulars of which will be found annexed. The Nicola-Hope trail has\nbeen cleared and repaired at some cost. One truss bridge on this route has been\ncarried away by high water, and it will be necessary to replace it early in the Spring.\nThe other roads and trails in this extensive District have been carefully looked after,\nand are in a very fair condition.\nNo works of any magnitude have been undertaken in Lillooet District this year,\nwith the exception of repairing that portion of the Yale-Cariboo trunk road included\nwithin its limits. A quantity of gravelling has been done on this road, and it is reported\nby the foreman to be in very good condition. Some bridges will require renewing next\nSpring. In past years great difficulty has been experienced in obtaining the necessary\ninformation to enable the Department to construct roads on the Mainland above Yale 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 263\nin the most advantageous localities, and on the easiest obtainable grades. These\ndifficulties arose from there being no resident engineers or surveyors there. The\nselection of the lines of new roads was entirely left to the judgment of different foremen\nemployed. Hence, many of the roads have enormously heavy grades and very sharp\ncurves, while a number of the bridges are much too low. It was therefore deemed\nadvisable to dispatch an engineer to survey certain lines of road in Lillooet and Cariboo\nDistricts. Mr. John Jane was employed for the purpose on the 28th of March last, and\ncompleted his work in September. His plans and descriptive notes are now filed with\nthe Department and will be of value hereafter in settling the lines, curves, and grades\nof the roads contemplated at the time he received his instructions.\nIn Cariboo District the only new work undertaken has been the construction of a\n12ft. road from Barkerville to the new townsite of Carnarvon, distance H miles. This\nroad was required for the conveyance of quartz, mining and other machinery to the\nmineral claims of that locality. A contract was entered into with Mr. D. McDonald to\nclear the Omineca trail. This work was satisfactorily performed for the sum of $300.\nThe Yale-Cariboo road, on leaving the 150-Mile House, follows a line over\nCarpenter's Mountain, thence via Deep Creek to Soda Creek. This road, as\noriginally surveyed by the Eoyal Engineers, passed down the San Juan Valley,\nby Williams Lake to the Fraser. thence following that river to Soda Creek. For\nsome reason the first survey was abandoned, and the contractor for the construction\nof the road permitted to follow the Carpenter Mountain route. On several occasions\nthe policy of reverting to the first line has been pressed upon the Government, and as\nstrongly opposed. Mr. Jane, however, made an exhaustive survey of the first line. He\nreports comparatively easy grades and light work until it reaches Fraser Eiver, thence\nto Soda Creek, very heavy grading, cribbing, etc., etc. A large petition from teamsters\nand others has been received, praying that this portion of the road may not be altered,\nas the feed for their animals is more abundant along the present line. This important\nprotest, coupled with the fact that the alteration would prove very costly, has influenced\nthe Government against making the proposed change. On completing the above survey,\nMr. Jane laid out a new line of road from Stanley to Barkerville, via Jack of Clubs\nLake. This line has many substantial advantages over the present one. The grades\nare easy, and the road would be clear of snow about six weeks earlier in the Spring\nthan the existing road over the mountain, as it has a southern aspect. Goods could\ntherefore be taken in at a correspondingly earlier date. The yearly cost of keeping the\npresent road from Stanley to Barkerville has been excessive owing to the roadway being\ncontinually washed out by freshets from melting snow, and being constantly filled with\ngravel and other slides from the mountain sides. As it passes over very high ground,\nit is late in the season before ordinary teams can reach Barkerville. During the past\nyear no work has been done on this section other than what was absolutely necessary\nfor ordinary traffic. The bridges, culverts and cribbing throughout are in a very rotten\nstate, nothing material having been renewed since the road was first constructed. It\nwill therefore require a very considerable outlay during the ensuing season to make it\nsecure for the year's traffic. The road is also very narrow in a great many places.\nIt is probable that the new road, via Jack of Clubs Lake, might be constructed for the\nsame sum that it would take to keep the present road in repair for a period of say three\nyears. In the event of its adoption, there will bo no difficulty in letting a contract for\nthe work at the earliest practicable date.\nNo work has been done during the year on the Barkerville bulkhead by this\nDepartment. To prevent the Government buildings from being embedded in tailings,\nthey were raised in the Spring, but from recent advices they will require to be raised to\na still greater height to save them from destruction.\nIn Kootenay District the original appropriation in the first part of the year, viz.,\n$1,000, was authorized to be expended.\nCassiar District.\nI regret that I have to report the total destruction by fire of the Government\nbuildings at Lakoton, together with the records, books and furniture contained in them.\nThe appropriation of $1,500, made during the first Session, has been expended in\nerecting new offices, although this amount was intended for the improvement of the\naccommodation for Government officers in different parts of the District. Mr. Eobertson was dispatched early in the season with the requisite material to repair the Taltan or first\nNorth Fork bridge. ,The centre pier of this structure had settled down stream rendering\nit unsafe. Mr. Eobertson reconstructed the bridge, introducing needle beams and braces,\nand it will now, with a little care, stand, in all probability, for some time. The planking\nwill, however, require renewing during the coming season. The Dease Creek trail has\nbeen thoroughly repaired, and the other trails in the District attended to.\nA new trail has been cut from Thibert Creek to the newly-discovered auriferous\ngulch known as Defot Creek.\nA bridge should be built over Thibert Creek before the water rises, or otherwise\ntravel will be seriously impeded to Defot Creek,\nIt is generally supposed that a shorter and easier route can be found from some\npoint on the Glenora-Dease Lake trail to Defot Creek, but this can only be settled by\nexploration.\nI submit herewith a more detailed statement of the various works carried out in the\ndifferent districts during the year.\nVictoria Electoral District.\nEoads and Bridges.\nDay Work.\nThe following work has been performed by day work, under the superintendence\nof foremen, during the first half of the year:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nWilliam H. Snider, foreman ; wages, $60 per month.\nEepairs, Cross Eoad from Cedar Hill Church to Saanich Eoad.\nGrading, 967 yards, 18 feet wide.\nMacadam, rock, 937 yards, 10 feot wide, 6 inches deep.\nGravel, 937 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 10 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 6 \u00E2\u0080\u009E\n3 culverts, 19 feet by 2J feet by 1} feet.\n1 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 30 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 2 ,, 1 \u00E2\u0080\u009E\nA considerable amount of cutting and filling was required on a portion of this road\nto bring it to grade.\nEast Saanich Eoad, from McDonald's to Eyan's.\nWilliam Eeid, foreman ; wages, $80 per month.\nGrading, 630 yards, 18 feet wide.\nGravel, 570 ,, 10 \u00E2\u0080\u009E ' 6 inches deep.\n1 bridge, 75 feet long, 12 feet wide, 8 feet high.\n2 culverts, 18 feet by 2 feet by 1 foot.\n1 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 21 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 2 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 1J \u00E2\u0080\u009E\nEepairs, Mount Tolmie Cro3S Eoad, from Nicholson's to North Dairy bridge.\nJohn Nicholson, foreman.\nGrading, 25 yards.\nMacadam, rock, 150 yards, 10 feet wide, 6 inches deep.\nGravel, 150 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 10 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 6 \u00E2\u0080\u009E\n1 culvert, 18 feet by 2 feet by 1 foot.\nThe usual, number of culverts has also been repaired, planks in bridges mended,\nholes and ruts filled, &c, on the different roads throughout the district. 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 266\nEsquimalt Electoral District.\nEsquimalt Graving Dock.\nThe Esquimalt Cofferdam is still in the hands of the contractors, Messrs. Eeed\nBros. & Co., of London.\nAlthough the work has been carried on continuously during the year, it can scarcely\nbe considered more than two-thirds finished. This is certainly due to the absence of\nactivity and energy on the part of the contractors.\nIt will be remembered that the time considered requisite to complete the dam by\nthe Chief Engineers was nine months only. The contract is dated 24th January, 1876,\nand the work was to have been completed on the 18th October of the same year.\nOn the 23rd June, 1876, on application from Mr. C. E. Dawson, C. E., agent for\nMessrs: Eeed Bros. & Co., the time limit was extended by my predecessor in office to\nthe 1st February, 1877. On a further application from the same gentleman, dated the\n24th January, 1877, the time limit was again extended to the 31st July, 1877. Since\nthat date, Mr. Dawson has repeatedly applied for additional time, but his requests have\nnot been entertained.\nOn account of the continued procrastination of the contractors, the Government felt\nit their duty to stop all further payments, and on the 6th December last, their agent\nwas duly notified to that effect.\nAccording to the annexed report of the Eesident Engineer, it is almost impossible\nto say, under present circumstances when the work will be completed, although it has\nbeen in the contractors' hands a little over two years and eleven months.\nThe total amount paid to Messrs. Eeed Bros. & Co., has been $30,357.42. There is\nalso due on certificates Nos. 11 and 12 (to the 31st December, 1878) for money withheld until after the work is completed, $9,038.01.\nThe Eesident Engineer's report shows the amount of work performed from the 1st\nJanuary to the 31st December, 1878.\nDuring the latter portion of the year this gentleman has been superintending the\nerection of the auxiliary pump. A statement of the nature of this work and the\nprogress made will also be found in the report referred to.\nSubjoined, are copies of the letters and reports connected with the Cofferdam contract during the past year :\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\"Engineer's Office, Esquimalt, B. O,\n\"23rd March, 1878.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to inform you that the two castings for pumping\nmachinery, ex ship'Barracouta,' to replace those broken, ex ship'Mountain Laurel,'\nhave been received by me in good condition, and stored with the rest of the machinery\nat Esquimalt. \"I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"W. Bennett.\n\u00C2\u00AB'tTo the Hon.\n\" The Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\"\n\"Lands and Works Department,\n\" Victoria, April 18th, 1878.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to request that you will be good enough to inform me as\nto the time requisite for erecting the auxiliary pump at the Graving Dock site, Esquimalt, in order that, on the completion of the Cofferdam, no delay may take place in\ntesting the stability of the work.\n\"You will please also prepare plans and specifications for the erection of the said\npumping machinery, and advise me as to the particular place on the Government property, at Esquimalt, you deem it most expedient to erect the same; and, further, inform\nme as to the time it Will require to complete the necessary plans and specifications.\n\"You will observe by the terms of the contract with Messrs. Eeed Bros. & Co., for\nthe construction of the Cofferdam at Esquimalt, that it is incumbent on the Government to erect the machinery for testing the work; and, further, that in the event\nof the Darn being approved of by your principals, that the said contractors are, 266 Report of Public Works. 1878\nentitled to a payment of 10 per cent, on the contract price; therefore, it is evident\nthat steps should be taken to prevent the possibility of any claim arising, after the Dam\nis completed, on account of the Government not being in a position to accept the work\nor otherwise. \" I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"F. Geo. Vernon,\n\" W. Bennett, Esq., \" Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"'Resident Engineer, Esquimalt.\"\n\"Lands and Works Department,\n\"Victoria, April 18th, 1878.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094Adverting to your letter of the 18th January last, reporting on an application received by this Department from Mr. C. E. Dawson, acting as agent for Messrs.\nEeed Bros. & Co., of London, contractors for the Esquimalt Cofferdam, for an extension\nof the time limit of the contract, I have the honour to request that you will be good\nenough to furnish me with the following information, viz.:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\"1. Your reason for declining to recommend an extension of the time limit.\n\"2. A statement, in detail, setting forth where, since the 9th of February, 1877, the\ndate when an extension of the time limit was granted the contractors to the\n31st July, 1877, the agent, Mr. Dawson, has neglected to use every exertion to\npush the work with all possible rapidity.\n\" 3. What time will be required to complete the work from date, provided every\neffort is made?\n\"An early reply to this communication will be acceptable.\n\"I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"F. Geo. Vernon,\n\" W. Bennett, Esq., C. E., \" Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"Resident Engineer, Esquimalt.\"\n\"Engineer's Office, Esquimalt, B. O,\n\" 22nd April, 1878.\n\" To the Hon. Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated 18th of\nApril, asking for certain information\u00E2\u0080\u0094Firstly, for the reason of my declining to recommend an extension of the time limit.\n\"In my letter to you, dated 18th January, 1878, I declined to recommend the\nextension of the time limit, for the completion of the Cofferdam, to September, because\nI considered the work could be finished by June, at the latest; my further remark,\n' that I was doubtful if I ought to recommend any extension at all,' was added because,\nas the contractors had been going on with the work since the previous July without a\nformal extension of time, I saw no reason why they should not do so to its completion.\n\" I took into consideration also, that as the second extension of\" the time limit had\nexpired without the work being half finished, and the contract consequently broken;\nand that as the contractors had always been treated most fairly by the Government in\nthe matter of payments, that it was only quite proper for the Government to have it in\nits power, and the right at any time to adopt any other measures it might see fit to\ncomplete the work. I said then, I had no wish to urge the Government to any extreme\nmeasures, nor do I wish to do so now; at the same time, 1 thought the knowlepge, by\nthe contractors, of what the Government could do, would induce them to make greater\nexertions than they did.\n\" Had an extension been granted to September next, I do not see how the Government could have well interfered with the contractors, even if it wished to, till that time\nhad elapsed, when, no doubt, if the work was then unfinished, another extension would\nbe applied for, and afterwards perhaps another.\n\"If then every request, on the contractors' part, for further extension is to be\ngranted as soon as applied for, what guarantee will the Government have that the work\nwill ever be finished.\n\" Secondly, to the request for details where the contractors have failed to use every\nexertion since 9th February, 1877, I beg to state that during the month of February,\n1877, scarcely any work at all was done, and the same in April, excepting during the\nlatter part of the month; this was in consequence of the dredgiDg machine not being\nready. 42 Vio. Report of Public Works. 267\n\" The dredging was carried on, perhaps as rapidly as the appliances at hand would\nadmit of, from April 13th to September 22nd ; and, as stated in my Eeport, dated 31st\nDecember, 1877, piling for the dam was commenced on September 29th, and carried on\nsteadily, but I cannot say as rapidly as possible, for to the end of October only 24 piles\nwere driven.\n\"In November, 117, and in December, 141 piles were driven, which numbers do not\nprove at all satisfactorily that more might not have been driven in the same time.\n\" I have, on many occasions, observed that time has been wasted in not having\nmaterial and plant ready for use when wanted; sometimes the breaking of a pile ring\nhas stopped the pile driving, as it happened to do from April 8th to 12th, 1878, inclusive;\nif spare gear had been on the ground, no delay need have occurred.\n\" The progress of the piling was delayed from the 21st January to 22nd February,\n1878, and from that date to 23rd March, 1878, only 8 piles were driven, the time being\noccupied in making tram-cars and excavating for the filling between the buttress and\nmiddle row of piles, which work might have been started as soon as the dredging was\nfinished in September, 1877.\n\"I consider also that the employment of more men would have hastened the\nprogress of the work.\n\"Work on the shore ends of the dam, which has been in progress during the past\nmonth, might easily have been done twelve months ago; and the time so spent now\nwould have been occupied in forwarding some other part of the work.\n\" I think it necessary again to refer to the ironwork for the sluices, which ought\nnow to be on the ground, but is not; for unless advantage is taken of the low tides\nwhich occur at this season of the year, it will be almost an impossibility to fix the\nsluices for another twelvemonth.\n\" I regret that the drilling of the holes at the shore ends of the dam, in deep water,\nto receive rock pile shoes, is not now in active progress; this work might have been\ngoing on for some time past.\n\" It may be urged that it is necessary to re-erect the dredging machine to clean off\nthe shingle overlying the rock before commencing; the services of a diver would, however, obviate this difficulty.\n\" Thirdly, as to how much time will be required to complete the work from date,\nprovided every effort is made? Unless the various portions of the work are carried on\nsimultaneously and vigorously, it would be useless on my part to attempt to form an\nestimate.\n\" In January last, I considered the work should be finished by June, and then\ncalculated that the buttress piling and rock drilling would be much further advanced\nthan they are now. Looking at the amount of work remaining to be done, I see it is\nnow impossible to finish at the date I named; if, however, a diver and three or four sets\nof drillers be employed at once, and a strong gang of labourers put on to excavate for\npuddle and filling as soon as the gauge piles on rock are planted, I consider the work\nought, under ordinary circumstances, to be finished by August next.\n\"A tram-way, from the bank to the dam. should be commenced immediately, and\ntrial pits sunk to find the most suitable clay for puddle; extra tram-cars also should be\nprovided, the present number (4) being totally inadequate to keep a large number of\nmen employed.\n\" I much regret that the points on which you required information have necessitated\nsuch a lengthy reply.\n\" I shall have the honour to reply to your letter referring to the erection of the\npump, &c, at an early date. \"I have, &c.\n(Signed) \"W. Bennett.\"\n\" Lands and Works Department,\n\" Victoria, 7th May, 1878.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094Eeferring to your letter of the 19th February last, applying for a further\nextension of the time limit for the construction of the Cofferdam at Esquimalt, 1 have\nthe honour to inform you that your communication was submitted to the Eesident\nEngineer, who duly reported thereon; I beg to enclose a copy of the Eesident\nEngineer's Eeport for your information. 268 Report of Public Works. 1878\n\"I have the honour to instruct you to carry out the Eesident Engineer's suggestions\nwith regard to the provision of the necessary sluices, and also to the immediate construction of the tram-way for the conveyance of the puddle to the dam.\n\"I have, &c,\n(Signed) \" F. Geo. Vernon,\n\u00C2\u00AB C. E. Dawson, Esq., C. E.\" \"per A. S. Farwell.\n\" Engineer's Office, Esquimalt, B. O,\n\"21st May, 1878.\n\" To the Hon. Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to enclose herewith, for your approval, a plan shewing\nthe site I propose and recommend for the erection of the auxiliary pump.\n\" I also beg to recommend that the work be taken in hand at once, and be carried\nout under my supervision by day work.\n\" I would further suggest that application be made to the Eesident Engineer of the\nDominion Government for the use of two hopper barges, provided they are not required\nby Mr. Dawson, agent for Messrs. Eeed Bros. & Co., to whom they are at present lent.\n\" The barges will only be required for a day or two, during the time the boiler, &c.,\nis being removed from the shed to the staging on which it will have to be erected.\n\"I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"W. Bennett.\"\n\" Cofferdam Works, Esquimalt, B. C,\n\" June 17th, 1878.\n\" To the Hon. the Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u00941 beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th of May last, in\nanswer to mine of the 19th February, and enclosing a copy of a letter addressed you by\nthe Eesident Engineer, dated April 22nd, 1878.\n\" I am greatly surprised that, notwithstanding the full explanations I have given,\nboth in writing and verbally, upon every point raised, you should, after the lapse of\nmore than two and a half months, have again referred the matter to him.\n\"On the 18th January last. Mr. Bennett reported to you, at your request, upon my\nletter applying for an extension of the time limit for completion. On the 8th February,\nhe further reported, at your request, on the same subject, and professed to be most\nexplicit on all the points upon which he said he had to find fault. The result of this\nmode of proceeding, which I must again respectfully protest against as unjust to my\nprincipals, is, I regret to observe, that the Eesident Engineer has been driven to search\nfor any remote point, and to use any possible argument, in his endeavour to maintain\nthe position he has taken.\n\" I also regret to see that, notwithstanding my repeated protests, Mr. Bennett has\nnot been required to confine himself to matters technical; and I must again point out to\nyou that it is entirely against the terms of the contract to make the granting of an\nextension of the time limit dependant on the recommendation of the Eesident Engineer.\n\" I should have answered your letter before, but for various reasons I have thought\nit better to delay any further communication until events themselves had disproved half\nof the Eesident Engineer's statements.\n\"1 will, therefore, now touch upon the various explanations, arguments, and statements contained in Mr. Bennett's letter of the 22nd April, 1878, in the order they are\nset down.\n\" He commences, by saying that he declined to recommend an extension until September, because 'he considered the work could be finished by June at the latest.' At\nthe time, I informed you this was impossible, and the event has proved I was right, and\nthat Mr. Bennett was entirely mistaken, as in this letter he is obliged to admit.\n\"He then goes on to say that his remark, that he was doubtful if he ought to\nrecommend any extension at all, was added, because as the contractors had been going\non with the work for a long time without any formal extension [of time, he saw no\nreason why they should not do so to the end I What the meaning of this peculiar\nreasoning is, I am at a loss to understand, unless he means that under present circumstances the contractors are practically entitled to an unlimited extension of time, which\nindeed is really the case. 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 269\n\"Mr. Bennett, in the next paragraph, makes a most rash and unjustifiable statement\nto the effect that Messrs. Eeed Bros. & Co., have broken their contract. As, however,\nMr. Bennett's opinion on this score is of no importance, I will only remark that the fact\nof his making such a statement shows the inexpediency of submitting matters to him\nthat are not in his province to enter upon.\n\"His next remark, concerning the matter of payments, as far as I can see, is simply\na sarcasm directed at the Government on account of its having persisted in unjustly\nrefusing to make the payments as contemplated in the contract, and most urgently\nrequired and solicited, confining itself to the payment of only such sums as could not\npossibly be withheld.\n\" His next argument is one that, had he thought seriously about, I am sure he would\nhave been ashamed to urge, even in a private matter, and much more so to a gentleman\naoting in the interest of the public, I think it is quite unnecessary for me to say more\nto you on this point, but I may perhaps just observe that hampering a contractor by\ndestroying his credit is not the way to expedite work intrusted to him; and, moreover,\nthat to keep a man at work by constantly menacing his shoulders with a cow-hide is\nnot a suitable means to be adopted by the Government of a civilized country!\n\"As for asking for further extensions of time, the Eesident Engineer is perfectly\nright, Had the extension applied for been granted, and at its expiration the work still\nincomplete, if the works had been carried on with all reasonable speed, or further\nalterations made, I should most certainly have applied for further extension, and should\nhave been fully entitled to it. It is contemplated in the contract that extensions would\nbe necessary, and the Government had its remedy if the contractor fails in his duty;\nnot such remedies as Mr. Bennett proposes, but proper ones, and only to be used when\nit has been proved beyond doubt that the contractor has so failed.\n\"The Eesident Engineer now endeavours to shew that the contractors have failed\nto use every exertion since the 9th February, 1877.\n\" He commences by again harping on the subject of the time spent in procuring the\ndredging apparatus. Now, I beg to repeat that as long ago as July, 1877, my explanations of any delay on that account were given, and that they were accepted is proved\nby your letter of the 30th July, 1877.\n\" His next statements are misrepresentations of the facts of the case, and contradict\nhis own previous statements. He commences by saying that 'the dredging was carried on\n'perhaps as rapidly as the appliances at hand would admit of, from April 13th to Septem-\n'ber 22nd.' Now, in his report of the 31st December last, he says: 'From this date'\n(April 13th) 'to September 22nd, when the dredging was completed, it' (the dredging\nmachine) 'was constantly at work, on many days from daylight to dark, &c, &c.'\n\"Mr. Bennett goes on to contradict further, his report of the 31st December, 1878,\nwhich clearly shows that the piling operations had been carried out quite satisfactorily\nunder exceptionally difficult circumstances, and makes a most misleading statement as\nto 24 piles driven to the end of October. Now, Mr. Bennett cannot be ignorant of the\nfact that amongst these first piles driven in the dam were the 16 principal guide or\ndistance piles, set at intervals light across Thetis Cove, to establish the curve of the dam\nand to receive the walings which were to serve as guides in pitching and driving the\nrest of the piles of the dam; that each of these distance piles had to be pitched and\ndriven with the greatest nicety; that each had to be brought exactly to the plumb, and\nseparately strutted and secured. When this was finished, exact measurements had to\nbe taken, and a separate drawing prepared for each end of every waling; a double tier\nof walings had then to be erected, which could only be done when exceptionally low\ntides occurred, which at that season of the year was only at night. All this had to be\ndone before one single other pile of the dam could be driven!\n\"Mr. Bennett now goes on to say: 'In November 117, and in December 141, piles\n' were driven, which numbers do not prove at all satisfactorily that more might not\n\have been driven in the same time.' Now this argument is, I cannot but say it, so\npositively silly that I am sure I cannot be expected to waste my time by giving it any\nfurther notice.\n\" He has now again recourse to vague charges, and then speaks of delays occasioned\nby the breaking of pile rings. Here, he even takes advantage of the very difficulties\nwe have had to contend with in his endeavour to fix blame. He knows perfectly well\nthat, in consequence of the exceptionally hard nature of the bottom, I have been driven 270 Report of Public Works. 1878\nto my wits' end endeavouring to procure pile rings capable of resisting the excessive\npounding to which they have been exposed; he knows that I have tried rings made of\nall kinds of the heaviest iron to be procured in the Province; that I have tried all the\nbest blacksmiths in the city; that I have procured iron of special quality and dimensions\nfrom California, and that I have spared no expense, and yet that it has been impossible\nto procure a ring that could be relied on !\n\"He is also incorrect as to the delay he instances, for piling was going on on the\nmorning of the 8th, and from noon on the 12th April; and the stoppage was principally\ncaused by a break and necessary repairs to the steam hoisting engine.\n\"Mr. Bennett proceeds to complain of delays in the piling operations from 21st\nJanuary to 22nd February, 1878, and says from that date to the 23rd March only eight\npiles were driven. He also speaks of the building of tram-cars, and of excavation for\nfilling in between the buttress and middle rows of piles.\n\" Here, again, he suppresses the real state of the case, and again misleads as to the\nwork done. In my letter of the 12th January, 1878, I informed you that I should\nshortly be ready to proceed with the work on the buttress, and again called your attention to the necessity of making alterations in the design, having already long ago warned\nyou and the Eesident Engineer that it would be necessary to do so; but no proper\ninstructions were given to me with regard to these alterations until the 19th February,\n1878, and I was in consequence put to great inconvenience, expense, and trouble.\n\" A very considerable loss of time would now have occurred had I not found a means\nof occupying profitably the time necessary to procure the extra timber required on\naccount of these alterations. I gave the order for this timber even before I had received\nthe proper instructions to make the alterations, and then to save time proceeded, with\nthe concurrence of the Eesident Engineer, with the filling in behind the main trunk,\nwhich should not have been commenced until the whole of the piling was finished.\nThis was a useful piece of work, done during a period of time that would otherwise have\nbeen wasted, and served eventually greatly to facilitate the pitching and driving of the\nbuttress piles.\n\"Mr. Bennett again ignores the fact that the eight piles he now mentions are the\nguide or distance piles for the buttress, and had to be driven under the same exceptional\ncircumstances as the corresponding 16 guide piles in the main trunk, and also that double\nwalings had to be erected as the state of the tide would allow; all this before another\npile of the buttress could be driven.\n\" He further withholds the fact that the extra timber specially ordered for this\nportion of the dam did not arrive until the 12th April, and that to save time I carried\non the piling in the meantime, at great expense to my principals, using timber destined\nfor other portions of the work and of much greater length than was required. All this\nis entirely due to the Government or the Engineers not having sooner taken steps to\nmake the necessary alterations, and it is quite useless for Mr. Bennett to try and shift\nthe blame on to the contractors' shoulders.\n\" What Mr. Bennett can mean by saying that the work of filling in between the\nbuttress and middle rows of piles could have been commenced before any piles at all\nwere driven, is entirely beyond my comprehension.\n\" It is only now, after all this lapse of time, after writing many reports and after\nreceiving repeated enquiries as to the contractors' short comings, that Mr. Bennett\ndiscovers and informs you that he considers the employment of more men would have\nhastened the progress of the work. Mr. Bennett cannot but be aware that I have always\nhad as many men employed as could be used to advantage under the circumstances.\n\" With regard to the work lately executed on the shore ends of the dam, Mr. Bennett\nagain entirely misrepresents the facts of the case. It has been carried on simultaneously\nwith the principal work on the dam, and by a separate gang of men\u00E2\u0080\u0094the number of\nhands being increased expressly for that purpose. If it had been completed a twelvemonth ago, the works would not now be one single day more advanced than they are.\n\"With reference to the sluices I need only say that, since he wrote this report, he\nhas recognized the impossibility of constructing them even at the altered level fixed upon\nby him, and that he has adopted a suggestion of mine suppressing them \"altogether in\nthe Cofferdam itself, and placing a double sluice in the earth dam to be raised between\nThetis Island and the shore. According to his instructions, I am now carrying out this\nalteration. 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 271\n\" I may here mention that up to the present time, on account of the tide level, no\nopportunity has offered of erecting the wrought iron tie bolts of the fourth tier of\nwalings, although in the altered design they have been raised three feet.\n\" Mr. Bennett now goes on to say he regrets that the drilling for the rock pile shoes,\nin deep water, is not now in active progress, and says a diver could have cleared off the\nshingle overlying the rock !\n\" In answer to this I need only inform you that, in compliance with the Eesident\nEngineer's instructions, some special, extra dredging is now being done; that the\ndredging machine has been re-erected, and that from one end of the dam alone, where\nthese holes have to be drilled, 207 cubic yards of material has already been dredged up!\nThis shows how far the services of a diver would have 'obviated' this difficulty!!!\n\"1 cannot contain my surprise at the proceedings of the Eesident Engineer in this\nmatter, for I must beg you carefully to note that, early in December last, I explained to\nhim point by point how I proposed to proceed with the works, viz.:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\"I proposed, as soon as the piling of the centre portion of the main trunk was\nfinished, to proceed with the piling of the buttress (centre portion) leaving the ends in\ndeep water until later, when the low tides should commence. As soon as the centre\nportion of the buttress was finished, I proposed the re-erection of the dredging machine\nto clear out the clay and shingle, &c, that had fallen in at the shore ends in deep water,\nin consequence of the great extra depth of the excavation. I pointed out to Mr. Bennett\nthat this was a work far beyond the powers of a diver, [and also informed him that it\nwas probable that some dredging might require to be done in the main trunk of the dam.\nWhen this was done, the drilling was to be commenced, and while it and the erection of\nthe gauge piles was in execution, the preparations for filling in with puddle, &c, &c,\nshould be made. The shore ends of the dam, in shallow water, were to be erected\nsimultaneously with the other works, as it was a work of no particular difficulty.\n\"All this I clearly explained to Mr. Bennett, and he as clearly signified his approval\nof it! Everything has been carried out as I proposed, except that through the fault of\nthe Goverment more time than necessary elapsed between the completion of the centre\nportion of the main trunk and the commencement of that of the buttress, which time,\nhowever, was usefully employed by me. How Mr. Bennett can ignore all this, as he\ndoes, is a mystery to me !\n\" I must now beg to say that on the 30th July, 1877, in answer to an application for\nextension of the time limit, you distinctly promised to grantan extension on condition that\nduring the following few weeks proper exertions should be used to hasten the progress\nof the works,\n\"It has been distinctly shewn, by the Eesident Engineer's own reports, that this\ncondition was fulfilled; and, notwithstanding his present attempts at fault finding, that\nthe works have been carried on satisfactorily ever since.\n\"I have repeatedly, both in writing and verbally, complained of the injury done to\nmy principals by the course the Government has pursued in regard to this extension;\nbut notwithstanding my repeated protests and my full\u00E2\u0080\u0094and as you have yourself given\nme to understand to you satisfactory\u00E2\u0080\u0094explanations of all delays, this extension of the\ntime limit has been withheld for all this length of time.\n\" Having regard to this most unsatisfactory state of things, I must now beg you to\ntake notice that, under present circumstances, Messrs. Eeed Bros, & Co., are entitled to\nrequire payment, at rates over and above the schedule prices of the contract, for all\nwork executed since the expiration of the time limit for completion.\n\"To this my principals are undoubtedly entitled, for not only have the works been\nof a different character and carried on from their commencement under different circumstances from those represented, but on every single point alterations have now been made\nfrom the original designs, which have proved to have been quite impossible of execution;\nand according to the contract, one of the considerations under which the contractors\nare bound to carry out alterations is, that extensions of the time limit for completion of\nthe works should be granted! I must also again remind you that extra works, quite\nunforeseen in the contract, have been and have yet to be executed at great expense and\nat great loss of time to my principals.\n\" Before concluding, I beg to inform you that the works are progressing as well as\ncircumstances will allow, and that I shall continue to use every endeavour to complete\nthem with the shortest possible delay.\n19 272 Report of Public Works. 1878\n\" According to your instructions I have got in hand the construction of a tramway\nfor the conveyance of the puddle to the dam, but I must beg you to bear in mind that\nno provision has been made for such a work in the contract. \"I am, &c,\n(Signed) \" C. E. Dawson,\n\" Agent for Messrs. Reed Bi-os. & Co., London.\"\n\"3, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W.,\n\"and Havelock Buildings, Greenock, N.B.,\n\" To the Hon. Forbes George Vernon, \" 19th June, 1878.\n\" Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, B.C.\nSir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094We have the honour to inform you that we duly received your favour of the\n18th May, last, enclosing draft for \u00C2\u00A328 in payment of Messrs. Watt & Co.'s account for\nduplicate machinery supplied.\n\"We duly handed the same to Messrs. Watt & Co., and herewith enclose their\nreceipt in acknowledgment thereof, in discharge of their account for duplicate machinery\nsupplied. We have, &c,\n(Signed) \" Kinipple & Morris.\"\n\"90, Leadenhall St. City, London, E.C.,\n\"Messrs. Kinipple & Morris, \" June 18th, 1878.\n\" Gentlemen,\u00E2\u0080\u0094We have to thank you for the receipt of a draft upon the Bank of\nBritish Columbia for \u00C2\u00A328, in payment of our account for sundry articles supplied to the\nGovernment, rendered against the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, Victoria,\ndated June 23rd, 1877. Yours very truly.\n(Signed) \"James Watt & Co.\"\n\"Lands and Works Department,\n\"Victoria, July 19th, 1878.\nSir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to request that you will, with as little delay as possible,\nbe good enough to report, in detail, upon the amount of work performed on the Esquimalt Cofferdam by the contractors, Messrs. Eeed Bros. & Co., since the date of your\nlast report, on the 31st December, 1877. I have, &c.\n(Signed) \" Geo. A. Walkem.\n\" W. Bennett, Esq.,\n\" Resident Engineer, Esquimalt.\"\n\" Lands and Works Department,\n\" Victoria, July 19th, 1878.\n\" To W. Bennett, Resident Engineer, Esquimalt.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st May last, enclosing\na sketch showing the site you propose and recommend for the erection of the auxiliary\npump.\n\"I have the honour to request that you will be good enough to provide me with an\nestimate of the cost of erecting the said pump, at your earliest convenience.\n\"I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"Geo. A. Walkem,\n\" Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"Engineer's Office, Esquimalt, B. O,\n\"22nd July, 1878.\n\" To the Hon. the Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094In reply to your letter, dated 19th July, asking for a detailed report on the\nprogress of the Cofferdam since 31st December, 1877, I have the honour to submit the\nfollowing:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\" The number of piles driven in the outer and middle rows of the dam at the date\nof my last report amounted to 263; this number has been increased by 470, and in\naddition thereto 159 piles have been driven in the inside or buttress row, making a total\nof 892 piles driven and erected in the dam to date; of this number, 247 piles have been\nplanted on the rock at the shore ends of the dam.\n\" There yet remain about 60 piles to be planted on rock bottom at each of the shore\nends in the outer and middle rows. A number of these piles will have to be secured to\nthe bottom with rock pile shoes, at from 20 to 25 feet below high water mark. A diver 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 273\nis now employed on the works whose services will be indispensable during the operation\nof drilling holes to receive the rock pile shoes. Preparations are being made for the\nimmediate prosecution of this portion of the wrork.\n\" In the buttress row, about 100 piles remain to be driven or planted.\n\" The four tiers of walings running the whole length of the dam both inside and\nout, are in position and bolted up.\n\" As soon as the piling of the dam was completed between bays four and eleven, an\nexamination of the bottom of the main trunk was made by carefully probing the same,\nand the clay bottom between the outer and middle rows of piles from the action of the\npile driving proved to be so broken up and disturbed that I found it necessary to order\nthat portion to be re-dredged. The dredging apparatus was accordingly again rigged in\nthe beginning of May, and dredging was continued to the middle of June. Bays two,\nthree, eleven and thirteen, were also re-dredged, a quantity of sand and shingle having\nslipped in since the first dredging; in these bays also the bottom, which is rock, was\nswept, a large brush being rigged for the purpose.\n\"2,365 cubic yards of filling and toeing have been deposited behind the main trunk\nof the dam; 49 cubic yards of rock and clay were removed for the construction of the\nshore ends of the dam above low water mark, and 13 cubic yards of cement concrete\nwere used in securing the feet of the piles at those places.\n\" The amount paid to Messrs. Eeed, Bros. & Co. for work executed, and for material\non the ground to December 31st, 1877, was $14,860 86, since which they have received\n$11,705 76, the last payment being made on 9th May, for work executed to 30th April.\nProvided the contract is satisfactorily completed by the end of this year, as I confidently\nhope and fully expect will be the case, a further sum of about $33,000 will be due to the\ncontractors.\n\" The sluices, which were intended to have been constructed through the Cofferdam\nI have recommended should be placed through the earth dam, between Thetis Island and\nthe shore. In this position, a much tighter job can be made of them, and, what is of\nequal importance, they can be placed at a lower level and thereby save considerable\npumping when the dam is completed. This work is in progress, and the tramway on\nwhich will be conveyed the puddle, etc., to the dam, is about two-thirds finished.\n\"In addition to the remaining number of piles which I have already referred to as\nhaving to be driven, and the construction of the sluices and earth dam, there yet remains\nthe remainder of the filling and the whole of the puddling to be done before the dam can\nbe said to be completed.\n\" The space enclosed must then be pumped out at the expense of the Government,\nwhereby the tightness of the dam will be tested before the work will be accepted from\nthe contractors. \" I have, &c,\n(Signed) \" W. Bennett.\"\n\"Engineer's Office, Esquimalt, B.C.,\n\"22nd July, 1878.\n\"To the Honourable the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, Victoria, B.C.:\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094In reply to your letter of 19th July, asking for an estimate of the cost of\nerecting the pump in its temporary position inside the Cofferdam, I have the honour to\ninform you, I consider the work can be executed for the sum of from $1,200 to $1,500.\nAn engineer will have to be provided to work the pump after its erection, at the expense\nof the Government. \"I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"W. Bennett.\"\n\"3, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W.,\n\" 27th August, 1878.\n\" To the Honourable the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, Victoria, B.C.:\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094Mr. Bennett's term of service of three years as Eesident Engineer, the time\nwe expected it would take to complete the whole of the works, expired on the 12th\nJuly last. In our agreement with him, dated 19th June, 1878, he is entitled to a\npayment, in lieu of a yearly increase to his salary to a bonus of \u00C2\u00A3100 sterling at the\nexpiration of the third year, We shall be glad if you will arrange for the payment to\nhim of this amount out of the commission due to us in connection with these works.\n\" We have, &c,\n(Signed) \" Kinipple & Morris.\" 274 Report of Public Works. 1878\n\"Engineer's Office, Esquimalt, B.C.,\n\" 30th November, 1878.\n\" To the Hon. Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to inform you that the amount due to Messrs. Reed Bros.\n& Co., on account of Cofferdam contract, for work executed, is $5,091 38, as per Certificate No. 11 herewith enclosed. The material on ground has been taken no notice of in\nthis Certificate. \" I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"W. Bennett.\"\n\"Esquimalt, B. O,\n\" November 30th, 1878.\n\" To the Hon. Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to hand you, enclosed, a statement of works executed\nto the 31st ultimo, also an account of sums due to Messrs. Eeed Bros. & Co.; the whole\nunder Certificate No. 11. The amount due is $5,091 38. \"I am, &c,\n(Signed) \" C. E. Dawson,\n\" Agent for Messrs. Reed Bros. & Co.,\n\"London\"\n\" Lands and Works Department,\n\" Victoria, 6th December, 1878.\n\"[Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to inform you that I am authorized by the Government to\nwithhold all further payments on Esquimalt Cofferdam account, until the work is completed to the satisfaction of this Department. 1 have also to observe that the Government, as at'present advised, do not intend to waive any rights acquired by them by\nreason of the delay in the completion of the Cofferdam according to agreement.\n\"This conclusion has been arrived at, after a careful consideration of all the correspondence between you and the Government on the subject.\n\" Any further delay will necessarily form the subject of future consideration.\n\"I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"Geo. A. Walkem,\n\" C. E. Dawson, Esq., C. E., \" Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n'\u00E2\u0096\u00A0 Agent for Messrs. Reed Bros, & Co,\n\" Cofferdam Works, Esquimalt, B. O,\n\"December 27th, 1878.\n\" To the Hon. the Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th inst.\n\" In reference to its contents, I beg to say that the withholding of payment of the\nvoucher you delivered to me, for $5,091 38, is a most serious inconvenience to my principals; and the course adopted by the Government is causing, and if persisted in will\ncause, very serious injury to their interests, and may, moreover, result in a stoppage of\nthe works.\n\" I am at a loss to understand why the voucher should not have been paid, because,\nalthough it might possibly be contended that the works referred to in the contract\nnot having been completed within the stipulated time or the extensions granted by your\npredecessor, my principals have rendered themselves liable for the penalty referred to\nin the 66th clause of the specification; yet to me it is perfectly clear that, instead of\nbeing liable to penalties, they are justly entitled to compensation, and I believe that any\ndisinterested and impartial person on a review of the correspondence and on proper\nenquiry into the circumstances, &c, even if he would not readily admit my position,\nwould consider that the extra work, datum lines, and borings are sufficient reasons for\nany matters in difference between my principals and yourself being referred to arbitration under clause No. 78 of the specification.\n\"I cannot but suppose that you have not sufficiently examined and considered all\nthe present circumstances of the case, otherwise it would be apparent to you that the\ncourse adopted by the Government, viz., that of allowing the contractors to suppose 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 275\nthat the Government was satisfied with the progress made until a large amount of\nmoney was payable, not only for works mentioned in the contract but for additional\nand extra work, and then without the slightest warning to withhold payment, is not only\na most unjust course, but is also one that must of necessity greatly hamper and injure\nthe contractors and cause a useless delay in the completion of the works.\n\" I am quite sure that whatever differences of opinion there may be between the\nEesident Engineer and myself with respect to certain points connected with the contract,\nhe would by no means approve or advise the course adopted of stopping further payments at the present time and under the present circumstances, when, if no useless\nimpediment like the present occurs, there is no reason that the works should not be\nbrought to a speedy and satisfactory conclusion.\n\" I hope, therefore, you will reconsider the matter, and cause the payments due to\nbe made without further delay. \"I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"C. E. Dawson,\n\"Agent for Messrs. Reed Bros. & Co.,\n\"London.\"\n\"Lands and Works Department,\n\"Victoria, January 3rd, 1879.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094As a reply to your letter of the 27th ultimo, I have the honour to state that\nall the correspondence relating to the Cofferdam, -which passed between you and this\nDepartment and the Eesidont Engineer, was very carefully examined and considered\nbefore the Government concluded, as announced in my letter of the 6th ultimo, to stop\nfurther payment on Cofferdam account until after the completion of the work.\n\" I do not, therefore, feel myself justified in requesting the Executive Council to\nreconsider their decision; nor is the case, in my opinion, one wmich could, with advantage to the public, be left to arbitration.\n\" Without intending the slightest disrespect, I would observe that the Government\nare fully alive to the remedial powers placed in their hands by the Cofferdam contract,\nand do not therefore require their attention to be drawn to them for the purpose of\nenabling them to shape their future action in this matter.\n\"I have to urge upon you to complete your contract with all practicable dispatch.\n\" I am, &c,\n(Signed) \" Geo. A. Walkem,\n\" C. E. Dawson, Esq., C.E., \"Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\" Agent for Messrs. Reed Bros. & Co.\"\n\" Cofferdam Works, Esquimau, B. C,\n\"January 3rd, 1879.\n\" To the Hon. Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\", Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094Enclosed, I beg to hand you a statement of works executed upon the\nEsquimalt Cofferdam, up to the 31st December, 1878, under Certificate No. 12; also an\naccount showing the sum due to Messrs. Eeed Bros. & Co., on account of the same,\namounting to $3,946 63.\n\"Some further works, over and above those contained in the certificate, have also\nbeen executed. \" 1 have, &c.,\n(Signed) \" C. E. Dawson,\n\" Agent for Messrs. Reed Bros. & Co.,\n\"London.\"\n\"Engineer's Office, Esquimalt, B. O,\n\" 3rd January, 1879.\n\" To the Hon. the Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to inform you that the amount due to Messrs. Eeed Bros.\n& Co., on account of Cofferdam contract, for works executed, is $3,946 63, as per Certificate No. 12, herewith enclosed. \"I have, &c,\n(Signed) \"W. Bennett.\" 276 Report of Public Works. . 1878\n\" Engineer's Office, Esquimalt,\n\" 31st December, 1878.\n.\" To the Honourable the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to submit my report on the progress of the works at\nEsquimalt for the past twelve months.\n\" Cofferdam.\n\" The number of piles driven in the outer and middle rows of the dam at the end of\n1877, amounted to 263 ; this number has been increased by 493, and in addition thereto\n159 piles have been driven in the inside or buttress row, making a total of 915 piles\ndriven and erected in the dam to date; of this number, 269 piles have been planted on the\nrock at the shore ends of the dam.\n\" There yet remain 53 piles to be planted on the rock bottom at the western end\nand 62 piles at the eastern end of the dam. These piles will not be placed.in position\ntill a bank of puddle has been deposited on the rock where the openings occur. In the\nbuttress row, about 100 piles remain to be driven or planted.\n\" The four walings running the whole length of the dam, both on the inside and\noutside of the main trunk, are in position, and the number of bolts used in securing them\nis as follows: 1st tier, 50 ; 2nd tier, 50 ; 3rd tier, 37 ; 4th tier, 36 ; making a total of\n173 ; these bolts are 12 feet 9 inches in length, and vary in diameter from 1J inches in\nthe 1st tier to 2\ inches in the 4th tier ; each bolt has a cast iron washer, weighing\nnearly 601b, at each end. The buttress row is connected to the main trunk by 28 bolts\n14 feet 9 inches in length and 2 inches in diameter, with a cast iron washer at each end.\nAbout 30 more bolts have yet to be fixed to the walings on the main trunk, and about 20\nto the buttress walings.\n\" The rock drilling for the gauge piles shod with rock pile shoes was a tedious and\nexpensive operation. The drills used were 32 feet long, and owing to the hardness of\nthe rock constantly required re-sharpening. The holes drilled for the rock pile shoes\nvaried in depth from 2 to 3 feet, and were 3 inches in diameter. The services of a diver\nand his gang were in almost daily requisition from 27th July to 29th August, during the\nprogress of the rock drilling. In testing the holding down power of the holes, one at\nthe eastern end broke away, owing to a seam in the rock ; a fresh hole was started on\n30th September, but on 3rd October when the hole was down 28 inches, the end of the\ndrill broke off in the hole, and as the diver was unable to recover the lost end the hole\nhad to be abandoned; another hole was then started and finished on October 7th. This\nis one instance of the many troubles encountered during the rock drilling operation.\n\"As soon as the piling of the dam was completed between bays 4 and 11, an\nexamination of the bottom of the main trunk was made by carefully probing the same,\nand as the bottom between the outer and middle rows of piles from the action of the pile\ndriving into remarkably hard clay, proved to be so broken up and disturbed, I found it\nnecessary to order that portion to be re-dredged; the dredging apparatus was accordingly\nagain rigged in the beginning of May and dredging was continued to the middle of June.\nBays 2, 3, 11 and 13 were also re-dredged, a quantity of sand and shingle having slipped\nin since the first dredging; in these bays also the bottom which is rock was swept, a\nlarge brush having been rigged for the purpose; the diver's services were also called for\nto clean out shingle &c, from the crevices in the rock.\n\"An examination by the diver of the large boulder met with in bay 9 at the bottom\nof the main trunk during the first dredging was made ; he reported a large amount of\nsand, shingle, shells &c, around and below it. I thought it advisable therefore to have\nit removed, as from the amount of sand, &c, it would have been impossible to make\na water-tight connection, between the clay bottom and puddle, which might have greatly\nendangered the stability of the dam. The removal of the sand by the diver was commenced on the 31st August, and after working at it steadily to 14th September, the\nboulder was slung in chains, lifted to the surface and dumped on the rocks on the outside\nof the dam at the western end. The estimated weight of the boulder was upwards of\nthree tons and its top surface was. 28 feet below high water mark. The dredging\napparatus was again rigged on October 31st, and the spot from which the boulder was\nlifted was cleaned of all shingle, &c, that remained.\n\" The staging on which the travelling platform runs was extended one Day westward in the month of September, and the shafting of the engine was altered to adapt it 42 Vie. Report of Public Works. 277\nfor hauling the tram-cars which convey the puddle and backing from the shore to the\ndam by means of an endless rope, which at the same time works a pug-mill for crushing\nclay for puddle.\n\" Sluices.\n\" The sluices which were originally intended to have been constructed through the\ndam, I recommended, should be placed through the earth dam between Thetis Island\nand the shore. Instead of three sluices each 3 ft. 9 in. by 3 ft. 9 in., two sluices, each\n4 feet 6 inches by 3 feet 9 inches, have been erected, the original area of discharge being\nmaintained. In the new position of the sluices a much better job has been made of them,\nas it would have been exceedingly difficult to have ensured a perfectly water-tight\nconnection through the darn, owing to the natural subsidence and shrinkage of the\npuddle, and the fact of their being placed at a lower level than they would have been\nif in the dam is also of some importance, as thereby considerable pumping will be saved\nwhen the dam is completed. The sluices which are now finished will drain the area\nenclosed by the dam to 7 feet below high water mark. The earth dam has yet to be\nraised about 5 feet.\n\" Backing and Puddle.\n\" The earthwork in connection with the dam is as follows :\u00E2\u0080\u00942,645 cubic yards have\nbeen deposited as backing and toeing behind the main trunk of the dam, 477 cubic yards\nin front of the dam, and 151 cubic yards of puddle in the main trunk. The getting of\nclay for puddle, &c, was re-commenced on 9th November, and has continued to date; a\nmuch stronger gang of men should however be employed in this work.\n\" The amount paid to Messrs. Eeed Bros. & Co. for work executed and for material\non the ground to 31st December, 1877, was $14,860 86, since which date they have\nreceived $15,496 56, the last payment being made to 31st July, 1878. Since that date to\nDecember 31st, the value of works executed is $9,039 01, which amount I understand\nhas not yet been paid to the contractors.\n\" Auxiliary Pump.\n\" In the centre of the bay enclosed by the Cofferdam, and at a distance of about 20\nfeet inside the dam, a platform has been erected for the purpose of carrying the machinery\nand boiler necessary for the working of the pump which is to clear the Dock site of water\nas soon as the dam is completed.\n\" The platform is 32 feet long by 24 feet wide, and is supported on 36 piles, whose\naverage length is 32 feet; 12 inch square caps are fastened to the pile heads by one inch\nround spikes 18 inches long, on which are spiked joists some 12 inches by nine inches\nand others 12 inches square, on which in turn are spiked 6 inch planks. The level of the\nplatform is 6 feet 9 inches above high water mark. The pump will drain the space\nenclosed to within 18 inches of the deepest part, and the water pumped will be discharged\nover the dam into Esquimalt harbour. The height from suction to delivery is 23 feet\n3 inches.\n\" As soon as the excavation for the Dock itself is commenced the suction pipe will\nbe extended downwards, and the works during their progress will by this means be\ndrained. The pump, &c, will eventually be placed in the permanent engine house on\nthe side of the Dock and be used as a drainage pump for the Dock.\n\"The platform has been constructed by a gang of men in the Government employ,\nwith W. Clarke as foreman, under my superintendence, and was commenced on November\n12th. A number of logs were collected from the beach at the Lagoon, near Fisguard\nLighthouse, for the purpose of forming a raft, on which a pile-driver was erected and\nfrom which the piles were driven. The pump and its connections, adapted from the\noriginal design, are fixed in a framework of four 15-ineh square timbers, securely tied\nand braced together. This work was done on shore, and of necessity had to be very\nstrong to prevent racking ; when finished it was transported on the raft across the bay,\nlaunched into the water, then dragged in between two rows of the platform piles\nand upended in its position; by means of the raft, too, the boiler, weighing 8 tons,\nwas safely carried across, then placed on rollers, drawn up a slipway\u00E2\u0080\u0094for which 4 piles\nhad to be driven\u00E2\u0080\u0094and placed on its seat. Much credit is due to Mr. Clark and his men\nfor the care and ability they displayed in successfully performing these somewhat\nticklish operations, 278 Report of Public Works. 1878\n\" A gangway 4 feet wide and 255 feet long connects the platform with Thetis Island ;\nby this means the boiler will be supplied with coals. The piles, caps, and runners\nfor the gangway were collected from the Lagoon beach.\n\" A coal shed, 28 feet by 12 feet, is to be erected on cribbing on the rocks of Thetis\nIsland, and close to the Admiralty coal sheds. Preparations are being made to drive a\nrow of piles to carry a small flume about 550 feet long to supply the boiler with fresh\nwater, which will be obtained from a well already sunk at the head of the bay.\n\" A shed, 30 feet 8 inches by 23 feet, will be erected over the engine, boiler, &c, on\nthe platform ; a brickwork base for an iron chimney-stack for the boiler is about to be\ncommenced; the brickwork will be carried up to the level of the crown of the boiler,\nwhich is about 8 feet above the platform level, and will be lined, with fire-bricks ; an iron\ndoor will be constructed in the brickwork for the purpose of cleaning out the flues of\nthe boiler; on top of the brickwork an iron stack, 21 feet high and 2 feet 6 inches in\ndiameter, will be fastened.\n\"The pump will, I expect, be in working order in about five weeks. The amount\nexpended in its erection to date has been: for wages $945 35 ; for materials, &c, $550 57;\ntotal, $1,495 92; liabilities for material, about $223.\n\" Cement.\n\" From tests I have recently made of the cement stored at Esquimalt, I would\nrecommend that it should be used as soon as possible.\n\" It is with much regret I close this report without being able, as I anticipated\ntwelve months ago, to announce the satisfactory completion of the Cofferdam; when\nthat is likely to happen it is impossible for me to say. The action of the Government in\nwithholding payment to the Contractors has not caused them to push on the work with\nany extra amount of diligence. The number of men now employed is about twenty ; at\nleast double, if not treble, the number could be employed with advantage, as the work\nat which they are engaged is straight forward. Of this fact, however, I am sure, that\neven with the larger number of men employed I have referred to, and with increased\nappliances for making puddle, the work is not likely to be finished for another three or\nfour months. \" I have, &c,\n(Signed) \" W. Bennett.\n\" Resident Engineer.\"\nRoads and Bridges.\nDay Work.\nEepairs, Sooke Eoad.\nSamuel Morrow, foreman, at $60 per month.\nGrading, 780 yards, 15 feet wide.\nForest clearing, 780 yards, 20 feet wide.\nGravelling, 255 yards, 6 feet wide, 6 inches deep.\n1 culvert, 15 feet by 2J feet by li feet.\n1 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 17 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 3 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 2 \u00E2\u0080\u009E\n1 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 20 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 3 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 2 \u00E2\u0080\u009E\nA large quantity of cutting and filling was also performed to ease the grades, and\nfive bridges repaired.\nEepairs to the Gorge Bridge.\nJohn Nicholson, foreman.\nBridge, 112 feet long, 12 feet wide, 25 feet high.\nThe repairs consisted of renewing 4 straining beam braces, each 20 feet long, and\ntwo posts, fixing the hand-railing, planking, &c. 42 Vic Report of Public Works. 2%\nGorge Eoad Eepairs.\nGravelling, 150 yards, 10 feet wide, 10 inches deep.\nFilling holes, ruts, &c, \n20\n2.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Boston Bar to Clinton Ill\n3.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Clinton to Soda Creek 130J\n4.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Soda Creek to Quesnellemouth 58\n5.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Quesnellemouth to Cameron ton 60 288\nReport of Public Works.\n1878\nThe following work has been executed on the different sections :\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nSection 1.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Yale to Boston Bar.\nN. Black, foreman ; salary $130 per month.\nMonth.\nJanuary ,\nFebruary ,\nMarch\nApril..\nMay..,\nJune .\nJuly ,\nAugust.\nNature of work.\nSeptember.\nOctober ...,\nNovember..,\nDecember..,\nGravelling, 625 yards, 36 feet wide, 2 to 3 ft. deep\nDo. 102 ,, 12 ,, 6 to 12 in. ,,\nStone walling, 118 feet, 5 feet high \t\n2 culverts, 50 feet by 2 feet by if feet\t\n1 ii 18 ,, 3$ ,, 2 ,, \t\nRe-covering bridge, 47 feet long\t\nGeneral repairs, clearing slides, widening road, &c.\nGravelling, 271 yards, 12 feet wide, 12 in. deep...\nStone walling, 78 feet, 2 feet high \t\nRe-covering 1 bridge, 34 feet long, 18 feet wide ...\n1 culvert, 18 feet by 6 feet by 3 feet\t\nGeneral repairs, blasting and removing rocks and\nclearing slides\t\nStone wall, 136 feet, 2 to 8 feet high\t\nHalf bridging, 370 ft.., 18 ft. wide, 13 to 19$ ft. high\nGrading, 20 yards, 18 feet wide ,..,,\t\nFilling, 20 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 2 to 10 feet deep\t\nStone walling, 136 feet, 3 to 12 feet high\t\n1 bridge, 90 feet long, 18 feet wide, 19 feet high...\n3 culverts, 12 feet wide, 18 feet long, 3 to 5 ft. deep\nBlasting, 717 cubic yards \t\n1 bridge, 42 feet long, 18 feet wide, 22 feet high...\n1 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 52 ., 18 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 18\n1 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 57 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 18 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 13 \u00E2\u0080\u009E\n$ \u00E2\u0080\u009E 49 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 9 to 18 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 17\n1 culvert 16 feet by 18 feet by 4 feet \t\n1 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 19 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 18 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 2 \u00E2\u0080\u009E \t\nStone walling, 67 feet, 4 to 5 feet high \t\nGravelling, 404 yards, 12 ft. wide, 6 to 24 in. deep\n1 bridge, 42 feet long, 18 feet wide, 22 feet high...\n$ \u00E2\u0080\u009E 143 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 8 to 18 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 12\nGeneral repairing, re-covering bridge, 131 ft. long,\nclearing slides and rocks \t\n1 culvert, 18 feet by 12 feet by 4 feet\t\nCribbing, 49 feet, 9 feet high \t\nGravelling, 60 yards, 12 feet wide, 10 to 18 in. deep\n1 bridge, 134 feet long, 18 feet wide, 65 feet high\nCribbing, 48 feet, 10 feet high\t\nGravelling, 170 yards, 12 ft. wide, 6 to 12 in. deep\n1 bridge, 52 feet long, 18 feet wide, 10 feet high\n1 bridge re-covered, 32 feet long\t\n3 culverts, 18 feet long, 6 to 13 ft. wide, 4 to 6 ft.\ndeep \t\nCribbing, 230 feet, 10 feet high \t\nStone walling, 86 feet, 5 to 11 feet high\t\n1 bridge, 28 feet long, 18 ft. high \t\n1 culvert, 18 feet by 8 feet by 3 feet \t\nGrading, 100 feet, 12 feet wide \t\n1 culvert, 18 feet by 10 feet by 3 feet\t\n1 n 18 ,, 8 ,, 3 ,,\t\n1 ,, 18 ,, 8 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 2$,\t\nBlasting, 32 cubic vards\t\n1 bridge, 47 feet long, 22 feet wide, 19 feet higt\n1 culvert, 18 feet by 17 feet by 8 feet\t\nGeneral repairs ,,,\t\nNo. of men.\n1\n11 Whites\n1 Chinaman\n11 Whites\n1 Chinaman\n1.1 Whites\nI Chinaman\nI 15 Whites\n1 Chinaman\n14 Whites\n2 Chinamen\n10 Whites\n2 Chinamen\n10 Whites\n1 Chinaman\n9 Whites\n2 Chinamen\n9 Whites\n-10 Whites\n7 Whites\n2 Whites\nNo. of\ndays.\n223\nJ207J\n} 313$\n}\t\n360\nJ273$\n| 274\nRate of Wages\nper diem.\n$1 66 to $3\n1 66 to 3 18$\n251\n124\n105\n80$\n2 69 to 3 18\n2 69\n2 69 to 3 00\n2 69 42 Vic.\nReport of Public Works.\n289\nSection 2.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Boston Bar to Clinton.\nArthur Stevenson, foreman, at $130 per month.\nMonth,\nJanuary .\nFebruary\nMarch....\nApril \t\nMay\t\nJune\t\nJuly\t\nAugust\t\nSeptember\nOctober..\nNovember\nDecember..\nNature of work.\nGeneral repairs to road\t\nCutting out ice, clearing ditches and removing\nloose rocks and gravel slides\t\nGeneral repairs\t\nCribbing 125 feet, 6 feet high ;\t\nStone walling 150 feet, 4 feet high\t\nGrading 400 yards, 25 feet wide\t\nDitching 500 yards\t\nGravelling 200 yards, 12 feet wide, 10 inches deep\nGravelling 700 yards, 10 feet wide, 8 inches deep\n1 bridge 40 feet long, 18 feet wide, 12 feet high...\n4 culverts, 20 feetby 2 feet by 1$ feet\t\nCribbing 70 feet, 10 feet to 15 feet high\t\nStone walling 200 feet, 5 feet high ,\t\nGravelling 200 yards, 12 feet wide, 10 inches deep\n1 bridge 20 feet long, 18 feet wide, 14 feet high ...\n\u00E2\u0080\u009E 40 \u00E2\u0080\u009E ' 20 ,, 18\n$ \u00E2\u0080\u009E 30 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 10 ,, 20\nGrading 100 yards, 18 feet wide\t\nGravelling 1,000 yards 12 feet wide, 10 inches deep\nCribbing 90 feet, 5 feet wide\t\nDitching 100 yards, 2 feet by 1$ feet\t\nGravelling 830 yards, 10 to 18 feet wide, 12 inches\ndeep\t\nCovering one bridge, 20 feet long, 20 feet wide\t\nGravelling 1,115 yards, 10 to 15 feet wide, 10 to\n12 inches deep\t\n1 culvert 18 feet by 2 feet by 1 foot\t\nGeneral repairs, clearing out slides and ditches ...\nGravelling 1,250 yards, 12 to 15 feet wide, 10 to\n12 inches deep\t\nGeneral repairs, clearing rock and gravel slides ...\nStone walling 75 feet, 5 feet high\t\nGravelling 120 yards, 15 feet wide, 10 inches deep\nCribbing 90 feet, 6 feet high \t\nCabin for section men at Nicomin, 12 feet by 14\nfeet\t\nGeneral repairs, clearing water courses, shovelling\nout rock and other slides, and gravelling\nportions of the road\t\nGeneral repairs\t\nGeneral repairs, clearing gravel slides, scouring\nditches, &c\t\nNo. of men.\n6 Whites\n8 Whites\n21 Whites\n1 Chinaman\n18 Whites\n1 Chinaman\n12 Whites\n1 Chinaman\n31 Whites\n10 Whites\n3 Whites\n4 Whites\n3 Whites\nNo. of\ndays.\n87\n107\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 527\n418\nRate of Wages\nper diem.\n$2 69 to 3 08\n2 92 to 3 08\n2 19 to 3 46\n2 19 to 3 46\n2 19 to 3 08\n2 69 to 3 46\n2 69 to 3 08 290\nReport or Public Works.\n1878\nSection 3.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Clinton to Soda Creek.\nWilliam Boyd, foreman, at $130 per month.\nMonth.\nNature of work.\nNo. of men.\nNo. of\ndays.\n154$\n242\n243$\n264\n244\nRate of Wages\nper diem.\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0 10 Whites\nMl ..\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2io >,\nJ\n1\n1\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A010\nGravelling 175 yards, 14 feet wide 12 inches deep\n72 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 12 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 10\nDitching 400 yards, 2$ feet wide, 18 inches deep\n$1 92 to 3 46\nMay\t\nGravelling 256 yards, 12 feet wide 15 inches deep\n1 bridge, 30 feet long, 20 feet wide, 5 feet high,\nn 88 ,, 20 ,, 8 ,, \t\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 i 18 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 21 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 4 \u00E2\u0080\u009E \t\nj)\nGravelling 223 yards, 14 feet wide, 12 inches deep\nCordnroy 1,092 feet, 18 teet wide..\t\n1 bridge, 18 feet long, 10 luet wide, 4 feet high\t\nn 1\u00C2\u00B0 n 8 ,, 3 ,, \t\njj 18 j) 7 ,, 4 ,, \t\n\u00E2\u0080\u009E 18 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 10 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 4 \u00E2\u0080\u009E ...;.\nn\nJuly\t\nDitching 713 yards, 3 feet wide, 14 inches deep ...\nForest clearing 6,160 yards, widening to 75 feet...\nGravelling 916 yards, 14 feet wide, 12 inches deep\nBridge, 45 feet long, 21 feet wide, 5 feet high\t\n9 culverts, 3 feet to 10 feet long, 20 feet wide, 2\nDitching 1,182 yards, 3 feet wide, 10 inches deep\nForest clearing, widening to 60 feet, 8,800 yards\nGravelling 510 yards, 14 feet wide, 12 inches deep\n1 bridge, 15 feet long, 22 feet wide, 4 feet high ...\n2 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 13 \u00E2\u0080\u009E 21 ,, 4\n1 culvert, 21 feet by 7 feet by 2 feet\t\n1\nDuring the progress of the work in this section,\nrock, trees and slides were removed throughout its entire length, and the deep ruts filled\nup. 42 Vic.\nReport of Public Works.\n291\nSection 4. Soda Creek to Quesnellemouth.\nW. A. Johnston, foreman, at $200 per month.\nMonth.\nMarch ,\nApril\nMay\t\nJuly\t\nAugust\t\nSeptember\nOctober ..,\nNature of work.\nStone walling 285 feet, 6 feet high\t\nCribbing 32 feet, 3 feet high\t\nClearing slides and ditches, and repairing bridge\ncovering\t\nCribbing 194 feet, 4 feet to 6 feet high \t\nForest clearing 1,870 yards, 33 feet wide\t\nGrading 1,870 yards, 18 feet wide \t\n1 bridge, 28 feet long, 17 feet wide, 7 feet high\t\nn 23 ,, 17 ,, 7 ,, \t\nu *5 ,, 17 ,, 7 ,,\nn 82 ,, 17 ,, o ,, \t\n,, covering renewed\t\nStone walling 96 feet, 6 feet high\t\nCribbing 624 feet, 6 feet high \t\n1 bridge, 8 feet long, 18 feet wide, 3 feet high\t\nCribbing 400 feet, 4 to 9 feet high\t\n2 culverts 17 feet by 2 feet by 3 feet\t\n2 bridges, 12 feet long, 17 feet wide, 4 feet high...\nClearing slides, tilling ruts, and other general\nrepairs\t\nStone walling 265 feet, 4 feet high \t\nCribbing 940 feet, 5 feet to 9 feet high \t\nCribbing 320 feet, 5 feet high\t\nGeneral repairs, clearing slides, filling ruts, etc...\nCribbing 234 feet, 6 feet high \t\nClearing slides, fallen timber, etc\t\nNo. of men.\n9 Whites\n1 Chinaman\n11 Whites\n1 Chinaman\n3 Whites\nNo. of\ndays.\n} 87$\n}239$\n79$\n63\n79\n30\n23\nRate of Wages\nper diem.\n$2 25 to 3 25\n2 40 to 4 0\u00C2\u00AB\n3 40 to 3 60\n3 40 to 3 50\nSection 5. Quesnellemouth to Barkerville.\nW. A. Johnston, foreman, at $200 per month.\nJanuary .\nFebruary\nJune\nJuly.,\nAugust.\nMarch\nApril.\nMay..\nCompleting Cottonwood bridge, commenced in\nFall of 1877. Length of bridge 220 feet,\nwidth 16 feet, 16 feet high\t\n1 bridge, 86 feet long, 17 feet wide, 7 feet high.\nThis bridge was constructed with a centre pier\nof piles driven into tight gravel, one span 16\nfeet, two 35 feet. The men were also employed\nduring this month in clearing away the debris\nof the old bridge at Cottonwood and completing the approaches to the new one\t\nGravelling 460 yards, 10 to 18 feet wide, 3 inches\nto 9 inches deep \t\nGeneral repairs, clearing land slides, filling in\napproaches to bridges, etc\t\nGeneral repairs, and keeping road clear of slides\nand timber\t\nDitching 710 yards, 6 to 12 inches deep\t\nCribbing 40 feet, 8 feet high\t\n1 bridge, 26 feet long, 17 feet wide, 6 leet high..\nii ^* ii ii ii 5 ii\n21 8\nii ul ii ii ii u ii\nCorduroy 165 feet, 17 feet wide\t\nCribbing 492 feet, 2 to 8 feet high\t\n17 culverts, 18 feet by 1$ feet by 1 foot \t\nCribbing 1,331 feet, 1 to\" 12 feet high\t\nDitching 1,528 feet, 2 feet wide, 1 foot deep\t\n6 culverts, 17 feet by 2 feet by 1$ feet\t\nSeptember ,\n4 .,.\n0 ii ii 11 12 11 ii \t\n1 bridge, 25 feet long, 17 feet wide, 4 feet high..\n4 culverts, 17 feet by 4 feet by 2 feet ;\t\n3 2 1\n\u00C2\u00B0 ii ii ii -1 u *\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 ii \t\n'' 11 1) 11 i ?! i? \u00E2\u0080\u00A2\u00E2\u0096\u00A0\n1 bridge, 6 feet long, 17 feetwide. 4 feet high...\nGeneral repairs,. ,,.,, ,,,\t\n7 Whites\n\ 6\n12 Whites -'\n2 Chinamen\n\ 7 Whil\nJ 1 Chin\n7 Whites\ninaman\n[U Whites\n. 1 Chinaman\nJ\n]\nI 8 Whites\nf 1 Chinaman\n'J\n1 8 Whites\n1 / 1 Chinaman\n169\n116*\n41\n1214$\n}\n186\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0270\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0 234\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0 51\n$3 50 to 4 00\n3 50\n3 50 to 5 00\n2 40 to 4 00\n2 60 to 4 09\n3 25 to 4 00\n2 60 to 4 00 292 Report of Public Works. 1878\nYale Electoral District.\nEoads and Bridges.\nContracts.\nSection 2.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Kamloops and Nicola Eoad. Prom the end of Section 2, in Township\nNo. 105, Kamloops Division of Yale District to Nicola Valley; distance 22$ miles,\nmore or less.\nJohn Ussher, superintendent.\nDuncan A. McDonald, contractor, at $6,700.\nThis work was commenced in 1877, and completed and accepted last summer.\nThe contractor has been paid the full amount of the contract price, but he still\nclaims a large sum for extra work alleged to have been performed.\nMission Creek Bridge.\nC. A. Vernon, superintendent.\nJ. D. Bermingham, contractor, at $1,730.\nThis bridge has been satisfactorily completed, the work accepted, and the contractor settled with in full.\nKamloops-Tranquille Eoad.\nGeorge Newlove, contractor, (verbal) at $420.\nJohn Ussher, superintendent.\nThis contract was let for the purpose of completing the road, which was commenced in 1877, from a point opposite Fort Kamloops to Trancruille.\nThe work was stopped early in Jnly by Mr. John Ussher, Government Agent at\nKamloops, who acted under instructions from the Department, embraced in a\ntelegram dated 2nd July, 1878. Mr. Newlove totally disregarded the notification\nfrom the Agent, and has demanded payment in full for the work, which he alleges\nis completed according to the specification. The contractor's claim has therefore\nnot been recognized.\nOkanagan and Savona's Ferry Eoad, (Improving grade at Summit Hill).\nA. J. Kirkpatrick, contractor (verbal).\nJohn Ussher, superintendent.\nThis Contract was let for the purpose of easing the grades near Grand Prairie,\nbut was cancelled by the Government Agent. The Department has no advice of the\nwork having been commenced by Mr. Kirkpatrick.\nDuck and Pringle's to the Head of Okanagan Lake, (keeping road clear, &c.)\nCharles W. Dixon, contractor, (verbal) at $200.\nJohn Ussher, superintendent.\nThis work comprises keeping the road clear of fallen timber and branches, &c.,\nfrom 14th May. 1878, to 14th May, 1879.\nDay Work.\nEoad from Similkameen to Osoyoos.\nThomas Curry, foreman.\nThis work comprised grading a 4 feet trail round the bluff, about half a mile\nbelow Price's, at Keremeos; also grading round nine-mile bluff. This bluff is\n1,000 feet in length, 600 feet of which has been graded 13 feet wide, and 400 feet 4\nfeet wide. The foreman was instructed to commence work on 14th May, 1878, and\nthe party was disbanded early in July, and paid off.\nIt is estimated that a further outlay of some $400 would be sufficient to make the\nroad passable for waggons. 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 293\nEepairs, Hope-Similkameen Trail.\nWilliam Bristol, foreman.\nThe usual annual amount of labour was required on this trail, consisting of\nclearing out slides, removing fallen timber, repairing bridges and corduroy.\nHope-Nicola Trail.\nOn account of the large quantity of cattle driven every season over this route, a\nparty was dispatched, as early as possible in the spring, to clear and repair the\ntrail from Hope to the Summit. The Government Agent was instructed, on the\n8th May, to take the necessary steps to get the work completed with all practicable\n6peed.\nOn the same date, Mr. Clapperton, of Nicola Valley, was requested to send one\nor two men to open the trail from Nicola Valley to the Summit, and connect their\nwork with the party starting from Hope.\nSubsequently arrangements were made, by my predecessor in office, with Mr.\nJ. Wilson to travel over and look after the trail during the season, for wages at the\nrate of $80 per month.\nThe expense, therefore, connected with clearing and keeping open this trail has\nbeen rather heavy, amounting to some $1,500.\nRepairs, Nicola Valley Waggon Eoad, at Coutlie's point.\nJ. T. Edwards, foreman.\nCutting new road round point of bluff to avoid a very steep grade.\nGeneral Eepairs, Nicola Valley Eoad, from Spence's Bridge to Moore's Eanch.\nDistance, about 70 miles.\nFrom the 1st July to November 30th, from one to three men were employed,\nunder the supervision of Mr. Arthur Stevenson, in keeping this road open. They\nwere employed shovelling out slides, clearing water-courses, and repairing bridges,\nculverts, and the road generally.\nNumerous small sums have been expended on the roads throughout the District,\nand I am advised that they are in a very fair state of repair.\nWorks and Buildings.\nOkanagan Lock-up.\nJean Leveau, contractor, at $825.\nThis building has been erected at a convenient point near Coldstream, Okanagan.\nIt is constructed with logs, 24 feet by 16 [feet, inside measurement, and is divided\ninto a court room, two cells, and a lavatory ; the floors, sides, ceiling, and partitions\nare constructed of two thicknesses of two-inch plank laid transversely. The\nnecessary bolts, bars, locks, &c, are provided.\nThis work is still in the hands of the contractor.\nSavona's Ferry, foot of Kamloops Lake.\nAs mentioned in the last Annual Eeport, this ferry was run by Mr. James Uren,\nunder a temporary arrangement, until the 16th March, 1878.\nThe wire rope stretched across Thompson Eiver, the scow, blocks, and running\ngear, are the property of the Government.\nTenders were called for the maintenance of this ferry on the 5th of January, to\nbe received at Victoria on the 24th February last, the term to be three years, with\nthe usual determinating clause inserted in the charter, in ease the Government\nthought fit to erect a bridge in the neighbourhood. The tolls to be similar to those\nheretofore collected at the same point, and the competition to be on the amount of\nrent to be paid annually to the Government for the privilege of collecting tolls\nunder charter.\nTwo tenders were received and opened on the appointed day, but neither conformed with the terms of the notice calling for the same, both parties requiring to\nbe paid a monthly sum for running the ferry.\nSubsequently, arrangements were made by my predecesssor in office with Mr.\nUren to carry out the ferry services on the conditions set forth in the notice of the 294 Report of Public Works. 1878\n5th January, 1878, the Government paying him $10 per month, in addition to the\ntolls collected.\nA charter was forwarded for his signature on the 24th June last, but the Department has not received any advice of its execution.\nLillooet Electoral District.\nNo new work has been undertaken in this district during the past year, the expenditure being confined to payment cf arrears due by the Department, general repairs to\nthe roads, and surveying new lines of road; the latter item being by far the most\nconsiderable.\nEoad from Big Bar Creek to Fraser Eiver.\nP. Grinder, contractor (verbal), at $275.\nThis work consisted of grading a road between the above-mentioned points. The\nagreement was made by Eobert Carson, then road superintendent for the district,\nin 1877. The contractor was paid in April last.\nThe Clinton-Lillooet Eoad has been repaired where found necessary. The Lillooet-\nLyttou Trail and the other roads and trails in the district have been generally repaired\nand attended to.\nEoad Surveys.\nMr. John Jane was instructed, on the 28th March, to at once proceed to Lillooet\nDistrict and survey a road from Haller's, on Big Bar Creek, to Canoe Creek; and a\nroad from Oppenheimer's store, on Dog Creek, to the plains to the eastward.\nMr. Jane's reports on the different surveys are herewith submitted:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\"Dog Creek, April 20th, 1878.\n\" The Hon. F. G. Vernon,\n\" Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to inform you that I have laid out a waggon road from\nMr. Haller's, on Big Bar Creek, to a point near the Canoe Creek House.\n\" After examining the country in company with Mr. Haller, I found that I could not\nimprove upon the route, \"No. 1,\" as recommended by Mr. Johnstone. I therefore\nadopted it. I quite agree with Mr. Johnstone in his remarks about route \"No. 2,\"\nwherein he states that it is \"almost impossible to obtain a suitable grade; very little of\nthe grading done last year could be utilized, and it is quite too steep for a sleigh or\nwaggon road.\" The foreman did not use discretion in spending money on this absurd\nroute. The mountain over which he intended to pass is fully 1,500 feet in altitude above\nthe Canoe Creek Valley.\n\" The route now laid out may be described as follows:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\" Miles.\n\" 1 to 2, \u00E2\u0080\u0094Open country, some grading and a couple of culverts.\n\"2 to 4, \u00E2\u0080\u0094A bridge, 46 feet long and 3$ feet high, to cross a wet bottom and small\nstream. These two miles have a light growth of small black pine, some\nfew rocks near Gallagher's trail, and a little light grading.\n\" 4 to 8, \u00E2\u0080\u0094The first 3$ miles has a thin growth of small black pine, and the ground is\ncovered with rocks, generally from 1 to 4 feet through; a large proportion\nof these are embedded in the ground, and will have to be removed by means\nof gunpowder.\n\"8 to 9, \u00E2\u0080\u0094Open grassy slope; this mile has a fall of about 200 feet, but the grades\nwill be easy.\n\"9 to 11,\u00E2\u0080\u0094Foot of grassy hills; very little work.\n\"11 to 12,\u00E2\u0080\u0094Here there are two banks, the first 40, the next 100 feet in height. On the\nfirst I have laid out a new grade. A road down the second bank was made a\nyear or two ago, but it is so steep and narrow that I had to lay it out\nafresh. About two chains of the old work can be utilized with some few\nimprovements, \" 12 to 17,\u00E2\u0080\u0094Some 50 to 59$ chains. In order to avoid building two new culverts, and to\nescape a small hill, it is necessary to grade the point of a gravelly ridge,\nand keep clear of the ditch.\n\" Seventeen miles and seventeen clains will be the end of the contract. Thence to\nthe end of the Dog Creek Eoad there is a distance of It miles to be completed at some\nfuture time. I could not lay out this portion at present without annoying the Indians\nby passing through their crops, and causing them to remove their fences. I, however,\npointed out to them the line of road that would be finally adopted, and advised them to\nremove their fences accordingly. I enclose\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\" 1 map of surveyed road.\n\" 1 rough sketch to indicate the shape of the Clinton and Canoe Creek Country.\n\" 1 sheet\u00E2\u0080\u0094estimate of expenses; calculated at wages per man: labour, $2 50; food,\n75 cts.; per diem, $3 25.\n\" 1 packet of notes for guidance of contractor and superintendent in constructing.\n\"From Canoe Creek to this place, there is but an indifferent road\u00E2\u0080\u0094merely a\nmakeshift for the time being. The grades leading up over the hill, at the back of Mr.\nVanVolkenburg's house, are far too steep for a freight waggon. This ascent will have\nto be re-surveyed, and the road built elsewhere. From the top of this hill there is an\nundulating country all the way to the brow of Dog Creek Valley. A road could be\nmade over this portion at no great expense. The descent to Dog Creek should be\nimproved. A light waggon with about 500ibs. of freight can now pass along this line\nof road, but it must not be supposed that a regular waggon road exists. The money\nspont on VanVolkenburg's Hill has, I think, been thrown away by some incompetent\nforeman. I am not sure of this, but I will spend a day there and explore for a better\ngrade. I have explored the shoulder of hill behind Oppenheimer's store on the right\nbank of Dog Creek, and believe that I can ascend to the open plain without much\ntrouble. The existing road leads abruptly up over a hill 900 feet in height; this\ndistance is reached (if in a straight line) within a mile. A pair of horses could not\ndraw an empty waggon up this terrible ascent without taking many rests; a man on\nhorseback would dismount before attempting the hill. This is, I believe, the worst\npiece of work ever performed by any rational being.\n\" I find that the whole population in this part of the country are strongly opposed\nto the disbursement of any money on the Canoe Creek and Kelly Eoad, but are anxious\nthat the money should be expended on the old pack trail road, leading from the 9th\nmile on my map via Big Bar Lakes to the Waggon Eoad from Clinton to Cariboo.\nTheir reasons are as follows: The Big Bar Lake Eoad would be permanent; would be\nlevel; is grassy nearly the whole way to the Cariboo Eoad; and is the nearest. On the\nother hand the road from Kelly's is very badly made; has very bad grades; is muddy in\nplaces; there is not (save at Haller's) a blade of grass on it; it leads over a considerable\nelevation; and is liable, if not sure, to be blocked with snow very frequently in winter.\n# * * * # * *\n\" I have, etc.,\n\" John Jane.\"\n\"Dog Creek, May 1st, 1878.\n\u00C2\u00AB The Hon. F. G. Vernon,\n\" Chief Commissioner of Lands and, Works,\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to inform you that I have laid out a road from this place\nnorthward, round a point of mountain to the plains; distance, 5 miles and 25 chains.\n\" The work will consist mostly of plain grading; bed-rock protrudes in two places\nonly; 90 feet will cover the whole length; even that piece is not solid or difficult to\nwork. There are 3 low bridges to build over dry hollows,\u00E2\u0080\u00941 of 50 feet by 13 feet high;\n1 of 50 feet, by 12 feet high; and one of 66 feet, by 12 feet high.\n\"This line has been very carefully laid out, the grades are easy, and there will be\nno sharp turns, but the construction, if not put under the care of a ctreful foreman, is\nsure to be slighted. It is ; piece of intricate work, and should be we 1 done.\n\" From the end of the tth mile, people can now take lightly-loided waggons to\nAlkali Lake without much ^rouble. There is about three miles of grading to be done\nthis side of Little Dog Crec k, but the work is light, and could be done by \" day-work.\"\nI will send you an account of this portion at some, future time. 296 Report of Public Works. 1878\n\" The people of Alkali Lake have now to pay 1$ cents for packing their wheat to\nthis place to get it ground, and 1 cent for packing the flour back again,\u00E2\u0080\u0094$2 50 per 100 lbs.\nWhen the 4 miles of hill-road shall be constructed, they will be able to use waggons.\nThe settlers seem pleased that this piece of work is about to be performed.\n\"Since writing to you last, I have re-examined the country between Canoe and Dog\nCreeks. I thought that a good grade could be found from Canoe Creek up over the\nmountain, northward, but I find that I was mistaken in my opinion. The present road\nover the side-hill is built in the proper place; in its present condition, it will answer for\nlightly-loaded waggons. At some future time, when the present cribbing becomes\nrotten, the grades can be eased considerably,\u00E2\u0080\u0094vide enclosed sketch. On a former\noccasion I told you that the road from Canoe Creek to Dog Creek \"was only a makeshift\nfor the time being,\" but the road is somewhat better than that description would infer.\nThe plateau has numerous small hollows, that could be avoided, and the descent to Dog\nCreek is very steep, still this portion of road will answer for years to come.\n\" I shall start to-day for the Alkali Lake and Chimney Creek District. After having\ncompleted the road surveys there, I shall proceed onward to the 150-Mile Post and\ncommence the Williams Lake Eoad. \"I have, etc.,\n\" John Jane.\"\n\" 150-Mile House, May 13th, 1878.\n\" The Hon. F. G. Vernon,\n\" Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to enclose a survey of 3J miles of light side-hill grading,\nleading down to Little Dog Creek from the south. The cost of construction I estimate\nat * * , probably a little less will build it.\n\"The work consists of plain grading, and can be done by day work or by contract;\nthe latter would probably be the cheapest. Mr, Meason, J. P., lives on Little Dog Creek,\nand should he not engage in the work himself he would, I think, make an excellent\noverseer, to see that the contract was properly carried out.\n\"From Little Dog Creek to Alkali Lake, the waggon road is in pretty good condition, but there should be from $15 to $20 spent on it in repairing two or three places\nand culverts. The road in one place is washing away for want of a trifling outlay. 1\nwould advise you to authorize Mr. Meason to send a man to fix the above piaces; he\nknows what is needed. \" I have, etc.,\n\" John Jane.\"\n\" 150-Mile House, 13th May, 1878.\n\" To the Hon. Forbes George Vernon,\n\" Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, B. C.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u00941 have the honour to enclose the survey of a new waggon road from the\nupper end of Alkali Valley to St. Peter's Springs, distance 8 miles. The old road from\nMr. Bowe's house leads up a narrow gorge over a steep hill side. I could not get even\nan indifferent grade by going in that direction; neither could I find a suitable ascent\nanywhere over the hills in that locality. 1 therefore determined to follow up the valley\nof the stream (which rises steeply), and to get back to the old road by an easy grade.\n\" The new road rises very gently, passes through a fine grassy valley, where there\nare numerous springs, and, save round the point of mountain, goes in the right direction.\nThe work will consist of plain grading; there are miles of the distance which will not\nneed touching; there will not be a single bill or a steep pitch for the whole distance.\n\"I estimate that the work will cost as follows, viz.: $ .\n\" Should you ever wish to continue a waggon road from St. Peter's Springs to\n(Pinchbeck's) the main waggon road in Williams Lake Valley, the line should be\nsurveyed, as there are numerous small lakes and swamps to be avoided.\n\" From Alkali I came in a direct course to ' The Mission'; there is a good trail to\nthe crossing of Chimney Creek, and a sleigh road from there to the Mission.\n\"To-morrow I shall commence to lay out the road from here towards Soda Creek.\n\" I have not received any letters from your Department since I left Victoria.\n\"I have, etc.,\n<\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 John Jane.\" 42 Vic Report of Public Works. 297\nLillooet Ferry.\nTenders were invited on the 4th April last for the right, under charter, of running\na ferry across Fraser Eiver at Lillooet, with the privilege of collecting the following\ntolls for the term of five years. The competition was required to be on the annual rent\nto be paid the Government for the charter rights, viz.:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nFreight per 100 lbs $ 12$\n2-horae vehicle 2 50\nCattle, mules, and horses per head 1 00\nPigs, sheep and goats, per head 37$\nPassengers 25\nLarge packages of merchandise, per ton measurement 2 50\nEight tenders were received on the 6th May, and the charter awarded to James\nHalladay; rent per annum, $140.\nThe ferry scow, hawser, and running tackle are the property of the Government.\nCariboo Electoral District.\nOmineca Trail, Quesnellemouth to Manson Creek:\nDonald McDonald, contractor, at $300.\nClearing trail 6 feet wide, repairing corduroy and bridges, etc.\nThe work has been completed and the contractor paid.\nCarnarvon Eoad:\nW. A. Johnston, foreman.\nDistance, 1$ miles.\nCribbing, 400 feet, 4 to 5 feet high.\nForest cleai'ing, 300 yards, 12 feet wide.\nGrading, 2,300 yards, 8 to 12 feet wide.\nGravelling, 120 feet, 10 feet wide, 6 inches deep.\n1 bridge, 13 feet long, 18 feet wide, 5 feet high.\n1 bridge, 8 feet long, 18 feet wide, 4 feet high.\n10 culverts, 16 feet, by 1 foot, by 1 foot.\nEepairs have been made where required on the different trails in the District.\nThe above-mentioned works were carried out prior to the 30th June last.\nMr. John Jane, acting under instructions from the Department, made\nexhaustive surveys of a proposed lino of road from the 150-Mile Post, on the Yale-\nCariboo Trunk Eoad, to Soda Creek, via Williams Lake, and a new line of road from\nStanley to Barkerville via Jack of Clubs Lake. Mr. Jane's reports on these routes are\nherewith annexed:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n\" Quesnellemouth, 28th June, 1878.\n\" To the Honourable the Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to send you the plans, notes, etc., of the proposed waggon\nroad via Williams Lake to Soda Creek.\n\" By the plan you will observe that I commenced my work at a point a little below\nthe 'Sugar Cane' Farm; my reason for this was that 1 found the valley leading down\nfrom the 150-Mile House, to be somewhat steep and rocky, and not so direct or so well\nadapted for a permanent waggon road as the route via 'the Mission.' Should I not hear\nfrom you on this subject, I propose, on my return from Cariboo, to survey both routes,\nviz.: from the 150-Mile House to 'Sugar Cane,' and thence southward to the Cariboo\nwaggon-road, making the junction at or near Felker's ranch.\n\"The first mile is made to pass Under a rocky bluff, thereby avoiding the present\nsteep and somewhat dangerous road over the bill.\n\"Thence to ' Pinchbeck's,'5$ miles; there will be some light work in widening and\nimproving the grades on the old road, and in making occasional deviations; the ground\nis dry and slightly undulating, 298 Report of Public Works. 1878\n\" At Mr Pinchbeck's, I have run two lines; one passes by his buildings, the other\nacross the centre of his farm. The latter is tbe shortest by 34 chains, and would be the\ncheapiest to build by about $300; but it would intersect and destroy the only good piece\nof land there is in the neighbourhood, and put the owner to the expense of building a\nnew fence on each side of the road for over a mile. Mr. Pinchbeck offers to build a mile\nof the road at his own expense, provided it is taken past his house. I am in favour of\nthe road passing by the buildings without accepting Mr. Pinchbeck's offer.\n\"From Pinchbeck's down the valley towards Fraser Eiver, for 3f miles to'the\nBluff,' the descent is gradual, probably- 50 feet per mile; the ground is dry and gravelly;\nthe work will consist of light clearing, grubbing and grading. Near 'the Bluff' there\nis a deep dry hollow, and a high bank to be crossed, to be done by means of cutting,\ncribbing and filling, as per profile.\n\" ' The Bluff' The course is direct, and the grades are tolerably easy, the distance\nfrom end to end is 55.63 chains. Of this\u00E2\u0080\u0094\nChains.\nCan be graded and cribbed 20.63\nMostly rock beneath the surface, hence heavyr cribbing, 12 to 15 feet high 28.00\nBroken slide to crib or bridge 2.15\nBluff, surface fractures, but heavy blasting for 3 chains 4.85\nTotal chains 55.63\n\"I examined the bluff most thoroughly, and found that I could not go above the\nplace chosen, on account of a steep, rocky side hill, neither could I go lower down on\naccount of precipitous slides and chasms, hundreds of feet deep. The ancient deposit\nthat rests on the face of the bluff is so broken and rent, that it is impossible to get a foundation on it, or to cross it; it is affected by every wind that blows and rain that falls,\nand is constantly giving way.\n\" From the top of the bluff I ran a trial line straight northward for a mile, falling at\n1 in 20; this took me across several ravines, one of which would require a bridge of 138 by\n36 feet. I next started somewhat differently, and ran the first 34 chains at 1 in 12, this\nbrought me below the ravine, and did away with the necessity of bridging; the remainder\nof the mile (46 chains) was run at 1 in 14$. For the whole of this distance the ground is\ndry and regular, and generally open and grassy; towards the foothill there is a thin\ngrowth of fir; the grading will average about 4 or 5 in 18.\n\" Thence, for four miles, there is a natural road. There are two small bridges to\nbuild, and some light grading, grubbing, clearing, and levelling to be done; the ground is\nhard, dry and gravelly.\n\" On completing the 5th mile from ' the Bluff,' I next examined the Canon at\nWhiskey Creek, from its mouth upwards, and found that it was impossible to cross it,\nthe banks being hundreds of feet high, and broken. I therefore went to the top of the\nCanon, where it is crossed by an old Indian trail (latterly improved by the whites), and\nran a trial line southward to ascertain the fall. I then went again to the crossing, and\nlocated a line at 6$ links fall in a chain, or at 1 inl5. The distance down to where I had\nleft off (end of 5th mile) is 1 mile and 34 chains. There, will be more or less grading for\nthe whole of this distance, the average cutting will be about 3 or 4 feet in 18 feet. The\nground is generally covered with light fir, but there are stretches of open grass and\ncotton-brush without any timber. The slope is dry and gravelly for the whole distance;\nnear Whiskey Creek the side is steep and will have to be cribbed for about 12 chains.\n\" The crossing at Whiskey Creek is good, the foundations solid, and the approaches\neasy. The total length of bridge is 164 feet, but 50 feet of this distance on the north\nside of the stream can be cribbed; this will reduce the length to 114 feet; the height at\nsouth end is 9$ feet, and at the north end 19 feet, centre span 52 feet. There is plenty\nof good fir suitable for building purposes, close at hand.\n\" From Whiskey Creek to Hawk's raach, a distance of two miles\u00E2\u0080\u0094the work is somewhat light\u00E2\u0080\u0094willcoisist of grading, clearing, ditching, gravelling, etc.; no cribbing needed.\n\" The third mile from Whiskey Creek follows the old road for three quarters of a\nmile, the remaining 20 chains falls at 1 in 14, over an open side hill; one small bridge to\nbuild in this portion.\n\"The 4th mile falls 10 chains at 1 in 14, over an open side hill,then crosses an open field, and then falls again over a bank at 1 in 20, for a quarter of a mile; thence open\nwoods, and improvement on old road, to within 4 chains of end of mile.\n\" The descent to Deep Creek is over a very steep side hill, averaging 12 to 13 feet\nin 18 feet, for the whole distance; the cribbing will have to be from 6 to 7 feet high.\nThe ground consists of sandy clay and is easily dug. An old road passes down over\nthis hill, but it is too steep for heavy freighting. From where the old road commences\nto descend I measured southward until I came to where the bank of Fraser is broken\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n12 chains; the grade having been thus lengthened, I was enabled to fall at 1 in 11 for the\nwhole way down to the bridge\u00E2\u0080\u009446 chains.\nThe bridge over Deep Creek is a poor structure; it will have to be re-built, raised on\nthe north end, and lengthened by about 17 feet.\n\" From Deep Creek there is already a road built to Soda Creek, but it was badly\nlaid out, and is so steep in places that heavy freight waggons could not pass over it. I\nhave done away with the whole of these hills, and nry heaviest grade is only 1 in 12, and\neven that grade could still be reduced. From the bridge the gravel bar will have to be\ncribbed up for about 5 feet in height, for two chains; thence there is some light side hill\ngrading, and then a steep and lightly timbered gravel bank, 25 chains in length, rising\nat 1 in 15; this bank to be cribbed the whole way, average slope 10 to 11 in 18 feet.\nThis grade avoids two very steep hills on the old road. From the top of this bank I\nhave followed the old road for some distance; the notes explain where it has to be\nwidened and improved. At the ' Hogs Back' the old road is altogether too steep, rising\nprobably at 1 in 8. Here I have laid out a new road for about 27 chains falling at 1 in\n12, but this grade can be lightened. This distance is mostly on a lightly7 timbered side\nhill, the slope of which is about 3 or 4 in 18; about 15 chains will have to be cribbed on\nthe lower side.\n\"From the top of the 'Hog's Back,' the present road is good for half a mile, thence\nthere will have to be 14 chains of grading made to reach the flat at a reasonable slope.\nThe old road leaves the side hill too abruptly; thence the road is good for the whole\ndistance to its junction with the Cariboo Eoad at Soda Creek.\n\" Mr. Spence intended to have crossed the Canon of Deep Creek at a point about\n500 yards above the mill. I have examined the Canon very carefully, and cannot find a\ncrossing of any sort; the banks are all crumbling and falling away. At the point chosen\nby Mr. Spence, both sides of the valley has fallen in; on the north side several acres of\nland, trees and all, have sunk bodily down, leaving a high bluff behind.\n\" From the Bluff northward, I am at a loss to know how Mr. Spence intended to\nhave made the descent to the Fraser Valley. He left no marks on the top of the hill,\nbut fell suddenly 200 or 300 feet, as though no hill existed, and then kept on his way up\nthe valley, blazing as be went. I do not know by whom he was employed, neither can\nI understand what this peculiar survey could have been made for; it would have surely\npuzzled a contractor, and might have hurt him in a pecuniary way.\n\" I have a copy of Mr. Mahood's report on this road, but cannot say that it has been\nthe means of enlightening me on anyr point. Mr. Mahood may have looked at'the\nBluff,' but save that particular point, he does not seem to have made any observations.\nHe has simply ridden over the country like any cursory traveller might have done. He\nhas fallen and risen over 500 feet at a time, and still says: ' By the route which I propose, the grade would be nearly level.' Moreover, he speaks as though he had discovered\nsome new route. I know of only one way by which the road could be taken.\n\" One objection to this road is the scarcity of grass, although there appears to be\ntolerable good pasturage at present. The extent of grazing land is somewhat limited,\nand the bull-teamsters would prefer the old road to the new; on Carpenter's Mountain\nthe cattle can wallow in grass and pea-vine.\n\" By next stage I shall proceed to Stanley, and travel with Mr. Johnstone over the\nline of road to Barkerville. \" I have, etc.\n(Signed) \" John Jane.\"\n\" Quesnellemouth, 25th July, 1878.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to enclose the plan and notes of a survey for a waggon\nroad from Stanley, via Jack of Clubs Lake, to Barkerville; distance, 14 miles. The\nnotes fully explain, in detail, the nature of the ground and of the work to be done. 300 Report of Public Works. 1878\n\"The first two miles consist of ordinary grading and forest clearing, with but\nlittle or no cribbing.\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0 \" The third mile (in the centre of the pass) will be somewhat heavy to build. The\nside grading is steep and rocky; twelve chains will have to be cribbed. There are\nplaces covered with large loose rocks, fallen from the mountain side; these spaces will\ntake a great deal of labour in levelling and putting into proper shape.\n\"The west side of the valley was chosen on account of its being the most exposed\nto the sun; the snow is likely to disappear early on that side in the spring of the year.\n\" Another reason for my going on that side was to avoid a bluff, 50 to 60 feet in\nheight, situated on the right bank of the creek, at the outlet of the lake, at the head of\nDevil's Canon. With the above altitude added to my grade, I should have experienced\nsome difficulty in getting a road down through the canon without running into rocks\nand precipitous places.\n\" About sixty chains of the fourth mile consists of heavy grading; a few of the\nsteepest places must be cribbed, probably six to ten chains in all; ordinary grades can\nbe walled up if necessary. There are plenty of flat rocks and stones, fit for building\npurposes, intermixed with the soil. The canon is composed of rotten blue slate, which\nwill stand well and make a good road.\n\" The fifth and sixth miles consist of plain foot-hill grading, without any cribbing.\nThere are two low bridges needed in this portion, one to cross Burns Creek, the other\nto span the Slough Creek and a belt of swamp. The crossing at Burns Creek is fast\nfilling up with tailings. It would be well to construct an open cribwork here, to rest\non triangular piers, pointing up the stream, so that it could be raised from time to time\nby adding logs to the top, according as the tailings might accumulate. The bridge\nacross Slough Creek will be a low structure\u00E2\u0080\u00944 to 6 feet high.\n\"Thence, for the remaining eight miles, there is nothing but plain grading, forest\nclearing, ditching, etc., needed for the whole distance, save about four chains at the end\nof the Hospital Bridge, Barkerville. The outlet of Jack of Clubs Lake will require a\nnew bridge and end cribbing, 79 feet long altogether, by 5 feet in height.\n\" From Lowhee Creek, for two miles and ten chains, the present road is from seven\nto ten feet wide; it must be made the full width of 18 feet, and be ditched, drained, and\ngravelled where necessary, and made hard; thence to end of the fourteen miles, the\ncourse of the road will be changed. At present it crosses a swamp and passes over\nmiles of tailings. The new road leaves the flat, and curves round the shoulder of a dry\nridge. The steepest grade in the whole length of the road occurs in Devil's Canon;\nfor twenty chains the fall there is 1 in 12.\n\" Mr. Johnstone meant to have passed over a point of hill between Devil's Canon\nand Buras Creek, but 1 could not make the ascent out of the canon; a ravine above,\nand perpendicular rock below, makes it impossible to build a waggon road there, without\nhaving very steep grades.\n\" The road, if properly built, will be hard and firm from end to end. My estimate\nper mile is less than Mr. Johnstone's figures, but seeing that there will be but little\ncribbing to be done, 1 consider that I have made a very liberal estimate.\n\" Some parties in Cariboo thought of applying for a sleigh road to be built on the\nline laid out by me, but this proposal could not be entertained.\n\" I have two days' work to do in this town\u00E2\u0080\u0094re-surveying, to give the angles of the\nprincipal blocks. I shall then move down to the Australian ^anch ; the proprietors\nof that farm wish to have their boundaries defined.\n\" I have, etc.,\n\" John Jane.\n\" P.S.\u00E2\u0080\u0094Miners say that waggons could travel by this route early in May, or as\nsoon as the feed became good. By Van Winkle the road is usually blocked by snow\nuntil the beginning of July. \" J.J.\" 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 301\nKootenay Electoral District.\nThe amount set down in the Estimates for the first session of 1878 was $1,000, and\ninstead of voting half the amount\u00E2\u0080\u0094a course adopted in the case of other Districts,\u00E2\u0080\u0094the\nHouse, taking into consideration the remoteness of the District from the seat of\nGovernment, and the very limited mail communication vouchsafed it by the Postal\nDepartment, passed the full amount.\nThe Government Agent at Kootenay was instructed, in a letter dated the 15th\nApril, 1878, to open the following trails, viz.:\u00E2\u0080\u0094\n1. From Joseph's Prairie to Perry Creek.\n2. From Joseph's Prairie to Palmer's Bar and Government Bar.\n3. From Wild Horse Creek to Perry Creek, and up the said Creek.\nThat gentleman was further instructed to make arrangements with Mr. Phillips, of\nthe Tobacco Plains, to clear the trail from Wild Horse Creek to the said Plains for a\nsum not exceeding $125, and further pointing out to him that the expenditures in the\nDistrict were not to exceed in the aggregate the sum of $1,000.\nThe work included in the above instructions was proceeded with until the 13th\nJuly, when the men employed at that date (2) were notified by the Government Agent\nto cease work.\nThese instructions the two men, Goodridge and McQuade, declined to take any\nnotice of, and, having continued the work, now claim a considerable sum for wages.\nNo decision has, as yet, been come to with regard to their claim.\nCassiar Electoral District.\nEoads and Bridges.\nOn the 21st February last, Mr. Thomas Eobertson, the Cassiar road foreman, was\ninstructed to proceed, with as little delay as possible, to the Taltan or First North Fork\nBridge, and repair that structure. ,\nOn the completion of this work, he was to repair the trail to Dease Lake, and then\nreport himself to the Gold Commissioner for the District, and act under his instructions\nin cutting new trails and repairing existing means of eommunication in the vicinity of\nthe gold mines.\nWalker Creek Trail:\nThis trail was constructed by Mr. Sylvester, and as that gentleman\ncommenced to collect tolls on the bridges, Mr. Vowell inspected the work and\nsettled with him for the work performed for the sum of $450.\nWorks and Buildings.\nNew Government offices have been erected by contract at Laketon, under the\nsupervision of the Gold Commissioner, to replace buildings destroyed by fire last Spring.\nNo definite cause has been assigned for this fire, but as it occurred in very cold\nweather, it is supposed to have originated in a defective flue.\nThe Gold Commissioner's and Stipendiary Magistrate's offices have been completed\nin a satisfactory manner by Charles W. Baker : Contract price, $660; extras: woodshed,\noffice fixings, pigeon holes, etc., $192 75; total, $852 75.\nThe building, containing the Government lock-up and constable's quarters, has\nbeen ouilt by Alexander Fulton: Contract price, $610; extras, $82 ; total, $692.\nAppended are the reports of A. W. Vowell, Esq., Gold Commissioner, on the Walker\nCreek trail and the new buildings at Laketon, also a report on general trail work by\nthe district foreman:\nPROVINCIAL LIB1\nVICTORIA, B. C. \" Laketon, Cassiar, 16th July, 1878.\n\" To the Hon. Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to report for your information, that since writing my\nletter of the 17th ultimo, I have visited Walker's and McDame's Creek, and inspected\nthe trails in that portion of my district. The distance from Sylvester's Landing\n(Dease Eiver) to Walker's Creek is about 50 miles, and upon that route a trail has been\ncut and graded and bridges built sufficiently good to meet the present requirements of\nthe travelling public as based upon the apparent importance of the gold fields discovered\nin that locality.\n\"The work done on the trail and bridges is not as substantial, etc., as if it had been\nperformed under Government supervision, and has, consequently, been much less\nexpensive. The cost of constructing the trail and bridges, as mentioned above, has\nbeen something over one thousand dollars. The bridges were built by Mr. Sylvester,\ni.e., at his expense, this spring, and the trail also made by him, with some assistance in\nlabour given by miners last autumn.\n\" Upon my arrival I found that a toll was being collected on the bridges, and as I\nconsidered that the Government would not approve of such an imposition upon the\npublic, I immediately took them over on behalf of the Government, paying Mr.\nSylvester what I considered he was justly7 entitled to, viz., $450. Had the bridges, etc.,\nnot been constructed in the early spring, much inconvenience would have been entailed\nupon the miners and packers, etc., as it would have been impossible, during high water,\nto have got in supplies to Walker's Creek, where there were then assembled some 250\nminers.\n\" The amount of tolls collected, owing to partial failure of Creek, was very trifling,\nand did not pay for collecting.\n\" I beg to enclose four vouchers of receipt, and trusting that my action on behalf of\nyour Department may meet with approval, \" I have, etc.,\n\" A. W. Vowell,\n\"Assistant Commissioner, Cassiar.\"\n\"Cassiar, B. C.\n\" 15th October, 1878.\n\" To the Honourable the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to report for the information of your Department, that in\naccordance with instructions received, I have had every economy, compatible with the\nabsolute requirements of the district, practiced this year in regard to the expenditure\nincurred upon trails and public works, etc. ******\n\" The amount expended upon Government buildings was $1,544 75, whilst that\nupon trails, etc., has been $5,600 76\u00E2\u0080\u0094former slightly in excess of vote, latter considerably\nunder same.\n\"The contracts having been entered into before I received instructions impressing\nupon me the necessity of confining expenditure in connection with buildings, etc., within\nthe amount voted, I could not avoid the above slight excess, although I did all that\nwas reasonably7 possible to prevent it. However, as the total amount voted for trails,\netc., and buildings, exceeds the sums so expended, I trust that my action in the matter\nmay meet with approval.\n\"The buildings are substantial and well finished, reflecting credit upon the\ncontractors who, I regret to write, did not make wages while engaged in their construction.\n\" The contractor for the gaol, Mr. Fulton, 1 believe to have lost money by the\nundertaking, as the excitement caused by discovery of Defot Creek, raised the rate of\nwages current to nearly double that demanded when contracts were entered into.\n\"I enclose herewith three vouchers of receipt for the sums of $692, $17 50, and\n$852 75, respectively, which, with the vouchers (4) forwarded by me in July last, makes\nthe total amount due by your Department to this Office for 1878, $2,240 25.\n\"A draft for same will be acceptable at convenience.\n\" I have, etc.,\n(Signed) \" A. W. Vowell.\n\" S. M., etc., Cassiar.\" 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 303\n\" Victoria, B. C.\n\"October, 24th, 1878.\n\" To the Honourable the Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\"Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I have the honour to report for your information on the nature of the work\nperformed on trails, etc., in the Cassiar District during the past summer.\n\"In the early part of the season the Dease Lake trail was put in good repair, but\nowing to fire, for about 30 miles along the trail, a great deal of corduroy was destroyed,\nwhich had to be replaced.\n\" The local trails of Dease and Thibert Creeks have been put in good repair; the\nformer having been lengthened to Buck's Gulch, two and a half miles, making the trail\nnine miles up from Laketon.\n\"A good cattle trail has been cut from Laketon to Porter's landing, on mouth of\nThibert Creek, about ten miles, now making a continuous trail around Dease Lake for\nthirty miles.\n\" A 5-foot graded trail has also been constructed up the first North Fork of\nMcDame's Creek to the summit, about two and a half miles.\n\" A trail has been explored up the Dease Eiver Valley, from Sylvester's landing to\nThibert Creek, and blazed ; distance about 71 miles. This trail was explored by instructions from the Lands & Works Department, and my estimate of the cost of this trail,\nthat is to say, brush and cutting the logs out ten feet wide, would cost $1,500.\n\"A pack trail has also been made from a point about eight miles up Thibert Creek\ntrail to Defot Creek, fourteen miles.\n\" In coming out over the Dease Lake trail this fall, it has again been put in thorough\nrepair, and all the corduroy7 re-covered with dirt.\n\"I also wish to state for y7our information, as the several works under my superintendence did not necessitate a large party of men at any one time, I found it more\nconvenient, and I believe, less expensive, in some cases, to pay a higher rate of wages\nthan heretofore, and let the men find and move themselves, as pack animals were not to\nbe had, and could not have been utilized to advantage\u00E2\u0080\u0094to hire Indians and feed them, is\nmuch the dearer way.\n\" In no case has the men's wages come up to the general rate of the district.\n\" Annexed to my report is a tracing showing the positions of the trails in the\nCassiar District. \" I have, etc.,\n(Signed) \" Thos. Robertson.\n\" Superintendent of Cassiar Trails.\"\n\" Victoria, 23rd January, 1879.\n\" To the Hon. Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works.\n\" Sir,\u00E2\u0080\u0094I would recommend the re-covering of the bridge on the second North Fork\nof Stickeen Elver with 2-inch planking, as the corduroy covering at present being very\nmuch w7orn, I would not consider it sale for pack animals during the coming season.\nLumber, 1,820 feet at 10 cents, $182; re-covering, $30; total, $212.\n\" I would also bring to your notice that it is absolutely necessary to construct a\nbridge at a point about 12 miles up Thibert Creek, that being at present the only highway7\ninto Defot Creek, and during the high water of June and July pack animals could not\ncross the stream, as also foot passengers might be put to great inconvenience should the\npresent crossings be washed away.\n\" Timber is very7 stunted in this neighbourhood, and Iwould recommend the building\nof two \" V\" piers, each about 20 feet from either bank of the stream, the entire length of\nthe bridge being about 70 feet.\n\" If covered with poles, my estimate of said bridge would not exceed two hundred\nand fifty dollars.\n\" I have, etc.,\n\" Thos. Eobertson.\"\n21 42 Vic. Report of Public Works. 305\nDetailed Expenditure.\nFrom 1st January to 30th June, 1878. 306\nReport of Public Works.\n1878\nDetailed Expenditure, Victoria District Eoads, 1st January to 30th June, 1878.\nDate.\nMarch\nApril\nMay\nJune\nJune\nMay\nJune\nApril\nMay\nJune\nMay\nMay\n22\n25\n28\nJune\n23\n21\nParticulars .\nGeneral Repairs.\nA McLeod, labour\t\nJ P Lewis, cutting fallen timber\t\nS Jones, board for Nicholson in town\t\nH Simpson, meal and horse feed *\t\nJ Henderson, me;i!s\t\nII Wain, meals ;tnd bed\t\nH Simpson, repairs to culvert near Henderson's\t\nDo. repairs to roads and clearing fallen timber\t\nW H Snider, team hire and board for men\t\nJ Goyette, labour, filling holes, &c\t\n[1 Hewitt, do. do ,\t\nJ Nicholson, proportion of salary\t\nG Stelly, team hire ,\t\nW H Williams, repairs to cribbing, Saanich Road\t\nHWain, horse feed, board, Ph\n0\nr-. CO t\u00E2\u0080\u0094*\n1\ntil\n6h\n, and\n0 Dee\n'.I13ISSB0\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 cu I\nc\n9\ntD +a\n9 \u00C2\u00AB\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2jaooinr[\n'. r_i |c^ j cq ; ; cm\na\n3\n\u00C2\u00A7 \"\nK j\u00C2\u00A3>\n0 p\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2OOqUBQ\nJ'* -co ; CO ;- ;\u00C2\u00AB0\nc\n1\n50 a\n3 oS\n-? j>- . \u00E2\u0096\u00A0 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2Arauajooa\n;N :\n: *- 15\n0\n>\nto *-\no3\nat\nJa 0\n0\n\u00C2\u00AB\ni< eB\nQ\n,\" Ce\nsued,\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2sooioso\n| eq co 05 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 \u00E2\u0080\u0094* j \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 *\nu:\n3\n]\n\u00C2\u00A9 tE\n,/ :\u00C2\u00ABd^<\u00C2\u00AB>\n\u00C2\u00A3- -1\n00 to\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2sdooroiug;\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 00 j 0 *os : \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2\n; n . co : : : ;\n)\n5 .OC\u00C2\u00BBH\nO J3\n9 * r-l\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2\nq :\ni__\nO S-<\nCOifl Ht- ; CM \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 1\u00E2\u0080\u00941 1\u00E2\u0080\u00941\nc\n>\nWN \u00E2\u0080\u00A2\ny,\na O\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0a\v-x\nc>\nK\nH\nunder \"Land Ordina\nPurchase, and Crown\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2joisuinnsajii Aio^\nifi CO 00 \u00C2\u00AB0 M M \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 -00\nCO Ci 00 rH 00 I I\n1\u00E2\u0080\u00941 ! \u00E2\u0080\u00A2\nc\ner\n' iflt-NO\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0^ CM CO i-h N\n,\nCO\nH\nH\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2sjouisiq \mo%\n- iH >-< 0 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 tH * \"CM\na\n03\n-oaj5i xooioq puu ora;i!UB^{\nCM CM i > !\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2^\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2101.1}\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2 T*t i\u00E2\u0080\u00941 CM \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 r-i I j \u00E2\u0080\u00A2\na\n. CM \u00E2\u0080\u00941 CO \u00E2\u0080\u00A2-*\nt- CM CO CO CD\nPh\n-s;q iBJOioaig uuqojAvog\nI c CO \u00E2\u0096\u00A0 N \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2 \u00E2\u0096\u00A0\nC\u00C2\u00A3\n^\nt- CO CM 03\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0\u00E2\u0080\u00941 CD\n^3 -H\n\u00C2\u00A9 0\n'13U1SIQ (B.I0103I2 BUOpi^\niQ rH -CO j CM j * :\nS\nS25\n\"2 \u00C2\u00AB\n0 \u00C2\u00AB\nII\nP\nGQ\n1 1\nI!\n^s\n03 Q\nhi\na i?\"\nca :\ne3 \u00E2\u0096\u00A0\n0 fe;\n.S 00\n\u00E2\u0080\u00A2*\" 1 *\n0 \u00E2\u0080\u00A2\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0*> i-H\nj- :\nT3\n(S\u00C2\u00BB\nco r *\nss :\nCU\n00 ^. :\nO\nrr\n\u00E2\u0096\u00A0a\n*\u00C2\u00BB-* is\noj o3\nt3\nCD\nCM a\n; 10 j\n. . 0 j- \u00C2\u00AB\n; \u00C2\u00AB3 "Legislative proceedings"@en . "J110.L5 S7"@en . "1879_20_255_326"@en . "10.14288/1.0060008"@en . "English"@en . "Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library"@en . "Victoria, BC : Government Printer"@en . "Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy or otherwise distribute these images please contact the Legislative Library of British Columbia"@en . "Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia"@en . "REPORT OF THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF LANDS AND WORKS OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING THIRTY-FIRST DECEMBER, 1878."@en . "Text"@en . ""@en .