Statement of salaries and other expenses of this inspection from February 1 to June 30, according to the appropriation of charges, and its chapter and articles.

Total of charges from chapter 18, article, unique...

Total of charges from chapter 19, article, unique. (Stationery, expenses and traveling.)..

Total....

Habana, August 15, 1899.

American

money.

$424.98

15.00

424.98

15.00

31.50

424.98

15.00

31.50

424.98

15.00

18.00

424.98

15.00

42.30

2, 124.90

198.30

2,323.02

GUILLERMO F. RIVA,

Inspector of the Railroads of the Island of Cuba.

No. 6.-EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT SUBMITTED RELATIVE TO THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY Office of the Chief Engineer of the OCCIDENTAL REGION, PROVINCES OF HABANA AND PINAR DEL RIO, DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR 1899.

HIGHWAYS.

Eastern Road from Luyanó to La Gallega, first order. Length, 14 kilometers.

Roadway.-Seventeen thousand five hundred linear meters of walks and ditches of 3 meters width were cleared of growth and graded. Eight hundred and seventyseven linear meters of new ditches were opened. The earth breast works and trenches built on this road along kilometers 8 and 9 during the late war for the defense of Guanabacoa were demolished. All large ruts in the road were patched.

Culverts and bridges.-All of these were cleared of earth and growth that contracted the waterway. The old wooden Howe truss bridge at Martin Perez River was taken down, as it was a menace to travel. The flooring of the bridge is temporarily supported by 2 wooden bents in the stream, pending the reconstruction of the superstructure with a 60-foot steel through plate-girder bridge with buckle-plate floor, which has already been contracted and ordered from the United States for the sum of $3,400, delivered on wharf at Regla, all charges paid.

Peon's quarters.-Of the 3 buildings that existed on this road, the only one left standing, that at Guanabacoa, was cleaned. The other two are necessary for the service and are included in the special appropriation we have recommended be made in the coming estimates for the reconstruction of 14 out of the 25 quarters destroyed by war.

Southeastern Road from Habana to Güines, first order. Length, 48 kilometers. Roadway.-Eighty-five thousand six hundred linear meters of walks and ditches were cleaned and graded; 2,750 linear meters of new ditches were opened; 330 cubic meters of crushed stone were transported to patch ruts and holes in the road surface, covering an area of 2,800 square meters. Attention was given where necessary to the trimming, replanting, or carting away of shade trees.

Culverts and bridges.-All were entirely cleaned and cleared of earth and brush, in some cases involving heavy work to give the openings full area.

Quarters.-The three left standing were cleaned and pressing repairs were made. For a length of 30 consecutive kilometers all buildings were entirely destroyed, and four are proposed to be rebuilt with the said special appropriation recommended. Branch road from Cotorro to Sta. Maria del Rosario, third order. Length, 2,274 kilometers.

General repairs.-This road has been totally repaired and put in first-class condition at an actual cost of $2,870, or $365 less than the approved estimate.

The work consisted in the quarrying, breaking, and carting about 1,000 cubic meters of stone, distributed along the road, spread, raked, and rolled; then the binder course of sand spread, and all the surface well watered and rolled.

Three hundred and forty linear meters of new ditches were opened, and all walks and ditches cleaned and graded.

At a depression in the road at K° 2, the late administration had planned to build a culvert, owing to the frequency with which the water from a creek close by rose and crossed over the roadbed.

This construction was avoided by raising the grade of the road at that point, using the earth from the channel excavated parallel to the road, thus keeping the water on one side and discharging into a stream in a lower depression about 200 meters ahead.

Southern Road from Habana to Bejucal, first order. Length, 26 kilometers.

Roadway. About 40,000 linear meters of walks and ditches were cleaned and graded; 1,030 linear meters of new ditches were opened.

The contractor furnished 566 cubic meters of broken stone, of which 116 meters have been used to cover 620 square meters of ruts. The scarcity of water delays the patching of ruts, which require the surface to be wet to make a good bond.

With the stone contracted this road will be put in good condition from Habana to Santiago de las Vegas.

From this town to the end at Bejucal the road metal has nearly or entirely disappeared, and general resurfacing and repairs are required.

(This part of the road has subsequently, on July 5, been ordered repaired with a special appropriation, the estimated cost being $24,000.)

Culverts and bridges.-All have been cleaned and cleared of earth and brush.

The bridge at kilometer 26 has been repaired, replacing all timber in bad condition of the main floor beams and planks, and an entirely new railing and braces. Material is at the spot to make needed repairs to bridge at Arroyo Apolo, kilometer 6.

Quarters.-All have been cleaned preparatory to painting.

Material is on hand to make necessary repairs to quarters at Arroyo Apolo.

Branch road from Arroyo Apolo to Managua, third order. Length, 15 kilometers.

Roadway.-17,000 lineal meters of walks and ditches cleaned and graded; 500 meters of new ditches opened.

The contractor furnished all the broken stone contracted, amounting to 445 cubic meters, besides 97 meters were supplied by department labor.

Of this amount 350 cubic meters have been employed to patch holes covering a total surface of about 2,000 square meters.

From Arroyo Apolo to kilometer 12 the road is in first-class condition. The last 9 kilometers have not undergone general repairs for over fifteen years, and is considerably worn, but with the stone supplied the road will be made fairly good for this season, but recommend repairs be made during the coming fiscal year.

Culverts and bridges.-In general all were cleaned and cleared of earth and growth. The culvert at kilometer 12 was found to be in a dangerous condition, the abutments being undermined and partly carried away.

The flooring that consisted of iron rails was taken out, the grade raised, and a temporary wooden bridge was put in, using long beams resting on sills sunk in the roadbed, sufficiently away from the masonry abutments so that these can be taken down and rebuilt without interfering with the heavy traffic on the road.

Quarters.-The building at La Chorrera was cleaned, overhauled, and painted. The portable wooden structure at kilometer 7 was taken down, transported, and rebuilt at kilometer 18, where it was more useful, and as a temporary substitute for the building that was destroyed during the war at that point.

Repairs to roof, cleaning, and painting were done.

Western road from Habana to San Cristóbal, first order. Length, 92 kilometers.

Roadway. About 132,000 lineal meters of walks and ditches have been cleared and graded; 465 lineal meters of new ditches were opened; 1,000 cubic meters of broken stone have been acquired, 900 of which were supplied by contract on the first section of the road from Habana to kilometer 30.

Four hundred cubic meters of the stone have been used in patching the road nearly all in the said section, where most of the traffic is concentrated, and covering a combined area of 1,560 square meters.

About 3,000 cubic meters of rubbish and earth taken out of the ditches in the towns along the road were carted out into the open spaces.

Culverts and bridges.-Nearly all of the waterways have been cleaned and cleared of heavy growth.

During the war several bridges and culverts were destroyed in the third section of this road, so that we found the traffic interrupted from kilometer 63 to kilometer 92, at San Cristóbal, the end of the road.

The road has been opened to traffic up to kilometer 87 by complete and permanent repairs to two culverts in kilometer 63, another at kilometer 65, the same to the San Juan bridge at kilometer 77, and by the construction of two temporary wooden bridges at kilometers 70 and 78, where even the masonry abutments and piers have been destroyed or washed away.

Between kilometer 87 and the end of the road there are three large openings where bridges have been destroyed, though leaving the masonry abutments, which are in first-class condition.

It has been recommended that at two of these openings, at Rio Hondo and Rio Yaguasa, permanent steel structures be built.

Quarters. Out of the eleven permanent structures that existed on this road only three were intact after the war, one each at Puentes Grandes, Arroyo Arenas, and Guanajay.

Temporary repairs forming two or three rooms have been made at the ruins of the old houses existing at kilometers 24, 67, 76, and 89.

Those at kilometers 67 and 76 were made by transporting two small portable houses that were found in the town of Artemisa.

Five permanent structures will be required to put the service of this road in good condition.

Roads from Guanajay to Mariel and to Cabañas, second order. Length, 13 and 17 kilometers.

Roadway.-Forty-five thousand lineal meters of walks and ditches cleared and graded. One hundred and ten lineal meters of new ditches were opened. Three hundred and seventy cubic meters of broken stone were acquired by hired labor. Patches covering a surface of 3,400 square meters have been made on roadbed. The road from Guanajay to Mariel is all in good or first-class condition. The Cabañas road stops within 6 kilometers of the town, where bridges and embankments have been destroyed or washed away. This has not been touched, it coming under "new construction," for which there is at present no appropriation. Culverts and quarters.—All standing have been cleaned and light repairs made.

Road from Pinar del Rio to La Coloma, second order. Length, 25 kilometers.

Roadway. Twenty-two thousand lineal meters of walks and ditches cleared and graded; 50 cubic meters of broken stone were acquired and used in patching 220 square meters of road.

The only quarry on this road is situated 6 kilometers from the highway, and makes the stone very expensive to supply all the length of road.

A contract to supply 175 cubic meters has been awarded for the sum of $670.25. Culverts.-All waterways have been cleared.

Tem

Quarters. All the structures on this road were destroyed during the war. porary shelter has been furnished by using five small blockhouses left by the late Spanish army. At least two permanent structures should be built, and have been included in the fourteen recommended.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Carting. For this service there were bought by contract twelve dump carts and twelve sets of harness. Twelve mules were bought from the United States Govern

ment, ten of them at public auction, at a total price of $915. Eight head of oxen were also bought.

Labor. The fixed number of men employed in the care and maintenance of all the highways in the two provinces is 85 "peones" and 17 foremen. Besides these there has been constantly employed about 100 extra help, earning 80 cents, United States currency, per day.

Repair shops.-Three carpenters and two blacksmiths have been constantly em. ployed in the repair shops of this office.

MARITIME SERVICE.

Buoys.-Port of Mariel: Four buoys that were taken from their moorings during the late war were scraped and painted.

After dragging up the mooring cables from the bottom of the bay, the buoys were reestablished at their proper locations.

One day beacon, consisting of an upright pole and horizontal slats, forming a circle, painted white and blue, was established on a small key to leeward of the entrance to the port.

LIGHT-HOUSES.

General supply depot. -All the illuminating oils and all other special goods required have been furnished to all the light-houses of the Central and Occidental regions, supplying them for the whole year.

In the Oriental Region, the light-houses of Maternillos and Punta de Prácticos at Nuevitas have been supplied directly, while special requisitions from the Military Department of Santiago have been filled, inclosing bills for same as ordered.

Repairs. At the shops of this office, repairs were made to the apparatus for the Punta de Prácticos light and also for that at Batabanó.

Morro Castle light. Of the other two light-houses in this region, Morro Castle light is still under the direct charge of the United States naval officer of this port.

Cape San Antonio light.-The supply service for the next two years from Arroyos de Mantua to Cape San Antonio light-house was awarded by contract at the rate of $38.15 per round trip, two trips being specified per month.

This contract is 15 per cent lower than the previous one for the same service. Proposed light-houses.-Surveys are being made and data from foreign manufactures obtained relative to the establishment of two port lights at Mariel and Cabañas, presumably this year.

Two second-order light-houses along the Colorado Reefs between Bahía Honda and Cape San Antonio are being considered as future work, the estimated cost of each being $50,000, United States currency.

Table of expenses incurred by this office from assuming charge, on February 1, till June 30, giving the chapters and articles of the different appropriations to which they have been charged.

Public works-Main office of central region.-Report of the chief engineer of said region relative to the work executed by him from January 1 to June 30, 1899. The chief engineer of the central region shows the work executed by him in accordance with instructions from the honorable secretary of public works. It is necessary to explain in the first place that the engineer in charge did not take possession of his office until February 17, and that from January 1 up to that date, absolutely nothing was accomplished by this branch owing to the disorganization caused by the change of Government.

For a better understanding of the work of this office this report is divided into the following parts, i. e., work completed, work in course of completion, plans completed, plans being made and services rendered.

WORKS COMPLETED.

PROVINCE OF MATANZAS.

Construction of a light of the sixth class on Diana Key.-The construction of this light, situated on Diana Key at the entrance to the port of Cárdenas, is the most important work completed in this whole region. The old light on this key was destroyed during the war between Spain and the United States, and, by order of the governor-general, reconstruction of same was commenced on April 3, completed May 17, and the light was put in commission May 22, 1899.

Repairing and replacing a buoy in the port of Matanzas.-One of the most important buoys of this port-that which marks the shoal of Araña del Sur-was swept away from its anchorage. I requested authorization to replace same and to make necessary repairs, which request was granted, and said buoy was repaired and replaced on June 15, 1899.

PROVINCE OF SANTA CLARA.

Placing of three buoys in the port of Isabela de Sagua.

By three buoys which had been in this port, having been removed from their proper locations and in consequence of which not a single mark remained to show the channel, the secretary of the department ordered plans to be made immediately to mark out the channel. This was done by the department engineer and approved by the secretary. The project consisted in the building of three new iron buoys and the repairing of the three old iron buoys. This work, so far as the repairing of the old buoys is concerned, has been completed and the repaired buoys have been replaced in their proper positions.

WORKS IN COURSE OF COMPLETION.

PROVINCE OF MATANZAS.

Construction and placing of buoys in the port of Cárdenas.-In accordance with instructions from the secretary of the department, the chief engineer made plans for marking the channel of this port. This plan consists in making 8 new iron buoys and in repairing 2 old iron buoys, all of which are to be properly placed in the harbor. The contract calls for the completion of this work on or before August 21, 1899, by which time all these buoys will be in position.

PROVINCE OF SANTA CLARA.

Construction of three new buoys to complete the marks in the port of Isabela de Sagua.The construction of said buoys has been commenced and according to contract they must be completed and in place on or before August 10, 1899.

PLANS PROJECTED.

PROVINCE OF MATANZAS.

Repair of light of fourth class at Punta de Maya.-This plan has been approved and work will be commenced as soon as money is received from the treasurer of the province with which to begin.

PROVINCE OF SANTA CLARA.

Repairs to light of sixth class on Frances Key.-There has been forwarded to the chief of this branch, for the approval of the secretary, a project to repair a light of the sixth class on Frances Key, situated at the entrance to the port of Caibarien. These repairs should be made at once, as the light is urgently needed.