Amount paid for freight and hauling.. Amount paid for laying railroad-track around Naval Monument. 'Amount paid for building-stone.. Amount paid for masonry. Amount paid for bricks.. Amount paid for broken stone Amount paid for tools and hardware Amount paid for foundation and freight for the Bartholdi fountain. Amount paid for coping wall... Amount paid Fred. Law Olmsted for professional services Amount paid Thomas Wisedell, draughtsman Amount paid O. C. Bullard, (on trees, &c.) Amount paid on pay-roll for mechanics and laborers To balance..... 2,728 00 244 00 884 34 2,000 00 1,204 35 1,069 00 54,064 85 145,303 06 119, 696 94 265, 000 00 To balance for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877.. $119,696 94 By appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1876.... 125,000 00 As the improvements of these grounds advance, the necessity of erecting more imposing stairways of entrance to the building at the western front becomes more apparent. The rustic terraces at that front have a plain and unfinished appearance, and show clearly the necessity of the proposed terrace-wall, in order to connect the grounds with the building in a harmonious mauner. Mr. Olmsted says, on this subject, "that attention should be called to the great defects of the present arrangement for entering the Capitol from the west. The present stairway was designed with reference to an original small central building, and was architecturally inadequate even for that. It now serves as the only direct means of access to the Capitol from all the western part of the city, and is not only awkward and mean in appearance, but exceedingly inconvenient, and rapidly approaching a dangerous condition." The obliteration of the central walk and the completion of the entrance to the approach of the Capitol from Pennsylvania avenue, which is designed on a scale corresponding to that of the enlarged Capitol, will make its defects more conspicuous. The immediate construction of the new stairways, upon the plan favorably reported by the Committees of Public Buildings and Grounds in 1875, is much to be desired. Amount paid for elevator... Amount paid for architect's salary Amount paid for hardware and iron.. 5,212 50 4,500 00 Amount paid for material for plumbing and steam-fitting.. 4,663 38 2,511 71 Amount paid for caustic tile Amount paid for fresco-painting Amount paid for marble... Amount paid for freight and express. 1,119 48 689 40 889 04 536 80 329 15 201 22 199 96 197 78 Amount paid for care and repair of clocks, &c., in central building 100 00 Amount paid for postage-stamps, &c... 60 00 Amount paid for silver and nickel plating 54 00 Amount paid for stationery. 26 00 Amount paid for miscellaneous, such as lime, bricks, cement, sand, &c... 1,075 07 78,000 00 Amount appropriated June 30, 1876 78,000 00 COURT HOUSE. Owing to leaks in the roof, caused in a measure by the injudicious use of iron shovels in clearing ice from the gutters, the ceilings of the courtrooms became much damaged. These have been repaired, and the ceiling of the criminal court repainted. By direction of Chief Justice Cartter, new sash were put in all the windows of court-rooms, on a plan devised by him, which arrangement will greatly improve the ventilation of those rooms. The rooms occupied by the register of deeds have been painted and papered, and an additional room fitted up and assigned to accommodate the records and increased work of that officer. The entire building has been kept in good repair. I renew my recommendation for heating the court-rooms and corridors with a steam apparatus. At present the former is heated with ordinary hot-air furnaces, and the latter are not heated at all. BOTANICAL GARDEN AND BARTHOLDI FOUNTAIN. The Bartholdi fountain, purchased by virtue of the act approved March 3, 1877, has been removed from the Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, and placed in the Botanical Garden, as directed by the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, and that of the Library. These grounds being so low, and subject to overflow during hard rains and high tides, the fountain has been set sufficiently high to admit of the grounds around it to be filled to a proper grade to prevent such overflow. It is proposed to raise and increase in size the marble rim around the basin of the fountain to correspond to the new grade. No funds being available for putting the fountain in place, the labor necessary has been performed by persons employed on the Capitol grounds. A small appropriation will be necessary for the water and gas supply to it, and for the rock-work around it. A new heating apparatus has been put in one of the houses, and the buildings generally kept in good condition. NAVAL MONUMENT. Work on the foundation of the Naval Monument began in November, 1876. An excavation of six feet disclosed the presence of an old gravel marsh, which was entirely too soft to bear the weight designed to be put upon it. The excavation was continued for 10 feet with no better result, and piling was resorted to. Twenty-seven white-oak piles were driven 18 feet, or until they did not sink more than 1 inch under a blow of an ,800-pound hammer falling 20 feet. These were then sawed off at the bottom of the excavation, large stone laid over the top to act as caps, and the whole excavation filled in solid with concrete to a level with the surface. Upon this the masonry which serves as the base of the monument rests. There has been no perceptible sinking of the mass, as a whole, or in any part. The monument proper was commenced in May and finished in July. The granite base and approaches are now in process of construction. Very respectfully submitted. Hon. CARL SCHURZ, Secretary of the Interior. EDWARD CLARK, Architect United States Capitol. INDEX. Abandoned military reservations, 43. Accountant's division of General Land Office, Acres of public lands disposed of, surveyed, and Additional homestead entries, 50. Additional rules governing pre-emption entries, 101. Apache Indians, vi, vii; raids by the, vii; surren Apache Indians in Arizona Territory, act making Apaches, Southern, removal and outbreak of, 416. Applegate, L., act making appropriations for Application for patent in mining cases, 129. 415. Area of public lands surveyed in 1877, 68. Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company, xxvii. Bagley, W., Indian agent, annual report of, Siletz Baptists, Indian agencies assigned to, 714. Basins, Green River, 756; Salt Lake, 759; Jack- Codification and revision of land-laws, 4. Colburn, J. E., Indian agent, annual report of, Mis- Colorado, legislation recommended in regard to Colorado River Indian agency, Arizona, annual Colorado River reserve, Arizona, executive order Congregationalists, Indian agencies assigned to, 714. |