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BRIDGE ACROSS MISSISSIPPI RIVER, SARTELL, MINN.

AUGUST 7, 1912.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

Mr. STEVENS of Minnesota, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following

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The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 7209) to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at the town site of Sartell, Minn., having considered the same, report thereon with amendment and as so amended recommend that it pass.

Amend the bill as follows:

Strike out, on page 1, line 6, the words "wagon and foot."

The following is the report of the Senate Committee on Commerce:

[Senate Report No. 990, Sixty-second Congress, second session.]

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 7209) to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at the town site of Sartell, Minn., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass with amendment.

The bill as amended has the approval of the Department of War, as will appear by the following communications:

[First indorsement.]

WAR DEPARTMENT, July 26, 1912. Respectfully returned to Hon. Knute Nelson, chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate, inviting attention to the accompanying report of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, on S. 7209, Sixty-second Congress, second session. The proposed change in name of grantee appears to be unobjectionable.

[Second indorsement.]

ROBERT SHAW OLIVER,
Assistant Secretary of War.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Washington, July 25, 1912.

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,

Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War.

The accompanying bill (S. 7209), to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at the town site of Sartell, Minn., is in the usual form providing that the construction, maintenance, and operation of the structure shall be in accordance with the general bridge act of March 23, 1906, which is sufficient to safeguard the interests of navigation.

It appears from the accompanying letter of the 11th instant from the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce that it is intended to grant the privilege to the village of Sartell instead of to the grantee named in the bill. The proposed change in the name of the grantee is unobjectionable, and so far as the interests of navigation are concerned I see no reason why the measure should not receive the favorable consideration of Congress. W. H. BIXBY,

Chief of Engineers, United States Army.

The SECRETARY OF WAR,

Washington, D. C.

UNITED STATES SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
July 11, 1912.

DEAR SIR: In connection with the reference to your department on July 2 of the bill (S. 7209) to authorize construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at the town site of Sartell, Minn., I wish to call your attention to the inclosed communications from Sartell Bros., and the village clerk of Sartell, in which they call attention to the fact that the authorization for the construction of the bridge should run to the village of Sartell instead of the Sartell Bros. Co.

So amended I beg leave to request that you furnish the committee with such suggestions as you may deem proper touching the merits of the bill and the propriety of its passage.

I inclose you herewith a copy of the bill.

Yours, truly,

KNUTE NELSON.

SARTELL, MINN., July 9, 1912.

Hon. KNUTE NELSON,

Washington, D. C.

ESTEEMED FRIEND: Referring to your letter of the 2d instant, in reference to bill for bridge across the Mississippi River at this point.

We note that by the bill that the Sartell Bros. Co.'s name is used instead of the village of Sartell. This was an oversight on my part, and hope you will be able to change it to read the “village of Sartell,” and that it will not delay the passage of said bill.

We want to thank you for the prompt action you took in the matter and hope you will be able to continue at the same rate.

You will receive instructions under separate cover from the village authorities. Very truly, yours,

SARTELL BROS. Co.,
By L. L. SARTELL,

Secretary and Treasurer.

Hon. KNUTE NELSON,

Washington, D. C.

SARTELL, MINN., July 9, 1912.

DEAR SIR: In line with certain correspondence passed between this office and yourself in March, 1911, pursuant to obtaining a charter for a bridge across the Mississippi River at this place, my brother, L. L. Sartell, of the Sartell Bros. Co., not long ago wrote to you asking you to do your best in securing such a charter, and under date of July 2 received a very favorable reply. Now, as this is for a public thoroughfare, I hereby respectfully ask you to have S. 7209 corrected and "the village of Sartell" substituted for "the Sartell Bros. Co." Should further data be necessary, I will be pleased to give you all possible assistance, in order to push this matter through at this session of Congress.

Thanking you in advance for your attention and assistance,

I am, yours, very respectfully,

F. N. SARTELL, Village Clerk.

O

CONGRESS,

LIFE-SAVING STATIONS.

AUGUST 7, 1912.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed.

Mr. DOREMUS, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT.

[To accompany H. R. 26005.]

The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 26005) to provide for the establishment of one life-saving station on the larger of the two Libby Islands. situated at the entrance to Machias Bay, Me.; one life-saving station at Half Moon Bay, south of Point Montara and near Montara Reef, Cal.; one life-saving station at Mackinac Island, Mich.; and one life-saving station at or near Sea Gate, New York Harbor, N. Y., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass. The bill has the approval of the Treasury Department, as will appear by the letters attached and which are made a part of this report.

TREASURY Department,
Washington, April 4, 1908.

The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, transmitting bill H. R. 13091, Sixtieth Congress, first session, establishing a life-saving station on the larger of the two Libby Islands, situated at the entrance to Machias Bay, in the State of Maine, and asking for suggestions touching the merits of the bill and the propriety of its passage.

The matter was referred to the General Superintendent of the Life-Saving Service for his report, which has been received and is herewith transmitted with my conGEO. B. CORTELYOU, Secretary.

currence.

Respectfully,

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF GENERAL SUPERINtendent of LIFE-SAVING SERVICE,
Washington, April 4, 1908.

The SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge your reference for report of a letter of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, transmitting bill H. R. 13091, Sixtieth Congress, first session, establishing a life-saving station on the larger of the two Libby Islands, situated at the entrance to Machias Bay, in the State of Maine, and asking for suggestions touching the merits of the bill and the propriety of its passage.

The Libby Islands are two rocky islands on the western side of the main entrance to Machias Bay. They lie northeast and southwest of each other, and at low water are nearly joined by reefs. The larger island-the one referred to in the bill-is about five-eighths of a mile long, quite narrow, and entirely bare of trees. The Libby Island Lighthouse is built on the west end of the smaller or westernmost island and is a guide not only to Machias Bay to the eastward but also to Masons or Englishman Bay to the westward. It is understood that vessels going in and out of the Bay of Fundy make Machias Bay for harbor in bad weather and vessels coming from the west, after passing the light situated on the smaller island, change their course up the bay, and if not acquainted with the locality are likely to go ashore on the larger of the Libby Islands or some other island in the vicinity.

The records of this office show that during the last 10 years 10 vessels have been wrecked within what would be regarded as the scope of the operations of a life-saving station at the Libby Islands if established. Of these, 7 were total losses. The number of lives lost was 7. The superintendent of the first life-saving district, which district embraces the Libby Islands, states that from personal knowledge of the dangers to shipping and of the disasters that have occurred in that locality he is of the opinion that a station is much needed there.

In view of the foregoing I am of the opinion that the establishment of the station referred to would be in the interest of commerce and humanity.

Should the committee decide to make a favorable report upon the bill, I beg to suggest that it be so amended as to conform to the wording of bills usually drawn for a like purpose and to allow a larger discretion as to location. It would then read as follows:

"A BILL Establishing a life-saving station on one of the Libby Islands, situated at the entrance to Machias Bay, in the State of Maine.

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to establish a life-saving station on one of the Libby Islands, situated at the entrance to Machias Bay, in the State of Maine, at such point as the General Superintendent of the Life-Saving Service may recommend."

Respectfully,

S. I. KIMBALL, General Superintendent.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,
Washington, December 19, 1911.

The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE,

House of Representatives.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter transmitting bill H. R. 4678, Sixty-second Congress, first session, to provide for the establishment of a life-saving station at Half Moon Bay, south of Point Montara and near Montara Reef, Cal., and asking for the views of the department concerning the bill.

The matter was referred to the general superintendent of the Life-Saving Service for his report, which has been received and is herewith transmitted with my concurrence. FRANKLIN MACVEAGH, Secretary.

Respectfully,

TREASURY Department,

The SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.

UNITED STATES LIFE-SAVING SERVICE,

Washington, December 19, 1911.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge your reference for report of a letter of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House of Representatives, transmitting bill H. R. 4678, Sixty-second Congress, first session, to provide for the establishment of a life-saving station at Half Moon Bay, south of Point Montara and near Montara Reef, Cal., and asking for the views of the department concerning the bill. Bills of like import were introduced in the Fifty-ninth, Sixtieth, and Sixty-first Congresses (H. R. 10845. 458, and 2214, respectively) and were referred to me for my views touching the merits of the bills and the propriety of their passage. In my report upon the first of the above-named bills I stated as follows:

"Half Moon Bay is a little more than 20 miles south of Point Lobos, which forms the southern side of the entrance to the Golden Gate, and some 17 miles south of the Southside Life-Saving Station, between which and the bay are several dangerous points, notably Point San Pedro, Point Montara, and Pillar Point, with their outlying rocks, shoals, and reefs.

"The records of the Merchants' Exchange of San Francisco (now San Francisco Chamber of Commerce) show a list of eight vessels which have met with disaster in the vicinity of the proposed station since 1888, seven of them having occurred since 1896. All but two of these were large vessels. The accuracy of this list is confirmed by the records of this office, except as regards two foreign vessels of which no reports have been received.

"A letter upon this subject from the Merchants' Exchange (San Francisco Chamber of Commerce) says:

"With this station established at Half Moon Bay the entrance to the harbor of San Francisco will be guarded as well and as completely as possible, and we deem the establishment of this station of the utmost importance.

"To make the proposed station effective it will be necessary that same be connected by a telephone line with the Southside station of the Life-Saving Service now established on Ocean Beach, 5 miles south of the Cliff House. This telephone line will place all stations from Point Reyes to Half Moon Bay in communication with each other and with San Francisco. The advantages of this are too apparent for any further remarks.'

"I concur in the foregoing statement and would recommend the establishment of the proposed station.

The extension of the telephone line from the Southside station would be inexpensive and will be made under existing law should the station be authorized."

In each subsequent report on the subject the same information was given and recommendation made.

The records of this office show that two vessels have met with disaster in the vicinity of Half Moon Bay since the preparation of the list of disasters furnished by the Merchants' Exchange of San Francisco.

I know of no reason for changing the views above expressed, and therefore beg to request that the foregoing may be accepted as my report upon the bill under consideration.

Respectfully,

S. I. KIMBALL, General Superintendent.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,
Washington, July 16, 1912.

The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

SIR; I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter transmitting bill H. R. 19948, Sixty-second Congress, second session, to authorize the establishment of a life-saving station at Mackinac Island, Mich., and asking for the views of the department concerning the bill.

The matter was referred to the General Superintendent of the Life-Saving Service for report, which has been received and is herewith transmitted with my concurrence. FRANKLIN MACVEAGH, Secretary.

Respectfully,

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