Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1871.djvu/27

This page has been validated.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.
25

ninety miles. He states that the piers for the bridge over said river are all built, and that it will be finished by the end of the present month. The road is graded from the Arkansas to the Canadian River a distance of forty-three miles. It is definitely located to Red River and the company intend to have it in running order to that point by the 1st of July next at which time the Texas Central Company promise to have their road constructed to the same point. When the connection is made there will be one continuous line of rail from New York City to Galveston. The initial point of this road is at Junction City Kansas six miles from Fort Riley and it runs thence down the valley of the Neosho River to the southern line of the State of Kansas and extends as above stated.

The act of July 1, 1862 (12 Statutes 498) requires an annual report under certain specified heads to be made by the following-named railroad companies: Union Pacific Central Pacific Western Pacific, Central Branch Union Pacific, Denver Pacific,Sioux City and Pacific and Kansas Pacific. And the act of June 25, 1868 requires that one shall be rendered by each of the companies named below: Northern Pacific Atlantic and Pacific and Southern Pacific. Of these ten corporations two the Denver Pacific Railway and Telegraph Company and the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company have failed to make a report to this Department for the last fiscal year. The 1st section of the act of 25th June 1868 (15 Statutes, 79) requires that the "reports shall furnish full and specific information upon the several points mentioned in the twentieth section of the said act of 1862 and shall be verified as therein prescribed and on failure to make the same as herein required the issue of bonds or patents to the company in default shall be suspended until the requirement of this act shall be complied with by such company." In each case where additional portions of roads have been completed and accepted during the year the instructions given by you in regard to the issuance of patents for the lands due the companies have been carried out by this Department.

CAPITOL.

The report of the Architect furnishes details of various improvements and repairs made upon the Capitol extension during the past year. The corridors leading from the Senate chamber to the hall of the House of Representatives have been enlarged the floor of the hall between the rotunda and the old Representative hall raised to the level of the other floors and the bronze doors taken from the corridor and placed at the center door of the east front. A steam-engine and two large fans have been placed in the basement of the south wing for the expulsion of vitiated air and other important improvements have been made in both of the legislative chambers to effect better ventilation The grounds on the south of the Capitol hare been filled in and a roadway made around the grounds on the north side which marks the line of the proposed street on that side. The Architect recommends that