HDQRS. U. S. FORCES JOHNSON'S ISLAND AND SANDUSKY,
Johnson's Island, Ohio, July 23, 1864.

Colonel C. W. HILL, Commanding Prison Depot:

SIR: Having made a preliminary survey of you grounds with a view to supplying water for the post, I have the honor to submit a map,* profiles,* and approximate estimate of the cost of the same. As a basis for the amount of water required I assume that there may be 5. 000 men to be supplied. For all purposes I estimate five cubic feet, equal to about thirty-two gallons, per man per day, which makes 25,000 cubic feet per day. To supply this amount we will require a pipe of six inches caliber, through which we can throw 2,000 cubic feet per hour, at the rate of 166 feet per minute, requiring the pump to be used twelve hours and a half per day. A reservoir 70 feet by 200 and 7 feet deep will contain 100,000 cubic feet, or about four day's supply. For distributing pipes I have estimated for 3-inch caliber, which will certainly be sufficiently large. With these data the approximate cost will be as follows:

Estimate of probable cost, exclusive of labor by soldiers:

1,600 lineal feet cast-iron pipe, 6 inches diameter, 3/8 inch thick, 30 pounds per foot, making 48,000 pounds, at 6 cents per pound. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,880. 00

1 engine and pump. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600. 00

200 pounds hydraulic cement, at $2. 50. . .. . . . 500. 00

650 perches of 35-foot masonry, at $1. 25. . . . . 812. 50

2,375 feet 3-inch cast-[iron] pipe, at pounds

per foot, 30,875 pounds, at 5 cents per pound. . . 1,543. 75

10 hydrants and fire plugs, at $10. . . . . . . . 100. 00

Contingencies, 10 per cent. . . . . . . . . . . . 643. 63

7. 079. 88

This is exclusive of tools and powder used in the work.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

GOE. MORTON,

Civil Engineer.

HEADQUARTERS DRAFT RENDEZVOUS,
Elmira, N. Y., July 23, 1864.

Colonel WILLIAM HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.:

COLONEL: I have the honor to forward to you a report of Captain M. H. Church, Eleventh Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, relating to a collision of a train of cars filled with prisoners of war on the 15th instant while en route from New York to Elmira.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

S. EASTMAN,

Lieutenant-Colonel, U. S. Army, Commanding Post.

[Indorsement.]

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, July 26, 1864.

Respectfully submitted for the information of the Secretary of War.

I learned from conversation with the agent of the road that the accident occurred through the misconduct of one of their telegraphic operators, who informed the conductor of the coal train that there was no

* Omitted.