TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 105 
Gate Receipts.—All the receipts at the entrances on pay 
days were again used in meeting the cost of improvement and 
repair work that could not be financed from the funds provided 
for maintenance. As the collections were somewhat less than 
our estimate for the year, a part of the work that was planned 
had to be deferred. 
Riding Animals.—As this division of the privilege depends 
entirely on the attendance of children, it was, of course, greatly 
affected by the new conditions, and the gross receipts fell below 
the normal of other years. We continued the use of the riding 
elephant, Alice, with very satisfactory results. More than 5,000 
persons were given rides, without the slightest accident of any 
kind. 
DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING. 
George M. Beerbower, Civil Engineer. 
The most important piece of work accomplished in this de- 
partment during the year 1916 was the construction of the new 
wharf at the Boat House. 
The original wharf, of wood supported on piles, was built 
ten years ago. Being immediately over the water, it decayed 
very rapidly. It had been patched with boards and sheets of 
iron until it was most dangerous and unsightly, and finally the 
beams decayed to such an extent that it had gone down in places, 
and could not be used. 
The first part of the work to be done was the removal of 
this old decayed wharf, consisting of 72,000 square feet of lum- 
ber. This was torn up and floated down the river to a conven- 
ient landing place, piled, dried and burned. 
The next operation was that of filling the site, for which 
2,000 cubic yards of earth were required, as well as 150 cubic 
yards of stone for the sea-wall. All of these materials were 
obtained and delivered on the site without cost. 
It was necessary to lower the water in the river, and as 
the sluice-way in the dam was not large enough to carry off 
the spring flow of water, it became necessary to blast away a 
portion of the dam. A photograph of this blast is reproduced 
