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. 



Riciing 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 ^I. 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 



