January, 1921. The committee so appointed began its active work late in July, 1920, 

 and was enlarged from time to time as new local interests became enlisted. 



Shortly before June 16, 1920, but practically coincident with the above action, 

 the Forest Products Laboratory of the U. S. Forest Service at Madison, Wis., had 

 proposed a plan for the study of the marine piling problem covering the entire coastal 



Fig. 1. Dock failures in Carquinez Strait. 



(1) One of the first docks which failed. Oleum, California, Oct. 8th, 1919. Several loaded freight 

 cars were plunged into the bay. 



(2) Ferry slip at South Vallejo, failed November 4th, 1920. 



(3) Municipal Wharf and house, Benicia, California. Collapsed Oct. 7th, 1920. 



{Union Oil Co. Photo.) 



waters of the continental United States. During preceding years this Laboratory, as 

 well as other agencies, had made various local studies of the activities of marine borers 

 and the methods of their control. One such project, initiated in 1910-1911 In- the 



