Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-08-08
THE EVENING STAR
LOCAL NEWS.

NENT-C ON plsftor 81 the CdnseAcan-Yestarda,,
o+rhocn the completion of the causeway
across the mouth OF the canal, foot of 1-tb
street. was celebrated on the tide gates of Tho
causeway. The canal has for a number OF
SsaTs been an eye sore, and was s.an eIe-
plant" on cur hands, II having filled nm 70
such an extent that II was neither ussfui for
tne purposes OF commerce OF drainage Num
oers OF plans bad been from time to time pro.
poseo ioI us Improvement, but the most of
mem were regarded as not effective The
Government some months since detailed a
corns OF experienced engineer officers TO ex-
alhint u Shd report plan with estimates for
ITS improvement These officers were 0ener.
us u. a Gilmore. q. X. Warren and n. H.
aoWer' VINO reported plan with estimates,
NaNn vas found TO be very similar to that
%hicn mad been previously suggested bv Mr.
-nent SeNerson. Our Councils at once moved
IN the matter and made an appropriation for
carrying out the plans. Under the PROVISIONS
OF inns act the Canal Board provided for COM
Pesed OF Mayor Wallach, Water Registrar
Soyte, surveyor Forsyth, Commissioner of
tne oa1ai Hepourn, and ex-Canal Commits
sloner W. ID. WISE at once organi1ed and
a''ef appointing Mr. Seyerson as engineer
Ite Work was Immediately entered upon. First
W gu nose portions of the canal below Sd
street between 18th street and Rock creek
we're oeepened, and the contract for the erec,
ion Gon oi iee eauseway was awarded to Messrs.
Iht ana Brown, who have done their Wort,
IN an excellent manner. ~
The Causeway or dyke, formed of deeplv
IiStn plIes, 10 which are nailed strong plank,
HAu the center OF which is throughout filled
VIII earth and gravel except at this noint
staieu' and which is a. all points twenty feet
y lue' commence ST the end of the pier AZ tho
foot OF 18th street. ana uns one I...S - NC
mac 10 feet, where il FERNS right angle and
extends as feet to the point OF Monument
Square, forming a basin curving between the
lith street flood gates and the causeway. about
IL acres Of land. About lbs feet from the Mon
ument Square point are 10 be placed locks aiK
feet wide, and which are 70 be so constructed
rs 20 extend TO the depth of feet below low
water mark. On either side of these locks are
erected substantial piers, while another pier
nY he N Ia form ah aS hove
tween the locks (which, by the way, are in
tended 10 admit boats and the Monument
Square shore are teD fioodgates. each 10 feet
long, SET deep IN the water and resting upon a
platform below. These gates are so constructed
as 70 open inwardly, so that when the water is
higher N the Potomac river than in the basin,
AZ forces the gates up when the toe is coming
IN, bat As soon as the water in the basin, by
reason OF the influx. reaches a level with the
water IL the river, the gates are closed, and
the Teoeding tides carry off the volume of
water thar has been admitted from the river
and force il all through the canal and into the
AnacostIa, carrying with it, as it must the
deposits from he sewers, &c, and keeping the
water IL The canal fresh and clean by this
continuous dow. These gates are so con-
strUc'ed as to allow the waters TO flow over
them IL case OF an unusual freshet. and TINS
Obviate any danger 10 property III the vicinity
of the canal by reason OF overflow thereof
The waters OF Rock Creek flow into the asin
but there Is no danger of the sediment and de.
pOsit from there causing any serious difficulty
as II viii all be carried into the Anacostia by
the reCedlns tides The cost of the causeway
VIII be about S2i-itU. The original contract
was for >li,uVO, but the plans were subse-
quentiy 80 altered make the cost reach
the amount first above named.
After the work had been infinitely examined
by the company present yesterday, including
among Others Hon Il. e. French, Commis-
SIoner OF Public Buildings: L. T.. LIoyd ESQ
President OF the Board of Aldermen: w W.
Moore, Esq,- President of the Board OF Com
mon Council Mr.. DOu glass. City Register: MIR.
Dixon, City Collector; MIR. Coyle, Water Re-
FORSYTH. ID
Force, Mr.. ThOs. Green; Gen. L. +. Bacon,
and number of Aldermen and Council
men, a well as some Of our oldest inhabitants.
they took their places at a table under an
awning spread over the lock gates, over which
the national flag was displayed, and for a short
time nothing was heard but the rafting of
knives. forks; and crockery. as the repast pre-
pared for the occasion disappeared under a
well sustained attack of the party, whose ap-
petltes seem t. have been equal to the emer-
gency. Alderman T. T.. Lloyd presided a one
end OF the table, and Councilman Moore at the
other.
After full justice had been done to the sub
stantials. in quick succession the health of
Messrs. Gait and Brown, the contractors, Er-
sInee- Seyerson and others, We're proposed and
drank. Speeches We're made bN MessrS
Lloyd, Peugh, Moore, Col. Florence. Col. y
r. French. Thomas Green, Randolph Coyle
and Captain r ID stuart, in which the con-
tractors. who have flushed the work inside
the ninety days allowed, were complimented,
as also the engineer, the Mayor. (who being
visitor OF the Insane Asylum, was, 10 the re-
=
The friends OF the measure. Messrs. Coyle
and Green advanced many good ideas, urging
thar This should be but the beginning of a
series OF improvements. The same principle
that had done so much TO redeem the canal
could be made effective further ZIP toward
Georgetown. in reclaiming land now covered
with water. IN benefiting Rock Creek in Civ
ing u channel on this side of the river. &c;
when manufactures would dot our shores.
and instead OF the waters being they now
were green with sea weeds, they you'd be
white with the sails OF vessels bringing to our
city the commerce OF the world. Ii there was
no faiteTIng IN the improvements so auspi-
ciouSly inanguraied, every good result, said
they, would be accomplished Itv as argued.
100 thd; our corporation Legislators should
draw upon posterIty. and borrow more money
n necessary, 10 complete improvements tor in
the increased prosperity that would ensue
woul0 be found the justice of doing so, and
posierity wOuld realize tn benefits, and would
never object 10 assisting in payment of the
debt 80 contracted and Tor such purpose. II
was further argued thar the completion OF this
canal Improvement was an evidence that the
people OF Washington were amply competent
10 DO FOR and take care of themselves. and that
they required no outside advisemant or urging
or care. come from what source il may.
PRE- LAST NIGHT- IHceHdidriSms.-Last
night about 10 o'clock fire was discovered in
the back building OF the premises belonging 10
A. Major. between lith and 18th. and ID and
T. streets north, Just where the destructive fire
an the same square few days age was check
ed. The Hre- last was evidently an incendiary
attempt, as the former tenant. a Mrs Smith,
had vacated the premises the morning previ-
Gus. Fortunately the fire was eXJinguIshed
without Serious damage. The alarm was
sounded two minutes 10 10 O'Clock, the nearest
company, the Franklin, was on the spot with
IN Jour minutes, and the Union. Hibernia and
Rucker engines, and me Metropolitan Hook
and Ladder company We're all on the spot at
seven minutes past Ia. and prepared for worK
had IL been necessary.
AT ll-2O O'Clock a row of unfinished two
story tenements, constructed OF the lumber OF
the Circle barracks, on L. between 23d and
2ith streets, was fired by incendiares, and in
two minutes were enveloped IN flames and
soon burned to the ground. The firemen re-
spOnded promptly TO the alarm sounded from
box 80. but the cOmbustible nature of The