Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-21
shall the Harbar be Improved.

shall the Harbsr be Improved?
The need Of improving the river front and
hsrbor, and retaining the malsrious marshes
opposite the city, has been long felt, and va
TiOus desultory projects thereto have been
started. and died out without results. The Dis
trict Government, with the robust energy that
has characterized their mode of graphing with
evils needing remedy, have now taken hold of
the matter in earnest, and IL is to be hoped that
either through government assistance, or the
operations of private enterprise, the two desired
objects g, frst-class harbor for the District
cities. and the reclamation of the feyer-lair
marshes, may be accomplished.
There are two bills now before the House Dis
trict committee for this purpose. One bill pro-
roses that the Improvements shall be done by
government; the proceeds of the sales of Iards
reclaimed to 20 first - reimburse the United
states, and afterwards for the benefit OF the
District OF Columbia. The second bill proposes
that thu work shall be done nv private COM
rsny. The gene I'll plan of Improvement is the
same in both bill, being substantially in accord
ance with the plans proposed by the board of
survey created by the act OF Congress approved
March 5th, h." The main feature of this
plan il the closing of the present channel of the
Potomac river between Easby's Point and the
line Of the Anacost,a channel; the filling of the
fats between the main channel and the Forth
shore Of tie river; ard the excavation, to the
depth of twerty-;hree feet at mean low water of
iii main channel between the above points.
The House District Committee net yesterday
to consider these bills, ard there was a general
rally of opposing interests to show the commi.-
tee why the haTbor improvement should not b,
undertaken Among the interests thus repr-
scented were the Aqueduct Bridge Company; the
kidgell John Wilson 10. Wilson .smeadow,
Land party; the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
mn he oro
present wharf sites, &C., &c. The two first in
forests were heard yesterday, and the hearing
was continued. The pretensons set up by these
two interests are curious, and worthy of note as
illustrating the sort of obstacles met all the way
through IN carrying out any important plan OF
Improvement here. They are both speculative
concerns Of the credit mObiIer stamp; in fact,
the fTst-named-the Aqueduet Bridge Com
pany-is an Off-shoot of the credit moblier, the
principal operators i'm il beir the veIy O.kes
Ames and AcComb who are now snarling at
each Othcr over the lions share of the credit
mobilier sToi's- Ames got the bill through
Congress giving his bridge company the re-
niarkabie charter by which il took POSSESSION OF
the aquedGCt, and was permitted to charge
the enorIrous tolls which the Virginia farmers
have found 30 oppressive. Ames, IL was, too,
who succeeded in defeating an appropriation
for the reconstruction of the Chain bridge.
(free.) in order that all the travel and produce
should DC compelled TO 90 over his Aqueduet
bridge. and pay eSorbitant tolls Messrs. Ames
and McCOmb were not present Yesterday.
having other credit mobilier interests to look
after in another committee room, but the Aque-
duct bridge company was represented in their
behalf by ex-governor Wells, of Virginia. and
Mr. W. W. DUNCAN. The bridge company
resists any Improvement on the river front
which will interfere with the Aqueduct bridge,
or compel them to put a draw in it.
Interest No ?, representa- yesterday, was the
WilsOn-kdwell combination for the gIab pos
session Oh al the river aats IRON EasJy's wharf
To the arsenal. By this modest operation the
parties named hope to gei possession of some
go acres above and below the Long Bridge,
covering nearly the entire river front OF the
city The first move in this speculative little
game was the taking out land patent for some
sixty acres Of the fats opposite the Observatory.
This pat at was granted WHOM 10. Wilson was
Commissioner OF the Land Office; and his br.th-
CT John Wilson, who took the deed to be re-
corded az the City Hall, sought laboriously 10
nave tie fact concealed Irom the reporters
that Ssch a document was in existence. The
sum ~ IS was paid by the Wilson
kidwei combination to the Land ofhce
Tor thus tract government land. Sub
scTueHtiy they tried tO.'pree mpt' some six hun
dred acrts Of the fats above and below the Long
Bridge; but whether from the change OF Land
Commissioner, or from some other cause, there
has been a hitch in the easy process OF aequr-
ing the whole harbor front of a large city, and
they haven't got the patent for the six hundred
acres. These enterPrising gentlemen, who have
invested twenty-thIee dollars in the little grab
game for the harbor front, are. of course, very
much outraged AT any plan Of improve
ment that does not leave them i'm
full nf all 1l,a Ian l.iv
Nessrs. Wilson, kidwell, and HI. III. Wells,
therefore strike hands with Messrs. Ames, Nc
Comb, ex-Goy. Wells, and DUNCAN, in resisting
any practical measure Of river improvement.
Tomorrow there is to be a further hearing OF
the interests opposing the improvement bills.
Then we suppose the o.'Ier side will be heard,
and when ali the facts are before US can com
ment upon the intrinsic merits o. the plan pro-
posed.