Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-10-25
rHE HARBsR " WASHINGTON AND cgsReE1sVy
Report OF Engineer Albert.

n.
To whom the work Of improving the harbor
Of Washington and Georgetown was trans
TERED by Col. W. p. Craighill, U. 8. Corps
Of Engineers, has made his annual repo' A
thereon TO the chief engineer of the ar' nv
He says: Since the construction of the <nse'
way between Analostan Island and T. 40 viz
ginis shore and the building OF "a Long
bridge, together with Its sectio' nj soii5
caq p bnilt during the al 4ninistration
nor has any structure been er,ected wbich
could alter the regimen Of this part OF the
river. All the work since zone has been con
fined TO the simple DIRE ,~tre M a cb,nne,
through the bars above a,,d hslouv tbs hrtds,e
Mr.. Albert then ref ~ 10 the act NJ Warch
9Th, 1872. appointing q aoari of survey for the
purpose of TepOrtir n " ~
A FULL AND COM ssEBENsryE PLAN OF I'M
ROvEMENTs.
me pian 900 f,ted by the board was TO have
put one cnanf 4ei ofsufficient width and depth
river at &c arge,own. TO run along the ri ght
nanK Oh ne river as far down as Gravelly
fOIht; . nd thence directly towards Gies-
ooro 4 ONT, on the left bank, joining the
deep 'hannel of the river at that point, fol-
low ng nearly the present main channel.
J-he most important points I'm the plan were
az follows: 1st-A depth of % feet up to the
proposed outlet of the Cheapea ke and OHIO
Canal. above Georgetown. 2d-To widen the
waterway TO 200 feet, so rs TO permit the
maDeuvering of the largest vessels between
Easby's Point and GiesbOTO Point 3d-To
increase the water way at the aqueduct 30
feet. 4th-ToreOpen the channel on the right
of AnalOstan Island. 5th-TO cut off the left
side of Analostan Island and Eas0y's Point,
so az to permit the river tn sweep in easy
curves toward the Long Bridge.
After the execution OF the operations re-
ferTed to the river will naturally tend to as
sumo the regimen IL would If The plan of the
board were completed. This tendency would
become more decided IL the portion of Alex
aUdeT's Island which lies next to the Long
Bridge. bridge
also removed leaving water way of ABOUT
100 feet in width between the island and the
remnant of the bridge.
THE LONG BRIDGE PROBLEM.
By the removal of the bridge one of the
railroad connections with Virginia would be
broken; Mr. Albert therefore recommends
ecuted until provision for the transit OF
trains and wagons can be settled. He sug-
seSts as possible solution of this difficulty
The erection OF bridge with draw of not
less than 200 feet span, the remaining span
being not less than 400 feet. Mr.. Albert then
goes on to explain what he has done, aud
says:-In order TO explain the changes which
have taken place since the last excavation,
j would state that in 1871 a cut of 200 feet
wide was made through the bar above the
Long Bridge. The work was begun under
in December, 1871. The cut was intended to
have width of 200 feet and depth OF 10 feet
at mean low water. but during the progress
of the work the freshets which occurred
caused some filling in, and reduced the depth
10 from Il TO IA feet at low water. These
DEPTHS HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY Re-
DUCED
by natural causes, the survey not showing
more than II = feet. while in 1871 the depth
bad ranged from Is TO Il feet. The length of
the bar between the Ii feet curves was 4, 900
feet. Below the Long bridge the least depth
was 13k feet and the length OF the bar be-
tween the IS feet curves 100 feet.
The work was Offered for contract and
awarded August 2sth, 1874, to w. III. Beard.
N " OnQrafinnS
menced by the contractor on September 18th,
1874, with one dredging machine; second
one beir placed on the work September 3Oth.
The channel above the bridge was first
dredged, the material being deposited ON
THE ADJACENT FLATS,
ard along The line OF the proposed wharveS.
Piles were driven 20 mark the line and con-
fine the dredged material. Work was con-
tinued until December %, 1874 when extreme
cold necessitated a suspension OF operations
which could not be resumed until March 9,
1873. TIE upper channel was completed
April 9th, and the lower commenced April
18th. On May 10th the dredging machines
were Withdrawn, and on June 2ith the work
was completed. The amount of excavation
above the bridge was lli,5.0 cubic yards,
below 81 81, total of lac, 3S1 cubic yards.
As the work approached completion il was
by the conditions OF the act OF appropriation,
might be applied to the removal of the
DANGEROUS ROCKS FROM THE HARBOR OF
GEORGETOWN.
chart OF the rocks and specifications for
their removal were prepared and submitted
10 the chief engineer of the army. The work
was ordered to be advertised, but the period
OF execution will fall In the next fiscal year.
FUTURE OPERATIONS.
In carrying out plan involving the eX-
penditure Of such large sum Of money, the
question arises as TO the order and precedence
which should be given to the parts, since the
whole cannot be executed at once. When
economy and rapidity of execution coincide
In the same plan, there can be no difficulty
IN "A l1xE~
which has just been executed, must be re-
peated every three years unless something
IL done TO remove the cause of the deposit.
s9hGo op hy no par, OF ane plan OF the
II was TO be applied so as TO conform TO its
general features. 1t was not designed by
them. 1t was temporary, while the object OF
he board was the permanent Improvement
OF the river.
If this plan is to be carried out in parts,
much will be saved by making nature an
regimen of the rivers conform TO the lines as
shown in the charts prepared to accompany
the report of the board. Easby's Point and
the left side of Analostan Island should be
cut away so as to cOnfOrm TO these lines.
THE REMOVAL OF EAsBY'S POINT
and the north and west portions Of Analos-
tan Island would have the effect OF training
the river in gently sweeping curves, and the
relieve Georgetown Of the danger which Is
likely To occur at the high water OF spring
TIME. But In cutting on the point II Will be
necessary 10 remove q larger amount of rock
than was at first anticipated, and this part
OF the estimate will have to be proportion
ably increased; although by more modifying
the lines so as to encroach less upon the
land, the cost OF rock excavation will be ma.
terially reduced. But before practical Oper-
atiOns can begin the title to the land must
be extinguished by purchase, and the di FL
cult question of valuation must be decided.
The next step should be
THE REMOVAL OF ANALoSTAN ISLAND.
Included between the limits marked on the
chart OF the river; but before this is done
provision should be made for the transit of
trains ard for ordinary travel.
The enlargement Of the water way at the
Aqueduct bridge and the deepening OF the
channel behind Analostan island, are parts
OF the Improvements. Whether the streets
should be promptly extended to the deep
water or only so near as will accommodate
the trade OF the city, are questions for con-
sideratlon. By extending the streets the
water space between them will be partially
filled by the deposit brought down by the
floods, and this would be an economical
method IL the dredged material did not ex-
coed the quantity required To make the fill
ing on the flats. The necessity of reducing
the proposed depth in the channel would
cause a considerable reduction in the amount
of dredging, which would practically equal
lie the filling and excavation, and would
largely reduce the cost. The question is i'm
pOrtant In another respect, since it will be
difficult 10 find suitable places of deposit for
the excess OF excavation. Without attempt
ing this time to fix the precise depth which