National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-27
THE RIvKl FRoNr-rHE PAST, THE PRES.
ENT AID TINE 10 CoEE.

time, and that not very remote, when "the
city" meant only that portion Of Washing
ton between the Capitol and the Presi.
dents houses, the present wide expan.
sion Of metropolitan life seems as though
new city had been created. bearing some
Of the salient features of the old one, but
unlike 1t In very many respects.
Once, Washington was bounded on the
West by the first ward, and the North by
the Northern Liberties and English Hill,
East by 6wampoodle and the Navy Yard,
and South by the Island. Within dwelt the
refining influence Of metropolitan life, but In
the suburbs named at wide distances apart
there lived and loved another race Of be-
ings." Makeup, not from Holmead' Gem
etery, but even from new cemeteries like
Oak Hill, one Of their oldest inhabitants who
leftWashingtonf for the better land in 1840-50.
and take him Oh circuit within the radius Of
amile from the capital and unless he caught
sight of the City Hall or the Presidents
House, he would never be able to recog-
mise his old home.
Immense, however, as have been the
changes of the past twenty or thirty years,
they have affected but little the river front
Of the city, and there within very short
period of time. the necessities Of the times
will accomplish changes more radical and
complete than have been worked in any
other portions of the city. For long time
the riverside could be reached only by
Sixth, Eleventh and Thirteenth streets, and
even now some Of the streets running
South to it have not yet been fully opened.
Then q few wharves close to the Long
Bridge, and pier or two adjacent to the
Penitentiary grounds were all the facilities
afforded for communication with the river,
but now the entire river front is ses-walled,
and excellent piers furnish accommodation
to more than twenty regular steamers be-
sides sailing crafts. The difficulties attend
ing the question of title on the river beach,
have done very much to prevent extensive
permanent improvements there, but at this
time the more important question is, how
long the present Potomac beach sink Of the
city Will remain the river front Of Washing
ton. This swallows up the special Impor-
lance of questions of title to riparian rights
along the present Washington channel.
4 very slight examination of the surround
ings show that the inner channel can never
be adapted to extensive commerce, and,
indeed, it is doubtful whether it can be
made to suffice for the daily increasing i'm
port trade that is demanded by the con-
sumption of the city. This channel is very
narrow. At its widest point it is with
difficulty that moderate sized vessel can
turn around, and all who, when on
board of q steamer in the harbor, have
watched the process Of turning the
boat, have seen how soon its keel
raked the fats and sent columns
of muddy water to the surface. While it
is deep enough for ight-draft boats, its
soundings show constant tendency to de-
crease. Even now the stream which is 90
feet Off the Eastern branch, and II at the
Arsenal wharf, soon shadows to and 10
feet, and even TO z feet at points between
the city and KidwelPs Meadows. Mani.
testify this channel must ever remain a
mere canal for light trade, serving in this
respect, the same office as the Basin and
Long Dock supplies to Baltimore.
But beyond the meadows, nearly mile
away, over fats that very low tides
leave entirely bare, is the magnificent Vir-
GINA channel, and to that dead waterway
the future points the coming commerce of
Washington. 1t has been shown that the
health of the city demands the work, lest
chills and fevers come from her exposed
fats, and tertian ague takes up Its abode in
south Washington, making the Presidents
Wal, Navy and State Departmentunhealthy.
The reclaimed land will pay the expense of
the work vast as it will be, and an offer
has been made to fill up the fats,
and redeem some fifteen or twenty acres of
land just north and south of the Long
bridge, adapting it to . commerce worthy
the capital of the nation. Here in the fu-
ture viii the grand union railway stations
be built; here will be the depot Of the
fully developed fish culture of the Pote-
mac here the storehouses Of coal and
iron here, perhaps, the factories worked
by air condensed by power gotten from
the great Falls. The new canal will skirt
the present wharves, busy as the Balti-
more basin, and the new "island' be the
abode Of Washington manufactures and
commerce. The necessities Of the capital
will do the work, but many q giant man
will rise and be struck down; many an
injunction be laid and dissolved many
suit lost and won before the "River Agency
of the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN with six
reporters and steam YACHT Is established
opposite Griesboro, on Fsunce's patent
land, now three feet below high water.