Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-10-27
Esse Potomac f'IaiS.

Repplier, president Of the Hampshire and Bal
timore Company; A. Ross Ray. president OF
the Merchants Exchange of Georgetown; Henry
Leveridge, presideot Of the Maryland Coal Co.;
Charles T. Mayer, president Of the Cousolida'
tion Coal Company; Samuel Bacon, president
Ct the Inland aud Seaboard Coas,ing Company;
Company, and Gardner 7. Lloyd, president OF
the American Coal Company, have addressed
communication to the District Commissioner,
stating that the chaouel of the Potomac river
terminates practically at the Aqueduct Bridge,
at Georgetown, where is located the custom
house, and the point of entrance OF the Cbe'a
raake and Ohio Canal iuto tho river. The
Washington and Georgetown channel is OBJ
s!ructcd by bar, which has been largely in.
creased By the Long Bridge. The effect Of this
artificial structure upon the flood and ebb tides
and the current 10 times of iresbcts accelerates
the deposits on the bar, and where there were
before The existence Of this work twelve feet al
low sater there are DOW but ten and one halt
| feet, which gives about fourteen feet ct high
water.
| The effect f competition 10 trade has neces
| >itat,d tic employment CT vessels of much
ir. aitr draft Of waL,r than were used b FIRE
the developments Of the coal trade by land. Ia
! 1874 the obstruction to trade and navigation by
reason ct the condition CT the camel WAS 30
great that trsaog and coasting vessels We're
ncGsurabIy driven from Washington to George
town. Congress- then made an appropriation
Of 5000 to remove tho bar to depth OF
seventeen i:ct 81 low water, and the tff5ct was
made apparent by the lumber aud larger class
Of Vessels which loaded at the city and George
;owu Wha1vts. The duration of the improve
| IL aIalh ,,t boo ko,,,
rary, and in three years the channel has revert.
cd to irs prior condition. The cugoeer exported
that the same WORK must be repeated every
three years unit! the plan Of the board for the
permanent Improvement of the harbor was
| practically completed.
A. thc Cumberland coal trade by the Chesa
reakc aad Ohio Canal is largely dependent on
The improvement Of navigation, the gentlemen
call attention to statistics relating to this i'm.
portaut business. The coal is largely used by
ocean steamships. and is shipped from the Dis
| lTcl to BOsloo, New York, Phil adelpbia aDd
other Els'cra ports, also to California and the
British Provinces requiring about ] 500 sail
vessels annuity; hence the necessity OF chan
mel I'll sufficient depth for q class OF large YES
s@l5. During the ice gorge of last winter, caused
by tive Long bridge obstruction. the bar was so
| largely Increased that but for the contributions
o! the coal companies and citizens of the Dis.
| lrict, whereby the shoalest portions have been
| drcdgcd out navigation would have been re.
strIccd TO vessels OF light draft, aud the bust
rnss ct the ports reduced to a comparatively
snail volume. Having 10 Representatives 10
Congress, and personal appeals having been OF
| no avail, they ask the cooperation OF the Com
uissioners IN obtaining from Congress, through
the recommendation Of the Secretary of War,
an appropriation to carry out the plan suggest
al ny the Chief Engineer.
The District Commissioners yesterday Irlus.
mi:tci a communication to the Secretary OF
War in relation to this improvement, 10 which
they say -
Several plans have been submitted to Con
Grass Tor the improvement Of the Potomac rlv
CT, 0ne for 4 small chanUc running along the
Washington front through the flats south OF
the Presidents House, and Terminating 10 a
deeper channel at q point below the Long
Bridge. Such chanuel. while not suggestive
OF i general improvement. might produce bcno
fetal results. 1t has also been proposed to |
have but one main chanuel, Of sufficient width |
and depth Tor present and future purposos,run
tiog from the aqueduct at the head Of tide wat |
CT, Georgetown. 70 GiesborO' Point, Gust be
low the Long Drdge.) Such channel for
commercial purposes, with capacity for steam
frigates aud other war vessels, to the United
States Navy Yard would 10 the necessary cx
Of the fats Immediately south of The Presidents
grounds. These h,ts have been recently TO-
creased By the abandonment Of the use of the
Chcsapcakn and Ohio Canal, still unified, |
through the western portion Of the city, aug |
mautiag. as it is thought, The development OF |
malaria.
A subsequent report of T. T. Albert, United |
Stale, Engineer in charge the Improvement |
Of the rivers and harb)rs in the District Of Col |
umbia," embraced in tho Chief Emgineei's re- |
port TO the Secretary Of War for 1876, states |
important and permanent result may be &C
comp i;he1 by Al appropriation Of $685., COD for |
tho Improvement of The Potomsc river at Eas-
by's Point, and dredging between chat point
and deep water below.
I'VE vouture to commend this subject to your |
careful considerations, and trust you may find it |
consistent with your sense Of duty to RECOMMENDED |
to Congress thu appropriations of such sums as
may necessitats the improvement of the river.
and also for tbs reclamation of the flats in front
OF the Presidents grounds, the Navy and Trea-
surp Departments, to be expended by The War
Department.
1T has been estimated that about 455 acres of
land advantsgeously located for Government
and harbor purpose, may be reclaimed from the
hat3.'- WASH Star.
D0GS.-Ihe South CaroIloa News figures up
the dog crop of South Carolina and gives the
following as the total result:
Il; is said there are AGO. 900 dogs 10 the State
of Missouri. Each Of these dogs annually con-
sImes what would make two hundred pounds
Ct hog meat. and hence the rearing Of that
many dogs dcDriTcs the State of growing o.
0O0,UO0 pounds OF hog meat, which, at six
cents pound would be worth $3.50. 900,
nearly twice the value of all the school houses
in the State, and more than twice the amount
expended annually for school purposes through
out the State. That dog is a strange piece of
property. lie has an owner always, and that
owner prizes him highly, but, like patriotic
act, he cannot be valued 10 dollars and cents
We can1ot value him to tax him even. Cattle,
sheep. swine, horses, goats, and even chickens.
have 40 appreciabIe value; but what is dog
worth in money ? No one can tell. There are
over POO 900 Of them 10 South Carolina, aud the
maiority are oWnCd by thuse who nav the least