National Republican., 1877-10-27

| improvements OF tho Washington Harbor.
Under date of April 30 Messrs Arthur p.
| German, president Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Ca
| nal Company j. q. Reppier, president OF the
| Hampshire and Baltimore Company; a. Ross Ray
| president Of the Merchants Exchange Of George.
| town. Henry Leyerldgc, president of the Maryland
Coal Company; Charles T. Mayer, president of the
Consolidation Coal Company; Samuel Bacon, pres.
| ident Of the Inland and Seaboard Coastng Com.
pany; VIM. Borden, president of the Borden Min
| ing Company: and Gardner T, Lloyd, president OF
| the American Coal Company, addressed acommuni
cation to the District Commissioners setting forth
| that the general Improvement of the harbors of
Washington and Georgetown has engaged the atten'
tOn Of Congress for several years, Under the act
approved March 8, 1872, board Of survey was ap-
pointed, and after an examination an elaborate re-
port was made The plan recommended the ex.
Subsequent reports have been made by the Chief
Of Engineers to the Secretary Of War, wherein it is
stated that important results OF permanent char
OF S6s6OlS
The channel 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 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal into
the river. The Washington and Georgetown chan
mel is Obstructed by n bar, which has been largely
increased by the Long Bridge. The effect Of this
artificial structure upon the food and ebb tides and
the current In times OF fIeshets acceleraies the de-
posts on the bar and where there were before the
existence of this work twelve feet at low water there
arc now but ten and one'half feet, which gives
about fourteen feet at high water
The effect Of competition in trade has necesSi-
tated the employment Of vessels of much greater
dram of water than were used before the develop
ments of the coal trade by land In 1874 the OBJ
structon to trade and navigation by reason Of the
condition Of the channel was No great that trading
and coasting vessels were measurably
DRIVEN FROM WASHINGTON TO GEORGETOWN.
Congress then made an appropriation of SjO.OD0 to
remove the bar to depth of seventeen feet at low
water. and the effect was made apparent by the
number and larger class of vessels which loaded
at the city and Georgetown wharrcS; The dura'
ton OF the improvement as predicted by the engt
neer was temporary, and in three years the chan
mel has reverted To Its prior condition. The cngl.
neer reported that the same work must be repeated
every three years until the plan Of the board for
the permanent improvement of the harbor was
practically completed.
As the Cumberland coal trade by the Chesapeake
| aud Ohio canal is largely dependent on the I'M
provemcnt Ofnavigatiun, the gentlemen call aten-
ton to statistics relating to this important business
The coal j. largely used by ocean steamships. and
Is shipped from the District to Boston, New York
Philadelphia and other Eastern port. also tn Cali
iDrna and the British Provinces, requiring 0 bout
800 sail vessels annually; hence the necessity OF
channel of sufficient depth for Class of large
vessels. During the ice gorge OF last winter caused
largely increased that but for the contributions OF
The cgnl COMPANIES and citizens OF the District
whereby the shOalest portions have been dredgcd
out, navigation would have been
REsTRTCTED TO VESSELS OF LIGHT DRAFT,
| atvely small volume. Having no Representative
| in Congress, and personal appeals having been Of
no avail, they ask the cooperation of the Commis
siOncrs in obtaining from Congress, through the
| recommendation of the Secretary OF War, an ap.
preparation to carry out the plan suggested by the
Chief Engineer in his report Of 1876 or an appro'
The District Commissioners yesterday trans.
| mitted n communication to the Secretary of War
in relation to this improvement, in which they
say s0vo.,n,or, ,oro ,o0, ,,,,,,., - conu.o..
| for the Improvement Of the Potomac River, one
| for a small channel running along the Washington
| front through the flats south of the Presidents
| House, and terminating In deeper channel at a
| point below the Long Bridge. Such channel
might produce beneficial results. II has also been
proposed TO have but
ONE MAIN CHANNEL,
| Of sufficient width and depth for present and
a.n,e purposes; running from me Gnqednct % a. n,
DUST below the Long Bridge.) Such = channel fO
commercial purposes, with capacity for steam
navy yard would in the necessary excavation re
claim to a considerable extent some Of the fat
Immediately south of the Presidents grounds
| These flats have been recently increased by tn,
abandonment Of the use of the Chesapeake ant
Ohio Canal still untitled, through the western por
tion Of the city augmenting as 1t is thought, th'
A subsequent report of T. T. Albert, United State
Engineer i'll charge of the improvement of river
and harbors in the District OF Columbia" EN-
braced In the Chief Engineeps.report to the secre
tary Of War for 1876, states important aud perma
nent results may be accomplished by an appropria
tiOn of sds6tOO for the Improvement of the Potoma
River at Easby's Point, and dredging between tina
point and deep water below.
I'VE venture to commend this subj Iect to your care
full consideration, and trust you may find 1t consi'
tent with your sense OF duty to recommend Il
Congress the appropriations OF such sums as ma
necessate the improvement Of the river, and ais
for the
RECLAMATION OF THE FLATS
in front Of the Presidents grounds the Navy m,
Treasury Departments, To be expended by the Wa
| Department
"A letter addressed to us on April 20 last, signe
| by the president of the Chesapeake and Ohio Cam
Company, and others interested, is respectful
submitted.
1T has been estimated that about i55 acres of lant
advantageously located for Government and hal
Dor purposes, may be reclaimed from the fats"