Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-01-05
REPORT OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE
ON THE HIRBOR IMPROTEMEyT,

VTPS
ent time TO report on any other part of the
water front of the National Capital than thai
extending from EaSbyS Point to the ATsena
grounds. The interests of the Government
Navy Yard have secured some little attention
from time TO time to the Eastern Branch the
large commerce in coal and flour, located neal
the terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal has commanded a few congressional
appropriations for the north end of the harbOr
but net one dollar of any appropriation. as We
has ever been expended on the original Wash
lngtOn channel since the year 1872 when the
city was first laid out.
At that date 2 swash channel swept in easy
curves around the Point, washing the shore
with strong and gradually deepening current
WhdryeS were built for the purpose of com
meTce. i'll 1872 at the mouth of the Tiber: III
l!9& az NJ street, i'll 1871 at Sixth street, and q
little later AZ Maryland avenue.
Tire vessels OF those days lay safely at these
wharveS. Tire fats had begun TO form, but
they were covered with water, and there Were
no miaSmatic. vapors arising from them. A
great change III the river channel was effected
in 1905 and 1876 by the building of the cause
way from the island opposite Georgetown tC
the Virginia shore. The water was confined
To the east channel and the deposit of silt and
debris upon the flats below EaSbyS Point
greatly increased. The formation of the flats
was made more rapid by the building of the
Long Bridge in 1868, and by the gradual ceSSa
ton of the influx of the waters of the TibeI
into the river. The Swash channel round
EaSby'S Point has gradually become too shall
low Tor use. the waters above the Long Bridge
spread over the marshy flats which are GOV
cred with water at high tide, but which at low
tide, under the hot sun of spring. summer and
autumn, Teek with miaSInatic eXhaiations.
Upon these extensive bottoms. crown over
with coarse grasses of rank growth, one of the
large sewers OF the city yonitS its black tide OF
filth, discOiOTing the vegetable growth emit
ting The fOulest vapOrS. and spreading far and
wide on the winds the seeds of disease and
death al the National Capital The windows
of The White House look out upon these IN
healthy bottoms. and every southwestern
breeze fills the corridors and halls of the Capt.
t"l with their odor. Sanitary reasons make it
impcrativey necessary that this nuisance.
which is the prolific cause OF disease, shall be
abated.
The same cause which has spread sickness
through our city has impeded the natural
growth of our commerce. Now none but the
smallest vessels can discharge cargo at Sew
enth street wharf. The channel has become
80 shallow that vessels of ordinary build and
deep draft avoid our port because many OF our
Mharyes can only be reached at extreme high
tide.
II is not unusual to partly discharge vessels
at our lower WharyeS. in order to get them to
the wharf of their destination. This causes
expense. Inconvenience, and delay. Great
skill is required to manage d large loaded boat
IN this shallow channel. and at several places
below the Long Bridge. vessels have been run
aground 10 the very great annoyance OF own
rrS, and injury 10 the reputation of this port
All direct communication between Washing
ton and Georgetown for vessels Of average
draft has entirely ceased, and must be had by
a clTcuItOuS route OF several miles. \ vessel
Ol SOOti uldugHI. consigned partly TO wash
mgtOn and 10 Georgetown, must first go to
Georgetown, because she cannot arrive ut the
Washington wharyeS fully loaded: she then
returns by the southern channel to point at
which She can pass or be tOWed to the mouth
OF the Eastern Branch, thence at high
tide to tie Washington wharf Washington
and Georgetown. whose harhorS should
be one. between which water communication
should be easy within few minutes are
practically as far apart as Washington and
Alexandria. and navigation between them
more expensive. We have Il broad and noble
river. which We can but imperfectly use and
the capital of this great nation presents to the
world the singular spectacle OF a large water
front dedicated to commerce. but from sheer
neglect gradually becoming inaccessible to all
vessels except those OF shallow draft. This
large and rapidly growing city. with river
front several miles i'll length, has been reduced
by neglect to the use of vessels OF a peculiar
build 10 secure shallow draft. and short line
OI mII,l-filled dock and WharVeS accessible
at only nigh tide. Nature has indicated the
neglected shore below EaSby'S Point. as the
commercial waterfront Of Washington. and it
i here thai. i'll despite of its Wretched c0ndi-
tom our commerce has found its development.
II Is To- this shore we must look in the future
FOR the trad" which is To bind us to the rest Of
The country. and which is To supply the inhabi-
tdntS OF this capital with coal -four lumber
ice. and other staple articles Of consumption.
80 great have been the necessities of our
population Tor cheap river transportation to
compete with and control the heavier charges
of The railroad that. notwithstanding unSer-
Nl"eablt docks and Il channel growing shall
lower year by year. notwithstanding the in
convenience and delay and expense incident
10 being able to get vessels of the larger class
in and out at high tide only our river com
merce has steadily increased. The wants Of 4
large population have huitt up a valuable and
Tapidly-increaSing trade in 4 port entirely
neglected by the government of The United
To illustrate this. we here insert a staliSti-
cal able. prepared by committee of the cit
liens OF this District last year: