Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-29


Easby's POINT lies an immense marshy fiat OF
over GOO acres In extent One-third OF this fiat
is marshy land, out at low water, with but one
to four feet of water upon the remainder. This
marsh-land has accumulated with greater ra-
pidity during the last twenty years, from the
constantly increasing deposits OF the materials
brought down by the Potomac, as the country
above is cleared OF forests and put under Guilt
Walton.
These materials find natural place Of deposit
at this place, as the Potomac here changes en-
t1rely, from narrow mountain stream to a
broad, lake-like river, which character with
broad fats, having deep channel through
them, it retains unol near its mouth.
l. The deposits upon the fiat referred to, In
front Of Washington, increase greatly every
year, as do the marsh and water grasses which
grow rankly on all parts Of it, becoming annu-
ally more and more obnoxious in every way.
The reclamation of this flat is an absolute ne
cessity for the preservation Of the health Of the
city, and must be included in any plan, aside
from commercial purposes, for the Improvement
OF the waterfront Of washington.
S. Three general plans only are reasonably
feasible, but the details may be greatly varied.
These general plans are
A. TO carry the main channel from the lower
end of Analostan Island across the flats above
Long Bridge and below :Easbys Point into the
small channel running along the Washington
'front.', at or near the intersection Of the extern
sion Of 18th and and d streets, southwest, and
thence continuing along the present front of the
city uutil it joins the deep channel of the river
just below the arsenal.
above and below Long Bridge, into an island.
The main deep channel to remain along the
right bank of the river down to Gravelly Point,
Gust below Long Bridge,) and thence to the deep
channel off Geisborough Point The second and
smaller channel to run from point just below
Easbys Point across the flats, with its upper
edge touching the end Of the wharf at 18th
street west, and thence along the present WASH
ingtOn front until all the channels join the deep
channel of the river off Geisborough Point.
c. To have but one channel Of sufficient width
nNr,ffp tow,
of the river at Georgetown, to run along the
right bank of the river as far down as Gravelly
Point, and thence directly towards Geisborough
mel tn the liver se' at that
the present main channel of the river.
9. The plan A does not reclaim the immense
nat In front of the city, this retaining being an
absolute necessity for sanitary as well as COM
mercial purposes. This fiat would rapidly be-
come an enormous marsh opposite the city, and
upon that side from which the prevalent winds
cost for excavation in this plan would equal
that in either of the other plans and its cost for
bulkhead would equal that of C, but would be
less than that Of plan B. The cost of filling up
the remainder OF the great marShy flats lying
on the right OF the channel thus made, to the
right bank "a filling necessary for sanitary rea-
sons, would greatly exceed the cost Of filling in
be OF comparatively no value when filled.
The plan reclaims and utilities, as does plan
c, the whole Of the fiat lying in front of the
its filing and excavation does not differ greatly
from that of plan c, but the cost of its bulk
head greatly exceeds that Of the latter. 1t has
the thea; advantage Of much greater frontage viz:
$1,000 feet, exclusive of piers, wharves, &C.
These last, In B, could be nearly double those
in c. In the plan B there would be wide
channel separating it from the city, involving
large additional cost for bridges; less land
would be reclaimed, and none of it advantage
ously available for governmental uses. But 1t
would afford greater advantages for the drain
age and sewerage of large part Of the city,
The plan reclaimS all the flats, and advances
the city front directly to the edge of the harbor
channel; affords abundant frontage, about
much less expensive, and gives about ass acres
of land most advantageously located for gov
eminent purposes.
10. The last plan, C, is the one adopted.
1t Is proposed TO modify the plan OF the board
OF 1872 in three particulars:
list. By leaving the present inside or Wash
1ngton channel below the Long Bridge, provid-
ing suitable sluicing- basins for the purpose of
keeping the channel in proper sanitary condi-
ton.
I'd. By reducing the width of the outer or
Georgetown channel to 1000 feet.
Sd. By changing somewhat the proposed dis
tribution of the reclaimed lands in order to cor
respond to the above notifications.
The width OF the main channel is determined
as follows:
The low-water sections Of the river give the
following areas to square feet, VIZ:
At Long Bridge, H. r. Report No 2s4, February
Section at arsenal (smali area on marsh 1''
south of main channel omitted) ...... %, 175
Sections at Long Bridge, west side. 1900. 25,O17
Sections at Long Bridge, east side. 2I,97s
Mean. .......................... rs 4s7
The obstruction in and about the piers Of the
Long Bridge make the sections at that point only
approximate. 1t may be assumed, however, that
the mean Of the three sections at and below the
Long Bridge will give fair approximation to
the natural low-water channel-way of the river
The mean thus found is %, $40 square feet. With
Should be iaS feet With this mean dept I the
extreme channel depth should be over rs feet
The mean of the sections on the bridge for the
present main channel is 2 1856 feet, the width is
about 1000 feet, or, deduct1ng One-twentieth for
piers and distractions, 1900 feet. The mean
depth is 11.A feet, and the extreme depth about
26 feet.
The sectional area OF the proposed channel at
the Long Bridge, assuming rise at that point
Of9 feet above mean low water, will be al ,646
feet; the present area is A, 1874 feet 1t will be
necessary then to take out the causeway now
existing at the south end OF the bridge, 219 feet
in length, to the low water mark. This will in
crease the area to 1857 feet.
During the freshet Of 1871 the rise at Easby'S
Long Bridge, feet, and at the Arsenal 81 feet
above low water. The relation between these
different heights shows that the Long Bridge
presented no obstruction to the free passage OF
eiC Nd.Sio faS q uiSdSuie VI safety IL uliSuI Ut
well to carry the bridge in trestle, for distance
sufficient to give total hfgh-water sectional
area Of 45, GOO feet.
The river at Easby's Point is reduced to low
water section of 1890 feet, added to which the
CONFORMATION of the shore is such as to throw
the current of the main channel strongly
against the Virginia side, and to form broad
moraSs under the lea OF the point. 1t is eX.
trenely important that all the wharfage line
down to Seventeenth street should be pre-
served, and that there should be a uniform
depth along the whole of this frontage. The
channel should therefore be opened by cutting
off the point giving it on area as great as it can
probably maintain-that is, about "a, 900 feet. II
be Lwentythree feet, there will be 222 feet to be
cut from the point. The excavation will be
mostly in rock, but the greater part in open
cutting. 1t seems most probable that the point
of AnaloStan Island should also be removed to
the depth OF about six feet below low water in
order to throw the main channel more easily
against the proposed line OF the Washington
shore. This is, however, matter of no pressing
Importance, since the direction of the main
channel may be controlled by retaining wall
composed OF rough StOne carried down from the
island In the position indicated. The channel
at this point should be about 800 feet In width
With rise OF 10 feet In time OF flood, the sec
tional area would be $1,000. The channel-way
river, should then be opened to such width as
to give about 5000 feet additional area BY this
means the tiood-l1ne along the Georgetown
wharveS would be lowered about three feet. 1t
would seem better, If possible, to avoid opening
the AnalOStan Shute, on account of disturbing
the regimen OF the river below. This might be
done by cutting the channel to q somewhat