The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-12-26


Why there should he any greater difficulty
In devisng plan for thoimprovement Of the navga-
tion OF the Potomac than was experienced moro than
forty years ago for the improvement Of the Hudson
below Albany IL n mystery TO persons OF ordinary
common sense yetno sooner Is the project broached
than scores OF writer's rush Into print and predict
all sorts OF calamtes u any plan but their shan
be adopted. Tho Hudson at Troy and Albany closely
resembles tho Potomac at Georgetown aud Washing
ton. II comes from the mountains OF New York as
the Potomac comes from the mountains OF Virginia,
aud meets the tide at Troy as the Potomac meets tat
Georgetown. The amount OF frcsh water flowing
down annually Is about the In both rivers. The
rise and fall Of the tide Is also about the same In both
rivers The Hudson river improvement was begun
about the year 1888 by the General Government, and
with Intervals Of suspension been prosecuted ever
since The plan adopted by the Engineer Department
to contract the navgabe portion OF the river by
building dams from island TO Island from Troy to Cas-
tieton, distance Of about twelve miles For that
space these Islands EXTEND separated from each other
by from 300 to 500 yards. ny confning the fow OF
water to channel OF moderate width depth sucient
for the largest steamers the river has been obtained
although the improvement has not been completed
the water which formerly flowed between the Islands
and the mainland either side being confined to
one main channel.
But, we are told there must be too channels In the
Potomac between Georgetown and Alexandria. Why9
| Is not one channel sunicent for the commerce Of
| Washington and Georgetown9 Why divide certain
number OF cubic feet OF water Into two portions In
stead Of concentrating Into channelg II injury
shall accrue to the OF wharf property In WASH
ington by such concentration they must Of course he
compensated should the fats from Easby's Point tc
the Eastern Branch be filled In and deep water secured
along the whole front OF the reclamation. Washington
| would have space enough for ten times her present
number of wharves, and all abuttng on deep chan.
mel.
should this plan of river Improvement he adopted,
portion OF the land reclaimed might well be appro
priated by Government for a permanent Nationa
| Fair Ground to be placed under the charge OF cor
poraton whose duty It should be to hold annual fair
for the beneft and Of the agricultural and Indus
trial classes Of the whole world-where the cottol
goods OF Mississippi and Georgia could he seen side b.
side with those OF Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
! the Iron OF Alabama and North Carolina by that Q
Pennsylvania and New York; tho silk goods OF Ne,
Jersey y those France and 1aly the wines OF Call
fornIa and Ohio by those OF Hungary and the Rhine
the wooden fabrics OF Austria and Belgium and Eng
land by those Of Eastern manufacturers -four frol
J Richmond and Minnesota; beef from Virginia an
Illinois,: oysters from Lynnhaven and Princes hay
turkeys from Kentucky and Rhode Island; capon
from old Berks and canvas backs from the susque
hanna The fair might be held from the 18th OF octo
Der to the ist OF Noveinber-generaly the most dc
ghtfu season of the year. especially in this latitude
Such exhibition, under intelligent and enterprlsln
management, would increase In attractlveness frol
year to year, and become In time the most imnortar
feature of our municipal life. In Its results 1t wou
be still more important as tending to divert talent al
worth from the degrading scrabble for Office Into Il
more ennobng and lucrative pursuits OF industry an
: commerce W. NJ. w.