The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-08-10
OUR HARBORS.
Col. Abert's Annual Report of the
Work on Washington md GEORGE
town IHarbOrs-What Has Been Ex-
ncnSlesl- I,sf iInales for Nexf Kear.

Col. >. Il. Albert, u. >. Engineer Corps,
has submitted a lengthy report to Gen.
Wright, Chief of engineers, of the improve
ment of the harbors of Washington and
which he says was definitely
commenced July IL, 1870, with an appro-
priation of $4,000, which was expended in
u channel 200 feet wide and Is
feet deep ut low water, through the bar
which has existed for long period and
formed the principal obstruction to the nav
igation. The channel was completed in
December 1871. BY act of Congress APP
proved March 5, 1872, a board: of survey
was created to prepare plan for the
Permanent Improvement OF the
Hnrbor,
which plan, providing for the reclamation
of the flats, deepening and widening the
Virginia channel, has been fully described
in previous reports. The improvement was
to Col. Abcrt's charge in July,
1874, and the progress of the work since
then is fully detailed in the report Messrs.
Brainerd 4 Rice, the contractors under
the $4,000 appropriation of 1873,
failed after doing u small amount Of
dredging, and the contract was relet in
January, 1879, to Forbes & Co., of
Baltimore, by whom channel was dredged
along the Washington wharvcs to q width
of 200 feet and depth of II to 10 feet at low
Long Bridge to the upper end of the Arse
nal grounds. Under the same contract
channel 200 feet wide and 16 feet deep was
dredgcd through the bar above the Long
Bridge in the Georgetown channel March
III; io ;n,rrovnncnt so6 Odo for the Wosb;ng.
tn,. ai,n,wo, ND Gao 0o0 for Georaoto,y,
,,o,,,on IT, ,,as doc;JoI not 70 cynand tba
, n'sr des;,tod Gov Gcorootnr, mill
10 H., dn,,t,,s go, tho har had heen mator;ailv
,nd ,,nnd and tLot sr,n yot romo;ns may.
,onded Under tho Woshino tGn annronria.
TO-, tho channel for a width of ~ fcet
n ,,o th ho ,vh"rvcs has hcen deenened RI Az.
toon f saS W. low ,xater Tn lime 1880 nm
o ovom Of sio ooo was made for con-.
tinm;ng the ;mnroyements Including the
removal of rocLs and n contract entered
into with the National Dredging COMPANY
to depost the material on Potomac flats,
the work to begin March 1, 1880, and to be
completed June &c. 1881, but the contract
was subsequently annulled because of the
difficulties experienced in getting dump
ing ground, and specifications were pre-
pared for work with the combined funds of
the two appropriations, the bids being
opened July 8, 1873.
No workowas done during the wear upon
The georgetown Channel.
for tbo roasop that II was NOT necessary.
~ ~ uho ioaSoi, e.i.'o ~ we" - s.ss:..y'i
and arranaen,omts made for fhc removal of
49, sa,,oraj ~ ,,h;ci, woro NOT h;thorto
iooatn1 srta ra,'orts snaoLs ~ lonath NJ
H. AL ~ E.hr,,o,,, Iast and IL occom-
,a,;od h,, n man a.; y;,g the line of ovcraow
Tho yotsr rosc fo hr;ght of 10 d feet
ahoye law water mark at the Long
Bridge or q. 10 feet HIGHER than the freshet
ofIs7S Coi' ALERT saws that the ice gorge
ala NOT arst form NJ thc Long Rridee.
but that the complete gorge was formed be,
in,,, tho arsonaI Point and that an ;ndc.
,w .ma Im anran ,vas fo,naJ ,across Georgc.
to,rn n,,onneI a. tho ono Rr;dcc Tho area
of tbe flooded district of fbe civ was about
Ok acres and tbe tina of the highest wafer
ryas about : n NJ
We" T,' W. r. g.. .v,o c,,o,, y,.-
~, 49,. Iii.
my Pi1po o.s VII ~. ~ vno so;r ~ -, :
june o. I1o~, iuIiuv as wy y, Wy
cnannei aiong tne washington Wh"r s5 ~
iliteeh lcet' ior sucn Miu.n 10 ' ~ iumu.
VIII permi,, anu eAIcnuiHs run ny ,no t'o ~,
briage 70 aeep wa.er ~ Arsc .h o,n ont
aseI'al 70 DC unPos,.t ~ III se pr; ,,S t tHo
poioM .no T., ~; Gonratn,, ' .n
hor and redrcdo;ng the Georcetown chan.
mel. If necessary. The plan of
pormnueut innrovement Of the Pc.
tOmnc
IL Tn All nm the flats below the Long Bridge
between the Virginia channel and line
narallei with the line of wharyes, and SOC
feet from them. to n level of one foot above
the highest known freshet. He suggests
| that t6e plan might be economical by at
| first filing only TO one or two feet above
mr. dinorv high tide and afterward
,,s;na Tho Ground as dunn 10,
axcayot;ons and waste earth from tho
cjtv. Inv annroaches from the Lonf
Rr;doe The renort reviews the three plan,
for I'm ;mnrovoment above the bridge b,t
Jefsrs Observation-Disclosures in view of the nres
ant asnect of the matter. Col. Albert rec
om,Nerds nj, arnrorriot;on Of 500 600 70,
thn cont;nmonce of worI nm tho Washing
Ton chonuel and ono of SO OOO TOR remova
~ roci,s from Cicorgnto,yn harbor -,
Two hundred and fortv thousand dollar
10 tho cst;moteJ omonnt REQUIRED In com
nleto evist;mc nro;ects and S15OOOO ne n,
apnoornt thaf con ho nro6tobIy eynendc,
INV, +ho yoo,. cnd;na limo al 1894 m
ra,,art 10 acco,onon;od nv statistics of trade
~ pp,nr;S;na tho n,;nc;noi ort;cIes of trafi
during the mast year n
""i'"S VIZ P"'' 'S'
The Fotom"c NJ mount vernon.
Col. Albert also makes report on the I'M
provements of the Potomac River ut Noun
Vernon, in which he gives u history OF TN
operations there since the last annual repor
The great difficulty has been in navigatin
the wide flats between the main channel {