Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-10
WASHINGTON CHANNEL.

The channel along the Washington wharves
mow 200 feet wide to 12 to 13 feet deep. except
for width of Is feet next to the wharves. where
the depth is Is feet is to be deepened to Is feet
at low water. for such width as the funds will
permit, and extending from the Long bridge to
deep water at Arsenal point. The material is to
be deposited on the flats next below the cause
way of the Long bridge.
GEORGETOWN HARBOR AND CHANNEL
Nine rocks in Georgetown harbor requiring
an excavation of ,664 cubic yards are to be re-
moved, or so much thereof as the funds will
permit. One very small rock lies about 400 feet
below Aqueduct bridge and $50 feet off the
wharf line. Five of the rocks are from Is to 40
feet Off the wharves at and below the Kennebec
Ice Go. s wharf. The remaining four rocks are
off the G street wharf the greater portion being
within so feet, though two of the smaller rocks
are respectively 125 and $50 feet off the wharf
Georgetown channel shows some shOaling at the
usual locality Of bar formation between Easby's
Point and Long bridge. and should it reach a
degree to cause Inconvenience to navigation the
$40, 600 of the appropriation of 1879 reserved for
that purpose will be applied to redredgng the
channel The greatest draft of vessels clearing
from Georgetown during the year was 49, feet
PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT.
I would respectfully refer to the remarks
under this head in my last annual report on the
harbors at Washington and Georgetown Report
of Chief of Engineers $780, p. 74S). With re-
gard to the improvement of that portion of the
river Immediately below the Long bridge,
the views of engineers and commercial men
interested seem to be in accord. The plan is to
fill up the flats below the Long Bridge, between
the Virginia channel and line parallel with the
line OF wharves and 800 feet from them, to
level one foot above the highest known freshet
The plan might be ecOnOmZed by at first filing
only to one or two feet above ordinary high tide
and afterwards using the ground as a dump for
excavations and waste earth from the city by
apprO aches from the Long Bridge.
FOR THE IMPROVEMENT ABOVE THE BRIDGE
three plans have been proposed:
1. That Of the commission of 1872, which pro-
vides for but one channel, following generally
the present Virginia channel, and for the re-
clamation Of all the area between that channel
and the present waterfront of the city. This
plan involves the removal of part of AleXander's
Island. at the south end of the bridge, and
rebuilding of the Long bridge to conform to the
plan. A modification OF this plan provides for
channel as winter harbOr, SiD feet wide, along
the Washington front as far up as the Long
bridge.
O. A plan which provides for two channels.
the existing Virginia channel and a channel next
the present water front of the city, the nterven-
ing area to be filled up above high water mark.
A modification of this plan provides for a wide
channel only along the wharyes below the Long
bridge, while it is to be continued at much re-
duced width to q point near Easby's wharf.
where 1t will join the main channel to where it
should be closed by guard gates in time offreshet
This is claimed by its advocates as necessary for
flushing the lower channel, and also as COM
nercial facility in permitting the passage of YES
sels direct from the Washington wharves to
Georgetown, and thus avoiding the expense and
delay in towing around by Arsenal Point.
single channel, as contemplated in the first
place, but differing from it in simply providing
sufficiently high and wide embankment around
the river, between the channel and present