Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-21

| Major EHainS' Plan of Improve ment-
| His RepOr: TO the Secretary Of W6r-
The Proposed New EIarbor Lines
| The Filling of tRse eE:ass-Estimates as
| to the Cost Of the Work.
Major Hams has submitted the following plan OF
| improving the Potomac flats 20 the chief or engi-
neers, who has approved 1t and submitted It to the
| Secretary OF War, with the recommendation that
| the work be done by contract with the lowest bid
| der, after due advertisement for proposals The
plan was yesterday approved by Secretary Lin
| coin. 1t is as follows:
"Three objects are to be accomplished by the
| proposed Improvement: The improvement OF nav
| tgation the establishment OF harbor lines and the
raising OF the flats. The first Of these objects is
to be accomplished by dredging channel from
EaSby'S Point, near Georgetown, to near GieSboro
Point, below the arsenal, and from Giesboro Point
| to Long bridge in the Washington channel OF
| such width and depth as will accommodate the
largest class OF vessels that can reach Giesboro
Point. A depth OF 20 feet at low tide will enable
| vessels drawing y feet to reach Georgetown or
Washington, and this depth is believed to b.
ample The raising OF the flats and closing Of the
Washington channel at foot of 14th street will
| render it necessary to give such width to the
Georgetown channel as will provide for the In
creased discharge The he, least sectional tic area at
which is a little more than the area OF the two
channels combined: High water section should
than 4S 900 square feet In order to provide these
sectional areas it will be necessary to cut off
about 400 feet of Alexander's island at the south
end OF Long bridge, where the area Of discharge IS
least This should be done at an early stage OF
the work and before the revetment walls of the
raised land are built The position OF the proposed
dredged channels are approximately shown In
the accompanying map.
| Georgetown channel, 6,25957O cubic yards; In
Washington channel, 1,723,7 1872 cubic yards; from
south end q Long bridge, 100000 cubic yards. To-
Additional material required for filing in the
flats may be taken from the shOal near the pro-
posed bulkhead wall on the upper side of Long
desirable TO increase the depth of water on this
shoal, If the river does not itself deepen it when
contracted to the width proposed. The remains
OF the old railroad bridge alongside the bridge now
| used should be removed, as they retard to some
larly Objectionable in the winter spring, when
the Ice runs, tending to stop its flow and form
gorge, as was the case in 1881.
THE PROPOSED HARBOR LINES
may be described as follows the bulkhead will
commence near Easbys wharf, and extend in a
curved line to point at or the southerly end
Of the causeway Of Long bridge, thence contin-
uing to a point at the intersection Of the Wash
ington and Georgetown channels below the wharf
OF the United States arsenal, thence returning
mel In front Of the city wharves, and about 800
feet distant from them to Long bridge. The bulk
Greenleafs Point is OF irregular form, and follows
along the inner end OF the wharves from 14th
cessity for making any changes In it at this
time, but it should ultimately be made
| to conform to some plan. Between it and the
wharf line only pile wharves should be allowed to
be built, in order to Obstruct as little possible
the flow OF water Changes in this bulkhead may
neceSsitate some changes in existing wharves
and conflict with private interests At the
present time nothing need be done. Additional
information is needed and further consideration
should be given to the subject before any action
Is taken The limiting line for WharveS, beyond
which none should be allowed to extend, Will
head line, but gradually receding from 1t until it
Is at ono a distance OF four hundred feet;
| until near the easterly end of the bukhead;
thence it Will gradually approach 1t again until at
| general direction OF the bukhead toward Long
bridge, but recedng gradually until it is 300 feet
| from it; thence following the direction OF the
bukhead at that distance from it to Long bridge.
The limiting wharf line On the north and east
side of the Washington channel is described as
| folows:-Commenclng at point -, feet outside
| the southwest corner of Riggs wharf, running
thence in straight line to point is feet outside
| Great Falls Ice Company; thence in straight
line to point 25 feet outside the southwest corner
to sons pon %sf feet ene In the sta na
west corner OF the third wharf below
the Alexandria Ferry Company's slips; thence in
straight line to the southwest corner OF the wharf
| OF the Inland and Seaboard COaSting Company
and continuing to point 14O feet below the first
angle in the arsenal wall and 220 feet west of said
wall; thence to point 100 feet outside the arsenal
wall at the site of the old pententiary wharf;
| thence to point ten feet west OF the northwest
point at the intersection OF this harbor line with
| those OF the Eastern branch, as may be hereafter
| wharves extend beyond the lines as thus laid
| down, nor should any be allowed to do so.
! THE RAISING OF THE FLATS
will be accomplished by depositing on them the
| material taken from the dredged channels, and
such other material as it may be eXpedient to take
frOY fhprr MIA no do nj hot Of
the area to be reclaimed above Long bridge should
be three feet above the freshet slope of 1877, that
13 Is feet at the outlet of the CANAL and IL 06
| feet at Long bridge The area below Long bridge
| should be raised to grade Of feet above low
| tide, and protected from overflow by an embank-
ment should be 1906 feet ts above low tide at
| the bridge, and 11.43 feet at its lower
| end near the arsenal. For convenience OF refer
ence In discussing the project, let US divide the
flats into three sections. The first section to be
| that portion lying between EaSby's Point and the
sewer canal; the second or middle section that
lying between this sewer canal and Long bridge;
bridge. The areas to be reclaimed are as follows:
Area above Long bridge, 42O acres, OF which
M T Ss S WPbe 0s n
termined. Area below the bridge, $50 acres.
Total area to be reclaimed, $50 acres: The amount
OF material required to Hi each section to the re-
qulred grade, including the embankment In sec
tlon 3, is as follows: Section i, 3,596740 cubic
yads sd M sesfSn cHos yards ar section
This amount should be reduced $4,000 cubic yards
| for work already done or to be done under other
| contracts, leaving In round numbers about
| 12OOO,OOO cubic yards to be supplied. or this
amount the dredg1ngS Of the channel and the eX-
caVatl0n at the south end OF the Long bridge will
! supply S.2s3 1862 cubic yards. The dredgings from
the lakes IN section will supply 1,624,090 cubic
yards, leaving remainder Of about S9 ,54S cubic
yards to be supplied from other sources
THE OUTSIDE EDGE
OF the reclaimed area, well as the lakes IN Sec
tion H. should be protected by wall resting on
pile and grillage foundation at the level Of low
tide. Between the piles, and each side of them,
loose stone should be thrown in to the land OF low
tide In places along the line Of the bulkhead the
piles may perhaps be dispensed with, the walls in
| that case resting on the rpraps alone, but the
ground on which the rp-rap will rest being quite
Soft plies and gr1llage may be necessary for near
ly the whole length OF the wall, though the latter
| Will not be heavy. Further examinations
| are necessary to determine this Inlet
| gates should be provided to supply
the lakes with fresh water each rise OF the tide
and outlet gates to discharge 1t on the ebb tide.
The details OF their construction requires further
study, and Will be made the subject OF more de-
| tailed report.
The drainage OF section Ill should be done by
means OF pipes with automatic valves on the out
side to stop the inflow OF water but to allow Its
| outflow. valves worked by hand should be ar.
| ranged at the inner end OF the drain pipes, ana