Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-12

| where the old map shows was the original main
channel OF the river before it was filed up. and
| you will secure larger open waterway
through which the foods which pass over the
rapids above Georgetown may waste themselves
| in the tide-water Of the broad river below. IL
you do that you will run it Immediately through
| that swamp with good current What dredg-
Ing you have there You may throw out on the
| fats. Perhaps that will be well. With the
channel open it will necessarily fill the low lands
| on that side.
1 have seen an estimate from an engineer of
this city saying that can be done for two or
three hundred thousand dollars. 1t would save
you from the necessity of adopting plan cost
ing how many millions no man knows, and the
engineers nowhere say how much it will cost.
They ask for two aud half millions now and
one million for this year, but they nowhere say
that will complete the work. They do not
profess even This is full report. They do not
profess the plan is complete. 1t is to be carried
on with just such munifcence Of expenditure
and OrnamentatiOn as the liberality OF Congress
may warrant for the future.
Now. sir, want to call attention again to the
tact we had an Ice gorge here few years ago
which caused an overflow of a part of the city,
causing great damage to property. If that
Washington channel had been open where the
original channel of the river was until 1t was
filled up it would have allowed the floods from
above to have passed freely off into the tide
water. If the Long bridge had been raised
higher, as it ought to have been, with wider
spans than it has. it would have permitted the
ice to have passed off into the tide water below
and we should have had no such flood in Wash
1neton CITY, We should not have had to go from
here to our boarding-hOuses up the Avenue In
boats as some OF us did on that memorable oc-
casion.
Mr. Robson favored the bill, but desired it to
be perfected and amended into shape in which
In the acquisition of private property it will be
sustainable in the courts of the land. He said:
Now. while you may condemn property you
cannot compromise claims upon it. You must
condemn the property, and, if you choose, pay
its value into court. Then the man who has a
claim to it is entitled to all or none of it. Let
the claimants fight it out between. themselves if
you choose. But you cannot condemn an I'M
settled claim. taking into consideration "right-
fulneSS" as an element IF it's value and settling
the question of its validity and it's general value
together. 1t is not a thing which is ascertain
able in that way on condemnation. Therefore,
commend these propositions to the committee
on the District of Columbia, for want to have
an effective bill passed / am in favor of filing
up these flats. If it can be done for 81. 600 600
| say amen; if it can be done for 80 600 900 say
amen; if it takes $5.OO0,0O0 / still say amen.
For proper purposes. with proper guards, it is a
public use. and will be great public benefit.
But II 1t cOuldsbe done for nothing would
not, in the accomplishment of that desirable OBJ
ject, establish q principle in legislation here
which would invade or take away unfairly the
rights of any private citizen, if he thinks he has
any rights, and would not because believed a
certain Claim upon these flats to be wrongful
and invalid, as do believe the claim upon them
to he wrongful aud invalid would not. be-
cause believe so, impose upon the legislation
OF this Congress measure which In my opinion,
as now understand it, is obnoxious to SO much
general and special legal objection.
Therefore ask the committee, in the interval
of time which they will have, to look to these
questions which l have hastily suggested. They
will see whether they require attention or not.
Let them prepare proper amendments. If they
are necessary. Do not put US to the trouble. in
the heat Of discussion in the House, to remedy
things that We may not remedy properly 1t is
much easier to find fault than it is to provide a
remedy, as am experiencing now. II the fault
Is found to exist, let the remedy be ready pre-
pared.
l read this bill for the first time on Saturday
last, yet i think could find many valid Obec-
tons to it before any court. If the committee
will look into these things and prepare amend
mentS II they are necessary, and perfect this bill
so that it will stand before the courts of the
country. protecting the rights of the govern
ment and at the same time protecting the rights
of private citizens. then the bill shall have my
full and hearty support.
Mr.. Springer said. have not examined the
health statistics and comparative tables per
thousand Of population in the city of Washing
ton aud those of other cities of the country nor
do / know to what extent the health of Wash
ington city has been affected by what is known
asthe ''Kidwell flats :" or the .'Kitlwel bottoms"
and the malaria incident to them.
But am of the opinion that something ought
to be done to remedy this evil Every gentle
man who will visit that part of the city of Wash
ington must in a moment see that the over
flowed flats in that region are detriment to
the health to the beauty, and to the prosperity
Of the city Of Washington.
The season Of the year when the greatest det-
riment to health arises from this malaria is when
Congress is not in session; but the people of
Washington are subjected to this malaria at
whatever season 1t may come. We know very
well that it was reported in the newspapers,
and was the opinion Of the physicians who at
tended the late President of the United States
while he was suffering in this city from the
effects Of his wound, that he could not recover
unless removed from the malarial influences
arising from these very flats. He was therefore,
removed from this city for the purpose of escap-
ing from these malarial influences.
1t seems to me, Mr.. Chairman that the people
of this city and the representatives in Congress
who must spend portion Of their time here are
entitled to have made such reasonable expendi-
ture as will secure the health of the city.
Whether this bill is calculated to accomplish
that object am not prepared to say. prefer
to leave the details Of the matter to those who
are better qualified to decide upon such ques-
lions than are members Of Congress. But I
would be glad to see some provision made that
before work of this kind is entered upon some
competent medical and scientific authorities
shall determine whether the plan prop 1sed by
this bill would have the desired effect That is
the important question. Many gentlemen here
are not satisfied now that the filling up of certain
portions of the river front and the excavating.sf
others in the manner provided in this bill will
have the effect desired. For myself think that
the larger the area we can secure in that region
for lake of fresh water the better it will be;
and that by putting dixie around this over
flowed region, pumping out the water, and pre-
pairing the flats to receive fresh water you could
convert that part Of the city into one OF the
most attractive places in this capital / am in
great doubt, however, whether this bill will ac-
complish that end; and as we can hardly con-
c!ude the consideration Of it to-day hope the
bill will be recolnmitted, so that the committee.
having the benefit of the suggestions made here
to-day, can report the measure at some future
time.
SUMMER RESORT NOTES.
NIAGARA AND SARATOGA.
At Niagara the hotels will all be under the
same management as last wear and the Clifton