Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-23

indeed. it is considered by many to have beer
| the flats. This. however, is a mistake
1t was built after the flats were there
with. the idea that 1t would deepen the
| water in the Virginia channel. This causewa,
should be eventually removed entirely. If The
| reclaimed area both above and below It, is Il
| be converted into park. the railroad should
| cross ii Oh an elevated track, and the most ad-
visable plan would be to construct an entirely new
bridge. This is strongly recommended by Col
Hams. the officer in charge. The estimated
cost OF suitable structure would be 81, 500 600
THE ANALOsTAN DAM.
With lie OBJECT of lessening the danger from
freshets it is proposed to rebuild the old dam.
which extends from Analostan Island to the
Virginia shore, in the form of weir, to the level
OF ordinary high water or little above it, By
s" doing all the water would be thrown into the
Georgetown channel during its low stage, while
during freShcts the Weir would serve as an out
let f1F the Surctlarged waters. This dam was
originally bililt about eighty years agoto deepen
the water on the bar below Easbys point 1t
was not successful. but was allowed to remain.
In lSl, II vas partially DESTROYED by freshet.
The wafer WAS doing great damage when the
dam gave way. The river fell at once and fur
Their damage was averted. This fact would seem
TO prove the ACCESSIBILITY of rebuilding it in the
form OF a weir.
THE SEWER CANAL.
A very Important matter connected with the
work of Improvement is that of making nro-
vision for the discharge of the 18th street
sewer. This sever drains one of the most
pOpuous portions of.the city, 1t begins at the
corner of eth street and New York avenue and
carries away the waste from the principal
hCteis and departments. The street sewer
also empties here and nearly two-thirds of the
sewage of The city is discharged at this point
1t lS absolutely necessary. therefore, that the
contents be carried Off in such manner as to
prevent their becoming a nuisance 1t is pro.
posed TO continue the sewer by a canal across
the reclaimed flats to the Virginia channel This
Tor in the general plan of improve
ment. yet the necessity of taking PROMPT
measures to construct retaining walls to the
canal that the work of filling the flats NAV not
be Impeded, is apparent. Colonel Hams i'm his
report expressed doubt as to who should build
these walls whether they should be built as a
part of the work oftilling the flats, or by the
District government as part of the sewage
system of the District. AS the land on either
side of the canal will be the property of the
government, and the retaining walls will per-
NIT OF the reclamation of a large amount of
ground which will belong to the government
he advocated the execution of the work by the
government. and submitted separate estimate
ing walls, as has been stated above AZ has also
been stated upon their early construction depends
largely the satisfactory filling in the vicinity Of
the canal The canal should have width OF
about - feet: thus allowing the sewer to dis
charge its contents in the heaviest rains. with
out producing rise at the shore end of the
canal oil more than SIX inches above the level of
the river outside. The walls should be vertical
OF nearly so. not less than IA feet high while the
cotton of the sewer should be s feet below the
level of low tide. 1t is not likely that the odors
from the sewage water in the canal will become
offensive. with the system of sluicinr that il is
proposed to pat into operation From the small
flushing pond in section III, 10 600 600 gallons of
fresh water Will be discharged into the canal
during the last third of every ebb tide OF 20 OOO-
no gallons per day-a quantity sufficient to
change all the water in the canal daily. a great
advantage OF an open sewer over closed one
will be that if can be dred:red out at any time
should it become necessary.
LAKES
The flushing lakes between the sewer canal
and the Washington channel have been de-
scrbed. By their construction about 1S00 600
cubic yards of material will be obtained-neary
enough to raise the flats in the vicinity to a
height Of six feet above low tide As the Wash
ington channel is to be closed above the Long
bridge. 1t Is necessary that it be supplied with
fresh water while the lakes are being con-
the two channels by a temporary canal which
can be utilized subsequently, as a part of the
lakes, and it will be located with this end i'm
view. The construction of sluicing gates will
be commenced simultaneously with the eXcaya-
ton or the lakes.
DREDGING AND FILLING.
The material is dredged from the channel and
deposited in dumping scows. These, when
loaded. are towed to a receiving basin along
side Of a railroad. and then discharged. Another
dredge picks up the material and loads it into
cars Oh track built on piles. These are drawn
ten cars forming train, by locomotive to the
place where the material is to be deposited on
the flats, and there discharged. As the flats in
the vicinity ofa railroad become sufficiently COW
cred, that road is abandoned, the ties aud rails
being removed, AID the filing is continued from
another tack aoout four hundred feet distant
New tracks will be blilt az thc work progresses.
making network "a tracks over the entire area.
To a spectator tie immense dredges In
Use seem almost endowed with life One
man, who sits in house Oh the drcdge. has
the monster under his perfect control. By
pulling cranks and moving trcdGles he guides
the Upper to the dredging SPOT, sinks it. fills
1t with material raises ii, swings it over the car
and discharges il with marvellous precislou |
with the work of drc lging and
filling the foundation for the slope revetinent |
has been carried on. A mattress of brush is |
first laid at depth Of six feet below the surface
Of mean low tide with thickness OF one foot |
and a width of eighteen feet. This mattress is |
woven on an inclined platform Of a scow.
As soon as about thiIty-fye feet OF the |
mattress Is completed the scow Is pulled /
ahead, and the mattress slides Of until only |
about two feet remains Oh the platform. Thirty |
five feet more il then woven, and tie tcat is |