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

merely an application Of the present plan, and
are practicable. l will tell YOU what think OF
them. To carry out his suggestions would ne
cessitate an entire change of the general plan
which is not practicable Minor changes could
undoubtedly be made by the proper author
ties. If deemed necessary. The board OF
engineers in recommending the adoption
OF the plan of improvement now be-
ing carried into operation. recommended II
with such notifications of details to be sub
mitted in future report as further study OF
the subject may suggest as advantageous OF
eXpedient.' But. remember. that no matter
how many radical changes or any ore els,
might think advisable, | could not effect one
Major MOrgans plan is simply modification OF
the plan suggested In the report of Engineer
A. l.. Rives, in 1887. That plan was considered
by the board OF engineers. together with ali
others suggested. Even if Major Morgan
recommendations would not cause a cha rye OF
general plan. they are open to grave objection
and serious obstacles would be found In the way
of their execution. On enc point we agree eX-
actly, and that is the necessity of making some
disposition Of the Long bridge. and fifty 1hOus-
and people right in this city will agree with US
In my annual report recommended that q new
bridge be built eventually. but until the flats
are filled in and it is decided what disposition is
to be made of the reclaimed land. the present
one will answer. think. by simply removing
the causeway at the south end and extending
the bridge OH trestles or piers"
"How about Major MOrgan's suggestions to
which there are objections" asked the reporter.
We'll. he believes in opening the Washington
channel up TO tasby's Point. There are a num-
Der of objections to that. In the first place. it
EoIid be pursuing course directly opposed to
nature The Virginia channel is the one chosen
by nature and it is best to assist her by rproy-
ing that channel, rather than oppose her 10y
making second one.
In the second place, it would be opening a
channel that has Deen practically closed by ma
ture
In the third place. it would be necessary to
undo great deal OF work already completed.
Considerable filling has been done Just where
ms channel would run. and that which has been
filled with so much care would have to be cX-
cavated.
In the fourth place, to make respectable
current for the Washington channel 1T would be
necessary to dam up the Virginia channel, either
partially or entirely, or to cut off piece of
Georgetown, and it might be necessary to do the
former. even If the latter were done We would.
In effect. destroy the only ship channel we have
had for ninety years"
''lf l remember correctly" continued Col.
Hams, 1.-THE principal object Major Morgan had
in view in opening the Washington channel was
to secure direct outlet for the 18th street
sewer into the channel. instead of extending it
across the flats by means of a canal He holds
that there will be no chance for the sewer canal to
be flushed out by the tide, and therefore. great
deal of sewage will be deposited before it reaches
the Virginia channel.
The tide would sweep out the sewer canal
just about as well as it would the Washington
channel. but it wouldn't do either very well. 1t
is not intended to depend on the direct action
OF the tide to clean out the canal. 1t will be
flushed just as the Washington channel will be-
81 Do you see this small pond?" pointing to
the one on the map adjoining the larpe lake
w nv ric oft I,.,
tide. and the automatic outlet gates will empty
about 100000 gallons of fresh water into the
sewer canal every twelve hours.
81 don't understand he continued, musing-
y, just how wide Major Morgan wants to
make the Washington channel. He recon-
mends that its width above the bridge be
kept the same as below making a channel
200 feet wide. He must have been misunder-
stood. for he knows that the width Of the chan
200 feet .
Another point he makes is that as the flats
are to be raised only "a feet above ordinary
high tide freshets will sweep over them
mat Is curious statement to make Every-
ject knows that it is intended to raise the flats
three feet higher than the freshet of 1877
which Is, according to Albert, the highest
known.
Right in this connection he argues that filing
the flats will cause the water to back up into
Georgetown.
Freshets cannot be prevented, but it is con-
fdently believed that they will do much less
damage when the improvements are made than
heretofore. Why? Because the outlet for the
water will DE greater. Instead of two chan
nels there will be but one, but the area of the
cross section of that one will be greater than
that of the two combined and as water flows
faster In deep channels than in shallow ones
the discharge will be greater; in other words
the river above will not rise SO high. AS an ad-
S0fa I'd hnvr 10
make u sort of a weir of the old dam from Ana
lostan island to the Virginia shore, which will
answer for waste way in time of high water.
LAS said at the start" concluded the Colo
mel, as he put on his hat, ''the recommendations
could not be carried out without altering the
plan, and even if they could, they would not be
desirable"
HISTORY OF THE FLATS
The popular belief that the odious and odor-
Gus Potomac flats are of recent formation, is
erroneous, although the fact that thew have
largely increased in extent OF late years cannot
be disputed. The cherished traditions among
our Oldest inhabitants of deep water between
Washington and Georgetown, in the early part
OF the present century, permitting of tree navi-
cation by the largest vessels to the latter mort
along the Washington shore are not authenti
Gated by the official records. 1t can clearly be
shown that O century ago navigation was greatly
npeded by the existing shoals which slowly
spread themselves until the attention of Con-
gress was effectively called to the necessity of
taking some action to improve navi-
CATION and to prevent their deleterious
influence upon the health of the city, These
flats were caused by the deposit from the river,
washed into it by heavy rains. The river above
the Aqueduct and as far down as Easby's Point
Is, as everybody knows, narrow and deep. At
Eashy's Point its character Is changed. From