Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-03

The question Of whether the work on the Po-
tomac flats improvement shall be suspended
because of failure on the part Of Department
OF Justice to settle the doubt which has been
raised as to the title of section of the river upon
which the Improvement is being made, is excit-
Ing much interest. The work is now at that
stage when 1t can not be suspended without
danger of great damage, and every effort will
be made to secure from Congress small amount
OF money sufficient to continue the dredging be-
yond point where the channel will be filled
every time there is rise in the river The claims
to the ownership of part of the flats which form
the obstacle TO the continuation OF the work,
comprise but small section ofthe contemplated
improvement, and all the work that is to be done
there has been completed, SO that even were the
work continued the disputed section would in
no wise be affected. The question of validity
or the fnvalidfty of the claim to the "kidweu
Bottoms can only be settled in the courts, but
some of those who are we'll informed upon the
subject state that they are satisfied that no
valid title can be established.
ENGINEER ABERTs' VIEWS.
Mr.. S. T. Albert, the civil engineer, who was
brought into close relations with the kidwell
fats and matters pertaining thereto, before he
was relieved of his duties by Col. Hams, said to
day, when asked about the Kidwell claim to
the Potomac flats: "My opinion is that there
will be no difficulty in rebutting the claim of
ownership, If the matter is pushed as it should
be-. think it can be shown that the land for
at that time, but if delay continues until all
those who know anything about the matter are
dead there may not be sufficient evidence to
show the invalidity of the title. II the claim
ants are required to substantiate their claim
am satisfied they cannot do 1t: 1t the law
requires the government to bring suit, as
have to prove the invalidity, but that will not
be very onerous task in my estimation. Kid
wells patents were for a plat of land below Eas-
by.s Point, which was separated by channel
from the Washington shore. In the very year
they were issued, think it was AN official map
was made by Fendall for the u. s. coast survey,
which shows that where Kidwell claimed land
there was nothing but water, and at extreme
low water, too. Of course, if it can be proved
that there was no land as represented the claim
~ know by hearsay," Mr.. Albert continued,
"that the surveyor who surveyed the claimed
lands for Kidwell, whose name is Carpenter,
!! am rather surprised, by the. way, that he
hasn't been heard from in this con-
nection. 1 suppose he viii be, though,
would be valuable, tor it is said that when he
made the survey there was no land in sight,
but that he waded over the claim and dragged
sighted, and Kidwell was one of those: He eN-
pected, evidently, that this claim would make
his heirs if not himself, rich.
THE ownership of $50 acres of land, secured
for mere trifie about the close of the war, SO
near the city, would eventually become very
valuable. 1t it was not land then, he foresaw
that 1t would be some day, either by the natu-
raj accretions or by improvement. 1t has been
the policy OF the claimant and his legal advisers
to wait and TO ward off q final settlement OF the
question OF title as much as possible.
"lf the title was good the land would be much
more valuable in years to come, and if it was
not good, In years to come it would be all the
more difficult To prove it, for, as said, all those
who could throw light on the subject would be
dead and gone. l think that the claim can be
now proven 70 be worthless, that there was no
land at low water at the time the patents were
ISSUED.