Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-18
POTOMAC RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
Hearing Before the House COMMITTEES
ON Rivers and Harbors.
COMMITTEES OF THE WASHINGTON BOARD on
TRADE ADVOCATE AN APPROPRIATION TO IN
PROVE THE NAvIaATIoN--A LETTER FROM COL.
HAMS

Messrs. s. E. Wheatley, Henry Wise Garnett,
G. 7. Dunlop. J. H. Magruder and Alex. d.
Anderson, representing the Washington board
OF trade, had hearing before the House rivers
and harbors committee this morning advocat-
ing appr opriations for tho general improve
ment of the navigation of the Potomac
river. Mr.. Wheatley, chairman of the COM
mittee on Potomac river improvements.
addressed the committee. He read the follow
ing letter from Col Peter C. Hains, corps Of
engineers, in charge of the Potomac river
flats improvement dated January and ad-
dressed to Mr.. Anderson, secretary Of the
board:
COL. HAMS LETTER.
'sir: In reply to your oral inquiries in re-
gard to the depth of water available for ves-
sells between the mouth of the Potomac river
and Washington, d. c., have to state that from
the mouth OF the river to Kettle Bottoms about
thirty feet can be carried at low tide. Over the
Kettle Bottoms there is an available depth OF
about twenty-one (2l) feet at low tide, or abont
twenty-five and one-half (221s) feet at high
tide. From Kettle Bottoms to Maryland Point
there is ample draft for the largest vessels.
From Maryland Point to Deep Point there
Is about twenty-one (2D feet at low tide,
or about twenty-five and one-half (2212)
feet at high tide. At Deep Point there is a
shoal on which there is depth of nineteen (f9)
feet at low tide or twenty and one-half COZ
feet at high tide. From thence to Giesboro
Point there Is an available depth of from
tWenty-four to twenty-seven GA to 27) feet at
low tide. Along the wharves at Washington
there is about twenty (20) feet at low tide.
The depth in the river could be increased to
twenty-four (24) feet at low tide by deepening
on Kettle Bottoms and between Maryland Point
and Deep Point, the cost of which would not,
IN INV ntN,v, Aal a1~@,,& NJ. =
not an estimate, but guess. There is ample
harbor capacity between Washington ana Alex
aneria for an immense feet"
THE POTOMAC NEGLECTED.
he elso presented statistics showing that
white the total appropriations for rivers and
harbors in the United States during the past
hundred years has been S174, 900 900 but
81, 7S0, 600 had in that time been spent on the
Potomac. the chief portion Of that going for the
improvement of the water front at Washing
ton. Prior to 1888 only 100000 had been ex-
pended on the Potomac
MIR. Catchings of Mississippi called attention
to the fact that the committee could not make
appropriations for the improvements spoken
of In Col Hams letter until surveys had been
made, and Mr.. Garnett asked them that the
committee authorize the surveys.
THE KIDwELL FLATS.
Members of the committee asked questions
concerning the status of the suit to clear the
government title to the Potomac flats.
MIR. Garnett replied on this point stating
that in the present condition of the courts Of
the District the three years this suit had been
hanging was not phenomenal, and that he
would not predict its settlement within a year,
unless Congress gave the relief to
the courts the bar association was seeking.
This however, he said, should not interfere
with the improvements, as but forty acres were
involved in the suit and there was plenty of
space to work on without encroaching on the
disputed ground. However, there was no
doubt of the governments title to the ground
in dispute, and that there was nothing to ap-
prehend from the decision Of the courts that
need prevent their going on with all the work.