Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-24
AN INSTRUCTED STREET,
Capt. Fiebeger Makes Report Upon the
Condition of Canal Street.
steps Taken to Remove the Obstruc-
tiOns-SugEestiOns About the Pro-
posed Fencing of the Canal.

At the last session of Congress a joint
resolution was passed calling upon the Com
missioners to report upon Canal street
that is. whether that part of Canal street
between l. and p is open to travel on both
sides of the canal; and if not so open, how
and by whom is it INSTRUCTED and what
steps have been taken by the Commission
ers for the removal of said Instructions.
The resolution was referred to Capt. Fie-
beser for report. and after several weeks of
careful investigation he submitted his re-
port thereon today.
This report is large and comprehensive
document, covering the history of the canal
the distractions to the streets abuttng
thereon and all information bearing upon
the subject. Maps and plats of the section
are also submitted.
He states the distractions to Canal street
between l. and to be:
By the District property yard at the in
tersection of Canal and L streets.
BY a dwelling and fence upon United
States reservation 3O5.
By some sheds at the intersection of I'd
and y streets.
By the remains of stone crusher at inter-
section of Canal and o streets and by sheds
of W. H. Mohler. lime kilns of Washington
tersection east of square E 547
By a fence projecting from square 59S
BY the approaches to the bridges at X
VI and y streets. which approaches are
about . to II feet above the level of Canal
street.
By heaps of sand and other building ma
terial distributed along the street. unloaded
from barges.
The Commissioners have ordered all these
distractions removed, except on the United
States reservation 3O5 the District property
yard at the intersection OF l. and Canal
streets, the approaches to the bridges and
the piles of building material.
A full account of the Commissioners ac-
ton on the subject of distractions along
James creek canal Is inclosed.
As TO the distractions in United States
reservation 800, Captain Fiebeger says he
is informed by Col Wilson that the Dis
trict attorney has had the papers in his
possession for several years for prosecution.
Concerning question of the resolution
as to whether the canal is used for trans
portation and to what extent he says:
THE canal is used principally for bring
ing building material, such as sand, broken
stone. &c. in scOws for use in the city.
No record is kept of the number of scows,
so that no definite idea can be given of the
amount of traffic.
Fencing the Canal.
Concluding the report he says:
Il would say that the District Commits
sioners have hitherto, and the grand jury
has, recently. called attention to the neces-
sity of fencing in the James Creek canal
throughout its entire length on account of
the accidents which have occurred from it's
unprotected condition. If the Commission
ers are limited to the construction Of a
fence IL IL feet from the banks of the
canal it will. as 1 have stated before, entirely
ruin the commerce of the canal,as no goods
can be brought up and unloaded in that
space. If, however they are allowed to
construct this fence, say about fifty feet
from the canal bank, leaving Al IL feet be-
tween the property lines and the banks for
a roadway and sidewalk, this space could
be used for storage of sand and other build
ing ma terials, and authority should be Civ
en- to lease II so as to cover the cost of the
construction and maintenance of the fence
and the necessary dredging of the canal"