Evening star., 1893-10-30
He Details the Work on the Poto-
mac River Improvement.
REPAIRS ON The LONG BRIDGE.
The Aqueduct, Water Mains and
Other Points Taken Up
PUBLIC BUILDINGS NEEDED.

In his annual report Gen. Casey, chief
OF engineers. makes an elaborate review OF
the work performed on rivers and harbors
In all parts of the country during the past
year and the Improvements projected In the
future, including also a review of the work
on the various fortifications The total es-
Inmates for fortifications are s. ss2,s7e.
In regard to the Improvement Of the Po-
tomac river and its tributaries he says:
Before the commencement of this i'm
provement the channel to Georgetown, ID.
C.. was narrow and crooked. and had not
sufficient depth to meet the needs Of COM
merce. Vessels drawing sixteen feet fire.
quently grounded at high tide above Long
bridge, and frequent dredging was neces-
sary to maintain even this depth. The
channel was of insufficient width, as the
appropriations for dredging were too small
to provide for more than a narrow cut
through the bar The Washington channel
was narrow and shoal and inadequate to
the wants of commerce. Extensive mud
mats existed along the city front from OBJ
servatory Hill TO a point opposite the ar
senal. Below Long bridge these flats were
separated from the city front by the WASH
ington channel. The greater portion Of
these mats was exposed at low tide and
covered at high tide with water polluted by
the sewage of the city. At the foot OF
l.th street northwest large sewer dis
charged directly upon the flats These
conditions rendered a portion of the city
almost uninhabitable.
River improvements.
By act passed August 2 1882 Congress
adopted a project which had for its object
the improvement of the navigation of the
river by widening and deepening its chan
nels. the reclamation or filling of the
marshes on the city front by depcsiting on
| 81
nels. and the establishment Of harbor lines
should be built. The project provides I'm
detail for such depth of channels as will
accommodate the largest vessels that can
reach Arsenal Point, with such depth at the
wharves as will allow vessels to receive
full cargoes without grounding at low wa
ter; for filing the flats above Long bridge
to height Of three feet above the flood
line of lS7', and the middle part of the flats
below Long bridge TO the same height, but
sloping each way to a height OF six feet
above low tide at the margin of the I'LL: that
in order to purify the water in the WASH
fngton channel, which will be cut of at its
upper end from the Virginia or main chan
mel, tidal reservoir or basin be establish
ed above Long bridge, to be filled with wa
ter from the Virginia channel on the flood
tide and discharged into the Washington
channel on the ebb.
The plan also contemplates the rebuilding
of Long bridge with longer spans and fewer
piers during the progress OF the work. and
the interception Of all sewage now dis
charged into Washington channel and its
conveyance to James creek. but neither the
reconstruction of the bridge nor the build
ing OF the intercepting sewer were included
in the estimate of the cost Of the improve
ment.
The estimated cost of the improvement =
8, 365.
Work Done.
Up to the close of the fiscal year 1882 the
expenditures aggregated s., ,7sO, ,3lS33 and the
following work had been accomplished The
Virginia channel above Long bridge had
been deepened to twenty feet at low tide for
a width of from 400 to $50 feet. a part OF
which has since filled up and been re-
dredged to a width of go feet. The bar in
the same channel below Long bridge had
been dredged to a depth of twenty feet and
width OF about $50 feet This part of the
Virginia channel has maintained itself to
the full depth originally dredged or has
deepened: The Washington channel has
been dredged TO a depth of twenty feet for
width of $50 feet throughout its entire
length and to a depth of twelve feet from
the twenty-foot channel nearly TO the cas-
terly margin Of the fill, except a small area
near the 9TH street wharf This channel for
the most part maintained itself until the
freshet Of June, 1889, when considerable
Milling took place. The junction of the vir-
g1nia and Washington channels had been
dredged TO depths of twenty feet fifteen
feet and twelve feet The greater part Of the
tidal reservoir had been dredged to a depth
of eight feet. All the material dredged from
the river had been deposited on the fats
and of the L. CO., 900 cubic yards estimated to
be required about s.3o3. 900 had been deposit-
ed The entire area of the fats. about 62l
acres. had been outlined. and practically the
entire area to be reclaimed had been raised
above overflow at ordinary high tide
The riprap foundation for the sea wall
had been put In place around the entire
river front OF the reclaimed area and the
margin OF the tidal reservoir. The con-
struction of the sea wall, for the protection
of the margin of the fill from erosion by the
waves and the action of the tidal currents,
rad been commenced and about Il. $40 linear
feet OF wall constructed. The construction
OF a dixie on the westerly side of the yir-
gtnia channel above Long bridge with q
view to reducing the deposit at that locality.
was in progress. The outlet gates at the
tidal reservoir at the head of the washing
ton channel had been completed with the
exception of the railing.
On the Anacostia river two bars In the
channel have been dredged SO to secure
20 feet at low tide from the mouth to the
navy yard. Harbor lines have been estab-
lished In accordance with the project
The construction Of the sea wall was re-
sumed and $50 linear feet completed max
| ing a total of 1880 linear feet
The channel through the bar (caused by
the freshet Of 1889 in the Virginia channel
above Long bridge has been widened from
200 feet to $50 feet. the depth being 20 feet.
This work has given timely and materisl
relief to the coal trade OF Georgetown.
Work on the training dixie on the west
side of this channel has been continued.
Dredging has been commenced in the
Washington channel and the embanlrnents
for the deposit of the dredged material On
section have been form ed.
On the Anacostia river the Navy Depart
ment has dredged a basin p feet deep and
from 100 to 200 feet wide in continuation of
the dredging done under the direction of
this department in 1912. No funds have
been available for further work on this part
OF the improvement during the past year.
Long bridge.
On June 80. 1892, the northerly end Of the
Long bridge across the Washington channel
had been nearly reconstructed by the Bali-
more and Potomac Railroad Company on
plans approved by the Secretary of War,
the work being incomplete owing to the
settlement and movement of the abutments.
The south abuument has been rebuilt dur
ing the past year.
Reference is made in the report of the
officer in local charge to the necessity OF
rebuilding Long bridge. In the event Of a
freshet occurring when the Potomac river
is full of ice great damage is TO be expected
The piers of the bridge are of such faulty
construction that an ice gorge would he
probable which would cause the water to
back up and overflow portions Of the city
7