Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-09
THE RIVER IMPROVEMENT
Progress of the Work During thu
Month of May.


Major Davis, In his report to Chief Of En-
gineers Casey of operations for the i'm
provement Of the Potomac river for the
month OF May. says that In the execution
Of this project there has been dredged a
feet deeE, through the bars between George
town ami Giesboro Point. AS this channel
has filleti UP above the Long bridge 1t has
been redredged there several times. and a
training dixie has been built with view of
reducing the deposit. In the Washington
channel the navigation channel was dredg-
ed to a width of 800 feet and a depth of ~
feet. The ruling depth, however, was de-
creased to about Is feet by the freshet "
June 2, 1850. The area between the naviga-
ton channels and the wall on section Ill
redredgtng Of the navigation channel be-
tween the Long bridge and the upper end
of the arsenal grounds has been completed
from the turn in the 9hhnnel near the up
Long bridge. The remainder Of this chan
mel frSm the upper end Of the arsenal
grounds to Its Junction with the Virginia
channel, Is still to be widened to 400 feet
and made 20 feet deep. the material to be
deposited on section Ill.
The widening and deepening Of the Vir-
gtnia channel below the Long bridge so as
to facilitate the discharge Of freshets and
prevent overflow in the city, Is still incom-
plete. The material dredged from this chan
mel Is also to be deposited on section I'LL
The reservoir outlet has been completed ex-
cept the railing. All the material Is being
deposited on the fats, and practically the
entire area to be reclaimed has been raised
above the overflow at. ordinary high tide
or the 100000 cubic yards estimated TO
MI the hats to the required height there
has been deposited on them about 10, ,OSS, $50
cubic yards.
DredCfnU the ytrriuta Channel
During the past month dredging has been
continued in the Virginia channel. Opera
tions were interrupted by two freshets, one
occurring on May 8, the water rising to a
height of five feet, and another on May II,
rising to u height of SIS feet. Eight days
were lost In consequence. During the first
freshet the water was heavily charged with
sediment and deposited considerable soft
material In the dredged channel, shoaling II
to 10 1-2 feet but the second freshet carried
much Of this deposit away. leaving the
standard depth Of 20 feet in the channel
On May 81 the channel had been dredged to
width of go feet and depth of 20 fee,
for distance of g. 100 feet or about hall
way through the bar. The excavated ma
tertal Is being deposited on section H. be-
tween the sewer canal and the tidal reser-
voir. The clearing up of the reclaimed area
was practically concluded May Sand near.
ly all the laboring force was then dis
charged.
Work has been continued on the wreck OF
the steamer w. w. Colt in the Washington
channel of the Potomac but Major Davis
says the progress made has been exceeding
ly slow and unsa atisfactory. The hull seems
to be well broken up, but the services OF a
diver are needed to make the line fast to
the pieces. in order that they may be hoist.
ed from the river bed. The extended period
for completion of the contract with John
Austin Of Philadelphia expired May TO- 1,
Is expected the wreck will be entirely re-
moved this month.