Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-01

Reel AIMING FLATS
Gen. Casey's Report on Potomac
River Improvements.
THE LONG BRIDGE A MENACE
Original Plan Being Carried Out in
Detail.
T II E E X p E n d / T L r z S
T II E E X P E N d / T L r z S

vicinity or washington, ID. c.:
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
| nerce. Vessels drawing sixteen feet fire.
quently grounded at high tide about Long
| bridge, and frequent dredging was ncces-
| 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
| flats existed along the city front from
Observatory hill to a point opposite the
arsenal Below Long bridge these flats
| were separated from the city front by the
Washington channel. The greater portion
| OF these 1ats was exposed at low tide and
covered at high tide with water polluted by
the sewage Of the city. At the foot of 18th
| street northwest large sewer discharged
| directly Upon the flats. These conditions
rendered portion Of the city almost I'M
tnhabitable.
| The Plan.
By an act passed August 2, 1882, Congress
| adopted a project which has for its object
| the improvement Of the navigation Of the
| river by widening and deepening it's chan
nels. the reclamation or filling of the marsh
the material dredged from the channels and
| the establishment of harbor lines beyond
which no wharves or distractions should be
built The project provides in detail for
such depths of channels will accommo-
| date 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 water; for
| filling the flats above Long bridge to
! height of three feet above the flood line of
| 1877 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 fill; that in order
to purify the water in the Washington chan
mel, which will be cut off at its upper end
| from the Virginia or main channel, a tidal
| reservoir or basin be established above
Long bridge, to be filed with water from
the Virginia channel on the flood tide and
discharged into the Washington channel on
| the ebb.
The plan also contemplates the rebuild
ing Of Long bridge with longer spans and
fewer piers, during the progress Of the
| work, and the interception of all sewage
| now discharged into Washington channel
and its conveyance to James creek; but
neither the reconstruction of the bridge nor
| the building of the interCepting sewer was
| included in the estimate Of the cost Of the
| improvement. The estimated cost of the
improvement Is $2,116,36o.
Work Accomplished.
Up to the close of the fiscal year 1893 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 Virginia
| channel Immediately below Long bridge had
| been widened, the depth made being twenty
feet. The bar in the same channel below
| Long bridge had been dredged to a depth of
| twenty feet and a width of about $50 feet.
oh,
| tained itself to the full depth originally
| dre6ged, or has deepened. The Washington
channel had been dredged to depth of Twen-
| ty feet for a width of $50 feet throughout
| its entire length, and to a depth Of twelve
feet from the twenty-foot channel nearly
| to the easterly margin of the ill, except a
small area near the 9TH street wharf. This
| channel, for the most part, maintained it
| self until the freshet of June, 1885, when
considerable filling took place. The juno
| ton of the Virginia and Washington chan
nels had been dredged to depths of twenty
feet, fifteen feet and twelve feet The
greater part of the tidal reservoir had been
dredged to depth of eight feet. The ma
terial dredged from the river, 9,465 20
cubic yards in all, had been deposited on
the fats. The entire area of the flats, about
621 acres had been outlined, and practically
| the entire area % be reclaimed had been
raised to height of six feet above low tide
The rip-rap 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 cur
rents had been commenced, and about
1880 linear feet of wall constructed. The
construction Of a dixie on the westerly side
OF the Virginia channel above Long bridge,
with view to reducing the deposits at that
locality, was In progress. The outlet gate
at the tidal reservoir, at the head of the
Washington channel, had been completed
with the exception of the railing
During the fiscal year ended June 30.
1894, the construction of the sea wall was
continued, and 1905 linear feet built max
ing total of %, 49S linear feet. In the
Washington channel, the anchorage ground,
between the navigation channel and the
wall-dredged to a depth Of twelve feet
has been completed. The navigation chan
mel has been redredged and. wldened for a
length of 6,297 linear feet, the width being
generally 400 feet and the depth 20 feet.
The unfinished portion of the tidal reservoir
was dredged to the required depth OF eight
feet at low tide. The channel dredged in
1892 through the upper bar In the Virginia
channel above Long bridge was found to
have filled In by freshets, and has been
partly redredged to depth OF twenty feet.
Work on the training dixie, on the west side
Of the Virginia channel, has been con-
tinued.
The Long Bridge.
On June 80. 1892. the northerly end Of the
Long bridge across the Washington chan
mel had been nearly reconstructed by the
Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company,
on plans approved by the Secretary of War,
the work being incomplete, owing to the
settlement and movement Of the abut-
ments. Reference Is made in the report of
the officer In local charge to the necessity
Of rebuilding the Long bridge. In 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 be
probable which would cause the water to
back up and overflow portions Of the city's
'front.' and through the sewers above the
bridge such portions Of the lower parts of
the city as may be drained by them. Great
damage was done by. the freshet Of June
1889, but greater damage may occur from a
freshst Of lesser magnitude If accompanied
by an ice gorge.
Plan Submitted.
A plan for the reconstruction Of the bridge
was submitted to Congress April 8. 1889.
July /, 1893. balance unexpended 1871 S34 Is
June 80, 1894, amount expended
fiscal year. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 14080lSo
s51,53232
July /, 1894, outstand-
ing liabilities. ........... $4,000
July /, 1894, amount COW
cred by uncompleted