Evening star., 1894-04-11
THE POTOMAC CHANNEL.
Work Done During March on the
River Improvement.

Maj. c. Z. l.. b. Davis has made a re-
port to the chief Of engineers OF the opera
tons for the Improvement of the Poto-
mac river during the month of March.
Dredging in the Washington channel under
the contract CT the San Francisco Bridge
Company was continued until March s.
when so much Of the dredging in this chan
mel as is to be done by the contractors was
completed. The navigation channel has
been dredged under this contract to a depth
of twenty feet at low tide from the turn
in the channel near the upper end of the
United States Arsenal reservation to the
wharf at the foot Of 13 1-2 street, Just be
low the Long bridge. a distance OF 6,297
feet. The width of the dredged channel is
400 feet, except for a few hundred feet at
the upper and lower ends, where IL was
gradually diminished to about 300 feet. The
total amount of dredging in the Washing
ton channel under the above mentioned
contract was 491,321 cubic yards, all of
which material was deposited on section
Ill. OF this amount about 1900 cubic yards
was redredging Of material found with
In the limits of the former navigation chan
mel, which was dredged prior to the great
freshet of 1889, when, owing to the incom-
plete condition Of the Improvement, the
freshet waters entered the tidal reservoir
and swept over the cofferdam Of the un-
finished outlet gates, carrying extensive
shoaling both in the reservoir and in the
Washington channel
Between the navigation channel ana the
wall line Of section Ill a depth of twelve
feet has been made, except near the wall,
where the depth has been decreased 10 about
SIX feet at low tide. which is the depth OF
the wall foundation. The contract of the
san Francisco Bridge Company provided
Tor dredging a part Of the tidal reservoir at
the southwest corner, which had not been
previously dredged, to a depth OF eight
feet. This work was commenced March
y last and was In progress at the close OF
the month. The material is being deposited
on section IL, between the tidal ressrvoir
and the Long bridge. The total dredging
under the contract to date is 570,379 cubic
yards, leaving 229,62l cubic yards TO COM
plete the total OF 10000 cubic yards
The filling behind the sea wall on section
III and the clearing up Of trees and under
growth were continued during the month.
During April the dredging OF the tidal res
ervoir VIII be completed and dredging in
the virginia channel will be commenced.
The remainder of the navigation channel
from the upper end of the arsenal grounds
TO its junction with the Virginia channel Is
still TO be widened to 100 feet and made
twenty feet deep, the material to be de-
posted on section Ill. The Widening and
deepening OF the Virginia channel below
the Long bridge, so as 10 facilitate the dis
charge Of freshets and prevent overflow in
the city. are still incomplete. The reservoir
outlet has been completed except the rail-
ing. All the material is being deposited on
the hats and practically the entire area 10
be reclaimed has been raised above the
overflow at ordinary high tide. OF the
12.UoOOo0 cubic yards estimated TO Ill the
f1ats TO the required height, there has been
deposited on them about e.sls477o cubic
yards.
The work OF removing the wreck OF the
steamer w. w. Colt in the Washington
channel of the Potomac river has pro-
ceeded slowly. At the close of the month
the boiler, engine shaft and about ATTY
linear feet of the hull had been removed.
There still remains about 100 linear feet
Of the hull to be taken out