Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-15
THE POTOMAC
Major Davis Report of Operations During
the Month of March.
Amount of Dredging DOne-The Piers
OF the AQueduct Brfdge-Repairs
to the Long Bridge.

4ioJoi LAWS, LISA, mas made report
TO the chief of engineers of operations on
the Potomac river improvement during
: the month of March. Dredging in the
lower part Of the Washington channel, un-
der the contract of the New York 'Dredg-
Ing Company, was resumed March 6, and
favorable progress has since been made. A
channel 400 feet wide and 20 feet deep at low
tide and 2, 400 feet long has been secured
by the dredging operations of the month.
The amount of material dredged during
the month was 70,067 cubic yards. 1t was
deposited on the lower end of section III.
The material found was chiefly mud, al
though near the arsenal some sand and
gravel was met. The amount of building
stone delivered during the month for the
sea wall in the tidal reservoir was 800 cubic
yards: Work on the training dixie
on the west side of the Virginia
channel was resumed March 8,
der the contract of E. G. Gummel. During
the month LIZA cubic yards of riprap stone
were delivered and put in place on the
dixie. The dixie has now been extended
about 400 fee. under this contract.
All the material dredged from the chan
nels is being deposited on the flats, the
entire area Of which has been practically
raised above the overflow at ordinary high
tide. 1t is estimated that 1t will REQUIRE
12OO0,0O0 cubic yards to fill the flats to the
required height. There has been already
deposited on them about 1853, COZ cubic
yards.
The probable operations for April include
dredging in the Washington channel, work
ing on the training dixie and commencing
the construction of the sea wall in the
tidal reservoir.
The Aqueduct Bridge.
In a special report in regard to the Aque-
duct bridge, Maj. Davis says that the
weather and the stage Of the river having
become favorable work was resumed at the
Golfer dam about pier No. on the 9th
ultimo, and good progress was made. In
testing the dam several leaks were found.
These were easily stopped by the diver. 1t
was found by the contractors that it would
be necessary to put in all the shores be-
fore pumping out the dam to any consider
BILE DEPTH and this work was being done at
the close Of the month. The boiler first in
stalled was found to have insufficient
steaming capacity and the contractors have
purchased second boiler. The interior Of
the dam was pumped OUT to a depth of
eight feet below low tide, exposing the up
per part of the eroded cavity, but the dam
afterws,rd filled. The snoring of the Golfer
dam will be completed during April, and
the water will be pumped out of the dam.
whereupon the laying Of masonry on the
pier will be commenced.
The Long Bridge.
Maj. Davis says that March 1 telegram
was received from Mr. w. H. Brown, chief
engineer Of the Pennsylvania railroad, say
ing that the local superintendent would put
some men at work draining the roadway to
the LoIg bridge that day. This was
done, and on March 4 the company COM
menced putting some material on the road
way, but, says Maj. Davis, as the mud had
not been removed, no permanent or SUBJ
stantial results were secured.
Under date of March a letter was re-
ceived by Maj. Davis from twelve brick
manufacturers and business firms, calling
attention to the condition Of the roadway,
and requesting that a proper and easy
grade be established from the north end
of the spans over the Virginia channel to
the south end of the bridge over the Wash
ington channel, and that to this estab-
lished grade a substantial f1rst-claSs road
be constructed and maintained A copy of
this letter was forwarded to Mr.. Brown,
who caused careful examination of the
roadway to be made. and who stated, I'M
der date of March g. that soon as the
frost was out of the ground and the road
was dry enough the company would do
whatever grading and filling are necessary
to make first-class road.
Wreck of the Lady of the Lake.
Under the provisions of the act of Con-
gress of September 10. 1890. the United
States district attorney was notified
March l that the Peoples Transportation
Company had failed to reply to the notifca-
tons sent it to remove the wreck of the
steamer Lady of the Lake. which was
burned at her dock in the Washington
company was called to the fact that it was
guilty of a miSdemeanor in creating and
continuing an unlawful obstruction to
navigation. The company being without re-
sources to remove the wreck, Maj. Davis
says, action has been temporarily deferred
by the district attorney pending an adjust
nient of the insurance. In the meantime,
the company is maintaining light on the