Evening star., 1896-11-16
RIVER IMPROVEM EN'T
Major Aliens Report Of Operations During
the Month of October.
Sea Wall Relaid and Raised-DamaEs
to the Aqueduct Bridge by
the Freshet.

Major Allen Corps of Engineers, has
made a report of operations on the Poto-
mac river improvements for the month OF
October, mainly relating to the work OF
relaying and raising the sea wall on the
Washington channel front of section 3.
This work was delayed for eight days dur
ing the early part of the month by I'M
usually high tides, Notwithstanding which
loss of time, 450 linear feet of the old wall
was taken down and relaid to height of
six feet above low tide. Above the height
of feet above low tide the stone was laid
in cement mortar. The sections of wall in
the tidal reservoir and on the Virginia
channel front of sections 1 and which
were injured by dredges and scows during
the storm of September %, have been fully
repaired. The total length of wall repaired
was about 400 feet The filling and grad
ing behind the wall was continued, and a
length of $50 feet completed. On October
freShet occurred, reaching height of
90 feet above low tide, but caused little,
if any, shoaling.
The Aquetluct Bridge.
At the Aqueduct bridge this freshet
reached maximum height of about feet.
and covered the Golfer dam at pier No. 4.
Some logs and drift lodged on the south
west corner of the pier, and the current
carried away some of the sheet piles and
loosened others. so that there is an OPEN
ing this corner about feet wide, while
the sheet piles adjoining are gradually be-,
ing ioosened. An examination of the dam
age is to be made by diver and the neces-
sary repairs made to prevent further in
jury to the Golfer dam.
Major Allen, who is temporarily in charge
of the Washington aqueduct and acces-
sories. during the absence of Capt. Gail
lard. has made report to the chief Of en-
gineers in regard to the work of increas-
ing the water supply of the District by
raising the height of the dam at Great
Falls He says that 800 feet of dam were
completed during October, all of the work
being in the Maryland channel. The total
length of the dam completed is 2,7J2.1 feet.
The amount of work remaining to be done
to complete this project is as follows: To
raise the height of the dam for los linear
feet; TO take up the coping for 81 fcer; to
place rip-rap revetment for 40 feet to put
in anchor bolts for JoS feet; to put in
clamps for 312 feet: to raise the abutment
on the Virginia shore IA feet for Is linear
1eet: and to replace about 400 cubic yards
OF rlp-rap revetment washed over the dam
across the Virginia channel in the flood of
october l. This flood reached to ,he height
of g feet over the new work. and caused a
suspension for the first ten days of the
month.
Water at Great Falls.
During the month the height of the water
at Great Falls varied between $50 and 1861
feet above the datum plane. The condition
of the water during October is stated as
follows: At Great Falls-Very turbid, II
days; turbid. day: slightly turbid. davs
ana clear, IL days. At the distributing
reservoir, eff1uent gate house-Very turbid.
Io days: turbid, days; slightly turbid. i
udy, anu clear, IL days. Slight repairs
month. -e 'Aie