The evening times., 1896-02-29
DISTRICT IN CONGRESS
Citizens Desire Improvements in
the Harbor.
HEARING BEFORE COMMITTEE
Representatives of the Board of Trade
and Others Were Given Careful At
tentiOn-NOrth CapitO oil Street Ex-
tension-MeasureAf A ffecting Pension
ers-Other Local Bills.

The improvement of the harbor of Wash
ington with especial attention to the work
in the neighborhood of the navy yard was
the subject OF a hearing before the River
and Harbor Committee of the House this
morning. 1t was meeting OF the fuu
committee with. good attendance
Among those present We're Chairman
Hooker, Messrs. Catchings, Stevenson, Les
ter, Herman. Clark. Mccullough, and Bur
ton. The citizens who appeared before the
committee were Messrs. C. B.. Church,
Tracy & Jeffords Thomas W. Smith, and
Engineer Dunkley of Gen. Craighills Of
flee. They represented the Board of Trade
committee on harbor Improvement, and
were given careful. attention throughout.
They were before the committee nearly an
hour and many questions We're asked.
The committee. however, has not discussed
this proposal
THE OBJECTS DESIRED.
Mr.. Church left with Chairman Hooker a
paper showing what is desired for the op-
erations under consideration. "a. q.
Itbegins with review of harbor improve
nents here beginning in 1852, showing
the purpose to give two good navigabie
channels, one to Georgetown, the other
to central Washington. The Georgetown
channel is 10 be 500 feet wide and 20 feet
deep from Easby's Point to Long Bridge.
The present cut is 400 feet wide, 20 feet
deep.
The proposed width below Long Bridge
is 500 to COO feet, and 20 deep; the cut
in that part at present is precisely the same
as above the bridge, 400 feet wide by 20
deep.
The Washington channel is to be 500 feet
between the sea wall and the harbor line
The cut now is 400 feet by 20 deep, with a
second cut 200 feet by 10 deep. The only
cut required to complete tiIis part is
feet deep by 200 wide from Long Bridge
to the Arsenal.
The doubt as 20 the. ownership of lanfis re-
claimed, which hampered operations aslong
a s the Kidwell Flats suit was pending. it is
stated, has been removed by the decision
last summer. II is now possible to calcu-
late. with reasonable certainty,
that whatever lands are made
will belong to the government and can
be sold at prices something like those OBJ
tanned in private trasactions. By using
the soil obtained in dredging for the chan
nels the ground can he raised some fourteen
feet and that is above the high water line
of 1883.
In this way 622 acres of ground will be
reclaimed, and a tidal reservation OF Ill
acres will be formed. The land, valued
at 1 8 cents per foot, will bring over four
million dollars; at 20 cents, which is not
too high, its value is S5,410,152. The
cost of the work so far has been S2,10O, 200,
and about S531 900 is estimated to be
necessary to finish.
EXTENSION OF A STREET.
Mr.. Curtis OF Iowa has by request intro
duced in the House bill to provide for the
extension of North Capitol street to the
Soldiers Home.
By 1t the Commissioners are directed
to open and grade North Capitol street
from T street to the Soldiers Home. and
condemn such of the lands of the Pros
pect Hill Cemetery and OF Annie E. Bar
bour as may be necessary.