Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-17
THE POTOMAC RIVER
Continued from Second Page.)

dixie reached the river edge Of the marsh,
riprap stone takes the place of the en-
banfment. The construction of training
dixie has been continued under various a2
preparations. and on June 30. 1895, the part
built of riprap had attained length of B.
900 feet The length cf the embarkment
was 1856 feet. The cross section of the
dixie is a triangle, the riprap having been
thrown in the river the line Of the dixie
and allowed to take its natural slope.
which is about to !. The top of the dixie
was six feet above low tide, but it has now
settled to from four to five feet above low
tide.
Dredging in Virginia Channel Below
Long Bridge.
In 1881 a channel $50 feet wide and
20 feet deep was dredged through the
bar in the Virginia channel below Long
bridge between the lower end of section III
and Giesboro' Point The channel Deepen
ed, after being dredged, reaching an aver
age depth of about % feet.
In 1886 the Virginia channel was widen
ed on the left OR northeasterly side for
distance of about 5000 feet immedia tely be-
low Long bridge. The depth made was
70 feet and the increase of width ranged
from 50 to 800 feet, averaging about 100
feet
Dredging in Washington Channel.
The dredging Of the Washington channel
under the present plan of Improvement
was commenced December p, 1884. From
1SS4-6 that part Of the Washington chan
mel now known as the navigation channel
was dredged to a depth of 20 feet from the
Long bridge to the junction of the Anacos-
tia channel below Greenleaf's Arsenal
Point the width attained being $50 feet in
frcnt of the wharves where vessels and
steamers turn, gradually decreasing to 200
feet a the lower end of the channel.
In 1878 the navigation channel below
the wharves was widened to $50 feet, with
a depth of 10 feet, down to it's junction
with the Anacostia channel
From 1SSS-9O the area between the navi-
cation channel and the margin Of section
III was partly dredged to a depth of u
feet, the width Of the dredging varying
from 100 to $50 feet. The shoal at the
junction of the Washington and Virginia
channels was also dredged to depths rang
ing from II feet near the lower end of sec
ton III to Is feet and then to 70 feet for
the navigation channel.
In 1884, the 12-foot dredging was COM
pleted and the navigation channel widened
and redredged to remove the deposits from
the freshet of 1885, from the turn In the
channel to the foot of 1919 street near the
Long bridge, the width attained being 400
feet and the depth 70 feet. In 1894 the re-
mainder Of the navigation channel was re-
dredged and widened to 400 feet, with a
depth of 20 feet. and the dredged channel
extended to G:esboro' Point through a
shoal which had formed
Dredging In Tidal Reservoir.
In 1886 part of the tidal reservoir to-
ward the northeasterly shore was aredged
and the material deposited on section II.
The depth made was eight feet.
In 1894 the southwest section of the reser-
voir was dredged to the required depth of
eight feet. The small tidal reservoir was
dredged in 1887, the depth being about six
feet. The material was deposited on the
sides of the reservoir. 1t Is connected with
the large reservoir by a narrow channel.
Reclamation of Sections I, 2 and 3.
In advance of the dredging operations
in the various adjacent channels and the
tidal reservoir, the outer margin Of the
area to be reclaimed was outlined by en-
bankments formed chiefly by clam shell
dr edges with long booms. these embank-
ments being intended to retain the depos-
tied material and prevent 1t from being
carried into the channels by the action of
the tidal currents and freShets. The first
dredging done was that of trench about
twenty feet wide and six feet deep, into
which riprap stone was thrown to serve as
a foundation for the sea wall. The mate
rial from this trench was placed in en-
bankments upon the landward side, and
after 1t had dried out and the riprap put
into the trench, the trench was gradually
widened from 1G0 to 200 feet on the river
side by clam-shell and endless chain
dredges and the material placed over and
beyond the embankment first formed. so
as to increase its width and height. After
these surrounding entertainments were
formed the Enclosed area was gradually
filled with the material dredged from the
river under the several dredging contracts
above noted, the embankments being rails
ed from time to time as the height of the
fill increased. In general terms. the present
height Of the reclaimed area above low tide
may be stated as follows; Section 1. from
to II feet; section 2, from 10 to 12 feet,
and section 3, from to IL feet
The total amount Of material placed on
the reclaimed area to June 80, 1888, was
10, 6S1 600 cubic yards.
Sea Wall.-The reclaimed area is being
protected on the water front by a sea wall
resting on a foundation of riprap stone
The foundation is about 20 feet wide on the
bottom and 5 feet on the top. which is at
the level Of low tide. The depth of the
foundation Is feet and the slopes are
about to on the rear and III to / on the
face.
in 1880 the construction of the sea wall
was commenced. 1t is built of Potomac
river stone Of a size rather larger than
ordinary building stone and is 6 feet in
height above low tide. The first wall built
had a batter of to 2. The greater part of