The morning times., 1896-04-30
IMPROVING THE POTOMAC
Report to the Senate On the
Progress of the Work.
GOOD CHANNEL SEGURED
Twenty Feet Is the Average Depth
and It Has Been Strengthened and
widened-Long Bridge and the Pro
posed Plans for Its Reconst
tIon.

The report submitted by the Senate
Commerce Committee on the river and
harboF bill contains the following state
ment regarding the sum of 100000 car
ried for improving the Potomac River at
Washington
Before the Improvement was commenced.
the ehanneI to Georgetown was narrow.
crooked. ami had rot sufficient depth TO
accommodate commerce Vessels draw
Ing sixteen feet frequently grounded az
high water above Long Bridge. and 20 main
tain this depth freque NJ dredging was
necessary. and even then the channel was
narrow. as the appropria lions for dredging
were only sufficien ut 10 make narrow cut
through the Dar. The Washington channel
was not only sboaI. bot narrow. and
wholly inadequate to the wants or com
nAeFce-
Up 10 the close Of the fiscal year ending
June so. 1894. 81 .9s3, 467 .6s had been ex-
pended and the following work had been
done:
The Virginia channel had been dredged
twenty feet deep and $50 70 $50 feet
wide between Georgetown and GiesbOro
Point. and as above the Long Bridge this
channel had filled up 10 has been redredged
several times. and a training dixie has
been commenced on the westerly side of
the channel To reduce the deposit by con-
tracing the waterway
TWENTY FEET DEEP.
The washin gton channel bad been dredged
to a depth OF twenty feet and a width Of
$50 feet throughout its entire length and to
a depth OF twelve feet from the twenty-foot
channel nearly to the easterly margin OF
the fill. This channel was maintained
fairly well until the freshet OF June, 1889,
when considerable shoaiing took place. The
construction of the sea wall. for the pTotec-
Jion Of the margin of the fiji from erosion by
waves and the action OF tidal currents and
freshets. had been entirely completed be-
/ low the Long Bridge. a total length Of
25.495 feet The reservoir outlet az the
head of the Washington channel had been
completed with the exception of the railing.
During the fiscal year ending June 80,
1895, dredging was Continued under the
contract until completed July 26, 1894
Ies.257 cubic yards having been removed
under this contract. Under tie new ap-
preparation OF August II. 1894. a new
contract was made for dredging the Poto-
mac River. and 2O2, ,483 cubic yards was
dredeed from the Virginia cha mel and
| 22I .742 cubic yards from the Washington
chan mel.
Work on the sea wall nd the edgt
OF the tidal reservoir was commenced and
good progress made, 800 feet OF wall
( having been completed at the close OF the
| fiscal year, and the training dixie on the
westerly side of the Virginia cha nne
/ above the Long Bridge was exte nded
/ the total length being 5000 feet.
| THE LONG BRIDGE.
| On June so, 1892, tie northeriy end O.
/ the Long Bridge across the Washington
/ chan mel had been nearly reconstruct
by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad
! Company on plans approved By the Secretary
/ of War. the work being incomplete owing
! to the settlements and movement OF tht
abutments.
Reference is made In the report OF the
officer in local charge TO the necessity
OF rebuilding Long Bridge In event OF q
freshet occurring when the Potomac Rivei
Is full OF ice. great da rnageis to be expected
The piers OF the bridge are Of such faulty
construction that an ice gorge would be
| probable, which would cause the water to