Evening star., 1896-03-16
congressman and Citizens Inspect
the River Front.
GOOD MISSIONARY WORK ACCOMPLISHED
The Board of Trade Shows Up the
Anacostia Marshes.
APPROPRIATIONS NEEDED

Some good missionary work was done last
Saturday afternoon by the committee of
rivers and harborS of the local board of
trade with the similar committee of the
House. The Anacosta flats were the par
ticular subject Of investigation, and the
navy yard tug Triton Was the means of
communication with these malodorous
marshes. The object of the trip was to ex-
plain in a satisfactory manner to the Con-
gressmen ths real neces ;ity fo- the grant
ing of generous appropriation for the COM
mencement of this lorg-de.ayed work, which
1t has been pointed out by the best of local
scientific authorities should be undertaken
at once in the interest of the good health OF
the District, particularly that section lying
along the shores of the old Eastern branch.
In the annual report submitted to the
chief of engineers by Maj. Charles E. l.. Il.
Davis, in charge of the local harbor work,
attention was called to this situa ton. with
especial reference to the continual ohs;ruc-
ton of the channel to the navy yard and
it's tortuous and difficult character. He
timated that for $S;6OOO he could dredge
channel "a feet deep by 200 feet wide from
the mouth of the Anacostia to the navy
yard bridge, with the channel widened with
reduced depth to 1900 feet, as the demands
of commerce might require. He also planned
that there should be a basin 400 feet wide
and "a feet deep in front of the navy yard,
and proposed that the dredged material
should be deposited on the flats of the river,
which would thus be reclaimed from over
flow at high tide. He asked that an appro-
prlatlon OF $go,oO0 might be made to COM
mence the work this year.
The Estimate Not Submitted.
Gen. Craighill submitted the outlines of
Maj. Davis plan and quoted his estimate of
the entire cost, but failed to ask for the ap-
propriation Of 100000 for the current year
This omission confronted the House COM
mittee on rivers and harbors when that item
was reached in the cGnsideratio of the ap-
preparation bill, and the first impression was
that this work could not be regarded as very
necessary. In order to persuade the men,
berS of the committee to the contrary, the
expedition of Saturday arranged by
Chairman Charles b. Church, chairman of
the board of trade committee on harbor i'm
provements. The navy yard officials, who
are most deeply interested in the project.
inasmuch as the present channel to the yard
is exceedingly dangerous, gladly gave the
use of the Triton, and Mr.. Church furnished
all the necessary accompaniments of such
journey
1t was cold, raw day, and the trip was
rot the most comfortable that might he i'm
egined, but the explorers managed to find
warm places here and there around the boat
and got out of the cutting wind much
possible. The best of spirits prevailed, and
there Tas no complaining. In the party
were Senator George chairman of the select
committee on the improvement Of the Poto-
mac river; Representatives Hooker, Her
mann, Stephenson, Towne. Walker. Dovener.
Reeves, Catchings, McCClloch, Cooper of
Wisconsin, Lester and Berry-more than
majority of the rivers and harbors commit
tee of the House: Commissioners Ross,
Truesdell and Powell Messrs. c. b. Church.
B. H. Warner. John B. Wight, Frank Hume,
I. A. Lambert, Randall Hagner. Tracy L.
Jeffords, Thos. w. Smith, W. J. FriZZeil, J.
rric Lob, I S,,1
John b. Duncklee. and Maj. Charles Allen,
United States corps Of engineers, now in
charge Of the work, he having succeeded
Major Davis on this station this winter.