Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-22
Value to Commerce Of Dredging the
River.
GROWTH OF TIE POTOMAC PARK
Over Six Hundred Acres Of Land
Reclaimed for the People.
WHAT IS YET TO BE DONE

Col. Charles ]. Allen tells many Things
of interest to the people of the District
in his annual report to the chief Of engi-
neers IT. regard to the operations for the
improv ement of the Potomac river In the
vicinity of Washington. Probably the most
gratifying feature Of the report Is that
showing the great benefit the improve
ments have been to commercesand naviga-
ton. Col. Allen says:
THE Potomac river Is navigable for YES
sells. both steam and sail. from its mouth
to Georgetown. D. c.. a distance Of lib
miles. At Washington It changes its char
acter from distinctively fiuvial to tidal
stream The tide rises as far up as Little
Falls. three miles above Georgetown. but
the flood current Is not perceptible above
the latter. The mean range of tides at
Washington is three feet
"At Little Falls. the actual head Of navi-
cation. the width Of the river at low tide
is $50 feet. The width just above the AQue-
Georgetown. is about LOO feet. Below
this bridge. along the water front of
Georgetown. the width of the river grad
ually increases for a distance of one-half
mile to the foot Of 3Ist street. where the
width Is 100 feet. This part of the river
is known as Georgetown harbor. and its
navigation was formerly INSTRUCTED by
several dangerous rocks. which were re-
moved in 1876 and 1SS3-1SS5. The depth
Obtained over these rocks by the improve
ment was twenty feet at low tide, and
which is now the ruling depth in the har-
Dor. Georgetown has wharf frontage of
1000 feet. extending from the Aqueduct
bridge to the mouth Of Rock creek At
Easby's Point. one mile below the bridge,
the river width Is 974 feet. Prior to the
reclamation Of the fats the width of river
sharply increased from Easby's Point to
about 600 feet OF the foot of 18th street,
about four-fifths of a mile below and this
last named width substantially continued
to Glesboro Point. nearly four miles be-
low Easby's. There was a large deposit
over great part of this width Of the sedi-
ment carried by the river, and consequent
formation of bars In the channel and Of
wide flats on the left bank.
There were In 1902 three channels In
this part of the river. but since 1884 there
nave been but two. viz. the madn, formerly
called the Georgetown. but now known
as the Virginia channel, and the wash
fngton channel
Long bridge. 4-5 miles below Easby's
POINT. crosses both channels. The Virginia
channel was obstructed by two bars. The
upper bar extended from Long bridge to
about one-half mile below Easbys Point.
Inc ruling depth on this bar was eight feet
IN 1851 while In 1871 1t was ten feet; In
1873 It was thirteen and one-half feet. and
IN 1881 fifteen feet. The improvement was
due to frequent dredging. but after every
freshet the dredged channel was nearly OBJ
liberated The lower bar. $500 feet long,
was near Giesboro' Point. and In 1874 had
ruling depth of fourteen feet, which was
Increased by dredging in 1s74-5 to sixteen
rect. This was the ruling depth in 1881
Between these two bars the channel had
Long bridge the Washington channel was
shoal; its ruling depth in 1878 was ten feet
Tor the greater part Of the wharf front
ON the foot of N street the depth increased
ened to twenty-five feet OF Greenleaf Point,
Wnere the Anacostia river enters the Poto-
mac. The depth in the Washington chan
mel has been increased by dredging, so that
In 1881 depth of sixteen feet could be
front.
THE fats. which. under the conditions
above noted. had been in gradual process
OF formation for long time. extended from
the Washington shore to the edge Of the
Virginia channel Between Easby's Point
and the old 18th street wharf large area,
III some places 800 feet wide, had been
raised by accretions to height Of aboat
a foot above mean low tide. Large quanti-
ties of sewage were carried at high tide
over these flats and distributed by the flow
among the rank growth of sedges and
aquatic plants with which the flats were
covered. AS the tide fell this mass Of sew
age was left exposed to the rays of the
sun. These conditions combined to gener-
ate eff1uvia, which rendered the adjacent
and at the same time were reported as
causing malarial and other diseases.
The Improvement Plan.
1.-THE present. which is the original
project for improvement. was adopted by
the act of Congress Of August 2, 1882. 1t
has for its object the improvement Of the
navigation of the river by widening and
deepening it's channels, reclamation of the
flats by depositing on them the material
dredged from the channels, the freeing the
Washington channel. so far as 1t can be
done. of sewage. and the establishment of
harbor lines, beyond which no wharves
shall be built. To effect these the project
provided for 20 feet depth in the channels
at low water, for filling in the flats to a
height of feet above the flood plane of
1877. and for tidal reservoir or basin
above Long bridge, to be provided with
inlet and outlet gates of ample dimensions,
to work automatically and SO arranged as
to admit Of the basin being filled from
the Virginia channel on the flood tide and
discharged into the Washington channel
on the ebb. An ample system of drainage
for the reclaimed area was also contem-
plated.
THE project also provides for the re-
building of Long bridge at an early period
during the progress Of the improvement.
with wide spans upon piers offering the
least possible obstruction to the flow of
water. and the interception of all sewage
now discharged into the Washington chan
mel. and its conveyance to the James Greek
sewer canal but neither Of these works
was 1nCluOeO III the eSIlmatoO Cost OF the
improvement, which was $2,716, 1856. The
estimate. as revised in 1897. was s.. 953. O20.
1.-The total of appropriations for this i'm
provement from August 2. 1882 to date is
81 2S5. 900. The amount expended to June
30, inclusive, 1896. was 81, 131 ,O49.79. The
work done to that date had resulted IN the
dredging Of channel 20 feet deep and $50
feet wide through the bar above Long
bridge, and in restoring the standard 20
foot navigation by redredging shoals due
to freshets: In widening the natural chan
mel just below Long bridge from 80 to 500
feet and deepening it to 20 feet; in dredg-
ing channel $50 feet wide and 20 feet
deep through the bar in the Virginia chan
mel near Giesboro Point: in dredging In the
Washington channel to a width of 400 feet
and depth of 20 feet: in dredging the juno
ton Of the Washington and Virginia chan
nels; in dredging the tidal reservoir Oil
acres) to a depth Of about 8 feet; con-
struction of the reservoir outlet: and con-
struction of 3S.SS5 linear feet of sea wall
and 1896 linear feet of training dixie
THE work of the past fiscal year has con-
sisted in laying sea wall on the Virginia
channel front and in the tidal reservoir:
also in relaying a part Of the old sea wall
along the Washington channel front Of sec
ton III Of the fats A contract was made
March 0. 1897. with A. NJ. Clegg of WASH
ington. d. c.. for dredging to be done I'M
der the augmentation of 500 OOO for the i'm