The times., 1898-10-12
IMPROVING THE POTOMAC
Col. Allen Submits His Report
for September.
PROGRESS is GRATIFYING
The Reservoir Outlet Gates Are
Practically Completed - Six Hum
dred and Tventy-0ne Acres of
Potomac Flats Have Been Re-
claimed-Status of the Appropria-
tion-RebuiIding Long Bridge.

The report of operations during Sep
tember for improving the Potomac River
was submitted to the chief OF engineers
at the War Department yesterday by
Lieut.. Col. Charles ]. Allen, who is in
charge of the work. The report states
that the approved project contemplates
the removal or rebuilding of Long Bridge,
with wider spans, during the progress OF
the work.
when the present project was adopt
ed" says Col Allen, "the Georgetown
channel was narrow and crooked and
had not sufficient depth to accommodate
commerce, and the Washington channel
was shallow and narrow. The fats in
front of Washington were alternately ex-
posed and covered by the tide. In ex-
ecution of the project there has been
drsdged a channel from 250 to 800 feet
wide, and 20 feet deep through the bars
between Georgetown and Giesboro Point
As this channel shoaled more or less
above Long Bridge. 1t has been redredged
several times and a training dixie has
been built with a view of reducing the
deposits.
HI AuE w AolA AAidLAiIAt Aht nav
cation channel has been dredged to a
width of 400 feet and a depth of twenty
feet between the Long Bridge and the
junction of the Washington and Virginia
channels.
The Reclaimed Area.
THE reservoir outlet gates have been
practically completed. All dredged ma
terial is deposited on the flats, and the
reclaimed area Potomac fats of 62l
acres. has been raised to a height of from
six to twelve feet above low tide. The
total amount of material deposited on
the reclaimed area is about 10 7l0,036 cubic
yards.
The sea wall on the margin of the re-
claimed area has been practically com
| pleted except near the site of the inlet
| gates and along the bathing beach in the
| tidal reservoir The total length of sea
wall built TO date is 35, 2S9 linear feet.
Dredging operations were resumed in
the Virginia channel by the contractor,
/ A. NJ. Clegg. of Washington, on Septem-
/ ber l. 1883. In the effort TO run the dredge
| day and night double crew was put on
| September s. but from that date TO Sep
| tember Is the average run was but eight
hours out of the twenty-four The amount
| of material dredged and deposited during
the month was llOi7 cubic yards. or an
average of about sixty-three cubic yards
| per engine hour.
The work of extending the wharf al
/ Easby's Point was completed on Septem-
! Der Is This work was done by hired la
Dor. A suitable light for the guidance OF
| vessels passing in the night was also
1 placed on the wharf.
The United States combined pile-driver
and snagboat and its tender were exten-
| sively repaired at Alexandria During the
1 present month dredging is being contin-
| ued in the Virginia channel.
The condition OF the appropriation is
| shown by the following statement:
| Amount expended on the present pro-
| ject TO June 30 1898. s.. 1856 90. &c; balance
unexpended at that time, s9S939.64; amount
| expended during September, 1898 $2212.21
balance unexpended at the end of last
| month S94. .2S9.l7.