Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-04
THE POTOMAC FLATS
Effect of the Recent Decision on Then
Improvement.
A TALK WITH COLONEL ALLEN
He Tells of the Work That Has
Been Done.
TITLE QUESTION SETTLED

Col. Charles ]. Allen, the engineer officer
in charge of the Improvement Of the Po-
tc mac river, is very outspoken i'm his graft
ncauon over the decision of the United
states Supreme Court establishing the
clear and absolute title Of the government
to the Potomac fats and the water front OF
Washington. While he admits that the litl-
CATION attending the solution Of these ques-
tions has been serious obstac,e to the
general Improvement of the river front and
the reclaimed flats. he said to a Star re
porter today that he did not care at This
time to discuss i'm detail the probable fu-
ture operations on the Potomac river as a
consequence of the decision OF the court.
Speaking generally of the work. Col. Al
len said:
The Improvement OF the Potomac river
at Washington under the present ccmprc-
hensve plan has been in pro.-,ss since
lSH2, in which year il was authorized by
congress. Before that however some
Dredging had been done I'm the Nlr,.iu.a and
Washington channels for the t,ripgrar,
relief Ct navigation.
Mary citizens of WashiaCtaa. and par
liculaflE those engaged in any business
connected with river traT spOr;a sian. will
recall the condition of the Ai.gllia chan
mel about 1911, when the lar which existed
between Easby's Point and the I.p-- bridge,
haG a d pth Of Only ten feet ~ lpH tide,
t,S'.4s cii IL the ct al trade Uf
town often grounded on the bar and were
sometimes obliged 10 remain th,re several
days.
Work s;cGun in 1871.
Congress then made several small a.Jra-
priations fer the improye mcut OF the river
and the effort was made To maiulain a
channel sixteen feet deep through this bar
Each freshet, however. brought down a
n'w supply Of material from ihe uppe- river
a
dredsed channels gradually obHt,rated.
Meanwhile the wide fais ard marshes
stretching from Easby's Point 90 wha, is
now Washington barracks corIinued to
shoal while deposits from the city sewers
rendered them constant source If ma
laria1 disease. The necessity for saIae re-
lief finally became 50 urgent that in lSN2
Congress made an appropriatiol for COM
mencing the present plan Of Improvement.
At this time it was known thai there were
certain claims to title portions of The
flats. notably the Kidwell claim for a part
of the flats between Easby's Puirt a"d l7Jh
street. The act Of August >. l~S-, provided
therefore for the examination OF such
claims by the Attorney General, who WAS
authorized TO bring suits If necessary to
protect the interests of The United states.
in the meantime, under the first appropria-
tiOn of $i00oOO. in 1852, and the second ~
$51eooo. in 1884, the work Of Improvement
was carried forward. The work then con-
sisted largely in dredging the Virginia and
Washington channels Of the river and in
deposiitng the dredged material on the fiats.
To CIenr the Title.
In August, 1886 special act was passed
by Congress providing for the institution or
suits in the Supreme Court of the District
of Columbia for the purpose OF making
clear the right of the United States to The
land or water comprised wi hin the limits
of the Improvement. The suits that were
brought under this act are the ones that
have been recently decided.
Congress continued to make appropria-
tions at intervals of about two years for
carrying on the Improvement. The total
amount appropriated from August >, 1852.
to June 3. 1896, both dates inclusive, was
s. 2S1 COO. The late river and harbOr bill
appropriated 500 eco for continuing the i'm
provement AS result Of the expenditures
to this time the standard OF navigation has
been increased to twenty feet at low tide.
Wide and deep channels have been dredSed
above and below the Long bridge for nay
igation to Georgetown. Above Long bridge,
however. less than twenty feet obtains in
places. the remedying of which Is in prog
ress. The Washington channel has been
made twenty feet deep for a width of 400
feet and an ample anchorage ground twelve
feet deep has also been secured. while all
the dredged material has been deposited
on the flats, raising them to elevations or
from six to thirteen feet above low tide.
thus reclaiming 62I acres OF land, which il
today worth probably more than twice what
It has cost the government. Around this
area a substantial sea wall has been huiit.
The large tidal reservoir is feature OF he
Eject of the Decision.
"The practical effect of the decision Of
the Supreme Court is to remove restrictions
which have heretofore delayed the reclama-
tion of the upper part of the flats. known