Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-11-10
UNDERGROUND BAR.
No Estimate Has Been Made for Dredring
II. Report OF Engineer.

is every reason to believe that 1T is rs
II comes from an authoritative source.
the cost ot dredging Newport News
battle-ground Bar is not included in
the estimate of Brigadier- General Will
son, chief engineer of the United States
Army, who recently recommended that
an appropriation CT S411, 900 be included
in the river and harbor bill for the
Improvement of James river. ...
1t is stated that the favorable report
Of Major Casey. United States engineer
IN charge of the waters of this section
which was made up after the SoundinSs
of the Bar had been taken UP by men of
his staff. reached the War Department
too late to be included in the estimate
Of the Chief Engineer OF the Army.
Absolutely nothing has Leer done by
the heads of the department in WASH
iTston to push the matter and unless
the shipping men Of the port and the
business .l"n of the city set together
and do something it IS quite probable
that Newport News battle-ground Bar
Will continue TO be Il great draw back
News.
There is no denying the fact that this
Ear is now q great detriment to the
ports business Visiting sea captains
and shippers from all PARTS of the
country and the world comment on the
fact that the entrance to the finest har-
Dor on the Atlantic coast, which is right
here at Newport News. should be neg
lect.d by the government. Here IS 4
harrison ranging in depth from eight to
eleven fathoms. yet the approach to
it is rot twenty eight feet deep at high
tide and at low tide it is less than TWEEN
ty-siX feet.
Ar instance Of delay in getting a ship
AWAY from Newport News on account
Of tho depth IF water over Middle
ground Ear is cited in The case Of the
large British steamship knight lIrrant.
which was recently chartered by the
Chesapeake & Ohio Steamship Com
rany for one yca, 70 augment its large
and English ports. The Knight lIrrant
left the piers ut O'Clock Tuesday af-
tcrn"on. it being the intention OF lrr
master 70 get her out that afternoon.
il was found. however. that the big
vessel couIt! not get oEci. the bar then
Notwithstanding the fact that she Was
ara awning only twcnty-siN feet and ten
inches IF water. Usually the cargo
ships loading here sail at tlayDre;ik
when they find it announcement or i'm
p"Ssioi" t" get Oft The evening before
.>t dayh,eni> yesterday. however. thvr"
was nor sufficient water over Middle
ground Ear 70 enable the Knight E.r-
rant 70 pass out and She did not sue
coed in sailing until lG:to o'clock Thus
she NeS detained here twenty hours on
ittptl!t VI ltcN OF SulllI lcIlL water 4
The Bar. This is only one instance. 4
number Of thcnl could &c recounted
Al the last session OF Congress the
MAR Department was instructed 10
make Z survey of Midile"round Bar at
Newport News With Z view Of dcepel-
ing the channel There 10 a depth Of
thirty feet at mean io" water This
was the first time on record where the
United States government decided to
Srsni money on the harbor of Newport
News. II may sound strange and even
incredible. .2ut it is L fact that NOT a
this haThor
Major Casey, United states Engi-
neers. With headquarters at Norfolk.
was instructed &c make the necessary
survey ana to report on the ADVISABLE
ty of deepening the channel The work
vas an extensive one and it required
some time to make the survey. Major
Casey put several of his engineers on
the work and it is understood that they
made 1920 Of !, 800 soundings before
they secured the data necessary to c,!-
able them 70 make their estimates:
1t WAS decided. according u :. relia-
BILE authority. that ii would be neces-
sary TO remove 100000 cubic yards OF
mud and tina, TO do This would cost the
government fifteen cents ., cubic yard.
This would make the total cost of
dredging only S225.0oo.
Major Casey sent in his report to the
chief Of engineers. recommending that
the Bar he t'redged ;st once to a depth
Of thirty feet at mean low tide. In this
report many reasons We're given why
Z" making 4 survey of the bar. Majur
Casey's assistants visited the custom
house and the shipping companies and
secured information relative to the
draft Of vessels that have gone over the
bay at low and high tide and those
which have had to wait for highest
water before they could get out of tn,
IL, rhor
This report, however. reached Wash
irSton too late to be considered by the
DEPARTMENT in making UP its estimate
for river and harbor appropriations for
the coming year. When the recomnlcl,-
datinn was made that 100000 be APP
rrcDriated for the Improvement of the
James river it was believed here that
in this estimate was embodied about
$25D000 for the dredging ot Middle
ground Bar at Newport News as the
total amount asked for in the improve
men of this river was just $3.50. 900 more
than the appropriation made by Con-
gresS at The last session. Now it Is
learned that all of the 100000 asked
for will he used in improving the upper
James that is to say that part Of the
James IN which the city Of Richmond is
interested The trades people OF Rich
mnnd used their influence and got the
estimate for the coming Year more than
doubled .
battle-ground Bar must be dredged
Shipping men say that if another year
passes without any steps being taken
to have the channel there deepened the
shipping interests Of the port will be
seriously affected.
One Of the prominent steamship
agents here had this to say to-day in
this connections:
II here. seems 10 )p 1nI1lt