The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-30

Zoe done 20 them.
An electric light and power outfit for
the N-inCh battery is under construction
public advertisement has been issued in
Vitiug proposals for an elcctriC-ight plant
for the mortar battery, and an electric
light plant FOR the 6-iuch battery has been
authorized. Completion of these plants
during the next fiscal year Is expected
Necessary repairs were made TO the bat
tericS and buildings 4 few repairs to
wharf and roadway were authorized late
I'm the year
Fiscal Year Estimates.
The total of the estimates Of appropria-
tions required for the fiscal year lSj2-l9g5
FOR Notifications, aggre gate $7,S75,oo9, as
follows:
For gun and mortar batteries-FOr con-
StruCtiuu of gun batteries, N,p"uJi; Tor
installation oI rang and position finders,
SIgu.NHo Total. Si.lJo.Upl-
For sites for Notifications and seacoast
defeuc-s. ,-,"uHe'1.
For purchase and installation Of search
lights. 10000. for installation Of post
mains and Cunduits, 100000. Total 81
For protection. preservation. and re-
pair OF Notifications. S.OOVur.
For preparation OF plans for fortiica-
For supplies for seacoast defences.
$25.Ou.
For filling in Fort Delaware reserva-
tiou, Sl-u0p.
For torpedoes for harbor defence-For
the purchase Of submarine mines and
necessary appliances TO operate thcm,
for closing the channels leading TO our
principal seapOrts, including our island
possessions for needful classmates. cable
galleries etc. TO render Il possible To
operate submarine mines, and for con
Iinuiug torpedo experiments. 100000, for
tugboat to transfer To the artillery. S25,-
G9e. Total Sl25pHP. Grand total. $lNl3.uJJ
For engineer equipment Of troops. 50
fcers. $500
Rivers and HnrbOrs.
The subject Of river and harbor i'm
provements is dealt with at length in the
report. A detailed statement is made up
on each Improvement made or coutem-
plated on practically every stream of
water in the country In regard TO the
Potomac River and its tributaries, the
improvements Of which are i'm charge Of
Colonel Aallen. the report says
The Potomac River IS uavigabie for
vessels both steam and sail. from its
mouth 10 Georgetown, d G, q distance Of
ll3 miles. At Washington il changes its
character from "A distinctly nuNial 20 "A
tidal stream. The tide rises as far up
aE L4,ue Falls. three miles above George
town. but the food current is not per
CepuDle above the latter The mean
range OF tides at Washington is three
feet
AT Little Falls. the actual head Of
navigation. the width of the river AT low
tide is $50 feet. The width just above the
Aqueduct Bridge. which crosses the river
Georgetown, Is about 200 feet. Below
this bridge, along tho water front at
Georgetown. the width Of the river grad
uany decreases for a distance Of One-half
mile 10 the foot Of Thrty-fiTst Street.
where the width is I2J feet This part OF
the river is known AS Georgetown Har-
Dor, and It's navigation was formerly Oh
stTuCted by several dangerous rocks,
which Were removed in 1876 and 1873 1855
The depth obtained &er these rocks by
h.. HHHnH n..Hn~ In
tide. which IS now the ruling depth in
the harb0r. Georgetown has a wharf
frontage Of 400 feet. extending from the
&Qutduct Bridge TO the mouth Of Rock
Creek At Easbys Point. one mile below
the bridge the river width is g4 feet.
Prior 10 the reclamation OF the tats the
width Of the river sharply increased from
FaSby's Point 20 about $3.50 feet off the
foot of Seventeenth Street. about four
ffths Of a mile below. and this last
named width substantially continued To
GicsbOrp Point. nearly four miles below
Easbys- over a great part OF this width
there was large deposit Of the sediment
carried Pr the river. resulting in the for
nation Of bars In the channel and of wide
flats on tho left bank
There were. I'm 1872. three channels in
this part OF the river. but since ls3+ thCr-
have been but two namely, the main. for
merry called the Georgetown. but now
known as the Virginia Channel, and the
Washington Channel
Long Bridge. one and four-ffuh miles
below Eagbys Point crosses both chan
nels. The Virginia channel was ohstruct-
cd 10y two bars The upper bar extended
from Long Bridge 10 about nus-HaIf mile
below EaSET- Point. The ruling depth Du
this bar was S feet iD 1904. while iu 1871 n
was fD feet. iu 1873 ~ was 1872 feet. ana Bro
1881. 10 feet The Improvement was due
20 frequent dredging but after every
freshet the drctScd channel was nearly
OhlitcTated- The lower bar, a.-Hi feet long.
was near GiesbOrO Point and iU 1875 bad
"a ruling depth II "a feet which was in
creased by dredging I'm lhli-'l5 o." IE feet
#H.r I'd. .H.H# d.
tween these two bars the channel had
depths of % TO 80 feet Below Long
bridge the Washington Channel was
Fho-I. IFS ruling depth On 1913 WAS 10 feet
for the greater part uf the wharf front
on telc foot Of y Street ia. depth llcreas-
I'd 10 y feet. thence gradually deepeued
to - feet off GrrcUleaf Point. Whora the
AuacostIa River enters the Potomac.
The depth iu tho Washington Channel
had been increased by dredging. so mat
ir 1881 "a depth Of ~ feet could hr found
along the greater part of the wharf front
The Potomac Flats.
The fats. which. under the conditions
above noted. had. prior 20 tho present
project. been I'm gradual process Of form
alton for a long time extended from the
Washington shore 10 the edge OF the Viz
ginia Channel Between Easbys Point
Pad the old Seventeenth Street wharf a
large area. In some places l,2" ieet wide.
had been raised by aCcTetouS 10 height
Of about foot above mean low tide
large quantities Of sewage We're carried
at high tide over these flats and dis
tributed by the flow among the rank
growth Of sCdgeE ana aquatic plants with
which the fats were covered As
the tide fell this mas Of sewage was
left exposed % the rays Of the sun. These
conditions combined 10 generate eftiuvla
which rendered the adjacent portions Of
the city almost Uuinhabitdblc. and at the
same time werr reported as causing ma
Iarial and other diseases.
The present. which 30 thu original.
project FOR Improvement was adopted by
The act Of Congress Of August . 3NS2 II
has for its object the Improvement Of the
navigation uf the river by widening and
deepening las channels. reclamation OF the
mas by GCpusitiuE ON them the material
Juured on a Ten Penny Nail.