The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
THE ANAC0STIA RIVER.
a Plea for the Improvement of the
Historic Stream.

!
The Senate Committee on Commerce YES
! terday received from the Committee on
| River and Harbor Improvements of the
Washington Board of Trade the follow
| ing statement of the need for the i'm
| provement of the Anacostia River:
Before Maryland ceded part of its
| territory to the United States the Eastern
! Branch of the Potomac River, also known
| as the Anacostia River, flowed almost due
| north and south through half the width
| of the State of Maryland and emptied into
| the Potomac River a point midway a.
! tween Georgetown and Alexandria The
| land on both sides of this river was high
ly cultivated-large quantities of corn,
! wheat, and tobacco were raised Vessels
| came from across the ocean to load with
| these products at Bladensburg more than
eight miles from the mouth of the Ana
costias and two miles north of the Dis
trict boundary line.
The Eastern Branch, in front of and
near 20 the Washington Navy Yard in the
year 1902, and for many years after was
wide and deep stream, sufficiently large
and commodious in its anchorage to give
sea room for many large vessels at anchor
large number of instances can be re-
! lated OF the condition of this branch after
1850. We find in the report OF the COM.
mandant of the navy yard for the year 1878
that on February l6 the commandant re-
ported the arrival of the Portsmouth in
tow of the Fortune, and that the former
was fast in the mud. On the 9th of March,
1881, prior to the unwilling of the Far
ragut statue at Washington. several of the
North Atlantic squadron had been ordered
10 Washington, to reach there about the
18th of March 1t will be noted that the
ships Tennessee and Constitution were
brought up the Potomac and had to anchor
forty to fifty miles down the river, not
being able to reach the city. Small boats
were chartered to bring the crews of thske
vessels to Washington, to be presentSat
the unwilling mentioned The Constitution
was enc of the vessels that was repaired
at the Washington Navy Yard prior to the
war OF 1872, and had no trouble whatever
TO reach the Washington Navy Yard at that
time.
The Anacostia River prior to 1890 as
has been shown, was a navigable stream
throughout its whole length within the
boundaries of the District of Columbia.
Subsequent to that time bridge was
bullt across the Anacostia at the foot of
pennsylvania Avenue east. This bridge
was but light impeachment to the flow of
the river, 1t being built on wooden piles
having no causeway abutment Starting
from the eastern bank, the pile bridge ex-
tended to the western bank leaving
clear flow of water throughout the length
OF the bridge. This bridge was burned
by the British in 1914 and was never re-
built. The building Of bridge was sub
sequently authorized by Congress across
the Anacostia at place called Benning.
four miles from the mouth of the river.
The river at this point, prior to the
building of this bridge, was more than a
nall mile wide. To lessen the cost of the
building of the bridge. authority was OBJ
tanned TO build a caussway across the
shallow waters of the river This cause
way embankment caused stagnstion at all
tunes during the year to the northward of
H. causing silt to settle in the low waters.
until at the present day, except at very
nigh tide, the low water portion of the
river is now exposed This condition ey-
ISIS also south of Benning Bridge to the
causeway of the Baltimore and Potomac
railroad, which further retards the flow
OF water, and then to the Pennsylvania
Avenue Bridge. and then to the NAVY Yard
Bridge.
All OF these impediments to the flow
OF the waters of the river and to the out
going tide have produced more than 900
acres OF flats which are exposed for a
part OF each day at low tide, and then COW
cred at high tide This process of filling
bridges were built; has narrowed the
enamel and caused II to become so crook
ed that 1t is unfit for use as a CONNER
cial waterway. This remark applies not
only to that portion o. the river north
of pennsylvania Avenue bridge, but also
that portion now used for commercial
purposes below Pennsylvania Avenue
bridge. to its mouth. While the depth of
water in the very narrow and tortuous
channel is deep enough TO float large YES
sells at the present day. the crookedness of
the channel prevents them from being
steered while under their steam CT sail
Therefore, large vessels arriving at the
mouth OF the Anacostia River are COM
PEELED to employ tugboats and then enly
in clear weather and In the day time can
they be propelled to the wharf of their
destination.
The United States owns land on the
east bank of the Anacostia River-the
asylum for the insane. Use the material
dredged from the channel below navy
yard bridge to fill the flats bordering on |
the Government lands to a height OF ten !
feet above mean low tide. More than 1876 /
acres will be added to the asylum grounds, |
which will be worth as much per acre as /
adjoining lands. sought to be purchased /
This reclaimed land will cover the cost OF |
the first years work of making the Ana |
costa a deep and wide waterway to our /
great gun foundry: will encourage the |
commercial improvement of its shores and /
restore that healthful condition which it /
had in natures first condition, which was |
so clearly described In the letter writ
ten in 1871, herein referred to-"