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

extending down stream from the foot OF
AualoStan Island. was added to the prof.
The project also provided for the re
building of Long Bridge at an early period
during the progress Of the Improvement.
with wide spans upon piers Offering the
least possible obstruction 60 the flow of
the water. and the iutsrcopuOn of all
sewage now discharged into the Washing
ton channel and its CONVEYANCE To- the
James Creek sewer canal. but neither Of
these works was included i'm the estmat-
90 cost OF the Improvement, which was
sZ.tit.ae5- The estimate. as revised in 1891,
is E2g53. o2o.
Appropriations and Expenditures.
The total of appropriations for this
work from August =, 1882. 20 March 3, 1893,
was S2259.oo0
The amount expended to the close Of
the fiscal year ended June So 1900. was
$50 lu&N2-
The expenditure resulted in the dredE-
ing of a channel - feet deep and SOD wide
through the bar above Long Bridge. and
IN restoring the standard -p-iO0t navrEa-
uOu 10y IydrcUgiug shoals dua TO freShstS,
IN Increasing the width Oi The natural
channel just below Long Bridge by % TO
80 feet. and i'm deepening Do to 20 feet,
m dredging a channel 800 feet wide and
20 feet deep through the bar III the Nir-
Elnia channel near GleSEJrO Point. IN
dredging the Washington channel to
width OF 400 feet and depth of % feet
I for "a navigation channel. and i'm dredging
between this navigation channel and the
wall OF the adjacent T,cla lined area to
depth Of i feet. in dredging at the juno
ton OF the ~ ashiuEton and Virginia
channels. IN dredging the tidal reservoir
OH acres To depth Of about feet, in
the construction OF the reservoir outlet
/ and in the construction of 81. 1Ng linear feet
( OF sea wall, of which 1910 linear feet has
! been taken down and relaid, and 1855
linear feet Of training dixie.
The total number of cubic yards OF
material dredSeQ from the channels from
I the commencement Of the Improvement
/ lNo1 10 date and deposited on the flats is
/ about u.1I4.T0 cubic Yards.
The area Of land reclaimed by these
operations is CLIP acres Cor, including
reservoirs. 1872 acreSl. which by act of
March - 1891. was declared TO be public
| park, under the name of Potomac Park.
! 81 nder date Of August 10 1890. con-
tract was made with the Atlantic Gulf.
and Pacific Company. Of New York. for
/ dredging in the Washington and Virginia
| channels of the Potomac at Washington
| d. 4. The contractors dreGEe having
| been lost al sea en- route TO Washington.
I an entirely new drCdEe had To %, built
! for the contract The dredge was built
! ana i'm readiness for work early i'm Feb
] rUaTy, 1901 The necessary dredging IN
! the Washington Channel was compIstsG
/ ny April % since which time the drgdgC
/ has ueeu operating I'm the Virginia Chan
! mel above Long Bridge. Vessels drawing
! twenty feet Of water can now proceed 10
( the Washington and Georgetown
/ wharyes.
! The total amount Of material dredgcd
/ from the channels and deposited upon the
| flats during the past fiscal year was ISL
! l6a cubic yards
The maximum draft that could be car
/ ried through the Washington Channel on
! June 80, lsl. at mean low tide. was -
! feet, for the Virginia Channel it was the
/ same Il Is proposed g. continue the
/ dredging Of the Virginia Channel during
( the present season 10 the extent Of about
/ $4,000 cubic yards.
Benefits to Navigation.
I
! improvements have been marked. Vessels
! can come to Washington loaded more
! heavily than was formerly the case. The
/ value Of the commerce To be benefited
! may be judged Of by examination Of the
! following table. showing the commerce Of
] the port Of Washington. in tons. from 1857
/ 10 1900, Inclusive 1881. 6lSy72 TONS ISIS
5Sl575: 1859 4SS ESQ; 1890 5l9 $50; 1891 sol 2l9.
( 1872. 166."Ji, 1893. 653 i.3: 1894 6H5SS. 1885.
6g} $50; 1885 722 $50. 1897 5s3 Cs8. IsE, Gf5 2sg.
I 1893, 5l5.5ig 1880. Col. 40
] The items OF work naming % be
/ completed are the dredging 10 fun width
/ of the Virginia Channel the maintenance
| OF both the channels tNdshiuETuu and
/ virginia., the raising of the iuCJWpleteIy
] raised portions OF tho area TO the fun
I height contemplated 10y the project. the
/ completion of the sea wall of IN. tidal
! reservoir, the construction of the reser-
! Eplr inlet. ana completion Of the training
] dixie on the right OF the Virginia Channel
/ above Long Bridge
! Five hundred linear feet of sea wall
/ viii have Go De built al the northeast cor
/ ner Of the tidal reservoir I'm case the
/ bathing beach shall ever be- discontinued"
/ In this connection the following figures
] are Civ en-
July ]. Igg5. balance uuexpended. Sle9.-
I S96 is June 30 1901. amount expended DIR
| ing hsca year. $56.9pSol. July J. 1901, bal
! ance UnaXpcnded. S9Z as Il. July J. 1901
/ outstanding liabilities. $3.50. July l. 1901
] balance available So $fs. L, July l. 1901
| amount covered by uncompleted con-
| tracts. SSf.5f3; amount testimatedD re-
quired for completion Of existing project.
l $685.. go. amount that can be- urOfitably cN-
pended in fiscal year ending June 3D. 1895.
for works OF Improvement and for maiute-
nance. in addition 10 the balance avail
| able July J. 1871, S2JHUu1 Submitted in
compliance with requirements Of Sundry
| Civil act OF June 3. 1897. and Of section
OF the River and Harbor act OF lses."
General Gillespie then continues his re-
port as follows
THE Potomac River below Washington.
] j.. c. is generally wide and deep body
Of wafer. having the characteristics Of
tidal estuary rather than Of huvial
I stream. In 1891 survey. ~ the obStrGc-
/ tJuS 70 Zi-fUot navigation was made and
1 a report rendered Was printed as House
/ EN. Doc No. 35. FlIty-second Congress,
. first session From this report the follow
ing brief description of the shoals found
is taken
The Kettle Bottom Shoals. which arr.
] tho first obstruction To- 2f-fuur u.EI--tr ION
met DO ascending the river commence 90
miles from ID. mouth and extend from
Cob Point To- Lower Cedar Point Ct dis
taace OF j. miles They consist of small
shoals. cid oyster beds. uudrrlaid with
mod. over which aT. depths rt from DO
To- l5 feet scattered over the river iu am
Irregular fashion. making navigation diff
. rcuit for vessels drawing over IF feet
There U.s. however am old NLaIUeI near
thc north bank Of the river through
which q feet can Dee carried. except for
short distance near Swan Point. where
there IS q small shoai with ruling depth
Of -5 feet
The present. which is also the original.
project Tor this Improvement was adopt
cd by act o. Congress of March 3 1880
which act further provided for prosecut-
INK the work under a continuing contract.
This project c0utcmulsres the improve
. meuf Of the waterway by dredging chan
an distractions TO I-fuOt navigation be
low Washington. ID. c.. NJ an estimated
cost Of g15S CO., The appropriations for
this work from March 3. 1888. TO March
3. 1901, aggregate Sl76DH.
I During the ensuing year so much Of
the uueTpended balance as is required will
/ be applied ln completing the channels
| provided for by the existing project By
l dredging and rock excavation. II IS hop
[ I'd that an increase iu width Of these
channels TO 800 feet may be- soon author
lied by Congress"
The Aqueduct bridge.
a lengthy report Is made upon the re-
pairs Of the Aqueduct Bridge I'm charge Of
Colonel Allen In this report General
Gillespie laws:
'Iu compliance with Senate resolution.
January q 1893 an examination Of the