Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-23
Dredging Channels During the Past
Year.
GREAT AID GIVEN TO NAVIGATION
Vessels Draw ing Twenty Feet
Can Go to Georgetown.
AT MATTAWOMAN SHOALS

vessels drawing Il Feet or water can now
pass through the channels OF the Potomac
below Washington at low tide and vessels
drawing 20 feet can now proceed to the
wharv s of Washington and Georgetown at
low tide. This gratifying condition of the
Potomac is the result Of the execution Of
the general project for improving the nav
igation Of the river. The situation is fully
described In the annual report OF Col
Charles ]. Allen. Corps of Engineers, in
charge of local river and harbor work,
which report was submitted to Gen. Gil
lespie, chief of engineers. today.
Dredging Local Channels.
Referring specially to the work on the
river channels at Washington, Col. Allen
says: The commencement of dredging OPP
erations was delayed by ice in the river
until March II, 1901, when dredging was
begun in the Washington channel, and
prosecuted almost continuously night and
day until April 25. 1901, when 1O7, 245 cubic
yards had been dredged and deposited upon
the park and a channel 81 feet deep and
400 feet wide excavated through the bar
at the entrance
THE dredge was at once transferred to
the Virginia channel above the Long
bridge. where work was begun April %
1901, and continued to the close of the fis-
the Virginia channel at the earliest prac-
ticable date the work was first limited ex-
clusively to dredging the west cut 1874 feet
in width. which at the close OF the fiscal
year, had been practically completed
through the entire length of this shoal.
The total amount of material dredged from
this bar and deposited upon Potomac Park
during the fiscal year was 1898 cubic
yards.
'The work was delayed by ice and winds
at the outset and by freshets during April
and May, but Notwithstanding these him
ORANGES good progress has been made, and
it is anticipated that all the work pro-
v1ded for under this contract will be COM
pieted early In the present fiscal year.
The Freshets.
The highest of the freshets of this
spring d90D reached its maximum eleva-
ton on April %, when the surface Of the
water was about II feet above mean-low
tide at the Aqueduct BRIDGE 81 feet at
Easbys Point, and 50 feet at Long bridge
NO serious damage was done to property
by these freshets. but soundings show that
large quantities of silt were deposited by
tnem upon the bar in the Virginia cham
mel above Long bridge A sample of river
water taken during one of these freshets
was allowed to settle in a graduated glass
and found to contain per cent of soft
mud.
Channel Depth.
The original. which is also the present,
project for his improvement was adopted
by act of Congress of August 2, 1882, and
makes the following provision as to channel
depth:
1t is regarded necessary to the
proper execution of this plan. as thus de-
fined, that the channel depths in both
Washington and Georgetown harbors
should be sufficient to accommodate the
largest draught vessels that can be brought
up to Arsenal Point. with such additional
depth at the wharves that vessels can re-
ceive their full cargoes without groundine
at low water
The projected depth was not stated In
feet. but by the above imposed condition
was. at that time, limited to twenty feet
at low tide, and this depth was adopted in
all estimates for the work
BY act of March 3. 1899. Congress- how
ever. authorized the dredging of channels
tWenty-four feet deep at low tide, through
all shoals in the Potomac river below
Washington. D. c. This work is now in
progress under continuing contract; and
it is anticipated that it will be completed
during the ensuing fiscal year.
Upon the completion of this dredging OF
the shoals in the Potomac river below
Washington the adopted project for i'm
proving the Potomac river at Washington
d. c., will. without any alteration, provide
for a similar increase in channel depth at
Washington-for which, however the pres
ent estimates make no provision.
THE desirability Of extending the ad-
vantages Of increased depth in the lower
Potomac river at early date so that
deep draught vessels may reach the navy
yard and wharves at Washington is OBJ
vious and need not be dwelt upon here
The additional material to be excavated in
order to establish twenty-four-foot chan
neis at Washington should be deposited
upon the reclaimed flats Potomac Park,
and there would thus incidentally result
surface above all possibility of injury by
the highest known freshets. as well as the
advantage OF dry area for use by the
people
The estimated additional cost of this
important improvement is $500 600 which,
however, as Congress has not yet acted
upon the matter, has not been Incorporated
In any money statements or estimates pre-
sented in this report.
Improvement of River Below WASH
inGtOn.
"a continuing contract for dredging the
shoals in the Potomac river below the city
of Washington, D. c., was entered into
with Rittenhouse Moore Of Mobile. Ala,
November l. 1899. The work began De-
cember Is. 1899, and dredging operations
are to be continued as long as funds are
available or appropriations made for the
work: not less than $1,000 cubic yards to
be dredged each month. Dredging under
this contract was in progress at the close
of the past fiscal year.
'Dredging at Mattawoman shoal was
continued by the contractor, very satisfact-
ory progress being made until November
10. 1900, when the dredge was removed
from the work for the purpose of repairs.
From September II to the close Of the work
for the season. the dredge was operated
night and day.
"At the conclusion Of the seasons work
final soundings were taken and then all
the range piles We're removed from the
river.
THE contractor resumed dredging at
Mattawoman shoal April "a, 1901, with a
dredge of smaller capacity than that en-
ployed the previous season, and although
work was prosecuted continuously to the
close of the fiscal year the progress made
was not as great was desired.
At Smiths Point Shoals.
Range lines for dredging have been
partly staked out at Smiths Point shoals,
the next obstruction below Mattawoman
and 1t Is anticipated that the contractor
will begin operations there at an early
date with the dredge employed at Mat
tawoman shoal last season.
I'm all. 49,. TAO cubic yards were dredged
at Mattawoman shoal during the past fis-
m