Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-26
Fill UP THE FLATS
Importance Of Improving the Ana
costa River.
STATEMENT PREPARED BY T. ". SMITH
Congress Asked to Restore Navi-
-.slsS g..
gabiIity of the Stream.
THE INTERESTS OF COMMERCE

Mr. Thomas W, Smith, chairman Of, the
| committee river and harbor improve
ments of the Board of Trade of this city.
submitted the following exhaustive state
ment this morning to the Senate committee
on commerce and the House committee On
rivers and harbors the necessity of the
Improvement of the Anacostia river:
Before Maryland ceded a part of its ter
ritory to the United States the Eastern
branch of the Potomac river, also known
the Anacostia river. flowed almost due
north and south through half the width
of the state OF Maryland and emptied into
the Potomac river at a point midway he
tween Georgetown and Alexandria. The
land on both sides of this river was highly
cultivated-largc quantities of corn wheat
and tobacco We're raised. Vessels came
from across the ocean to load with these
products ut BadenSburg. more than eight
miles from the mouth Of the Anacostia, and
two miles north of the District boundary
lire.
The depth of the water and width OF
the stream is matter of record. THIS
record will show that the Anacostia river,
prior to the time it was included in the
boundaries of the District Of Cotumhla, was
a whie and deep stream. capable or HoatiilS
the largest vessels. History tells of he
building of the largest vessels OF war ABOUT
the year 1872 at the Washington navy yard.
located nearly two and one-half miles from
the mouth of the Anacostia river. Ihc let
ter OF Maio L'Enfant. written to Presideat
George Washington, March 10 1871, found
on page :, of a pamphlet issued by tEe
Washington Board of Trade in May, lSh''
described the Eastern branch or Anacoslifi
river as a beautiful stream.
You will note particularly his compare
son of the availability of the waters WITHIN
the boundaries and along the shores OF TIE
District of Columbia. He praises the East
ern branch because of its aNdllablilty loi
commercial purposes and describes the 70
tomac river in front of what was intended
to be the city of Washington as shallow
stream: That vessels loaded with merchah-
dise-the merchandise intended Tor use III
Washingtor-couldn not be unloaded on the
Potomac side of the city of Washington, me
vessels being compelled to anchor as much
as 300 feet from the shore. the builolhg or
other material had to he llghtered TO the
shore while On the Eastern branch large
vessels could sail UP the stream ana lay
close under the western bank, ana unlpdh
from the decks of vessels To the bank OIL
the river.
Continuation of Warshfps
Mr. Smith quoted as follows from chapter
one OF a history of the Washington navy
ward prepared October 10. 1889. by Chap
lain Henry h. Hibben of the United States
navy bv order of Capt Richard w Meade,
United States navy:
Shortly before the close Of the admins
tration of John Adams. second president OF
the United States. q great national exigency
arising from French aggression upon our
commerce assisted by an eloquent appear
by BENJAMIN Stoddart Secretary or the
Navy to the House of Representatives, m
duced Congress, on the 18th of February.
1899 to make appropriation or Si,arh,hb
for the building Of six OF. the largest shps
of war That the object of this approprla-
ton should be more speedily ana ecoh"nl
icaIly accomplished together with the de-
sign of creating a permanent navy, lhc
Navy Department. In the latter part or the
year 1888 proceeded To apply portion pr
this appropriation to the purchase amt m
provement of selected grounds for six navy
yards located follows: one at New YORK.
one at Philadelphia. one at Boston. one at
Portsmouth. one at Norfolk and one at
Washington. .-ir ..- .
I'VE propose to write - history of The
ward located AT the capital of the nation,
and known the Washington navy yard.
The grounds were originally purchased FOR
81 900. They consist of forty acres OF roll
ing land. lying on the Eastern branch OF
the Potomac river.
This yard was designed originally, to
use the language of Secretary Stooidart. for
capacious buildings and dock yard and for
many years regarded as one Of the
most important and defensive, and the one
most useful, convenient and necessary to
the government and Navy department. ana
as early as October l. 1S0l, the government
had expended s5i. 6S' IN improvements at
this yard. a sum largely in excess OF that
aDDrODrIatet to any one OF the Otncr navy
yards up to this date: and on January ~.
the following year. timber for the i4-Sun
ship. stores and other material for building
had been purchased to the amount of sl'S,-
GS2.
Under the provisions of law there Were
lying in ordinary at the Washington navy
yard in the year 1897 the following frigateS:
Frigates United States, forty-four guns;
President, forty-four guns; Congress. thir-
ty-six guns: Boston tNenty-four guns: Es-
sex. thirty-two guns, and General Greene
twentyfour guns.
MANY repairs were made to vessels be-
longing to the navy, and III the years 1911
and 1872, brigs Vixen, Nautilus and Hornet,
the schooner Enterprise. ship Wasp tthiS
ship was built at this yard by day labor at
the same time that the Hornet was built
by contract at Baltimore. with the same
draft. In refitting the Hornet she was
found to be SO rotten as to require COM
plete rebuilding. On thorough examination
of the Wasp only one unSound timber was
found in her. The frigate Adams was fit
ted for receiving ship. the frigates Con-
gress, Constellation and Constitution. and
the gunboat No. 80 were repaired and re-
fitted also. The frigate Adams was again
hauled up in 1872 and was heightened fif-
teen feet. Nine gunboats were finished and
launched. All of the above Is quoted to
show the Importance of the Washington
navy yard prior to 1914
Sea Room for Many Large Vessels.
The Eastern branch. in front of and near
and for many years after, was Il wide and
deep stream. sufficiently large and COM
n:odious in it's anchorage to give sea room
for many large vessels at anchor. a large
number of instances can be related of the
condition of this branch after 1850. ! men,
ton, however only two: We find in tho re-
port Of the commandant of the navy yard
for the year 1878, that on February l6 the
commandant reported 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 unNeiling
of the Farragut statue at Washington, sew
eral of the north Atlantic squadron had
been ordered to Washington. to reach there
about the 18th of March. IT will be noted
that the ships Tennessee and Constitution
were brought up the Potomac and had to
anchor forty to fifty miles down river.
not being able to reach the city. Small
boats We're chartered to bring the crews of
these vessels to Washington. to be present
at the unwilling mentioned. The Constitu-
ton was one of the vessels that was re-
paired 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.
Establishment of the Gun Foundry.
For thirty years after the war of 1912
the Washington navy yard was the prin-
cipal navy yard on the Atlantic coast. 1t