Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-30
WANTS WIDE CHANNEL
VIEWS OF A VETERAN STEAM
BOAT CAPTAIN.
Says Error Was Made in Filling Up
the F1ats-Caution Regarding
Eastern Branch.

Since the Improvement Of that portion
OF the Potomac known the Eastern
branch is reasonably certain some time in
the future, the grave error committed in
narrowing the channel Of the present har
Dor Of Washington should not be repeated"
said the veteran captain of a river steam
boat to Star man this morning.
when the present channel was con-
structed along what is known our river
'front.' the engineers did not take the flu
ture Of Washington's growth into consd-
Grafton, neither did they appear to realize
the all-impOrtant fact that they erred Sc
riously in not making the channel at least
500 feet wider than 1t is. The retaining
wall of the flats on the south and west of
the channel should have been built that
much farther in, and, had such been the
case, instead Of the much too narrow chan
mel of today, we would have had plenty of
sea-room, and the general appearance of
the river front and harbor necessarily i'm
proved.
= Lack Of Foresight.
'It is all very plain now that it is too
late. The decrease of that much of made
land. to be used only for park purposes
with plenty to spare, would not have been
noticed nor missed. while the addition of
even such narrow limit of 500 feet Of
width would have made free sailing posi-
BILE. AS it is. the availability of the full
width of the channel cannot be had be-
cause Of shoals and rocks close in shore,
and because the fringe of high willows fol-
lowing the retaining wall makes in sum-
mer lee-shore of at least 100 feet as the
prevailing direction of the wind at that
season Is from the south. Thus, you see,
the sailing space Is still further closed in
by 100 feet and over
AS all Washingtonians know, when we
pack out or our slips to go down the river,
we are obliged to back water SO close to
the retaining wall on the other side of the
river that the sterns of our vessels seem
dangerously near colliding with the rocks,
and strangers think we will hit the wall he
FORE we swing around under full headway
pointed down the river.
Small Room for Vessels.
Il understand that Representative Mudd
Of Maryland and member of the District
committee has taken a personal interest In
the Improvement Of the Anacostia fats.
and We all know that The Star has been
insistent with Congress as regards this
very important matter Of harbor improve
ment for years. 1 trust that Mr. Mudd will
be good enough some day to take a stroll
along our river front, see and appreciate
the situation as give 1t. He will also OBJ
serve at once the very limited anchorage
space vessels have, regrettably and unfor-
tunateiy limited, yet this space must serve
Tor all time in the face Of Washineton's
spiendld and rapid expansion, commercial
~ ana terrltorially, just for the want of
few hundred feet of open water at the right
place, and which could have been had for
the taking.
Washington is destined to become
great city, and those who have had from
time to time its building I'D overlooked a
feature which ought to have been made
one OF paramount Importance. The present
retaining wall could, Of course, be taken I'D
and set back the flats excavated, and the
nna
regained and utilized. But think Of the
cost Congress- as body would be shocked
into apoplexy. Nevertheless, there NAV
come time within the present century
when the very thing now suggest will be
an accomplished fact. and it viii assuredlv
become fact if~the increasing commerce
OF the capital should demand It.
As to the Eastern Branch.
THE new channel of the Eastern branch
should not be made as narrow as possible,
as will undoubtedly be the case, unless some
member Of the District committee or the
committee on rivers and harbors, takes a
personal interest In the matter ana demands