Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-08
RIVER FRONT LINES.
QUESTIONS REFERRED TO THE
SECRETARY OF WAR.
Information Desired Regarding the
Bulkhead and sWharves-The
Rights Of the District.

The District Commissioners have decided
to refer to the Secretary of War number
Of questions affecting the bulkhead and
wharf lines along the Washington river
front and the rebuilding of filled-in piers
They have embodied these questions in
letter to the Secretary, in which they say:
I'm the act of Congress approved March
8, 1899, entitled, An act making appropria-
tions for the construction, repair and pres
ervation of certain public works on rivers
and harbors and for other purposes, occurs
the following: Section 2 That where it
is made manifest to the Secretary of War
that the establishment Of harbor lines is
essential to the preservation and protec-
ton of harbors he may, and is hereby au-
thorized to cause such lines to be establish
ed, beyond which no piers, wharves, bulk
heads or other works shall be extended or
deposits made, except under such regula-
lions as may be prescribed from time to
time by him..
Given Exclusive Charge.
IN 1895 there was established under the
chief of engineers, United States army, in
the Washington channel of the potomac
river, opposite the city of Washington,
what are shown on an old map Of the Dis
trict as bulkhead line and a wharf line
I'm an act of Congress, approved March 3,
1890, the same date as the act above quoted
and entitled An act relative to the control
of wharf property and certain public spaces
in the District of Columbia the Commits
sioners of the District are given exclusive
charge and control of all wharf property
belonging to the United States or to the
District within said District, including all
the wharves, piers, bulkheads and struc-
lures thereon and water adjacent thereto
within the pier lines. and all slips, basins,
decks, water fronts, land under water, and
structures thereon, and the appurtenances.
easements, uses, reversions and rights be-
longing thereto. which are now owned or
possessed by the United States or the Dis
tr1ct, or to which they are or either of them
Is or may become entitled, or which
they, or either of them may acquire under
the provisions thereof, or otherwise; and
said Commissioners of the District shall
have exclusive charge and control of the
repairing, building, rebuilding, maintaining,
altering, strengthening, leasing and pro-
tectlng said property and every part there
Of. and all the cleaning, dredging and deep
ening necessary in and about the same
within the pier lines with the exception Of
the banks of the Potomac river from the
north line of the arsenal grounds to the
southern curb line of street south; also
500 linear feet Of shore line in the flushing
reservoir at the foot of 18th street west
and west from the western curb of said
street, including leyee 100 feet wide,
which is placed by said act under the i'm
mediate jurisdiction and control of the
chief of engineers OF the United States.
Request for Information.
THE pier lines referred to above are un-
derstood by the Commissioners to be sy-
nonymous with the wharf line indicated on
an accompanying plat, established In 1895
by the chief Of engineers. The Commits
sioners have been advised by their counsel
that they should request to be informed of
the position Of the Secretary of War with
reference to the jurisdiction over the land
and the water between the bulkhead line
established in 1895 and the wharf line;
whether applications for piers not to ex-
tend beyond the wharf line should for any
reason, be referred to the Secretary Of War;
THE Commissioners would, of course,
carry out any regulations which the Sec
rotary of War might establish with refer
ence to the kind of piers to be built. There
are now. along the Washington channel a
number of filled-in piers which were, in
part at least. built under proper authority
at that time. The persons who occupy
them are making applications to extend
and repair these filled-in piers and the
Commissioners would respectfully ask to
be informed:
First. Whether 1t is considered by the
Secretary of War that all applications for
wharves beyond the bulkhead line should
be forwarded to him. Second. If not, what
IL the poilCN VI the oecIetdty VI " ar Will
reference to allowing filled-in piers to ex-
tend beyond the bulkhead lne-whether as
repairs to existing piers, to the building
of new ones. or to the removal of those al
ready In place. q
THE Commissioners have not as vet ac-
quired full control of this water front as
authorized by the act of Congress above
mentioned, on account of the delay in adj
justing the compensation due to the present
occupants which was directed by the United
States Supreme Court to be paid in what is
known as the Potomac flats case morris
against the United States. but they have
control over permits for all new structures
proposed and for repairs to existing struc-
lures, and in a number of cases, where the
occupants have voluntarily surrendered to
the Commissioners absolute control Of the
wharf property