Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-04

winch the 1OllOWlnS eXtraCtS are TAKEN.
The Proposed Improvement.
Proposals for dredging were invited Oc-
tober "a and opened November %. 1902.
The contract was awarded to the lowest
bidder for the entire work. the Sanford
and Brooks Company of Baltimore, Nd,
at 1895 cents for channel dredging and
14.75 cents per cubic yard for trench
dredging.
Under this contract a channel 300 feet
or more wide and 20 feet deep is to be
dredged through the shoals in the Ana
costa river from its mouth to the eastern
boundary of the navy yard. The dredged
material is to be deposited upon the flats
in front of the insane asylum, raising a
tract of about 100 acres to about feet
above ordinary high water. To retain the
deposited material it is necessary that it
be suitably inclosed. This is provided for
by dredging a trench along the river front
Of the area to be reclaimed filling the
trench with riprap stone (under separate
contract, and then forming an embank-
ment behind the riprap with material OBJ
tanned by widening the trench. To pre-
vent the material from spreading out later
ally over the flats the contractor is to con-
struct suitable cross embankments or
bikes at his expense and a type to be Sc
lected by himself.
Operations This Year.
ION February 6, 1903, the throwing up of
the upper cross embankment was begun
with the dredge Sinton and on the 9th of
the same month the dredging of
the trench along the river front
was commenced with the dredge Can
ton. This work was somewhat delayed
by bad weather, high tides and lack of
coal. By May the entertainments had been
worked over several times, and 1t had
been found that owing to the soft char
acter of the material it was impracticable
to raise them to a sufficient height by
withdrawn from the work on May %,
while the Canton was employed on the
front embankment up to June 3, and on
June it was also withdrawn.
The total amount of material dredged
from the trench along the river front dur
ing the fiscal year was % 692.S cubic yards
No computation of the material deposited
In the cross embankments was made as
this is not paid for.
I'm April the construction of a light tim
Der fence or dixie along the crest Of the
entertainments thrown up by the dredges
was begun by the contractor and this work
year.
Suitable waste weirs have been con-
structed, piles driven for the discharge
pipe and the channel lines ranged out.
The wreck of a small schooner which
was encountered within the limits of the
channel to be dredged and near Buzzard
Point was blasted and removed by the
dredge Canton.
Foundation for Sea Wall.
Proposals for furnishing riprap stone
and depositing the same in the trench
where it would protect the embankment
and later servo as the foundation for the
sea wall were invited October n and
opened November 26. 1902. The contract
was awarded to the lowest bidder. Charles
G. Smith & Son of Washington, D. c., at
S1.075 per cubic yard.
The delivery of riprap stone under the
above contract was begun March 5. and
progressed satisfactorily until May Is, when
e,767.3 cubic yards having been delivered,
the contract was closed The length of
foundation laid was 1,s2O feet, and the
amount Of stone used per foot about 4.S
cubic yards.
AT the request Of DR.. A. B. Richardson,
superintendent of the Government Hospital
for the Insane, wooden duct about !, $50
feet long. for conveying water through the
proposed fill to the pumps Of that institu-
ton. was constructed during April. by hired
labor, at total cost for materials. labor
and appliances Of about $685.
"A considerable amount Of sand and
gravel has been removed from tho flats of
the Anacostia, near Popular Point by pri-
vate parties. under permit, for building pur-
poses and similar uses. and small amount
Of material excavated from the site Of the
sewage pumping station at the foot of New
said flats, also under permit.
Benefits Of Improvement.
THE benefits to be anticipated from this
Improvement will be Of great Importance to
the general government and to the CITY OF
Washington. At the Washington navy yard
there has been established one Of the finest
gun shops in the world, and large sumo
have been spent in enlarging and increasing
fl,<rf n,tlt toe off Iaa foII f-r
provement Of the channel will render this
navy yard more accessible.
The trade and commerce Of Washington
ere increasing, while the wharf facilities
along the Potomac front are inadequate for
the present traffic, and there Ia no room for
expansion on that front. The dredging of
the Anacostia will afford additional wharf
age facilities. These Wharves should be
built with uniformity and system which is
lacking along the Potomac front
1.-THE greater part Of the area of the Ana
costa river now consists Of wide and ex-
tensive flats. which in summer and fall are
covered with dense growth of eel grass
and wild rice. The large volume of sewa ga
flowing into this stream is carried over the
flats and widely disseminated at high tide:
and as the tide falls much Of it remains
lodged in the aquatic grasses, where it fer
ments in the intense heat Of the summer
and early autumn.
Malarial Diseases Caused.
THE result Of this insanitary condition
is the prevalence of malarial diseases in
the portion Of the city and District which
border the river. Reports Of the surgeon
general of the navy show that diseases of
this character have been prevalent at the
navy yard, while the officer in charge of
the Government Hospital for the Insane has
| frequently called attention in his annual
| reports to the condition of these flats as the
| cause of malarial disease IN that institution.
| The insanitary conditions which exist on
the Anacostia river are substantially the
| same those that existed on the Potomac
| river prior to the adoption of the project
| for its improvement. The reclamation OF
| the Potomac flats, although not as yet en-.
| tirely completed, has very largely corrected
| the insanitaryc onditions along that front
| and gives promise of similar results on the
AnacoStia.
| Although merely incidental to the work
| OF channel Improvement, as affording the
/ most convenient and economical means OF
| diSpoSing of the eXcavated material the
| reclamation of the flats of the Anacostta
| below the Navy Yard bridge will rende,
| available for park or other purposes abou,
AGO acres of desirable and valuable land
| Acquisition Of Land.
| Some small amount of land located be-
| low the navy yard bridge is required for the