The Washington times., 1905-08-11

A strong plea for large appropria-
tions to give fresh impetas TO the work
of dredging the Potomac river and OF
building Potonic park, is made by Col.
Smith 5. Leach. engineer in charge OF
this work. in his report for the fiscal
year which has just been received at
the War Department.
Colonel Leach says:
1T is thought that the time has ar
rived when, In response 10 the urgent
popular demand for better navigation
facilities, and for additional park space,
the appropria tfons for this work should
be made on a scale which would insure
the completion of the entire project. in
Guiding the increased channel depth and
height within few yeo
Because of the continual shoa1lng Of
the drcdged channels by deptsits from
freshets and the considerable expendi
ture required for the maintenance of this
Improvement, it has been impossible
with the small appropriation recently
made for this work. to undertake any
extensive operations toward the compile
is invited TO the fact that of the s2. .534,
go which has been appropriated for this
work, 2,0S5.000 was appropriated IN the
first ter years from August 1882 to July
1892 and but S499, 900 has been appropriat-
ed in the thirteen years since the lat
ter date
Should Accommodate Deepest Vessels.
Regarding the channel of the river the
report says;
THE project for this Improvement does
not specify the projected depth In feet,
but provides that the channels shall be
of sufficient depth to accommodate the
deepest draft vessels that can be
brought UP to them. At the time OF the
adoption OF the project the ruling depth
II
ton was twenty feet and all estimates
for the Improvement at Washington are
based upon this depth. The ruling depth
in the lower Potomac has been increased
by dredging TO q feet ut low tide.
which accordingly makes this the pres
ent projected depth for the improve
ment at Washington. For this increase
the present estimates, however, do not
make provision and no work with this
depth in view will be undertaken until
Il is authorized by Congress.
THE desrability of extending the ad-
vantages of increased depth in the low
er Potomac river at an early date 20
that deep draft vessels may reach the
navy yard, and wharVeS at Washington
is obvious, and need not be dwelt upon
here.
Would Guard Parl; From Freshets.
Incidental to the deposit of the ad-
ditfonal material thus excavated from
the channel. there would result the great
advantage of raising the surface of Po-
tOmac Park above all possibility of in
jury by the highest known freshets- The
estimated additional cost OF this import
ant modification OF the project which II
is hoped will soon be authorized by Con
gress IS 1892. coo.
Congress. by act of March 3. 1897. de-
CIared the reclaimed flats a public park
This extensive tract amounting to 621
acres Of land and us acres of inclosed
water area is capable of being trans
formed into one of the finest parks II
the country
While it is necessary that the great
er part of this area be for the present
reserved for the deposit OF material
dredged from the river channels. if suf-
fcient funds were appropriated certain
portions of the same could be soon
filled to their final height and covered
with rich alluval soil devoted ex-
clusively to park purposes"
Commercial Statistics.
\ table of commercial statistics is
submitted showing the receipts and
shipments by water for the calendar
year 1904. as follows: