Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-09
TO DEEPEN CHANNEL
ENGINEERS PREPARING FOR EX-
TENsIvE IMPROVEMENTS.
Shoals, Logs, Snags and Wrecks to Be
Removed, According to Col.
Hoxie's Plans.

The United States army engineer author1-
ties in charge of the Potomac river i'm
provements now preparing for quite an
extensive Improvement of the channels in
the vicinity of this city, the work on which
will be commenced this fall, and will be
completed some time during the winter II
the weather conditions will allow the work
to go without interruption.
Although the channels in this vicinity
were dredged about two years ago to an
average depth of twenty-one feet, the &C.
posits from the numerous freshets of the
past two years have filed the channels IN
places and have decreased the depth of the
water three or four feet. This is said to be
particularly the case at the lower end Of
the harbor. where the channels of the main
river and of the Eastern branch join. Here
the fill has been quite large and the depth
of the channel decreased considerably.
Col Hoxie's Plans.
Under the plans prepared in the office OF
Lieut.. Col r. L. Hox1e, the engineer officer
in charge of the Potomac improvements, all
these shoal spots are to be cut away and
the channel restored to depth of twenty
one feet at low tide, and will be made 1900
feet wide. Specifications have been pre-
pared for the commencing of the work in
the Washington channel within the next
few weeks, and according to the estimates
of the engineers Office, about 10000 feet of
the channel is to be deepened to depth Of
twenty-one feet and to be made at least
200 feet wide. The depth of the cuttings
to be made will range from one to nine feet
and will average about three feet
The material to be excavated Is thought
to be soft mud the deposits of recent fresh
cts, and the contractor who does the work
will be required to deposit all excavated
material on section of the Potomac Park
at such points as the engineer In charge of
the work may designate, in order to raise
the grade of the park to about thirteen feet
above low tide.
Deposit of Material Dredged.
The engineer officer may require the con-
tractor for the work to deposit about $1,000
cubic yards of material on the grounds of
the Washington Barracks Park in the vi
cinity of the new War College building.
Under the contract for the dredging
which Col Hoxie will make the contractor
will be required to remove all shoal spots
or Jumps left by the dredges, and to re-
move all logs. snags, wrecks or stones with
in the channels to be dredged. in order to
give the channel a clear depth of twenty
one feet at low tide.
Duration of Operations.
The work is to be started not later than
the end of November, and not less than
$4,000 cubic yards of material must be
dredged and deposited on the Potomac
Park every month, but dredging may be
suspended during the months of December,
January and February, at the option of the
contractor. should ice or bad weather pre-
vent the progress of the work. No work
will be allowed on Sundays or legal holi-
days, except by special permission in writ
ing from the engineer, and as the work adj
vances 1t will be inspected by inspectors
appointed by the engineers office, and
these inspectors will see that the terms Of
the contract are complied with.
1t is estimated that the total amount of
excavating to be done in the Washington
channel will be about 100000 cubic yards,
and when the work is completed the largest
vessels that come UP the Potomac will have
no trouble in coming up any part of the
Washington channel even at the lowest
tides.