Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-19
PREPARED BY COL. BIDDLE
Ownership Of Land and Riparian
Rights to Be Determined.
APPROPRIATION FOR COUNSEL
Importance of the Improvements
Wharfage Facilities Too Limited
Better Sanitary Conditions.

AFTER thorough consideration and re-
view of all phases of the proposition to
eliminate the flats of the Anacostia river.
Engineer Commissioner Biddle today pre-
pared the draft Of report to Congress on
the matter. Such report was called for
In the concurrent resolution OF the House
and Senate, passed February 81, 1906. the
Commissioners being directed by that reso-
luton to consider the Improvement of the
so-cailed fats from the mouth of the Ana
costa river to the District line, together
with estimates of the cost of any work
recommended.
AS first step toward improving the flats
the Commissioners recommend that the
present Congress make an appropriation of
$4,000 to employ counsel to investigate and
determine as far as possible the owner
ship of the land and riparian rights along
the Anacostia river. If this plan does not
meet with the approval of Congress, 1t is
suggested that the same result might be
attained by directing the Attorney General
of the United States to bring suit against
all parties claiming land or riparian rights
along the stream.
Review Of Previous Reports.
In the opening paragraph of the report
as drafted. the Engineer Commissioner gives
a brief review of previous reports on the
same matter. One of these was a document
prepared by the Secretary of War and pre-
sented to the 18th Congress December H.
1893. In this report two projects were
considered for the Improvement of the Ana
costa river from the District line to its
junction with the Potomac. The first prof.
ect provided for dredging a channel and
depositing material to an average elevation
OF seven feet above low tide, and IL was es-
timated that this work would cost s. $780,
dsd for rafc
ing the flats to a height of fourteen feet,
and this 1t was estimated could be done
for $685., $50. Engineer Commissioner Bid
die stated that, upon inquiry, II had been
determined that these estimates are correct
as of this date.
Commenting upon a still later action upon
the same subject, Col Biddle calls atten-
ton to the clause in the appropriation bill
of July /. 1902 by which 5000 was allowed
for work to be done by the Secretary of
War and the Attorney General in examin-
ing and reporting upon the nature of the
titles to land embraced within the said
flats. The full report prepared by the At
torney General at that time is quoted to
show that the question as to the owner
ship of the riparian rights and of part at
least of the submerged land is still unset
tied.
Lower Portion Of River.
The Engineer Commissioner also reviews
the report made by the commission ap-
pointed March /. 1901, by the Senate to re-
port on a park system for the District of
Columbia. This commission recommended
generally the treatment of the lower por-
ton of the river as had previously been
proposed by the War Department, but sug-
gested that on the line of Massachusetts,
avenue or at the Benning bridge a dyke
should be built across the river having a
tidal gate connection with the lower part.
and the portion above the dyke should be
treated as a pleasure park. Col. Bddle
states that the area of such park would
be about LOO acres, one-half of which
would be clear water suitable for boating
and bathing. It is estimated that such
treatment OF the flats would also cost APP
proximately 100000.
Concerning the Importance of the i'm
provement, the Engineer Commissioner has
this to say:
Within any reasonable cost, and 1t Is
thought that So, o00, 900 or 81 900 900 is rea-
sonable, the desirability of this improve
ment is extremely great. The land now
available for wharfage facilities in Wash
ington is too limited and the wharf frontage
is now crowded. To carry out the project
would quadruple the water front along a
navigable channel.