The Washington times., 1906-01-28
WASHINGTON HAS
GREAT WATERWAY

monies. and on other state occasions.
At these times hundreds OF thousands
of persons from every section or the
country flock to Washington. Many OF
the visitors have never been able 20.
leave their native States before, and q
large proportion have never seen Uncle
Sans great fighting machines OF the
sea. 1t would be an educ alton as Well
as a great source OF pleasure Tor them.
to be able 10 go over these vessels
while they are this fer East, and be-
fore they return 10 their homes In Jh9
Middle and Western States to take uu
their everyday work again.
First Survey Is Needed.
Any one Of these rea sons would ba
sufficient to warrant tbs, National Cow
eminent in appropFiatiDg suincIenr
amount to have q survey made OF the
Potomac with d view 10 ascertainIng
the cost OF securing minimum depth
OF thirty feet 10 the sea, and with a
channel four hundred feet wide. Ex-
perience has shown that shoaling tH
the Potomac is very slight, and tbs
cost OF maintaining this depth after
IL is once secured would be trffiings
Under the rivers and harborS appro@
priation bill there is annually expend-
ed millions OF dollars in widening the
channels OF rivers throughout the
country, which do not in q century aoat
the amount OF traffic that the Potomac
would have in a month should a SUI
flcient depth be secured enabling the
great steamers TO come 10 this point.
london. on the Thames has had the
same conditions with " 1ich 10 cope,
and vet she today loads and unlOadS
at her docks the largest vessels ahoats
The same thing could D.. brought about
here. The saving TO tie National Cow
eminent would be incaleulable. and the
impetus that would be given every
line of activity IN Washington would
be vaster than even the most visionary
would dare TO hope for
How preposterous il sounds today TO
say that WashingtOnians ought TO
board ocean steamers for any part or
the globe at local docks, instead Of go
ing to New York, TO Boston. or Phtla-
| anairs might easily be brought about
/ by the deepening of the Potomac
| channel
Faith Will Do Much.
This is another instance in which
| the faith of the people will accomplish
much. The appropriations tnat nave
/ been made by Congress for carrying on
river and harbor improvements in all
sections of the country have in practi-
/ cally every instance been secured as q
! result CT the interchangeable activity or
( trade bodies in the sections which have
I been benefit ed. They keep their repre-
sentatiVes in the House and in the
Senate continually spurTed up TO the
point where the committees are forced
to take cognizance OF the statistics or
commerce and the rates OF increase Ia
| the cases OF towns and ports which are
| begging for still further appropriations
| TO deepen channels, remove choals,
widen passages, place lightShipSs get
new surveys, and what not. Slnee
| Washington has never until recently
taken any vital interest in anything
along this line, it is quite natural that
| the river and harbor committees should
not have cast aside the many petitions
and apparently meritorious claims Tor
assistance presented by other cltiess
| in order that money might be expend-
/ ed here in deepening a channel for
4 which there seemed no popular DESIRE
and hence no commercial demand.
The Greater Washington" movement
will place different color on all such
propositions, and the commercial
| bodies of the city. as we'll as the prom
/ inent Individual citizens, will find q
| proftabIe and fruitful line of endeaYor
along which to labor for the general
welfare, BIZ pushing the claims Of this
city and contiguous territory Tor the
deepening CT this great natural outlet
/ to the sea.