Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-11
RIVER IMPROVEMENT
Opening of Bids for Dredging
Near This City.
DIVIDED INTO FIVE HEADS
Deepening of Channel Through Draws
of Bridges.
REMOVAL OF WHARF PILES
Existing Channels to Be Extended.
Character of the Material-Re-
claiming Anacostia Flats.
REMOVAL OF WHARF PILES

Bids for the Improvement of the Potomac
and Anacostia rivers in the vicinity of this
city will be opened at noon tomorrow In
the office of Maj. Spencer Cosby, United
States Army engineer officer in charge of
the Potomac and other rivers in Virginia
tributary to Chesapeake bay, and under
the terms of the specifications the work
must be started within sixty days after the
awarding of the contract.
The work TO be done has been divided
by the engineers office into five heads as
follows: Dredging the Virginia channel OF
the Potomac river. dredging the tidal basin,
dredging soft material In the Anacostia
river. dredging hard material In the Ana
costa river and removing piles from the
Anacostia river. The improvement In the
Virginia channel is above the old Long
bridge toward Georgetown and includes
the deepening of the channel through the
draws of the new bridges over the Potomac
A channel twenty-one feet deep at low
tide and about $50 feet wide Is to be
dfedged on lines to be designated by the
engineer. The length Of the channel TO be
dredged is 1000 feet, more or less. The
depth of cutting will range from one 10
nine feet and will average about four and
one-half feet.
The material is believed to be soft mud
with perhaps small proportion OF sand.
and to consist entirely OF deposits from
freshets in a previously dredged channel.
The excavated material will be deposited
upon the adjacent portions of Potomac rark
at localities to be designated by the engi-
neer. large amount of this material will
be deposited in the 18th street sewer canal,
which is to be filed, and upon the section
near Easbys Point, which localities are
now low. The grade of the completed I'LL
Is to be about sixteen feet above low tide.
The maximum distance from the channel
to be dredged to the place of deposit is
about $500 feet and the minimum about
COO feet
The estimated amount of dredging in
Virginia channel, Potomac river, is 100000
cubic yards.
In the Tidal Basin.
In the tidal basin it is proposed to dredge
tie entire area of about Ill acres to a depth
of eight feet except within fifty feet of the
sea wall. where the depth is to be eight feet
at low tide.
The lines of dredging will be designated
by the engineer. The depth of cutting will
range from one to seven feet and will aver
age about four feet.
The material is believed to be soft mud
and to consist entirely of recent deposits
from freshets In previously dredged area.
The excavated material will be deposited
upon the adjacent portions of Potomac
Park at localities to be designated by the
engineer. large amount of the material is
to be deposited in the small tidal reservoir,
the 18th street sewer canal and the elliptical
tidal reservoir and the Washington, Alexan-
drfa and Mount Vernon electric railroad.
The grade of the completed fill is to be
about sixteen feet above low tide. except on
the section below the railroad. where 1t will
be about twelve feet above low tide. The
maximum distance from the place of dredg-
ing to the place of deposit is about 800 feet
and the minimum about 400 feet.
The estimated amount of dredging in the
tidal reservoir, Potomac river, is 100000
cubic yards.
Below Navy Yard Bridge.
In the Anacostia river below the Navy
Yard bridge the existing channel is to be
extended to the eastern limits of the navy
yard. and is to be widened by dredging
chiefly near Buzzards Point near the navy
yard, and probably opposite Washington
barracks, lines to be designated by the
engineer. The depth is to be made twenty
feet at low tide. The length of the chan
mel IN which dredging is to be done is about
1900 feet. The depth of cutting will range
from one to twenty feet and Will average
about fifteen feet.
The material is believed to be soft mud
with an occasional trace of sand. and moth
ing except mud, sand and similar easily
dredged material will have to be dredged at
the price bid for soft material, Anacostia
river.
The excavated material will be deposited
upon Anacostia flats below Poplar Point,
behind the left bulkhead line, at such loca-
ties the engineer may designate. The
grade Of the completed fill VIII not exceed
seven feet above low tide. The maximum
distance from the channel to be dredged to
the place of deposit is about g. 600 feet and
the minimum is about 800 feet.
The estimated amount of dredging of soft
material IN AnaCOStla river Is about 7OO,UOU
cubic yards.
The greater part of the material to be re- |
moved from the Anacostia river is soft mud |
but IS is proposed to widen the channel in |
Or6.a tn got our of do
Point. where the material to be excavated is |
hard clay. sand and gravel, and in conse-
quence OF the hard nature of the material |
separate specifications have been prepared |
for that portion of the work. The channel to |
be dug through the Anacostia bar will be |
to a depth of twenty feet at low tide on |
lines to be designated by the engineer The |
hard material is largely overlaid by mud |
which will be dredged and paid for soft |
material. The length of the hard bar to be !
dredged Is about 700 feet The depth of
cutting will range from one to twenty-oue
feet and will average about ten feet.
Compact Gravel and Sand.
The material is believed to be compact
gravel and sand, with some clay. Some of
this material was dredged by the hydraulic
process unde> previous contract.
The excavated material will be deposited
upon Anacostia flats below Poplar Point
behind the bulkhead line. at such localities
OF the completed fill will not exceed seven
feet above low tide. The distance from
the gravel bar to the place of deposit is
about 600 feet
The estimated amount OF dredging of
hard material In Anacostia river is 81 600
cubic yards. About $50 piles remain from
an old wharf, which originally stood in
Anacostia river opposite the navy yard and
in the portion of the river to be dredpe1
under these specifications. These niles are
generally about twelve inches in diameter
and are believed to average about FORTY to
fifty feet IN length. The material in which
they are driven is believed to be soft mud
The piles will. at the option of the CON
tractor. be either pulled up in their entire
lengths from the river bed or broken Off
so as TO provide depth OF at least twenty
four feet at low tide over the portion of
each pile remaining In the river After
being removed the piles WILL if required by
the engineer, be placed and properly secured
on ,Anacostia flats, at such localities as
may be designated. II the engineer does
not require that they be thus placed the
piles will be disposed of as the contractor
sees At, subject 10 the approval of the
engineer.
Under the terms of the contract to be