The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-04
GIGANTIC TASK OF
DNERT|NG river
Government Enginee rs
Swing Appomattox Riv-
er Out of It's Course
WORK WILL SOON
BE ACCOMPLISHED
After Dredging and Digging
Two Years, End Of Task,
Which Cost 100000,
is in ght-Captain
Bishop Leader
Of Scheme.
Especial to The Times Dispatch.1
rorrn, r2YfnH ~ - -. I, /.

lSpeClal4 TO Inc tllmeS.lOl6pdLCn.Is 4
PETERSBURG. VA, August s-The
great work Of diverting the course Of
the Appomattox River and construct
Ing 8 new channel, two and q half
miles long, for the purpose OF pre-
venting the obstruction. Of Peters e13er - W.
burg's harbor by the big sand de-
posits brought down by freshets, is
now nearing completion and the en-
glneers OF the Atlantic Dredging Com
pany. OF Philadelphia which has the
United States Governments contract
for the entire work, expect to- have
water flowing through the new cham u
OF engineering skill is the grea test
public work ever accomplished for the
city of Petersburg. and Is expected to a3E
afford the best shipping facilities that
the Cockade City has ever possessed.
For many years the city expended q NJ
nually about ten thousand dollars inS
clearing the harbor and dredging the AZ
lower channel Of the Appomattax. NJ!
volvlng total expenditure Of more
than one million and three hundred S8
thousand dollars, with$only temporary
results, as the constant formation Q a.
big sandbars necessitated practically
continuous dredging in order to MAIN
tain an open channel and afford pass
sage to the James River for the big e
lumber schooners, coal barges and 9th AZ
err craft coming to this port. 1Cxclu-3
slve Of Its two hundred thousand dol-88l
lar appropriation for the present work, NJ
the national government has spent
about eight hundred thousand dollars &
on the Improvement Of Appolnattoxs 8
River, including the constipation of IN
what Is known as Puddledock Cut. a u
Strengthening Of the course 5of StheAh
river for two and one-half miles: be-s
ginning ut Closure Dixie, abou two
miles below the city. No permanent
relief from the serious md exp nsiveS5
Eb1ocklng ofnast gatton involving great
delay and expense os8shippers and
loss to the city, was ever afforded and 3
more effective methods became abso-
lutely necessary. II
Other Plnns Devised. M M
Captain Carter r. Bishop, president j
Of the Lower Appomattox Board. the
committee CT the City Council which
has charge Of the Department OF River
Improvement. earnestly advocated the
construction Of n dam across the river
just above the harbor and the diver
sion OF the water into a new cham
mel, which She uld rejoin, the main
course some distance below the +
city, thus creating a backwater har-M
Dor protected from sand bars by the I
DAM and insuring an open channel
This plan, popularity known as the d.!
w
eminent engineers. and presented to
! the Rivers and IIarbors Committee OF
| Congress- by q committee OF Peters,
burg citizens headed by Captain Bish-
op After everalNyears of persistent
! effort to secure government assistance
| and with Invaluable aid from Senator
| Thomas S. Martin, Governor Claude A.
Swanson, then a member Of the House
of Representatives.. and Major Francis
| r. Lassiter. Representative from this
| district, Petersburg finally obtained an
| appropriation of 100000, and In Octo-5
| Der, 1904, the work commenced, Its in-S
| auguration being celebrated by big
/ public meeting at the Academy Of Mu-
I sic, at which Senator Martin. Congress-
| man Lassiter, and Captain Bishop We're
i guests Of honor.
The Atlantic Dredging Company, OF
| philadelphia, to whom the contract
i was awarded, to be carried out under
/ the supervision Of army engineers. be-
i gan work with the construction of
i Bishops Bridge. a wooden structure
4 across the Appomattox River named.
3 In honor of the originator of the diver
sion scheme. This bridge ts> public
4 roadway extending from point near
the Union Depot to the Richmond
turnpike on the Chesterfield side. and
affords a much more direct road to
Chesterfield than the old Pocahontas
|
Of the new waterway began at the
lower terminal, a point near Old Town
Creek on what Is known as the "old
channel" Of the river, q shallow wa.
ter course parallel to the Appomattox,
and emptylng into 1t ut Point of
Rocks, seven miles from Petersburg.
thus atfording natural continuation
) for the artificial channel under con-
/. struction and carrying the diverted
) volume of water total distance of
t seven miles before returning 1t to the
main river. Steadily @the big suction
dredges. steam shoyels and derrick
scows have been working their way
through sand hills. swamps, marshes,
! and lowlands, up towards the city, un-
!, til now the goal Is In view. the chan
mel having been practically completed
: to the point in Pocahontas directly
: opposite the city, where the tracks of
, the Atlantic Coast Lie Railroad VIII
! cross 1t on a steel trestle the stone
! piers and abutments for which are
!, nearly ready for the superstructure.
q After passing under the railroad
: bridge, the cut will have to bo contin-
ued for n distance OF only about four
n hundred yards when 1t Will be ready
u to receive the waters OF the old Apo
+" mattox which Will be admitted to It
: Just above the big dam to be erected
h between the Pocahontas and Bishop
c bridges. AT this point. the new course
$ Twin have II width OF three hundred
l. feet, decreasing to about two huns
e dred on its way through Chesterfield
II county. The depth Is about I'VE feet
IS Extensive Excavations,
= 4 total of more than three hundred
~ thousand cubic yards of material has
- been eXcayated. large amount OF
~ which has been used In the building
OF leyee between the new chanpel
e, and the neighboring river. This ieyet
" extends from the lower end OF Poea,
lhontas Island to the terminus Of thl