Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-02
TO IMPROVE THE CHANNELS
PLANS BEING PREPARED BY
CAPT. SPENCER COSBY.
Deposits Of Mud and Debris in the
Draw of the New Highway
Bridge.

>dpt. opeHScI NoSDS, TIE tHlttu states
army engineer officer in charge OF Potomac
river improvements. is having plans pre-
| pared for considerable work to be done in
the river channels in the vicinity of this
city and in the tidal basin which separates
the city from the recently improved Poto-
mac Park. Capt. Cosby will soon invite
bids for the dredging OF a number of shoal
spots in the Virginia channel between the
Ola Long bridge and the wharves at George
town, so as to give a uniform depth of
tWenty-one feet at low water the entire
length of the waterway. In the draw of
the new highway bridge and at several
points in the channel deposits of mud and
debris have been made since the channel
was dredged several years ago, and 1t is
stated that there is not more than eighteen
feet of water such Jumps. and coal
laden vessels moving down stream from
Georgetown have gone aground on them
several times recently. A large schooner
being moved down from Georgetown about
month ago struck the lump in the High
way bridge draw and stuck fast, so that
the draw could not be closed. Traffic over
the bridge was tied up for about half
hour result.
1t is proposed to remove all the obstruc-
tons, and to provide a deep channel from
the main channel of the river to George
town. The material excavatcd from the
Georgetown channel is to be placed in the
Potomac Park and will raise it's level
several feet. In the tidal basin it is pro-
posed to remove the accumulation of mud
and other material that now covers its bot
tom. and to give the basin depth of eight
feet.
To Fill Old Canal.
In connection with the dredging Of the
tidal basin 1t is proposed to fill in the re-
mainder of the old canal, which empties
into the river at the foot of 18th street
and which has been used for many years
past as part of the sewer system of the
city. This stream was many years ago a
part or old Tlber canal. and was used by
vessels laden with wood and produce, and
flowed along 3 street past the Center mar
ket. In those days 1t was not uncom-
mon to see vessels lying in the canal in
the vicinity of the market discharging their
cargoes. When the Tiber canal was arched.
the portion of the stream on nth street
was left uncovered and was converted into
an outlet for the sewage of a portion of
the city. 1t is now proposed to abandon
the use of the stream for sewerage pur-
poses. Capt. Cosby will have it filled.
On the Eastern branch it is proposed to
reclaim all that portion of the flats be-
tween Poplar point and the portion re-
claimed year or two ago. Between Poplar
point. on the south shore of the Eastern
branch and the new land in front of the
grounds of the Government Hospital for
the Insane is a shallow bay, good breed
ing place for the malaria causing mosquito.
1t will be filled and raised several feet
above high water mark. by pumping mud
from the Eastern branch channel upon it.
In doing the work the Eastern branch chan
mel will be deepened and widened, and
several crooks Will be taken out of 1t, and
1t Is proposed to cut off a portion of BuZ.
yards point, and to widen the basin III
front of the navy yard The portion of the
flats that it is proposed to reclaim will
cover about eighty acres. and in the plot
reclaimed two years ago there are about
100 acres, all of which will be available for
use in the asylum hospital farm.
Construction of Retaining Wall.
In order to keep the liquid mud upon the
flats until the solid material in it settles,
leaving only the water to run off, a clay
retaining wall will be constructed around
the portion of the flats it is proposed to
reclaim, and the work preliminary to the
building of the wall is now in progress.
For several weeks two dredging machines
have been digging trench about 1.s00 feet
long. and 20 feet wide, around the area to
be reclaimed and in this trench rip-rap
stone will be placed to form a base for the
wall to be placed about the reclaimed land.
1t is estimated that 1000 cubic yards of
stone will have to be used. Bids for the
furnishing of the stone and placing it in
position will be opened Friday next in Capt.
COsby's office in this city.
1t is expected that the AnacOstia river
work will be well under way before the
middle of July.
During the past year several tributaries
oil the potomac ana chesapeake pay nave
been greatly improved under the super
vision of the army engineer corps. The
York. Mattaponi and Paumonkey rivers
and Carriers creek, Virginia. have all been
deepened and Instructions in the channels
removed. and the dredging of Breton bay.
Md. has just been completed The work
of improving Occoquan creek is now go
ing on.
In Breton bay more than 10000 yards
OF material was eXcavated, and there is
now channel from the Potomac to Leon
ardtown, at least ten feet deep and 2G0 feet
wide at it's narrowest part. In front of the
wharf at Leonardtown a basin was exca-
waited to facilitate the turning of the steam
ers running up to that point.
Occoquan creek, which is now being
deepened and improved, is on the Virginia
side of the Potomac. about twenty-five
miles below this city. Two bars are to be
cut through in order to give a channel six
feet deep, and varying in width from 100 to
100 feet. 1t is estimated that about $1,000
cubic yards of material will be dug in the
dredging of the creek. OccOquan creek is
used exclusively by sailing vessels and
power boats. The steamer Tull, barge,
formerly ran into the creek.