Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-24
gasoline, and altogether busy marine
picture is unfolded.

gasoline, and altogether busy marine
picture is unfolded.
The raggedness and lack OF system
in the wharf line is obvious. but there
has been some Improvement. though
the bulkhead line still lacks the sym
metry and solidity desired. This bulk
head proposition has been one OF much
solicitude with the Board OF Trade Tor
many years. The committee on river
and harbor improvement of the board
in its report for 1899 said:
"All Of the wharves between the Long
bridge and the arsenal should ne taken
possession of by the District authorizes
under an act Of Congress authorizing
them to do so. and should he torn OUT.
bulkhead Of great depth and sum
cient strength should be built so tnat
the depth of water at the nu nanaS
would be the same as in the channel
Wharves should be built out from TINS
bulkhead into the channel Of solid and
permanent construction. so that the
water front of Washington would ne
pleasurable sight instead OF q stlnklng
eyesore. as 1t is at the present time.
The Inadequate wharf facilities Of
the Washington channel give point 10
the repeated Recommendations OF the
Board of Trade that the private water
front lands on the Eastern branch
should be secured by the government
and public wharves erected there for
the trade of Washington. which VIII
grow as the city grows. and will as
cend the Eastern branch in greater
tonnage as the channel is deepened and
straightened The committee on river
and harber Improvement of the Board
Of Trade in 1907. in considering the
Eastern branch problems. recommended
that the shore lines be improved by a
comprehensive system of permanent
docks and piers owned by the govern
ment The committee further reported
that the establishment Of public
wharves had become an absolute neces-
sity. that the water line should be
owned by the United States and the
vexatious question Of riparian rights
settled. The Board of Trade in 1908
urged the improvement Of the Ana
costa river SO that it might be made
navigab1e from its mouth to Benning.
thus increasing the necessary wharf
age facilities in our city. In 1903 the
Board Of Trade committee on river and
'harbor Improvement reported:
"The reclamation Of the Anacostia
river Is now engaging the attention Of
all residents Of this District. not only
for it's menace to the public health.
but for the equally strong reason that
the commerce Of the District Of Co.
lumbia stands in pressing need Of ad-
ditional wharf facilities and looks to
the Improvement Of this river as the
only possible relief to provide the city
with proper wharves, docks. etc"
The work preparatory to converting
the lower section Of Potomac Park into
pleasure ground is proceeding. The
masonry sea wall is being raised three
feet. and a considerable part Of this
work has been finished. About twenty
feet back from the sea wall earth
levees have been raised about ten feet,
and the river bottom has been churned
up and pumped in behind these levees,
until today, beginning 400 yards below
the railroad bridge and extending to
the south end of the park, there is q
big lake of mud. ooze and muddy water
The willow groves are half submerged.
The spectacle is impressive as q les
son In channel deepening and land rec
lamation.