Evening star., 1912-06-04
to provide for pleasure boating. skating
or navigation.
Draws in Bridges Necessary.

OIdWS III oT1uSeS NcSCSSoAy'
Before the dredging can be economi-
cally undertaken above pennsylvania
avenue it will be necessary to provide for
the passing OF dredge above the Penn
sylvania Avenue. the PENNSYLVANIA Rail
road and Bennins bridges. which are not
provided with draw spans. The con-
struction of these draw spans would
provide access for floating plant TO
the site of the proposed work Inc
necessity of placing draw spans IN
these bridges was urged In Sol' h,ae" tsa,
report in 1898. 1t is possible that
draw span will ultimately be needeo
in the Magruder Branch bridge. near
the District of Columbia line.
The Improvement of the section oil
the river below the site of the propos-
ed dam may be begun at once by the
construction of the necessary river
walls. Dredging. however, should be
delayed until the adjacent shores are
acquired, so that the dredged materlal
may be deposited against them Ihe
District Commissioners have presented
to Congress. with an urgent request
for it's passage. a bill providing for
procuring title to a narrow strip of
land along the high-water line of the
Anacostia river, from Anacostia bridge
to the District of Columbia line, and
all riparian rights pertaining thereto
Area for Park Purposes.
THE future needs of the city may re-
auire the development for commercial
purposes Of that portion below Massa-
chusetts avenue, but 1t is believed that
al present large portion Of it should be
used for park purposes In order to in
crease the width of parking on the Wash
ington side, 1t is proposed to extend the
fill beyond the approved bulkhead line.
1t is also desirable that passage be pro-
vded beneath the Anacostia and Penn
sylvania Avenue bridges on the Ana
costa bank for park roadways. requir-
ing that the All be extended beyond the
established bulkhead line in that vicinity
also The elevation of the walls is taken
at eight feet above mean low water.
The survey conducted by the board
shows an area of 1.1g acres within high
water lines between the Anacostia bridge
and the District line. The area of the
margin between the high water line and
the contour of ten-foot elevation above
mean low water is about 2O3 acres. The
Anacostia is described as a tidal stream
below the junction of the Northeast and
Northwest branches at Bladensburg.
There is tradition that schooners at one
time could ascend the Anacostia river as
far as Bladensburg, but no records have
been found showing the depths of water
at that time. Soundings just made. COM
pared with those made in 1898, indicate
a heavy accumulati ton of sediment within
the District of Columbia limits. The
average depth of fill over the entire area
in fifteen years was six inches, one
half inch a year. This fill has not been
uniform over the entire area. but has
been greatest where the velocity of flow
is reduced by bridges and railway en-
bankments The question of the main
tenance of comparatively pure water in
the proposed basin has been carefully
considered and the board believes that
the water will be at least as free from
silt and pollution as at the present time.
Question of Sewage.
The board reports that sewage is now
discharged into the Anacostia at several
points continuously, the most objection
able sewer discharging under the east
end of BenninS bridge. lat sewer car
ries the refuse from the abattoir at Ben
ming and discharges a quantity of blood
and other refuse animal matter. Hickeys
run, entering the Anacostia from the west
bank near p street northeast. discharges
refuse from Corby's yeast and vinegar
factory, and, the board SAYS. is quite Of
fensive. The northeast boundary sewer,
with outlet at 21st and \ streets north
east, discharges diluted sewage during
heavy rains, but it is believed that this
overflow would not be an Objectionable
feature, as the sewage Is greatly diluted
during the overflow period and the dis
charge continues only a short time ex-
cept during long continued rains, when
the percentage of dilution is increased. as
the rain continues, by the increasing run
off from the upper portion of the valley.
\ small amount of sewage is discharged
from the sewers of suburban towns along
the valley. AS this is increased. the board
says. it may become so Objectionable that
legislation will be required providing for
some other disposition of 1t. That mat
ter is now before the Maryland legisla-
ture in the form of a bill to provide for
a commission to study the problem of
sewage disposal of the territory tributary
to the Anacostia.
The board says ii IS understood that the
District of Columbia interceptor has been
designed of sufficient capacity to carry a
limited amount of sewage from the Ana
costa valley beyond the District line.