Evening journal., 1913-08-05
PROGRESS ON
WATERWAY
Engineer Corps is Engaged on
Extensive Operations
in East
GREATER HARBOR
AND CHANNELS SOON

WASHlNGlONt u W AUS
Leaving out the work going on to
meet the demands of the big harbors
of the country-on the Atlantic, on
the Pacific and on the Gulf coasts
the widening and deepening OF the
channels to these harbors-the Engi-
neers Corps of the Army is up to its
ears. during these torrid August days,
in an effort to make the rivers and
navigable streams do their proper
share in the upbuilding Of the coun-
try"
with becoming modesty, member
OF the Engineer Corps, charged with
much Of the detail of river and har-
bor improvement, thus outlined what
As going on throughout the nation In
bringing the rivers to the door yards
of the people. and furnishig the out-of-
the-way places with increased means
pf TRANSPORTATION for the output OF
farms. mines and factories
And what Is the Engineer Corps do
fng. besides completing the Panama
Canal In the way Of river and harbor
work? Il is completing the Ambrose
channel to a depth Of 40 feet at mean
law water. and a width of 1000 feet
throughout its entire length. And
this work is upwards of ninety-eight
per cent. finished, so that when the
next annual river and harbor bill is
passed, instead OF appropriating for
further construction II will provide
for the maintenance of this magnih-
cent entrance to New York harbor, a
work which in many ways. is on
mar with the building of the Isthmian
Canal, for Il involved an estimated eX-
cavation of about 425O0,000 cubic
yards of material for a length OF seven
miles of channel.
But this is not all the Engineer
Corps is doing in the way Of deepening
and widening channels to our seaports.
III is working on a 35-foot channel into
Boston harbor; and one OF the same
depth from Delaware Bay into the
lharbor Of Philadelphia, with a width
OF 500 feet in the straight parts, LOO
feet wide at Bulkhead Bar, and 1000
feet wide at the other bends OF the
Delaware River. The latter improve
ment will cost S10,920,000 and there
will be an annual charge Of 100000
for maintenance.
Baltimore is 70 have a channel OF
35 feet at mean low water. and 500
feet wide al bottom. with increased
WIuInr al Nut tHAA AnANa anu AhN h'h1a
from Fort McHenry to deep water in
Chesapeake Bay. When this project
is completed-and reports in the en-
gineer's Office in this city show that
substantial results have already been
achieved-this busy growing metropo-
lis of the south will have one Of the
great harbors of the country
What is true of Baltimore Boston
New York and Philadelphia also Is
true of Norfolk harbor. for here. too
the work of giving Norfolk a 3b-foo
channel. with a width of 400 feet from
deep water in Hampton Roads 10 the
navv yard at Portsmouth, Va, a dis
lance OF about II miles is under
way. with hope of completion by the
close of the next fiscal year.
While the engineer corps is ex-
tremely busy on the big harhors of
the Atlantic coast the same holds
true of conditions on the Pacific side
of the continent. for two jetties are
being constructed at the mouth of the
Columbia. while big work. is going
on at Los Angeles. On the Gulf
coast. a 35-foot channel into Calves
ton harbor. and a 35-foot channel to
Texas City are being rapidly con-
structed.
Leaving out OA NONclutIdlAbl N4AN
millions that are being spent on the
widening and deepening of the chan
nels into the big harbors of the ma
ton. one Of the greatest projects
which the engineer corps has under
way and upon which a cool 100000
monthly is being spent is the i'm
provement of the Hudson river in the
vicinity of Albany and Troy, where
locks and dams are being built tc
connect the channel with the Stat'
Barge Canal. the aim of the engineer
of the army being to complete a por
tion OF the work before the compile
ton Of the canal proper-another en-
gineering feat rivalling, in some re
spects. the construction Of the grea
ditch across the Isthmus of Panama
In the scheme of building an inter
Ior waterway from the rugged coast o
Maine to the sand pits of Florida
Congress early recognized the neces
sity of connecting up well definel
water avenues along the Atlanta
coast, to the end that the perils o
Hatteras and other danger spot
along the Atlantic shores might b
avoided
AS a part Of the project the Chess
peake and Albemarle canal was pur
chased by the Federal government a
an upset price of 100000. title to tn
same having passed 10 the Unite
States within sixty days This is
connecting waterway between Nor
folk. Va, and Beaufort,N c., being
part OF the Boston to Beaufort Inle
IN. c. section of the proposed con
tinuous inland waterway from Me-
England to the Rio Grande. The pul
chase Of the canal having been az
complished. Engineer Corps wi
shortly advertise for bids to deepe
this waterway u feet, with a width {
200 feet To aid in the work of e.
cavation. dredges will also be contrac
ed for.
I'VE are conducting the improv,
ments on our rivers and harbors Z
the theory that we will have a rive
and harbor bill every year, as Coz
gress has outlined will be done" sa
the engineer officer referred to, "aI
our estimates for completing projec
or continuing work on them are bas'
upon the assumption that the mon
appropriated will be used up, and tn
there will be no hangovers.
What is true OF betterments goi
on along the Atlantic. Pacific GI
coasts is also true OF activities alo
the Ohio. the Mississippi and in [