Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-16
FAVORS GIVING UP
22-FOOT CHANNEL
Report OF Army Engineers Rec
ommends Abandonment of
James River Plan.
SUM OF S45O,OOO is ASKED
appropriation to Be Spent Partly
IN Construction of 4O0-Foot
Turning Basin in Harbor.
SUM OF s450,O00 is ASKED


port submitted TO Congress Yesterday
AFTERNOON by United States Army en-
fiheers. The repor. asks an appropri-
"noh OF s45o.0e0 in two annual in
stal!ments. the money to 10. expended
!h foo-toot turning basin in the
hlchmond Harbor and in work TO
WIDEN the present eighteen foot dee
channel TO A width of 400 fee: from the
sea 10 City Point. and to a width of
-"o '"et from City Point to Richmond
The report Is a great d.sappoint-
hsnt said George W. Rogers, chair
man or the Council COMMITTEES on I'M
rro"ement Of the James River. las,
night III will be disappointment
not only 20 the people OF Richmond.
bHi 20 Senators Martin and Swanson
ana Congressman Montague who have
pc"n assured that the work would be
Completed as originally outlined
inc TWO Senators and CONGRESSMAN
Montague were In Richmond last fall
ana made an inspection trip with the
'"uhc>! COMMITTEE on Improvement OF
'he James River. the Chamber of Com
hercc committee on river and ha! bor
ana Lieutenant Colonel J. p. Jervey the
engineer IN charge. At the conference
winch followed that inspection /. Mas
generally agreed that AT the rate the
"o:k Was progressing II would take
twenty years To give Richmond decp-
water facilities and that IN. annual
appropriation was so small il rear,..
all was used for maintenance charges
and overhead expense leaving lit,Ie
Tor actual permanen; work Senator
Martin informed US tina, he was az
surcd that IL would not take more than
s"ooo,ooo To complete the Undertaking.
ANA told US he would advocate an an
pr"pria,!on OF from 5000. 0oo 10 $500. 600
per year TO carry out tho work within
Il period of nvc ycnrs
Il recently have had assurances tina,
Senator Martin was working to have
the appropriation made not less than
5000. this year. The report OF the
engineers. therefore. Is a great dig.
appointment. and trust that II Will not
he accepted By our representatives In
Congress. but that an effort will be
made TO induce the government 10 give
Richmond the water facilities TO which
she is entitled. ! know that tho en-
g!neHrs In charge Of work in this Soc
t'on are not In favor OF abandonin,
the project. but hay" prepared addi-
ional plans Tor Strengthening tile
channel"
Mr. Rogers explained that the turn
ing basin in the Richmond Harhor was
only about one-th!rd completed When
finished It is TO be 400 by 500 feet. with
uniform depth OF twenty-twu feet.
thus providing ample space for turn
ing any vessel able t. come u, the
river
TRIED TO GET CONGRESS
TO PROVIDE THE FUNDS
The Richmond Chamber OF Commerce
and the City Council for years have
been endeavoring TO induce Congress
10 provide FUNDS to complete the work
already promised for James River The
city itself has expended large sums in
the purchase Of the dock and lock
rates and In the construction of
wharves on the lower river, and com
m!ttees at frequent intervals have
visited Washington in efforts to induce
more speedy prosecution of the river
Improvement project
John C. Freeman. chairman OF the
Chamber OF Commerce committee on
river and harbor, was Informed last
night of the recommendations OF the
army engineers. He declined TO make
any comment or TO indicate the atti-
tude his committee will take as to the
report and recommendations
Chief OF Engineers Black, in re-
port sent to Congress yesterday. sums
up the recommendations of the army
engineer as follows.
The plan for the Improvement Of
the James River, under act Of Congress
OF July 5. 1884, provides for securing
channel from its mouth TO Richmond.
400 feet wide from the mouth to CITY
Point. seventy-one miles; thence 30,
feet wide to Drewry's Bluff twenty
FIVE miles; thence 200 feet wide to Rich
nond. seven miles-a total of Io3 miles
subsequently. by the act of June l3,
1902, the channel was extended $500
feet upstream to the end of navica-
tion at the docks where a turning
basin was authorized by the act OIL
March 3. 1905. Tho total estimated
cost of the improvement was S5.s74,943.
To June 3, 1915. there has been ex-
pended on original work on the project
s2,s35,sol. so that ss,03s,l42 would he
required TO complete the project, ac-
cording to the original estimate.
This district office now estimates
that the project can he completed for
s2.5SS,6S6. and that the cost OF main
U.
The expenditures made have resulted
in channel not less than twenty feet
deep al mean low water from the mouth
Ito City Point. except at Rock Land
! ing Shoal, where there is a depth OF
eighteen feet, and in a channel not
less than eighteen feet deep from CITY
Point to the wharves at Richmond
where there is partially constructed
turning basin.
"The full project widths have not
hut n -.
believe that the existing widths be-
tween Richmond and City Point are
sufficient for the present and immedi-
ately prospective commerce. except in
the half-mile reach at Richmond. where
the full project widths nf 200 feet in
the channel and 400 feet In the turning
basin are required.
In conclusion. the distrtci engineers
CONTINUED on Second Pagel