The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-02-16
POTOMAC RUNNING
THROUGH OLD BED
IN LITTLE RIVER
Continued from First Pagel

came a sluIce way, and the main cur
rent is still running through this chan
mel
Government EeoIogists and others
are interested. In the early days OF
Georgetown, and not so long after
Capt John Smiths explorations, the
channel of the Potomac was through
what has been in recent history Little
! river. the shoals and marshes lying
between Analostan island. and the
Virginia shore. But a little more
than $50 years ago floods from early
thaws similar 10 that OF the past
three days rushed down the Potomac
and changed the river be-. The old
channel through Little river became
choked and gorged with ice, and the
waters cut around it toward Easby's
Point, at the mouth OF Rock Creek on
the Georgetown side. The Little river
stayed choked and slowly filled with
bed, cutting the sweeping curve at
Georgetown wider and wider.
May Change Again.
The present situation may bring
another such change. II 1t does the
effect upon Georgetown waterfront
property will be serious. The channel
along the Georgetown shore will fiji
and become more and more shallow.
becoming the Little River" OF the
future.
Such an event would in few days
undo the work that has been in pro-
gress by army engineers for two-score
years or more. They have been build
ing up the marshes and flats at the
10 ~ I fFf and nrIffin0
in q rip-rap retaining wall from the
upper shore OF Analostan Island to the
highway bridge to keep the Potomac
in its banks. Practically the entire
river flow is now running behind this
rip rap and has no doubt taken 1t out
near the highway bridge. where the
current is sweeping around it
Falling OF the food waters has
brought no change in the current rae
ing through Little river to the only
real outlet under Highway bridge at
the Virginia abutment, which is nor
mally behind the riprap retaining
wall
1t is believed that the food waters
now rapidly running of are cutting
away the deposits of a hundred years
or more. There is no doubt that the
flow through this channel saved the
city from the worst food in history
and the Georgetown water front from
destruction.
Gorge Being Cut Away.
The gorge in the Georgetown chan
mel is being slowly cut away from
the bottom and sides by the action OF
the water. With no ice coming down
from the upper Potomac. danger of
a further block is passed.
Rivermen are agreed that the ice
moving out OF the upper Potomac I'M
der practically ideal conditions, flow
ing throughout the length Of the
river practically without gorging, is
all that saved Washington from the
worst flood in history.
Had a second ice movement blocked
Little river, after the normal George
town channel was closed, nothing
could have saved the situation.
From every point on the river above
Washington come reports that the
Potomac is clear OF ice and the
waters receding. There is no ice
from the Aqueduct bridge to Seneca,
Nd, or beyond, so far as can be
learned.
Expect SlGhtBeerH-
The police are making preparation
To handle a vast throng OF siRhtseers
on the AQueduct bridge tomorrow.
On each Of the past three days the
bridge traffic has jumped 10000 be-
cause OF sightseers attracted by re-
ports of the flood.
The biggest crowd ever on the
bridge is expected tomorrow. They
will be kept moving. No person will
be permitted to stop or loiter on the |
structure, and II the jam becomes too
great the bridge will be closed.
The river at Georgetown today had
almost reached the normal high
water level, and is falling slowly.
Salvage work in the boathouses
along the water front and on the |
river is making but little progress |
because Of the holding OF RorEes |
above and below Highway bridge.
No Damage Estimate.
No accurate estimate can be mad, |
of the flood damage. 1t will aggregate |
several hundred thousand dollars
however
Half a dozen lighthouses in George |
town are in danger Of collapse. Ice |
cut away their supports and smashed |
in their front. This ice is now sup
porting them. Efforts to move It off |
have been frultless. The bOathouse
owners are unable to do anything
while the ice is gorged against their
places. and after the ice moves il /
will probably be too late. In addition
at some Of the lighthouses pFoprie-
tors stand to lose thousands Of dol
lars in old accounts Many canoeists
leave the boats in storage through the
off season, and pay their bills when
the season opens. and they wish to
take the boats out The boats are
held as collateral Now thousands OF
boats tagged as to rental time have
been taken away by their owners
Thousands OF others have been los.
crushed in the ice or by portions Of
the lighthouses crushed in.
CRnOeIEts Complain.
Many cRnoeists are making com
plant TO the police that their boats
have been stolen. There is no way OF
such complaints Some boats |
are smashed, some are damned on the |
first floors OF the various lighthouses |