Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-29
INCREASED WORK
ONANAC0ST|APARK
|SC0NTEMPLATE:D
Gen. Blacks Report Also Rec.
ommends Further Improve
mentS in Potomac.

| Materially increased work is con
| templated by Army engineers on the
| projects for the transformation of the
! flats of the Anacostia river into a
| great pleasure park and for the inn
| Irovement of the navigation of the
| Potomac river. In a report to the
| War Department Gen. w. NJ. Black
| chief of engineers. says that $50, 4S1
| has been expended on the AnacoStia
! river park to date and that the work
/ is about % per cent completed. The
entire cost of the existing project is
| $2.7O5,S37
| AS it is desired to prosecute this
work more vigorously with view to
its early completion" says Gen. Black,
IAN estimate of 5000 900 Isl :ubmitte ed
for the next fiscal year. Most of that
sum will be expended in dredging and
rcClaiming, in the building of a sea-
wall and in the purchase of necessary
land
Describing the effect of improve
ment, he says sthat navigation has
been benefited and that deep-draft
vessels now use the area between the
Anacostia and Pennsylvania Avenue
bridges. That area is also used Is a
yacht harbor, relieving crowded con-
ditions in the Washington harbor.
War gardens, which improve the land
and keep down the growth of weeds
and underbrush. have been allotted
on portions of the reclaimed area.
Sanitary conditions in the area be-
tween the AnacoStia and Pennsylvania
railroad bridges have been improved.
Improvements on Potomac.
Work on the Potomac river i'm
provement at Washington, Gen. Black
says. is confined at present to dredg-
ing the Virginia channel and the con-
Struction of levees and entertainments
along the Virginia shore back of the
training dixie to form basin for
spoils dredged from the channel
Further shoaling has occurred in the
channel. the controlling depth June
so last being fourteen feet at low tide.
1t is stated that SIS 900 can be profit
ably expended for maintenance in the
next fiscal year. The total eXpendi
lures on the project to date are stated
at $3.511.746. most of which covered
new work prior to March. 1899.
There are about 9,440 feet of water
front along the Virginia and WASH
ington channels which are available
for terminal facilities. of which only
4,64O feet are now used in connection
with commerce on the waterway.
Terminal Facilities Inadequate.
1.-THE terminal and transfer facilities
at Washington, D. c. says Gen Black,
are considered Inadequate and pre-
sent most dilapidated and unsightly
appearance. The irrelevant use of the
water front for storage yards and
and the water front cleaned up. Suit
able terminal facilities should be pro-
vided."
There are eight terminals on the
Anacostia river. all on the right bank,
within distance of about two miles
from the mouth. These facilities are
considered by Gen. Black as sufficient
Tor the present traffic, but not suf-
hcient for the traffic which may rea-
sonably be expected in the near flu
ture. The improvement of the Ana
costa river below the Anacostia
bridge. Gen. Black says, is completed
so far as the channel dimensions are
concerned. but work on the reclaimed
area remains to be done The sum of
ss43,463 has been expended on this prof.
ect to date. The largest vessels ply
ing the Potomac can now reach the
navy yard without difficulty. The adj
dltional facilities afforded have de-
Veloped some traffic and have relieved
congestion in other parts of the har-
Dor.