Evening star., 1935-03-01
MARKHAM FAVORS
S325,0)O CHANNEL
Project FOR D. c.
Four.Foot Additional Depth
for Potomac and Ana
costa Asked.
MAY BE INCLUDED
IN NEW P.W.A. PROGRAM
Army Engineer Crawford For
wards Chiefs Letter to Rivers
and Harbors Committee.

Approval by Maj Gen. E. B. Mark
ham, chief of Army Engineers, of a
1925, 900 project to provide a naviga-
tional depth of an additional 4
feet in the channels of the Anacostia
and Potomac Rivers here gave rise
today to hopes that this might be in
cluded in any new public works pro-
gram for this locality. The project
would entail cost of $4,000 annually
Tor maintenance.
Maj. Robert w. Crawford. District
Engineer for the War Department for
this area, made public Gen. Mark
hams letter, which has been for
warded to Chairman Mansfield of the
House Rivers and Harbors Committee.
If such a program is carried out
Washington would have channels "a
feet deep at mean low water and 400
feet wide in the Potomac River from
GieSboro Point to the Francis Scott
Key Bridge; in the Washington Chan
mel to its head. and in the Anacostia
River to the Anacostia Bridge, with
a turning basin 300 feet wide and ap-
proXimately 2,400 feet long, opposite
the Navy Yard; channel of the same
depth and 200 feet wide in the Ana
costa River from the AnacoStia
Bridge to the foot of Fifteenth street
southeast, ending in a turning basin
of the same depth and 400 feet square.
Urged by Business Men.
Approval of this program of Maj.
CraWford'S by the division engineer
at Norfolk, Va; the Board of Rivers
and HarborS and Gen. Markham fol-
lows agitation by business interests
here and the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission for i'm
proved navigational facilities. Maj.
Crawford some months ago presided
at a public hearing at which pro-
ponents stressed the need for an addi-
tional feet to enable larger ships to
come to Washington.
While the projected public works
measure is in doubt, officials recalled
that under the Public Works Admin
istration projects which had received
/. the Endorsement of the chief of Army
Engineers were entitled to share in
some of the s3,30O,000,000. officials
here are hoping that a similar pro-
vision will be embodied in the new
act, permitting the S325,000 project
to be embraced in that category.
Gen. Markham in his letter to
Representative Mansfield recalled that
the House Rivers and Harbors Com
mittee adopted a resolution June 16
last requesting the Board of En-
gineers for Rivers and Harbors TO
review reports on the Anacostia and
Potomac Rivers and determine if
further improvement was advisable.
The general transmitted the boards
report urging that the S325,000 prof.
ect be adopted
Gen. Markham added his own in
dorsement to this, recommending that
'for simplicity of administration the
two projects for the Potomac River
at Washington and for the Anacostia
River be combined in a single project
: designated as The Improvement Of
| Washington Harbor.'"
S2,25S,9O0 Potomac Cost.
Gen. Markham said the total cost
of new work for improvement of the
Potomac River here has been 81
258900, and that the estimated Fed
eral cost of maintenance annually is
S62, 500. He added that the cost of
new work on the AnacoStia River has
been S77o, 100. and that the estimated
annual coSt Of maintenance is Sc 600.
Writing to Chairman Mansfield,
Gen. Markham said the water-borne
commerce of the Potomac River here
and the AnacoStia River, nearly all of
which is inbound, has varied from l.
655 900 tons in 1928 to 2,356,000 in
1881, and was 1,827,186 in 1888. Ap-
proximately one-third of the total is
to terminals along the Anacostia
River. he explained. The principal
commodities are building materials.
petroleum products, naval stores and
miscellaneous freight.