Evening star., 1937-09-28
PLANS ARE MADE
FORWATER-FRONT
WORK ON CHANNEL
Final Scrutiny Being Given
Specifications-Prospects
Are Held Bright.
BIDS CAN BE ASKED SOON
AFTER FUND ALLOCATED
Job, to Extend Over an 8-Year
Period, Will Cost Approx.
mately $1,650,0o0.

Bids for Improvement of the WASH
ington Channel water front can be
called for within a month after the
funds are made available for starting
this much-discussed program, Maj
Walter D. Luplow, district engineer
for the War Department area, de-
clared today.
Plans for the project are being
checked and revised and specifications
have been written and are now being
given a final scrutiny, so that little
delay is anticipated when funds are
allocated. Prospects are now brighter
for beginning work soon at Wash
ington Channel, because OF the War
Departments recent agreement to ac-
cept piecemeal contributions from the
District for its share of the job-an
arrangement sanctioned by the Bu-
reau Of the Budget. AS yet there are
no funds actually in hand, but they
may come from rivers and harbors
appropriation or in special deficiency
appropriation after Congress meets.
Maj. Luplow is losing no time in
perfecting the plans, so that there will
be no delay in launching the first
phase Of the project, which is sched-
uled to extend over eight years. The
Army Engineers are proposing to con-
struct in the first years work Sec
tions Of two yacht basins and boat
sales and service building. The total
cost Of the eight-year project is placed
at s1,650,000, of which the District is
to pay s389,O00. In the first years
program S285,000 will be spent
Details of the first years program
were made public today by C. A.
Chaney, senior structural engineer in
Maj Luplow's Office Work is sched-
uled to start at the west end of the
Municipal Fish Market and the engi-
neers will build westwardly toward
Fourteenth street, southwest for dis
tance of 5l8 feet. This area will form
the east section Of No. l Yacht Basin.
To Care for 122 Yachts.
For the east section of No. Yacht
Basin, the engineers will start at the
east side of the Powell Transportation
Co.'S Building and construct east
wardly for a distance of~305 feet to
the west end of the present Occoquan
Wharf.
The sections of the two yacht basirI
projected in the first years work will
care for 1872 yachts and the work will
be finished year after the contract
has been signed, officials said
In the east section Of No. l Yacht
Basin there will be a pier 100 feet
wide and 145 feet long, upon which
will be constructed boat sales and
service building of brick in the modi-
fled Colonial style of architecture,
to harmonic with the Municipal Fish
Market. which will not be disturbed.
The building will contain show room,
repair shop and provision for modern
shop equipment. 1t will face on
Water street. Necessary electrical
and plumbing features will be pro-
vided by the Army engineers
Lawns will be provided along most
OF the front, and a steel picket fence
will be erected along Water street, to
Afford privacy and prevent trespassing
A limited space for the parking of
automobiles, with the necessary drive
way approaches form part of the
plan.
Boat Hoist Provided.
Back of the building, on the pier,
will be vertieal-lift type boat hoist
with 20 = ton capacity, capable OF
handling craft up to 40 feet long. At
the channelward end of this pier will
be dispensers for gasoline and Diesel
oil. The supply of fuel will be piped
from tanks, sunk in the ground as
protection against fire, near the front
Of the building. One double tank will
have a capacity of 1000 gallons of
gasoline, while another will hold 1000
gallons of oil.
Provision will be made in the plan
to permit trucking In Of boats. which
will be landed at the shop door, taken
through the shop and launched with
the aid of the hoist.
In this unit there will be ac-
commodations for So boats and space
for approximately a dozen additional
during servicing and repairing. Each
slip will be provided with water and
electric power outlet for the use of
each individual craft.
The sales and service pier will be
the solid fill type on relieving plat
form, which will be constructed on
piles, as will the yacht basin docks.
Concrete bulkhead walls are planned.
The piers or walks to which the boats
will be tied will be open timber type
OF construction on creosoted timber
piles. The main walks will be feet
wide, with catwalks. and feet wide,
at right angles. Floats, for the land
ing, tying up of row boats, skiffs, ten
ders, ETC., are being provided and these
floats will consist of q creosoted tim
Der deck, supported on wroughtiron
drums Vertical wroughtiron bars are
being provided, known as traveller bars,
for use in tying up boats.
Floodlights.
These bars, CLANCY explained, will
permit the craft to move with the rise
and fall of the tides, but offer great
economy in the space required fol
boat storage and permit short lines
for mooring.
The yacht basins will have flood
lights, spaced at approximately II
feet with standards 10 feet high above
the dock. These lights will be of the
island" type and be in harmony with
the setting.
The east section of No. 2 yacht
basin will be equipped similarly to the
previous one, but will not provide
space for automobile parking, neither
will it have seeding and planting anc
will not boast of hoist. Floats tt
accommodate very small boats anc
tenders in this basin will be provided
In the future in the west section o.
the basin. The east section of ths
second basin will provide berthing fol
80 boats and craft from 10 to 100 fee
long, and will be able to utilize thl
facilities the Army Engineers plal
Ito construct here. /