Evening star., 1938-11-30
Army Dredge
On Way 10 Begin
Airport Work
Cornell Scientist
Takes Charge Of
Test Borings


tional Airport at Gravelly Point will
reach full stride for the winter to-
morrow with the arrival from the
James River of the large Army
dredge Talcott, it was announced
today by Col. r. S. Thomas, Army
engineer for the local district.
Benjamin K. Hough, soil mechan-
les engineer in charge of the Corps
of Engineers Laboratory at Cornell
University. Ithaca, N. Y, has been
transferred here to take charge of
preliminary research and test boring
work at the Gravelly Point site,
now in progress.
There now are three test boring
crews in action and the Talcott will
be the third Army dredge on the
scene. Although Federal equip
ment will be used for the prelimi-
nary work on the airport site during
the winter months, Col. Thomas
said the bulk of the airport filling
will be done by commercial dredg-
ing concerns under contract.
Preparation of specifications for
the work will be undertaken as
rapidly as the necessary data can
be obtained by test boring and
survey work now in progress under
direction of Mr.. Hough, Col. Thomas
explained. 1t is not likely that a
dredging contract will be awarded
for at least three months. BY this
time most of the preliminary work,
including levee construction and re-
moval Of soft silt from the runway
sites, will have been completed, ac-
cording to present plans.
To Aid Flood Prevention.
Col Thomas said flood flow studies
have been completed by the local
Army engineer Office which show
that the Gravelly Point conStruc-
ton work will not constitute a food
hazard but will improve conditions
in the Potomac River locally during
times of high freshets
Dredging of $4,000, 900 cubic yards
of material from the river outside
the Gravelly Point area. he ey-
planned, is expected to result in a
lowering of the flood crest in Wash
ington, despite the narrowing Of
the total width of the river as a
result of the airport fill The
amount of deepening will more than
Offset the filling of the Gravelly
Points flats, increasing the total
cross section of the river in the
vicinity of the airport.
Construction of the airport will
reduce the width of the Potomac
River to 5000 feet at Hains Point
and to 5000 feet at Giesboro Point.
This compares with a river width
of 1900 feet at Highway Bridge
and 1,700 feet at Georgetown.
Col. Thomas said results of test
borings so far completed are very
encouraging" They indicate, he
said, that ample deposits of gravef
and hard material exist adjacent
to the airport site to make possible
construction of runways which will
be ready for paving as soon as they
are filled to final grade level. above
the highest flood waters ever known
here.
Levee to Be Built.
The Talcott will be put TO work
at once building levee from the
Virginia shore to the existing levee
along the Potomac River channel,
at the upstream end of the airport,
Col Thomas said. This will COM
plete all levee construction except
the closing of the downstream end
of the airport.
The Talcott then will join the
clamshell bucket dredge Benning
and the suction dredge Dalecarlia
in "trenching" the runway sites,
in preparation for the contract
filling work which is expected to
begin in the spring. This work
involves the removal of all soft
everything material along the lines
of the runways This will be piled
up along both sides of the runways..
leaving hard underlying material
exposed as a foundation.
After completing dredging job
in the James River near City Point.
Va, the Talcott was taken in tow
Monday for the trip to Washington
and is due to arrive at Gravelly
Point tomorrow afternoon. She is
expected to start work at once.