Evening star., 1938-10-18
TO GET
PLEAF0R SURVEY
OF WATER FRONT
Trade Board Group Makes
Tour to Push Plans for
Improvements.
FACILITIES TO HANDLE
MORE TRAFFIC SOUGHT
Projects Will Turn 5000 Acres
+ Into Recreational and
Commercial Sites.

After special investigation of the
Washington water front made yester-
day from the decks of the U. S. S.
Cormorant the Board of Trade will
ask Congress for a special Army au-
thorization to survey the Districts
frontage
John A. Remon, chairman OF the
Rivers and Harbors Improvement
Committee, with SO members of sub
committees, spent yesterday afternoon
touring the Anacostia River, the
Washington Channel and the Potomac
River up to Key Bridge with a view
to furthering plans for recreational
and commercial improvements. The
party was assisted by Army engineers
and naval technicians, who explained
work being done and described projects
under way and contemplated.
The general committee, divided into
eight groups, had four special charts
set up on the aft deck so member
could note points stressed as the ship
passed slowly along the water front.
Starting from the Navy Yard, the
Cormorant, just making headway,
glided past the Corinthian Yacht Club
and Buzzards Point and around Hains
Point, headed for the Georgetown
commercial section. Mr.. Remon ex-
planned to the investigators that most
of the recreational facilities proposed
had been completed or included in
appropriations, but that projects look
ing toward better commercial water
frontage had practically been over
looked in recent years as the city's
water-borne traffic increased.
Water Shipments Increase.
1t was explained that during the
last 80 years water shipments had
increased from 1,242,o0o tons, valued
at SIT, 7,709, $50, to 2,153,343 tons, valued
at S67.830,031, last year. In view CT
this great increase, it was pointed out,
Washington should have better facili-
ties for handling products coming by
boat. The report also said l,02l 1852
passengers were handled last year.
Admitting it was not the intention
to boost the District as commercial
or manufacturing center. however, it
was said that Washington should have
better wharfage and boat basins to
handle increased traffic. Most OF the
water shipments are petroleum prod
ucts, sand and gravel, automobiles
and trucks and naval and ordnance
stores, brought in boats of draft up
to l8 feet.
Points stressed to the committee
we're Improvements expected at the
foot of South Capitol street, better
ment OF yacht facilities in the Wash
ington Channel and removal of mud
bars and obstacles in the Potomac
River from Hams Point to Key Bridge.
Particular attention was called to the
long bar Of mud parallel to Potomac
Park, which at low tide gives of a
stencil of decayed vegetation. 1t was
suggested that a way could be worked
out. perhaps, to have the material
pumped or transported on barges to
the new airport site at Gravelly Point,
across the river.
Skill Required for Turn.
The inadequacy Of the river for
larger ships was sharply brought home
to the committee when the Cormorant,
a 187-foot Navy minesweeper of 80
feet beam, tried to turn near Key
Bridge. Through skillful maneuvering
by 1t. Henry Plander. commander of
the vessel, she practically turned
within boat length with little room
to spare. photographic charts showed
Is feet of water in the narrow chan
mel. The Cormorant draws l3 feet,
and as her propeller churned the
grayish blue stream the water boiled
into a caramel brown from river-bot-
tom sludge.
Col. Robert F. Thomas, District En-
gineer for the War Department, how
ever, explained there is little use of
the river by deep-draft craft. but that
the trend is upward in use by smaller
pleasure boats.
In Warrington Channel the Cor
morant was forced to turn opposite
the Norfolk e. Washington Steamboat
Wharf and go in reverse the several
blocks to the Capital Yacht Club,
where the latest development Is in
progress.
Mr.. Remon said the board was in
terested in having the stone founda-
tions OF the old Aqueduct Bridge re-
moved, and this precipitated debate
among several of the inspectors, who
claimed the landmarks should be kept
as historic sites. One suggestion,
which did not go without compliments,
was to have the stone bases converted
into hanging gardens, which could
be maintained at little expense and
provide an added Identification to
that "drab section of Washington's
waterways"
10 More Years Of Work.
In general the projects under way
and proposed include dredging, recla-
nation, sea walls and sewer correc-
tions, which will eventually convert
5000 acres along the water front IN
first-class recreational and commercial
sites
It was estimated that at least 10
more years will pass before work is
completed. There is at present $780,
600 available for work. Improvements
were first started in 1911 and have
continued with but few interruptions
ever since, although on "a very mod
est annual scale throughout"
At the present time the waterfront
improvements are IS per cent COM
pleted, with s562,000 remaining to
reach the final estimate Of .s4,290, 900.
Held in Extortion Plot.