Evening star., 1938-04-18
D. c. WATER FRONT
WORK WILL START
Several Hundred Seats to
Be Available for
Public.

Onlted STATES senator tomorrow
afternoon will operate a derrick boat
to lift the first shovel full of earth
on the Washington Channel water front
and civic improvement that has been
agiated for 80 years will officially be
under way, launching an eight-year
program costing $4,000 900,
An appropriation of s285 900 for
improvement and Identification of the
north side of Washington Channel is
carried in the 1899 War Department
civil functions bill, which was reported
TO the House today. This will be the
Federal Governments initial INSTALL
ment toward the cost of the project.
The Districts first contribution,
amounting to $4,000, is provided in
deficiency estimates submitted to Con.
gress January g.
The bill also contains an item Of
sl3,500 for flood control projects in
Potomac Park
Details of tomorrow's program. an
nounced by the Washington Board of
Trade revealed that Senator Royal S.
Copeland. chairman of the Senate
Committee on Commerce, which has
jurisdiction over waterway improve
ment. will operate the dredge. At $3.50
pm, a band concert will commence
the festivities and half an hour later
a meeting, at which prominent Federal
and District officials will be present,
Will be called to order on the water
front. opposite MAYORS Sea Food Res
taurant, on Water street SW.
High Officials on Hand.
Chairman King of the Senate Dis
trlct Committee, Commissioner Melvin
c. Hazen, Maj. Gen Julian L. Schlev.
chief Of Army Engineers, and others
will speak. Presiding will be John A.
Remon, chairman of the River and
Harbor Improvement Committee Of the
Washington Board of Trade, which has
long fought for the modernization of
the Washington Channel water front.
Invited to participate are the entire
Senate Committee on Commerce, the
House Rivers and Harbors Committee
and many District officials. Mai. Gen.
John L. De Witt, commandant of the
Army War College. Maj. Robert A. Nc
Clure, executive officer of the college,
Maj. Walter D. Luplow. district engi-
neer for the War Department for the
washington area, who will have charge
OF the project, and the Assistant Engi-
neer Commissioners of the District,
will represent the Army, with Gen,
Schley.
Representing the Coast Guard will
be Rear Admiral R. r. Waesche. COM
mandant of that organization, while
the Navy will have as its representa-
tive Rear Admiral George T. Petten-
gill, commandant of the Washington
Navy Yard. The National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
which has long contended for the i'm
provement, will be represented by its
chairman. Frederic A. Delano. and
its secretary. Thomas S. Settle. Heads
OF prominent civic organizations. boat
club executives. business groups util-
1zlng the Seventh street wharves and
the vicinity will be represented.
Seats Available for Public.
Tomorrow afternoons ceremonies
are under the joint auspices of the
Corps Of Engineers Of the Army and
the River and Harbor Improvement
Committee of the Washington Board
Of Trade. The general public is in
vited and several hundred seats will
be available.
Maj. Luplow is arranging an ex-
hibit that will depict the project in
detail. Plans and specifications for
the first years work-improvement
Of the east half of No. l yacht basin,
extending 500 feet north OF the Mu-
nicipal Fish Wharf, and for the east
half of No. 2 yacht basin, from the
Powell Transportation Co. property to
the Occoquan wharf, are being per-
fected.
The chief Of Army engineers has
allocated $342.480 for the first years
work and Congress has appropriated
$69, 900 OF this as the District Of Co
lllmbia's share in the exnense