Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-12-07
.4 e. LOCAL NEWS.
THE CELEBRATION AATpRnAY.
lAtrsauettsn 81 P<ismas W assv Int he
-.- -... --s AQaeduets ss---a .r-.s'E1

.. - ... ~. -s AQ1ed0ets zs---E -. s's1
6rap2 Banquet at the National.
On Saturday the celebration Of the formal
Introduction Of the Potomac water into the
Warrington Aqueduet toaA place with due
emphasis and spirit -, ~1.a 20 = -er
The Mayor and other city omoers, he MEM
bers Of the City Councils, and q few invisrd
guests left the City Hall between IL and 10
o'clock In the morning, IN oarriag.s. aud pro-
ceeded, BY the way o1 Georgetown, 70 the Hue
Of the Aqueduct The route taken vas innms.
dsately In the neig hborhood Of the Aq1educt
and, for a considerable distance, commencing
above Georgetown. was by an excellent road
directly over the Aqueducr itself.
On the way the various points OF taquadact)
interest were pointed out, and at some places
pauses were made by the party to give oppor.
ticulars OF all these bridges, pl g., tunnels and
reservoirs have been min utely detailed hereto.
lore In the Star, we emit them here for want OF
space, and hasten on with tho party to CABIN
Jahn Bridge, where the first main halt was
made. --.r
Some considerable time was spent here rather
pleasantly while waiting for Secretary Ush-Y
and Ssns'or Grimes ~ return from trip they
Cabin John Bridge IS an immense span OF 70
feet a! base-the longest OF masonry In The
world. We are to d-and when the party wrrs
At the ha Sc locking ur, the sh6r p angle at which
the head WAS thrown necessarily forced ones
me uth alar.- In looking down from the pa II
peuess las yeDstructure the month again came
alar-a TACT we mention here as explanatory
OF something that follows.
HeIeabours YVES hole in the sunnel, In which
ladder was set. enabling curious spectators
to descend and see the amazsd Potomac water
int M IN M q IA cl.y linz
along towards Gu powder Reservoir at The
Ia'e OF about ten mill An hour
We believe Ii v az iacity agreed that the ex-
cursionists should dIimk uothing bu: Potomac
wafer threna hout the day in honor Of the occA.
sion, and this understanding We know was re-.
ligiously carried out by the members OF The
the younger NJ, n bers Of the upper board. Such
Of the more Hei erable OF the party ass cIair.d
ex' 'mptlon from the rule no doubt had consd-
traele justification in the chilly state OF the at
mosphprp ard the essty OF protecting ths
lungs from cold while staring open .mouthrd, az
above explained. upwards or down ward. ut
that immense arch.
But no one, we are certain, Uualifia0 his
water more than suffi lent barely to lake the
chill of, or to destroy any poss 10 e anllaaIcu.
lse in the unclsr,fied Potomac waters valid
excuse in itself in the opinion Of Ex President
PI. rec, as expressed on a similar OCCASION.
An employee On the aGueduet, who was
GoUbled-pOor man-with 8 trenuIous move.
nent OF the left eye.lid, gave some curious
ln1crmatlon. he told ne. as showing what dis
tances sound will travel through tubs, and
especially aquedUct tn bes, and more esr-cislly
Potomac aqneduct tubes,-that ii was the
commonest thing 70 shut the man holes in the
duet and whisper orders through it from the
Big Falls to Georgetown, or vice versa. Some
OF the party qualified their water on she
strength OF nat .-s -r.. .r g . -.-.-
fat middle-aged gentlemen Of the party yarying
the tedium OF duties at the City Hall by ecramb.
ling about over the rocks In the hollow or
swarmiDg tfcr Il distance OF two or three feetl
nFnN
TICK In nose youngsters TO tumble big ones
down the decliyity, embarrassing the shins of
thelr elders who were clanabering Up tedlousIy
ut best, putting and blowing under the SPUR
Of the information that the hac ks were lust
lCa wing without them !
Returning to the reservoir. the psrty found
, SECRETARY Usher, Senator Grimes, Col Ssy.
monrs the engineer in charge OF the aaaedu.s
and others, including number ot soldier
spec tatore OF the LIST Maine and OH New York.
vicinity. ..- ..-... 80.
After some adjusting OF ropes upon q der.
rlek the gate was raised, {spd simultaneously
nsE1 I M and the water va OF the Pcsona shot out
a bottle. fpll OF the first water through vaa
securrd by MIR. n. D. Larner, chairman of the
csn1clis COMMITTEES; designed as q fellow to
Ihe dret spadeful OF earth thrown up ip break
Ing ground for the aq peduct 10
The spectators he wing satisfied thamsel YES that
The marriage Of the waters had been duly con-
summated; and the lettsr-on Of the water hay
ing emerged from the stream with a mAguia-
cent air Of don't care -it-ivenees in regard 70
bis spoiled boots, the crowd then gathered upon
the green 70 listen to the peech- making
Secretary Usher then came for waPd a,t
spoke as follows:
"A, NJ Asyyr ef ne csty q Eess'n9ssa cad Gen.
witnessing the Introduction to she cities ot
Washing non and Georgetown OF an arfsi,.ns
supply Of wholesome and on celIent waser II
must be an interesting sight to those who have
taken An interest in the enterprise It is a great
and glorious affair. and one which post rity
VIII thank Us for. We will have ap nnfaillnk
snd ans unlimited supply, which will be greater
10 Obtain. --..- :. : :
The idea Of supplying the city OF washingso.
Win water seeHis 10 have originsted with the
great and good man whose nsne ,hs capital
bears. and under whose direction surveys were
early made for the purpose. The enterprise,
however, lsasa!shed for many years. In Sep.
sn. the Uasss Ip1p IS $500 70
c<seafy eur seys to be made. 70 tn e small snm
the Corporation Of Washington added &I,0o
With these means, brevet Lieptsnant Colonel
Hughes OF the corps Of Typographical Ensi-
neers, Undertook the spryeys. His plan e5n.
tennp1ated bringing the water fron Rock Ore-k
sS point about four miles distant from the
cky al q cost Of 100000. This plan doss not
seem 70 nave met With much favor. It seeus
10 have been regarded as inperfsc. and pnsat-
hfac.ory.
In bis annual report Of 1880 and 1851, the then
Secretary OF the Interior pressed the an pbiact
upon Congress, and on the 3lst OF August, IsS2
the .um OF $1,000 Was appropriated 70 enable
the President to cause other surveys and plans
to be made for determining the best means OF
stfording the cities Of Washington and George.
town an euafailing and abundant supply OF
good and wholesome water The duty OF msk.
ing these surveys cevolved on General Meies,
n. n q lieutenant OF engineers, who presented
his report In the month of February, ls53. On
The Sd Of March, ls53 Congress. appropriated
&fUH, 90 for the commencement OF the work
The money 20 be EXPENDED under the direction
OF the President, upon such plans and from
such places as he might approve. On the 2atn
OF June, 1853 General Mei9s' report was laid
before the p, esident 1t embraces these differ.
ent plans
FIRST. A plan for drawing the water from
Roek Creek 81 q cost Of 81 ,25S,OOO, anording q
supply varying from about nine TO twenty six
million gallons daily.
st cond From the Little Falls Of the Potomac
a.a coat OF about s i.5s7 ,Oe0, affording aaly
Ions. - 49,
Third From the Great Falls of the Potomac
a. cost OF ahost 81 81 ,O00, afording q supply
win a SEVEN fnot conduit. OF ahout thirtv.siy
million gallons daily.
General NetEs, however, gave the nrafarap.s
10 the GrPat Falls project and a co,d,,t - ,.ss