Evening star., 1865-01-31
LOCAL NEWS.

AOSAAA W. w Ne
THE WASHINGTON CANAL.-The following
communication was sent into the City Coun-
ellis last night. Coming as it does from one
(Wm. ID. Wise, Esq y who has probably had
more experience in connection with the Wash
ipgton Canal, and given more atten-
ton to the subject in it's business and
sanitary bearings than any other man, it
is entitled to careful consideration. The COM
munlcation was accompanied by carefully
drawn survey Of the canal and surroundings,
showing the value Of the improvement pro-
posed
To the Board of Aldermen and the Board Of
Common Council-Gentlenen Having de voted
considerable time and attention both as q Cor.
poration official and as private citizen, to the
Washington city canal, beg leave to submit
main drainage for Washington city, and to
suggest means of disposing Of the sediment
therefrom in manner that will ensure per-
manent public impro vement to our city:
In the present condition OF our city, that is
while Its present recognized grades continue,
the canal is and must be our great receptacle
OF the deposit from the various Sc Wers running
through our streets. The washings Of the SUR
face of our streets. alleys, cutters, dc, from
18th street west to Sd street west, running back
as far as NJ street north, are wept directly into
the canal. 1t receives, also, the sediment from
the 18th street sewer, which drains the War
Department and Winder's Building; from the
18th street sewer, which drains the Presidents
House and grounds from the 18th street Sc wer
which drains the Treasury Department, and
from all the other sewers as far along the canal
as q street south, draining all the principal
hotels, many private houses, much of the sur
face of the city north of the canal, as we'll as
the Post and Patent Offices, the Government
printing office. the City Hall and Judiciary
Hospital, and the Capitol building and grounds
In addition to the above, that portion of the
city east of l4th street west and north OF M
street north is drained with part of Washing
ton county through Tiber Greek into the w ASH
ington city canal.
We cannot drain direct to the river IN Wash
ington as is done in other cities. This fact will
appear evident to every one who Will reflect
that the water Of the Potomac at high tide Is
within five feet OF the level Of Pennsylyania
avenue; and. in cases Of freshets, it rises almost
TO a level with the avenue, filing the cellars
adjacent with water. With sewers then drain
Ing directly to the river, in cases OF high tides
and freshets the water would rise in such
sewers almost to level with the avenue
The surface draining Of our city, fie wing in to
these sewers already filled with tide water,
and the water thus flowing In not having the
necessary outlets at the river, these ewers
would overflow; and, in addition thereto, as
tn timpetus OF the stream in the sewer would
be checked by the hdewater filling it, the
WastingS from our streets and the sediments
from houses adjacent would settle at that
point in the sewer where the drainage meets
tdewater. This can be shown from the fact
that the sewer leading down 10th street to the
canal (having all the advantages OF an in
clined plane which sewer running from the
avenue to the river could not have) retained
deposit of sediment for more than three hun.
dred yards OF a depth Of from three to four
feet, which had to be removed by laborers at
an expense to the Corporation Of more than
$1,000.
Again, 1t would seem that the canal cannot
be narrowed and arched over, and then used
for the purpose OF drainage. This will appear
evident from the fact that the portion OF the
city through W hch the canal runs is SO situated
that it would be impossible to give a sewer
thus constructed q sufficient declinaton to {.
wards the river: A current Of water could
never be created in the canal that would give
more than fonr miles an hour, which would be
insufficient to sweep out h0depoSit that would
accumulate in the canal thus constructed into
q sewer. The heaviest freshets that we have
known have carried volumes of water through
our canal, and with velocity that none of
these artificial means could equal, and yet the
deposit in the bottom OF the canal has not been
reduced one inch by any Of them. But granting
that such a sewer would carry out the sedi.
ment, its only receptacle weuld be the channel
provement cannot be esteemed as very sub.
stantial which drains the city at the expense OF
its navigation. The dredging of the channels
canal itself.
Believing then that unless the grade of our
city is materially changed, we cannot drain
directly into the Potomac, and that we cannot
drain directly into the river through the canal
converted into sewer; it seems to me that the
only available drainage we can have must be
into the canal in it's open condition, and the de.
chimes. In this connection beg leave to sug-
gest the propriety OF dredging out the canal
GepoSlL1Qg
tween the Monument Square and the small
island, at the mouth OF the canal. A petition
from the citizens OF Washington asking the
assistance Of the general Government in carry.
ing out the same object is now before the Com
mittees on the District of Columbia Of the
Senate and House of Representatives., and
believe is favorably considered. Among the
objects to be attained, itsuggests the folio wing
list The cleaning OF the canal, 80 much
needed as sanitary measure.
I'd. The filling up OF what is now danger.
oioa tia NH oh in IFS
cor dition, is bare two-thirds Of the time, and
the noxious exhalations from which, during
the summer and early autumn months, has
made the Presidential Mansion SO notoriously
unhealthy as place OF residence, and which
to a very great extent will remedy this evil.
80. BY giving more uniformity to the topo.
graphy OF that part Of the city. to render II
much easier to embellish the public grounds
as mall or park, tor which the surrounding
grounds are Intended. .'
18th. By connecting the grounds OF the rresi-
Smithsonian Institute. and the Capitol. to OBJ
viate the necessity OF passing through the ousi-
AesS s,S pMrsot;ne fteen acres OF new land for
the United States adjoining the Washington
Monument grounds, greatly improving the
s1ms sts Greatly improving the facilities for COM
merce, &c, &c. &c.
In addition to the above, I would also sug. :.
eest the proprlety and advantage Of narrow
Ing the canal. When narrowed, the deposits
from the sewerage, &c, in the canal. covering
q smaller snrface than at present, would neces.
sarily be increased in depth. and consequently
dredging machines. At present the canal con-
tains 600 yardS OF this deposit from drain.
age, and 5000 yards have been dredged ont
since the canal was thoroughly cleaned out
fifteen years ago. Were the canal then mar
rewed to 30 yards in width, (the total, 225 900
yards, In fifteen years, showing yearly influx
Of 5000 .yards,l In two years the average
depth Of the sediment In the canal would be
tuo fact Thia Would still Leave two fact of