Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-12

The city " wou,d have failed.
During The whole OF the winter, and for more
than q month after the Cessation of the rains,
the water was exceedingly tnrbid, bat during
the drought in June and July the sediment
was gradually preeipitated, and The water is
now very pure.
Cabin John bridge has been completed, with
the exception Of the coping, and the scaffolding
taken down; no work Is now being done on 1t
or any of the other unfinished bridges.
The work on the distributing reservoir at
Drovers' Rest was prosecuted until about one
third of the slope facings in the western divi-
sion was laid, when 1t was stopped by The cold
weather. The work was resum med In the spring,
and an expenditure Of Ss,355 made upon 1t
before the adjournment of Congress, when,
there being no appropriation available for it, il
was again suspended.
1t is very important that at least one section
OF the distributing reservoir should be compile
ted so as to hold supply of water in case of
accident or " hen the Potomac is rendered
muddy by freshets.
The pipe line is in good condition. The
pumping engine in Rock Greek bridge is taxed
to its utmost capacity, but continues to work
well. Twice during the year 1t has been NJ c.
essary TO stop it for slight repairs. A small
expenditure on the high service reservoir has
rendered 1t available for storage in case Of
heavy draue ht caused by fires.
Congress having made an appropriation on
July for the construction of the solid mason
ry dam across the Maryland channel OF the
Potomac near the Great Falls, and for con-
stTuctIpg the conduit around the receiving res
ervoir, proposals were invited by advertise
ment for the constru ctlOn OF these works, and
were publicly opened or July 25.
Nine proposals were received for the dam,
of which one was withdrawn before the award
was made The contract was awarded TO
James Mcdonald, he being the lowest bidder;
he declined to enter into contract, however,
and il was therefore awarded to the next low
est bidders, Messrs. Dunbar, Sheriff. and
Bangs, with whom contract was concluded
en- July 80, and they Immediately entered upon
the work. Great difficulty has been sxpe-
renced in obtaining laborers, owing to the
high prices paid for substitntes to enter the
army, and the fear of incursions from guerrilla
parties, bnt considerable progress has been
made, an there is every prospect of the COM
pletion OF the dam during the summer of 1869
For the construction of the conduit around
the receiving reservoir six proposals were re-
ceived. and contract was entered into at the
lowest prices offered, with Messrs. Dunbar,
Sheriff. and Bangs.
The difficulty Of obtaining laborers has some
what retarded this work also, butt is expected
that the conduit with be completed within the
time spec Gifted in the contract.
The question OF land damages and water
rights at the Great Falls still remain unsettled,
no action having been taken upon 1t since the
The masonry at the head of the conduit, and
the gate houses at the Great Falls and the
servors, still remain in an unfinished state The
exposure OF these structures to the weather in
this state s necessarily injurious to them, out
with the limited funds at disposal, it has not
been considered expedient to expend any money
except where 1t was absolutely essential to the
OF The city.
The total amonnt appropriated by Congress
since the beginning OF the work is S3055,0UI.
Expenditure 81, ,963, ,34I 60; which leaves q bal.
ance OF appropriation unexpended up to the
present time equal TO S91 65s 40. The amount
OF appropriation on hand, October l, 1863, was
S7n329 G3; to which was added the proceeds of
certain properly transferred to the War and
Navy Departments during the years 1861
and 1862, S3it4 e5-making total amount on
hand, SsU,773 IS. To which should now be-
ca IaG Of
stone, timber, machinery, tools, and fixtures
during the past year. Sl0,697 IS; amount of ap-
All Is. The amount expended during the last
year is Sl35, $40 g. Balance on hand, October
|, lsGi, &iG5, SOL
Estimated cost OF completing the Washing.
ton AGueduct:-Potomac Dam, Si2, I35; Feeder
Masonry, S1,il5; Gate. house at Great Falls
S3,isG; Bridges, 2i,cG0; Gate. houses and Pipe
vaults at distributing Reservoir, 1920; High
Service Reservoir, Georgetown. 81, ,OOG Con.
meeting Conduit at Receiving Reser vor. $50 3ii;
distributing Reservoir. S325, SIS; Ventilators,
S2,sGG; Fencing, S20,00O; Engineering Superin-
tendence and Repairs, S35.OG0: Land and Law
Expenses, SIS. tG0-S567. $50: add 10 per cent for
con on,ingpncies, $50, ,755 90-total amount s62i.-
3li 80. Deduct balance on hand October l.
1851, slc5,sO Appropriation required to COM
plete. S5ls,513 80.
Fo provision Is made in the foregoing esti.
mate tor the SETTLE ment OF the land question at
Great Falls, nor for the completion OF the Po.
tOmac dam TO it's full height entirely across the
river.
Inasmuch as the existing contracts provide
for the completion of the Potomac dam on or
before August 1. 1865, and the conduit around
the receiving reservoir on or before May [,
ls6S, it will be necessary, IL the work is to be
continued. that provision be made in the de.
hciepcy bill as follows: -..
Required to com elete Potomac dam, SIS 435:
required to complesafconnectiDg conduit, $50
3ll; engineering, superintendence, repairs, and
effiee expenses, saO,ooU-totaI, S!5?,7i6. Deduct
amount on hand, SlO5,s Deficiency, S5i ,915.
II the recommendation to complete the ND.
per section OF the distributing reservoir during
the present year, for storage and purifying
purposes, should meet the approval OF Con-
eress, the amount required for that purpose
will be S6n,421, and at least S15,g0 Of the
amount should be included in the deficiency
bill, in order to commence the work us ear,y
as the 1st of April next. This will make the
amoun: to be included in the deficiency bill
S76,9i5 In order TO complete this section of
the distributing reservoir, and provide for
other necessary expenses connected with the
aqneduct during the ems uing year, it will be
necessary that an additional appropriation be
made of $3.50 600.
II the affairs of the country should in the
opinion of Congress, he in condition TO Justify
general resumption of work on the Ist OF
April next, with view TO Its rinal completion
during the ensuing two years, the additional, ),
amount in the annual appropriation bill should
be S25UGGG.
GENERAL REMARKS -r=f
The cause OF the increased cost Of the Wash.
lDgtOn aqpeduct as provided for in the present
estimate, over and above the amount originally
estlmated, are f9ily explained ia the last an
nuai report, and the supplemental report of
the 22d OF February, 1854, and 1t is therefore
deemed unnecessary 10 reeapitulate them
here. -.0
The departures that have been made from
the original plans. and provided for in the
present estimate, may be briefly stated as fol-
lows: fs..4'
1. A dam OF solid masonry at Great Falls
instead of an embaDkmeIt Of broken stone
2. connecting conduit around the 10 wer end
OF the rceiving reservoir, 80 as to prevent the
OF the Potomac water with the
surface drainage collected in the recei wing rs.
seTyoir. '.. st.'
3 Slope wall facing for the inner slofes OF
the distributing reservoir instead OF facings Of
small broken stone
4. Raising the dividing bank in the distrbu-
ting reservoir to the full height of the outer
bar ks, and the const. uctiDg of a central gate
house therein, as to allow OF the indepen-
dent use OF either section for the purpose of
storage, supply and repairs.
Excavating the bettOm OF the distributing
reservoir to an additional depth OF thirteen
feet, so as to increase the purity OF the water,