Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-07-29
THE SEWERAGE OF THE CITY.

THE SEWERAGE OF THE CITY.
Congress has adjourned without taking any
definite action upon the bills before it IN re-
gardto the Washington Canal. The report OF
the Senate District Committee upon the bill to
give the canal franchise 10 a private company.
shows the t'mper o: Congress 10 BE- in favor of
taking II sut of the hands of the city unless we
show some disposition to deal with it oar
selves. The committee 20 over the history of
the canal, and figure out that Congress has ap-
propriat $4,000 toward the construction of
the Washington city canal, and $50 30 }, be-
sides the interest which has accrued thereon
since and before 1S36. TO the Chc~apeake and
ONO canal whilst the one. they say, has been
suffered TO terminate At Georgetown, ana the
other rs wholly unf 1ished az a canal. and
shamefully deficient for beverage PURPOSES.
Notwithstanding these large expendItur. by
Congress, the people of Warrington still hsuI
and cart their coil, -four, wood, &c, &c. from
the Potomac river and from Georgetown,
when, say the Committee, they might have them
introduced all along through the heart Of the
city, almost At their doors.
The Con- mittee seems to have beea consider.
ably impress ed with Mr.. Severson's statements
IN regard TO the advantages and utilities which
the city of Washington might derive from a
proper improvement of the c.nal, connecting
II with the Chesapeake and Ohio canal al
Georgetown. They quote from him as within
the bounds Of PROBABILITY, in SAYING that II the
canal were properly finished its revenue
would soon rise from $500 to s5O,OOo a wear;
ana that II would save to consumers full
siO0,o0o year on the cost Of carriage alone.
The Committee think that with so Just an
appreciation Of the value of the cinal il Is
amazing that no adequate efforts are made to
cOmnlQLa Thay
the canal might be render Of almost incalcu.
Liable value aud convenience to the city by the
extension OF the Chr ~apeake and Ohio canal
from Its present terminus al @ orgetown to the
terminus OF the Washington city cana'. at or
near 18th street. BY the construction of an
aqueduct acro~s Rock Greek at the terminus
aforesaid Of the Chesapeake aud Ohio cinal.
this latter canal could be extended At a consid
cradle elevation above the Potomac, around
the south side OF the grounds of the National
OBSERVATORY, and be let down into the Wash
ington canal at its W, -t,rn terminus sforciug
All along between thee two points water
power, connected with this extension, Gent
10 drive large amount of machinery for man.
ufaetuiing purpo9es, besides fur fishing e-.-y.
direct and cheap transportation of the coal
and all other production carried by the Ches-
apeake and Ohio canal INTO the very center of
the city of Washington. This, the Commits
say, is what the bill referry to then. proposes
to authorizes the company 1t 81 eks to incorpo-
rate to do, IN sddition to the opening and keep
ing open the Washington city canal
The Committee think that the completion OF
the canal in the manner requir / by The bill
would increase its fitness and efficiency for
sewerage purposes. But they saw, ought so
valuable a franchise to taken from the CITY
and given 10 private company The health
OF the city, ITS convenience and welfare I'M
Pefauvely demand the spC sdy Improvement OF
TINS canal. But the commute hs-itat, a,
present TO recommend a revocation OF the
charter Of said canal ss granted TO the CITY.
hoping that something may be speedily done
by the city % place the nal IN a conditrou in
winch 1t viii T., a. least, no lon er a nuisance
and source of prsilenCe. They therefore.
recommend that the lur.her consideration of
the ball be postponed until the next 9 sion OF
Congress.
Thus, it would seem, repreve is only given
the city until the next s. ZION: aud a some
measures for II improvement is not ken by
that time the franchise will b. given TO some
private company. II VIII be MOTTO 4 80 a sig
nihcant fact, illustrative OF the superficial IA.
ture of the investigation Congress is able to
give to District matters, thar the committee do
not seem 70 be aware that there is any draw
back or Objection 70 the use OF the email for
sewerage purposes. Yet the rapidly growing
nature OF The evil from the admission of prtyy
drAnsge 70 the canal has been a subject
brought home most forcibly to the consider
alton OF every citizen; and Congress itself At
the time the above committee report was mad
had before it the very thorough and searchiu.-
report of the Executive Committee of tn.
Smithsonian Institution, headed by General
Delaheld, pointing out concIusIvely the dan
gers threatened II the nuisance is not speedily
abated-
That Committee (the Smithsonian Execu
tive Committee) We're most earnest in ex-
pressing the opinion that the proposed grant
of the canal 70 private corporation would be
a grievous injury to the inhabitants OF the city
and would defeat the mucn-desIred object of
both Congress and the community OF securing
the health OF the city. In any event, no sew
erage matter, the committee say, shorld be al.
lowed to enter any open canal phatsver, within
the limits of the District OF CJlumoia On the
supposition that the canal receives the sewage
from population Of only thirty thousand of
the inhabitants Of the city, the estimated an.
nual cubic rass that is thrown into the canal
is not less than 100000 cubic f. I, or At the rate
of 10 cubic feet per heed per annum OF
solid and fluid human excrement This focal
matter has for some years past b en- accumu-
laiing in the eaual, in proportion TO the extent
ana nurnDer OF sewers constructed IrOn tina
to time, without any power OF removal of the
solid parts, and only slight power for moving
the fluid portions backwards aud forwards,
there being 10 continuous currenSI 10 force even
the fluid and sOluole parts INTO the PStJn,c or
Eastern Branch. From the eN p-riance of OH.
ers,and the iny'stg ATOMS % chemists and engI-
Eeers, We learn that open ewers. as tue c nat
IL this city, ryolye gases very prejudicilI ID
health Observation has showa that tn. death
rate Is much greater among the population
alOng these op-n sewers than IN streets re-
moved but short distance from Them
The Su lthsonIan Committee are of the opiu-
ION that the canal, as 1t now exists. Is a great
cause for creating and propa eating disease, and
should Al the earle st possible moment be- flIl-d
up and discontinued for use as a Sc wer ana
reservoir tor excrement and waste waters of
Kitchens water-closets, lauRdries, aaI other
sources Of contamInating matr,r, and are al so
the opinion that if the proposition OF graft
ing the city rights TO this canal be confirmed.
the ey lis herein set forth cannot be efficiently
corrected by any means lett in the power OF tu,.
public authorities, without incurring 4 heavy
expenditure TO purchase rights and property
now proposed to be wen away.