Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-09-15
The Washington Canal Again.

The following report, on ne canal was SUBJ
mittsd 10 the Board Of Common Council last
| night.
WASHINGTON, Sept Il, I-6e.-To nc Mayer
IccTd q A'GcTmet and tie Board Of CoE.g.sa
soancti-Gt ntlemen: The accompanying man
aLU papers are copies Of matter relating 20 the
G-'Ed heretofore Submitted 10 Congress, which
were rctp red 10 the Comm ttee of The Honse
on tle DistrIet OF C0lUm bia, where they mad
-Heb attention as leaves no doubt Of approval.
AL inst appears to IA now required to induce
cong Itss to grant what is desired is corre-
Nponding acton on the part OF the city author
itIeS.
b. adopting this plan abundant means NAV
he $ cured TO complete the canal in most
salts factory manner, without cost to the Gen
ers,l Government, and with but little cost to
the city. lis main feature consists in straight
tniBg the canal between Seventh street and
Maryland avenue, ny which the leEg IA OF that
part of he canal and its streets will Oe short
ened e69 feet, thus adding some 2i7,5Ss feet to
the surface area Of the Government reserva-
mons, besides improving their form and also
that OF the canal. 1t rs proposed % devote
the ground that may thus be saved or acquired
by the chance in the canal towards tefraying
the expenses attending th~ making Of the
change and TO complete the dredging and
other Improvements on the entire length of
the canal. CONGRESS appears TO be III posed to
authorIZe this change whenever the cry shIil
ask il, and give reasonable Assurance TIA. The
much needed work shall be properly per-
formed. HeIce tne Importance of a careful
examination Of the plan and papers submitted,
and OF early action on the part of the CITY
Councils.
Alter seeing the destructive effects Of ,he
flood OF the cath OF July last on the lives and
property along inadeq uate channels in Baiti.
more and elsewhere, IL not likely THAI the
advocates OF arching our canal, and of at
tempting 10 cohfihe its flow to a cuivert of
some twenty fec in width will persist in
urging such costly, dangerous, and irap-L,-
ticable schemes. 1t has been ascsrtained by
actual m 'asuremeat that the quantity OF water
flowing through the canal on that day in
opposite directions from the Tiber would
have burst up three sewers Of the above
named dimensions, notwIths landing the river
was very low. and the tide was at its Lowest
ebb at the time the flood in the canal was the
highest thus fo. ming fall or deolivity in the
usual dead level of the canal of six feet in the
distance of one and a half miles. That is from
the middle of its length towards It's Opposite
ends. In times OF high water in the river there
could, OF course, be no such fall In the canal,
or cuiyert place d w-Ihin IL. At such times the
tides would nearly I'LL the cuIvert which
would leave but little space for the flood water
Of the TIber and Of the numerous sewers of me
CITY Under such circumstances, six culverts
OF the foregoing dimensions would hardly suf-
nee TO carry of the quantity of water flowing
into the canal on that day, and that was NOT
the greatest tiocd that has been known in this
city.
In view Of the foregoing it is not diff ult 10
reahZe that TO construct a substantial cuIyert
OF sufficient capacity to be safe In all respects
would cost ten times as much as to make the
canal completely navigabe, and to wall it in
the best manner. 1t is equally plain that the
annual cost Of removing, from covered cul.
vert the great quantity of'sand and gravel that
would wash into ii, would be ten fold greater
than that OF removing the same quantity from
an open canal by dredging. Further, the cul.
vert could yield 10 revenue, while the carai
might sooA be made to yield fifty thou sand dol
lars year, besides saving at least SlO1.O00 a
year in carriage.
The open canal, with constant flow through
1t OF large volume of comparatively pure
water, such as we shall have as soon as the
conal shall be fully opened and dredged 20 the
depth required for navigation, will form the
very best ard most efficient sanitary agent
greatly superior and more salutary in ITS effects
TO that Of close arched culvert. For open
and rapid flowing water will not emit offensive
gases. On the contrary, it is the most perfect
sgent known for purifying the air, while nox.
1ous gaSes are rapidly generated within closed
ulverts and sewers, especially when they he
as the canal culvert does, on nearly dead
level The gases thus generated are very dele
trrious TO health. Some OF them being exceed
ingly volatile, their tendency is naturaIIv
upward, pressing through every opening into
the streets and into the dwellings connected
with the sewers by means OF imperfect house
drains, thus poisoning the air OF the streets
and OF all the dwellings into which the gasses
can by any means penetrate.
The evils arising from such causes have been
so fatal in portions Of London and other Euro.
pean cities, as TO induce engineers of eminence
10 favor the formation OF numerous openings
In the sewers for the tree escape and diffusion
OF the gases into the open air, rather than 20
permit them to concentrate in closets and in the
ing sewers OF some Of the towns as q vast sys
TEN of subterranean retorts, so arranged mat
the huos passing through give Off the largest
possible volume OF gases, which are carefully
cOii6c teu; and then, 10y means OF chimney pines
lior the house drains serve admirably that
puTpose,) conduct them into The very heart of
tDe dwellings. hence that faint sickening poi
sonous Odor, which seems almost omniprespnt
blackening paint and table SILVER and proclaim
ing. by all sorts of signs, the terrible fact ibat
truly death is In the air. This volcano of te
yer.damp. more pestlent than the firs-damp
of a { oal mine, is that which makes portions of
the most elevated parts OF towns SO very I'M
healthy. The mere abode of infection, caused
by tie constant presence of the powerful es-
sence OF Nth generated in the sewers and
forced Upwards "
more pernicious device for infiicting a,f
theSe evils On large scale, and in an aggra.
va-ed form on all the most elevated parts oil
the city OF Washington, could hardly be de-
Wed, than that recently recommended by one
OF the Regents OF the Smithson Institute
and by Il w others, tn at OF having The opeD
canal changed into a cl ose covered c1Iyprtand
10 nave the sewers ass over 1t, extending
southward, necessarily on nearly dead level,
to the Potomac. The culvert and the sewers.
from Pennsylvania avenue southwark.
would b. come more or less filled with the
Hood and Underwater of the river, which ris
ing and falling with the tide, the depressed
culvert and sewers would ForIn a vast sys.
TEN of retorts tor the rapid generation OF the
hoXious gases; and a great hydraulic and
pneumatic engine combined, Of immense DOW.
er, Kept IN constant operation by the rising and
falling OF the tides, In collecting and forcing
upwards into the streets and dwellings greaf
quantities Of the pestilentIal gases, forcing
them as by powerful pumps through every
opening, through every creyice, and through
.veIy part OF the sewers or house drains thai
could be made TO yield to the pressure But
the vicious defects or faults of this plan are he
Heved TO be too obvious 10 require further At
tentIon, and, aside from its great defects its
enormous cost must forbid its adoption.
The latest conclusions, by the most distin.
gulshed European engineers, as to the best
means Tor overcoming the formidable evils
ALLUDED TO, appear 10 be that an abundant
supply of wafer should be used by means of
which the foul natter may be removed from
sewers before fermentation and the generation
OF the oeleteTious gases can take place This
seems TO be a rational conclusion: but unfortu
nateiy, IN London, and in many other cities an
adequate supply OF water for such purposes IS
not easily attainabe. Here in Washington,
however, there Is no such difficulty. As set
forth in former communications on the subject
more than hall OF the water OF the Potomac
might be used for such purposes; by which
means all the sewers leading TO the canal
might be kept i'll a condition OF almost perfect
purity.
And when the canal shall have been straight.
ened ard dredged TO its full depth, and other.
wise improved, as contemplated, the flow of
water through that duct will be- in such volume
as Will prevent any odor or deleterious gases
arising from that source. by these means all
the sewage will be rapidly borne out beyond
the bounds of the city, where the open air and
the great quantity of water with which IL will
become diluted will prevent any dangerous