Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-09-22
THE WASHINGTON CANAL.
What Shall be Done with 1.-THE Discu

sisn in the Board Of Common Council.
On Monday evening in the Board of Common
Council the bill reported on the Monday pre-
vous by Mr.. Boyd 20 improve the Washington
| canal (appropriating slOO.oCO for cleaning ny
was taken up as the special order, ana Mr..
Hall. of the Second Ward, deliver a long
4 speech IN Opros ition TO the report Of the com
| nnittee for several reasons First. on account
| of the great expense involved; second, the com.
| parative worthlessness OF the Improvement:
4 aud thirdly, in consequence of the uu uncertainty
| Of title. He claimed that the sum named was
| ms 10 ffcient 20 complete the work, and having
| made no estimates, nor beng able q even an.
proximate the cost il was sum Gent tor him u
| know thai $4,000 had been expended 90 the
canal, and u would trouble the most acute Oh
server TO discover the mrs OF that great Tor.
IL Goes not require surveyor or engineer I ,
prove that double the amount then expended
would not realize the hopes of the committee,
| entering wedge for a work which WILL impov.
erish The Corporation aud absorb the revenues
OF lne city necessary for Improvement for two
years 10 come.
His objections on account of the worthless
ness of the proposed Improvement were that
| the day for canals has passed, railroads having
| superceded them, and be firmly believed that
any corporation, or government, or people
who waste their revenues in constructing
canals and neglect the prime necessity of build.
| ing railroads VIII bear The same comparative
influence in commercial position and inp.r T.
| lance TO its neigbboring cities that ths slow
process OF canal commu n ication bears TO tue
lightning speed OF the railway. excep. for con.
Meeting great bodies of water, and then 10 be
| sufficiently capacious TO accommodate large
vessels. The day and usefulness OF canal com.
munication have ceased TT ere Is no city In
the Union which has less need of a canal than
w Arlington, for the water front Is Sufficient
for all commerce reaching the city. anu pros
pecuvely large enough for any hoped Ter IN
crease We cannot claim 10 be great CONNER
cIal cry, although we hope TO be: hut digging
internal canals and neglecting the splendid
frontage will not make IL a commercial city.
and ''ycu Will find that boatmen Will not come
out OF The Potomac and pay toll merely iJr
using your canal
He instanced the city of New York with
Infinitely less water front IN proportion TO It's
commerce than Washington, and yet there IS
no need of canal, and any proposition TO cut
the city In two woulj be met with derision
he expressed bis surprise that the Seventh
Ward delegation were in favor of continuing
the canal. and thus remaining cut off from the
rest of the city. He believed that aboIishing
the canal wou;d increase the value of property
IN the Seventh Ward fifty per cent, for it would
be DO longer "the Island" but the fortunate
possessor of an improved river front, which
would be a souTce OF profit for all time to come.
That portion Of he canal above I7tb street Is
contr0l-d by another corporatIon, Zone in
different TO the interests of WASHINGTON and
below 9TH street we are at the mercy of Con.
gress. Last winter when Commute of the
Councils approached Congress 10 ask authori-
" 10 Sfraig hten the canal they Were informed
that under no circumstances would Conyr.sS
permit an oren canal to run through thair
grounds, ana the proposition had better be
beIs OF Congress claim tnat the city has Tor.
feited ali right TO the canal by its long con.
Lnued and persistent violation of nearly all
the provisions OF the charter. Tue properly is
IN the city, bat whether we continue IL as
canal is at the option OF Congress. Admitting
that that portion from 18th 10 9TH street is in
fUll possession of the corporation, will the
committee contend that their calculation for
revenues is correct Will the city receive
from thirty 10 forty thousand dollars for tolls
and rents within these limits 1t is refre IN.
N business ~ mi
propose TO appropriate Slt0,010 on the centre
portion OF the canal, leaving the city TO obtain
an outlet the best way it can.
The Committee say this work must be done
Immediately. in order TO relieve the sewers now
emptying into the canal. The canal Is not a
proper sewer, nor will The improvement pro-
ptstd by the committee ever make il q good
sewer. Ii Is simply a receptacle for the sew.
age that runs into il. The grade of this canal
SHOWS thar proper fall cannot be obtained.
We IND the grade at the corner of Eth street
and The canal to BE- six feet above mean tide: az
ttn street seven and eight one.hundred ths and
at l2th street about four feet. 1t is Eot. never
mas been. and never can be made a Sc wer. The
advocates OF the eternal right for this canal TO
remain. and curse our children's children, say
that when once cleaned out thew will dr-dg- It
and keep four feet of water in il. Is II then
sewer, or does II simply stop the sewage so
that II may be carted OFF by hand, Competent
persons have said that this city can be ewered
belie> ed it. He had tried to secure the appoint
ment OF competent board of engineers TO rs.
u ".
then sewers cannot be- constructed unless they
conform 10 this established system. Then
and not until then, would they be relieved from
the annoyance of imperfect sewerage.
He believed in the growth OF Washington,
which has not yet reached its zenith, unless
the nation has; and the nation cannot expand
wealth without contributing 10 the growth of
the Capital. Looking al the question from
this standpoint he could not colseLt TO con.
TIME and perpetuate nuisance in the hands
IN la or car trytlI
give way TO uniform system of water closets
The preservation of health, the selfrespect OF
the citizens will drive those remnants OF pro.
vInciallsm TO the wall. BY the passage Of this
resolution they would be foisting upon this
people perpetual open receptacle for Sc wage
in the very center of the city, and wher me
hundreds of thousands of people inhabit the
city. the capacity of the sewers will be in.
creased, and carrying the excrement and filth
to such place to breed epidemics and spread
death and desolation all over city Then Will
the folly of this resolution be more fully ap.
preeated than now. Then, after millions are
wasted upon improper sewerage, will the peo-
PIE be forced to undo the folly and mistakes Of
this proposition, and inaugurate system that
Will carry the sewage Of the city outside the
limits of the residences of our citizens.
In answer 10 the question, What is the
remedy he would say the subject should be
referred 10 board CT engineers consisting OF
representatives of the Corporation and General
Govern ment, as the latter is equally interested.
IL being Impossible that the canal can be used
as sewer that the outlet must be lowered, or
the bed of the sewer raised from the starting
point. One Of or ablest papers advocates I'M.
mediate improvement, and a decision upon the
rival plans afterward. The great objection 10
this me- nod Is, that II the canal not necs ssary
II will be filed up and the land reclaimed, ex-
cept so much OF il required for Sc Werage
purposes: and n We clean II out this year, and
then desire TO I'LL II up, will have 10 put
back the earth at great expense that has cost us
so much 10 remove, In his Judgment the
sewers have done a good work IN aiding the
city 10 reclaim valuable property, and II
only requires little efiert ON the part OF the
city TO complete the work.
The committee say: "Yo1 ara, then, In favor
OF archIng!' and they say IL Will cost two and
half millions. WHAT for! Upon what CAL
culation is their report based, Had the com.
mIttee before them the size of sewer, material,
or other necessary information 10 base their
calculation, He was not going u argue
the question, snd only called the attention OF
the Board 10 the TACT that an estimate Is made,
without any proposition being before me COM
mIttee upon which TO base the calculation.
One other proposition contained IL the resOiu.
uon equlred attention, ana that was the rle thC1
Tor conducting the work the IT st sXtEaOsdi-
nary OF all. A committee OF tn members OF
the Councils, 10 be elected by the Boards. re-
spectvelyi Certainly singular Proposition,
and IN opposition TO the rules OF both Boards,
that provide that the president shall appoint
committees, &C., and depriving the Mayor, the
chief executive officer OF the city, from any
control over the expenditures made, or the
management OF the affaIr al all. What Is there