Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-04-06
the DISTINCT INVESTIGATION.
MORE ABOUT WOOD PAYMENTS.
The systcm Of Sewerage -Tcstinony cT
nIessrs IaIlctt and shepherd, Of the
Board-Their Practical Ideas W. TIE
Theories Of the Experts.


was flrst laid In Chicago some seven years ago,
and was acknowledged TO be the best pavement
that was yet laid ~ the present day u exhib.
pany had no contract In this city; the prices
were cut down 90 low that the company could
not ahord TO bring thelr maehinory hoTei good
wood, properly treated, would last 10 pave
ments about eight years; witness then de.
scrlbed the process by which tho wood was Iron.
Soa PtSpSssd II me s1Esei ~ snn saI npss.
good material was usedi most contractors &C,
| copied contracts At low prices, and then used
choap wood, that had lost It's vitality, and as
| consequence the rot set In carly aud the pave.
mont soon became woTthlcss' but by using
/ proper material pavement would last eight
| years, which was as long as should DO expected
4. h Maiisit sworn Is responsible snsineer
| for and member Of the Board Of Public work..
/ brow the plan for the Improvement, with the
assistance Of General Green, that -re being car.
ried out The plan for the sewerage has not yet
| the Tiber, tho slash run next and tho othors
| minor uewers. The plan Is 70 relieve the Tiher
valley as much as possible. Much OF that which
now washes down Fourteenth street will be IN.
| tercepted and carried into Slash run. The Tiber
was Of ample size at present 10 Withstand hotds.
Had examined the work from time 20 time.
/ price was Reasonable. The Misspuri.avenuo
i sewer was nearly completed. Another would DO
/ CONNIE need Al Seventh street and 70 west TO
/ scvsnteenth strest. The Missouri. avenue sewer
/ will be ude-wA sewer, and hushei a. both
ends. II necessary, lt Is proposed 10 hush ~
|
/ easier It was TO keep them clean, a. the water
will now through with more force and carry on
the matter that aocumulAtes IN 4 more readily;
Tho SlAsh.run sewer was Of sufficient siEo, and
/ the work had been done IN u very satisfactory
manner. Ho had examined into the complaints
that had been made against the material peing
used 10 the sewer, and found them talse,
/ Thought the soWer would stand any weight that
might be placed upon It,
~ Mr.. COombs. The eastern end Of tho Mis-.
| souri, avenue sewer connects with the Tiber' the
western end will connect with the Seven th.street
sewer. Did not do his engineering BY guess
work. II was matter Of calculation. ltwoull
cot q great deal less to build q sewer from
| seventh street west TO the river than u would 70
keep the canal clear. II was intended by the
/ the Tiber as possible. There were two valleys
marked out In this District by nature that would
have TO be made large sewers An engineer
| generally made as many small lateral sewers as
| possible to relieve a largo sewer.
| Mr.. COMBS. You report there 400 acres In
tho county and l,9OO In the city to DO drained
Mr.. Mullett But the water don't all enter into
one sewer.
MIR. Mullatt l make no such guppOsltion.
You do not seem to understand that an en-
gineor, In speaking OF sewerage, does not mean
one as seC CSS ssat q q ' sSo cSsS1,so that
n l am to sit here and be lecturod and nuboei
by the witness, J shall decline to further exam.
inc him. The committee can see that he has
not answered any question put to him
| Mr.. Eldridge l think you have both been lee.
turing each other. Dir, Mullett, you will answer
the questions II you understand them.
Witness resuming; Did not mud any special
estimate under the general plan for Construct
, ing Instantaneous sewer. Tho object In arch
. | Ing the canal was for the purpose OF sewerage.
BY Mr.. Crebs: They were running surveys to
enable them to tell how much water can be car
intS ROCK creek. When that Is finished they
could tell how far Il will be necessary 10 carry
the Tlber sewer at Its present Dimensions prob.
ably It will be carried no further than New Jor.
sey avenue. The lateral branches will be above
this point, and as much water carried on on
those branches as possible.
BY Mr.. Roosevelt: Tho arch Of the Tiber was
the same as that across New Jersey avenue,
only the launches had been tampcred with.
Apprehended no difieulty about II, and did not
BY Mr.. Harmer; Believed that character Of
8 arch to be substantial.
by Mr.. Chandler; The attention Of the board
4 In regard TO the canal was nrst directed TO the
dredging on the eastern section on visiting the
:, canal the board, afler making an examination,
u determined TO NIL the canal from Third to Sow.
: onth street, and dredge Il from seventh TO Sew.
ontoenth streets. The contract TO improve the
I canal had been given TO Evans Teemyer by a
o commission appointed by act Of Congress, but
the work had never been hnlshed. II the canal
. were kept open It would be nothing but cess.
It pool; 40 open canal in any city is nuisance.
BY Mr.. CoOmbs: Did not remember the date
at which the Board Of Public Works took charge
/, OF the canal; but little or nothing was done be-
ioro the board took charge Of T. lie reported
to tho board that the plans for cleaning thu
!, canal were imperfect, and recommended thai
2 they be abandoned. The work had not beer
done according to the contract, bat that was inl
Of loop holes for evasions Thought the train
Q wall was as substantial as II II had been bull
d according 10 the plans, bat u tho work had
70 be tAkon as a finished Job instead OF n eompro
mise, witness would not have accepted II. fla,
D. seep the pilOs covered with water.
n Mr.. Coombs, ask the privilege Of CAPITAL
y the witness on this subject, us bo Is better ~
=, quainled with II than am.
nt Mr.. Eldridge. II has been decided 10 Allo'
buF IN IVA m a nj IA
IN better continue on.
Mr.. Coombs. / asIost as personal Gayor
? Mr. Eldridge. Let Mr.. Grant give you III
!. Witness resIming; Did not remember ho
o much was paid the eontractoTsi II was matte
a. by MIR. Crobs: The contract allows the COL
ia tractors damages for delays, and they put In
10 claim for about $4,000. They commenced wOr
done on the Eastern branch Neither oOntrRC
- | provided for the cancoling Of the other. Tbs
M were simply modiheatlons There was very II
n by Mr.. Chandler; Had from tho begInnin
SsSn ~ iaN1s II closing me canal %Rsn
At make a compromise with the contractors 50
70 To avoid trouble In the future.
re- BY Mr.. Eldridge! Tho settlement with EyaI
Teomyer was made aitsr the board decided
ld- MI up the canal
i'm by MI. Chandler: Thought that seyentseul
nd street should have been lowered eighteen inch,
or- more at New York avenue, and II would hAl
IN. given better grade TO tho connecting street
Of The grade on tho south front Of the state y
~ partment had to be lowered to correspond vii
nc the grade on the same front Of the rreasuT
TT ~ and u was impossible 70 give decent appea
standing at tho old grade. lie thought that Il
In. change on 4 street was one OF the best lmproV
nd ments In the city. Mr. shepherd was very mu'
Of opposed to II at hrst, and the board held two
tai three meetings before lie could be persuaded
rs coincide with witness.
BY Mr.. Eldridge: Mr., shepherd opposed
10 II ~
sy Tho houses were not built with any idea OF u
he proposed improvement
by BY Mr.. Chandler; Until recently there hi
ch been but two outlets 10 Goorgotown. sire
M had recently been opened. The board had d
oided 10 open NJ street; thought II very impo
Of tant for GEORGETOWN, and had no doubt the Gil
20, BY Mr.. COMBS Thought the property .hol
~ eTs along Bridge street should be allowed dAI
~, ~ ages, and the board had 20 recommended. HI
~ studied civil engineering. Was an architect
BY Mr.. Chandler; Had never any compsns
az ton from the Board OF Public Works, and wi
re not interested directly or Indirectly in any Co
TO- tract. Went to New York once on business q
~ the board and had his expenses paid, Wink
70. 4. II. shepherd, recalled; Had been int
mRtely acquainted with the needs Of tho oi
led since he began TO build extensively, and beAu
Ast iylpg II had been hobby OF his for ten year
ut, When the board came into power they took u
noe view that they were appointed for something
20 nothi ing and II ioT sSmsthins ne improving
N. draining and sewerage were made out and u
board has carrying out those plans. They hA
Ma made some plumbers, no doubt, but done Il
mi best they could with tho light they had beio
III them. They had tried ~ manage the Affairs
III the board honestly and for the best interests
nc the citizens The Slash run sewer drains Il
~ country west Of Fourteenth and north Of
re- streets, WITNESS hero went TO q map Of Il
District and pointed out the course OF the SlAl
H.. run sewer Tho sewers down by tho now sta
~ Department were built under tho old oOrpor
NJ ton. Witness then proceeded 10 explain Il
~ course OF the sewer through Tlber valley, Al
ny the lateral sewers connecting herewith, al
OK said that when completed The Tiber sew
NJ would be relieved Of one half the present amour
" OF water passing through IT, He believed th
m when these sewers were completed the, MissOui
m avenue sewer would DO ample In size TO car
". of all the water that can be drained from III
oh section There will DO no difficulty In iiushlI
g, tho sewer
eli BY Mr.. CoOmbs: The sewers were not yet col
pleted. No plan Is made out until the sutyi
and measurements arc completed. The Pill
submitted to the Legislature was gotten
after the board came Into power. The Ia
states that they are 70 adhere TO the plan
closely as will DO consistent with the public
tersst and he believed that the Board o. Publ