Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-04-05
hs u'S .r'tT GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION
redings Before the House Com
mittee Today,

| WOOD FOR PAYMENTS.
| Br ems Il. Nttksrson, swoIn:-Resides In
thisfto; Is part owne and agent OF the WOOD
iIonizTg company; had treated about II, 900, zoo
| festef lumber during the past two years for
ve't IaN'nents. most of which had been laid
| IL ChiCsgO; HE patent was that known as the
SHnuels patent, and was first introduced in San
frsnciscC; has no contract in Washington, but
bad bids PENDING here for treating wood, but
lot 10 lay pave meBt; good wood, properly treat
ed, would last in pave me nts three times as long
a. Isvemtb OF green wood, with tar. Witness
described n some length the manner of prepar-
lng the wood by the Samuels patent. Witness
Hnd lor me pavemt mt on Pennsylvania avende,
ont when they cut il mp into four pieces he did
iOt want ~; the reason why wooden payemepts
faiitd in New York was because they were
, mac OF pad lumber; II an ordinary untreated
lie all that could be expected.
SEWERAGE OF TEE CITY.
a. B. EyHerr - orD lis engineer of the
Board Of Public Works; IN connection with the
beard adopted the plans of Improvements 10, the
I'iStflct low being carried OUT was assisted by
Gen GreeEe and MIR. FOrsy tn: the first object
vas to have perfect sewerage and a uniform
systt m OF drainage; also, to park and beautify
the city; the principal sewer would be Tiber
creek, and the next important Slash run:
the plan TO relieve the Tiber valley as
y. ucb possible by conveying some of the
wafer through Slash run. and some through
anotier - wer to the Eastern branch: Tiber
rr@ll sewer IL ct ample size to withstand any
soo,i. no., -; la the work on that sewer as
it pr, eIcss,d: the cha ""t.r OF the work was
COCO ard the price reasonable; ~.
av. hnt stwer was nearly completed; sim...
sewer would be commenced at 9TH street and run
west to the Potomac; the Missouri avenue sewer
intercepted the 9th street sewer and other sew
ers between that and the Tiber and emptied the
contents into the Tiber; that sewer can be easily
flushed by Potomac water but witness did NOT
think Ii would be necessary; small sewers. If of
suftcient capacity, seldom accumulaeed any
nun; az great object Is to have sewers as small
oh To x,lp
matter; the Slash-run sewer wa~ ,reli by;If had
10 Iauit 10 md with the work, had examined II
as frequently ~ as possible; fAd heard complains
TO he false i,,xa,i.h .nsm, and found them
arcb or a. s -sy, had no doubt that the
s sISn OF una, er would stand any weight
ore Iortior put upon it; the falling down of
ipe ear. vas caused by clumsiness in dump
p N against one side of the arch.
Mr.. COombs:-The eastern end of the Mis-
senfi avenue sewer is already connected with
1iber creek; did not guess at sizes Of sewers; it
was matter of calculation; did not 90 his en-
glneerlng work by guess-work.
What size sewer will 1t take to drain an
area Of eight hundred acres?
Al have said eight hundred acres will be
drained by the sewer from 9Th street to the PO-
tomac and fixed the size of the sewer the report
already before the committee answers your cues
ton; 90 not re member; i cannot answer such
questions as that off hand; it will cost much
less TO build sewer from It'll street to the PotO-
mac than to keep the canal clean; two valleys
in this Distrct-Tiber creek and Slash run
must be constructed in them.
Q.-IOu report there 500 acres in the
county and ECO in the city to be drained by the
1iher sewer?
Alt does not all enter into one volume
though.
Q-Well, suppose it does.
Al make no such suppOsition; you do not
set m to understand that an engineer in speaking
OF sewerage does not mean one sewer, but a sys
tenn OF sewers.
MIR. Coombs.-I submit to the committee that
Y NOT .r % Ii
this witness. The committee will see he will not
answer my questions.
MIR. Eldridge.-The difference between Won
seems to be that you, Mr.. COOmbs, assume that
there is to be but one single sewer to drain this
area, and he says there are to be several. L
think neither Of you are clear of the charge of
lectuTirg each other. You must answer the
questions, MIR. Mullett, if you understand them.
Q-Is there any estimate in the general plan
fer the Missouri avenue sewer?
Al don't see any; il is part of the canal
Improve me nj; we have power under special act
of Congress to arch the canal
MI Coombs.-The law says clean out or arch
over the canal
MIR. Mullett-what is the object OF arching it
over?
Mt. Coombs--I am not under examination; 1
am examining YOU.
Mr.. Eldridge.-I think both OF you are getting
a little cIOchtty.
Question by Mr. Coombs:-Do you think Won
have power under the act of Congress to fill up
the canal and make another sewer?
AEs:-That il the opinion of the corporation
lawyer.
BY Mr.. Crets:-It was not contemplated to
cary the Tiber creek arch beyond New Jersey
avCn,e at its present dimensions; above that
point lie sewer would be sub divided; at the
head Oi The Tiber as much water as possible
would be carried to the Eastern branch and
Rock creek; surveys were now being made to
ascertain the quantity of water to be 80 con-
veyed TO Rock creek and the Eastern branch.
BY MIR. Observation-Disclosures the arch on
al lpPn OF he eli
after it was built; apPrehended no difficulty
atout il; Old not intend TO take il down. the
grade OF Tiber creek sewer had been kept as low
as possible in order to drain cellars.
BY MIR. ChaEdler:-The dredging of the canal
was stopped at the brick arch at the eastern end
when the superintendent came up for permis-
SION 10 re move portion OF the arch in order to
get the Dredging machine through, and the
board then decided 10 FL UP the canal from I'd
street TO Ia; subsequently decided to I'LL il up
rom ath street to the western outlet; the board
settled with the contractors to Improve the ca
nal when il was decided TO fill it, the contract
had been awarded them by the canal commits.
sion, and compromise had to be made; ii the
canal sheuid be kept open il would be nothing
more than cesspoOl; an open canal in any city
Is a nuisance; the canal subject was the stand
time. -e
By Nj. Coombs But little work was done
on the western end of the canal before the
Board Of Public Works took charge of it; looked
nIon an eapendi n to improve the canal as
II
done according TO plans andspecifcations never
had considered it good work; the plans and
Specifications were radically DETECTIVES thew
were made by the old commissioners; admits
that the work was not done properly; took the
Work already done as compromise; il the Board
Lad been compelled to accept it as an improve
Menf, would not have done so.
Question by MIR. COMBS Have YOU ever seen
the piles at the canal covered with water?
Al have not roasted on the banks of that
canal any more than could help.
Mr.. Coombs--I ask the privilege of Captain
Grant asking Mr.. Mullett a few questions as he
has examined the work, and have not
MT. Eldridge, (acing chairmanHYo had
better finish the examination, Mr.. Coombs
Capt. Grant can give you the questions and YOU
can ask them. ~
Witness resumed:-It made no difference
y the canal should have been improved
according n ~, MS Specifications, or whether
1t was rot SO improves. wa sd .he whole
thing was a failure, and Mi'i'ess hau PAID out
little attention to IL.
By Mr. Crets;-Thrc 49,; a.. erent contracts were
iDaue az" one was a modification of the
>o.uing ones; the contractors claimed dam
ages on account OF delays
By Mr.. Chandler:-Never had any other idea
than that the canal should be filled up; deemed
il advisable 10 make a c0mpI omise with the con-
tractors rather than have 4 lawsuit; the settle
ment with Teemyer * Co. was made after the
board determined to Eli up the canal.
TAB STREET IMPROVEMENT.
BY Gen. Chipman:-The + street improve.
in