Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-04-11
TIE EISTFlCT eoVEsskthT IagESTIelTlcR.
Proceedings Pef0re The House Com.
mittee TO. day.

/ FIlGT TO the examination OF witnesses, Mr.
Crane said he desired to correct a statement
I made ~ Mr.. SheI herd the other day In regard
to The taxes paid by the memOrialsJs, but Mr.
/ chandler otjected.
/ CTcEEAL BAECOCE On THE CANAL QUESTION.
/ ON. q. T.. BGtcCCE. SuVeTiEtC ndent OF Public
1 Buildings and Grounds, WAS sworn, and testified
| that he has paid considerable attention to the
canal in connection with his official duties, and
/ csme ia the conclusion some time since that II
! shtuid be filed mp; witness conieTI ed with MI
| SmitL. Surerintt ndent of the Botanical Gar
] GCrs. end ;Ie Board OF Public Works, And eX-
/ pressed his opinion in regard to the canal;
/ Professor Henry co nciced "lth MN IN beleyiug
! that tie Smithsonian park would never become
"a Is vCrite resort until the canal was filled up;
| witness does not believe il Will be detrimental
70 health If TIE canal j. filed up; ii a sewer is
| built in place Of the canal, il should be built
alcrgside the canal, and not on the old
he'd of the canal; would not arch the canal; in
the JUdl ment OF witness the canal at present il
the source of great deal CT malaria, which is
very detrimental TO the he lth OF the conmu-
nifty, especially in the summer, " hen the south
winds blow il towards the heart of the city;
! don't think it practicable to dredge the canal;
il would cost too much; if the canal is filed up
arc sewer laid running into deep water, wit
| ness would not apprehend any difficulty in case
| OF heavy rains; docs rot regard the canal as of
| any Z tTcal Importance; considers the
| tenn 81 grades adopted by the Board of Public
Works wise and iudcious; the Improvements
! west Of the War Department will doubtless
greatly improve that section of the city; the fill
ing in south Of street il a wise measure. and
viii tee Il 10 prevent chilis and fever; witness
vCGid improve the river channel by construct
| ing wall from Easby's wharf TO the south end
| of the dyke leading 10 the Long bridge, and I'LL
II the intervening space between the wall and
| the city.
BY Gen. ChiIman:-Is informed that Hook
eT's division is located somewhere along the lire
| OF the canal; people have 10 pass through the
/ division to get to the Smithsonian grounds or
| so around long distance; if the canal is filled
| up the value OF property will lie enhanced, and
/ the class of people row inhabifing the division
/ will he driven out; the Smithsonian grounds
| viii then become popular resort.
he witness was examined at some length by
/ M'ssFs Roosevelt and Eldrdee i'm regard 10 the
marshes in the vicinity of the western end OF
the canal, ard the proposed Improvement Of the
/ river channel.
BY Gen. Chirman:-The narrowing of the
| CbarDel OF the Potomac would increase the
current, al ii del Osits would probably be made
/ lower down; the proposed improvement wOuld
| Couhtltss be an advantage to the city in point
OF health.
BY Mr Eldridge:-The grade established on
q street west Of the War Department and vi
cinity is the grade which should have been es-
tablished years ago. the fact that the people are
lot re munerated for injury TO their property is
due TO the Legislature, and not to the Board of
Public Works; don't think the grade too low:
the Improvement will enhance the value OF
property in the vicinity generally; the cellars
for Mr.. Shepherds buildings in that vicinity
were dug year and a halt before the District
obtained its present gOveIn ment; think they
were aug before Mr.. Shepherd bought the prop
eTty; changes made in these buildings recently
indicate that they were not built originally with
reference to the new grades.
by MI. Crane:-lf witness at present desired
TO build house al the corner of 18th and
streets would probably elevate ii above the
grade of the street, the houses which sit above
the level OF the street are inhabltabIe; much
depends upon alleys approaching the rear Oh
these buildings; alleys may be built if necessary,
even il houses have TO be torn away for the pui-
pose: 1t would be very expensive to keep the
canal properly dIsdged.
BY Mr.. Harmer:-The opening of the James
cree X canal is Tor the benefit of the government
BY Mr.. Crane:-Has ALWAYS understood that II
unhealthy along the line n he nal
than elsewhere in the city; the retaining OF the
land along the line OF the canal and the river
front " i'll Ell nance the value of property in the
city, in the opinion OF witness the canal is with
out commercial value: is member OF the advi-
sorry board, and has generally been consulted in
regard to improvements; never made any pro-
test TO the Board OF Public Works against build
ing The wall in the canal between 14th and Eth
streets.
MR.. WI. r. SMITH EXAMINED.
Nr. WBl. u. SRih, superintendent botanical
gardens, sworn and eNamined-He testified
that lie is familiar with the soil along the canal
and CB the Island; has made the canal a study:
tie soil along the canal is very porous with a sub
stratum Of gTavel the arching of Tiber creek
IS one Of the best improvements ever made in
Washington; think il sufficient TO carry III the
water; the higL freshets we have had have gem
orally been owing TO high water in the Poto-
mac, and not i'll the TibCT; the Tiber sewer will
be fully adequate to the discharge Of all the
water; the canal has generally been a pestifer-
Gus ditch; il has been dug out "A few times: there
have been but fifteen loaded wood boats in the
during 10 years past; has kept record, and
this j. the only commerce OF the canalwithia the
time mentioned; think the filling of the canal
the very lest thing which could be done: the
health OF the city would be improved by fill
ing il. The sUb-stIatum OF gravel referred 10 j.
affected ly the tides.
by Gen. Chapman Impression OF witness is
tLat the water of the Potomac will not here
after flood cellars as it has done in the past:
asked Gen. Miebler 10 have the canal filled up,
hut he said too much money had been spent on
fl 10 UeSfIOV II entirely: the concrete
in the grounds of the botanic gardens are in
very unsatisfactory condition; witness believes
the Pavement is the same as that of Thornton
BY Mr. Crane witness is pretty certain that
only fifteen loaded boats have come up the
canal in nineteen years past between
points before mentioned the concret pave
meEts in the botanical gardens have been
laid about eighteen months; La never given the
ZION; If the canal is filled up and properly
drained witness believes the water will not
stanL along the old line Of the canal.
oUR WATER SUPPLY.
Gen. BGIcOck was recalled, and gave a state
ment concerning the progress of the work of
laying the water mains, which is under his
charge; the water supply when the mains are
laid would be sutficient tor a city containing
Ealf million inhabitants; the water can be
used at night TO flush sewers il necessary; the
mains will probably be laid within month; the
SG-iEch water main will probably cost less than
s4oO goo, which was appropriated by Congress;
10 the best of witness knowledge, about
S3.JtO,OtO has been spent ON the aqUeduet; the
rev main Will bring into this city about
30,CoO,c0O gallons daily.
Crosby S. Noyes, editor OF The STAR, exam
ined:-Has resided in South Washington for
some seventeen years, and has TO cross the
canal several times daily. Has had occasion a.
member OF the canal committee in the Civ
Councils, and as newspaper man to give con-
siderable attention to the canal question Has
come TO the conclusion from observation and
fIcm views OF men in whom he has confidence
that the best mode of abating the canal nUis-
ance is TO iii il up. Does not share the opinion
OF DIR. Hall that an open canal is necessary for
health or drainage. The surface OF the ground
in South Washington Is clay, but there is a sub
stratum Of sand and gravel, by which there is
an under drainage to the river. The wells in
South Washington sympathize with the river,
showing an intercommunicati0n by means of
this stratum. Believes that this stratum of
sand extends north Of the canal over a con-
siderable Part of the city, at a depth
varying from ten to twenty-five feet
and that il the canal were filed, the
water not carried of by the sewers would reach
the river by percolation through this stratum of
sand and gravel. 1t might be desirable TO have
some blind drains or under drainage similar 10
that IN the Smithsonian grounds, over the
1lled-up canal, but witness is satisfied that there
is 10 occasion to fear that the soil bordering on