National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-08

I
Tiber creek, and introduces it into G-ioot
sewer, which is Of ample capacity.
The grayel-pt and inlet on First street north
west, beyond the boundary, built by w. IL. /
Adams, and completed I'm January last, rs
well-constTucted and substantial; receives inc
water of the westerly main branch OF llOer
creek, and introduces it into a 9-looJ Drlck
sewer of ample capacity.
| These two inlets receive all the water falling |
outside of Boundary street which passes |
through the 1iber-cTcck sewer, the other |
/ branches of the creek being taken up by the |
intercepting sewer along Boundary street and |
carried into AnacoStia creek.
! The 6-foot sewer on Eighth street northwest, |
beginning at the gravel-pit, and running down |
/ Eighth street TO r street north, was built by |
George Follansbee and completed in June,
| 1873. After a careful inspection have con-
demned the entire work. The arch has fallen
| in places, and is dangerous throughout. The
| fault seems to be both in bad workmanship and
defective plan. 1t is a two-ring sewer and
should have been of three rings. The inveTt
is laid without support upon bad ground. No
back spandTel apI cared to have been used, and
the invert has flattened, letting down the arch
and spreading it at the springng line; the key
of the arch is cracked, bent Inward or fallen
at almost every point, and indicates the speedy
destruction of the entire line. Very little, If
any, of the present sewer should be allowed
to remain. The rebuilding should be COM
menced at once, taking advantage of all fair
weather during the winter, as the spring rains
may bring disaster. Estimated cost, Ss5, 900.
The nine-foo sewer which connects with this,
extending down K street, New Jersey avenue
and other streets, at its junction with the O.
street sewer was built by w. II. Adams and
completed in June, 1875. 1t seems to be in
! good order and is of sufficient capacity.
The ninc-fOot sewer, extending from the
gravel pit on First street northwest, along
] Eirsi strppt a q street and alOuU q tho
commencement Of a thirteen-iOOt brick sewer,
was built by the same contractor under an eN-
listing contract, No. ST.. This work is defective
About fifty feet Of the arch is cracked and will
require rebuilding. The cracking seems to
have been caused by the settling and spreading
of the invert, but the workmanship is not good.
No immediate action is necessary, but the arch
at this point should be rebuilt next summer.
The main Tibcr sewer, commencing at the
junction of the two nine-fUOt sewers. was in
tended to be of brick, semi-CirCular cross sec
ton, twenty feet in diameter, flat reversed arch
invert, and extending to North Capitol street,
where it was to Join the section in course Of
construction by Bartlett X Williams. About
six hundred feet of side walls were built and a
large quantity of brick on hand on the site of
the work. The side walls were constructed
without band stones and of worthless cement,
and the bricks on hand were of very inferior
quality and unfit for use. have condemned
luC sluC NGll5 anu ll4G lAaLGl ldl On manu-,
r changed the location Of the sewer from o
street to the bed of the creek, shortening the
line along North Capitol street by about 22I
feet. have also changed the cross section Of
this part of the sewer TO 4 thirtCen-fOOt circle
of brick, with concrete foundation and back
, spandrel sidewalks and spandrel Of stone ma
sOnry. By the change of crOss-scctiOn and the
shortening of the line the cost of the main
sewer is reduced about $780, 900.
The work upon this part OF the sewer has
progressed slowly until the present time when
tho contractor is unable TO continue. Ono
r hundred and twenty feet only have been built,
C and tho work should be at once put in tho
! hands Of other parties for completion.
c At tho lower end of this section, on North
Capitol street, tho section Of Bartlett X Will
Iams commences, extending along North Capt.
toI street to L street north. In the cOmstruc-
tion Of this sewer the specifications of the COLI
| tract have not been complied with, 4 brick i'll
r vert having been substituted for the stone
n iuvCrt required. Although the general char
actcr of the work is fair, the material used, up
to the time of my assuming control of the
work. was not up to the requirements of the
specifications. There has been an improve
/ ment in this respect, and in the hope of Sc
( curing the completion Of the work this season
, | have allowed the contractors 10 continue the
, brick nyeTt. The capacity Of this sewer is
greater than is necessary and the fiat invCTt is
! Objectionable, even with the present fall of six
inches in hundred feet, facilitating the ac-
? emulation of deposits. An attempt to di-
, minish the size and change the cross-section of
this sewer was thwarted by a failure 10 ar
range any terms with the contractors, and by
the pressure of time. The work is progressing
Z very slowly and about 2,I3S feet have been
, completed.
The G and F-streets sewer, built by TOmp-
kins Il Ruckcl, has been completed this sea-
son, except a section of nine feet in diameter
where it should enter the North CaPitOl-strcet
sewer This must be left until the latter is
completed and take up the Tiber creek. As
far as completed, the work seems TO be sub
stantial, and the capacity Of the sewer is
ample.
The lower section of the main Tibcr sewer is
an cliptical brick arch of 50 feet span and :
feet inches rise, with side walls and sPandrel
of stone, > feet in height, the whole resting
upoL a flooring of G.iuch plank on transverse
sills of l2x12 inches. The total length of this
section is 3, 169 feet, of which >, l65 feet have
been completed. The work is progressing
favorably under the contractors, GalIaher,
Loane d Co., and should be completed this
season, except an outlet at the lower CXtrcm-
ity, which must be maintained until the re-
tanning walls of the James Greek canal are
finished. The specifications have not been
complied with in respect the skewback course,
and uDOn the representation of the contractors
that the work must be delayed if these specif-
cations were insisted upon, have allowed
them to proceed with this course as they have
commenced, but have made a corresponding
deduction in the price of the work. The floor
ing of this sewer is at uniform reference of
3OS below mean high tide throughout its ell
tire length.
/ With the construction of the Boundary street
interCepting sewer, which takes from the Tiber
sewer the drainage of 200 acres, the question
of capacity of this section of the Tiber sewer
! has, believe been set at rest: but great deal
of trouble will be experienced in keeping it
clean. Sand accumulatcs rapidly now in the
section above this, and the contractors for
cleaning it have not done their work.
/ The outlet of this sewer is the James Creek
canal. The contractors for the improvement
/ of this part of the work are NCsmith d Vance,
and have been placed upon it in lieu of the
former contractors, whose work have con-
demncd.
The plan of the work was an open canal,
with retaining walls, and 81 feet in the clear
between the. The walls were of rubblc-stOnc
masonry, feet inches in height. on 4
G-inch plank flooring at the reference
of mean low tide. The flooring rested on a
twelye-inch plate on a front row of main piles
and upon a mudsill in the rear. Shceting piles
were driven behind the plate to retain the
earth beneath the walls, and the bottom of the
canal was fixed at six feet below the top of the
flooring. The whole structure was to DC an
chOred By iron rods TO anchorage piles twenty
feet in the rear of the main piles. The work
of the former contractors was so badly done
that it must fall into the canal when the latter
is dredgcd to the depth contemplated.
The plan is not adapted TO this locality, and !
have substituted wall Of Tubblc-stUnc ma /
sonry with concrete backing, dispensing ell
tircy with timber. The cost is increased from |
$3.50 to SlT.57 per lincal foot, payable in |
5.Gj bonds. The present contract COntemplatCs /
only the completion of the unfinished part of |
this work, $50 lineal feet, but provision must !
be made for rebuilding ,92O linGal feet, and !
the dredging of the canal could be advantage !
Ously completed at this time, the material cx-
cavatcd being used TO refill the old canal.
Below the arsenal the plan Of the new water /
front enlarges this canal and gives it an excel /
lent outlet into the deep water OF the AnacOs-
tia channel. The work is now progressing ia
yOrably upon the retaining walls Of the canal.
The Boundary street inteTcepting sewer, built |
in three sections, under as many contracts, has |
been completed this season. The lower section
of 10 feet inches diameter, $50 feet in
length, built by J. L. Gregg, appears substan-
tial, with a supcrabundancC Of cement on the |
soflit of the arch. Tapping the walls shows
that the inVert is laid without any cement eX
cent uDOn the inside ring, and at the INNER