National Republican., 1875-12-02

Wa eAhs
. Col. t. LubS RePort.
war \orIIcE.
1,,,s,"anf 2, IoTie, l.. 4. ~T
Dfstrics of ColUmbia: ~
Sir; 1 have the honor to submit
report Of the operations OF this depars
November, 1874 90 November Is, 1875:
WATER MAINS.
The total length Of water mains laid BY the de
partment from organization, July, 1852. to Noveu
berI5 1875 Is $50 45sk feet, los pS952sO miles.
There wss laid from November, 1s7I, TO Noveu-
ber L. 1875 of 4s and L inch pipe S5l1 feet, or
II osl-52so miles.
By an act Of the Legislature there was laid uu-
der the directions oftas Ohief Engineer Of the
Washington Aqueduct for the District of Colum-
bis, Of 20, 30 and 30-ineh pipe, 2I,SB feet, or
2T4-s2S0 miles.
The length Of the mains laid by the washing
ton Aoueduet is % $50 feet, II 752-S2so miles.
The late corporation Of Georgetown laid in that
city S. oeo feet or 10 452sO miles Of water mIlus
This gives : total length of supply and dlstrieu-
ting mains nov in uss within the District OF Co.
Iumbis to be 79I5T71< feet or $50 4s2 $3.50 miles.
The length Of mains laid since 3s-inch main was
laid is 20 al feet or IS 2252So miles.
MAINS LOWERED.
Eight thousand and forty feet, or 700-52sO miles
-of water main have been lowered to new grade of
streets together with the numerous stop-valves
and attachments connected Herewith, in the ma
jority of Instances without shutting of the water
and with little Inconvenience to the public.
FIRE PLUGS.
There are six hundred .and seventy-four fire.
pings in the District of Columbia, nearly all of
the McC,eIland patent. During the year there
have been 80 new plugs erected, 7o7 oiled, 400
opened to flush pipes 700 painted, 90 left leaking
bT street-sweepers and shut of, 50 repaired, %
moved to new curb and reset, 90 lowered raised
to new curb.
Ninety-three new stop-ralves and boxes have
been set during the year, and fortyslx large stop
boxes put in to replace old ones.
HYDRANTs.
There are now in use two hundred and eighty
nine public hydrants in the District Of Columbia.
During the year there have been q erected, IS put
in to replace old ones, 90 moved TO new curb,
taken out two leaks, &C., repaired.
TAPS.
One thousand four hundred and ten taps were
made during the year; of this number four hun
dred and ninety were made for contractors.
WATER SERVICES.
One thousand one hundred and twenty-five have
been lowered by various contractors.
LEAKS.
Two hundred leaks have been repaired In mains,
fire plugs stop-Valves, &C.
DRINKING FOUNTAINS.
Ten painted, repaired.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Ten Thousand tax notices delivered; . 100 houses
examined; 900 outlets opened TO clear pipes; 150sO
water rent bills delivered; 900 houses cut OF for
non-payment, sol turned on, $50 still of.
wATET SUPPLY.
Washington and Georgetown receive their daily
supply OF water through three great MAINS viz:
Il 80 and 36-nehes in diameter.
rrko hava 10 oil
thirty million gallons Of water in tWenty-f0ur
hours; that is provided the ends of the mains are
wide open and the water flowing freely. Under
pressure 1t is estimated that each main would de-
liver as follows: I2-inch main, l,15O,5sO gallons;
3Olnch main, LBS so gallons; 3S-Inch maln
1895 200 gallons; total, 50, 45i,5S0 gallons.
Recent experiments made as to the consump-
tion Of water in the two cities show that every
twenty-fcur hours fraction over 2, 900, 900
gallons. The following figures illustrate the rapid
advance in the consumption of water. viz: 1854,
we used 100000 gallons daily; 1870 we used r.
100000 gallons daily; lS73 we used 100000 gal
Ions daily; 1875, we used 100000 gallons daily.
That Is to say, We use to-day 100000 gallons
daily more than we did in 1854; 1l,OOo,OO0 more
than in 1870; and 100000 more than in 1873.
In 1854 there was each inhAbitant o daily
supply OF so gallsns Ia 1870 100 gallons; In 1873
I3l gallons; In 1875, l5s gallons. This enormous
increase IN the use Of water can be accounted for
luxurious manner in which nearly every modern
house, go far as relates TO water fixtures, is fur
nished, and by the increased number Of water
takers and population, as shown below:
The following is 6 statement OF the number OF
water takers from the organization Of the water
department, JulV II, 1850: July H. 1859, to Jauu-
airy J. 1850 $40: January l. 1890, 70 January l. 1851
SIS 1861 1s62 25; 1852 20 1883 252 1883 TO 1884,
s i IS. 70 % 1888 1888 81 ss 70 70 s isss TO O
51s 1870 1871, $40; 1s11 TO November 1871 sol:
November 1, 1STl, 20 November ], lS72 1.a23; 1872
% lsTs .s!; 1878 to 1874 l2l2; lsIl 10 1876 lii2
POPULATION.
In lssO-weshinEtOn, LIZ; esorgstown, s.7al.
Totslin 1890, eo.s56.
In is7oIW s.SlaEtSu, lc0,lO0i GsOrEssOwn, It,
In ,s7s-wsshinEt0n, 1sS,Ooo; GeorgstowO, Is,-
900. Total in 1876, 1l6,0oo-approximated.
Gen. Meigs in his report to Congress, dated Feb
ruary II 1853 supplying Washington aud
Georgetown with water estima Ted the population OF
Washington at 4a,SSe, and the total number of |
at this date It is safe estimate the population
= of Washington aud GeUrgetOwn az i4s,OQ0 and !
the number OF houses / can give with accuracy 10
be 25.zS1. viz: Ia Washington city 1924 brick |
Ez,III frame; N 'T'" Town lf'Hl bF1ck. LII |
frame; total, 2a 2Si: aad the annexed table will
show The growth of Washington city by squares |
taking Gen. Meigs figures Of 1855 and those made
by this department IN AuEilnbef, lSI":
In August 1s72- the ::j-iie!I maia gdscOmpletci.
This brought iRs0 the city additional daily sup.
ply Of 17Oca 0O0 CALLERS since which time we have
extended our Distributing pipes 2ss.2II feet or I
3222 miles and addf- tocur regular Eater-tasers
A4Io. This viii answsr the question sogften asked
-e1Why do we Tot get the same supply OF water /
now as when .he 35-lieii main wJs first laid?'' !
From the foregoing cts aud ii=ar ii Will be |
seen aat we have daily sHpP-y OF gater greater
than n any city In the fuunsry.
Table show -ng average Hn.ai'rT of wafer to each 1
fnhaiitaHt in elites usic,l: Washington I5s gal- |
Ions daily; New 1OTa 49, ltio;is lI.iy: Brooklyn /
80 gallons daily: i'ag sG-sptia - ssaiiOas daily; /
BaltimsTe 20 saii",- = y; this+as" - 2allons !
daily: lsSsten % etifr'H siff'!; ttiiti 90 gal
Ions daily: Albany ~ : .l.ais daily: Detroit s. /
gallons daily; I-rsCs .iY - - t'aS @aisy: Buf-
falO u gallons daily: ,,s lalsi - Sic,is daily;
gallons datiy= Tcrgnio, fsl:d;. - = ns daily:
London Eusl9nG- = ;s..i'oas 's' :; Liverpool
England. = gallons stty: Gla-zc4s. 'iiltli. 50.
gallons iEily; BiiHtas III. SrolfsI.i, IS gal
!ors dairy; bubliu. ireland. - gallons daily;
gallons daily; Touou>ss . gallons isily: Lyons
France, - gallons ,laiiy; Leghorn France 90 gal,
Ions daily; berli1 Prussia, % gallons daily; Ham
-These figures Illustrate the more than abun.
dant supply ol water n american cities and the |
fais. sTy iD'''' '1p'' - ' '-'' '''''s anu eApl
The mode and manner Of supply also differ in
every way. London aud lis surroundings |
supplied is eight different companies TO as many
separate districts. the water being pumped from
the rivers Thames and Lea into various reservoirs
There before passing info the distributing pipes
ii undeTgoes process OF filtration: The daily |
average supply L about 1oS-0o9oOo gallons,
or twenty H.De galens 10 each inh7btant |
This number Includes she water used for quench- |
ing fires and like purposes. The delivery OF |
NeteI ~ tphtuIncrE y iutcrtaitttHls etcn MUSE
must Therefore, have cistcrn some other means
of saving water to meet the requirements Of the |
hours ' hen tie supply is interrupted. There are
a few houses that receive n coDstOnt supply, or
what Is called such; then the service pipe
being thr0ttled with button that allows only |
very small stream TO pass.
Within the past few years the cry comes almost
inccsSantly from people living on the higher
grounds, that water viii not flow TO their second !
stories during the day. and the popular notion SO
offen expressed that water finds fits own leyel' is
not IN our ease confirmed. OF Is II anywhere when
applied 20 water supplies in cities; the matter Of
bends. cures, the thousands Of connections and |
stoplvalves, and the constant draught from the |
seryiceppes materially reduce the pressure IN |
the pines, so that when we get above any part Of
this ely ninety feet above tide, the pressure Is |
very weak and the supply meagre.
The foIF line Of the distributing reservoir Is las
feet above tide, and the following are the levels