New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-31
A DANGEROUS WASHINGTON SEWER.

LIEUT.. HoxIE's pLANs-THE ERECTION OF A DAM
ITS EFFECT DURING GREAT STORMS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: In former letters to THE TRIBUNE on
the sewerage of Washington have pointed out the
egregious plumbers of the Ring engineers In planning
and constructing the conduits for carrying away
the water that would naturally flow through
the Tiber Creek. and have predicted tha'
unlcss acme change were made the first great
flood would be attended with great loss OF property II
not of life. Lieut.. Hoxe, in charge OF the pubc
improvements in this city, has recognized the truth OF
these criticisms and has undertaken to correct then
but I'm doing SO has committed bunder that increases
rather than dmnishes the danger In order to carry OH
the surplus water for which provision Is made either
I'm the 7 ber Creek sewer the Boundary sewer, ne
seems to have concluded to build still another sewer
from the point Of interruption, about l,loo ieet
north of the boundary, under the elevated part OF
boundary st. to the old part OF the Tiber sewer at
North Captol-st. and the bunder he has committed con
stats in attempting convey this mass OF water under
Boundaryst which at this point raised 20 or 30 feet
above the bed Of the sewer by means OF cuvert some
what less than six feet in diameter. This taking into
consideration all surrounding conditions VIII sti leave
very large proportion of the whole flow wholly unpro
yided for but held in such manner as to make most
potential for mischief
From the tdelevel at the Botanical Garden, through
which the sewer passes, near the Capitol, to North
Boundary the Tiber Valley has length Of 5000 feet
and rise of 1875 feet From the boundary northward
the bed of the Tber rises at the rate OF nearly loot In
100 feet The vertical section of its flow through this
part rainfall OF inch in 20 minutes Is known to
hpys been equal to ~ square feet 1t is also known na
6 rains occasionally Of much longer duration The
Tber depression at that point l. such az u REQUIRE the
raising Of Boundaryst some % or 80 feet above that
stream, so that this mound in fact forms an an
earth-dam OF the hight named across that part
OF the Tiber, through the lowest part OF which
ia placed, as has before been said, feet culvert
This cuver IL filed TO its utmost capacity as well "a
the inercepting sewer, still leaves large amount OF
water OF that branch wholly unprOyded for. This sur
plus water must inevitably accumulate within the dam
thus formed, until IL rises 10 sufficient hight 10 over
flow II. Then IL will way through the earth OBJ
sirucon and let the accumulated water roll down along
the valley and usual in such cases leave only death
and desoation along its such disasters have
heretofore occurred elsewhere from the accidental break
ng OF elevated dams and reservoirs But IN
the boundary dam it could not he regarded
az an accident, but as natural result
and as If all parts of tho dam had been
specially planned for insuring such a disaster.
The recfessness apparent In the foregoing description OF
Lieut. Hoxes work has certainly no parallel III all FOR
mer engineering folly here. And what makes II appear
the more astounding is the fact that 1t IL wholly the work
OF Government officers appointed by the President under
the authority Congress-. The present chief engineer
OF the work, Lieut. HOxie is said TO be graduate Of
Point and Of course educated at the expense
OF the United States Surely the people have right to
expect better returns from him. b. Is.
Washington, d. g., Aug. IL, 1873.