Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-13
THE STREETS AND SEWERS.
Report Of Lieut.. HOxie. District En-
GiueeFe

the experience Of the district of Columbia be
repeated elsewhere" The class Of aSphaltum
pavements, which has been held by monopolists
at s32s 70 $4t5 per yard, is now laid at s1.75 In
the very best manner and of the very best
material, with fair margin OF profit to the con-
tractor A further economy may be effected
and facility and certainty OF proper maintenance
Oy repairs If the work Is taken in hand by the
District government and withheld from con-
tract.
ASSESSMENTS FOR SPECIAL IMPROVEMENTS.
He quotes the law for the revision and correc-
ton OF assessments approved June 18th last,
and says: "a liberal construction OF this law
has extended its benefits to all special assess
mentS whether made by the board of public
WORKS or the Commissioners of the District OF
Columbia, and including the assessments for
work completed by the board Of public works
under contracts made by their predecessors the
corporation government. AT present the only
class thus favored are the holders OF lien certif-
Gates upon property which has not paid the tax,
and the owners of this property who have
the right to redeem the lien certificates by the
payment OF the tax less the drawbacks with in
tefeSt. The revision OF the assessments has
been made to include all classes. and the add
tiOnal drawback certificates can be issued when
ever authorized
DAYS WORK VS.. CONTRACT SYSTEM.
He reciteS his recommendation of last year,
that all work be done by the District by days
work instead OF by contract, and refers to the
appointment of an expert who has been largely
Instrumental in breaking the power OF the CON-
binatiOnS OF contractors.
SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE.
He reciteS the resolution of the Senate re-
ferred TO the District Commissioners in August
last. authorizing a subcommittee of the District
committee to set during the Congressional re-
cess and consider and examine the various plans
orthe Improvement of the sewerage He says:
The most serious defect in the pre- sent system
OF sewerage OF Washington is the failure to dis
charge the sewage into deep water OF the PotO-
mac river. The extension of the main sewers
through the marshes bordering the river front.
ant the reclamation OF the latter are required
TheSe marshes now retain enough of the sewage
passing through them to create a nuisance.
which contributes TO the poisonous influence OF
Their natural Civilizations. The remedy is found
in
THE PLAN OF THE HARBOR COMMISSION
OF 1872, Which has had the attention of Congress-
put no SUFFICIENT appropriation TO carry it out.
This plan c0DtempateS the reclamation OF the
marshes astincidental to the establishment OF a
permanent water front for Washington and
Georgetown and single deep water channel
II a temporary bulkhead short distance inside
tne line OF the new water front were constructed
from Easby's Point down stream to point
where an open canal prolonging the B-Street
lnterCepting sewer should meet it, the latter
would enable the discharge of this sewer into
deep water, and with the temporary bulkhead
would enclose large area Of marshes. which
could then be drained and filled. At the same
time the contraction OF the waterway OF the
river at this place would induce a Scollr over
the bar of the Georgetown channel where per-
petual dredging is now required. The execution
OF the plan of the harbOr commission rests with
department OF the army, but the interests of the
DISTRICT or Columbia are mainly affected by the
failure OF Congress to make the necessary appro-
prlatlonS, and there is no other remedy for the
principal deIect OF our present system of sew
erage. This plan, when perfected, will enable
the discharge OF all sewers into deep, running
water on the Potomac front, and upon the Ana
costa as far up as the Navy Yard bridge Above
this large drainage area will need to be stint
larry provided for at some future time by the
contraction of the flats: but at present the
sewers empty1ng there discharge mainly pure
water from running streams in the county, and
tnlS Will continue for some time to come.
DEFECT OF THE PRESENT SEWER SYSTEM.
That defect of the present sewer system
which has provoked most complaint, is the want
of capacity to discharge the rainfals of the VIC
lent storms which are of common occurrence in
the District OF Columbia. The remedy is in the
construction of auxiliary sewers, and the use OF
certain temporary expedientS for keeping the
storm water out OF the present sewers until the
latter can be constructed The present sewers
Will not carry of the storm water. The surface
OF the streets, smoothly paved as most of tlem
are, affords an ample water way. II the water
Is allowed to enter the sewers they become
gorged and the back flow through the house
ments OF houses. Ii turned upon the streets the
most serious inconvenience will be the con1i-
ton of the streets during the Storm for any
permanent injury from this may readily be
prevented, and at small expense. This, al
least, Is the case in the higher parts of the city
WI IN the decl1vity OF the streets is such as to
throw Off the water rapidly. In the lower areas
when the grade is fat and only few feet above
tide, is pant submerged by freshets in the river,
the accumulation of water is greater, and
special treatment is required. There are
erage for Washington and Georgetown
is that in which all OF the sewers Carrying each
both sewage and storm water, shall discharge
into deep running water, and shall have SUCH
capacity as to carry Off the rainfall of the most
violent storms without raising the surface OF
the water flowing in them so high as to cause
back flow in the house connections. This re-
quires that the flowing water shall be sunk
about eight feet below the surface OF the
ground-a condition which, OF course, is out OF
the question when the ground Is little more
than eight feet above mean high tide, as it is
along the whole line OF the b street intercept
ing sewer. SO that the ideal system must be
confined to the high grounds of the city. and
cannot apply to the low grounds even at the
ordinary stage OF water in the river. When il
Is considered that the last freShet covered
ground eight feet above tide, the impossibility
Is still more evident, as We'll as the necessity for
special treatment Of these localities, which can
not have thecOnyenienceS nor the imnunitie1
OF the high grounds.
cannot see that anything would be gained
by separating the system Of carriage OF the
sewage and the storm water and propose gen
orally that all new lateral sewers Shall be CON
Structed OF the requisite capacity to fulfill the
sewers to be constructed be designed so as to
achieve the same result by experimenting the
present sewers; and that the inletS for storm
water be regulated accordingly.
THE MAIN TIBER SEWER.
There are two principal drainage areas to be
considered at present-that of the B-street
sewer and that OF the main Tiber sewer. The
latter Is the larger area and the sewer requires
immediate attention" He quotes in relation to
this sewer the recommendation In the report of
1875, and states that the apprehension expressed
In that and subsequent reports has been tuSti-
fled. Referring to the great storm of August 9,
1875, and the great rainfall, he states that an
examination OF the sewer after this storm
showed that the arch had been lifted bodily,
breaking at the crOwn and with marked uni
1orm1ty at the launches, On each side, about six
feet from the Spring1ng line for distance of
about 400 feet, and In falling again into position
with the subsistence Of the head of water which
had been broken In part midway between the
crown and the fracture at the haunch. This
part OF the sewer covered by the brick beams
fractured In part resting on the launches of the
arch and abuttfng against each other at the
crown. The pieces had settled more OF less out
of position, so that the abutting surfaces were
In some places nine inches less than the thick
ness Of the arch, the fractured end projecting
this distance into the sewer. The water eScap-
ing through the broken arch and the man -hOleS
above flowed along Sd street and Missouri ave-
nue towards 9Th and b streets, where 1t Joined
the storm water from the B-Street area and
flooded that street over the line OF the B-street
sewer. The broken arch has been removed from
the Tiber sewer and should be replaced at once
an overflow being constructed at the same time
as temporary relief to the sewer.