Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-03-07

The Water supply Question.
MEETING OF THE EAST WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION
The Capitol Hill and East Washington Asso-
citation met last night, DR.. c. C. Cox in the chair
and Mr.. E. c. Kirkwood secretary. DR.. McKim
from the committee on water supply, reported
that not much progress had been made. Con-
gress had failed to appropriate any money. lie
advocated the appointment OF committee 10
walt upon the President and ask his interpo-
sitton in his message to the next Congress. MT.
| Hawkins Taylor thought the effort should De
made for an abundant supply over all portions
OF the District. The supply on the high gr9ana
| Gen. Meigs' plan, which would accomplish all
this, would cost but s45o,0e0, but the Commits
sioners and Engineer H0xe naa tfigg tesr eo
mates for doing the same thing at Sl.5O0,00O
MI j. C. Dufn thought all other subjects should
be dropped and their zen EFFORTS concen,fated on
river front The South Washington Association
would then cooperate with the East washington
Capt, Grant said there was no reason In the
world why there should not be water supply
on Capitol Hill, and proceeded to criticlse the
inactivity OF the District authorities in their
enOrts to get a bill through Congress The
small appropriation of S25. 600 for a temporary
supply had even failed. He then took the COM
Ing up these bills for the benefit of East wash
ington, and said one good thing they had
accomplished, which was to prevent the library
from golng on Judiciary square: small ap-
ment Of the park around General GreeneS
statue. Mr. Dublin said the committee had done
as much as could be expected OF them. but
they should all now concentrate their labors
upon the extra session for water supply for
Capitol Hill. Mr.. Augustus Watson said he had
always been OF the opinion that there should be
reservoir somewhere in the northeastern sec
ton OF the city for the benefit of Capitol Hill
and the Navy Yard. This reservoir should be
filled at night while all the rest of the city was
at rest, for supply In the daytime He thought the
people were In error in advocating the laying
OF any more mains to effect supply when a
reservoir would do so much better. This whole
put by bad management large part had been
saddled upon the District, which has to meet
the interest On water bonds and the accumula-
ton Of a fund to pay them at maturity. Pc
r1odical complaints had always been made at
the scarcity OF water, and always would be
made, until this reservoir is made and filled
nightly from the conduit. He said the whole
system Of supply is defective. The water is
frequently muddy, which should not be the
case. He sometimes wished to know the num-
per OF tons OF mud the citizens OF this District
established. Now, Lieut.. Hoxie comes to the
front with a plan, or rather he appropriates the
plan OF Gen. Mefgs. but disagreeS In toto with
him as to the cost of carrying it out, and in his
estimates fixes the cost SO high as to frlghten
Congress from doing anything Col Ordway
said the reason the water bill did not pass Con-
putting the power into the hands OF the DIS
tr1ct Commissioners to regulate the tax On
water to the citizens. He now saw no way ex-
eept for their committees to set themselves
the extra session OF Congress, on the 18th.
He favored Gen. Meigs' plan over the reservoir
pla'n, and said that by proper united efforts the
trict Commissioners, he had no doubt, they
would get all they asked for. He moved that
the committee nm on water supply and the com
bill that win meet all the necessities OF the
case. Mr. Taylor repeated that the dearth of
water was not confined to Capitol Hill, but ex-
the city. He urged that all the respectable
ply sicians In the city, and the Medical society
OF the District, be requested to work for this
water Supply on sanitary grounds but they
should be left to The engineers Capt. Grant
moved an amendment to Mr.. Ordwayfs resolu-
ton by instrnettng the committee to urge the
OF Capitol Hill: Meigs plan would cost but
tempted to defeat it by fixing the sum
for the present. The city press favor the
Meigs plan, and all should stand by it.
Mr.. Dennis Callahan said he was perfectly ia
this District all the way up to Great Falls, and
above there. This conduit had proved to be a
failure and would continue to be until higher
capacity of the conduit brought into use DR..
McKim explained that the conduit is nine feet
IN capacity, but only one-half of it Is used
1876 OO0, 900 Of gallons Of water daily Oniy abouf
q, 600 OF gallons pass through the conduit.
The dam Is 145 feet above t1dewater, and ali
to the northeastern section OF washington to
make all happy. The time might come when
the dam at Great Falls would have to be built
higher nsgl, Gen: Msigs plan Is general one, not
local, and 1t would meet all emergencies Let
the aqueduct be extended. They should drop
this discussing Of plans and go to work to get
WAS a0ODfp6 ard the nal mn inn