Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-06

Deducting this sum, the expenditure Of which
Is not necessary IN order to bring larger sup
ply of water at full head to the northern margin
OF the city, from the commissioners estimate OF
$1,1OO,00O there remains $5O9,S9s, of which
$39 300 go to 4 foot cast-iron mains and Iron
estimates of cost OF conduit to 10th and
Boundary streets make up SAC, s41, or very nearly
the difference between Gen. Meigs estimate for
the needed works ~ 100000 and that of the Com
missioners 81, 100000.
The Commissioners estimate that the ex-
tended conduit may deliver (see Lieut.. Hoxie's
above tide 69.OOO,OOG gallons Of water. Col.
Casey reports the actual delivery on 24th June
last q, goo, 600 gallons. So this conduit exten-
half million The Commissioners' con nj @ Y EST estimate nate
being s467,541 and Gen. Meigs' $46O,O0O, will
much more than double the present supply.
But the Commissioners argue In favor Of this
conduit may break down.
II as well built as that existing, and being
mostly. and perhaps altogether, In tunnel work,
1t should be more secure than that, we may
trust it. The old conduit has never broken In
20 years of constant use. P'!t If it does break
there will remain the same lines of pipe on
which alone the city now depends, viz: Three
great iron mains, 12-tnch, 30-inch and 36-inch,
entirely Independent Of each other. This is a
three-fold insurance; the new conduit will add
Surely we should not ask Congress to spend
over half million to give us fifth or extra
insurance against short-not interruption, for
that is impossible, but diminution of our daily
Another argument advanced is that there
should be reservoir capacity OF not less than
days consumption provided What have we
level of 14O feet, are s2,52l 500 gallons; In dis
tributng reservoir, above l4O feet are 59, ,7ss 900
gallons or, In all, 142, 304 500 gallons above 40
feet; which is 47-10O days supply.
be drawn down ID feet, or to the level of 131
feet, in which case they would furnish $50 900 900
gallons, or nearly 10 days Of present consump-
' Is n not tt this I enough as insurance against
danger? Is it worth while to defeat the Inn
provement by saddling the estimate with an
other half million as still another insurance? A
The new reservoir proposed by the Commits
sioners is to hold, not above 14O feet, but above
no feet level 12 at depth of 80 instead Of ID feet
down 80 feet below its normal level, according
to Lieut. HoX1e's report 235, ,00O, 900 gallons then
above the useful level OF 100 feet it probably
cannot furnish shd more M than one-half this guam
It is not worth while to defeat the whole pro-
ject for this reserve OF water not needed for
ssssrsy the het enSugn gr asa mneh
1ty" Of the water now supplied by the Washing
ton aqueduct, for more Of which, such as it Is,
the people pray, but ut which the Commlssloners
tional quantity prayed for is granted.
There Is great objection to placing great
artificial reservoirs above great cities. They
are always liable to accidents, and II the course
of the water, as in this case, is through city
they destroy property and life. II there be any
other means Of securing sufficient water sup
ply wise engineer will seek it rather than In
cur such risks.
A wise municipal administration will not,
without absolute necessity, tolerate such pro-
ject. 1t is not now necessary, nobody asks for
it. The people ask for more water at the hiok
leuel that the conduit, costing less than half a
million will give.
$46O, 600 is about 1925 for each inhabitant Of
washington. Its interest at per cent, at
which the United States is offered more money
than it Is willing to borrow, is SIS, 400 a year.
AS the District Commissioners spend now in
washington and Georgetown $4,000 year in
steam pumping, for fuel and wages alone. with
out allowing for interest or cost of machinery,
and for repairs, waste, and wear and tear, it
might prove economical In time to build this
conduit and put down some OF the steam pumps.
But even II these pumps are retained, as the
revenue and expenses are about $500, 900, q
its equal supply OF water viii not be great ag.
grayation Of the burden Of taxation.