Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-11

Editor Of The Erening Star:-As the few exam
pies OF the use Of +inch pipes In water supply
cities, quoted in Gen. Meigs letter to senate
Committee on Water supply, do not seem to
convince all readers that the city Of Washing
population and no manufactures, can safely
depend upon pipes Of this size for its dlStribu-
ton to private houses, a few more examples,
herein offered for publication. Economy of
money and sufficiency OF water are what are
needed, not the support OF any mans pet theory;
not the expenditure Of a dollar which is un-
dollar not needed.
Georgetown, d. c., has ss,617 feet Of 4-inch
pipe; Columbus, Ohio, Il ,563; Cincinnati, Ohio,
29, 27o Chicago Ills, $50 1858; Jersey City. N. j.,
27,l39; Baltimore, Md, S57 ,62s; San Francisco,
Cal, 24O. S42.
In these few cities are 1873, 4os feet or $50
cost, laid, on the average, what they cost In
Georgetown, D: C., we find an expenditure OF
Ss while Lao sneh pipes as in Wash
distribution pipes, at the price they cost laid in
Georgetown-$l11a4 per foot-the expenditure
OF these cities would have been 81, 0a5-a
Ten per cent; OF the pipes In Boston are s-tuch
and 4.inch. The quantity Of finch pipe In
Philadelphia 1 have not at hand. Il is large,
9515l feet of 4-inch pipes. 1t is found cheaper to
lay these pipes In the first place, even
though 20 as soo these gIea5 cities increase
lIuu loU,uV" W utdTly mllllO0 OF
Inhabitants, and as manufactures grow up in
them, it is In some cases eXpedient to take up
the finch pipes and replace them by larger
mains. In that case the cost Of original LAYING
only is lost, and that is more than paid for by
saving OF interest on the 81 eater cost Of 6inch
pipes, which in twenty years is equal to oiigi-
nal cost Of pipes laid in the ground. The pipes
are not lost; taken up, they are cleaned and
relaid in some pant OF the city in which they
are able to furnish the quantity OF water need
ed. In the letter OF last July from the Commits
SionerS o the water-takerS 1t IS stated that the
estimated cost Of laying distributing pioes for
the current year Is 900. Thus the estimated
posed only for extending the pipes, is s21 600
SO the lots to which water pipes are to be exten.
ded at cost OF $4,000, are to be taxed $21 .O00
To pay for these were Ain. pipes used, the cost
and the necessary and sufficient tax on this
work would be only 5000, instead Of s2l 900. 1t
is for the Taxpayers to decide this question.
Washington, DC, Oct. 10, 1879. NJ. C. NJ.
not theoly-remains that even one of our large
fire engines, if working up to its full capacity,
cannot be supplied with water from four-incb
or even s1X-inch. pipe, so that in case OF a
large fire In vicinity OF such pipe, with nc
other water supply accessible, our fire depart
ment would be almost powerless to arrest the
progress Of the flames. This being the case
the only point to be settled is whether 1t is true
economy to lay the small pipe, and take the
chances of large con1agratlon, which may In
one night destroy property worth ten or hun
dred times the saving In purchase of small
water pipes. The head of water is much less
here than in most OF the cities mentioned, an
tmpolt ant factor in the calculations.-EDI