National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-14
THE KIDWELL BOTTOMS.
An Important Letter TO the Senate Com
mittee ON the District.

Some of our citizens, impressed With
the views of Colonel Waring, the eminent sanitary
engineer, yesterday addressed the following letter
to the Senate Committee of the District. The
writers of the letter, when they say that they de-
sire not only to see the work of reclaiming the
Kidwel Flats begun, but also to see it completed,
express the views of every resident in Washing
ton. But the method proposed by Colonel Waring
has this great merit viz That it will at worst fur
nish basis for the ordinary method of filling in II
we do not like the work when completed on the
Waring or Holland system. In other words, if the
plan falls we can still go forward and not back
ward, and nothing will be lost in expense, and
much will be gained in abating the existing
nuisance. The lecture of Colonel Waring will be
found in THE REPUBLICAN, of February 20.
WASHINGTON, May, 1881.
Hon. JOHN ]. INGALLS,, chairman Committee on
District of Columbia:
SIR: A lecture by the most distinguished of Amerl-
sanitary engineers, Colonel Warng, in response
to the question, What shall be done with the Kid
well Flats?" was, unfortunately delivered upon the
day OF the Hanlan-Rey boat-race. As to the subject
matter of that lecture viz The river front OF wash
nSton and the defective sewerage ofthe lower portion
of the CITY, three things confeSsedly desirable
first, that something shall be done quickly: second
that it shall be done effectively; thiId, that II Shall
be done cheaply. After due consideration of the
various plans which have been proposed 1t seems 10
comply with those three conditions.
WE DESIRE, THEREFORE,,
to bring it the attention of your committee Briefly
stated, the points of Colonel Warnings cOunSels are
these: First-He advises US TO avoid the inevitable
delay of costly experiments and to for guidance to
people who for three hundred years have been re-
claiming land under water; who continue TO reclaim
it every year for mere agricultural purposes, and
whose engineers have become experienced that
they can solve the problem oftime and cost with as
much certainty as our American engineers can esti-
mate for an ordinary railroad embankment.
Second-The Holland system. is shown by Colo
mel Waring, when applied to the kidwell Flats in
conjunction with sewerage will have the same effect
lowering the river. That is TO say it triH virtually
raise the city ten feet, and do away with the back
water which, in its lower portions, is now eXpen-
sve and dangerous nuisance.
TWO YEARS THE KIDwELL FLATS
be transformed into an dtfrdctire park OF 800
acres. possessing beautiful drive around its river
front and ornamental Lakes and streams within the
soil will be fertile than the gravel and refuse
with which the flats would otherwise be filled in and
the depression of the ground will be too trivial TO
affect the landscape. 1t is manifest TO us and to
everybody that if the KidvselI Flats are filed in
rapidly the cost will be enormous and that, if the
work be done economically a. C. by using the flats as
dumping ground it Will go fOra century 1t is also
manifest that filling i'll the flats will not prevent the
high water of the river from backing up i'll our
sewerage. Finally, it is manifest that if Colonel
Warnings plan should not prove satisfactory tcH at
least be good temporary eTpediet that nothing Will
be lost by it. and that the work of filling in then
go on, with the present nuisance
SUBSTANTIALLY ABATED.
We therefore respectfully press upon the attention
OF Your committee the manifest advisabity of adopt
ing the Holland system, and Of gettng the cor Oe.
To that end suggest that it be committed a
mission. one of whom shall be Colonel Waring and
another an experienced Holland engineer, and that
the commission be authorized to begin and carry the
work to completion without waiting for further legs
latiOn The line of frontage can be determined by
Congress from surveys already made and the statute
which creates the commission tell them what they
to do. In 1pord not only desire TO see this trk
begun Jm are tcoat to see finished We are, sir, very
respectfully yours &c.
Signed by Charles C. Mott, NJ. W. Gait, Andrew
J. Joyce, W. B. Jackson, ]. B. Bryan, Albert w.
Bacon, Leonard Whitney.