Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-29

The report of Lieutenant Hoxie to Engineer Com
missioner Twintng given elsewhere, is exception
ally important The main subjects OF the report
are of special interest just now and the views pre-
scented Will have weight as the carefully consd-
cred opinions OF OF the most intelligent and ac-
cOmplished engineer officers In the service Upon
the matter OF the reclamatiOn Of the Potomac fats
he slys the plans for the river front prepared
under the direction OF Major Twining contemplate
doing only what the river is doing itself, but too
slowly. The elements are simple and inexpen-
sive- The work is necessary for the Improvement
OF the river channel, and the danger to the health
OF the residents OF the District is an argument
against delay. There is nothing difficult or IN
usual in the work to be undertaken. sandy fat Is
forming in front OF the city because the main chan-
mel Is wider here than necessary 1t Is only needed
TO nil this sufficiently to change IL from marsh
20 dry land, and protect the border by an EN-
banknent that will not wash away. III filled
little above high tide 1t may readily be Kept dry Dy
surface drains and flood valves, and the embank-
ment will keep off the freshet5. This would be the
nrst stage OF the work. The filling to desirable
elev alton above the tide may be cheaply COM
pleted afterwards, in dredging the river channel,
and nee1 not be hurried. The marsh disappears
at the first stage OF the work.
Concerning the water question, Lieut. HOxie
says that 10 is held that the present daily supply
OF 100000 gallons per diem is sufficient, it must
be remembered that this amount can only be
brought in at an insufficient elevation, and more
pumps would be necessary to give the high
grounds their share. quarter OF a million
dollars invested In meters, with sufficient pro-
hlbitOry rates, would reduce the consumption to
any desired and far below any desirable quantity,
but IL is hardly advisable. In the Use of pure
water we are yet only One-half as high in the
scale OF civilization as were ancient Rome, Jeru-
salem and Byzantium. Their water supply was
$50 gallons per capita, and it came long distances
from many different sources in costly aqueductS-
We have within easy reach least flow of thou.
sand million gallons per day of pure water dash
In TO waste over the Great Falls OF the Potomac.
At present we need only cOmmencement-an APP
proprIt!On sufficient to bring to the city what
can already be brought as far as the distributing
reservoir, and this is sOrely needed 1t cannot be
far in the future that generous supply viii flow
through the city for every conceivable use. Then
the reservoir on Rock creek will be needed. This,
according to the attractive plan sketched by Lieut.
H0xia, VIII be a beautiful lake OF 1900 acres, with
rocky shores, and prOmOntOreS Uniting out in every
direction. IL will have greatest depth of one hun
dre and forty feet with all the advantages of this
graf depth of water, and capacity OF nearly two
thousand millions of gallons In the first three feet
OF depth. dam of imperviOuS masonry will close
The gorge of the lake, joining rock to rock on either
Side. The cost will be $4,000 for the dam, and
the price of 1000 acres of steep rocky hillside for
Che bed Of the lake. For the purpose Of the reSer-
vor nothing further would be needed except legiS-
htiOn prescribing appropriate sanitary regula-
lions. A continuous drive around the lake would
b. constructed in the Of time, and the rest
OF the park would follow, covering the drain
age area OF Rock creek within the District.
The picture presented by this plan of Lieutenant
HOxie's is a charming one; with the malarial
river marshes reclaimed and beautif1ed, and the
basin OF Rock Greek utilized as reservoir and at
the same time converted into beautiful lake
with bold picturesque banks and supplying
one important feature OF grand national park
for the capital city OF the nation.
Lieutenant HOxie deals at length with the queS-
tiOn OF the removal OF the present steam railroads
from the surface OF the streets within the limits OF
Washington. The Baltimore and Ohio road breaks
the grade OF nearly all the large number Of streets
II crosses within the city limits, and Is serious
obstacle TO the improvement OF the northeastern
section of the city. The Baltimore and Potomac
road conforms approximately to the city
grades, but the objections to being On
street grade are in full force. Complaints
are numerous that the avenues are made use OF as
freight depOtS, and a change is as much needed
here as in the case OF the b. o. in the northeast
ern part OF the city. The presence Of the depot
and tracks on 9th street cuts Off the Capitol from
the Executive Mansion and public buildings, and
Is serious and unSightly obstruction. Lieut..
HoAie presents elaborate plans and specifications
for remedying the evils from these roads, by tun-
neling or otherwise. These plans contemplate a
very great improvement in the value of real estate
now appreciated because OF the present state of
Affairs