National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-26

essential elements of healthful condition Of soil
and surroundings are very simple. Here, as every
where, dry and clean soil beneath us and dry and
clean air about us are the primary conditions of
wholesome life, Where these have not been pro-
vided by nature they must be established by art.
THE DIFFICULTIES TO OVERCOME.
1t needs but casual survey and slight consid-
Grafton to sec that the difficulties to be overcome
quite distinctly marked. Aside from the heavy
rainfall to which the locality is subject, it lies
across the outlets of wide outlying drainage area,
whose storm waters pour upon it in torrents. Much
of the city is level, and its heavy soil at different
points retains moisture almost TO the point OF sat
uration. A large part of its area lies so near to
the level of tide water TO prevent satisfactory
drainage even were the soil more porous.
What we have to consider is system of i'm
provements which shall. first turn the pestiferous
river fats and swampy shore into dry and whole
some earth; second, dry the soil and third. prop
erly remove its foul sewage Proper outside con-
ditions being secured it will remain to give such
attention to the defective interior and exterior
drainage of houses will remove the present
menace to health and life from that fertile source
These Improvements being completed Washing
ton with its generally unduatng surface, its most
thorough ventilation by wide streets, and its excel
lent municipal control, would doubtless become
the healthies as it is already the most beautiful,
of the large cities of the country. While il is
easy TO formulate
THE REQUIRED IMPROVEMENTS,
their proper execution must involve the most
careful consideration, and the perfect details of
comprehensive scheme adequate TO secure them
all is far beyond the limits of an evening lecture.
All that propose is TO give an outline of the man
ner in which think the desired results may be
secured, that you may consider whether or not the
most desirable end would justify the necessary
In -ipo MD in ti,rp
project for improvement, there is obstacle of
an artificial nature which is more important than
at first sight it appears to be. Human nature is
alike the world over and the tendency to make
of existing works, to adopt make shifts and TO
avoid the condemnation of costly Improvements
is universal. So far tiieremoval Of the house
hold drainage of Washington is concerned the
sewers constructed for this purpose are-perhaps
by 10 means always senerally-but they are
very largely unsuited to the best performance of
this duty.
4 SOLUTION OF TIE DIFFICULTY.
To consider, first the fundamental difficulties of
shore and low level outlets, it seems to me that
the example of Holland points the way 10 their
easy and complete solution. Following the exam
pie of that remarkable country, we need try no
experiments, and we need invent no new pro-
cesSes. We see there executed, on q scale which
makes the Washington work seem Insignificant
and with complete development of all details, q
we'll formulated system for securing absolutely
good and permanent result 1t is not little re-
markable that the Dutch system of artificial drain
age which has been equivalent to filing in the
whole low country to depth of from five totwenty
feet; which has been in operation from immemo-
rial time; which has reclaimed from the sea
nearly million acres, and which has always eX-
cited the interest and admiration of the rest Of the
world, should have remained so exclusively
nV,toh tIoI has Mont,
and invaded the Lincolnshire fens, and it has
Travelled little way along the German aud Danish
coasts; but, with exceptions, other countries
have adopted it only in extremely tentative and
Intellectual way. The great success of these works
in Holland seems to have been aseribed to some
mysterious popularity of the nature of the Dutch
people. But water has the same weight there that
it has here and windmills and steam engines
have the same power here that they have there.
Mechanical forces undergo no change by exporta-
ton, and there is no other reason than confirmed
habit which leads us generally to adopt the
costly wheelbarrow and cart, where the Dutehman
would use the cheaper pump. There is no doubt
that
THE POTOMAC FLATS
might be rendered healthful and valuable by
being filed, in the manner and TO the depth that
has been suggested, with fresh upland earth; but
there is no special advantage in such elevation
Of this territory which may not be equally well Sc
cured by the sufficient lowering Of the ground
water of that area, andi one respect there is a
disadvantage. Three hundred yeas ago all of
Holland west of Amsterdam and north of Rotter-
dam was o series of lakes and swamps divided by
narrow stretches of half.drained land, and pro-
tected against the North Sea by the sand dunes
along the coast To-day, in that whole area, there
is only sufficient water left for interior navigation
Nearly three hundred years ago the BeemsteT Lake,
of 16 900 acres was drained to depth of nearly
twenty feet, and il has ever since remained one of
the most fertile districts Of the earth Thirty years
ago Haarlem Lake, covering 1900 acres, was
brought to the same condition, and it is in
contemplation to add to the dry land of the
kingdom $4,000 acres now covered by the
Zuyder Zee Many of the reclaimed districts
lie along the banks Of the Rhine, which
offers dangers and difficulties with which
those of the Potomac can bea comparison, while
the original cost Of the work is vastly greater than
would be that of similar reclamation of the Kid
well Bottoms and the Anacosta fats. In Holland,
where the reclamations during this whole century
have averaged about 900 acres year, the motive
for undertaking these works has been almost
solely to secure land for agricultural use. The
motive here, where it is necessary TO reclaim not
more than 800 acres, is one compared with which
any economical use is insignificant.
THE PROJECTS OF MAJOR TIMING,
Engineer Commissioner of the District and of
the board of survey Of 1872 indicate the necessary
means for the enclosure of the Potomac flats and
suggest similar treatment along the Anacostia,
most of the area enclosedt to be filled with earth
so that the whole of it, except some lakes and
ponds, shall become solid, dry ground, not much
below the level OF the lower parts of the city The
Dutch method would be 20 construct correspond
ing defenses earth entertainments, protected bulk
heads or otherwise, to leave the enclosed ground
at its present level, and to drain 1t by artificial
power to sufficient depth to secure the same re-
suit as TO dryness that would be secured by the
filling which has been recommended. have no
hesitation in suggesting the adoption of the latter
method. The soil of the KidweN Bottoms needs
only to be drained to become, under atmospheric
action in all respects as good for any to which
it may be desirable to put it any other dry and
solid ground. For all practical purposes, the diff
ference of level is not of the least consequence,
especially as the whole would probably be
devoted 70 the uses of public park. The effect
would be simply to substitute dry and pleasant
meadow for the present nOisome Maud fats.
THE PROJECT NIGHT INCLUDE
channel along the Potomac water front of the
city below the public grounds, ut present; and
arectiication of the main channel of the Potomac
and of the channel of the Anacostia. The improve
ment of the latter stream should include the
eanalizaion of the whole river to point at least
three fourths of mile above Bennings Bridge, or,
better STILL to the limits of the District The !
canalization should provide an ample outlet for
Hood-waters, but the wide stretch of fats and
marshes along both sides of the river should
be thoroughly drained by artificial means.
Tributary streams from either side. and the