Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-03

STOPPING THE INSTRUMENTATION OF wArRR
BY PUBLIC F0UNTAINs-THE RESULTS OF THE
PROTRACTED DROUGHT.
The water supply of the city and the proper
ihethod OF increasing it has been topic of long
chapters in official reports for several years
past. and is now a matter of special interest to
t the pupllc In view OF the scarcity Of water and
the recent statement by the water registrar that
unless something is done soon to increase the
water supply we are likely to have water
famine here such as is now being experienced
by the city of Richmond. Va"
Water Registrar Cox, in defending his Office,
lays the blame upon Congress for not providing
the means for continuing the work on the
dam, at the Great Falls. so as to extend it
across the river. In order to obtain the proper
level Of water at the dam now spanning the
stream from the Maryland side to Conns island.
temporary dams have been built joining Conn 8
island with the smaller islands up stream. By
continuing these temporary works from time to
time, the level or ''head" of the water can be
kept at the proper height.
Speaking of
THE UNFINISHED DAM
at the Washington Aqueduct, Col Casey. in his
last annual report on the aqueduct, saws:
I'm its present condition it does not, for nearly
fhree-quarters Of the year, give a sufficient
depth of water at the head of the conduit to
desired levels. sit is absolutely necessary
that the dam shall be continued across the
river so as to place under our control depth of
water in the pool, above the dam, sufficient to
furnish to the city the quantity of water it re-
quires, which quantity is increasing rapidly
from year to year. At the present time owing
to
THE PRoTRACTED DROUGHT,
the river is very low and the supply coming into
the city is so inadequate that Water Registrar
Cox will not allow water to be pumped into the
stand pipe at the usual level Persons living in
the northern and eastern sections of the city
have suffered especially from the insufficient
supply. Asameans of outstanding the supply, Col.
Rockwell. commissioner of public buildings and
grounds, has stopped the twenty-One fountains
under his control allowing them to run only two
hours out of the twenty -four.
CONSUMPTION OF WATER BY PUBLIC FOUNTAINS
AS the consumption of these fountains when
running twenty-fOu hours was nearly 1 300, 900
gallons daily, over million gallons are saved
daily by this economical measure. ave think
we can already see the difference" said Water
Registrar Cox to-day, ''in the increased pressure
throughout the city," The two fountains at the
Treasury department-the one at the north
front and the one west of the Treasury by the
steps leading into the White House grounds
were shut down to-day. The fountain in the
reservation in front Of the Center market under
the control of the District Commissioners, was
running to-day.
PRIVATE FOUNTAINS.
The water registrar has sent out notices to q
number of people who have fountains on their
private grounds, that they must stop the foun-
tains or have their water shut off altogether
At such a time, he says, no such lavish use of
water can be allowed. 1t is stated at the water
registrars Office that a great deal Of water is
wasted by the free use of hose in the Capitol
grounds. The other public fountains in the city,
not mentioned, and which are running, are the
one in the Agricultural grounds, one in the
Botanical Gardens, one at the carp ponds. one at
the navy yard, one at the arsenal, and one in the
grottO at the Capitol. At the carp pond a four
inch pipe is running constantly, making an
enormous draught on the MAINS