Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-18
Our Impending Famine.

In answer TO complaints OF scarcity OF water
in the neighborhood OF Iowa Circle, the Dis
triet authorities explain that VIII IN the supply
for that particular locality was provided there
were only some fourteen hundred houses draw
Ing water fromi whereas at the present time the
number OF dwellings to De supplied through
the same service Is not less than twenty tiys
hundred,-.he Increase being duo to the rapid
growth and improvement of that quarter of
the city. The same explanation extended Will
apply with equal force in regard to the made.
quate water supply of the whole City. In
other words, there are too many people In
Washington for the quantity OF water brought
here. That Is the whole story In a nutshell,
theorise and figure as one may.
When the present facilities for supplying the
city with water were provid I'd the population
Of washington was only about one-third what
{ Is now. Not only that, but the whole domes-
tic economy OF city life, and especially OF lite In
this city, has entirely changed slnee then. The
number OF dwellings has increased In Washing
ton even more rapi lily than her population,
making the proportion CT residences to the
people much greater nsw than ft was then
Then, again, since that time an extensive sys
tenn OF sewerage has been adopted water closets
cleansed by water have been introduced into
nearly every newly built house, and into
many old ones. aud while the population is
about three times as great as It was then, there
are now probably six times as many bath rooms
in the city as there were two decades ago.
Briefly stated IL may be said that while the pop
ulation OF the city has increased three fold In
twenty years, It's consumption of water, made
proper and necessary by the changed condl-
tons OF living, has increased five or six fold
1t Is therefore plainly apparent that what
was an abundant water supply when it was
provided, and for a reasonable future growth
under the Old condition of things. has become
totally inadequate for the greatly increased
reeds OF three-fold population under the
changed modes OF life. There are great wastes
of water In many parts Of the city, undoubtedly;
and these wastes should be stopped. But
while that step will give partial and tenn
porary relief, it Will not aft ord permanent
remedy, and the latter is what Is demanded by
every consideration OF pub ic health and COM
fort. Neither win the Introduction of meters
nor any other like job do more than involve the
expenditure Of large amount OF money, with
out a corresponding return. Every thing OF
that kind is a mere expedienJ, whose usefulness
VIII hardly outlast the time necessary to set It
in operation. What is imperatively required, and
the only thing worth trying, Is to heighten the
dam at the Great Falls and Increase the pipe
capacity across Rock Creek. These improve.
ments VIII solve the whole difficulty. They
must come In time, as certain as time comes
and money spent In any other direction Will be
only wasted.
To an increased water supply and the i'm
proyement OF the river flats the people OF Wash.
ington, and those interested In the welfare OF
the ma ional capital, should therefore address
all their influence and all their energies. With
these two ends accomplished Washington Will
be, as place OF residence, without peer in the