Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-25
WASHINGTON DRAINAGE.
THE REMEDIES PROPOSED.

of Washington, and placed before our readers
the necessity of taking measures to relieve the
city OF some of It's most essential sanitary de-
fects. We propose now to discuss the methods
and plans that have been suggested for that
purpose.
To rightly understand them. we shall. first,
briefly state the Typographical conditions Of the
SITE washington lies at the head of tide water
the ebb and flow of the Potomac river VARYING
three feet, but ceasng q short distance from the
city. About three miles above it the river is
e com, to narrow stream. one to two hun
dred feet wide, and OF considerable DEPTH It's
width increases rapidly it approaches the city,
whose southwestern boundary it FORMS meas
uring mile from shore to shore. but narrowing
again to half mile at point five miles below
the city. The Eastern Branch of the Potomac.
or the AnacOstia. skirts the southeastern part of
the city: and exhibits similar Typographical fea-
lures although carrying much less water
The amount Of water passing certain point
In tidal basin increases towards its mouth
owing to the fact that large quantity is carried
up stream by the tidal flow, which must again be
entirely discharged at ebb tide, together with
the natural flow of the river. We therefore
observe that rivers in general begin to widen at
the head Of tide water and to regularly increase
in width toward the ocean. This is not the
case, however, in Washington. The sudden
expanding Of the surface of the river is followed
by a narrowing at Alexandria The former
is much beyond the requirements Of the tidal
pulsatiOn. and therefore produces large areas
OF shallow water, portions of which rise above
low tide.
These flats, called the Kidwell meadows. and
covering nearly 600 acres, spread out in front
Of the city, and are a most potent agent in
propagating unhealthful Influences. and their
removal forms one of the essential problems to
be solved. Not only are they the receptacles of
the city's sewage. the heavier particles of which
deposit and decompose on them, but the inter-
mlttent submergence causes conditions which
are favorable to the development and dispersion
OF malarial influences.
Another important feature Of the river Is the
heavy freshets. which not only raise the water
level above the streets in portions Of the city,
put prevent the proper discharge of storm
water and sewage. The height of the freshet of
1877, which Is taken as a maximum. was 1876
feet above low water at the aqueduct bridge
down to which the river has been confined to q
narrow bed The surface then spreads out ex-
tensively, but Is once more confined by the ap-
proaches and piers Of the Long Bridge where
It is nine feet above low tide. At the mouth of
the Eastern Branch 1t is eight and One-half feet,
and at Alexandria six feet
The topography of the city itself is varied A
large section is fiat and less than nine feet above
mean high tide, and is submerged by heavy
freshets portion Of this low land reaches
mile into the heart of the town, following the
bed OF Tiber Creek. which bisects it. The north
teaux. The subsOil in the lower sections is
heavy. and retains moisture almost to the point
OF saturation. In the higher grounds it is gray
ely and dry.
Under conditions such as these the problems
which concern us here NAV be stated as follows:
First, the rectifcation of the rivers; secondly
the drainage of the heavy subsOi in the lower
districts; thirdly, the removal of storm water
without flooding the latter, and fourthly the
removal OF the sewage from the entire city, and
Its discharge at such points or in such manner
that 1t cannot become offensive.
Among the various projects that have been
proposed to satisfy these different requirements
four have been somewhat definitely stated:
One by Mr.. Gustavus Karwiese, C.E., another
6y Mr.; Benjamin severson, C.E:, a thisd by Col.
Geo. E. Waring, jr.. and fourth by the en-
gineers to the District commission.
We shall examine into each Of them and en-
deavOr to discover how far the propositions
answer the conditions and requirements as pre-
sented. And In doing this We shall adhere to
the order OF the plans as just stated.
Mr.. HARNESSES plan for the rectifcati0n Of
the Potomac and Eastern Branch consists in
combining the rivers to their present deep water
channels by embankments, and in filling up the
reclaimed lands with clear gravel and sand from
surrounding hills, to height Of not less than
seven feet above high water mark. He reduces
the width OF the Potomac at alexandria to about
1.6OO feet, and at Georgetown to 1000 feet A
large area Is therefore to be reclaimed In front
OF the city. In order to preserve the shipping
facilities in the southern part OF the city, it is
lurtner proposed to have an open channel along
the present shore as far up as the Long Bridge.
The essential features Of this plan are the fill
ing up Of considerable area to a level above
high water, and the narrowing of the stream to
width slightly greater than that of the chan
mel The first Is large undertaking. as it re-
quires the filling up of nearly 4, 600 acres from
seven to fifteen feet. The second would expose
the northern portion of the new made lands to
the overflow Of heavy freshets unless filed up to
a height Of about IL feet above high water.
extent proposed is not given.
The question OF the removal of subsOil water
does not receive MIR. HARNESSES consideration
Hls plan for the removal Of storm water is
partially based on the principle suggested by
Mr.. Monsoon, In England, and which has more
force for the small streams of that country than
tOr large ones like the Potomac. namely to pre-
vent the pollution of rain water by sewage rather
than to prevent the dilutiOn of the latter BY
rain water. Mr.. karwiese suggests intercept
Ing sewers skirting the northern and northeast
ern boundaries Of the city, to carry off the
water from the outlying country, which would
otherwise flow through the city. the entrance of
sewage OF any kind being strictly prohibited
he also suggests special rain water sewers,
starting from several low points along Pennsyl-
vania avenue, and running directly to the river
Their purpose is stated to be the relief of the
sewers proper lat a time when their capacity is
taxed to their full extent by the rain fall within
the city limits" All ordinary sewers are, how
ever, also to convey rain water. and to be pro-
vided with overfows along the several water
courses.
The advantages of the Boundary avenue in
tercepting sewer in preventing the accumulation
OF large quantities Of storm water in the low
grounds of the Tiber creek valley are evident
and need no further comment. The special rain
water sewers below Pennsylvania avenue, how
ever, do not appear to be justified, for the fol-
lowing reasons: The sewers proper which drain
distant areas would not run full at the lower
ends until some time after the beginning of the
storm; until then they could, therefore, we'll
carry the rain falling near the latter. When the
water from the distant points has reached PENN
syivania avenue and the storm continues, then
the special rain water channels would come into
action. But as the character of this water
would differ imperceptibly, If at all, from the
water carried at that time in the regular sewers
and as 1t Is more economical to build one sewer
than two for a certain discharge, the advantage
OF Mr., karwieses plan does not become appar-
ent. We also think it improper to allow rain
water to reach low points from which it subse-
quently must be removed by light grades and
large sewers, instead of intercepting it at the
higher levels.
1t remains to examine into his scheme for re-
IN )ving and disposing of the sewage. The en-
tire alignment is based on the assumption that
at Is not permissible to discharge the sewage