National Republican., 1883-02-01
A DRY STEW,
In which Many Residents Of Washington are
Kept by Want Of Water.
A Stream Of Complaints Pouring in on
the Commissioners,
Most Of Which are Provoked by the Absence Of
Streams from the HydranS.
A Few Specimen Compiaints-Tho Means
Taken TO Remedy the Difficulty.
A DRY STEW,

10 Nv lenRlh III NcSltIuUy hEiObbltANi hto
been the grievance Of large number of citi-
zens for several years. For some time the
complaint was confined TO the residents of
Capitol Hill, but since the erection of the
standpipe the distress occasioned by an made
quate water supply is as great in the northern
section of the city as in any other locality.
The commissioners are in daily receipt of
communications bitterly lamenting the lack
of a sufliciency of water, and the citizens
are not satisfied with writing their COM
plants, but form themselves into delegations
and visit the Columbia buildings, whore they
fire their grievances at the commissioners by
word of mouth.
To ascertain
THE EXACT CHARACTER OF THE COMPLAINTS
made upon the water question REPUBL1-
CAN man visited the commissioners office and
made an examination of the large number of
communications on file, from which he Sc
lected the following;
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE SUPER
vIsiNG ARCHITECT, June 3d. lss2-MAJ, J. G. LY-
DECKER, Engineer Commissioner District OF CO.
lumbia-Sir: The photographer of this depart
ment complains that there is not sufficient force of
water In this Office to enable him to perform the
duties required. AS no such difhculty has been
experienced heretofore 1t occurs to me that poss-
bly, the supply of water Is partially cut OIL.
would be Obliged to you TO you ifyou would cause
the difficulty complained of remedied.
Very respectfully, JAMES G. Hull
Supervising Architect.
His communication was referred to Capt.
Hoxie, under whose immediate control the
water department is placed, and that officer
reported that the supply to the Photographic
building was given by the siXth-inCh main
which supplies the large fountaia on the east
side of the white house, and that 1t was prob.
able that the supply to the building varied
with the flow of the fountain. The next day
ha faI gttil
The next complaint is from a citizen living
ON NINTH STREET, BETWEEN AND II
STREETS
northwest, who writes as follows:
WAsnISGToN d. C.. July T. lss2-To THE HONOR
ABLE COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT OF COLuMBIA-Gtn.
henlen The undersigned respectfully begs leave
to stute that he is II resident of No. 1912 Ninth
street northwest; that the water tax on said prop.
erv is fully paid that yesterday the water ceased
70 how into our kitchen boiler: which Is on NE
water closet and bathroom Is one story higher,
and that the water ceased to flow there soon yes
telday morning and did not commence TO how so
late as IL o'clock p M, when the undersigned aud
family retired; that II does not now this morning;
that the boiler attached to kitchen range which
we are obliged to use, ran nearly dry yesterday
so nearly dry that the steam ceased to issue from
any Of the ho-water spigot" although y boiled so
hard as TO shake the floor. ! called Mt the
water registrars office this morning and was re.
ferTed to q Mr. Larman or Larmore, who posi-.
lively declined to do anything .or our relief and
states that he ordered portion of the water 20 be
turned off from our square yesterday, nnd declares
that we have enough still: He says he tried the
llug on the corner OF Ninth anu boundary and
found 1t was strong enough to supply ui yesterday
evening. The way Tor Mr.. Larman 10 ascertain
whether we have water is 70 come TO our houses.
Notwithstanding my most positive assertion that
the water did not run on our first floor or into the
boiler yesterday evening, Mr.. Larman persisted III
saying that 1t must have done SO, for he tried the
plugOn the Very often heretofore te before
yes erday, the wafer did not run in our bathub or
water closet, which arc on the second floor from
some time in the afternoon until in the night. aud
we had not as much water rs we really needed
before any was turned OIL Now our water closets
and bathrooms are not only useless but danger
Gus to health, and our lives are in danger from
accident to the boiler Iwould therefore respects
iully request thatthe pressure taken from us yes
terduy by Mr.. Larman be restored, If better than
tnat cannot be doue. Very respectfully
No. 1912 Ninth street northwest
A similar communication was sent by f.
II. Taylor, living ut 1924 Ninth street, and
both are marked "attended to-" so 1t is sup
posed the pressure was restored
Tho next complaint is from resident on
STREET, BETWEEN NINTH AND TENTH
NORTHWEST,
who wrote under date of July TO- 1852:
LIEuT X. $. HoxIF, WATER REGISTERS OFFICE
Dear ST: For sOme reason the water supply ut my
house (No. 032 street northwesD has entirely
fuiled on the second floor. Hasn't run since the
weak stream al in N" kit en %" the ' first hoo floor. but
none ut ali i'll til, bat, room, not even yesterday,
unday), when ~ SHOULD nuye run freely II the
repairs, of course IL cannot be helped until the
repairs are completed, If 1t comes from other
bors IN the square are in the same tix.
Respectfully yours, g. G.. GOULD
This was marked in pencil, attended to-"
and the next grievance was found to be that
of a
MEMBER OF CONGRESS,
showing that the lawmakers at the capitol
ILL
they can get it. The letter was rs follows:
Ho JsE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON, d. c.,
July l1.-IIoN. DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS Cry
Strs: lam keeping house Mt l4i2 Eleventh street
northwest My bathroom and closets are on the
seec nd floor. For days past there has not been
dfop of water In my house ablSe the basement.
Al others in this block are in the same condition.
Cfn you do any thing for our relief? This state
things is unendurable 1t is simply horrible.
Let me hear from you. Very respectfully,
], X. JONES.
NJ. g. for Arkansas.
This was referred TO the engineer commits
sioner and marked special" and by him it
was referred TO Lieut., lloXie who promptly
reported the following day that measures had
b,en taken for increasing the pressure of
water in that vicinity, which, it was probable |
could be done without discriminating against |
9th n localities.
On the same day that Hon. Mr.. Jones sent |
his complaint, there was one sent by Mr.. f. |
NJ. Heaton, residing at
No. 9O7 STREET NORTHWEST,
who said
In the nan o and at the request OF a number of |
h. usehOders .Jn Ninth, Tenth, $. and Il streets |
northwest, lave the honor 10 call your attention |
TO the almost total failure of the water, We have
no water AT all except in the cellars or Easements
aud none at III il our bathrooms or water closets
Only those no h,Ye their Kitchens In the base
mens have eter here. The water closet In my |
house Is In i'G-ttl condition. My neghbbor, Mr.. |
j, W. Donnelly, 9OI II street, says he must remove
from his house TO save tho lives of his family ii
this matter is not attended to soon, and tho water |
turued back our street, / am told that tho water |
AT Eleventh and U streets northwest has been cut |
on IN order 10 supply water TO citizens In other |
portions of the city BE pleased TO look INTO this |
matter without delay, rs the people for whom 1 |
write actually suffering for the want of water. |
On the same day also there was received by |
tho commissioners petition from residents
upon the streets mentioned in the above COM
municaton setting forth state of facts
equally as distressing. This petition con-
tanned forty-tour signatures, and was in
dorsed, as was Mr.. HeatOns letter, "attended |
to- On the eighteenth Of July Mr. William
ID. Dana, of
NO. 1907 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE,
wrote TO the water registrar as follows
don't know that you are the proper officer to
address on the subject of grievance. II not,
VIII you DO me the favor 10 refer this IN Snoh way
thnt tue Inconvenience may DO remedled II con
sistent with the rights Of others,
In the fall of 1879 my daughter, Mrs A. G. Por.
I T. bought the house No. 1907 Rhode Island ave-
nuo. AZ that time there was an abundant How OF
wnler ON the second story supplied as we were
informed, from the standpipe on Sixteenth street.
no water In the bathroom IN the night Week be.
fJre last the wafer was turned or for some