National Republican., 1883-03-13
THE WATER QUESTION.
The Work on the Hole in the Ground Stopped
For the Present
Captain HoHie's ExpIanHtlon-what the
workmen Say.

Regarding the article puDllsneu III yesUer-
days REPUBLICAN, which asserted that the
work had stopped on Friday last because
water had been struck in such quantity as to
render further operations useless, an evening
paper says
The only foundation for this statement is that
The work of sinking the experimental shaft has
been delayed for few days to awaitthe arrival of
some new machinery. The story of striking water
Is nonsense, as the workmen have been encoun-
terinR this drawback since the first six feet were
sunk, and have been pumping of water during
almost the entire progress Of the work. The oper-
ations will go on as soon as the machinery arrives
which will be in about a week.
In order to fully ascertain the facts in the
case n reporter of THE REPUBLICAN, was as
signed 10 interview Capt Hoxie in relation to
this matter. He found the captain and asked
him:
CAPT. HoXIE's STATEMENT
capt Hoxie, when do you think you will
strike bed rock in your workp
Judging from the distance at which II was
reached ON the line of Eighth street it will be
pretty soon now"
"Where are you at work ~
"On the prolongation of Sixth street."
"What stratum had you reached when oper-
ations were suspended?"
zone of what might be called indurated
clay"
Now captain, will you let me ask you
why operations have been suspended on the
work."
ITO permit necessary repairs to be made
TO the machinery. This has got out of order,
and we stopped work to have it repaired. We,
of course, furloughed the workmen while the
work is suspended, which is only for few
days"
"How about the water running IMP Had
that anything to do with stopping the work."
There was no greater trouble from water
flowing in than has always existed This had
nothing to do with the stoppage"
You will resume work, then, pretty soon?"
In few days." replied the captain, bow
Ing his visitor out.
WHAT THE woRKMEN SAY. 10
To give tho other side of the case fully, for
there are several aspects in this matter,
another REPUBLICAN reporter yesterday inter-
viewed two of the worlmen engaged on the
water extension works, operations on which
were suspended II few days ago, and their
account of the situation is this The "shaft"
has been sunk to depth of 81 feet
and 1t contains ~ feet of water. Fifteen
feet higher and the place will be flooded. The
men used to remain in the shaft seven and
half hours at "a time with stream of water
playing upon them three inches in diameter.
They were soaked through and through and
bothered with foul air until they "kicked"
against the latter annoyance. fresh air
pipe was then inserted for their relief. The
pay of the men for this work is 81. 80 per day.
They have not yet encountered rock, but have
struck hard clayey stratum. Fifteen men
are employed at this point. They
think the laying of a pipe for the conducting
OF water at the place is impractcablc. They
also assert that Capt. Hoxie was about to ill
up the hole short time ago but changed his
mind, and the work has reached the above
described condition. Work has been in oper-
alton since the fifth of December.
The engine is out of order and the pump is
broken. The men expect to resume work
next Saturday or Monday.
VIEWS OF A CIVIL ENGINEER.
As it is useless to disguise the fact that the
people of this city are beginning to feel and
to express the conviction that the work as at
present going on is impracticable and is sub
stantially failure, REPUBLICAN reporters
were assigned to getting the views of civil en-
gineers on the subject. One of these, prom
inent gentleman, in response to inquiries an
bwercd substantially as follows:
Tho water supply Of this district is prin-
cipally derived from the great falls of the
Potomac, whence it is brought by brick
conduit to the distributing reservoirs Mt
Drovers' Rest The conduit is also connected
with tho reservoir at Point Branch, from
which reinforcement of the supply at Little
Falls can be obtained if necessary or a sun
ply for few days in case of an accident TO
the conduit above that point. But in case of
a failure between that point and the distrib-
uting reservoir the city would be absolutely
without resource other than the amount
stored in the reservoir.
'It is admitted by all that the present wa
ter supply of this city can be doubled with
out difficulty at comparatively slight ex-
pense; and that before the close of the COM
ing season full and ample supply can be
obtained, not only for every house in this
city and to the full height that the reservoir
can supply, but for every fountain, public
and private in the district. But we are as
hot de oxtfiIl ha hub
pedient, and that Washington must be as
sured full and ample supply under
all circumstances and for all time. Now /
emphatically submit that this can be done by
three methods only, and that the proposed
expenditure will not remedy in the slightest
degree the real danger now threatening this
city, namely, that the conduit is the only real
source, and that any damage thereto would
cut IL off until it can be repaired and the ce-
ment has fully set. This in winter would be
an indefinite time unless artificial means are
used, a recourse which is Objectionable to
great degree.
Prudence would therefore dictate that some
other means should be provided which can be
used to reinforce the present system at all
times, and furnish supply in case of acci-
dent or the necessity for repairs to the present
conduit. Such supply can be obtained by
another conduit from the Great Falls, a
remedy that is not, for divers reasons, q
thorough remedy or advisable in many re-
epects, The second is the plan for CON
structing dam in the valley of
Rock creek and obtaining therefrom
reinforcement of the present supply
when needed and few days additional
supply in case of need. This is, however, at
best but a possible respite, and not n remedy.
1t is also Objectionable and highly dangerous
to maintain so large volume of water in u
position whore a failure in the dam would
discharge such an immense body Of water
through the city, destroying also in all proba-
bility, the remaining service, viz: the pres
ent aqueduct. There remains, then, only the
very obvious and simple remedy of pumping
works above the Little Falls which involves
no experiment, is safe, certain, and effective
which can, If desired, be made by means of a
genuine standpipe to give any additional head
that may be required and which affords as
thorough guarantee as can be obtained or
indeed desired of an ample supply at all times,
as well as relieve this city from a present and
pressing danger. Why this plan has not found
favor with the authorities is hard to under
stand-probably, however, ON account of its
simplicity and the fact that il is in general
use under similar conditions in other cities"
A Persistent ViOIator OF the Law.
For the eighth time yesterday James L.
Donnelly, who keeps u cigar store and restau-