National Republican., 1883-02-06
THE WANT OF WATER.
II Is Still Felt in the Northern Section Of
tho City,
And More Information as to the Cause
is Wanted.
II Any Immediate Relief Can bO Afforded Let's
Have II.
Some Suggestions Made by Correspondents
The Harper's Ferry waterpower.

THE REPUBLICAN has excited considerable
interest among the citizens who have been
the sufferers from scarcity of that fluid, and
has been the means of bringing the attention
Of the district officials more closely to the
subject. Letters have been received at this
Office asking that tho inquiry as TO tho cause
be kept up, and saying that the subject Is one
of vital interest to the health and convenience
Of the community. The complaints of the
scarcity of water, which have been published
in these columns, have all been taken from
the official flies of the water department, and
consequently there can be no question as to
their reliability. They ranged in date from
the fall of 1881 to last month, and the greater
portion of them covered ground alleged to
have been benefited by the erection of the
standpipe.
Tho statement that the flow of water In the
northern section of the city is greater than
before the stnndpipe was erected, or that tho
citizens residing in that locality are now in
the receipt of n sufficient supply of water TO
be at all times available in their bathrooms
in the second story, or that the water supply
has increased in that section so that there is
now less Inconvenience than before, no matter
whether made by ono or by all the district
officials or eX-oilicials, Is not borne out by
facts. No matter what the theory Of the
standpipc may be, or the probable result of n
certain arrangement of the stop.cocks, the
actual result is that there is greater incon-
venience experienced ut the present time by
the citizens residing in the northern section
of the city than ever before.
IL may be n fact that there can be no relief
until tho completion of the projected extern
sion to the Washington aqueduct, but the
statement that no present relief can be
afforded rests solely upon the intelligence of
90 had had
experience in conducting works to meet the
wants of great community until they were
detailed to their present duties and it would
be no imputation on their honesty of inten-
ton to have the question of whether there is
at present tho most equitable distribution of
water obtainable throughout the entire city
examined into by a board of three other en-
gineers, as is proposed by the resolution OF
Senator Mcmillan.
There has been no intention TO misrepre-
sent tho officials or to withhold any informa.
tion that they may be able to furnish; but so
far rs their reports show the only statement
that Is made is that there is no present relief
for the water famine which they recognize rs
existing, until the completion of the aqueduct
extension
The criticism upon the plan for the extern
sion that was published in THE REPUBLICAN,
Saturday was from an engineer who is a
graduate of West Point, q man of mature
years, who has had considerable experience in
civil engineering, and, in fact, who has en-
gagged upon the surveys for this very improve
ment, and his opinion was, therefore, con-
sidercd entitled to presentation.
The following suggestions are from gen.
tleman who has had considerable experience
in legislative matters in another city, and his
ideas may prove of service:
To The Editor.
OF course yau are aware that in any large manu-
featuring establishment they may have dozen or
more engines, run from the same steam power,
varying from the one that drives the ponderous
wheels and hammers TO the one that runs the
most delicate of machinery. This is, ns yOn know,
done by the use of valves, large and small, that
let on or close Off tho steam supply. aud are auto
matically controlled by gauges aud governors.
BY the use OF cutoiis or valves the quantity of
water allowed to pass through any given main
can bo controlled or If necessary cut or entirely.
Combined with Ut pressure t e gauge the the valve or
of water to pass Judgment should of course be
used as to tho proper points for placing thvm,
The fact that we are to havs an increased sup.
ply OF water does not In any way change the value
Of this suggestion, for the variation of about one
hundred feet from the high to the low districts
there can never be the equal amount of water re-
ceivod unless some adjustment is nude, yet they
tax each one (high or low district alike.
What l propose can all be done. within two
months, and the cash not over few thousand
dollars. Its not a question requiring invention
or sCientc education TO carry into elect; on the
contrary, it IL the every day work of contractors
Ibeleve am correct when say that the ma
chine shops and others using steam power are
supplied from the mains. / think this should be
stopped, and they berequred to sink wells for the
wGter they need Tor boiler power.
Water can be founl at short distance down in
any pnrt Of the city, aud 1t certainly is not right
TO take water from those who pay (and don't get
~ and sell 1t over again.
SOME MORE INQUIRIES.
The following communication asks some
questioss which seem pertinent to tho
question, and which the Engineers can
possibly answer:
wish to make an inquiry as to the water supply
of the city. Is tho present insufficient supply not
attributable to the main conduit, nino feet in
diameter, not running full or being filled at the
receiving point the Great Falls, aud II SO, Is 1t
not from the dam there being too low? Would
not the nine feet Of water, from n higher dam
that would iill the main conduit, furnish the nec
essary supply to the highest points by the add
tlOnal pressure? What Use Is 1t to extend the
pipes without first taking means to MI those now
laid2 Why not build the dam that must eventually
he built first and see the effect of nine feet'of
water pressure before doing anything else.
SUBSCRIBER.
THE HARPER's FERRY wATERPowER.
There was rumor ailoat yesterday that
Solicitor Raynor, of tho treasury, was nego-
tiating sale of tho Harpers Ferry property
of the United States to firm that would en-
gage in chemical manufacture, As this re-
called the alarming condition of affairs on the
Schuylkill river, in Pennsylvania, sometime
since whom the water in the river was pois-
oned by the gases and other products of
chemical works ON It's banks, il was very gem
orally thought that the government before
selling should restrict the purchasers TO such
manufactures, as would not likely prove in
furious to the health of people residing on the
PotOmacs banks, especially in Washington.
The water supply of tho district Is II source Of
trouble enough now, but to have what little
is supplied poisoned would be unbearable. So
to find out all about IL REPUBLICAN re-
porter called on Solicitor Raynor and inquired
about the matter.
"I cannot properly, sayEI am negotiating"
said the solicitor, for the sale of this prop
erty. All there is about IL Is that Gen, Bolk-
nan called on mo some four or five weeks ago
and said some friends of his in Philadelphia
wanted to know the terms of sale. l said il
responsible parties would agree to bid not less
than $4,000 for the property, and deposit
81 900 down to cover expenses would bring
IL TO sale. And afterward u young man came
TO SEQ me from Philadelphia to pursue in de-
tail the line Of inquiry started by Gen
Bclknap. But he didn't comply with any
condition required. don't think there is
anything in it,"
"What purpose did he intend to apply the
property tor
~ asked him that question and he was
averse from answering, / understood, how
ever il was for the manufacture of electric
light | did not feel much interested, how
over in the matter The government is will
ing sell upOn the terms mentioned"
"But if the property sold is applied to sucI
purposes as win injuriously effect the district
poison its water supply for example, wha'
them
"Well. that should not be allowed. Were