National Republican., 1883-02-20
A Resident Of Capitol Hill Thinks He Has Dis
covered Why He Has No Water.
A Part Of the Difficulty is Due to the
Incompetence Of Engineers,
And Part 10 tho Mismanagemont Of Former Boards o.
District Commissioners,
He THINKS lie Can Prove that Money Has
Been Misapplied.
To he Editor.

placed under control of the army engineers; |
but of all the engineering schemes so far con-
cocted, the erection of the standpipe is proba'
bly, the greatest.
Who suggested il, or why Il was built, or |
by what authority IL was done, are matters
which no one has yet been able TO find out, so
far at least as ! have been able to ascertain |
The citizens nevcr petitioned or asked for it, |
and il was not suggested by the press.
In the Star Of Feb Capt. Phelps is repre-
sented as saying IL was designed to supply
water " in the morning hours 10 very large
class of citizens on the heights" and that IL
has "served its purpose" admirably but only
intormittently.
What he means by people on the heights"
Is not clear, but l take it that he means
round about Iowa circle and in that region,
where he happened to own property and re-
sided.
When it was being built, and for some time
thereafter Capt Phelps and all the other
officials, including tho engineer in charge,
pretended that it was for very different
purpose, in part at least, as shown by tho
record.
In the water registrars report for 1873, on
page 10, may be found the following;
would further recommend that 10 inch main
be laid TO connect pitol Hill with the stand
pipe, which can be done ut an estimated cost of
S23,SOO, l6,s00 feet OF ppe being required.
On the fifteenth of January, 1879, letter
signed rs. l.. Phelps, president of the board
of commissioners" was sent to the senate dis
trict committee in which occurs this sentence:
From u want of means the commissioners are
nov unable 10 lay section Of IL inch water
main at cost OF $500 which would materially
improve the supply upon the tir un1s OF
Capitol hill. sen. Mis-. Doc. No. SO, 45th con.
gress, 81 session.
On the twentieth of January, 1879, the Cap
itol Hill association flea tn ar memorial with
the two houses, in which occurs the following:
tG.E. n A.. a
pipe. II was given ont by high official authority
that as soon ns the sta dpipe was erected and in
working order Captol hill would have water
enough; but 10 sooner did the pump begin to
move thnn our water supply began TO lessen, and
II is even charged that u Is of nut little benefit to
the section imme la'cy around it-Sen. Mis-.
Doc No. 81 40 h Cong, 3d ses)
About that time the senate Ta5sel a resolu-
tion-
That the commissioners of the District OF Colum.
bia be, ard they ure n.reny drtCted to rep ri 10
the senate what action by congrt S. ifany isnecos-
sary to secure TO the residents OF Capitol hill aud
other elevated portions oil the city OF Washington
money II any, is required for this purpose, and to
transmit to the senate su ch facts as they may deem
important
On the twenty first of January tho COM
mssioners sent in their reply, in which,
after arguing in favor of the adoption OF
meters, and saying:
We propose to test his system (mcers) first upon
The high service,
They then add:
And no doubt that then the standpipe will DO
found to amply supply the two districts OF the city
for which ii was desirned, namely, the northwest
section and Capitol hill. ''
And in their estimates submitted in that
letter, the very first item was:
70 Inch main standpipe to Capitol hill, $4,000.
(Sen. Mis-. Doc. No. Al, 45lh cong, thirdsessiOn)
BY the strenuous exertions of the citizens,
congress was induced to appropriate the
$4,000 for that purpose; but rs they had no
confidence that the money would be expended,
as congress desired it should be, they got
the following words added to the end of the
section, land tho money so advanced
shall be expended to improve the water sup
ply on Capitol hill" (See section 2, act of
June TO- 1871 As ..
The citizens of the hill then thought that
surely they would have some relief that the
long promised connection with the standpipe
would surely be made, and as stated by the
commissioners they would have Fan ample
supply" Well congress adjourned, and after
waiting for months, and seeing no signs of
anything being done to relieve them, a citi-
zen called on the president of the board to
ascertain about it, His reply was: "Why,
my dear fellow, we have ascertnined that the
$4,000 isn't enough, and therefore we can't
do anything for you. You wait until next
session, and help us get through a bill for
Sl25,000 or $4,000, and then Wen give you
all the water You want. Lieut.. Hoxie has
been figuring on the matter, and that is the
conclusion we have come to-"
"But," said tho citizen, "you told congress
that $4,000 would do it, and that was the
amount you asked for in your estimate. Be-
sides, that is 81 POO more than the water regis
trar said in his report that it would cost and
why then did you tell congress that would
do it?"
SWELL" said he, eve thought it would do
it; but We find now that it will not, and we
can't do anything for you, and therefore it's
no use talking about it,"
"But," persisted the citizen, 81 see you are
laying mains; what is that for if it is not to
help us, as congress intended when they made
the appropriation
a. don't know anything about it," said he;
"you must see Lieut.. HoXie. He has charge
of those matters"
Thercupon the citizen wended his way to
Lieut.. Hoxie's room, and repeated to him the
inquiry as to what they were doing or in
tended to do to increase the water supply on
the hill.
Nothing at ALL" said he.
But" said the citizen, " j see you are lay
ing mains along the cast side of Judiciary
square; what is that for if it is not to increase
tie supply on the hillP"
ayes" replied Hoxie, 1--WE are laying some
mains there, but 1t won't help you on the hill
Rparticle. 1t will not increase the pressure
there single pound"
"Why, them are you doing it ?" querried
the citizen.
Because" said Hoxie, eve have the
money, and we must make show of spend
ing IL somewhere, and so we thought wo would
put II in there, where ii will form part of
permanent system to be adopted in the fu-
ture"
On the third of February, 1880, the Senate
passed a resolution calling on the commits
BiDners TO inform the senate what, If any,
action has been taken by them under the act
of congress of June 10, 1879, authorizing an
advance of $4,000 to improve the water sup
ply on Capitol hill"
To this the commissioners sent in their re-
ply on the sixth of March, more than amonth
thereafter, in which, after rigmarole about
experiments and Suggested reservoirs" to be
filled by what was supposed to be the surplus
flow Of tho mains during the night, the falacy
OF which was Immediately evident, as the
water did not rise perceptibly higher at night
than during the day." They then went on to
say that there was no surplus to be had from
tho standpipe, the pumps being already
driven TO their full capacity" and that, "if
such connection had been that neither
locality would have been supplied. Us. Mis-.
Doc, No. 81, 46th Cong, 2d Ses.)
What a comment on the engineering skill
and common sense Of those in charge There
were the pumps being driven to their full
capacity, and no more than supplying the
houses already connected with the standpipe,
and yet with those same pumps and stand
pipe they proposed to supply Capitol hill by
forcing water through 12-inch main nearly
two and half miles. What magnificent en-
Vineprinn skill What thornnph hnnvylad GA