National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-23

supplied pumps on second street rs lar as
the Lafayette house, and another line Of
pipe went west down Louisiana avenue
to Seventh street, where tho fire insur-
ance building now is. South of the city hall 4,
on G street, between Four-and-a.ha and
Sixth streets, was and still is n famous
spring. IL was on q lot which was owned
by tho corporation, and on which the
building which was first used rs police
court stands. Iu tho rear OF this building
is tho old Kimball stable, whore the
horses of Daniel Webster were kept, the
Massachusetts, statesman's residence being
next door 10 tho old Unitarian church on
ID street, which is now being used as the
police court"
"That is quito an historic locality" said
the reporter.
"It is indeed" responded Mr.. Larman.
ut is said that Atzerodt who was hung
with Payne, Herold, and Mrs. Surratt,
took his last drink from the hotel adjoin-
ing the old Webster house before going to
the Kirdwood house to atte mpt the assas-
sination of Andrew johnson. The Kirk
wood house, you remember, was situated
at the corner of Pennsylvania avenue and
Twelfth street, where the Shepherd build
ing, at present occupied by the pension
Office, now stands"
DuJ 10 TctuTIl 10 tne lDrincI lOChllty.
Right across on the south side of Louisi-
ana avenue. was the old Assembly rooms,
where the swell balls wer given in tho
olden time and where Joe Jefferson made
his debut as an actor, taking u subordi-
nate part in play in which the leading
characters were sustained by his father
and mother. This building finally de-
generated into q variety theater known
as the Canterbury, and was burned down
in 1865 or 1869. Tho spring in KimbalPs
stable supplies at tho present time a
dydrant in front Of the Howard on Sixth
street and one in front of the American
house on Seventh street, both being
situated just below the avenue. Then
there was spring under the postofllce
department, which was piped down
Seventh street, and is cut off now in
nearly tho middle of the street opposite
Odd Fellows hall"
Couldn't this pipe be utilized to supply
the Cogswell fountain, at the junction
of Seventh street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue?'
Certainly. / know whero the cutoff
is, and could not only use this pipe, but
tho ono which comes from the city hall
lot spring, and obtain an abundance OF
good, cool spring water for this fountain,
"hi,h "phAu ohNo bho pohoO VA ioO'
The reporter suggested that it would be
good idea to inform the commissioners
of this plan for supplying the fountain,
aud Mr.. Larman continued:
There was spring under whore the
Masonic temple now stands which was
tapped by pipes running along i stree!
and down Ninth and Tenth streets. These
| have been discontinued now, and the only
building know now supplied from this
spring is John Meyers's restaurant, corner
of Tenth and Q streets. There was q
stream which run through the square
between II and + and Ninth and Tenth
streets, and continued southwsrd. empty.
ing into the old canal, but this stream was
taken up as q sewer when the improve
ments in that locality were made.
There is o spring in Franklin square
and another which rises just outside the
square. under the sidewalk on Thirteenth
street, and from these q line OF pipesran east
as far as Ninth and / streets and south Il
the corner of Fourteenth and Pennsylva
mia avenue. II formerly extended dowr
to Ohio avenue. but was cut oil when the
large. Fourteenth street sewer was laid. Ii
now supplies hydrants on Twelfth and
Thirteenth streets, aud the Ebbitt housI
is connected with the Franklin squar,
spring Another line Of pipe runs from
the Franklin square spring down the
alley where Olcotts stables are and theI
along New York avenue to the eSecutiv,
mansion. The How from these Franklir
square springs was probably greater thar
any others, excepting those from the
Smith farm"
'How about Capitol hill2"
"Woll. the most notable spring there
and the ono which probably has the mos
extended reputation IL the old Carol
spring, located ut the corner OF Now Jer
scy and Virginia avenues. Many storie
arc told of incidents happening about thi
spring. 1t is said that it was by thi
spring that the great and good Washing
ton, when dickering with Carroll aud tn,
grasping old Scotchman, Daniel Burns
lost his temper and told the latter TO 'G'
to HI, you old rapscallion.' The ilov
from the Carroll spring was very abun
dant and the water cool and Of excellen
quality, but it has been filled up by tn
improvements which have been made oi
the square, which il known as reserva
ton IL"
Weren't there some springs in tn,
northwestern section" !"
" Yes; and the best was on 7 street
near tho Georgetown bridge. The spring
now supplies the Metropolitan car stable
in Georgetown by pipo which goe
under the bridge. There is a splendi,
spring on Virginia avenue, between
Twcnty-sixth and Twenty y-seventh streets
near the gas works. You know the,
filled up that street. SO tho spring ls nov
about twelve feet under ground, but pu
twelve inch pipe into it and can utiliz
it at any time that may be desirable"
Are the spring mains, US you call them
all of ironW
eyes, thoy now are. suppose In tn
early days pine logs and wooden bo.
pipes were used, but doubt if any trace
Of these now remain. There are ut pres
ent but few houses supplied by spring
water. i think the last one TO tap
spring main was Thomas Somervill
when he built his house on Thirteenth
street, near ii. He tapped the main fror
tho Franklin square spring. believ
there are two other houses on Thirteent
street. between II and 1, on the west sid,
that are now connected with this mair
but those are all that think Of Th
Gonzaga college. which was right b
what have called the Masonic Tempt
spring, was not connected with IL, bu
got water from an excellent we'll in th
college yard"
Gould these mains that you hay
mentioned be now tapped and would the
furnish plentiful supply Of wator2"
MANY of them would; some Of them, g
l have said, are now in operation, but tn
improvement in tho water supply Of th
district is 80 great that there is Il
necessity for resorting to the sprin
mains. Besides, man has TO pay h
regular assessment for Potomac waite
and the spring water would be a
additional expense"
The Greedy Relief