National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-07-28
The Winter Works.

II is to be hoped that the House will
concur in the Senate amendment TO the
water works clause of the general def
cheney bill as II passed the latter body
with Senator Sherman's modification.
That gentleman has done the District Of
Columbia many eminent services IN his
long career, but none more timely and more
signal than that Of striking out the absurd
requirement for suspension Of work on the
tunnel and reservoir, pending examina-
tion Of the plans. It Is we'll known that
all the row about this matter has been
kicked up by the friends OF an engineer
officer who was relieved from pleasant
Washington duty some time ago and sent
south to superintend river and harbor
work. The work, so far as the tunnel is
concerned, has been already suspended six
months for no better reason than that
above stated, and It really seems as II the
water consumers of the District had been
made to suffer quite enough in order to
subserve the personal aims Of captain Of
engineers.
AS for the reservoir there never was any
defined plan for It's completion. 1t is being
excavated in very difficult ground under a
very incompetent civil engineer, who,
whenever he encounters a physical diff
Guilty, tries first to dodge 1t and then to
cover 1t up with thin plaster OF so-called
''puddler or few planks driven into the
mud and yclept "sheet-piling." Any COM
petent engineer can take hold Of the reser.
voir and make good job OF It. In fact,
about the only modification OF the plans
required In the interests of safety and
economy"-to quote the language of the
bill-would be to dismiss the present in
competent civil engineer, and put some one
in his place who knows something about
the business.
That done the other ''modiflcations"
would work themselves out naturally.
The plan for lining the tunnel requires
no modification, except to increase the ex
tent lined. In fact 1t is doubtful whether
any portion of 1t can either "safely" or
economically be left unllned.
The amendment of the Senate requiring
the Secretary of War to call in the advice
Of civil engineers is a salutary provision.
The same thing was done when the old con-
duit and reservoirs were building. In that
case President Buchanan himself took hold
of the matter, called Silas Seymour, Of New
York, to Washington, and put him in
charge Of the work, superseding Capt.
Meigs, of the army. The value of the plan
proposed by the Senate amendment will
depend very much on the character
of the civil engineers selected by Secretary
Endicott. Obviously the very best talent
Of the country Should be called in-such
men as Church, of New York; Davis, OF
Boston, or Corthell, of st. Louis. To bring
second rate men into such a consultation
would make farce of 1t. AS for the two
army engineers mentioned in the bill, no
better men than Casey or Craighill or Lud-
low could be found. 1t would not be bad
idea for the Secretary to order the veteran
Gen. Newton himself to act as one of the
commission.
Whatever Is done ought to be done at
once and thoroughly The want Of water
on all the high-service levels OF the city is
the greatest evil suffered by this CON-
munity, and unnecessary delay in providing
proper supply Is almost criminal. There
| is no reason why the work should be
stopped pending inquiry as to plans. There
is still a considerable section of the tunnel
to be driven, while the problems presented
by the bottom, the dam, the slope-walls, and
the infuent and eflluent gates of the reser-
voir can easily be settled while the work
of excavation is going on. There has been
trlling enough. This community cannot
afford to have Its water supply withheld
awaiting the result of personal squabbles
of army engineers. 1t has endured too
much Of that already.