The Washington critic., 1888-09-28
THE WASHINGTON AQUEDUCT.
sto ry of the Great Work Now Under
InyestigntiOn,

sto ry of the Great Work Now Under
Investigation.
The operation OF lining the tunnel is
now in progress in every section Inc
total length lined to June so, 1888, was
lO,O09l-2 feet There then remained
10, ,626.s feet to be lined. The con-
tractors" says Maj. Lydecller, in his re-
port of the work done IN lSS7-'sS," have
as yet by no means made such arrange
mentS as are necessary to finish the en-
tire work at the earliest possible date, in
spite of repeated directions from this
office having that object in view Espc-
cially has progress in the heading east
of Foundry Branch working shaft been
unsatisfactory, less lining having been
placed in that section than in any other,
whereas the greatest distance to be lined
is in that one. 1t is hoped and believed,
however, that the contractors will soon
see the necessity of changing their course
in this respect, and comply with the di-
rectons given for their guidance, and
thereby avoid the stipulated penalty of
persistent refusal to comply with the re-
quirements of their contract"
The cost of work done during the
past year was 81 24,417.70. The grand
total of expenditures up to June 80,
1883, including outstanding liabilities
and retained percentages is Sl,011,-
S73.36.
The work of increasing the city's
water supply was begun in 1882, pur-
suant to an act of Congress approved
on July 15. The plan includes "a the
raising of the dam in the Maryland
channel at Great Falls to an elevation
| of 14S feet above mean high tide at the
Navy Yard. and its extension at that
height across Conn's Island and the
Virginia channel of the river. (2 ex-
tending the Washington Aqueduct from
the distributing reservoir near Drover's
| Rest to the site selected for the new
reservoir near Howard University. The
! plan adopted for this extension is tun-
mel, under pressure. 20,60 feet long
(3) at the tunnel outlet reservoir OF
about 800, 900, 900 gallons capacity; (D
| connecting the new reservoir with the
existing system of mains in the city by
new line of large mains.
Operations last year were confined
chiefly to the tunnel and reservoir, the
dam having been finished in August,
1886, and the new mains laid to the site
of the reservoir in 18S6. On the dam at
Great Falls sl4O, O,3S5.4S was spent dur
inH the year.
Up to July last the tunnel had been
holcd" through, and 6,ll0 feet had
been lined. Work was suspended Sep
tclnber so, 1887, on account of the cX-
hanstlon Of the appropriation, and the
contractors were directed to clear the
tunnel of all refuse and deDrls. Settle
mcnt was made with them, including a
payment of s7s, 270.5i of the amount
that had up to that time been withheld
as retainer percentage. The tunnel
was then allowed to fill with water
thereby avoiding the expense Of pump
ing operations, and providing modcr-
ate test of the strength of lining al
ready constructed in resisting the out
ward pressure oil water
Immediately upon the passage Of the
General Deficiency bill, approved March
80, 1888, appropIinting S207, $50 for
the continuance of the work, the ncces-
sary measures for resuming operations
at once were inauguratod, The tunnel
was pumped out at once and additional
contracts we've entered into with tho
former contractors. 1t was clearly i'm
possible to comply with the requirement
of the act that the work should be com
plcted by November /, 1888, and il
was Judged better to go ahead without
the delay Of new advertising.