Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-22
THE AVENUE MUST BE RAISED.
The Causes of Floods in Washington, and
the Remedy Proposed.


FILL THE BASIN IN WHICH PENNSYLVANIA AVE-
NUE. LIES TO AN ELEVATION BEYOND THE REAcH
OF FLOODS, AND BUILD A sEA-wAIx. ALONG TIE
EDGE OF THE RECLAIMED FLATS.
| To the Editor Of TEE EVENING star.
In . communication on ''The Future OF
Washington" published in TIE STAR the 18th
of last February, stated, in taking ga forward
look" to the twenty-frst century, that among
other good things I could see in store for
Washington was 'Pennsylvania avenue raised
above the reach of foods" I did not then
think we would be SO soon, and so forcibly,
made to see, by experience, the necessity for
the immediate accomplishment Of this great
work. While the damage (not less than
81, 000, 000) and inconvenience this District
has suffered in consequence of the late food is
fresh in the minds of the people, would it not
be well to consider the case and try TO find out
a remedy for this bad condition Of things? No
doubt Pennsylvania avenue and streets of no
more elevation would have been flooded to
some extent if there were no distractions in
the river but that Long bridge and its cause
way, and the embankment placed in the river
turned much larger quantity of water into
the city than otherwise would have come, must
be admitted.
Nature knows about how much space she re-
quires to convey her water from her mountains
to the sea, and when interfered with manages
to find room, even though it be through the
streets of cities She needs no advice from
any one. and when let alone generally provides
an outlet Of sufficient dimensions for her
wants. The trouble is that people settle on
low grounds adjacent to rivers without making
provisions for floods. We see this in the loca-
ton Of our national capital. In ancient times
there was a frog pond where the Center mar
a W hov NTH
who caught fish in that pond one hundred
years ago. Our fathers, who do not seem to
have been very well posted on the subject Of
drainage, built capitol on one end of this
pond and an executive mansion on the other.
Then, instead Of filing up the pond and estab-
fishing grade above the reach of foods, they
sent over to Holland, where the people make
dikes and floods specially, and borrowed
money to pay the expense Of draining the
pond. They built a canal 80 feet wide from
the Potomac at 18th street, extending along
what is now B street draining the aforesaid
pond), and finding its outlet in the Eastern
Branch near the Navy Yard This worked
tolerably well while the canal was kept in a
navigable condition, and until
LONG BRIDGE AND ITS cAUsEwAY
were built. Then our troubles commenced
The upper Potomac and Shenandoah have made
us lively visit about every year, and have had
a grand wrestle with tide, water and ice in
front of our city. The Potomac has brought
down about 10000 tons of earth annually,
which it has deposited between Georgetown
and Mount Vernon. A portion Of this earth
found its way into the old canal, gradually FILL
ing it up, 30 that forty years ago it became un-
navigable. Then for twenty years il became
the receptacle for dead animals, old tin cans,
broken bottles, discarded hoop-skirts &C., &C..
until finally during the administration Of
Mayor Emery an appropriation of $4,000 was
made to clean it out and make it navigable.
Then came the board Of public works. and
commenced filling where but a few days before
the contractor was making excavations.
This was all well enough had they carried
the work of filling to it's logical results by rails
ing the whole region between 18th street and
the gates Of the capitol to a height of 20 feet
above ide water. But they stopped lust
where the most needed work should have COM
menced, and the result has been inundation Of
our principal business streets ever since.
THE NEXT BAD MOVE
was to reverse things by building level sewer
on the bed of the old canal, from 17th street to
18th street, to carry of the city drainage in
just the opposite direction from that which it
flowed through the canal. The result has been
that this level sewer running against the cur
rent in the river has acted as q conduit to
bring water into our streets through its traps
and man-holes during every food since. Then
followed the building of an embankment by
at the south end of Long bridge, which had
previously furnished an outlet for large guam
titles Of water in time Of floods.
Suppose the same amount of water that fell
last week were to come in February, with ice
a foot thick on the river and snow a foot thick
in the mountains, and the food were to reach
us about midnight. piling ice 80 feet high
against the Long bridge and on the fats, what
would be our condition? Would not the whole
Potomac river come rolling in upon us? Penn
sylvania avenue instead of being two feet under
water would have 20 feet of water upon it.
Houses would be swept away and SO 900 people
residing on the low grounds would be drowned
out. This is no idle speculation. It is Just
what will come sooner or later if proper meas
ures are not promptly taken to guard against it.
There are but few people who seem to be
aware that Pennsylvania avenue is 20 feet lower
than MARYLAND avenue the most of the way
between A. and 18th streets west, but such is
the fact. The elevation at the intersection of
Virginia and Maryland avenues and 9Th street
southwest is 80 feet, and at the intersection of
those avenues and 18th street southwest it is
SOP, while at 9th and Pennsylvania avenue
northwest it is 1000, and at It'll street it is 90
At 7th and Market Space, opposite Saks' store,
it is IA. 10 at 7th and ID, 10; 7th and E, 49, or:
18th and T, 42.s5. This proves that Pennsylva-
mia avenue, from the Capitol gate to 18th street
west, is great basin or ditch, through which,
II kept at its present grade, the Potomac is
bound to How whenever there is great food
THE REMEDY.
This is the situation, now what is the remedy?
There surely must be one and there would seem
to be but one, and that is to raise Pennsylvania
avenue and other low streets and grounds
high enough to be above the reach of floods.
The city could be protected from overflow by a
high sea wall along the Georgetown channel,
but that would not prevent the water from
reaching the streets through the sewers il kept
at the present grade. This is a big Job and a
disagreeable one to think Of but it il a lob that
Is necessary to be done, and what is necessary
to be done can be done and should be done.
This generation should not longer ''let dare
not wait upon would, " but take hold and do
the work at once. There is not store on the
avenue that would not be worth enough more
than its present value than what it would cost
to raise ii to proper grade.
But the cost of this great work should not
fall upon the people of the District The gov
eminent should pay the entire cost of raising
the grade, leaving the property-owners to paw
the cost OF raising their buildings. This would
not be so big job after all. With the aid of
modern machinery it could soon be accom-
plished. Railroad tracks leading to gravel
banks in the country, and steam-shovels would
soon do the grading, while jack-screws, ma
brains and energy that raised the roof of the
great Center market 40 feet, and then con-
structed under it the finest cold storage system
in the world, without any interruption TO BUSH
ness, would soon find way to do this necessary
work, which would be light in comparison with
what Chicago, London, or Liverpool have done.
lAs j. 4