Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-19
A Flushing Reservoir Needed.


To the Editor Of THE EVENING stan:
am very much in favor of the Rock creek
park and Of the tunnel over Rock creek from
Lyons mill, south to the Potomac; but both
these propositions would, in my opinion, have
q better prospect Of accomplishment if they
we're coupled with another improvement which
must in time be accomplished, as it touches the
general health Of the city. Perhaps this i'm
prOvement speak of may not come now; it
may wait until the city is visited by an cpl
dsmic which will be traced to its neglect; but
1t will come, and do not believe it can be &C.
eomplished as well in any other way as sug-
gested below.
Let any one visit the present mouth of the
large sewer known as the B-street sewer,
emptying into the flats near the foot of 18th
street, and note the stagnant condition of
things there, the general level of the river, the
level OF the sewer. and the level of the street
under which the large sewer runs. He will
see that 1t Is impossible that this sewer can be
effective, that 1t must have been slowly filling
up since it was made. and that the time viii
come when it will hold no more Il will also
occur to him, II he is there at low tide that If
strong current Of water were run through it
at that time the sewage would all be run off
into the river. The same things will be re-
marked at the outlet of the Tiber-creek sewer.
On Rock Creek, where it runs between the
tracts marked on the map as ..French's heirs"
and H. walbridge," there il q fat, covering
on both sides perhaps IS or 80 acres which
could be made into q reservoir by damming the
creek just below, at the point where the Adams
miil-dam was. Here the valley becomes yery
narrow, and the reservoir thus made would
probably hold all the water that comes down
the creek In week, but should only use it
ordinarily to hold the water for twelve hours
Letting 1t out in about three or more hours Of
that twelve at low tide, through o tunnel run
ming to Boundary street. about 18th street. and
then branching east and west into the head Of
each sewer which runs 10 the north side of the
city: The excess capacity Of the reservoir
could be used to hold the water during freshets
II would then follow that the proposed
tunnel over Rock creek need be only a COM
paratively small affair, Just large enough to
ease tie reservoir during the large freshets
At these times the flushing tunnel might also
be used longer period each twelve hours.
This tunnel over Rock creek, the dam and res
ervoir, and the tunnel to the head of the
sewers, would cost less than the proposed tun-
mel from Lyons mill to the Potomac and ali
the fountains now in the city land MANY more)
could be kept running from the reservoir ali
Day making II . city Of fountains and the
sewerage system become a. nearly perfect A
any in the world.
=, a reservation would necessarily be made st
the reservoir. and Q narrow park running mn
the creek for several miles would easily follow.
II 10 not claimed that this scheme for flush
ing reservoir 10 original with me, but it seems
to me reasonable and good, and that this Is the
proper time to Call the attention Of the public
70 IL, because 1t ought to be considered with
the other two propositions mentioned.
W. G. Hull.