Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-14
THE MAMMOTH MAIN.
Progress Of the Work Of Increasing the
Water Supply.

A~oASso Va tuc "Ork Oh increasing tu0
Water Supply.
CUTTING THE OLD FoUR-FooT PIPE At FOURTH AND
srsErrs-How THE CONNECTION WILL BE
NApE-Eow THE MAIN WILL. BE LAID-oB-
srAcLEs IN THE WAY.
Heavy hammers are changing against steel
chisels that are slowly eating their way into
the old four-foot water main at the corner Of
4th and streets northwest They will go on
gnawing through the iron until, by tomorrow
night, they have bitten out a piece Of pipe
several feet in length. The hole thus made
will then be filed by an enormous "T' joint
that Will make the connection between the old
pipe and the new main that is to run from the
distributing reservoir and fill the city mains
with plenty of water.
This done the work of laying the new main
will begin IL earnest, and it will progress lust
as fast as the great five-ton tubes can be rolled
up to the brink Of the trench, lifted up by
derrick, and lowered into place seven feet be-
low the surface.
SQUARE DAY.
This work will be done by day labor, and
force Of thirty or forty men will probably be
employed in handling the pipe, calking and
leading it, and filling in the trench after this is
accomplished. Under favorable circumstances,
with the street clear Of Instructions under the
surface. square day is a good average. R
street Is fairly clear. but it has quite q number
OF small pipes in every square. The only
big obstacle on the plans that promises to
give any trouble is the Tiber sewer between
7th and Sth streets. 1t is not known yet just
how it will be avoided, but the main will prob
ably be dipped underneath. With such q big
pipe 1t is necessary to keep the trench open
from 200 to 500 feet ahead of the laying gang
hair hv
unforeseen distractions that require special
treatment such as rise or q dip in the pipe.
With smaller main these maneuvers can be
accomplished more easily but with four-foot
tube the operation of bending up or down from
the general level requires a start some distance
ahead of the obstacle.
As soon as the work is fairly started and the
'T' joint is inserted force Of seventy-ive or
eighty men will be put on the trench and it
VIII be dug ahead a square or two. At present
the digging extends only from 4th street to
New Jersey avenue.
THE PIPES
are now placed along R street as far as 14th,
and large quantity is also strung along the
Conduit road from the distributing reservoir.
There is sufficient supply on hand and in
place to prevent any delays when the the work
is started, as the remainder will undoubtedly
be here by the time it is needed. Every pipe
will be given final test with sledge-hammer
as 1t hangs over the trench. II there is the
slightest crack or flaw in it that has escaped
detection by the government inspectors at the
foundries or that has been caused by jarring in
transit will give out a tell-tale note to the ear
or the tester and the pipe will be swung back
rejected. The chances Of this event are very
small; however. Each pipe goes four inches
into the next one, fange making an almost
perfect joint that is further sealed by being
stuffed with jute and filed with lead.
MAMMOTH sprGor
There will be cutoff, or rather an enor-
nous spigot, in the main at the junction with
the old pipe to turn off the flow Of water at
any time in case of an accident This four-foot
main ON 4th street, on which the new one joins,
Is simply a feeder pipe or reservoir tube run
ming north from the 4-foot main on New jersey
avenue. When it is cut it will be shut off from
the main line by the stop at the corner of 4th
street and New Jersey avenue, so that the sup
ply of water that goes to the people ON Capitol
Hill through this New jersey avenue pipe will
not be interrupted in the least.
THE TRENCH
Will not be open at any one place after the
work is fairly under way for more than six
days. If the pipe were smaller, SO that the
two gangs could keep well together, this period
might be considerably lessened, but as it ia it
will be as short as possible. The dirt will be
thrown on the sidewalk side. the trench follow
AAS VIC nSi III SuI u vi II anu VI StreetS ana the
west curb on New Hampshire avenue As far
as IT can be done, at least half of the sidewalk
will be left clear, but the chances are that the
enormous quantity of earth necessary to
excavate will flow over to the near vicinity of
the fence line. In rainy weather this will
make the sidewalks very muddy and folks
along the line will undoubtedly be worried to
the last point of endurance, but when they
consider the value of the improvement that
causes this temporary inconvenience they will
probably be inclined to be forbearing.
COL. ELLIoTs REPORT FOR JULY.
Col Geo. H. Eliiots first monthly report of
operations as engineer in charge of the work Of
increasing the water supply of this city shows
that the work done in July cost S11, ,59902. He
relieved Col john NJ. Wilson of the work July
II. During the month 239 pieces of 4s-inch
pipe, Sc pieces of 30-inch pipe and 81 $40 pounds
OF special castings were received and hauled
to places along the line. On the Sd of July a
contract was entered into with Thos B. Coyle
OF this city for opening trenches, and on the
llth a contract was made with Clendenin Bros
Of Baltimore for furnishing the lead. The
tute required will be furnished by Rowland A.
Robbins of New York.
Three GAMING Appo3u<rau<.