Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-22


II will really not be very long before the
water is let into the new four-foot main that
is now being laid over distance of FIVE mules
from the distributing reservoir to the extreme
eastern part Of the city. People have waited
30 long. and sometimes 40 impatiently, for this
ch-needed increase in their water supply
that they are almost tired, perhaps, Of being
told that tine water will soon be let into the
main. but this time there is no doubt of it, for
the work is now so visibly near completion
that all who have eyes can see for themselves
tina. the much-desired time is near at hand.
CONDITION OF THE WORK.
The condition Of the work is about as fol-
lows, Col Eliot described it to STAR re-
porter the other day: OF the five miles Of pipe
necessary to connect the reservoir with the
eastern end of East Capitol street there is now
under ground all but about 1000 feet OF the
4S-inch main, all of which is on the western
side OF Rock creek. The East Capitol street
msin-30 inches in diameter-has been under
ground for some time, as well as all of the As
inch main In this city proper. The gates at the
reservoir to make the connections with the
main have been completed and will in few
DAYS be covered up. The pipe is laid on the
Conduit road and on q part of the canal road.
1t is here, however, that there has been the
greatest delay and bother and that the largest
piece Of unfinished main is to be found, be-
tween the Aqueduct bridge and College pond,
o distance OF about 400 feet.
DISTRACTIONS MET IN GEORGETOWN.
Then. in Georgetown. just the other side of
the NJ street bridge, there is a section less than
LOCO feet long that remains to be put under
ground. At this point there has been discov-
cred a large brick sewer. fully four feet in
diameter. running diagonally across the line of
the street and which was not to be found on
any of the diagrams. 1t is. unfortunately, Just
in the place where il is intended to sink a gate
in the main, and consequently it has been found
necessary to cut it off and, by making it smaller
in the section that passes under the pipe, give
a firm foundation for the huge tube of iron
that is to be placed over ii. At this point is
another hindrance, in the shape Of the first
water main laid by Gen. Meigs. IL inches in
diameter. AS it is the service pipe for
the street it is a risky thing TO remove it, but
something will have to be done. and the old
pipe will probably be cut of at this point and
the service taken from the big main. At the
place where the old pipe makes its appearance
1t Is fully twenty feet under ground, on ac-
count of the dip that is necessary for the water
pipes to take in order to reach the bottom of
tire buttresses Of the bridge by which they are
carried to the city. This, of course, takes it
far beneath the new main, and in that position
IL would be a constant menace to the security
OF the latter. II it were kept in its present
position there would be an ever-present dam
ger that IL would spring aleak and thus wash
out the foundations of tue large main, causing
1t In turn to break and food the streets.
THE BRIDGE AT ROCK CREEK.
The bridge for the transfer of the main
across Rock creek a. NJ street has been COM
pleted for some time. 1t is beautiful struc-
ture so Col. Eliot SAYS and it will stand all the
strain that can possibly be put upon it. Its
great advantage over such affairs generally is
in the fact that it does not rest on the old
structure over which the traffic passes at all,
but Is entirely separate. This will avoid the
danger that there has always been in allowing
heavy teams to cross the avenue bridge, where
the two mains ARE rigidly fastened to the Frame
work of the bridge. 1t has a great strength,
both for the pressure that comes from the
weight of the main itself and for the strain that
will be exerted when the wind blows hard from
the northern regions.
MANY MINOR MATTERS.
There are innumerable little things vet to be
done. such as the replacing Of the portion of
the dam a. the reservoir that was removed for
the purpose of making the connection with the
gate chamber and the setting of the large num-
Der of small valves on different portions of the
line for the purpose of providing for the shut
ting on and of of the water. This will be
quite an operation, involving considerable dan
ger and requiring great deal OF delicacy.
When the water is to be let on it must be re-
membered that the pipe is full of air, and so
before the water can be allowed to rush
through the tube there must be some way Of
getting that air out. otherwise the pressure
would become so great that the main would
burst. In order to accomplish this there are
provided at all the high points along the line
air valves, which serve to let the air
out as the water comes rushing, push
ing. grinding along. Then. too, the water
must be let IN at a slow enough rate to make
the pressure uniform at all points instead of
coming suddenly at one point. There is an
other kind OF air valve called the vacuum
valve. This is intended to provide for the let
ting in of the air when the pipe is emptied,
the process being just the reverse of the other
Then there are "blow-offs," which are holes
and valves in the man at tine low points to let
the water OF in these operations. In addition
to all these things there are a great many con-
nectlons to be made with the existing mains
aud host OF details that are incident to the
closing up Of such a large work.
PERHAPS IN SIX WEEKS
In view of the extreme uncertainty OF the
weather chances Col Eliot hesitates about
making any promises that contain date for
the final opening of the main. He SAYS that
unless the weather be exceptionally bad he
will be able to turn the water on from the
reservoir within SIX weeks. but he does not
state that a fact To all inquiries on the
subject he says, joknngly, that he hopes to hear
the water running inside of the pipes by the
lst Of July.
LEAKS MAY BE POUND.
But after the water is turned on there NAV
be some delays, although every effort will be
made to avoid them. Their most probable
cause would be the leaks that are likely to be
found in the main. IL would be little short of
miraculous if in all OF the two thousand Joints
that have been made in the five miles Of pipe
there should not be leak In view OF this
danger the earth over the trenches will not be
disturbed for some time after the water has
been turned on. The ground will be carefully
gone over frequently and scanned closely to
detect the FIRST signs of a leak, which would be-
come apparent almost Immediately through the
water that would find its way to the surface.
OF course it is the desire of the engineers to
avoid the necessity OF shutting OF the water
unless II Is found to be absolutely imperative
for the operation is SO dangerous and the
Inconvenience to the people is so great that If
possible water main is never emptied
CASUALTIES.
But the work on the tube has, though very
successful, been attended with some pain
ful accidents and -has been the cause of the
death of one laborer. He was working at the
crank of the great derrick on the bad place on
the canal road-his name was George W. But
Ter, white msn-doing his part well and care
fully, when the enormous machine slipped
from its muddy foundation and, falling, struck
him to the earth, killing him instantly. He
ieft wife and some small children, who are
perfectly destitute. Col Eliot thinks that this
case should form an example Of the great need
II To- -.