Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-17

more Importance. have not included il in the
ESTIMATES Tor the next fscal year"
In regard TO the project Of raising the height
OF the dam at the falls ne saws. ..Tbi. ,
work that =. s,n so0n have % be done. bat y q
Ohio canal Is repaired and again put in opera
ton, 90 thatue can get the required stone iron
The government quarry at Seneca, do not ia
clude an estimate for il"
AcHASeE N rHE Law Sstpsp.
Col Elliot calls attention 10 the necessity Of
a change in the Law respecting The ayailahilisy
Of appropriations in view Of the constant dan
ger Of accidents 10 the system of water mains.
De says; appropriations for the aqueduct
are now for the fiscal year and their availability
terminates June 30. Whenever they are de-
layed there is liable 90 be time in the
early part OF every other year. during
which, should break occur in
main either IN the city in the country
tins side OF the distributing reservoir. or in
the conduit. or at the reservoir. or at Great
rails. there Is no money available for repairs.
do no; know Of any appropriations that more
require to be made available until expended
than those for the Washington Aqueduct
HISTORY Oh TIA sS-IScH s1AIS.
One OF the most interesting chapters Of Dol.
Ellot's report is the history Of the WORK Of lay
ing the is-inoh aud other mains in the city.
The colonel shows how not only WAS the orici-
nal project csrried out Of laying about four
miles OF tour-toot man. with a short system Of
smaller pipes. for the sum Of s575. 600 which
was appropriated by the act 81 March g. 1882
but there was laid quite much more of thirty
andtwcnty -four-lnch mains -agerogating q eos
ieet-and there Is now available Of the appro-
priatioa the sum Of $40. ga. to be turned into
the treasury. Thus. the original fund has suf-
heed TO lay 1925 feet OF pipe. with a balance.
instead Of about 70 0U0 without any
margin. Col Ellio; states that bids were
opened June !. 1881. for q system Of
hshways In the Potomac the first 10 be erected
at Great Falls, plans having been pre-
pared 10y the fish commissioner under the
provisions Of a recent act.
There was but one bidder, Isaac H. Haths-
way OF Philadelphia. and TO him has beep
awarded the contract, TO be completed BY No
rember II. 1891. This work will cost Ia ne
neiglborhood OF $4,000.
THE ABANDONED TUNNEL
Nothing was done 20 the abandoned aous-
duct tunnel during the year beyond certain
steps that were taken to protect the shAfsS-
The timber lining of the Foundry branch
shaft, which had become decayed gave way Last
faIi. says Col Elliot, during a rainy persod,
10 depth Of about thirty feet below the snr-
face oil the ground, or to a point where the
snait entered the rock, aud the broken timber
and supported earth fell to the bottom Of The
shaft. Milling II 10 an unknown depth.
lhe falling OF the lining at this shaft led 20
an examination of all the other shafts. e,ccpt
at Rock creek. and 1t vas found that the upper
part OF the lining Of each of them SHOULD be
renewed for the purpose Of prevent
ing damage to the shafts as mt
Foundry branch. Rock creek shaft 10
and has been for n long time filed with water,
80 that II If probable that the timbering in ls
has not oecayed.
THE LINING OF THE SHAFTS.
The work of renewing the lining. which
could not be done in winter when the ground
around the shafts was saturated with water ON
account Of the danger of slips. was
begun IN March. and has been
prosecuted as fast as the weather
would allow till the end Of the fisc Al wear when
the Inning OF the Foundry branch shaft had
been completed and the one at Champiaip ave-
nue. nearly SO. The work consisted in making
an entirely new lining of the best quaiity Of
Georgia pine, either from the surface of the
rock or from the top of the brick lining, shst
had been carried at the west shaft near
the distributing reservoir TO depth Of about
ten feet and at the Howard University shaft to
depth of twenty-three feet below the surface.
TIE wATcHMANs DUTIES.
"A Waterman has been employed during the
year at the new reservoir, and, IL being found
that the piles of stone at the mouths Of the
shafts. which have market valu, and should
he reserved for the United States and the DE-
tricI OF Columbia Tor the repairs Of roads was
being deprecated upon by contractors for
private work, his duties have Included the
guarding of the stone at the mouths VI all the
shafts except the at Foundry branch,
which Is under the care of tho watehman Ct
the distributing reservoir"