Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-16
wAsBINGToN's WATER SUPPLY.
lite Condition Discussed In Gen. Cssey's An.
nual Report.

| Its Condition Discussed In Gen. Cssey's An
nuaI Report.
REPAIRS THAT WERE MADE DUNNO TIE LAST
/ FISCAL YEAR AND THOSE THAT ARE STILL
SEEDED-rBE RECEIVING RESERVOIRS CON-
pIrIoS-P IsHwAYs AT GREAT FALLS.
Gen Casey, chief Of engineers, U. 8. army,
has submitted his annual report to the Secretary
OF War. In reference to the winter supply of
Washington he says:
! The masonry dam at Great Falls Ia in good
condition Some Of the riprap back filling that
had been carried away by ice in the previous
fiscal year could not be replaced by reason Of
the inadequacy of the appropriation for
pTeseryation and repair and the pressure OF
more immediately important work. The feeder
al the head of the conduit at Great Falls has
/ been cleaned out several times during the year
/ The trunk mains that lead from the distributing
reservoir and supply the distributing system OF
mains tnat are under the care of the Coc1mis
! siOners of the District of Columbia are In ex-
/ ce1ent condition A break occurred In the
main in X street east, but 1t was not e1tensivs
and war repaired al small expense. No otk6r
serious leaks occurred durlng the year. An sx-
tension of the blow of IN ths 4o-inch main near
\ NJ street bridge was extended TO Rock creek by
means of 20-inch casi-iron pipe and the outlet
of the blovof on the 30-inch main at Foundry
branch was repaired
THE INTERIOR TIKI CONDUIT.
A serious leak OF from &c 900 to 40. 600 gallons
, day that existed for yeers near Cabin John
bridge has been stopped. and tie officer IN
charge, taking advantage Of the opportunity
presented BY the necessary emptyfng Of the
conduit for making the repair, made Q thor
ough ins pection % the whole length of the in
af tb.a. H,1rt Kali. To the
distributing reservoir the LIST of September
last. full account of the results Of il NAV be
found In his report. As was to have been ex-
pected large deposits Of silt aud sediment,
the accommodations Of nearly thirty years and
estimated az more than 1900 cubic yards,
were found in the conduit The masonry Of
the conduit: was generally found to be in ex-
cclient condition, but there are several cracks
in the conduit arch. As general rule these
were found whore the conduits we're built
high entertainments at the culverts and where
settlement doubtless took place soon after the
conduit was constructed. None OF the cracks
leak except one at culvert No. &c, and from
none of them il any present danger to the
conduit to be apprehended. They will be re-
paired as soon rs the conduit can be cleaned
out and money can be had for the purpose.
Considerable progress has been made in the
removal of the deposits, but "a the work, which
must be done while the water is cut of ut
Great Falls and the conduit Is emptied. is done
mainly at night II Is expensive and tedious
APPROPRIATIONS TOO SMALL
The annual appropriations for the msinte-
nance and repair of the aqueduct and the reser-
voirs, mains, roads. &c. connected with II are
small that the work of removing tho deposits
cannot be done without neglect of other neces-
sary work, and, even with this neglect. to finish
the work by means of these appropriation
would require many years. special estimate
of S14 900, which would enable the entire con-
dC:. to be cleaned out in one year, is included
in the estimates for the next fl-cal year.
Several times during the year when the water
on the dam at Great Falls low, and also
duriag the times the water from Great Falls
was cut off to enable the work of cleaning out
the conduit TO be carried on. it was found neces-
sary to reinforce the distributing reservoir by
the water of the receiving reservoir and the
three streams that flow into It.
The surveys and marking by monuments of
the boundaries of the aqueduct lands, both In
the District of Columbia and in Maryland, have
been continued.
THE CONDUIT MANHoLEs.
The conduit msnholes, sixty-six in number,
mainly under the Conduit road.
covered and their distances from reference
stones along the road we're measured for future
use when the manholes are opened for cleaning
out accumulation of deposits or for repairs Ii
was found that several Of the castings of the
udlluOleS De Td1ecu- NINE OF tQc Te1er-
ence stones that were missing have been re-
placed by new ones.
The work of erecting strong guard fences at
the high embankments on Conduit road
continued; 200 feet of these fences was built
in the fiscal year, making 7.i6i feet. or about
IL miles in all.
improvements were made in the approaches
to wastewers Nos. and 2 and in the means of
controlling the water at wastewefr No. 3. New
frames for the two waste gates set in the wall
under the weir we're built and leak that has
existed at wasteweir No. for several years was
stopped.
Repairs were made to the pavement of the
Conduit road. which made for the protec-
ton OF the conduit under the road at many
places, but the appropriation for preservation
and repair Is not sufficient to keep the entire
pavement in as thorough repair is desired.
The officer in charge suggests that this beauti-
ful drive, which Is, the major part OF II, beyond
the District line, is worthy of o special appro-
priation for its improvement and sdornment
b. soddiDg of the slopes, planting OF trees. &c,
but as this work is not strictly necessary for
the purposes of the a1ueduct he does not in
clude 1t among his annual estimates
he bridges are IN good condition with the
exception of the bridge over the spillway from
the receiving reservoir and the floors Of Grit
fifth Park and Cabin John bridges A new
bridge Of masonry Is required to replace the
old wooden bridge at the former place and
Griffith Park and Cabin John bridges should be
paved with granite blocks.
THE RECEIVING RESERVOIR.
The officer in charge renews his request for
an appropriation for the additional works re-
qUired for restoring to use the receiving reser-
voir for the double purpose of improving the
quality Of oCr Potomac water by relieving it Of
the muddiness that il has in winter and spring
and Of regaining the capacity for the storage Of
Potomac water that lost when this i'm
portant reservoir, which has n capacity of
about LIS, COG. 600 gallons. thrown out Of
service BIZ reason of the pollution by some
small streams that lead into IT.; for the further
improvement Of the quality of the Potomac
water by lowering the height of the cross dam
at the distributing reservoir; for the protection
of the inlet to :he aqueduct at Great Falls for
extending an important waste weir, which is
liable 20 be obstructed by the private owners
OF adjacent land; for cleaning out the dis
uibuting reservoir and for the purchase or
condemnation of a site for storage yard for
supplies for use in case of breaks in mains.
He also calls attention to the necessity Of
widening and deer ening the spillway from the
receiving reservoir; Of rebuilding the bridge
over this spillwsy; of repsving Griffith Park
and Cabin John bridges; of a storehouse at
Great Falls; of protecting the conduit at waste
xUafr s,f1 oil y