Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-16

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gratitude to the man who
IS&s<~-s died two weeks ago to-
oSS2N day. Gen. Montgomery
Cunningham Meigs. This energetic and ac-
complished officer made the first survey for a
system of water supply for the city of Wash
ington and to his sagacity and skill are due, to
great measure, the present efficiency Of the
supply and the absence Of danger that the city
will ever suffer from the prospects of a famine
In that great necessity of life. the combination
of oxygen and hydrogen that is Used for so
many purposes in this nineteenth century civili-
cation
"Geu. Meigs regarded the aqueduc. with a
greater fondness, said Col Elliot of the corps
OF engineers. who now has charge Of the water
supply, TO STAR reporter the other day.
than anything else he ever did. He took tine
greatest pride in it and has often asked me
tenderly concerning the works and the plans
for their enlargement 1t was his first import
ant duty and the great success OF his early
career He was given what was really the most
important problem of modern municipal ex-
istence to sOlve-the provision of an adequate
supply OF pure water to what promised to be-
come the grandest city in the world.
His solution was beyond expectation and
worthy of admiration beyond the limits Of
time. At the present day the work that he
did is as good as ever and the future additions
to II are beyond calculation. There were three
possible pans 10 aCOpt anu AZ IS 10 the great
credit of the young officer that ne chose that
which promised not only the best service fo-
the present out the most certain supply for
the future and at the same time presented
difficulties of an enormous character.
ii consider Gen. Meigs' suggestions, made at
the time Of his survey, being the best that
could be made. and L think that Washington
owes his memoir debt OF gratitude for the
mastery way IN which he accomplished the
dIfncult duty assigned to him. He needs TO
"a city for he SuDf,ly il
d greater monument than man could erect"
The BEGIySISG OF THE PROJECT.
The problem of an adequate supply of water
for the city CT Washington had seemed vision
arr for many years. but the light came when
Congress referred the matter to the President
who referred 1t to the War Department. 4
triple project for this purpose recon-
mended By Lieut. MeiGs Of the engineer corps
one for a dam across Rock creek. above the
city. and the construction of brick conduit TO
the mains: another Tor higher dam at Little
Fails than that already there for the canal and
the establishment of a reservoir and pumping
system to give the water the right level; AMI the
third a dam across the river at Great Falls. two
reservoirs, brick conduit and necessary
bridges
The last named project was adopted and the
provisions carried out almost to the letter
The main change was recommended by Meigs
himself III the substitution of a nine-foot con-
dult for one Of seven feet IN diameter. Today
the aqueduct system as 1t stands. not counting
the mains that bring the supply into the city
from the distributing reservoir, Is the same as
it built under the direction of Neigs
planned by him and built b. him. The changes
that have been made in his original designs are
of small moment and there is practically no
difference
Lieut. and Capt. Meigs was in charge Of the
work from the time OF the first survey, Novem-
Der 2, 1852. TO July IL, 1850. when he was re-
leved by Capt II. W. Benham OF the same
corps, who served until the following Deem
Der. when Lieut. James ST. c. Morton, engineer
corps, was placed in charge. lie remained on
the work for two months, and on February %,
1861, after an absence of seven months, Capt.
Melss was again place il charge and the work
was practically comp-s'-d by him. In June
1852 there was leyslati TO the effect OF trans
ferring the work from the overcr9wded War
Department to the Department OF the Interior
and II there remained until April. 1861. There
were three various Offcers-eivll engineers
IN charge during this period, Messrs. VIM. r.
Hutton. Silas SemOar and Iheo. Il. Samo
On the 18th OF April. 1857. Maj. Nathaniel
Nichler, engineer eOrys. relieved Mr. Samo
and then the officers followed each other in
this order: Mai. Geo. H. Elliot. November
$50; Maj Orville L. Babcoek. October, 1911;
Lieut. Col. Thos. l. Casey, March 3. 1877; Mai
Garrett j. Lydecker, August. 1852: Lieut.. Col
John VI. Wilson, Mach, 1889, and Lieut. Col
Geo. h. Eliio', July, 1oo9
ABY-C ISDUrr.
In 1868 there was a ID conduit constructed
around the upper reservoir that the water
could be brouyh: directly from the falls to the
distributing reservoir but this was used only
occasionally until lsoj. when it was found that
the upper reservoir was being contaminated
soraewha. by the waters of Little Fails branch
and the dow was permanently shut of from the
basin and sent as now, straight into the lower
reservoir.
glance at the following abstract Of the
original project oil afford a thorough under
standing of the work as planned. and therefore
with the exceptions noted, the work as 1t stands
today.
Before passing to a consideration of the re-
port containing this project II may be interest
ing to note that the act of June 10 1860 ap-
propriating half a million dollars for the con
Gnuance OF the work, nearly vetoed by
President buchanan because of the clause con-
tanned IN II Ito be expended under the super
intendence OF Capt. Meigs." He compromised
however, by approving the bill with a protest
against what he termed an assumption of his
privileges by Congress.
There are few public documents IN the files
OF the government as interesting as the mes
sage sent 10 Congress By President Willard
Fillmore on the I'D OF February 1883 1t
communicated in compliance with a resolu-
ZION OF the senate. a report OF Lieut.. Meigs.
with surveys, plans AMI estimates for supply
ing the ci,ies OF Georgetown and Washing
ton with water This document NAV lie termed
the star Of promise. announcing tine birth Of
Washlngtons water supply. IL was the first
step OF practical sort shat had ever been
taken in the direction Of sCperscdiny the old
plaa Of obtaining water from wells springs
aud cisterns BY more modern system OF a
general store Of water from an Gncontaminated
source and its distribution into houses by
pipes.
FIRST STEPS N The WORK.
According to the report the first step in this
work WA taken by President FILLMORE, who, in
iartar n tha Mar DaD then nnIar tba
charge OF Secretary Conrad, dated September
-, 1852. committed to the department the duty
Of making the necessary surveys, &c. for the
best manner Of afording to the cities of WASH
iRgton and Georgetown an unfaiiing and album