Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-15
Important Recommendations Made
in Captain Derby's Report.
INCREASING TIE WATER SUPPLY.
Urging the Completion Of the
Sewer System,
THE CITY POORLY LIGHTED.

| the Engineer Commissioner in charge of the
departments of water, light and sewers,
made his first annual report to Engineer
Commissioner Powell today. He takes
casion to again urge strongly that pro-
vision be made for carrying out the plans
for sewering the city made by the board of
sanitary experts. He also recommends that
some means be adopted for increasing the
water supply, and urges an appropriation
which will enable the Commissioners to
improve the lighting of the city.
An account is given of the improvements
made during the year in the high service
water system. To carry out the purposes of
the act Of June IA. 1892, providing for the
extension Of the high service system a site
has been purchased for a pumping station
near the distributing reservoir above
Georgetown. Surveys and examinations
have been made and a project for begin
mig the work has been submitted and has
received the approval of the Engineer Com
missioner. 1t is estimated that the neces-
sary land, buildings, pumps, mains and
reservoirs that will be required to make
up the high service system will cost in the
near future about 100000. 1t has been de-
cided to expend the $205, SO now available
the highest point in the District, installing
a new pump at the U street pumping sta
ton and laying mains to supply various
districts.
To Increase the Water Supply.
The report calls attention to the fact that
with the rapid increase in the development
of the distributing system the large supply
mains have been overtaXed and the service
In many places is inadequate.
In my judgment" Capt Derby says
steps toward securing an increase in ire
water supply are urgently needed There
Is not only necessity for additions means
or bringing water from the distribL ting
reservoir to the city. but also for an in
! crease in the supply to the reservoir; as
stated In the annual report of the chief of
| engineers for 1881, this icreased supply can
be obtained by raising the dam at Great
Falls at an expense of sl02,691. L would
| recommend that appropriation for this work
De added to the estimates, even if the cost
or II must be met from the annual reye-
nues, though it would be still better If this
cost could be provided from the unexpended
balance of the credit of the increase of the
water supply, provided for in the act of
July 10, 1892
Only fourteen new meters have been put
IN during the year. Capt Derby recon-
mends that all manufacturing establish
ments, hotels and livery stables be required
to use them.
In giving an account of the work of the
sewer department the report expresses APP
proval of the bill now pending in Congress
/ providing means for carrying into effect
section l9 of the act of June IL, 1873, which
requires that sewers, water mains and con-
nections Herewith shall be laid before the
]
/ the fact that the sewer constructed by
hired labor has cost somewhat less than
contract work, and is on the whole of better
quality. A statement is made of the efforts
of the office to break up the combination
| among bidders for sewer work, which re-
suited in the purchase of materials during
the year at a considerable saving.
Bond Issue Proposed.
| In referring to the estimates for the sewer
department for the next fiscal year, includ-
] t,,.r cna
completing the system of sewage disposal
and protection against floods. designed by
the board of sanitary engineers in 1891. the
report says:
I'm submitting these estimates for the
sewer department for the coming year"
says the report, II am aware that il is
manifestly not practicable to supply these
| funds from the annual revenue of the Dis
| trict: nor, in my judgment. is II desirable to
! do so. / believe that the District should
provide its half OF the necessary funds for
| the last two items 0he work of carrying out
/ the sewer project by borrowing the money
| on sewer bonds.
THE board of sanitary engineers of 1881
made a most exhaustive study of the re-
QuirementS of the District for sewage dis
posal and flood protection and submitted an
| admirable report, recommending a project
estimated to cost 3. 600 which must be
! increased to about $4.5OOO0O on account of
/ the eight-hour law, passed since the esti-
| mate was made, and to provide for certain
!
were not included in the estimate.
| Congress has expressed its approval of
| this plan by appropriating the sum of s90.-
| 900 to begin the work. and this Is probably
| about much as can we'll be spared from
| the annual revenues.
But at the rate of $50 900 a year. IT will
/ take fifty years to complete the work. Now
| / submit that this is absolutely impossible;
! we may stave off the construction of the
necessary work one year. two years. or
| I'VE years. at the risk of an epidemic and
of having all the low district of the city
! Hooded again as ii was in 1889: but il re-
/ quires no other argument than single
| visit to the James creek canal Corner of
South Capitol and @ streets, or to the head
/ of the 18th street outlet canal Q1th street
/ and Virginia avenue. to convince the most
/ skeptical that it is absolutely impossible to
! continue to maintain these open cesspools,
miles in eXtent,in the heart of this growing
! city, for any such period fifty years: and
| we must bear in mind that in all the long
| chain of works that the project of III,
| board of sanitary engineers provides for
! the closure of these two open drains is By
| force of circumstances the very last link
| Finally, an economic question il should
/ be observed that the work can not be con-
| structed piece meal for the same amount
of money that would build it, If made avail
able so as to admit of the work being un-
| dertaken in the most advantageous man.
ner; and the circumstances of the problem
| are such that the required works constitute
! one vast plant that cannot be put in opera
/ ton till all its parts are ready: ali the
money invested in Ii must lie idle until the
/ whole has been completed
! No corpora ton could afford to invest four
and half millions in annual instalments
and get no return on the investment for
| fifty years
Street Lighting.
In reference to street lighting Capt Derby
says the streets of this city are difficult
to light owing to the great number of
streets planed on the curb line. Expert
ments are in progress looking to q change
in the type of lamp posts and lanterns to
obviate this difficulty as far as possible
An increase of si1 coo is asked in the appro-
priation for street lighting because 1T is not
believed that the existing service is salts
factory. Nearly all of the streets are but
dimly lighted. Many of them are not light
ed at all, many thickly inhabited alleys are
entirely without light, and it is generally
believed that it is high time the street light
ing department was free from it's precari-
Gus partnership with the moon.