Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-05
DISTRICT AFFAIRS.
An Expert Discusses the Proposed
Tunnel Experiment.
THE PLANS and ESTIMATED COST
All the Commissioners Favorable
to Making Use Of the Tunnel.
MANY DISTRICT ITEMS.

w "s0N"'S Wv VI u'O 'ui"'O'
MANY DISTRICT ITEMS.
There is a strong disposition at the District
building to push the scheme proposed by
Capt. Powell relative to the use Of the
Lydecker tunnel, and there is little doubt
that Congress will be called upon to appro-
pirate money enough to enable the engineer
department to conduct a thorough test to
determine its availability in whole or in
part. Both Of the civil Commissioners have
expressed themselves as being heartily in
| favor Of the plan. and 1t is understood that
the Commissioners will embody recon-
mendation to Congress on this subject in
their annual report.
Capt. Powell was reading the report to
Congress on the feasibility of completing
the tunnel when a reporter of The Star
called his attention to the article in yes
terday's Star.
Capt. Powell Talks.
Il read with considerable interest the re-
port OF my proposition in The Star. and can
only say further that it was correct. 1t
may be Of interest, however, to the read
| ers of your paper to know that the engi-
neer department depending upon the sup
port OF the civil Commissioners will do its
utmost TO bring about test which will de-
termine the feasibility or non-feasibility
Of utilizing the tunnel Several days ago,
| l was Informed that more than half of the
tunnel could be used with a very slight
outlay or money. If this is so, it may pay
70 use that part or all. AS you printed yes
| terday, the water service of Washington
needs attention. The supply at present is
not more than equal to the demand and the
Sonrnuea increase In population will seri-
laid the 48-inch main 1t was believed that
l the water supply would be sufficient for
several years to come
The continued tapping, made necessary by
| the cry OF the people for water for both
sanitary and drinking purposes, has re-
duced It's usefulness more than so per cent
| W men the main was laid no one dreamed
or supplying Anacostia from 1t, vet we
nave been forced to do So At present
Col: Elliot Is conducting an Investigation
or the upper or Dalecarlia reservoir. AS II
rs nov ttS .ne reservoir cannot be used, owing
| 10 It's pollution by the sewage from the
| surrounding country. 1t is proposed, /
| believe. to reclaim this reservoir by the
CONSTRUCTION Of canals and sewers to inter
that section. II this is Accomplished tho
| benefit to be derived will be great. This
upper reservoir will then not only be a
great reinforcement to the present supply,
put IL VIII give the water a chance to settle
| before passing into the distributing reser-
Voir and thereby increase the clearness of
| the water
| Four Mains ON the Canal
| AT the present time the canal road is &C.
| cupied by four MAINS namely a tweIve-inch
thirty-inch. thirty-sixInch and forty-eieht
| inch main. The water comes directly from
| the Potomac. and when 1t arrives at the
distributing reservoir, there is a supply of
1--WE days on hand. With this new reservoir
| IN service, the amount of water on hand will
just about be doubled Returning to the
general proposition now, concerning the fun
mel, would say that should Congress- an
| propriate funds sufficient to conduct an in
vestigation, we would be ready to Commence
| at once. First of all, the tunnel would he
subjected to careful study, and this would
determine the need for the expenditure of
the FUNDS for test. 1t is a matter of rec
ord that there is VIGOROUSLY bad work in the
tunnel. The investigations would determine
whether 1t had suffered any serious ieterior-
alton through the lapse of time and whether
the bad rock through which the tunnel was
run had decayed any. In short the inyesti-
cation would be thorough before any ex
pense was incurred. If, after an examina
| ton OF the tunnel, 1t is found that one half
OF 1t can be utilized. II might be a good plan
to throw a dam up at one end and AT sever
al points along its length sink mains The
tunnel being considerably lower than the
reservoir would consequently fill and the
pressure OF water would be sufficient to
make good head all along the line.
zen. Cnsey's Report.
ut might be of interest to readers of The
Star to give brief outline of Gen. Casev's
report to Congress. Under date of jam.
airy Is, 1892, the Senate passed a resolution
directing the Secretary of War to report to
the Senate upon the feasibility of complet
Ing the tunnel together with the estimated
cost thereof; also the practicability of plac-
Ing Iron pipes in the tunnel sufficient To
| carry the necessary water supply to the
new reservoir and the cost thereof In that
report 1t was stated that it would cost
S9OO,OOO to put the reservoir into good con-
dition. and even then the dangers would
still be great"
Dangers Referred to.
The dangers which the captain referred
to are set forth fully in the report referred
to, and are as follows:
THE danger of percolation of water
through the lining outward, causing a
greater or less loss of supply at the dis
tributing reservoir.
The consequent danger of injury to prop
erty from the constant carrying of water
outward into the surrounding rocks, full of
nssures seams and of soft and decomposing
material, and emerging somewhere in the
city.
LAS thought by some members Of the
committee, the danger when there may be
pressure from accidents or the emptying of
the reservoirs, or at points where the ordi-
nary pressure is less. of the water in the
ground and surrounding rocks mixing with
the water from the surrounding rocks and
polluting it.
The extreme difficulty of repair in case
of accident and the extreme difficulty of
cleaning the tunnel and removing any sed-
iment which in the long run is likely to
accumulate in it."
1.-The first and second objections relate to
the percolation of water outwards through
the lining, and its appearance upon and near
the surface of the ground; the consequent
uting reservoir and damage to adjacent
property. 1t is evident from the report of
the board of experts that no masonry lining
can be constructed In this tunnel that will
be water-tight, subjected as 1t will be to
large hydraulic pressure Indeed 1t is not
known that any such quality was ant!ci-
pated for the lining. Its object was to hold
-. Az IN a. 4, IN an- - n -