Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-08
ENGINEERING PROBLEMS
Applicants for Degrees Explain Their
Plans to Experts.
They Successfully Reply to Interrogn-
tories and Defend Their
Positions.

An audience of interested people gathered
in University Hall. at the corner of 18th
and H streets, last evening to hear the
three members of the Corcoran Scientific
School, Columbian University, who were
applicants for the degree of civil engineer
read their theses which they had prepared
and defend them from the criticism of ex-
perts who had been chosen to pass upon
the merits of the papers. The young men
were Mr.. George Franklin Perry Mr.. Har-
old Davis of Ohio and Mr. William 1. Dem
ming. All three were graduates of the Cen
trail High School of this city. The subjects
assigned to them for treatment were all of
local interest connected with the engineer
ing problems presented by the condition of
affairs in the District, and all three theses
showed marked preparation and ability on
the part of the young engineers.
There was not a very large audience pres
ent, for the papers, while interesting from
a scientific point Of view, were rather too
deep and technical to entertain the general
listener. Those who were there were, for
the most part, relatives and friends of the
graduates, and they had every reason to
feel gratified at the success achieved by the
three young men. According to the new
methods adopted by the university, it is
| Necessary for the applicant to read an eX-
tract of the thesis he has prepared, and also
to answer in public any questions which the
board of judges may see fit to PROFOUND. in
order to still further ascertain the famil-
iarity which he has with the subject as
signed to him. the three young men whose
fates were decided last evening all acquitted
themselves most satisfactorily, and at the
conclusion of the evenings exercises the
judges announced as their unanimous. YER
dict that the candidates had all presented
sufficient evidence of their proficiency so
that at the commencement exercises. June
| IL. all will receive the coveted degree Of
| civil engineer.
| Questioned by Experts.
Mr.. George Franklin Perry read the first
thesis of the evening on the subject of a
l plan for better food protection within the
| District. This thesis, as we'll as the others,
was illustrated with carefully prepared
| charts and diagrams, and contained esti-
mates of cost and all the details that would
| be necessary in the case of plans actually
| drawn for real work. Mr.. Perry criticised
| the present sewer system of Washington as
| inadequate for city OF its size and possi-
bilities of growth. and submitted compre-
hensive plan for a new system, with bikes,
sewer lines and a pumping station for fore
ing the sewage and Hood water from the
lower levels of the city out into the main
current of the river. The board of experts
Capt. Fiebeger of the engineer corps, United
States army; Civil Engineer NJ. T. Endi-
neer George w. Littlehales-put Mr.. Perry
through a rigid series of questions, which
showed that he had studied the question
carefully and knew his ground pretty thor
oughly.
Steam Rnilroading in Washington.
Solving the Railroad Problem for Wasn-
ington" was the subject allotted to Mr.
Harold Davis of Ohio. Mr.. Davis scheme
for settling all the dangers and difficulties
now connected with the railroad situation
in this city involved the building of a union
depot between 9TH and 10th and and D
streets southwest, and bringing the differ
ent lines to 1t by viaducts and subways,
thus doing away with grade crossings.
way stations were placed on the proposed
lines at several points inside the city. Two
freight yards were established at points
convenient for the two roads at the only
points at grade within the city, but where
there could be danger to the public.
The plan was very comprehensive. and the
estimated cost was SLABS, 4Ui. The board
OF experts on this thesis were Bernard r.
Green. G. e.: @. 4. Hoeche. c. f., technical
attacfe of the imperial German embassy,
and j. l.. Greiner, engineer of bridges of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
The cross-examination brought forth that
no danger to the Capitol or the Congress
sional Library was involved in a tunnel
uEder Capitol Hill; that the through and
local traffic should be divided and run on
separate tracks: that Virginia avenue
should be abandoned for the greatest part
OF Its length, and the two railroad lines
should meet south of the Capitol, at C
street, pass under Delaware avenue, and
continue on street, where land is as yet
unimproved and property available for
private yards, to the union depot. Each
railroad would enter the city on two tracks
only, the two branches Of the Baltimore
and Ohio uniting just before Florida ave-
nue.. West OF the union depot the joint
railroads would run on four-track viaducts.
switching
and at the depot, to be allowed in the city
Improving Rock Creek.
A plan for the improvement of the Rock
creek district in Washington was a subject
which was ably and skillfully handled by
William l. Demming. The examining board
in this case were c. B. Hunt. C. E: Repre-
sentative ]. Frank Aldrich. C. E.. and C. c.
Norris, c. E.
1t was proposed to relieve Rock creek of
all the sewers emptying into it, by inter
cepting sewers on each side connecting
with the general sewerage plan proposed
for the District. The creek then. freed
of its impurities, would be given a straight
er channel, it would be arched ove- and
the land reclaimed divided in blocks, lots.
ETC.. and sold. Though this would involve
a number of intricate and costly engineer
ing problems, 1t was calculated that the
revenues from land sold, taxes, etc, would
pay for all the improvements to within
| about one million dollars in less than ten
years.
The Fava Prize.
The special board for the award Of the
prize in civil engineering given by F. r.
Fava, professor of civil engineering con-
slsting of Prof. T. c. Mendenhall, Mr.. Ber-
nard r. Green, c. E., and Mr.. Conway b.
Hunt, c. E., did not make their report last
evening, as was expected. The priEe will
be awarded at the final commencement.
June IL. The public exhibition of drawings
will commence at the. University Hall on
Monday.
THE PRECISE CONDUCTOR.