Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-11
THE WATER SUPPLY
A Senate Bill to Acquire the Rights
at Great Falls.
MORE WATER is NOW A NECESSITY
Importance Of the Power for Light
ing and Other Purposes.
THE RIGHT OF DOM AIN

Senator Proctor today, by direction Of the
District committee, made a favorable re-
port to the Senate on the bill introduced by
him on the Dist of December last, amend
ing the act Of July Is, 1882 increasing the
water supply Of this city. This bill has
been discussed by the Commissioners Of the
District, by the committee and by the Off
Gals Of the War Department, and has re-
ceived unanimous approval. The Secretary
of War caused its reference to Col. Elliot
or the engineer corps, who is in charge Of
the Aqueduct. and who made a very able
and valuable report upon it. The purpose
and scope Of the bill are well shown by the
report of the committee submitted by Sena-
tor Proctor this morning. 1t is as follows:
There can be no question of greater i'm
portance to the people of any large city than
that OF securing sufficient supply of water.
pure In quality and with a reserve in guam
uty ample for the demands of the future
Here 1t is not merely a local question but
one of importance to the whole country as
Wei. Washington Is the temporary resi-
dence of thousands and is visited annually
by millions. coming from all parts of the
country. The United States owns a large
share of the property. The public buildings,
parks and grounds, as a whole, are the
finest in the world. The demand for new
buildings and other improvements will be
frequent and imperative. as the machinery
of government must continually and stead
lily increase with the increase Of population
of the whole country. Whatever concerns
the welfare of this city. therefore. will be-
come more and more of general interest
The present supply of water Is not suf-
fcient in quantity or force for the present
needs; some action must therefore be taken
at once. The situation Is so fully stated In
the able report Of Col Elliott Of the corps Of
er gineers, who is now in local charge of the
aqueduct and water supply. that little need
ha Sai in In Of fan .vt,, art,,
and water rights at Great Falls are now
owned by the Great Falls Manufacturing
Co., the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Co.
and the United States. The extent of the
governments present interest Is in dispute.
The main question presenting itself to the
committee is whether to recommend the
taking, under the right of eminent domain.
of a supply for ordinary purposes. sufficient
for many years to come or whether to re-
quire at once all the rights to the water at
that point. settle the existing differences and
all danger of future controversies about
titles and end forever any danger Of
short supply. and the continual tribulation
or risk of a divided ownership.
From, a Business Standpoint.
IF an individual or a business corpora
ton was in the precise situation of the gov
eminent, owning a part of the water rights,
under the necessity OF adding thereto at
once, and with the certainty OF needing
further additions from time to time. there
can be no doubt that the party would seek.
as a matter of common business principle.
to acquire the entire water right before ex
tensive improvements were made by the
other owners, which would greatly enhance
the cost. And in this case what would be a
good policy for an individual or private
corporation, would be the more SO for the
government by reason of the certainty of
continuance and increase In the require
ments. The supply. to be sure. is much
larger than will be needed for aoueduct
purposes. so far as can be foreseen; but
even for this purpose alone your committee
believes 1t would be wise to control II ALL
But there is another fact worthy Of con-
s.deration, ard that is the rapidly increas-
ing tendency toward municipal control Of
certain matters of public necessity and con-
venience in which the entire people, of all
classes and conditions, have substantially
an equal interest. In our early history turn
pixies owned by private corporations were
common; toll bridges were the rule, and
towns and cities often obtained their water
supply from private companies. Now, turn
pixies and toll bridges are relics of the past;
the water supply in large towns is almost
without exception furnished by the munich
pality, and street lighting by the city is also
being considered and adopted to quite an ex-
tent. Whether Ii is not feasible and eco
nomical for cities to generate and supply by
electricity heat as well as light is a question
already mooted.
But, laying this possibility aside the
matter of lighting is present issue and
one OF greater importance IN this city than
in any other on account Of the large num-
Der of buildings to be lighted at public ex-
pense. Already several provisions for gov
ernment ownership of a lighting plant have
been proposed.
On the Elevated Ground.
"All the area Of more than 100 feet ele-
walton above low water at the navy yard
is now supplied by pumping and from want
of sufficient pressure all above seventy-five
faot will ohalN
Of 1O0-fect elevation runs in the vicinity Of
Florida avenue. and of seventy fve-feet
in the vicinity of Massachusetts avenue
west of 18th street The time cannot be
FAR distant when large majority of the
residences will be elevated above this line
The vicinity Of Tenleytown has an elevation
of more than 400 feet above low tide The
pumping is now done at the pump house on
U street between 18th and 18th streets at
a large expense, and this expense will be
constantly increasing as higher lands about
the city are built up and higher buildings
constructed. 1t might be done with great
saving for the future by electricity gensrat-
ed by the water power at Great Falls.
If the entire power at Great Falls is re-
quired, We believe 1t will be ample for cleo
trio lighting and pumping purposes for the
city. The Great Falls Power Company have
very recently obtained new charters from
the legislatures of Virginia and Maryland
The purpose Is evidently to develop the
power and supply 1t directly or through
other companies to the city for lighting and
other purposes There are no improvements
now at Great Falls except the AQueduct
dam. built and owned by the United States.
If the government is ever to ACQUIRE con-
troll 1t should be done before any outlay is
made by the owners. Such outlay must be
to them questionable investment, in view
OF the fact that the government is sure to
require an increased supply from time to
time in the future, thus endangerinR the
business or the power company and de-
stroying or greatly lessenng the value OF
their improvements. with the risk that they
may not be sufficiently recompensed.
Rights At Great Falls,
Your committee are therefore of the
opinion that all the water and riparian
rights at Great Falls necessary for the
cor troll and use of the entire power should
be acquired at this time: that it would be a
wise economy to do so: that oMnershin In