Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-09
THE OLD RESERVOIR
The Work Of Retaining 1t Nearly
Completed.
IT WILL FORM 4 SETTLING BASIN
And Contribute to Making Potomac
Water Clear and Wholesome.
REMOVING THE DANGER

Washington water is being purified. 1t
has already the Endorsement Of many chem
lists as to its wholesome quality. but occa-
sionally some statement is made concerning
1t which raises doubts in the public mind.
II 1t is not the best now, 1t is claimed that
1t will be as good as any when the plans of
Col. George H. Elliot. corps of engineers,
U. S. A, in charge Of the Washington aque-
duct, are realized. The principal one of
these plans is the reclamation Of the re-
ceiving. or Dalecarlia, reservoir. The water
which we now drink comes directly from
Great Falls, but the water which we will
soon drink will have rested about four days
in Dalecarlia reservoir in its flow from the
falls to the spigot. This period of repose
will result in Qualification by sedimentation.
Foreign matter. held in suspension, will be
precipitated. When this has taken place,
our nectar Of the Alleghanies will, 1t is as
serted. be as bright and clear as liquid dia-
mond, and as grateful as ease to the weary.
Every time Washingtonian holds glass
of redeemed Potomac water to his lips he
will say: Here's to Col. Elliot" The first
survey for the aqueduct was made in No
vember, 1852. under the direction of Lieu
tenant. afterward General, Montgomery
Cunningham Meigs, L. S. A. On the I'D of
February, 1858, President Willard Fillmore
sent to Congress the report of Lieut. Meigs
containing the surveys, plans and estimates
for the great work of watering Washington
and Georgetown. At that time the twin
cities depended on wells springs and cis-
tens for their temperance drink. Three
plans were proposed for furnishing the cities
with modern water system. Plan No.
was to construct dam across Rock creek
at point about seven and one-half miles
above Washington and Quench us by means
OF conduit Plan No. was to dam the
n 10 lie brnt ,s,la
where it now empties into Dalecaria reser-
voir convey the water via canal to a point
within two miles of Georgetown and there
pump IL to a height for proper pressure
Project No. } was the Great Falls scheme
ana. as all the town knows.and perhaps most
Oh the country, too. this was the scheme
adopted 1t received the recommended ton
or Gen. Totten, corps of engineers and the
sanction of Secretary OF War Conrad
WoEk was pushed with enthusiasm, and the
water turned on December 5. 1863
The Engineers Who Have Had Charge
Capt. Meigs continued in charge of the
work from November. 1852, to July Il,
1850. AT the latter date Capt II. W. Ben
nam, corps OF engineers. was assigned TO
duty in connection with the work In J~re
1861, the work was transferred from lhe
War Department then occupied with the
serious business of war, to the Department
or the Interior. and remained with this
branch OF the government till April. 1867
when il returned to its first love- and came
once again under the dominion of the War
department. From 1862 to 1867 the work
was In charge OF Civil Engineers William
X. Hutton. Silas Seymour and Theodore b.
Same The latter gentleman was relieved
by Maj. Nathaniel Michler The officers
who have since successfully been respon-
sible for the conduct OF the work are AS
follows: Maj. George II. Elliot November.
1870: Maj. Orville f. Babcock October 1871
Lieut.. Col Thomas l.. Casey, March, 1877;
Nal Garrett j. Lydecker. August. lss.:
and Lieut.. Col. NOW Colonel George II
Elliot, July, 1889. Col Elliot continues TO
hold the fort. All his energies are devoted
TO the work.
A bi-conduit was built in 1863 to convey
the water directly from Great Falls TO the
distributing reservoir without entering the
receiving reservoir. The occasion for its
use did not often arise, but in 1855 the mol
luton or Dalecaria reservoir had become
50 dangerous by reason of the drainage in
to IL of Little Falls branch Mil creek and
East creek that it was abandoned and
since that time the nine-foot bi-conduit
extending from the north connection across
the weir az the spillway to the south con-
nection, has been in constant use.
Dalecarlia had to be relieved from the
duty or treasurins up the drink of Wash
ingtonians, because of the rapid settlement
OF the country which drained into it, The
rim or the reservoir watershed followed the
Conduit road to the Ioughborougn road:
TO the Brookville road; thence in a wide
westerly sweep across the Washington
Georgetown and Rockville road, over the
Old River road and thence in a southerly
direction to the northern end of the ressr-
voir. This radius embraces what has been
for some years well-popula ted region. A
sewer was built from Chevy Chase to Little
Falls branch, and the sewage Of Tenley-
town flowed down Mill creek. The area of
this watershed, as computed by Col Elliot,
is $500 acres.
Rec1afminG the Reservoirs.
The reclamation of Dalecarlia reservoir.
although not quite an accomplished fact
is an assured one. The object of the i'm
provement is to exclude the drainage water
which now flows into it. 1t is proposed
to dam the communicating streams where
they enter the reservoir. An open channel,
skirting the east side OF the reservoir, will
carry the combined drainage of the water
shed to the north end, thence down through
drainage tunnel. out under aqueduct tun-
mel No. 4, emptying the whole flow into
Little Falls branch west of the reservoir,
from which point 1t will drain into the old
Potomac. The scheme is an elaborate and
comprehensive one Dalecarlia reservoir
SO called from the name of the farm on
which 1t Is, has a capacity of about 170,-
0O0,0 gallons. 1t Is to be so deepened that
winds which sweep across 1t. The recon-
mendation of $4,000 for the completion of
the reservoir has been allowed by Con-
gress: 5000 for repaving Grifith's Park
and Cabin Johns bridges and $4,000 for
the maintenance and repair of the aqueduct
and the reservoirs, mains, roads. &C, con-
nected Herewith. One of the very interest
ing processes in connection with the work
was the blasting of the drainage tunnel
where 1t crosses underneath aqueduct tun-
mel No. f. 1t was feared that the explosion
of dynamite might break the aqueduct and
totally cut off the city's supply for some
time. At this point Col. Elliot had the
charges of explosive reduced to the lowest
quantity which would do the work. The
difficult and dangerous feat was accom-
plished and no harm done to the tunnel
above The miners in the drainage tunnel,
operating from opposite ends. broke through
last week. The event was celebrated with
appropriate rejoicing. Everything IS hum
ming toward completion and the time is not
far off when Washington will have water
as fine as Croton, and much of 1t as
she can get away with.