Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-28
Col. Elliot Makes a Valuable Report
to Congress.
THE RIGHTS at fHE GREAT FALLS
Accommodation That Uncle Sam
Buy Everything in Sight.
NO PARTNERS ARE WANTED

There Is an excellent prospect that Wash
ington may in a few years be supplied
with the greatest abundance of water. in
addition to an unlimited force for power
purposes.
The attention OF Congress has this ses-
sion. as at no other time. been directed to
the wonderful possibilities in the way of
power and water supply at Great Falls. and
there is now pending in the Senate bill
for the purchase by the United States of
all the land and water rights at the falls.
with view to settling the water problem.
not merely for dozen a score OF years,
but for all time Should this bill become a
law. II Is claimed. there viii be no need
for fear to the quantity Of the necessary
fluid. and 1t Is urged also that many
qualms as to its quality may be quieted.
The Star has already published In full
the ample and interesting report of the
Senate District committee on the subject
submitted by Senator Proctor, who intro
duced the bill In this reference was made
to a long report made to the War Depart
ment upon this bill by Col. George H. Ell
hot Of the engineer corps of the army, who
Is In charge OF the Washington aqueduct.
Col. Elliot's report contains much valua-
bic Information regarding the somewhat
complicated question Of the rights OF the
various owners at and near the Great Falls
on both sides of the Potomac. 1t suggests
many amendments of the original bill,
which have been adopted by the District
committee and embodied in the new meas
ure reported to the Senate
Not All Paid For.
He recites the provisions Of the act Of 1882
for the increase of the water supply, as a
result OF which the dam at the falls was ex-
tended and completed In 1886 at a cost of
about $4,000. II was not placed In charge
of the aqueduct till several years after
ward" continues Col. Elliot, but it can be
stated that neither the land occupied by the
dam. which was taken by the right OF emf
nent domain. nor the water rights have been
paid for. The following claims for the land
and water rights taken and the damages re-
sultins from the taking were filed: The
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company. by
Lewis c. Smith, president, claim for
s5UO.9OO: the Great Falls Manufacturing
Company. by Benjamin F. Butler. president.
The claims Of this company were stated
In the following terms: If the condemna-
ton be for all of its water rights the COM
pany estimates its damage at 100000. 800,
and claims this amount II the condemna-
ton be for one-haif of said rights. then the
company claims 100000: IL the United
States shall consent to let the company
draw from the dam the surplus and unused
water and shall provide the means for such
drawing, further reduction of the claim
will be made"
A plat submitted by Col Elliot shows
Conn's Island. the Maryland and Virginia
channels separated by it, and the site of the
dam, about 5000 feet long, as il now ex-
lists. extending from shore to shore Of the
river.
The dam as 1t was at the date of the
passage Of the act" the report says Eek
tended out from the Maryland shore of the
river above the falls and below the intaSs of
the Washington aqueduct, across the Mary
land channel to the sho. ; of Copn's Island,
and was 1884 feet Ions. TIE necessity Of
the extension Of the IIzl provided for in
the act arose from the fart that by reason
Of its narrow width, she-ow depth and its
distinctions. the Maryland channel was
round 10 De inadequate to furnish to the
aQueduct all the water require tn mest the
increasing demands upon it.
The land taken under the act mainly
consisted or narrow Zip extending from
the medium hlum aqu.. of the Virginia
char-nel to the western shore OF Conn's Is
I2no, thence across Conn's Island to the
eastern shore; thence to the medium filum
aquae or the Maryland channel. The strip
Old not extend from the medium flum auuae
OF the virginia channel to the Virginia
snore Tor the reason (see the piaD that the
United States was already, from 1854, a
riparian owner at the Virginia end of the
proposed extension of dam.
Areas at the Falls.
There was also included in the taking a
small triangular portion of the bed of the
Virginia channel between the medium filum
aquae OF the channel and the Virginia shore
that was not covered by the riparian right
OF the United States as an owner on that
shore, the lot on which the gate house
stands, and also the land on the Maryland
and covering in addition that part of the
rtver-bed site Of the Maryland end of the
oia dam that was not already the property
of the United States
The area Of the land taken Is in all
about twenty one acres. OF this about
eight and three-quarter acres are on Conn's
Island; about two and one-half acres are
on the Maryland shore; about seven acres
are on the bed Of the Potomac in the Vir-
sinia channel, and about two and three
Quarter acres are on the bed of the Poto-
mac. IN the Maryland channel-in other
words about ore-half Of the entire area is
covered by water.
Great Falls is a series of rapids in the
river, extending about one-half or three
rourths of a mile. in the course Of which the
river falls about seventy feet 1t is about
sixteen miles above Washington. The east
ern shore OF the river is in Montgomery
county, Md, and the Jurisdiction of Mary
land extends to the western shore which
Is In Fairfax county, Va. The three princi-
PAL owners Of the land adjacent TO Great
FaliS are the Great Falls Manufacturing
company, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
company and the United States. n fairly
good estimate may be formed of the extent
OF their respective ownerships by an inspec-
tlon or the plat and comparing the lengths
OF the mainland and island shores owned by
mem The only existing improvement of
water rights at the falls is the aqueduct
0aIn puilt by the United States.
At COnn's Island.
"Conn's Island is above the falls proper.
1t Is about $500 feet long. about 1000 feet
Wide at the widest place. and about go feet
wide at the place near the foot of the island
where II Is crossed by the extension of the
aqueduct dam Its axis Is about parallel
with the trend of the current Of the river
which at the falls runs about due soutn
me island is low and, where it is crossed
% the extension Of the dam. rocky. 1t is
cut up by numerous channels and the ma
Jor part OF the entire island is. during or
binary spring freshets. oyeriowed by the
river
ne island Is unimproved and uninhabit-
ed Inc land Is of but little value, If any
As riparian owner, the Great Falls Manu-
featuring Company claims an interest in
Tie wafer that flows both In the Maryland