Evening star., 1895-07-29
No Menace Now From the Broken
Bye-Conduit.
YAfEREIOWlNGM ED VR BASIN
Fortunately There Have Been No
Large Fires.
PLENTY OF WATER NOW

Washingtonians can be freer now and let
up little on their economy In the use of
Potomac water for the danger that was
caused Saturday morning of a water fam
Inc by the accidental break of the bye
conduit around the upper reservoir Is now
passed and there is no likelihood whatever
of any recurrence of the trouble. AS MAJ
Knight stated to The Star Saturday, 1t was
merely a question of time when the water
flowing into the Dalecarlia or upper reser-
vior through the break in the bye-conduit
would raise the level in that basin as to
permit the gates to be opened between the
two reservoirs and SO place the upper one
in connection with the city system. Mean
while, Of course, the regular consumption
of water would have to be supplied by the
water that CHANGED to be in the lower res
ervoir at the time of the accident, and :he
question was whether the equilibrium be-
tween the two basins would be restored
before the supply was exhausted This has
been done. and the menace to the comfort
OF the citizens is now thing of the past.
The Gates Opened.
Maj Knight and Mr.. Sneed, his civilian
assistant, visited the reservoir at about
noon yesterday, and, on inspecting the gate
in the conduit leading to the lower hasin
they saw that the level was nearly restor-
ed, and they tried the experiment of
opening the gate planks a few inches. A
slight current was set up from the low 20
the upper reservoir. demonstrated by a few
chips thrown on the surface of the water
and the officers determined to wait awhile
before re-establishing the connections At
apout O'Clock the water in the upper
basin had more than gained on that In the
lower and the gates were opened at both
ends or the conduit, SO that the water in
the lower or distributing reservoir was be-
~
this morning the water in the upper reser-
voir stood at 140.4 feet above datum The
lower reservoir is divided into two sections
by a partition wall, which is pierced by
forty-eight-inch pipe, which feeds the
lower section, from which the mains are
supplied leading to the city. There is also
bye-conduit seven feet in diameter lead
ing around the lower reservoir and into the
mains, provided for use in case of any
necessity for emptying the lower basin
1hls corduit was opened this morning, and
water is now flowing from the nine-foot
conduit leading from the Dalecarlia basin
both into the reservoir and into the seven
foot conduit. the latter of which is more
than large enough to supply all the mains
that center at the distributing reservoir.
Six Days Supply. .-.,
At O'Clock the water IN the uppe.. sec
ton of the lower reservoir stood at 139 3
feet, and in the lower section at 1855. Thus
the level in the Dalecalia reservoir was
nine-tenths of a foot higher than the level
in the upper half of the lower reservoir and
1.9 feet than that in the lower half. The
general level In the lower reservoir yester-
day morning at o'clock was 1895. This
shows that there was practically no loss
of water from the lower basin during the
twenty-foIr hours ending at I O'clock. phis
morning. Meanwhile, the water is slowly
gaining its level in the Dalecarlia basin, ar Il
in few days, just how soon Maj. knight
cannot say exactly, the two reservoirs will
be practically filled and the city will be
supplied with a full quantity from both
basins. which IN the aggregate will hold
about 32O.OOO,GOO gallons, or approximately
six days supply.