Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-13
DEMONSTRATION AQUEDUoT
Major Knights Report of Operations During
the Month Of April
Removing Deposits From the Conduit
Testing the Tunnel.

lieved Col Elliot Of charge Of the Wash
ington aqueduet, the water supply of Wash
ingtcn. etc.. on April l. has made his first
report to the chief of engineers of opera
tons on those works during the month of
April He says that the usual routine work
necessary for engineering, maintenance
and general repairs of the aqueduct and
accessory structures was performed, and
that during the month about three-quarters
of the stone required for the improvement
of the conduit at waste weir No. /, near
Great Falls. have been quarried at the
government quarry near Seneca. Md. He
says it is proposed to continue the work of
quarrying during May and to cut and ship
the stone to the site of the work.
Removing Deposits From the onduft.
Progress was made in the project for re-
moving the accumulation of deposits in the
conduit. On the morning of April 26 the
gates at Great Falls were closed: stop
pianks were placed at the north and south
connections Of the Dalecarlia reservoir al
waste weir No. and the 3O-inch gate at
Foundry branch well opened Manholes Gu.
81, 81. 63 and 6S were also opened and At
4 O'Clock in the afternoon men went into
the conduit and remained until O'Clock
the next morning. loosening and removing
deposits, which varied from six to eight
inches in thickness. Water was then ad-
nlitted for flushing for three hours, after
which through connection was made with
the distributing reservoir. The work COW
cred length of 4,570 feet of the conduit.
While the supply to the distributing reser-
voir was cut off, period of twenty-five
hours, the level of the water in the ieSer-
yoir fell from reference 144 to reference
1900. Maj. knight says it Is proposed to
continue removing the deposits this month
whenever the stage of water In the rece.v-
ing reservoir is favorable for the execution
of the. work.
Raising the Height of the Dam.
The project for Increasing the water sup
ply Of Washington by raising the height
of the dam at Great Falls, contempiates
removing the present coping stone. raising
the height of the body of the dam two and
one-half feet and resett.ng and boiling in
place the coping stone. Maj. knight says
that the work of cleaning up and opening
the government quarry at Seneca, Nd,
was completed. The temporary buildings
to be occupied during the work were erect
ed. including a blacksmith shop. a tool
house. an Office ard a magazine for ex-
plesives. The road bed from the quarry
to the canal wharf was raised and leveled
During the present month 1t Is proposed to
quarry stone for the dam.
Testing the Tunnel.
The approved project for testing the tun-
mel conduit is to pump out the tunnel
closing the 1Our eaStefiy SAattS ana ming
the tunnel with water. In execution of
this project, Maj. Knight says that six
sinking pumps were purchased in New
York with necessary steam and water
pipe for $2.575 All pipe and four of the
pumps were delivered April II, and the
other two pumps April 30. Two pumps
were put to work at Rock creek shaft
about pm. April 20, and a third pump
was started on the morning Of the I'D. AT
the close of the month the water at this
shaft had been lowered twenty-nine feet,
pumping having been without interm;sson
since starting. except occasional suspension
of one pump or another. The pumps are
foot steam cylinders, seven-foot plun.yers
and thirteen-foot stroke. with capacity
Of about PIG gallons per minute at ordi-
nary speed, Five hosting engines ard
boilers will be required for the work. Two
have been rented. one borrowed from the
District government and one owned by the
United States, was hauled from the Dale
carlia reservoir. Maj. Knight says shat
on account of the delay caused by, the
derrick irons to be used in lowering the
sinking pumps it was impossible to begin
the work Of recovering any of the shafts
except that at Rock creek. With the OBJ
ject of determining the character of the
water percolating into the tunnel, the
Engineer Commissioner of the District was
asked to cause tests to be made Of this
water. The request was acceded to, end
the information so gained will be suisse
quently reported. 1t is proposed during
May to continue the pumping at Rock
creek shaft and to begin pumping at Foun-
dry branch. Champlain avenue and How
ard University shafts