Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-17
A GREAT PROJECT
To Build a Big Dam at the Little
Falls.
AND HARNESS THE POTOMAC
Capitalists Said to Have Already
Secured the Property.
AN ENGINE ERING FE AT

For many years there has been talk Of
| utilizing the great water power at the
Great Falls. Recently private owners of
| land and water rights there have taken
! steps looking to a development Of the vast
power nature has provided there, and at
| the same time officials of the government
| have been investigating the subject with
view to having the government undertake
| the work, the power developed to be util-
lied in electrically lighting Washington
| and for other municipal purposes.
A plan has been made, however, for
making use of the Little Falls in the same
way, and the persons interested have adj
vanced their project so far that 1t may be
J that the Little Falls will be the first to
| be developed. This is a private enterprise
| of great proportions. 1t is proposed to
| harness the Potomac river SO that abund-
| ant motive power can be supplied, not only
for electric lighting purposes, but for all
| the manufacture that may be induced to
| establish themselves here. wealthy
northern capitalist, at present represented
| in this city by Horace S. Cummings, is re-
| ported as actively engaged in perfecting
preliminary preparations for beginning the
development Of this enterprise. 1t Is said
| the work contemplated will require not less
| than ~, 100000, and that sum may be quad
| rupled before a satisfactory result is con-
summated The figure named as the mini
mum cost is founded upon purely super
| fetal estimate.
Discussed Many Years.
For many years the feasibility of con-
structing suitable lam at either Great
| Falls or Little Falls, SO that the river
could be utilized for manufacturing pur-
poses in some practical and profitable way,
| has been discussed. When the work of
| Harvesting the Niagara river was begun
| ana later carried to a successful conclusion
| the idea that Washington might be made
| irto a great manufacturing city became
| again prominent in the discussion of the
| matters relating to the future of the capi-
tai The board Of trade and other bodies
| at once began an active agitation for the
| providing facilities for the erection and
| operation of manufactures here
! 1t has recently been expected that a
| party of capitalists interested in the Mag
ara enterprise would visit Washington al d
make careful examination of the river
| in the vicinity of the rapids, with a view
| to expending capital in developing the DOW
er there. The objects of their inspection
however nov have been anticipated by Others
Mr. Cummings and his associates are push
| ing their preparations with dispatch and 1t
| Is stated expect soon to have matters so
| arranged that they can give to the pablic
| comprehensive synopsis of their coutem-
| plated work. Up to the present time 1t is
| said no resident capitalist except Mr. Cum
| mings has become associated with the I'M
dertaking When it was decided to prose-
1
Washington with sufficient supply of
| cheap motive power for manufacturing
ana other purposes. the question of select
| Ing the point at which the restraining dam
| should be located was taken into consider
| alton. 1t soon became apparent it is said
| that while Great Falls afforded the most
available site, the obtaining OF perfect
| title to the necessary adjacent ground
would result in almost interminable litiga-
| ton and indefinitely postpone the begin
| ming or construction. In fact, it was be-
heved to be matter Of such grave doubt
| as 10 the eventual securing of a title that
the investment of so many million dollars
was not to be seriously contemplated
AS consequence, the top of the Little
Fails rapids was chosen as the most de-
sirable location under the circumstances,
and subsequent plans have been made as
applicable to that site. The two great Diff
ficulties that presented themselves for solu-
| ten were: First. the prompt and peaceable
procurement of indisputable right to every
| foot of ground necessary to the syndicates
| use in perfecting its plant and service con-
nections. Second, the devising of an enein-
eering scheme by which the bed of the
chesapeake and Ohio canal can be SO
| raised and protected for a distance of six
miles as to prevent 1t and the surrounding
country from being flooded. The first re-
quired diplomat and legal expert; the sec
| ond proficient civil engineer.
Securing Proprietary interests.
The work Of securing proprietary inter-
ests has been SO quietly carried on that
| even the fact Of its prosecution has gained
| but little publicity. Under the direction of
Mr.. Cummings papers were prepared for
| the REIMBURSEMENT of rights and efforts
made to arrange a satisfactory basis of
| settlement with each person interested.
The first signature agreeing to transfer
a proprietary right was obtained Monday,
| June "a, and others have been steadily
| added since that date 1t had not been ex-
pected that much time would be required
II n a g.
| sential to the completion of the enterprise.
| but the difficulties in this respect had been
| underestimated and the list has not yet
| been completed. The United States fish
| commissioner has given permission for the
| erection over the proposed dam Of a fish
| way similar to that used at Great Falls.
The projectors believe that all rights of
| usage and way will be obtained without
much difficulty and that arrangements can
| be made for the rectification of all claims
| that may arise by reason Of alleged dam
ages sustained by flooding or from other
causes.
The engineering by which It is proposed to
| raise the banks of the canal for distance
| OF six miles will of necessity be difficult
and expensive The topography Is unfa-
| vorable, and number of ravines afford
risks of flooding that apparently can only
| be prevented by the construction of sea
walls, or levees, that must be of colossal
| nous pressure to which they will be SUBJ
| jected. An adequate supply of suitable
material can be obtained Only with con-
| siderable difficulty. Stone can be secured
| from the overhanging bluffs, but blasting
will be expensive.
The Engineering Difficulties.
The difficulties. in the way of consummat-
| ing the work proposed by the syndicate
can, to a certain extent, be realized, when
| 1t is stated that the Great Falls have an
elevation of LAT feet above sea level, with
| the four feet addition to the water supply
| dam provided by the last Congress, and
| the bottom of Little Falls is 20 feet above
| sea level. At Little Falls, during the ordi-
| nary stage of water. stone can be tossed
| across the river, while at Great Falls the
| width is nearly 5000 feet But the adioin-
| ing lowlands at Little Falls will not lessen
| the cost of construction. The dam which
supplies water for feeding the canal is nine
| teen feet from the bottom of Little Falls,
while the wagon road is 100 feet above the
| river on the District side, and the bluffs on
| the Maryland shore are more than 200 feet
| high and rise they recede. The Little
| Falls rapids are one and three-auarters
| miles in length, and the distance between
| the Great and Little dams is eight miles.
An Engineers View.
/ A civil engineer of this city, in spe aking
| of the heavy expense that would attend
I