Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-22

All Washingtonians feel 4 great interest
in the investigation now in progress con-
corning the possibility of using the great
aqueduct tunnel that pierces the earth
from the unused reservoir at Howard Uni
versity to the conduit near the river, over
four miles away. When the tunnel was al
lowed to fill after the active operations
were abandoned in the fall of 1883 the
opinion was freely expressed that the
water would cause such a disintegration
Of the rock and of the faulty packing in
the sections that had been lined that the
tunnel would practically fall to pieces and
its utilization would never be possible.
This thought was distressing. as the tunnel
represents today an expenditure Of money
80 vast that it seems incredible that so
few results have been obtained. On the
other hand the engineers have, as rule,
been confident that the tunnel would hold
itself intact against the assault Of the
water and would be found to be in practi-
cally the same condition when pumped out
as when 1t was allowed to fill. That this
opinion was correct is now proven by the
Investigations that are soon to close, a
verifcation of which was obtained this
morning by representative of this paper.
the account of whose visit into the tunnel
appears elsewhere in The Star. One i'm
portant fact. 1t seems. has been demon
strated by the present inquiry. namely,
that the seepage. or drainage of water
into the tunnel from the earth. is alto
gether likely to improve rather than to de-
teriorate the quality of the water supply.
Chemical analyses have shown that this
water is perfectly pure, probably more so
than the average Potomac water which
1t is proposed to conduct by means Of this
tunnel to the reservoir north of the city.
1t would appear from the records that a
sufficient quantity drains into the tunnel
from the rocks every day to effect mate
rial change in the character Of the water
flowing from the eastern terminus. and II
these analyses are Of any value the con-
clusion is inevitable that the passage Of
the supply from the conduit to the reser-
voir would be a benefit rather than a
danger to the community.
If the tunnel can be used as an aqueduct
rather than as a mere holder of iron pipes.
as has been proposed. the water service at
the capital will be vastly sbenefted. Upon
Major knights report, therefore, q great
deal depends. This careful and conserva-
tive officer will doubtless consider the case
maturely before he transmits his conclu-
sions to the chief of engineers. and enough
Is known of his ability to warrant the be-
lief that his advice will be sound and relia-
BILE. There is, of course, at this time no
inkling obtainable from him of what his
conclusions will be. But it is apparent
from what has been stated heretofore that
the report will be adverse to the project
Of using the tunnel as the location for a
pipeline, and that If the tunnel Is not to
be abandoned altogether an effort will
probably be made to place it in condition
for use as a conduit, for which 1t was
originally intended. There are other tests
yet to be made that may throw new light
upon the situation, as the tunnel has really
not yet been subjected to any pressure,
and it is this element that forms the I'M
certain quantity in the case.
At all events, there is a sincere desire
on the part of all the taxpayers Of the
capital that some practical use can be
found for this hole in the ground that will
tighten the burden that was placed so
heavily upon their shoulders when the Dis
trict was required TO pay half Of the cost
of what for some years has appeared to be
q totally useless project. 1t is doubtful
II the tunnel can ever be made an eco
nomical adjunct to the water supply sys-
tenn in view of the waste of money that
practiced upon the government in its COW
struction. Yet, If anything can be saved.
the citizens will surely be grateful, pro-
vided the cost of saving the tunnel shall
not exceed the necessities of the situation.