Evening star., 1895-11-08
LYDECKER'S TUNNEL
Major Knight Has Completed His
Report Upon 1t.
BE THINKS IT Can Be UTILIZED
Gen. Casey Believed to Concur in
This Opinion.
GEN. CRAIGHILL TO APPROVE

Maj. J. G. d. Knight, corps of engineers,
completed his public duties in this city this
week and formally assumed command of
the advanced school of engineers at Will
let's Point, n. Y. On the retirement of Col.
George II. Elliot in May last Maj. Knight
succeeded him in charge of the Washing
ton aqueduct and all the government works
connected with the water service of the
District of Columbia. He was also special
ly charged by the chief of engineers with
the execution of the special provisions OF
the District of Columbia appropriation act
approved March ., 1895. calling for thor
oTsh testing of the Lydecker tunnel con-
duit, with a view to it's possible utilization
in an increased water supply. On the 1st
of October last Maj. Knight was assigned
to duty in command of the engineer school
at Nilet's Point, and on that date he was
relieved by Mai Davis of all his duties in
this city, except those appertaining direct
ly to the tunnel conduit. According to in
structions from the chief of engineers, he
was to complete this special service before
repoI ting for duty at Willets Point.
The Special Duty Imposed.
What this special duty is, is probably best
told in the words of the congressional pro-
visions relating thereto. These provisions
are contained in the appropriations. under
the head of the Washington aqueduct, and
are as follows:
For testing the tunnel conduit to deter
mine the amount of it's leakage, $4,000, to be
taken from the appropriation for increasing
the water supply of Washington. District of
Columbia to be Immediately available.
There shall be prepared, upon careful in
vestigation by the proper officer of the gov
ernment having the charge of the Washing
ton aqueduct and the water supply to the
city of Washington, full and detailed re-
port. which shall be submitted to Congress
on the first Monday in December, 1895, upon
the feasibility and propriety of completing
the tunnel conduit as now projected; the
completion of the new reservoir. including
its dam or any notifications to the same
deemed necessary; and upon the results as
to the supply of water to the city when said
dam, the raising of the dam at the Great
Falls. the conduit, and reservoir are COM
pleted. And If such officer and consulting
engineer shall conclude that 1t is imprac-
ticable, or too expensive, to repair such tun-
mel conduit, then they shall report some
plan for bringing increased water supply
from the reservoir in Georgetown to Wash
ington by pipes or otherwise
Each separate item of the report shall be
accompanied by detailed estimate of the
cost of the work required and the necessary
costs. not to exceed $4,000, connected with
the inquiry and reports, shall be betrayed
from the appropriation for increasing the
water supply of Washington, District of
SOlumDld. fTOVlQeQ, mat IN the prepara-
tion of this report General Thomas l.. Casey,
United States army, shall be associated with
the proper officer of the government in
charge of the aqueduct as consulting en-
g1neer. and his signature shall be appended
to said report in said capacity, and said re-
Rort shall also be accompanied with the
judgment of the chief of engineers and
made to the Secretary of War. who shall
transmit the same to Congress with his
views thereon"
The Tunnel Can BE Utilized.
All the requirements of these provisions
have now been complied with. excepting,
of course, the enc requiring that the report
shall be submitted to Congress on the first
Monday in December next, which require
ment. however, will also be faithfully OBJ
served. Maj. Knight made a thorough per-
sonal inspection of the tunnel and sub
jected it to severe practical test. AL
though the results OF his observations are
not known to certainty, there are excel
lent reasons for the belief that he has re-
ported that the expensive and long-aban-
doned tunnel may be easily put in condition
without very great expense. for use as a
conduit for water from the distributing
reservoir above Georgetown to the pro-
jected and partly finished reservoir near
Howard University. north of the city, and
that such method of providing for an in
creased water supply for the city of Wash
ington is better and more economical than
is possible by the use of pipes other
wise" Maj. knight worked hard and faith
fully on the difficult problems he was called
on to solve. 1t is said that his most trouble
some task was in figuring up the probable
cost of the work required to increase the
water supply by the completion of the tun-
mel and the Howard University reservoir
without making a radical departure from
the original project Considerable difficulty
is said to have been encountered in fulfill
ing that special requirement of the statute
providing that leach separate item of the
rpnOrt shall lccOmDInia1 lntajta1
estimate of. the cost of the work required"
Gen. Casey Believed to Concur.
MAJOR Knight received valuable assist
ance in his work from Gen. Thomas L.
Casey, retired, than whom there is no man
better informed in regard to the water sys-
tenn of the District of Columbia or more
interested in it's Improvement. Gen. Casey
concurred in the conclusions reached by
Major Knight as result of his study of
the subject and gave the dignity of his
sgnatory approval to the report made by
his junior, officer to the chief of engi-
neers. This report was submitted early
this week, but it Is Intended for the
benefit of Congress it will not be made
public in advance of its submission to that
body in December. AS has been already
indicated. Gen. Casey and Major Knight
are believed to be agreed as to the entire
feasibility and propriety of completing the
conduit as now projected, and the conf
pletion of the new reservoir, including it's
dam with certain notifications of the
original plans.
Gen. Graishill to Approve.
According to the statute, Gen. Craighill
chief of engineers, must pass judgment on
the report prior 20 it's submission to the
Secretary OF War for transmission to Con-
gress. Gen. Craighill is row engaged in an
inspection Of the government works on the
lower Mississippi. and is not expected to
return to the city until next week Since
his induction in office on the retirement of
Gen. Casey. several months ago, Gen.
Craighill has evinced a special interest in
the government works in this vicinity, and
has made a personal inspection of the local
water supply system. He realizes fully
the defects in the existing system, and
may be confidently depended upon to give
his aid and influence to any sensible project
that promises to meet the requirements
of the situation. No action will be taken
on the joint report Of Gen. Casey and Maj
Knight until his return from the south.