The morning times., 1895-09-08
WATER SERVICE and GAS
Assistant Commissioner Bur
Renders His Annual Report.
MANY NEEDS SUGGESTED
Artesian w ellis System Recommended.
Street Ltg hting Schedule Wants
Reformation-Exces Waste of
Potomac Water n Not ed Famine Pre-
dtcted-Reports Submitted.

Capt. Edward Burr, assistant to the En-
gineer Commissioner, whose division EN-
braces the water distribution, water rates,
street lighting and inspection of gas, rem
dered his report to the Engineer Commis-
sioner yesterday.
He discusses the condition Oft the water
supply service at great length. The last
increase in the service was completed in
1880, when the forty -eight-inch main was
introduced. 1t was believed then that this
main would be ample supply for many
years, but it is already Inadequate.
Capt. Burr says there is pressing neces-
sity for increasing the means for supplying
the reservoirs, but there is an equal or
greater urgency for Immediately increasing
the facilities for bringing water from the
reservoirs to the city. With an unlimited
supply in the reservoir the consumers can
expect no increase in the amount furnished
them until the tunnel conduit, or q substi-
tute for it, is completed.
The total leng tn of water mainslaid during
the year was AZ, ,902 feet thelargest years
work ever done in thewater department.
Speaking Of the public wells, Capt. Burr
says At OF III Were ordered to be aban-
dOned during the year. With the exception
OF the two artesian wells all now in use
are shallow. A large percentage of all
so far examined, the assistant commits
| sioner says, had been found to be contain
mated, and in metropolitan community
1t is but q question OF time when all
win be unfit for use
RECOMMENDS DEEP WELLS.
Capt. Burr recommends that SO 900
be asked to continue the system of sink
ing deep wells.
He says that unless stringent measures
are adopted for enforcement OF the water
meter law the meters VIII not be intro
duced. He states there are more than 900
| places where there should be meters.
A marked increase is. asked for Ia the
appropriation for street lighting. The ex
isting service is not satisfactory, or in
keeping with the high Standards main
tanned in other departments OF the city
government.
An important change should be made he
says, IN the number of hours for gas
lighting. 1t has been impossible, Capt.
Burr says, under the acts OF appropriations,
to secure from the gas companies more
than the minimum service for the maximum
price. The number OF hours OF total dark
ness, from the end OF evening twilight
to the beginning of morning twilight, is
3,116 in q year.
The superintendent of lamps, in his re-
cent annual report, says in making CON
tracts for naphtha lighting in future no
reduction should be made i'll the number
of hours. In alleys where il is always
dark, whether the moon is shining or not,
naphtha lamps are Of great benefit, since
they can be burned longer than gas, and
every night. An increase in the number
OF these lamps is urgently required All
the principal roads leading into Washing
ton should be lighted
CHANGE IN GAS. SCHEDULE.
change SHOULD be made, he said, in
the number of hours of gas Lighting. The
present schedule of 5000 hours should be
abandoned and the moon should not be
relied upon under any circumstances.
The inspector of gas and gas meters says
the power of the gas supplied by the Wash
ingotn Gaslight Company during the year
equalled 1868 candle power, an increase
of 161 The gas of the Georgetown Com
pany equaled 16. 81, ort the same as last
year.
The inspector suggests that the George
town company either enlarge its purifying
plant, or procure a coal from which the
present plant viii remove the sulphur.
During the year 2,713 meters were in
spected and proved; 249 registering fast,
and 81 slow. OF the meters complained
o. by the consumers, 23S registered fast,
the average error being 4.43 per cent.
Supt. H. F. Hayden, of the Water De-
partnent, submitted his report yesterday,
in which he says:
There are 1858 fire hydrants In serv-
ice, 100 having been erected in new To-
calities. There are 500 McClelland fire
hydrants in service that ought to be grad
ually retired, being almost worn out.
There are sixty-seven drinking foun-
tains and III public pumps and wells in
the District.
'At no time since the 48-inch main was
laid has the pressing need Of an ample
supply OF pure water been felt more than
during the past year.
''In a considerable number of localities
the level at which Potomac water was de-
livered in 1898 and 1894 has fallen con-
siderably, i'll some below the second stories,
where great Inconvenience existed, all that
could be done was to give temporary relief
EXCESSIVE WASTE OF WATER.
1.-The present condition of the water
supply is such as TO render it necessary that
steps be taken to effectually repress the ex'
cessive waste, or a water famine and an
unsanitary condition in some parts of the
city cannot be averted in the near future y
| Mr.. Hayden recommends the water metel
system as a means of stopping waste.
Meters, he said, should be placed on all
supply pipes leading TO public buildings
in addition to their general introduction.
| He renews his recommendation of 1894 for
the extension of the twelye-inch middle
service main at First and Albany streets, to
Lincoln avenue by the way of First and T
streets, and on Lincoln avenues to Brook
land, with certain connections.
Reports from two city institutions estab-
lished for the case of destitute children
were given TO the press to-day by Col.
John Tracy, superintendent OF charities.
The first, the Washington Hospital for
Foundlings, shows: Number rema lining
In hospital June 80, 1894, was 20; num-
Der admitted during year, 40; adoptions
during year, 9; deaths, mostly from con-
genital causes, 23 Number in hospital
June 80, 1895, was AZ.
The number of children has been so large
during the year that the expenses have
been greatly increased, and the directors
ask that the appropriation for 1867 be
increased to ST 900, as the indications are
favorable Tor a large increase in aDplica-