Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-19

Knowing how deeply interested the peo-
ple of the District of Columbia are in the
water supply which daily becomes less
adequate. and satisfied that Congress needs
IN such a matter but little prodding to do
its duty The Star proposes that the Sc
riously-concerned residents OF the District
Including members of Congressional peti-
ton the national legislature to retain In
The District of Columbia appropriation bill
the provision which will, IL 1t becomes
law. result in the raising of the dam at
Great Falls and considerable Increase In
the city's water supply. For some time
past there has been SO little Of water pres
sure that in some portions of the city
there has been absence of the necessary
fluid on all floors above the first. The city
grows steadily and unless the water sup
ply Increases at least as rapidly 1t will not
he long before there will be shortage even
on the ground floors OF houses on the
higher levels within the city limits. Col.
George II. Elliot the engineer officer In
charge of the Washington Aqueduct says:
1--WE are bound to have a water famine
There Is no escape from 1t. / simply want
TO anticipate the inevitable and shorten
the ordeal If possible. The water famine
is already upon u.s. 1t can only Increase.
creasing ratio every summer and winter
until the raising of the dam is completed"
This statement and a vast quantity OF
more technically-shaped information was
before both the House and Senate COM
mittees on appropriations. The House
committee and the House decided that the
proper thing to do would he to appropriate
the sum of si25O00 with which to raise the
dam to the necessary height. The Senate
committee and the Senate concluded that
further investigation ought to be had, and
striking out the $4,000 item put in its
place provision for a $4,000 investigation.
which. by the way, could not possibly add
one drop to the water furnished nor a mate
rial fact to the information already dis
played before the public gaze by the en-
gineer officers who have studied our water
supply Under the most favorable circum-
stances water consumers would not receive
any benefit from the dam-raising operation
until the latter part of next year; set an
investigation going and there must be at
least another year of delay and conse-
quent suffering without any compromising
advantage. With this extremely srave sit
uation facing this community. corre-
spondent who feels assured that agitation
has in il great possibilities for good, sug-
gested to The Star the printing Of a petit
ton blank and the forwarding of the filled
coupons to Congress. The idea assumes
shape today, and before noon tomorrow
there should be in The Star office many
thousands of responses. 1t Is essential that
the work be done speedily, for the con-
ference committee is expected to reach a
decision as to this most important matter
before the close of the present week. Citi-
Gems who are continually annoyed by the
inexcusable water shortage should see
to it with all haste that their own petitions
and those of their neighbors are turned in
at the earliest possible moment; citizens
who have not as yet been brought into per-
soHal contact with the lack of the most
essential of liquids should sympathize prac-
tically with their less fortunate fellow
beings and should bear in mind that unless
there is immediate application of the rem
edy for which The Star now makes de-
mand. they. too. will soon suffer and be
compelled to complain. The petition cou-
pom will be found upon the second page of
The Star at least today and tomorrow
There ought not to be an uncut CODY of
The Star in Washington tonight.