Evening star., 1895-06-14
THE WATER SUPPLY
Major knights Report on Testing
the Tunnel Conduit.
Low STATE OF THE WATER
Repairs That Were Made to the
Conduit.
REM WING EPOSIT

Maj. Knight. the engineer officer in
| charge of the water supply service OF the
District of Columbia, has made an inter
4 estng report to the chief of engineers of
| preliminary operations for testing the tun-
nel conduit between the distributing reser-
| voir and the Howard University reservoir
| and for increasing the water supply of the
| city.
The probable operations this month, Mai.
| Knight says, include pumping out the tun-
| rel conduit between the distributing reser-
vo.r and the Howard University reservoir,
| closing the four easterly shafts and filling
| the tunnel with water. The work of pump
| ing out and cleaning deposits at the Rock
creek and Foundry branch shafts has been
completed and preparations have been made
| FOR closing the Rock creek shaft. On the
| 2ith ultimo Maj. Knight inspected that
| portion of the tunnel between the water In
| Champiain avenue heading west and Foun-
| dry branch shaft, distance of about
9,1e0 feet.
| Measurements have been made over this
| sect.cn of the tunnel on which to base
estimates of cost of completion and by
| which to determine if any falling of rock
| results after the tunnel is subjected to
| pressure and the pressure is removed. A
boiler and pump have been set in operation
| at the east shaft. and proposals invited for
erecting standp:pe, 33 feet high. on the
curb of this shaft. 1t being proposed to
| keep the shaft open.
| The QuarTying of stone was continued
| under the project for increasing the water
| supply of the city by raising the height of
| the body of the dam at Great Falls two
| ana one-haif feet and resetting the cop
| ing stones.
| On the 9th ultimo the Secretary of War
| approved the location OF the Washington
! and Great Falls electric railway over and
1lr n tod NrafA To-
| works of the aqueduct, subject to certain
! conditions and regulations in accordance
with the provisions of the act incorporat-
ing the company. approved August %, 1894.
| Low State of the Water Supply.
In special chapter in regard to the
present low state of the water supply,
| MajcE Knight says.
During the work of improving the Dale
| carlia reservoir the distributing reservoir
alone is available for storage purposes. Its
| capacity is about 15I 100000 gallons when
| the water stands at reference 1i6 feet 1t
| is desirable that the water be kept to ref
| erence, 1H feet. but for only four days
was the reference 1i5 reached OF passed.
| and for sixteen days the water stood below
| ~. When the supply was stopped May
| ID. so that the conduit might be cleaned.
| the water stood at 14II5. 1t then fell to
| rainfall in the meanwhile. it did not rise
| more than 2G5 feet in seven days. At this
height it stood for three days. then fell
| ore foot in four days, standing at 1i2.G5
| on the morning of May 81. At this refer
| ence the amount stored is estimated at
| l04.oCo.oO0 gallons, or little more than the
daily consumption Of the city for two days.
| The reference of the bottom of this reser-
voir is 135 feet: the level at which 1t is
desirable to maintain the water Is LAG feet,
! as before stated. The above statement in
dicates how small is the present reservoir
water supply Of the city.
| As tbs level of the water in the dis
| tributtng reservoir. when the 4S-inch main
was first put in service was between 145
and 14S only. the above also demonstrates
that any lowering of the level of the wa
ter service in houses by more than from
three to five feet below such level in July,
1890. is not to be attributed to the low
condition of the water in the reservoir.
Repairs to the Conduit.
1.-The conduit was partially emptied May
81, and repairs made to the floor Of the
south connection at the Daiecarlia reservoir.
The paving Of this floor had become loose
and water escaped under it and the in
terstces into the reservoir. This reservoir
not being in service the water was wasted.
The paving was removed and concrete in
mass placed for n width and depth of about
three feet across the bottom of the open
ing for stop planks, the lower stop plank
being embedded in the concrete and thus
serving as a Sill. This occasion was also
utilized to remove deposits of brick and
mortar in the influent gate house of the
receiving reservoir. During the suspension
of supply, which lasted twenty-five hours.
the water in the distributing reservoir fell
from the level. 143. to 139.1S The conduit
was also partially emptied May l6. at
which time 1 inspected the bi-conduit at
the Dalecarlia reservoir, and also caused
its line to be instrumentally located and
its length measured. heavy deposit of
about eight to ten inches Of mud was found
in that section of the bi-conduit below the
eisht-foot tunnel, where the diameter is
enlarged to nine feet"
Removing Deposits.
The approved project for removing de-
pcsits from the conduit, Maj. knight says,
necessitatcs the emptying of the conduit
and considering the level of water in the
distributing reservoir, ii was attempted but
once during the month, on the 10th. Six
teen men were set to work loosening and
breaking up the deposit on the bottom and
sides of the conduit just above the north
connection of the Dalecarlia reservoir.
They carried this work a distance OF 3Sop
feet. TO point 800 feet above manhole 81
In tunnel No. on this section the deposit
was reported to have been about three
feet deep for length of 100 feet, and for
about 800 feet above the gates of waste
weir No. there was nowhere more N IN
from three to four inches. some places be-
ing clean. Above this the deposit averaged
from eight to ten inches.
Another force of men loosened deposits
for a distance Of about 5000 feet. working
up to a point about $50 feet south of ,he
ventilators near the distributing reservoir
The heaviest deposit found was from four
to ten inches. Though the loosening pro-
cess is followed by sluicing for about six
hours, Maj. Knight says it is found that
the removal of the loosened deposit is not
complete at the longer distances from the
waste weir gates. In the section of the
conduit above the Dalecarlia reservoir.
which, between waste weir gates is about
nine miles long. it may become necessary
to remove the deposits by taking them to
and cut of the different manholes
Electric wires We're attached to the iron
work of the Rock Creek bridge withL ut
proper authority. Maj. knight notified the
offending company, and they were prompt
| ly removed.
During this month 1t is proposed to COM
| plete the project for making four addition
| al weir openings at waste weir No. /, near
| Great Falls and carrying the end walls up
| to reference 1855.
At the Capitol.
The following program has been arranged
| by Prof. Fanciulli for the open-air con-
| cert at the east front of the Capitol this