Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-03
WATER AND STREET LIGHTS
Captain Burr Makes His Report to the Com
missiones.
Supply OF Water Has Been Innde-
uuate to the Demands-The Light
ing Problem II Difficult.


&c, in charge of the division of water and
light of the District. today presented the
annual report of the operations Of his office
covering the last fiscal year. Under the
important head Of water distribution he
says:
1.-THE supply of water available for the
use of private consumers has at times been
very inadequate 10 the demands upon it.
The last increase i'll the supply system was
completed in 1890, when the 4S-inch main
was put into service. The demands made
upon the supply system have been much
greater than was anticipated. and the con-
sumption of water has increased in five
years beyond the capacity of the supply
system, which In 1880 was considered am
pie for at least fifteen years. The increas-
ing consumption is due mainly to the rapid
growth of the city in all sections, but par
ticularly in the higher areas supplied by
the 4S-inch main. Pressures taken on the
liz es Of the large supply mains Indicate
a general lowering of tine pressure in the
mains from that existing In 1880 after the
last increase in the water supply"
Lydecker Tunnel
Referring to the report of the commits
sion appointed by Congress to examine
the Lydeoker tunnel Capt. Burr says:
1T cannot be too urgently recommended
to Congress that the resumption of work
on this enterprise be authorized and that
it be pushed to completion with all the
speed consistent with its proper execu-
ton. With prompt action no relief can
be had for at least two years. Much in
convenience, distress and danger are now
continually experienced from the present
inadequate supply of water. and these con-
ditions are becoming more aggravated with
the Increasing demand"
Capt Burr refers incidentally to the sub
Ject of drinking water and points out the
benefit derived from deep wells. He urges
an appropriation of $4,000 for this pur-
pose next year.
Street Lighting.
Under he head of street lighting he
says:
The service has been about the same
as heretofore. The streets of this city are
most difficult to light owing to the great
number of shade trees on the curb line.
The heavy shade makes the use of large
electric light at wide intervals generally
unsuitable, and the limited appropriations
make 1t impossible to extend this system
even to all the streets where the trees
Will permit.
The trees are generally SO located SO
near the curb line that the lamp posts
have to be set on practically the same line
as the trunks of the trees, SO that even in
winter, when trees are bare of leaves, the
streets look gloomy a night as compared
experiments have been made with view
to change in the type of lamp post and
lantern to obviate this difficulty, but so far
without developing anything that can be
considered a satisfactory solution of the
problem.
The street lighting service, so far as the
appropriations permit, has been satisfac-
torily executed. With the use by the con-
tractor of naphtha lighting of an excellent
burner and a number of his own lanterns
fitted for that special lighting. this service
has been. during the past year, as salts
factory as its limitations will permit. A
number of gas lamps in alleys he replaced
by naphtha to obtain the benefit of the
all-night lighting provided for in the con-
tract for naphtha lighting With the adop-
ton of all-night lighting in the gas serv-
Ice, these of a schedule of 3.76O hours per
annum in the gas lighting service from
July 1. 1896, an important advance has
been made. This number Of hours of light
ing should be exclusive of the time re-
quired to light and extinguish the lamps,
and the act making appropriations for this
service should be SO worded as to remove
the existing uncertainty to this point.
A marked increase is asked for in the ap-
propriations for street lighting. The exist
ing service is not satisfactory or in keeping
with the high standards maintained in the
other branches of the city government.
Nearly all the city streets are hut fimly
lighted, and many streets and populous al
leys are not lighted at all. In many of the
suburbs improvements are rapidly going
forward and there are not Suffc!elt funds
for establishing the absolutely necessary
lights even in those suburbs that are prac-
tically part of the city. The change from
horse to power traction is steadily gong
forward on city transportation lines, and all
streets occupied by power traction Fines
should be we'll lighted with electric arc
lamps. The installation of electric lamps
on the line of the Columbia railway, from
14th street and New York avenue north
| west to 18th and streets northeast. and a
portion Of the lines of the Metropolitan
Railway Company will be accomplished
during the present year. The extension Of
the arc lighting service SO as to include all
streets occupied by rapid transit lines Ia