Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-21
Proposed Completion of the New
Reservoir.
GEN. CRAIGHILL WRITES A LETTER
Commissioners in Favor of Finish
ing the Tunnel.
CAPT. RRIS' PORT


supply Of Washington are very good If the
Senate committee on the District Of CO.
lumbia succeeds in carrying out It's plan
for this purpose. A few days ago Mr.. Nc
MILAN introduced in the Senate bill to
provide for the completion of the Wash
ington aqueduct tunnel Gen. w. p. Craig
HILL chief Of engineers. has, in response to
a communication sent to him by Senator
Mcmillan, made reply in regard to the cost
or completing the Howard University res
ervoir. which will be added to Mr.. McMil-
lan.s bill. as it is a necessary part of the
system for increasing the water supply Of
Washington. and should proceed in con-
nection with the work Of perfecting the
reservoir. Gen. Craighill submitted the
following, which will be added to Mr.. Nc
MillaE'S bill as an amendment:
Provided that the Secretary of War is
hereby authorized and directed to resume
work on the Washington aqueduct tunnel
and its accessories at the Howard Unver-
sity reservoir. authorized by section of
the act Of Congress- approved July IL, 1882
entitled An act to increase the water sup
ply of the city of Washington and for other
purposes, and to prosecute and complete
the same.
THE work on the said tunnel and acces-
sories will be carried on In accordance with
the plans of the board Of experts. as set
forth In its report da ted January II, 1896
which plans have been approved by the
chief of engineers and the Secretary of
War. and to carry out the provisions of
this resolution the balance remaining un-
expended made by July To- 1882, and by
subsequent acts for said purpose. amount
ing to $266, 1868 is hereby made immedi-
ately available for expenditure, to be ap-
piled to such parts of the works and in
such order as to time as the Secretary of
war may deem necessary to promote as
soon as practicable the completion of the
entire system Of said works; and the fur
ther sum of 1891, ,267.3O Is hereby appro-
priated, to be paid out of any money in
the treasury not otherwise appropriated
and to be Immediately available (of this
sum StSS3.24 tn be applied to the compile
ton of the tunnel and it's accessories and
Slos,ol33O to be applied to the completion
of the reservoir). Provided. that the sums
herein set apart and appropriated shall be
expended after the direction of the Secre-
tary Of War and the supervision of the
ehief OF engineers and the work shall be
carried on by contract or otherwise as the
Secretary of War may deem best for the
public interests"
At a meeting of the Senate committee
this morning Mr.. Mcmillan was authorized
to report favorabiy his bill No 2122 to pro-
vide for the completion of the Washington
aqueduct tunnel. and this will be done with
the above prov sion as an amendment This
gives complete plan for increasing the
water supply of the city and 1t receives the
nearly approval Of all the members of the
committee. 1t Is believed that the measu
Will receive the sur port Of the House com
Hittee oH TIE DlStrlCt OF Columbia,
Favored by the Commissioners.
The Commissioners today returned to
Senator Mcmillan with their approval the
Dill which has for its object the completion
of the Washington aqueduct They inc]ose
the following report Of Capt Burr. the en-
g1neer officer In charge of the water de-
partment, upon the subject:
Ihe object of this bill is to authorize and
require the completion of the Washington
don wit
port of the plans of the board of experts as
set forth in its report dated January II.
1873, and to make appropriation of the
amount estimated by that board as neces-
sary for the completion of that work
about s9OO,OOO.
The Washington aqueduct tunnel is one
portion OF general plan for Increasing the
water supply Of the city of Washington.
The plan for this increase in the water sun
ply, authorized by act of Congress of July
10, 1882, includes the construction of addi-
tfonal reservoir facilities (the Howard Uni
versity reservoir), the connection of the
new reservoir with the existing reservoir
and with the Washington aqueduct, the
laying of mains from the new reservoir to
5he CITY; the extension and raising Of the
dam at Great Falls, &c.
or these, the two last have been COM
pleted or are now provided for To com
piete the system there remain the new
reservoir and the link connecting 1t with
the present supply; that is, the Washington
aqueduct tunnel. The completion of this
tunnel alone. as provided in the present bill.
would still leave the system incomplete and
unserviceable. The completion OF the new
reservoir should be provided for st the
same time.
1t Is Feasible.
The act Of March 2, 1885, provided for
an examination and report upon the COM
pletion of both tunnel and reservoir In ac-
cordance Herewith a report was made by
Major J. G. D. knight, corps of engineers,
upon both the tunnel and reservoir, ard by
a hoard Of experts Upon the tunnel alone.
These reports are to be found in House of
Representatives Doc. log. Fifty-fourth Con-
gress, first session. Of which copy is in
closed herewith. The board of experts
unanimously reports that it Is feasible to
complete the tunnel. with Its appurten-
ances, ready for service. for the sum of
$S97,S and that 1t knows of no more
economical method for bringing an increas-
ed water supply from the reservoir in
Georgetown to Washington. This estimate
includes the completion only of the tunnel
and Its special appurtenances. 1t does not
include the completion Of the new reser-
voir.
Both Needed.
"The Judgment Of the chief of engineers,
United States army. in which the Secretary
of War concurs is that the tunnel should
be completed as soon as possible and that
the new reservoir should be completed as
speedily as possible Major Knight in his
report, estimates the cost of completing the
reservoir at $111,9 1855 Oh. r. Doc. 166, D. 30,
and to provide for this work the amount
appropriated in this bill should be in
creased by say $112,00O
'The Importance to the city of Wash
ington Of the completion OF this system for
increasing the water supply cannot be
Overestimated. At the time work was stop
ped on this Improvement temporary relief
was afforded by the laying of one 4S-inch
main. which in 1880 was expected, with the
other MAINS to furnish a supply sufficient
for fifteen years. But in six years the con-
sumption of water has increased to such
an extent, due to the rapid growth of the
city and the increasing demand for water
facilities, that the supply mains are large
ly overtaxed. The condition Of the water
supply is little or no better than before the
4S-inch main was laid. and the supply at
some points, notably on Capitol Hill, is
more deficient than at that time. No re-
lief can be expected until the supply Is in
creased. II prompt action Ia taken, about
two years must elapse before an increase
can be had through the completion of the
tunnel, and both discomfort and danger
must be experienced at times by residents
in the higher localities, even If this work
is undertaken at once. The completion Of
the tunnel and the new reservoir should
be commenced without delay, and pushed
with all practicable speed. The passage of.
a bill making appropriation for this work
Is most urgently recommended"