Evening star., 1896-03-18
Interesting Discussion i1st q Its Meet
ing Last Night.
One DOLLAR GAS BllI APPROVED
Necessity Of Additional q Water
Supply Fully Shown.
POINTS OF THE DEBATE

Two or tine crying neeos OF washington
were considered at the meeting of the
board of trade. held last evening in the
hall of the Builders Exchange.
The first Of these was the need for a bet
ter water supply for the capital; the Sec
ond the general demand for a better quail
ty of gas for the city at a more reason
able price than holds at present. The two
matters were brought up In reports from
two of the committees Of the board.
To the resolution placing the board on
the side of better water supply there was
no objection at all and the members voted
in favor Of it with charming unanimity.
When it came to the matter of dollar
gas" however, there was considerably
more opposition than had been anticipated.
The special committee on gas and electric
light brought in a supplemental report,
which included a resolution favoring the
passage of House bill No. 6994 regulating
the price of gas in the District of Column
bia." Several members of the board ac-
lively opposed the resolution, and insisted
that it was not within the province of
such a tody as the bt ard Of trade to take
up such a matter under any circumst tances.
In the end, the resolution was adopted by
an overwhelming majority. The resolution
was tabled.
The meeting was called to order by Mr.
Theodore w. Noyes, the first vice president
of the board OF trade, and Mr.. John b.
Wight, the secretary, read the minutes Of
the last two meetings.
Report on Water Supply.
The first business of the evening, Mr.
Noyes announced, was the. report of the
committee on water supply This was a
special report, supplemental to the an
nual report of the committee. and was read
by the chairman, Mr.. Archibald Greenlees.
1t was as follows:
THE report of the committee on water
supply at the last annual meeting refer
red to the investigation of the abandoned
tunnel as being in progress, but the rec
concentrations to follow were not then
publicly known. Since that time. however,
the commission of experts conducting the
examination have rendered their report,
and have unanimol SLY recommended that
the tunnel be completed-using the follow
Ing language in their report
hen the amount necessary to COM
plete the present tunnel is considered, it is
our opinion that no other means can pro-
vide as economical and efficient method
for conducting large quantities of water
from one part Of the District to another :.
I'm conclusion, we have to report that
1t is our unanimous Judgment that 1t is
feasible to complete the tunnel conduit,
with its appurtenances, ready for the sery-
Ice for the sum Of 1897, ,S37.
This report has received the full ap-
proval of the War Department, and i'm
mediate action is urged by the chief IN
gineer of the army. General Craighill.
At the suggestion of Captain Edward
Burr assistant engineer comm! ssioner, an
additional sum of $685. has been add
ed for the completion of the Howard Uni
versity reservoir, without which the tun-
mel, even when completed, would be Of
little value.
From this 1t will be seen that the plan
for providing the District with an ample
lr Of <,f v.-hi ia1, thxa r,,l
been the leading feature. now stands ap-
proved by the highest engineering author
ity. That the board Of trade may under
stand what this recommendation, If car
ried out by Congress, will do for the city,
your committee will state briefly few rec
ognized facts:
4 Few Recognized Facts.
'1st. The natural capacity of the distrib-
uting pipes in the city at present is about
35,0o0.GO gallons daily. and If no more
than this was required, then an ample sup
ply would reach all the houses in the city,
easily entering the second story on Capitol
HILL AS n matter of fact, however, the
daily consumption is fully 50,OO0.OOO gall
Ions, under ordinary conditions, and
in requiring natural distribut ng capacity
of thirty-five millions to furnish fifty mil
lions, there folio VS. a serious loss of pres
sure. which is most greatly felt at the
points farthest from the reservoir; and for
that reason the water on Capitol Hill, for
example, instead of reaching the second
story is found only to reach the first story,
in many places. II follows also that every
million gallons additional that is forced
through the present supply pipes is fol-
lowed by an increased loss of pressure, un-
til the point can be reached when the wa
ter will not rise high enough TO enter the
first story of the houses in some sections
of the District.
This is the danger that now confronts
US. The consumption of water is increas-
ing yearly. Something mus: be done and
done quickly, or a most serious condi. ion
will follow from a short water supply. The
engineer department have done all in their
power-with the agencies at ther disposal
to give the citizens good water supply.
I'd. 1t will he remembered that an ap-
preparation was made at the last session
OF Congress for raising the dam of Great
Falls some 2h feet. This work Is now be-
ing pushed rapidly. and is expected to be
completed next fall. This increase of the
until an increased distributing agency is
also given. To utilize the increased quanti-
ty of water which will be secured by the
raising or the dam, there must also be pro-
V1ded additional supply mains, or as now
recommended, the completion of the tun-
mel and the Howard University reservoir.
Should this by the grace of Congress be
done, what would be the practical results?
Tue result, as to quantity. would be an
increase OF reservoir capacity from 3OO,-
o0o,U0O to GO0,UO0,OOO gallons, and an easy
and natural supply of seventy-five million
gallons daily, with pressure capable of
Carrying the water into the second and
perhaps third stories of all the houses in
the District. 1t is also estimated that the
supply thus provided for will prove ample
Tor all needs, for some years to come, Or
at least until the daily consumption reach
es seVenty-five or eighty million gallons.
When that is reached, then an additional
conduit from the falls to the receiving res
ervolrs, II constructed, will give plenty of
water for fifty years to come.
In order to give a more definite idea of
she result Oh the completion of our water
system as now Recommended. IT can he
stated that the water pressure on Capitol
Hill last August was IA pounds, and at the
pTesent time about II pounds. At one time
this winter it fell below that.Hand in very
coio weather Will do SO again. This pres
sure of II pourds carries the Water only Is
1eeI above the level of the pavement.
In pleasant contrast to this, 1t Is well to
Know that when this portion of the city
can be supplied from the Howard Univer-
slty reservoir, as provided in Senate reso-
luton No. "a, the pressure will be at least
as much as ~ pounds, and the water will
be 1orced forty-five feet or more above the
level of the pavement Ia
AT present. under ordinary conditions,
the supply Is inefficient; under more un-
favorable conditions the water supply is
sadly deficient. When the tunnel and How
ard University reservoir are made part
OF your water system, then the supply will
be amply sufficient under all conditions,
summer ana winter, and for years to come.