Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-14
MAJOR ALIENS REPORTS
Work on the River Front and the Washing
ton Aqueduct.
Progress Made Upon Both Improve
ments During the Month of Sep
TENDER Set Forth.

mac river, reports to the chief of engineers
that the construction Of the sea wall was
continued during the past month, and that
operations are also in progress on the tidal
reservoir. On the northeast shore of the
reservoir 240 linear feet of wall were built
The wall around the reservoir is now COM
pleted, except at the bathing beach and
near the site Of the inlet gates. The total
length of wall constructed is about $3.50
feet. On the Virginia channel front OF
section 2GO linear fee. of wall were built
from the level of feet to a level of feet
above low tide. The work of repairing and
raising the wall along the Washington
channel front of section Ill was commenced
en- the 21st ultimo. Operations were greatly
delayed, however, by high tides. AT the
end Of the month 30 feet of wall had been
built up to & feet above low tide and 100
feet were partly relaid.
Damage by the Storm.
The severe storm and hurricane of the
18th ultimo, which caused serious damage
to the steamers in the Washington channel,
also caused damage to the sea wall by
dredges and scows drifting against it. III
the tidal reservoir a sand dredge drifted
against the new wall on the northwest
shore, where the backing had not been
filled in, and pushed 80 feet of wall back
on the bank. Two scows drifted against
the new wall above the bathing beach and
looSened the top courses for distance Of
about 200 feet. On the Virginia channel
front of section II a drifting dredge struck
the wall about half way between the reser-
vofr inlet and the sewer canal and pushed
the stone out of place for distance OF 70
feet. large scow drifted against the wall
along the front of section 1, between the
sewer canal and Easby's Point. and knock
ed the top stones out of place In several
instances.
During the storm the tide rose to the
extraordinary height of feet above low
tide, and although the waves washed over
the banks with great fierce, they were so
well protected by the wall and grass that
but slight damage was done to the re-
claimed land. Major Allen says that
project for the expenditure Of 100000 ap-
propriated by the act of June 3. 1896 for
improving the Potomac river has been ap-
proved. II is proposed, he says, to expend
the greater part of the appropriation in
dredging In the Virginia channel, both
above and below the Long bridge. and In
repairs to the wall. Active operations
for the removal and reconstruction of pier
of the Aqueduct bridge have been defer
red until the early part of next year.
Washington Aqucduct.
Maj. Allen, who is temporarily in charge
Of the Washington aqueduct, has also
made a report of operations during the
month Of September. from which it APP
pears that the condition of the water at
various parts of the system during that
period was as follows: At Great Falls. tur
bid enc day, slightly turbid one day and
clea. twenty-eight days; at the Dalecarlia
reservoir effiuent gate house and at the
distributing reservoir eff1uent gate house.
clear thirty days. The water level in the
distributing reservoir varied between 1885
and LAG. During the month small repairs
were made to the Conduit road and the
cutters we're cleaned when necessary.
Leak In n Main.
A leak In the thirty-six-inch main at
College pond was uncovered and temporar-
lily repaired. So much water leaked into
the excavation from the canal that a per-
maEent repair cannot be made until some
occasion when the canal is empty. Three
small leaks in the forty-eight-inch main
on NJ street were also repaired The
storm Of the 18th ultimo destroyed most Of
the telephone line. the tin roof of the
watchman's house at the Dalecarlia reser-
voir. about 500 feet of fencing and large
number of trees along the Conduit road
The damage has since been repaired. The
painting ard repairing of the hlgh-serv1ce
reservoir nearly completed during the
month. The work of inserting blow-offs
and air valves in the thirty-inch and
thirty-six-inch mains was suspended OH
account of the non-arrival of the .neces-
sary materials.
Raising the Dam.
Good progress Is reported On the project
for increasing the water supply of the
District by raising the height of the dam
at Great Falls During the month the
contractor delivered 2O66s cubic yards Of
dimension stone and 7.93 cubic yards of
coping. Two hundred and four feet of
dam were completed. of which 155 feet
were in the Maryland channel and forty
nine feet were in the Virginia channel.
The total length of dam completed is 2,;'92
feet. West Of the western shore of the
Maryland channel the dam has been rails
ed to y reference of 1903 feet for con-
tinuous distance of 1.747 feet Beginning
at the east shore of the Maryland channel.
the dam has been raised to a reference of