Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-12
WASHINGTON AQUEDUCT
Capt Gaillard's Report of the Operations
During the Month of May.
Condition of the Water SatfsfnctOry-
Raising the Height of the Dam
at Great Falls.

Capt. d. d. Gaillard, the engineer officer
in charge of the Washington aQueduct
has reported to the chief of engineers that
during the month of May the height of
water on the gauge at Great Falls varied
between 149 and 1896 feet, and that Its
condition has been more satisfactory than
for several months past. He says that the
water was thirty-cne or clear during the
entire month at the effluent gate house OF
the distributing reservoir while during the
same period it was slightly turbid or
worse for thirteen days at Great Falls.
He gives table of the condition Of the
water at various points on each day of
the past month. and says 1t shows that
while the reservoirs produced but little ef-
feet as sedimentation basins upon the color
of the water during the winter and early
spring. their effect has been very bene-
fetal in that respect during the past month.
Repairs have been made to the Conduit
road wherever necessary, and the dirt road
between the club house and Great Falls,
a distance of two and one-half miles, has
been put in good repair A force of men
was employed during the entire month
in cleaning bitches. drains ard culverts
and embarrassing buildings and fences,
and the work was nearly completed. Two
small leaks in the joints of the iS-inch
main on NJ street between sd and s:sd
streets were repaired. The widening of the
embankmentS at the cuverts between Cabin
John bridge and the Dalecarlia reservoir
and the pointing up of the parapet walls
of Cabin John bridge and No. :: bridge will
probably be completed during the present
month.
Captain Gaillard reports that considerable
progress was made during the month In
the work of removing accumula tons of de-
positS in the conduit, Notwithstanding
which there yet remains to be cleaned :a,2
feet of the by-oonduit at the Dalecarlia
nd foot ~ fha It,rf bx.-
tween the receiving and distributing reser-
voirs 1t is expected that this work will
be completed during the present month, and
that all of the longitudinal cracks in the
conduit will be fully repaired.
RnisinK the Height of the Dnm.
A portion of the report is devoted to a
description of the work in progress for
increasing the water supply of the District
by raising the height of the dam at Great
Falls During the month the reference of
the surface of the water behind the COM
pleted portion Of the dam in the Virginia
channel, in which work was being prose
cuted. varied from li9.S to- 15l feet, while
Its reference at the gauge at the mouth of
the canal feeder in the Maryland channel
varied from ! ~ to 1876 The first delivery
of stone made. by the contractor was re-
ceived at Great Falls on the 18th ultinlo.
Up to the close of the month 1854 cubic
yards of dimension stone and ~ cubic
yards of coping stones had been received
and accepted. Captain Gaillard says that
although the stage of the liver was by
no means specially favorable for work
during the month, We, not single work
Ing day was lost from any cause, and the
rate OF progress was very satisfactory, 81
linear feet of dam being completed.
The condition of the dam the LIST OF
the month is stated as follows: East of
Island Rock in the Virginia channel the
dam has been raised to reference of 100. )
feet for a continuous distance of LOGO )
feet, and the old coping has been removed
for an additional distance of forty-one feet.
Riprap revetment has been laid for dis
lance of 1.US}.5 feet.
West Of Island Rock the dam has been
raised to reference 1903 for a dis
lance of $50 feet and to reference
1872 feet for an additional distance
of eighteen feet. Beyond this last sec
ton the old coping has been removed for
distance of ninety-four feet. Riprap re-
vetment has been laid for a distance of
30 feet, and east of Conn's Island in the
Maryland channel for a distance of 100