Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-19
Col. Elliot's Letter in Regard to the
Great Falls Dan.
WHAT Is NEEDED IMMEDIATELY
Proposed Amendment to the Ii
cense Law as to Clubs.
OTHER DISTRICT MEASURES


of the army. has replied to an inquiry made
by Mr.. Mcmillan. chairman of the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia, in
regard to the water works of the District
Col. Elliot says:
''The extent of the water rights at Great
Falls owned by the government has never
been determined, judicially or otherwise
My own belief Is that the United States
owns at least one-third of all the water
rights there, and probably much more.
This belief is founded on the facts stated
in my report of March 20. 1894, and the map
which 1 compiled to accompany this report
The only judicial decision touching this
question is the decision of the Court of
Claims of 1879, in the case of the claim of
the Great Falls Manufacturing Company
against the United States for $JO0.0OO for
damages by reason of the abuttinS on
Conns Island. an island belonging to the
channel of the river. The award was
against the United States for sl5,692). but
the decision has but little bearing on the
question. for the reason that the decision
was mainly founded on an agreement be-
tween the Secretary of the Interior and the
claimant in 1862 as to the amount of dam
age, which agreement the counsel for the
United States in the suit of 1879 claimed to
have been Illegal.
"Since the decision of 1879 the United
States extended its dam across Conn's Is
land and also across the Virginia channel
of the river, and this work gave rise to the
enormously excessive claims for damages
against the United States stated in my
port, which claims nave never been settled.
'"The top of the dam. which extends
from shore to shore Of the river and is
about 1908 feet long, was at reference,
that is to say. 14S feet above low water
at the navy yard in Washington. An act
of Congress passed at its last session di-
rected that the dam be raised two and
oia-half feet. This raising Of the dam,
which is now in progress, will doubtless
he the basis of additional claims against
the United States. and l understand that
the Great Falls Manufacturing Company,
or rather its successor, the Great Falls
Power Company. has already taken steps
leading to such claims
THE amount of water now taken from
the river at Great Falls is about 50.00o.00O
gallons per diem.
The amount of water that can be taken
from the river at Great Falls by the exist
ing conduit when the raising of the darn
shall have been completed is about 49,
01o,0Oo gallons per diem. This is under
the supposition that the water in the dis
tributing reservoir west of Georgetown is
20 be kept up to it's proper height of 1i6
feet above datum: that the new reservoir
near Howard University and the tunnel
leading to this reservoir from the dis
tributing reservoir commonly called the
Lydecker tunneD will be completed: that an
increase in the carrying capacity of the
system of pipes within the city will, from
time to time, be necessary, and that this
necessary increase in capacity will be made
up to capacity required for the distribution
of ,ne above mentioned quantity of water.
This supply Of about 75.o0O,00U gallons
per diem will probably be sufficient for a
period OF about nine years, or until 1865.
when an additional supply from Great
Falls by means Of an additional conduit
will be required.
Railroad ON 18th Street.
Mr. H. l.. Crawford has written to the
TO on he, Strio of
bia in favor of the extension of street
railroad to Mt. Pleasant and the Geological
Park. Mr.. Crawford says that there is an
urgent and widespread demand for mod
ern street railroad direct to these localities,
SO that people can reach them from the
city for one fare. He says that from his
examination of the District map it is very
apparent that 18th street from II street to
Mt. Pleasant and the park is the most di-
rect route and divides more equally the ter
ritory between 14th street and Connecticut
avenue than any other route.
A Reassessmcnt Bill.
At the regular weekly meeting of the
House District committee today favorable
report was agreed upon on the bill author
izing reassessments in cases where general
taxes or assessments for local improve, ents
in the District of Columbia may be q" he'd,
set aside or declared void by the Supreme
Court of the District, by reason Of some
technical defect
To Regulate Storage.
A favorable report was also made on the
bill to regulate storage in the District the
committee accepting the bill heretofore
ported by the Senate District committee and
which has been published in The Star.
Future Hearings.
The committee decided to give hearing
ncxt Saturday at II o'clock on the bill au-
thor!z.ng the Falls Church and Potomac
electric railway to extend its line into the
District.
A hearing will be given Monday, March
2, at 10 80 o'clock, the Sunday rest bill.
The committee will hold another executive
meeting next Friday morning to constIer
such lis as may be reported from sub
committees
For u Fnrmers' Market.
Mr.. Wellington has introduced bill in
the House directing the Commissioners to
assume control of, and use as farmers
market, the open space at the intersection
Of Ohio and Louisiana avenues with 10th
and 18th streets, the said open space being
bounded by B street, Little B street. and
10th and 18th streets northwest, which the
city of Washington was authorized to hold
and use as wholesale market by the act
of Congress approved May 70. 1870, entitled
AN act to incorporate the Washington
Market Company"
The Commissioners are required to i'm
prove the open space with a concrete and
asphaltum, or other suitable pavement; to
IL troduce water, and to provide necessary
sewerage, and to erect thereon such suit
able open building as may be necessary for
the protection of the country produce that
may be brought there for sale, and 10 cover
the same with suitable roof, which shall
extend over the whole Of. said open space
ard over the abutting sidewalks; to provide
for the improvements and building the
Commissioners are directed to issue bonds
not to exceed 100000, payable twenty-five
years after date, bearing 3.65 per centum
interest per annum, payable semi-annually.
The Commissioner are directed to estab-
lish such reasonable charges and fees for
the occupation of space and stands and
stalls in the building as will provide prop
er sinking fund for the extinguishing at
their maturity the bonds issued under the
authority Of this act, to provide for the
payment Of the intere at on the bonds, ald to
defray the necessary expenses of manage
ment of the market; the building shall be
uk ed as q market for the sole accommoda-
ton Of actual producers Of farm products;
the Commissioners shall make such regu-
lations and appoint such officers to control
the market as they may deem expedient,
and set ASIDE for the sratuftous use Of tran