The evening times., 1896-04-25

dents oftlIe neighborhood for squares around
obtained their daily drink. 1t furnishes i
supply that by an analyses often made is
shown To be entirely pure ana wholesome.
There are two bydrauts connected with
the Thirteenth street pipe, In c.ose prox-
unity, one on the corner of Thirteenth
street and New York avenue, the other
on the corner OF Thirteenth and streets
These supplied water i'll greater or less
quantities TO many OF the more prominent
public places, and to nearly all OF the resi-
dences md hotels.
Recently, for the first time in their his
tory, these hydrdnts refused 10 yield up
their accustomed beverage, and steps We're
taken at once to investigate the cause.
The Commissioners, as well as the water
department, were notified. and the pump
paired by workmen from the municipal
building, In the belief that the cause was
there, but this did not give the desired
result, water failed to materialize.
ONE sPIGoT CLOSED.
Further investigation showed that the
Thirteenth street spigot dt-the spring had
been closed, and the water turned into the
pipes leading to the White House. This is
resented with i good deal OF feeling by the
citizens OF that section. They contend
that there was ro necessity for this trans
fer.
At this particular period. it is averred.
the Presidents family remain at Woodley.
and are not at the White House TO consume
the water but that even If they were there,
no real necessity exists now. more than at
any previous period. for sending the sup
ply from both reservoirs to the Presidents
mansion.
The petition for relief filed today by the
propert y-holders calls attention to the con-
To
gestion that the water has been diverted
to another source This S designated as
much TO the annoyance and oetrimcnt OF
those who have for so long Il time enjoyed
the accommodation and privilege of its
use"
The paper is signed by William wroe, A.
r. Shonds. NJ. D.; James n. Miller, A. W.
Harvey NJ. D.:by officials of Columbian Uni
versity; by the Clarendon Hotel managers;
the Fredonia Hotel; NJ. f. Gilmore. at the
Epiphany Home: Arthur j Hall. 81. D.; Mrs
c. s. Morrison; Louis Kurt. W. II Widde-
combe. X. E. Redway and numerous others.
Several of the signers We're seen by a
Times reporter at their homes last evening
and good many caustic comments were
indulgcd in uron the great injustice done
to q large community for the sake of in
creasing the supply of water to a small
clerical force at the Executive Mansion.
HAS BEEN CUT OFF BEFORE.
Col. John NJ. Wilson. superintendent of
public buildings and grounds, was asked
il the water had been cut off from the
Thirteenth street pipes. He replied in the
affirmative sa ying that it had always been
the custom when one or the other of the
reservoirs got low to divert the tide of the
other TO it. and the White Eouse reservoir
was so depleted at this time that & be-
came necessary to increase the flow. This
had been done quite often at intervals.
he said. but he did not recall that the sup
ply in either had ever been entirely cut off
by that means.
He added that the Thirteenth street
hydrants were not under his charge, the
municipal government having control of
them. II has been said. he remarked, that
the supply in those hydrants might have
been exhausted by the unusual draft upon
1t at Thirteenth and F streets. where the
Metropolitan Railroad Company kept
stand for watering its horses, but he did
not vouch for this theory.
This was also suggested by Mr.. James
N. Miller, who had called the attention of
the officials of the road to it: but Others
who were interviewed said they had in
vestigated and found it to be incorrect.
They referred to past seasons when the
hydrants at the street corner had been
kept constantly open for a whole day
at time without reducing the supply at
points above.
The matter will doubtless be fully in
vestigated by the Commissioners.