Evening star., 1896-02-21
THE WATER SUPPLY
Proposed Completion Of the New
Reservoir.
GEN. CRAIGHILL WRITES A LETTER
Commissioners in Favor of Finish
ing the Tunnel.
CAPT. URRIS' EPORT

The prospects for increasing the water
supply of Washington are very good If the
Senate committee on the District of Co
lumbfa succeeds in carrying out it's plan
for this purpose. A few days ago Mr.. Nc
MILAN introduced in the Senate bill to
provide for the completion of the Wash
ington aqueduct tunnel Gen. w. p. Craig
hill, chief of engineers, has, in response to
communication sent to him by Senator
Mcmillan, made reply in regard to the cost
of completing the Howard University res
ervoir. which will be added to Mr.. McNIil-
lan.s bill. as 1t is a necessary part of the
system for increasing the water supply of
Washington. and should proceed in con-
nection with the work of perfecting the
reservoir. Gen. Craighill submitted the
following, which will be added to Mr.. Nc
MfllanS bill as an amendment:
provided, that the Secretary of War is
hereby authorized and directed to resume
work on the Washington aqueduct tunnel
and its accessories at the Howard Univer-
sity reservoir, authorized by section . of
the act of Congress, approved July 15 1882
entitled An act to increase the water sup
ply of the city of Washington and for OF her
purposes. and TO prosecute and complete
the same.
THE work on the said tunnel and acces-
sorieS will be carried on in accordance with
the plans of the board of experts, as set
forth in it's report dated January II, lS96,
which plans have been approved by the
chief of engineers and the Secretary of
War; and tc carry out the provisions of
this resolution the balance remaining un.
expended made by July Is, 1882 and by
subsequent acts for said purpose, amount
ing to $2GG. Ii6.3S. Is hereby made immedi-
ately available for expenditure to be APP
! piled to such parts of the works aud in
| such order time as the Secretary of
War may deem necessary to promote as
soon as practicable the completion of the
entire system of said works; and the fur
ther sum of $Si1 267.3O is hereby appro-
priated. 10 be paid out of aEy money in
the treasury rot otherwise appropra tad,
! and to be Immediately available (of this
sum $3.50 to be applied to thes compile
ton of the tunnel and its accessories and
sl9S,O133O to be applied to the completion
of the reservoir). Provided, that the sums
herein set apart and appropriated shall be
expended after TIE direction of the Secre-
tary of War and the supervision of the
chief of engineers. and the work shall be
carried on by contract or otherwise. as the
Secretary of War may deem best for the
public interests"
At meeting of the Senate committee
this morning Mr.. Mcmillan was authorized
to report favorably his bill No. 2l22 to pro-
vide for the completion of the Washington
aqueduct tunnel. and this wlr.fe done with
the above provision as an amendment. This
gives a complete plan for increasing the
water supply of the city and it receives the
hearty approval Of all the members of the
VIII receive the support of the House COM
mittee on the District of Columbia
Favored by the Commissioners.
Inc Commissioners today returned to
Senator Mcmillan with their approval the
bill which has for it's object the completion
OF the Washington aqueduct. They inclose
the following report of Capt. Burr, the en-
gineer officer in charge of the water de-
partment, upon the subject:
fhe object of this bill is to authorize and
require the completion of the Washington
aqueduct tunnel in accordance with the re-
| port of the plans of the board Of experts as
set forth In its report dated January IL
1896. and to make appropriation of the
| amount estimated by that board as neces-
about S9OO.OOO.
The Washington aqueduct tunnel is one
portion OF a general plan for increasing the
water supply of the city of Washington
The plan for this increase in the water sun
ply, authorized by act of Congress of july
ID, 1SS2. includes the. construction of :ddi-
tional reservoir facilities uhe Howard Uni
versity reservoirl. the connection of the
new reservoir with the existing reservoir
and with the Washington aGueduct. the
laying of mains from the new reservoir to
the city. the extension and raising Of the
dam at Great Falls, &c.
"Of these, the two last have been COM
pleted or are now provided for To COM
plete the system there remain the new
reservoir and the link connecting it with
aqueduct tunnel The completion of this
tunnel alone as provided in the present lflI.
would still leave the system Incomplete ,iA,s
! unserviceable. The completion OF the ne.l
| reservoir should be provided for at the
same time.
1t is Feasible.
"The act of March 2, 1885, provided for
an examination and report upon the COM
pletion of both tunnel and reservoir In ac-
cordance Herewith a report was made by
Major J. G. d. Knight, corps of eEs..neers
upon both the tunnel and reservoir, ard by
| board OF experts Upon the tunnel alone
These reports are to be found in House of
| Representatives Doc. 1G6, Fifty-fourth Con-
| gress. first session, of which a copy is in
closed herewith. The board of experts
| unanimously reports that it is feasible to
| complete the tunnel, with its appurten-
ances. ready for service. for the sum of
$S91, ,S31, and that it knows of no more
/ economical method for bringing an increas-
| ed water supply from the reservoir in
Georgetown to Washington. This estimate
| includes the completion only of tie tunnel
and its special appurtenances. 1t does not
include the completion of the new reser-
voir
Both Needed.
"The judgment of the chief of engineers,
| United States army, in which the Secretary
| of War concurs, is that the tunnel should
be completed as soon as possible and that
| the new reservoir should be completed as
| SpeeulIy as pOSSlDle. MAJOR Knight, In his
| report, estimates the cost of completing the
| reservoir at Sill, $50 tH. r. Doc. 166, D. 30
| and to provide for this work the amount
| appropriated in this bill should be in
| creased by say $4,000.
| THE Importance to the city of Wash
| fngton of the completion of this system for
increasing the water supply cannot be
| overestimated. At the time work was stop
| ped on this improvement temporary relief
! was afforded by the laying of one 4S-inch
! main, which in 1889 was expected with the
| other mains, to furnish supply sufficient
| for fifteen years. But in six years the con-
| sumption of water has increased to such
| an extent, due to the rapid growth of the
| city and the increasing demand for water
| facilities, that the supply mains are large
| ly overtaxed. The condition of the water
supply is little or no better than before the
| 4S-inch main was laid, and the supply at
some points, notably on Capitol Hill, is
| more deficient than at that time. No re-
! lief can be expected until the supply is i'm
| creased. If prompt action is taken, about
| two years must elapse before an increase
| can be had through the completion Of the
| tunnel, and both discomfort and danger
| must be experienced at times by residents
| in the higher localities. even if this work
| is undertaken at once. The completion of
| the tunnel and the new reservoir should
be commenced without delay, and pushed
| with all practicable speed. The passage of
| a bill making appropriation for this work
Is most urgently recommended