Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-12
ROCK CREEK TERRACE
Petition Of Taxpayers for a Desired
Improvement.
fROMPARK TO PENNS7LVANIAAVENUE
The Intercepting Sewers and the
Part They Perform.
COLONEL BRAMHALL'S VIEWS

citizens OF Washington and Georgetown
have signed a letter to the District Com
rlisSioners requesting their influence to
have the banks Of Rock creek terraced
and otherwise beautified from Rock Creek
Park to Pennsylvania avenue. This letter
will be presented in few days to the Com
Tissioners by a committee selected for the
purpose.
In speaking of this matter and Also of
the improvements made by the govern
ent during recent yea.s-scme of which
are in progression the welfare of the citi-
zens who reside in the vicinity of Rock
creek. Col. William l.. BramksIl today said
to a Star reporter:
Tine upper Rock creek intereepting sew
has been completed down to the street
lridSe for year two, extending UP the
east side of the creek. through Geological
Park as far as the mouth of Piney branch;
thence along the branch to the 18th street
road
There have been several sewers of vari-
Gus sizes discta-ging their contents into
Rock creek On the east side the :en-foot
Foundry sewer at the = street bridge: a
PIPE sewer at o street: the ten-foot Slash
Run sewer at the bend of the creek be-
tween I'D and I'D streets: Ole at NJ and
y streets and Pennsylvania. avenue and
others below that point.
The Pipe Sewers
"on the west side of the creek number
or pipe sewers have also been discharging
their contents into the creek
About 4 year ago the engineer DEPART
ment of the District. under the direction of
Capt Beach. assistant to the Engineer
Commissioners. began the construction of
the main Rock creek intercepting sewer,
having d diameter of about six feet begin
ming at the river trent and running I'D 11th
street under the abutments of the PennsyI-
Nanla Avenue and NJ Street bridges; thence
along the winding of the creek until it
united with the upper Rock creek sewer
and the boundary sewer just north of the
Street bridge. The interception there
with was completed three weeks ago to-
day
AS the work progressed along the creek
connections were made with all the sewers
emptyinS into the Geek by which the sew
age Intercepted.
'On the Georgetown side the sewers have
been cut off and carried by the mos, con-
venient course along the higher levels down
TO NJ street, where the sewage has been
conducted across the creek in an iron pipe
suspended under the NJ Street bridge and
emptyihg into the intercepting sewer be-
fore mentioned.
This iatercepting sewer. as an example
of engineering ability and ingenuity, de-
serves the highest Commendation.
To illustrate the manner by which this
s!x-foot intercepting sewer carries off the
sewage discharged through many small
sewers, and also that from two
having Il diameter of ten feet each, it is
necessary to describe the manner by which
it is intercepted For instance. in the case
pipe is inserted two or three hundred feet
above the point of discharge into the
creek, Immediately below which point of
interception dam is constructed equal to
the capacity of the pipe interceptor This
forces all the sewage into the pipe inter-
-ceptor. through which 1t is carried down
into the intercepting sewer.
Effects of Storm.
in the event of a heavy storm, the first
flow of ctorm water into the Slash run
sewer cleans out the sewage, and carries
1t into the pipe interceptor until the vol
ume of storm water becomes SO great as
to force it's way over the dam, from which
II finds its way into the creek, carrying
with it only such sewage may be de-
posited in the sewer during the contin-
uance of the storm. or until the flood of
storm water ceases to be greater than the
capacity of the pipe intercep:or.
An these sewers Intercepted are con-
Dected and operate in the same manner:
Many people passing over the bridges and
along the creek, seeing the open mouths OF
these sewers at the margin of the creek.
imagine that because they are there they
must be emptying sewage into the creek.
but a glance will show that there IS 10
current OF water or sewage from them, en-
ccpt IN the event of 4 storm, II being car
r,eI off to the river in the interceptinS
sewer.
THE plan of sewage disposal adopted
some years ago by Congress, in accordance
with the recommendation OF three OF the
most celebrated civil engineers conversant
with such matters. under the appointment
OF the President, contemp!aies the extern
sion of the whole system of sewers, down
to Il point on the Anacostia river adjacent
TO the James creek canal from which
point it is TO be forced through siphon
under the bed of the river to distant
Uctnt down the Potomac This plan is
feing carried out as rapidly as the funds
at the disposal of the engineer department
viii admit of.
Although the sewage heretofore empty
ing into the creek above the NJ street
bridge has been entirely and completely
intercepted, there has been no rainfall by
which the deposits of sewage heretofore
made in the creek would be washed out,
and 1t still emits. heretofore, its I'M
savory odors. and will continue to be a
menace to the public health until it Is
cleared oG. by a good freshet. and when
that arrives. II is of the greatest import
ance tia: the authorities should that
the lock of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Company. at the mouth OF the creek be
opened wide to let out the foul accumula-
ton
- Arch Suggested.
'Abou: five years ago, representations
having been made to Congress of the foul
condition of Rock creek as an open sewer
end the necessity for some action to not
oTly abate the nuisance. but to cover it,
and 10 reclaim the land, it was urged that
by coniemnina the valley of the creek and
constructing an arch OF sufficient dimen-
elOns 10 carry the storm water of the creek
from the line of Massachusetts avenue ex-
tnoSa aoWh 80 the river, and the filling in
10 n proper grade the valley of the creek
after extending the streets across such
area, the land so reclaimed could readily
be sold to private parties for more than
sufficient 10 cover the entire cost OF the
work. including the amount paid under
condemnation
The Senate thereupon, July Do 1892
passed n resolution calling upon the En-
gincer Commissioner TO prepare plans and
estimates for the work. ard also to esti-
mate the value of the land reclaimed
Capt. William y. Rossell then Engineer
Commissioner. and his two assistants
Captains Lusk and F1ebeger entered up-
en- a careful and thorough examination Of
the whole question. subsequently reporting
tat, owing to- the large drainage area of
Rock creek-over seventy-seven square
miles. 6ye-ssxtbs Of which Is I'm Maryland
and the possibility of severe and prolonged
transforms in the future, II would be both
difficult and dangerous. as well as enor-
mousiy expensive, to construct an archWay
OF adequate proportions
THE wordpcf Capt Rossens report on