The times., 1898-01-19
LYDECKER's TUNNEL AGAIN
A Probability That the Project
Will Be Finished.
THE PLAN SEEMS FEASIBLE
It Is Believed That 1t Can Be Conn
pleted for Less Than Million
Doliars-NyiIl Insure an Adequate
Water SuppIy-Captain Bla,k ks
Recommendations.

The prediction is made by one in au-
thority that there is a large probability
that this Congress will take up and
carry through a provision for the COM
pletion of the immense project of the
Lydecker tunnel and the Howard Uni
vecsity distributing reservoir addition
TO the District water supply system.
which the public at large has been in
the habit of believing one of the monu-
mental exhibitions of fraud and incom-
petence of modern times.
This project has been the subject of
long consultations and very serious
consideration between the District
Commissioners and the District Con-
gressional committees Of Congress re-
Gently
On Saturday Capt. Black, the En-
ginecT Commissioner, was at the Capt.
tol nearly all day, with figures, plans
suggestions, and prophecies for the
people of the House most interested.
There will be more conferences and
more expert testimony during the ses-
sion. 1t is known that many Congress
men beside the District Commissioners
are heartily in favor Of completing the
work
1t has been decided that a grave mis-
take is being made in allowing the tun-
mel and reservoir to remain idle and
useless, where there is q great need OF
them, and further, il has been decided
. that the cost Of putting them into sue
cessful working order would be COM
paratively small. and by far the cheap
est method of giving the District an
ample water supply system.
Everybody knows that after the eX-
penditure of an immense amount of
money this distributing reservoir and
this four-mile tunnel from the receiv-
ing reservoir above Georgetown Were
abandoned in disgust in 1889, with the
general verdict that the whole plan
was impractiCable and that the whole
of the money spent had been lost for
ever ii was said that the rock through
which the tunnel was built was rot
ten and would never hold water. 1t
was said that all of the work had been
done in a slovenly and grossly incom-
petent manner by the contractors and
the engineers in charge. And finally IL
Was charged that there We're absolute
and ineradicable defects in the project.
This opinion has undergone a radical
change since that time, and experts say
that for less than million dollars both
the tunnel and the reservoir could be
put into practical working order, that
there is an absolute necessity for the
reservoir and that there is no other
way of conveying the water to the res
ervoir so economically as the tunnel
The utility of the reservoir, if in use
can be easily understood even by one
not familiar with our water system. It
would double our reserve water supply
and il would make the immediate sup
ply much more plentiful; in fact, en-
-tirely adequate at all times. 1t would
quell the periodical cry for water from
Capitol Hill and other high parts OF the
city, and give the people of those neigh
borhoods always plenty to drink and
battle with. Perhaps even more i'm
portant than that, potentially it would
give enough reserve water TO last
twelve days instead of six, as under
the present conditions.
Capt. Black, the Engineer Commits
sioner, is Very strongly in favor of the
completion of the project.
He said to Times reporter: There
can be no question of the absolute me-
cessity of the Howard University res
ervoir for an adequate water supply
for the city. That the plan is entirely
feasible and that ii would be the least
costly of any that would be successful,
is beyond doubt. ] am against ever at
tempting the work by contract again,
however"
Capt Black yesterday transmitted to
Congress a report as TO the necessity
for the completion of the Lydecker
tunnel. When he went before the House
Subcommittee on District Appropria-
tions last Saturday pleading for the
tunnel and also for use of water meters
as a remedy for the insufficient water
supply Of the District. he was asked by
Mr. Grout to present figures to DEM
onstrate the need of these improve
ments and also to show that the tunnel
and the prevention of waste would
remedy the lack of water.
The report says: The completion Of
the reservoir and Of some means Of
filling il viii bring the source of supply
for all practical purposes about four
miles nearer to the Capitol than il is at
present and win produce a correspond
ing increase of pressures at ali points
TO the south and east of the reservoir
and indeed its effects will reach to the
west nearly half way between the two
reservoirs. Figures are appended TO
the report showing exactly what may