The times., 1899-04-16
THE CAPITALS WATER
CONDUIT ROADWAY
A Historical Path Within a
Beautiful Country Region.
Cabin John Bridge Among Its Dis
tinguishing Features.
It's Construction Begun Under Gov
ernment Direction. When Frank
lin Pierce Was President.

Plerce WINS PRESIDENT.
OF the many thousands who spin out the
Conduit Road TO Glen Echo and Cabin
John Bridge, awheel or in conveyances.
during the summer season, few realize the
Importance of the long macadam highway
1t is not generally known that although
the highway is kept in prime condition
for travel all the year around it is main
tanned by the Government for an entirely
different purpose. Paradoxically speaking,
it Is road that is not road-at least,
it is road that was not primarily intend
ed to serve as such. The Office of the high
way is to protect the conduits through
which the National Capital gets its water.
These conduits extend from the city TO the
source of the water supply at Great Falls,
and are known as the Washington Aque-
duct. 1t might be said by some longsuf-
fering citizen that the Office of any struc-
ture is not wonderful that cannot bring
better water to the city. This may be
true, and Washingtonians may have ex-
cellent reasons for complaining about the
condition of Potomac water, but the fault
is not with the aqueduct. 1t is the water
that is bad. On the other hand, the aque-
duct is regarded by engineering experts
as one of the great structural works Of
the country.
1t was begun November 3. 1858, during
the Administration of President Franklin
Pierce. The engineers who are credited
with having designed and built the works
were Montgomery c. Meigs, Captain of En-
gineers of the Army; Alfred l.. Rives, Will
liam H. Bryan, C. CroZet, c. G. Talcott,
William H. Hatton, E. T. d. Myers. Silas
Seymour, J. James R. Croes, and Theodore
B. Samo, civil engineers; Orville E. Bab-
cock, Colonel of Engineers, and at one
time Chief Engineer of the Aqueduct. The
estimated cost of the works was 81. 300, 600.
The actual expenditures between 1858 and
1867, while the structure was being built,
was s3,72S, ,267. About $3.50 is annually
appropriated for the maintenance of the
Aqueduct.
The conduit proper is Q feet in diameter
and circular in shape. Connected with it
are two reservoirs one for receiving and
the other for distributing the water sup
ply. The former is natural basin formed
by the construction of an earthen dam
across the valley of the Powder Mill
Branch. 1t extends over ffty-one acres.
The distributing reservoir is rectangular in
shape and covers forty-four acres. 1t was
built by excavating clay from the site and
excavation. The surface of the inner slope
is covered with slanting wall of rubble
masonry
The construction of so great an aque-
duct was not as difficult as many might
imagine. This was probably due 10 the
supervision of the engineer officers of the
War Department, who were in charge dur
ing the process of construction. Several
leaks have occurred at various times
,,-t,,
ment, but were speedily repaired and. the
embankments widened and strengthened
No leaks have occurred since then.
Along the line of the aqueduct are twelve
tunnels. varying in length from 626 TO 1856
feet There are six bridges. two of which
are world-famous. One of the latter
named structures is the Cabin John Bridge,
known as No. 4, which was erected at
cost OF s237, 600. The span measures go
feet. and is the largest single stone arch
in the world. The second bridge along the
route having more than national reputa-
tion is known as No. 6, or the Rock Creek
Bridge. II is now locally known as the
Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge across Rock
Creek. The peculiar feature of this struc-
ture lies in the fact that its arched girders
are large pipes, through which the water
supply passes over Rock Creek into the
city. These pipes are not only utilized to
carry the water, but serve also 10 support
the roadway of the bridge.
The aqueduct is eighteen miles long.
The Conduit Road which is built over the
mammoth ravines to protect them from
possible injury is one of the best maca
dam highways in the country. Nearly
every statesman since President Lincoln IS
| day has spent pleasant summer after
noon driving along this road. The road
way is high and commands an excellent
view of the pine-covered rock-studded
shores on the Virginia side of the Poto-
| mac, as well as of the placid waters Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal lying on the
Maryland and District side of the river far
below the roadway. Thousands of wheel
| men spin out the road on fair Sundays in
| summer. Any weekday wheelmen may be
seen going up and down the great path
| or availing themselves of the smooth in
clnes for coasting pleasures.
| Along its windings, in out-of-the way
| hooks, roadhouses have sprung up, and
there liquid refreshments such as will
| wash the dust out of the cyclists throats
are dispensed. Other great amusement en-
terprises also hold sway along the road,
and these resorts attract thousands with
| their operate entertainments during hot
! summer nights when the asphalt-heated
| pavements make living in town almost
| unbearable.
The Conduit Road may then be said to
| afford the city one of its chief sources of
pleasure, as well as furnishing protection
for the local water supply. The old Wash
ington and Georgetown Railway Company.
now the Capital Traction Company, was
| by act of Congress passed May II, 1852,
authorized TO construct double-track
| street railway across the tubular Rock
| Creek Bridge on the line of Pennsylvania
| Avenue. The bridge was completed in
| that year. By another act passed March
3. 1875, Congress gave the chief engineer
| Of the aqueduct authority to direct the
street railway company to remove its rails
| from the tubular bridge. The cars have
since been crossing the NJ Street Bridge,
| one block north of the tubular bridge.
Heavy wagons are required to cross the
same bridge, but the trafhc on the tubular
| structure is yet very heavy.