The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-29

adding to the deposit for reclamation of
the flats
THE slowness of dre6 ging operations.
however, has PERMITTED shoaltng OF
a part of the channel above the bridge,
50 that the maximum draft at mean low
tide which could be carried over this the
shoaleat part of the Improvement was on
June So 1900, fifteen feet. \ short lar
has also recently formed at the entrance
to the Washington Channel, the max mum
draft over which at the same stage is
seventeen feet. With these exceptions
the Washington Channel has a depth OF
twenty feet, and the Virginia Chanel the
same, after leaving the bar above Ling
Bridge. 1t is expected to remove these
shoals under a new contract during the
coming fiscal year.
Commerce of the Port.
'The benefits to navigation from the
improveln snts have been marked. Yes
sells can come to Washington loaded
more heavily than was formerly the case.
The value of the commerce to be benefited
may be judged of by examination of tie
following table. showing the commerce of
the port of Washington. in tons. from
1881 to 1899 Inclusive:
In 1882, 618.972 tons; 1888. 5S1, 575
tons; 1889, ass, $50 tons; 1890, 519, $50 tons:
1891, 551 21S tons; 1892, 1855 954 tons; 1893.
653, 433 tons; 1894, 644.5SS tons; 1895. $685.
$50 tons; 1886, 723, 657 tons; 1897. 500, eS4
tons; 1898, 645, 2S9 tons: 1899, 1859 tons.
The items of work remaining to be
completed are as follows: The dredging
and redredging of the Virginia Channel.
the redredging CT the Washington Chan
mel. and the raising CT the remainder OF
the reclaimed area to the required height,
the dredging of the tidal reservoir, the
completion of the sea wall, the construc-
ton OF the reservoir inlet, and the com
pletion of the training dixie on the right
of the Virginia Channel above Long
Bridge
Five hundred linear feet of sea wall
will have to be built at the northeast cor
ner of the tidal reservoir in case the
bathing beach shall ever be discontinued
The sum of 5000, Geo can be probably
expended during the fiscal year ending
June 80 1902, in dredging the tidal reser-
voir, building the inlet gates. dredging the
channels OF the Potomac and depositlng
the dredging material, and extending the
dixie"
Ii reporting on the Aqueduct Bridge it
is shown that s., 095. So was expended in re-
lars during the year, leaving balance
OF SIS. 535.37 IN speaking of the Memoir
ial Bridge across the Potomac, the report
says:
f.Desisus and estimates for the bridge
were obtained from four of the most dis
tinguished American bridge engineers.
each of whom associated with himself at
least one architect. of established repu-
tation and ability. The designs were all
very complete the estimates accurately
and carefully made, and the competition
in every way gratifying. The board rec
commended that design No OF those sub
mitted by Mr.. W. H Burr be adopted,
with minor notifications taken mainly
from his design No. /, the cost OF when
notifications the detail in which his plans
had been worked up rendered susceptible
of easily and accurate estimating The
estimated cost OF the design as recon-
mended is 81, 500, 000-
washtnEton's Water Supply.
In the report on :he water supply OF
Washington the report says;
Measurements Of the daily and hourly
consumption and waste Of water were
made zach month and gave daily aver
age of rs, 459, ST. gallons The consumption
and waste measured on June 20, 1900, were
found to be 1885,, 227 gallons per diem.
This is the largest June measurement ever
taken The United States Census of 1860
gives the population of the District OF
Columbia as 27S,T1S. which gives daily
per CAPITA consumption and waste of 1S3
gallons This shows that there is reck-
less waste of water IN the District
Careful and trustworthy Investigations
made in various cities in the United States
show clearly that a daily per capita con-
sumption of Ice gallons is ample for all
domestic. business, and public purposes,
and that any considerable increase above
this amount must be attributed to waste
This extravagant use of water has be-
come a serious menace to the supply OF
water by the Washington Aqueduct with
It's present capacity-76,0 900, eco gallons
and at the rate of increase the ultimate
limit would be reached in about twelve
years
The pTesen consumption and waste
have also an important bearing on the sub
ject C filtration. a report on this subject
was called for by Congress and was sub
mi.tei March 80 1900. 1t is probable that
the cost of filtration will be about $6 per
million gallons, or at the present rate Of
consumption about $500 per day. or $4,000
annually. This is a large charge, and can
be reduced only by a reduction in con-
sumption.
In the opinion of the local engineer off,
Ger in charge of the aqueduct, the existing
conditions suggest two remedies-either
the reduction of the consumption to a rea-
sonable rate, 100 gallons per capita per
d1eIn, Dy the use OF meters, or the IN
crease of the present supply to keep up
with the present demand by the building
OF a second conduit from the Great Falls
of the Potomac. The necessary surveys of
practicable routes for this conduit should
be taken in hand at once, and an estimate
for this work is submitted by the officer
in charge
''As a result Of Investigations in prac-
teal filtration carried on during the year.
it was found that the Potomac water as
supplied to the city of Washington could
not be satisfactorily filtered by the Eng
Iish or slow sand filtration. but that good
results could be obtained by the rapid or
American method"
Care of Public Buildings.
The report on the care of public build
ings and grounds in the District of Column
bia contains the following:
THE Executive Mansion has receivsd
the usual care and such repairs and i'm
proyemeIsts as the funds available would
admit The electric Hight and power ga
bies have been placed underground in the
concrete tunnel constructed last year ard
new lead-coyered cable placed in posi-
ton for the automatic telephone service.
Tie blue parior as been redecorated and
reTurnlsed- Some new carpets, window
draperies, lace curtains, and other fur
nfshings were purchased. The conserva-
tory was reprinted, repairs made to that
building and to the greenhouses. and re-
pairs and improvements made about the
stable.
THE Washington Monument and its
steam and electric light machinery have re-
ceiVed necessary attention, repairs having