The evening times., 1900-06-13

nave psen hanging nre Ior some days were
disposed Of.
One of the first subjects taken up were
protests from Anacostia against the closing
of wei on Nicholas Avenue. opposite the
Birney School. These protests. which were
similar in character, We're fled by Benja-
min S. Stewart and by Albert Fortune and
others.
In his letter to the Commissioners Mr..
Stewart says that he voices the sentiments
OF many in writing against the removal of
the we'll Besides the surrounding neigh
borhood, Mr.. Stewart claims that this well
supplies hundreds of market people coming
in from the lower part Of the county. and
that it is the principal source Of the water
supply for drinking purposes for TWO
schools and two churches in. the imme
date vicinity. CONSUMING, Mr. Stewart
says:
I'VE feel that injustice has been exer-
cised by the experts in condemning this
water for what seems 10 be personal ag-
grandizement on the part Of those prompt
ing the movement 10 do away with the
well. The mere fact that good health has
prevailed throughout the community where
the water has been in use is sufficient
proof OF its purity
In this locality where the poor class
reside. TO take away the only source Of OBJ
tanning pure cold water would but place
upon US a condition which. few would be
able TO meet. The majority Of US. for If
teen years or more lave relied upon this
well for cur drinking water, and since the
most Of US are unable to procure ice IL Is
easy 70 realize the condition which would
exist if this well should be removed
There would be but one resource LETT,
namely TO dig individual wells, the ex-
F.TT utrsHN
this community
In reporting upon the condition Of the
well referred to. ". A. Mcfarland, the
Superintendent of the Water Department,
SAYS: "On February 8, 1900. the CHEMIST
of the Engineers Department reported the
water in this well as very suspicious OF
pollution On March Il 1900. the chem
list of the Health Department reported it
as suspicious. An examination made later
in the Office of the Washington Aqueduct
disclosed the presence OF the bacillus coli
in the water. In the absence Of instTHc-
tions to the contrary this well Will be fii!--
ed IN its regular turn"
The Engineer Commissioner has approved
the report Of the Superintendent % the
Water Department. and it is understood
that the other Commissioners viii acqul-
esee IN the decision
A petition from f. Spalding and forty
others protesting against the removal OF
the pump at the corner Of Thirty-fourth
and streets northwest The petition
states that the filling OF the well will
cause not only the signers. but many 9TH
ers. 10 suffer for the want Of good cool
water II is admitted that all the houses
I in the neighborhood have water in them,
/ but the claim is advanced that il is not
I as good as the water from the well. Thou
{ sands OF gallons Of water, it IS asserted.
are drawn from it every day. and that
( fact is assigned as a reason for the purity
I Of the supply. There being water in the
house. the petitioners see no valid reason
I for establishing a hydrant to take the
/ place of the we'll What they want is for
/ the authorities 70 leave the pump, and the
petition begs that il shall not be removed.
The Superintendent OF the Water, De-
/ partment encloses the reports OF the
Z chemist and says 10 the Commissioners
! that from these reports il Will be seen
that the chemist of the Engineer Depart
ment reported the water in this well as
very suspicious" on January 3, 1899
again on March s. 1899. and a third time
on December 4. 1889. On January 5, 1900,
/ the chemist of the Health Department re-
ports the water as contaminated and unfit
/ for use. A meteorological examination OF
4 the water made at the office Of the Wash
ington Aqueduet failed to show the pres
ence Of the bacillus coli. IN the absence
] OF instructions 10 the contrary the OrdefS
1 of the Commissioners. that this well be
| filled, will be executed. This report has
! been approved by the Commissioners.
H. Campbell Black. of 2516 Fourteenth
! Street northwest. has called the attention
| Of the Commissioners 10 the condition of
the paved alley which runs between Chaplin
Street and yelling Place. and parallel to
those streets. particularly with reference
| to its incapacity to carry on surface VIZ
| in times of heavy rains
| During one of the recent storms, Mr.
Black says, an immense volume of water
I descended this alley, which is laid out at
8 very steep grade and the water being
unable TO follow the course Of the alley
/ where it turns at right angles toward Cha
pin Street. it was swept with great vio-
/ lence across the rear Of Mr.. Blacks lot,
and that Of his neighbor next door. carry
ing accumulations Of sand and gravel, des-
troying an embankment and finding an out
let through the house OF the next neigh
Dor below.
Mr.. Black suggests that the conditions
of the neighborhood, with reference to the
drainage of surface water, may have been
unfavorably affected by the building of an
aparm ment house fronting on Chaplin Street
and extending back to the alley in ques-
tion. But whatever the cause, Mr. Black
thinks that as heavy storms are likely tC
occur at any time, action should be take 4
to provide the locality with the proper
surface drainage.
report OF the complaint of Mr. Blacb
/ from c. B. Hunt, the Computing Engineer
was before the Commissioners this morn.
ing, in which appears The following state
! ment:
Il personally examined the locality ant
cannot recommend any action on the par
of the District The alley alignment make
right angle at the point mentioned in tn
letter, and, in times of flooding rain, II,
water overflows the alley and runs througl
the yards of the premises beyond, whicl
are below grade.
'sThe only damage that resulted from tn
very severe storm to which Mr.. Black re
fers was due to the fact that premises 251
Fourteenth Street has a paling fenca
which, If provided with a substantial bas
board foot or more high, would have en-
tirely DETECTED this water, and as this Is
matter of dollar or two expense and j
clearly proper private expenditure, l rec
ommend that the writer be advised that
such a construction were made his propert
would be exempt from overflow in III
same way that the other houses are whiG
: have tight board alley fences"
The report of the Computing Enginee
0 was approved by the Commissioners.
A letter from D. j. Macarty calls atten
ton of the Commissioners to the co1ditio
| of the sidwalk in front of sol Florida Ave
| nue. and on Ninth Street side. Mr.. MaeaI
ty asks that the sidewalk in question B
examined aud placed in as good eonditio
e as it was prior TO its removal and replaca
, meDt by new one on the assessment plaI
: This is the third sidewalk l have ha
4 e = L. "a .