Evening star., 1901-07-05
SUPPLY OF CAPITOL
THE BIG BUILDING TO RETAIN con-
TROL OF SPRING.
Method of Distributing Aqua Pura
In the Early Days OF the
District.

sity. which will receive it's supply of water
through the Lydecker tunnel. will In no
wise disturb the source from which the Cap
itol building has been furnished with water
for over sixty years The legislators may
therefore in the years to come continue TO
drink of the pure waters OF Smiths spring
This spring Is near the center of the reser-
yoir nearly two miles north Of the Capitol.
and in the construction of the reservoir II
has been preserved by wall OF masonry
around it, which is carried up to the
height of the basin, its use being thus Sc
cured for the solons for all time to come.
while the public will have the Potomac
fluid.
This however, was not the first water
system in the District outside the open
spring. and the we'll and pump When the
city was laid out there were nearly a nun
dred springs within the corporation lines,
and L'Enfant and his engineers noted that
the supply of water was sufficient Tor
population Of 10000. With the improve
ment of the city these springs were often
found at too great distance for the con-
venience of the inhabitants. and the ques-
ton OF sinking wells and locating pumps
was one Of the first subjects Tor consioera-
ton by the city councils. In OCTOBER, loOz,
in the first term of the councils, authority
was given the mayor when application
should be made by more than tWo-tnlros
OF netghDOrhOOd TO pEOSluc lOI tAC ~eHeSA
supply by pump. well. piping, hyurahts VI
Improvement of springs.
II the laying of pipe for the conveyance
Of water can be dignified as water works.
.City Spring" "Cafrray's," Fountain" or
Franklin Square and Capitol WINE
none was very extensive and the orig1nai
piping was of bored logs, water Is carrieo
over some of the routes today with IRON
pipes substituted for the logs While few.
If any. now living have personal kno"leuse
Of the first Improvement In this oiIectioh:
old books and papers and the TRADITIONS oi
Washington families prove tnat nIts yeass
anterior to the construction OF the WASH
ington water works the city had. outsfoe
of pumps and springs. few water systems.
though they were of small ana simple
character.
First System InauEurated.
The first of such systems OF which the
writer could find a record was the work OF
private citizens in 1902. About that perloo
Col. VIM. Crawford of Baltimore. who had
owned the lot on which the city spring was
located, on C street between Sd and 41a
streets. became the owner of lot 2. square
4e1 now in the Metropolitan Hotel site, ana
long known as the Indian Queen ana
Browns, respectively. He retained ior
himself and others who shouio JOIN MN M
paving the expense Of piping. an easement
to the use of the water from tnat spring:
A line of log pipe was accordingly ialo ana
the water conducted across 9th street TO
lot 2. and the pipes were tapped oy the oc-
cupants of the property on street;
In 1904 the corporation extended this sys-
tenn of pipes, the supply of water being
more than ample for those VINO hao con-
tributed to the cost of the original work.
Others on the square south were also utiliz-
ing the water The councils authorized the
laying of log pipes from Z street III otn
street to Pennsylvania avenue. ana aions
the avenue and the supply was carried 10
Ttt, ,ctr aatS 10
pump stocks at those streets when some OF
the older citizens of the Dlstrict Wen re-
member Havenners bakery, the Natioha!
Hotel. the extensive stabling at 6tn ana
streets the Circus afterward Walker q
KimmeIl's and Browns, were Supplieo
from this spring
The Next Effort.
The second pipelaying of the corporation
was In 9th street. south OF r street. Inns
was In 1902 and water was obtained from
a spring near the east front OF the Masonic
Temple, now beneath the pavement. inls
move was made at the instance OF fathef
Cafrray, pastor of st. Patricks Cnurch,
who noticed that the water was gong 10
waste and flowing into the run from n FRANK,
lin Square to the Tiber between 9th ana
10th streets. The work was done under tue
direction Of John P. Van Ness. Lewis MOTH
and John Sessford. commissioners. In tne
latter part Of 1859. and extended TO the
Pennsylvania avenue and along it, to 10th
street. modern hydrants being placed on
the avenue and D and E streets. Subse-
Quently from the 9th street pipes water
was carried along D and streets and iron
pipe took the place of the wood. and the
lines were extended still farther.
The water from the vicinity Of Franklin
Square was doubtless used by the inhabf-
tants before the corporate authorities took
1t in charge. On the east side Of 18th
street above X street spring on what was
known jenkins place had an outlet. and
on the west side of that street south of X
street was a stronger flow Of water. In
1916, under authority of the mayor and the
superintendent of Mr.. John Sessford. crm-
missioner of the first and second wards, a
log pipe was run down 18th street to E
street and thence to 14th street and the
avenue, where there was for many years q
pump
About 1918 a stronger stream was found
a little north Of the center of square 249.
directly west between 1 and K streets, at
that time a bog with here and there a
hummock. The Presidents house and the
two executive buildings of that period had
been supplied from other sources, mostly
by well and pump: and two other executive
buildings were In process of erection and
afterward occupied by the State and Navy
departments.
Lane. commissioner of public buildings and
grounds. an appropriation OF over $1,000.
under the act of March 3. 1919, for the pur-
chase OF lot and construction of pipe for
partments with water, and pipes were laid
during the years 1922 to 1928, first Of log.
from the spring to the Presidents house
ana the other buildings. The work was
zone as the construction of the new build
inSS progressed. Not half of this annro
prlation i was used for the purpose but In
ls29 the source Of the supply was pur-
chased by the government by securing the
tltie TO the square for $1,000 Several Years
,ater this line was made more permanent
py the substitution of iron pipe.
ntstn Ilor 10 TINS wells and pumps had fur
nlsheo water to the Executive Mansion and
tne east and west executive buildings, af-
.elWaro the treasury and Navy depart
mehts. ana connected with them were res-
/ erVeirs I Kept full OF water for use In case
Franklin Square Pipe..
Soon after, In the twenties. the corno-
ration pipes from the Franklin SQUARE
springs Were extended. lateral lines being
carried along F. q and other streets az
the improvements seemed to demand In
islo the councils authorized the construc-
Gon or reservoirs at the sites Of the nv
Grants. prescribing their dimensions to he
not less than ten feet square and eight