Evening star., 1901-11-25
The Aquedues Tunnel at Last Being
d Used.
WORK BEGAN TWENTY YEARS AGO
Slowly Filling the. Howard Uni
versity Reservoir.
EFFECT OF GREATER SUPPLY

ington aqueduct tunnel this morning, and
as soon as the Howard University reser-
voir is filled the distribution Of water into
the mains of the city will take place from
that source. 1t VIII probably take about
ten days to fill the new reservoir by the
gradual process being pursued and after
that there will be about fifteen feet of adj
dit1onal pressure all over that part of the
District now being supplied under the low
pressure service.
This will give the relief so long needed
on Capitol Hill and other elevated parts of
the city not now supplied by pumping. 1t
Will make bath rooms possible on third
noors without pumping, where they have
been possible only as high as the second
hoor In the past. 1t will make fountains
flow five or ten feet higher all over the
city, while the garden hose will throw a
stream about ten feet further than it has
in the past.
The conduit commonly known as the Ly-
oeckef tunnel, was begun in 1882. In 1888
1aulty construction was discovered when
the work @ was vas thought to be practically
completed The space between the rock
Cnfough which the tunnel was excayatea
ana the brick lining was not properly
niled IN and great deal of 1t was not filled
In at all. A scandal followed and the work
OF the contractors ceased, the government
Wlthholding 10 per cent Of the contract
price as provided to protect it in just sucn
an emergency. From that time until 1898
no work was done on the tunnel, which
was regarded as practically abandoned.
In that year construction on 1t was re-
sumed with the result that after an ex-
penditure of about 100000 1t was put
In active service of the District today for
the first time.
AT BIO O'Clock this morning one of the
gates at the west gate house located on the
edge OF the old distributing reservoir on
conduit road was partly opened, allowing
the water to flow into the well of the gate
mouse and thence to the shaft fifty feet to
the east, connecting with the tunnel The
water came out with a rush and leaped on
It's way to the new reservoir.
Filling the Reservoir.
A plan for filing the Howard Uniyer-
sity reservoir was adopted with view of
not interfering in the slightest degree with
the distribution Of water throughout the
city.
In order to put 10000, 600 gallons Of wa
ter In the new reservoir without interfering
with the city's supply a part Of it has al
ready beer supplied through the 4S-inch
main. until THIS morning there was a
depth of ten feet of water in the deepest
part of the reservoir, where the water will
filled. ~
Engineer, omcers on Hand.
Shortly after the water was turned into
the well Gen. Gillespie, chief of engineers:
Col. A. M. Miller, the officer in charge of
the Washington aqueduct, and Lieut. G. NJ
Hoffman. assistant in charge, visited the
| west gate house to inspect the work
1t took about three hours to fill the con-
| duits with water, which was turned into
it slowly in order that the level of the old
distributing reservoir should not be reduced
/ sufficiently to interfere. with the supply Of
| the city. The same plan win be continued
until the new reservoir contains about 300,-
100000 gallons of water or about six DAYS
supply for the District. This will require
about ten days., after which distribution
October 81 Col. Miller filled the conduit
with water in order to test it, but did not
allow 1t to flow into the new reservoir On
the following day he pumped the water out
again and examination showed the en-
tire plant to be entirely satisfactory
This morning everything connected with
the conduit was In perfect working order
There Is yet some work to be done in con-
nection with the gatehouses at both the old
and the new reservoirs, as well as at the
shafts at Rock creek and elsewhere, but it
Is Of kind that will not interfere with
the satisfactory working Of the system.
Clearer Drinking Water.
The completion Of the tunnel will add to
the efficiency Of the water supply of the
District in several ways.
ut will not only give more water and add
an increased pressure of fifteen feet to the
entire service supplied by gravity, but It
viii give the people clearer drinking water
1t Is estimated that the reservoirs for
merly in use in the water system removed
by sedimentation 80 per cent Of the sedi-
ment In the Potomac water, as received
from the river. These reservoirs contained
about 3O5. 100000 gallons Of water, or six
days normal supply. The storage capacity
Is now doubled, and that will allow the
water to settle six more days, which. 1t ia
expected, will be shown In a very much
clearer water. A filtration plant has been
provided for, and 1t is expected that Con-
coming session that will allow the com
pletion Of the sand filtration system within
two years. but in the meantime, as has
been shown, better water will be had than
ever before.