Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-31
CONDITIONS EXAMINED
MATTER OF PROVIDING SAFE
GUARDS AT SEWER MOUTH.
Precautions Suggested by Recent Fatal
Accident on the River-Two
Methods RECOMMENDED.

Ever since the accident occurred at the
recent Potomac regatta. which resulted in
the drowning of ten persons, Commissioner
Mcfarland has been investigating the conf
dftions at the mouth of the sewer at the
foot of Potomac street. which sewer is also
the outlet of the mill race, with view to
ascertaining whether any protection to the
public is needed there. and also to deter
mine whether 1t is practicable to protect
the place, if such protection is deemed ad-
visable.
Commissioner Macfarland visited tie
spot with representative of the engineer
department. and afterward made inquiries
in different directions. and satisfied,
first. that there is no danger from the
sewer flow to boats which are carefully
managed and that a boat cannot be over
turned except by the action Of the people
in it: and second, that the conditions are
well known to all frequenters of the river,
and that 1t would be very difficult to keep
others away from the spot.
Suggested Safeguards.
Danger signs were suggested by the Com
missioner. but it was believed that the
very persons who would need the warning
careless amateurs-would ignore them. The
driving of piles in front of the sewer mouth
an obvious suggestion, but the pos
sble obstruction and the possible difficulty
OF a rocky bottom at this point in the river
were raised objections. These, with
other suggestions, are, however, being con-
sdered.
Upon the return of Harbor Master Sutton
from his vacation Commissioner Macfar-
land directed him to take the Vigilant to
the spot, make sOundings, experiment with
small boats, and report the result. with
suggestions. This report, submitted to Mr..
mcfarland today will be transmitted by
n ITl mr.
department, which has charge of the sew
ers, with such other information as he has
obtained, and with the request that it be
considered. with view to whether
there is any action that should be taken
for the protection of the unskilled and care
less from the consequences of their reck-
leSsneSS.
Harbormaster's Report.
The report of Harbor Master Sutton on
the matter is as follows:
Replying to your verbal direction 1 have
to report that 1 visited the sewer opposite
Tenney's mill Monday. between the hours
of and O'Clock, and found that the con-
ditions at that time were not what 1 would
regard as dangerous, the tide being low
and the flow light. l visited it again be-
tween 10 and u O'Clock Tuesday morning,
and found the conditions dangerous, in my
opinion, to small boats within a hundred
feet of the mouth of the sewer. If such
tide was high and the flow heavy. The
water is about twelve feet deep at high
tide, and increases in depth to about TWEEN
ty-two feet 100 feet from the mouth of the
sewer.
Would Obstruct Channel.
Regarding suggestion which has been
made to the driving of piles in the vicin-
ity to prevent boats approaching too near
for safety, l would state that the driving
of a line of piles for 1OOSfeet from the
shore which would have to be the dis
lance to be effective. would obstruct the
channel itself. The permission of the Sec
rotary of War would have to be secured
in the event of such proposed remedy.
Il suggest that two courses be considered
as possibly effective for safety: First, the
driving of a number of piles close to the
mouth of the sewer, 10 break the force of
the water, second, the enlargement of
the mouth of the sewer.
Il believe, however, that a proper ar
rangement of piles in accordance with the
first suggestion would be equally effective
and less expensive than the second