The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1906-08-25
WASHINGTON LETTER
ranacfaI correspondence.l


ne highlands south Of the Potomac
has been accompanied by largely In
creased demand for pure water for
drinking and household supplies. Az
these settlements are situated on the
bUltopS far above streams and springs,
n miRht be thought that It would be
d,s,cuIt to obtain q good supply Of wa
ter Messrs. II. L. Fuller and Samuel
sanford of the United States geological
snrvey recently visited the region and
..cartaIned that In most Instances wa
Tor can be found at q depth Of from
+uenty-fve to forty feet beneath the
surface.
Danger In Surface water.
Although water Is present In large
cusntity, 1t occurs in such a way that
onIy small supplies are usually obtain
I'D by shallow drilled wells. Open
rolls however, obtain abundant sup
niles and II properly protected from
contamination should answer every
nurpose. Such wells should never be
located within 100 feet Of outhouses
~ eesspools and when possible should
no 80 feet or more away. II these
vsIls are curbed with two and seven
e,ohths or three foot glazed tiles and
erery Joint except the lowest is made
perfectly tight the polluted surface wa
Tor will be kept out, while the water
actually used can enter at the bottom.
The Joints can be made tight by sur
rounding the outside Of the pipe at the
ioiuts with several inches Of good by
draulic cement
Depth Of Wells.
In the granite rocks conditions are
fairly promising for deep drilled wells.
These will usually find water within
$50 feet Of the surface, even on the
hills. but a well should not be aban-
doned before a depth of $50 feet is
reached. 1t is not generally advisable,
however, to go deeper than this.
The investigation which the geolog-
eaI survey has just begun will be ex-
tended to include the water supplies
Of the entire coastal plain Of Virginia.
Patent Models.
A committee representing the Patent
Bar association recently called upon
the assistant commissioner Of patents,
Edward B. Moore, and advocated the
retention Of all or most Of the collec-
ton Of patent models which 1t Ia pro-
posed to dispose Of under an act Of
congress. The wide circulation given
the report that the patent ONCE had
taken steps to get nd Of this vast and
Interesting collection has aroused pat
ent attorneys and inventors all over
the country. In view Of these circum-
stances, 1t is said, the plans Of the
secretary Of the interior may be
changed in this regard.
Collection May BE Kept.
The committee appointed by Mr..
Moore to go over the models and select
those which are an essential part Of
patent Office records advised that only
a very small percentage Of the num-
Der be kept.
1t has been stated on good authority
that the Union Building company, from
which Uncle Sam rents the storage
space for the models In the Union
building, has agreed to reduce the rent
from $4,000 a year to $4,000, which
Is the amount Of the appropriation by
congress for caring for the models II
may be decided to keep. II this In 20,
the whole collection may be retained
The Keep COnmissIon.
Assistant Secretary Keep, who IL the
chairman Of the departmental commits
sion that is busy seeking to better
conditions and methods In the govern
ment service, thinks II viii take
good many months before his COM
mission finishes its work and hands
In tn final report to the president.
Probably the most important COM
nittee now at work Is that handling
the question Of the purchase Of supplies
by the departments. 10 vas TIE ran
dom, unSympathetic purchasing OF sup
piles BY the departments that led the
president to appoint the Keep commits
rEion. It II probable that the subcom-
inittee win recommend central pur-
chasing agency, through which every
department Of the government win
buy.
Spanish War VsteraAs.
The national encampment committee
predicts that the national assemblage
Of Spanish war veterans, the ladies'
auxiliaries and their relatives and
friends in this city next October win
be the largest ever held.
Tentative arrangements have been
made for a big parade to include Span
iHh war veterans, the national guard,
regular troops, sailors, marines and
the members Of the Grand Army OF
the Republic, Union Veterans' legion
and other patriotic and civic organiza-
tons. Secretary Of the Navy Bona
parte VIII be requested TO order two
or more gunboats or other small war
vessels to Washington at that time that
they may be inspected a. object les
sons by the visiting veterans and the
many strangers that are expected
New Light ARTILLERY Corps.