The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-11-17
Declares Damage to Main
Would Mean Immediate
Water Famine.
SAYS CONSTRUCTION
is NOT AT FAULT
Preliminary Work Toward Laying
New Pipe Already in
Progress.

Major Spencer Crosby, United States
Engineer Corps. who has charge Of the
Government end OF the Capitals water
system, this morning confirmed the
statement Of Superintendent ". r.
Mcfarland, that a bad break in the one
conduit supplying Washington with
water. would mean that in a few Gays,
possibly three or fou~, the city would
be without the fluid that So indtspens-
able 10 sanitation, TO protection from
fire and to life itself.
1T is true" said Major Crosby, that
a serious injury 20 the conduit would
mean that Washington would be with
out water for there Is 40 other means
OF supplying the city but through that
conduit
Takes Issue.
There is, however, one part of Mr.
Netherlands statement with which 1
do not agree. He says that the conduit
was constructed badly That is hardly
the case. The conduit was built fifty
Years ago, and the very fact that il Is
stiH doing business is enough TO show
that il was remarkably well constructed
There is a constant watch kept on
il: men patrol it every day, and we
exercise every precauuon possible 10
prevent any accident
we have asked Congress time after
time 10 appropriate money TO construct
either another conduit or to authorize
the building of some sort of addition
10 the present water supply system.
To Survey Routes.
We finally did get $4,000 for a sur
Vey of all possible routes for bringing
water 10 the city, and for the investi-
cation Of different systems possible I'M
der conditions as found here.
THAT survey has been started and
much work done of a preliminary ma
ture. It win be some months yet before
the different plans are sif.ed out and
the best selected. and even when that
has been done and the money has been
made available, it will take a long
time 10 construct the system"
Near Capacity Limit.
Major Crosby said that another rea-
son Tor the construction OF an addition
10 the present system is the fact that
Washington. a growing city. is coming
close TO the limit OF capacity OF its
water supply under present conditions
The conduit, built fifty years ago, has
kept abreast and ahead of the demands
made upon it as the city grew. but it is
now approaching the point where il can
not do more
Demand Varies.
There are times in winter. Major
Crosby said, when there is additional
danger that there may be a water
famine in the District IN February. OF
each year, he said, the water consump-
ton runs up often to almost 10000 90
gallons a day, people preferring to keen
taps open 10 avoid freezing and burst
ing pipes to installing better plumbing.
II would take only four or five DAYS of
such a drain 20 exhaust the reserve
supply and cause a famine.
What kind or a system viii be select
ed. whether or not additions must be
made to the filtration plant, how long
10 VIII be before the city has the new
plant are questions not capable Of being
answered at present, Major Crosby said.
The old conduit, up to the year 1873,
cost the Government about $500. 600
Major Crosby didn't hazard guess as
TO what new system Will cost but IL
certainly would not be less, he believes.
When the new plant is built, il Will be
constructed for fifty years 10 come, and
viii be expected to take care of the
City's increased growth for all that time.