Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-13
famine GUARDED AGAINST
Maj. Cosby Takes Measure to Protect
Existing Conduit.
CAPITAL DEPENDENT ON IT
Vulnerable, Is Report of Col. s. s.
Leach-Projects for Adequate
System Being Examined by
Engineers.

Increased supply of water for Washing
ton is contemplated. dependent upon the
anticipated approval of Congress, as the
result of preliminary surveys of proposed
projects by army engineers working un-
der direction of the Washington aque-
duct.
The menace of water famine for the
National capital, a jeopardy that exists
under present conditions, Is meanwhile
guarded against by Maj. Cosby. engineer
officer in charge of the District water sup
ply SYSTEM, who has taken important pre-
liminary steps to prevent accident to the
existing conduit.
Maj. Cosby is acting under authority Of
an act passed at the latest session of Con-
gress which appropriated the sum of
$4,000 for study of available sources Of
additional water supply for the District Of
Columbia and the means Of bringing this
water to the CITY,"
Two Projects Surveyed.
AS a result of field work during the past
summer Maj Cosby reports to the War
Department that he has practically COM
pleted surveys for two alternative prof.
ects to meet the situation.
One of these surveys is for the so-called
tunnel project from Great Falls with res
ervoirs in Cabin John valley. 1t included
subsurface Investigations at several pos
sible dam sites in that valley.
The other surveys involved the possible
location of a reservoir for a high-leVel
supply project in the upper part OF ROCK
creek. These latter surveys are still In
progress. Maj. Cosby says the ROCK
Creek reservoir is new development and
was not foreseen when the surveys were
inaugurated.
During the past few weeks visits were
paid to New York, Boston and Spring
field, Mass, where extensive operations
are in progress for increased water sup
ply. Careful studies OF. these works were
made and reports made to the war De
partment for consideration In connection
with the proposed extension of the Dis
trict system.
Details regarding the surveys made o,
I the engineer officers are withheld for the
present for obvious economical reasons
sary data are to be ready to submit 10
Congress at the coming session. In addi-
ton to the field work still under way
typographical work and studies Tor de-
The vital and growing necessity Tor
safeguarding the water system OF the
District has been repeatedly called to the
attention of Congress by army engineers
in charge for several years past
Jeopardy Of Existing System.
Probably the best exposition of the dan
gers of the situation is that contained in
a special report on the condition of the
Washington aqueduct made by Col Smith
s. Leach, assistant to the chief OF en-
sineers. in which the following state
ments were made:
Attention is invited to the danger OF
an interruption Of the supply by an acci-
dent to the conduit. This structure mas
our interruption in its use other than to
empty it periodically for cleaning. That
fact is no guarantee that II Will not De
interrupted in the future.
ut includes six tunnels. aggresaung
2 700 linear feet in seamy rock and un-
lined. They cannot be lined until new
conduit is built.
"At every .Ieaning fragments Of rock
are found to have been dislodged from
the roof. There is an appreciabie risk OF
to block the tunnel for a considerable
time.
There are twenty-six culverts. nearly
all in made ground. the failure Of any
They are of massive construction. buc
equally strong ones have been washed
out. and these may be.
1.-The Dalecarlia reservoir is formed by
an earthen dam across VaHev. IN tfiS
dam is the by-conduit.
eff this dam should break the by-con-
duit would be destroyed. The supply of
the District thereby would be completely
cut on.
''The statement is 1ustffiable that. not
withstanding its fifty years Of uninter-
rupted use, the Washington aqueduct is
more vulnerable than the average of SIM
liar structures. and that there Is risk of
an accident to it which would cut off
81. ,,>lx Cos, tod 1nno ,rl, To
cause a water famine. which would in
volve cancellation of all fire insurance
and partial depcpulatiOn of the city. be-
sides other and more calamitous conse-
quenceS.
THAT risk can be underwritten by the
construction Of another conduit, and In no
other way.
1.-The construction of a second con-
duit presents some important incidental
advantages. 1t will settle the question of
supply until the District contains more
than twice its present population. If
waste were effectively prevented. the two
conduits would supply four times the pres
ent population.
should include adequate reservoirs. and
may be made to more than double the
present reserve supply This will remove
the single defect in the filtration scheme.
1T is conceded and has been officially
stated that the filtration plant will prob
ably not produce an effluent entirely sat
isfactory as to color at periods Of maxi
mum turbidity and insure a clear effiuent
at all times. The increased sedimentation
will slightly increase the capacity of the
beds for a given cost of operation or
will reduce the cost for a given capacity
with the idea of insurance paramount.
the new conduit should not be built along
side the present one. but should follow a
radically different course to reduce to
minimum the chance of a single cause dis
abling both. For this reason, all posi-
BILE alternative routes should be exam
ined. The preliminary surveys become
more important and more extensive and
will require more time"