Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-15

ervoir placed or some high section of the
city. He estimated that 1t was possible
to obtain from this source. ultimately,
total supply OF S.Ga0.thO gallons a day, but
for the time being he proposed to take
only 800 gallons daily. II was cal
culated that this was sufficient for the
population OF 10000 Inhabitants. which
was all that Washington could muster in
those days. The sedimentation reservoir
was to be located on Meridian HILL and
the distributing reservoir was to be on
the high ground lying back OF Franklin
road. the highest point Of the city This
Is in tie neighborhood OF what is now
18th and streets. The estimated cost
was placed at the modest figure of
$3.50 .OCC.
This plan did net appeal very much
to anybody. The allowance for each man.
woman and child under its provisions was
only little over thirty gallons. Not con-
sdering the opinion of the temperance
societies on the subject, but considering
the question from the bread standpoint
of the welfare of the entire community.
the legislative sharks of that day decided
that thirty gallons of water were certain
~ not enough for each of the Inhabitants
of Washington. II might do for the IN
habitants of some effete city of the Old
world where water is peddled oni the
streets as d rare curiosity, but it would
never do in Uncle Sans capital city.
1t was i'll 1858 that the first appropri-
alton for establishing the present system
'
first Congress in its second session de-
voted the sum of 5000 for the pre-
liminary surveys for an aqueduct from
Cheat Falls. Capt. NJ. {. Meigs of
The Corps of Engineers took hold Of
the problem, and lac is the man to whom
Washing ton Is indebted today for its
water supply. Without waiting for spring
20 clear the ground Of snow. he had his
parties out in tile field all winter long.
and completed the survey III time to SUBJ
NIT "A h9fOrp the end the
sion that had appropriated the money for
the survey.
The report of Capt. Meigs was very
comprehensive, and showed in detail just
what was necessary to provide q large
supply of Potomac water to the city from
an intake at Great Falls. 1t outlined
the cost of the whole thing, including the
seventeen mile conduit from the intake
to the reservoirs, and showed that the
work while difficult was feasible. bill
providing for the expenditure of the
money to carry out Capt Meiss recon
mendation was quickly drafted and put
through both houses of Congress in rec
ord time. II was approved on the last
day of the session and the preliminary
work of construction was begun at once.
67,OOO,OOO Gallons Day.
It was estimated that Washington and
Georgetown combined had total popula-
tiontion of nearly ifty-seven thousand
inhabitants. capt. MelSS plan provided
total supply of over sixty-seven million
gallons a day, which was sufficient pro
vision, it was thought, for the needs of
the future. The estimated cost of the
whole thing, including the mains to be
laid to the public buildings. some
thing more than two million and quarter
dollars
A dam was built at Great Falls which
holds the water at an elevation of one
hundred and fifty feet above mean tide
at Washington. AT this point the water
from the river is taken into the conduit
and begins its long journey to the reser-
Vors.
The conduit itself is circular. nine feet
in diameter and is sixteen and hei1
miles in length. The water flows in the
conduit by gravity, it being laid on a slight
but uniform gradient throughout its en-
tire length. The ground il traverses is
very broken and irregular, so that it was
necessary to tunnel under the hills and
carry the conduit across the numerous
valleys on bridges and earthen embank-
ments. At the upper end there is a tun-
mel nearly a mile in length. This was
blasted through solid rock every foot of
the way The rock was free from
cracks and assures that it was possible
to use it without lining it. 1t has never