The Washington herald., 1913-08-17
ENGINEER OFFICER RE CONMENDS
MANY DISTRICT IMPROVEMENTS

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enormous plant. Congress has been IN
terestsd IN the project for number OF
years. and some time ego requested the
ONCE OF army engineers TO investigate
the matter. A comprehensive report
was submitted to the chief Of engineers
last February by the oflcers designated
to make the necessary iuvestisation.s
Inproved water ssppiy.
The report also embodies recon-.
mendation Of sz00o.0oo In addition Tor
the Improvement and maintenance Of the
water supply system of the District
The city's system at present u Of the
highest type, but the constant growth
Of the community demands that the
water facilities be increased proportion
| ately.
Col sLangitt points out the deplor-
able condition OF the AQueduct Bridge.
over which he has supervision. and
| recommends that immediate action be
taken concerning II. The report states
that the piers beneath the water line
are honeycombed with cavities that con-
stantly are increasing in number and
| size. thus rendering the structure
weaker and weaker.
In November, 1872 An inspection was
hooS VI tn0 piStU o4s<4 80usAASChtA WIZ
finding conditions very serious. immedi-
ate repairs were made. Beneath the
surface Of the water there were found
In the piers cavities ranging In size from
| two to fifty cubic feet each. Most of
| them were filled with burlap bags. Hun
dreds of joints were found open-as
much as from two to eight inches. Some
Of these were filled, but 1t was practi-
cally impossible for the divers to locate
and NIL all Of them.
1T Is believed to be impossible" says
Col. Langfitt. TO NIL all Of these Joints
by the methods outlined. It was evident
in 1910. and still more 30 now. that the
present method Of patching the piers
cannot keep on indefinitely: that sooner
or later either serious injury to the cid
tpicrs will occur. necessitating the stop
page of trafic over the bridge. or per-
haps Its entire failure will occur"
Plan Of Repairs.
Col. Langntt explains ths. there are
three methods of action: The repair Of
the existing piers. the installation OF new
piers, or the erection Of an entirely new
bridge. II Is obvious that he In in favor
OF the last plan. The report states that
some time ago the cost Of erecting q new
bridge was estimated at $s50.o0o but Col.
Langftt expresses the opinion that this
amount would not be sufficient He
points out the need Of new and more
substantial structure. stating that there
is imperative need for the running Of an
additional car track across II. At present
the bridge is crossed by only . single
track.
One Of the largest projects now in
progress Is. the reclamation and devei-
opment Of the Anacostia hats from the
Anacostia bridge to the District line.
Sea walls will be built the entire dis
tance, the river will be dredged. and
a boulevard viii be run along one Of the
banks. This work has been started and
win proceed steadily. Some difncuity ID
| now being experienced because OF the
| fact that the Pennsylvania Avenue
bridge is very near the water line and
will not permit dredges to pass up the
river above the structure. A bill has
been introduced In Congress providing
| for the construction Of q draw, but so
4 far has not been passed. Until this draw
il constructed, 1t will be impossible to
dredge above the bridge
| Already q trench forty feet wide and
six feet deep has been dredged along
| the left bulkhead line between the Ana
! costa and Pennsylvania Avenue bridges-
| This 10 being filled with riprap for ma
sonry sea wall foundations. Six hundred
and fifty feet of this foundation 50 far
has been laid.
Many Yards Excayated.
During the fiscal year. 1,076.175 cubic
yards were excavated from the Anacos-