Evening star., 1914-01-11
NO

member the roof on our pggery was put
on at a cost of 25 cents per hundred
square feet and did fairly well until We
could get into the next years appropria-
ton and put on a permanent roof"
No account Of AIr. Fay's accomplish.
ments at Blue Plains would be complete
unless it contained references to the in
stallation of the new heating plant, the
building of channel to drain off large
tract of marshy ground along the river
front and farming activities which, this
year, produced a revenue of about $1,000
When the new central heating and
lighting plant of the Capitol building
was completed Mr.. Fay managed to get
legislation through Congress turning over
to the Home for the Aged and Infirm two
immense boilers located under the House
wing Not only We're the boilers obtained
without cost. but Congress- appropriated
81 600 to defray the expense Of their re-
moval to Blue Plains
This amount was found to be INSULT
cient, however, and il was with great
difficulty that the heavy equipment was
taken apart removed in farm wagons 70
the District institution and again put to-
gether. The boilers are expected to fur
nish at least twenty years of good serv-
ice. Had it been necessary to purchase
them the cost to the institution probably
would have been $4,000 or more.
An inadequate appropriation for the
construction of an improved heating sys-
tenn gave rise recently to another prob
lem, which required close study on Inc
part of Mr.. Fay before it was solved
The amount available was about SS.ocu.
whereas it was estimated no contractor
could be found willing to undertake the
work for less than $4,000.
Mr.. Fay and Chief Engineer Grain con-
al ha ma
utilize farm labor in installing this Inn
provement. A cement conduit was built,
new pipes laid and the job completed
within the appropriation.
X X
Among other projects, the accomplish
ment of none has given greater satisfac-
ton than the completion of the channel
This furnishes a waterway with four feet
of water at low tide-ample for barges
to the center of the reservation. 1t also
furnishes drainage for the whole reser-
walton and eliminates swamp. noNious
with rank growth and mosquitoes. which
has given way to green meadows.
On this channel, during the present
year, there has been constructed wharf
100 feet long. with p atform wide enough
for a boatload OF material. There have
already been unloaded over the wharf
more than 1.500 tons of material, brick,
sand. gravel. lumber and supplies.
In order to keen the channel from be-
coming choked with sand and other ma
terial Mr.. Fay has constructed In the
river, with materials taken from the
lumber yard, a breakwater 230 feet LONE
The waterfront improvements. including
the dredging of the channel. bui Ding OF
the wharf and breakwater and reclaiming
of marshy land were provided for under
a lump appropriation of 5000.
Ten acres of ground reclaimed along
the river front We're put under cultivation
this year, and produced fifty tons of hay
Under the direction of Edward Lynch,
farm foreman, 100 acres of land that
were planted in potatoes and other crops
during the present season were made to
Yield about $1,000 in revenue. 1t is an
ticipated that this amount. by another
season or two, may reach $1,000 and
that the per capita cost Of maintaining
inmates Of the institution will be con-
siderably reduced.