The Washington herald., 1914-06-02
ALEXANDRIA OFFICIALS
Inspect Big RESERVOIR
Engineers Explain Construction Work
of Dam and Water Storage Lake
to City Council.
WORK PROGRESSING RAPIDLY

Alexandria. Va. June 1.-The big dam
and storage reservoir being constructed
for the Alexandria Water Company at
/ Holmes run, Fairfax County, six miles
I west OF Alexandria, was inspected this
/ afternoon by many city officials. members
\ of both branches of the city council. a
/ number of members-elect bf council and
| others
| Ofiicials OF the company, together with
| the builders. and ID. j. Howell, of the
firm of David J. Howell & Son, WASH
| ington, engineers in charge of construc-
! ton, explained the workings of the big
| dam, going into the details incident to
| the work of construction The dam. II
is expected. will be completed about next
| December.
| When filled the storage reservoir form
| ed by the Barefoot Dam will contain
I 100000 gallons, or over a years supply
| OF water for Alexandria with no rain
\ fall. II will cover 100 acres of ground,
and will be seven miles in circumference
From the dam IL will back the water up
| Holmes run on its western branch about
| three miles and on its northern branch
about two and one-quarter miles. all
within the 100 acres owned by the Alex
andria Water Company.
The dam, reservoir. and land embracing
the same, when completed. will represent
an expenditure of about sc5o.0oo The
work is being done by the Piedmont Con-
struction Company, who are the con-
tractors.
The distance from the dam by way OF
the pipe line. down Holmes run, and
along the Little River Turnpike. to the
company's present distributing reservoirs
on Shooters Hill, is about 55 miles
There are at present two distributing
reservoirs located on Shooters Hill, with
a total Of 1s.1jOoO0 gallons capacity.
Water surface of these two reservoirs
when full is about ninety-siX feet above
mean tide of this city.
The dam will have a total length of 500
feet, with a spillway length of 800 feet,
and the maximum height from the foun-
dation TO the spilway will be serenty-nve
feet Core walls will be six feet above
the spillway crest. Maximum width OF
the base of the dam, including the apron
toe of the spillway section, is seventy
| feet. The width of the dam i.5 feet be-
low the top of the rounded crest will be
| six feet The drop of the spillway will
be an elevation of 2O5 above mean tide
at Alexandria or 100 feet above the wa
ter level of the present reservoirs on
Shooters Hill. The big dam will contain
| 1900 cubic yards of Cyclopean concrete
and require about 1900 cubic Yards oil rock
| excavation and 10000 cubic yards Of earth
excavation. .r.-..
water outlet will enter the gate cham
ber from the reservoir at three different
levels through 2O-inch diameter pipes.
The outlet to the city will be a twenty
four-inch diameter pipe and thirty
inch diameter pipe will be used for
drawing down or emptying the reservoir.
All of these pipes will be controlled by
gates operated in the gate house at the
top Of the dam.
Up to the present time total OF 11,ooo
! cubic yards of concrete has been placed
in position.
The city officials viewed with much
interest the work of the crushing OF
stone and mixing of concrete. which will
hold the huge volume of water. work
OF the miniature engines in transporting
| the stone from the quarry near by also
attracted attention. A large force OF Ia
borers are now busily engaged in the
work of construction.
Members of the board of aldermen
present were: F. F. Marbury, Jacob
Brill. w W. Ballenger. ]. NJ. Hill X.
W. Ogden and c. ]. W. Summers.
From common council ther were pres
ent: Urban S. Lambert John Lead
beate-. Frank c. Spinks, A. ID. Brockett.
John T. Harrison, Charles ]. Sullivan.
r. I. Monroe, Thomas Chauncey. ID.
Moxiey Low, and Charles B. Marshall
CounciImen-elect attending were N J.
Lawler. Charles Bendheim, George ID.
Robinson, and c. W. Wattles.
Others present were f. c. Dunn city
engineer; c. II. Callahan, commissioner
of revenue; p. F. German, tax collector;
s. P. Fisher, corporation attorney Dr.
e. A. German. health officer; Dr. J. j.
Garyey, deputy health officer; E. F.
Price, city auditor, Harry Hammond.
member Of school board; j. T. Preston,
secretary of chamber of. commerce; ].
B.. Waller. clerk Of gas; W. n. Reardon.