The Washington herald., 1921-02-02
RIVAL ENGINEERS
SUBMIT PLANS ON
DC. WATER SUPPLY
Army Engineer Favors
Separate Project to
Harness Great Falls.

Hearings before tho Federal
Power Commission on the dual
question Of harnessing Great Falls
and Of increasing the District
water supply developed sharp diff
fcr"nccs between witnesses as to
the advisabih:y Of separating tho
projects or OF developing them
simultaneously.
The report Of Maj. Tyler. Dis
Act Engineer. who was author
lied by Secretary Baker. as chair
man Of tn" commission, to con-
duct the investigation into the
two projects, urged that the water
supply proposition be considered
first.
II. Lcyering, -civu engineer OF
Lob Angeles. California. who filed
l'pprts with tn" commission on
tott projects, insist that by adopt
ing his plans. the water supply
could he increased beyond all pos
siblc futur" needs OF the District
Gno in less time than it would
TAX" to construct an additional
c"ninit rom Great Falls to Della
cafIl1 Rescrvo'l. - provided in
tn" Tyler report
Approves Big Dam.
His plan is to construct a dam
at Chain Bridge $50 feet high
which would bring tn" water of
th" resulting reservoir to an equal
height with the DcIacarlia rcscr-
yoir. allowing water to he pumped
Tor run by gravity into the exist
ing water system of the District.
At the same time. he said, the
construction Of the dam itself
would be the fist important step
towards securing tho hydro electric
power.
Levering was backed by A. E.
Seymour. secretary of the Washing
ton Chamber of Commerce. who in
sisted that, while the question OF
additional water supply was a Sc
riuus one and should be remedied
without delay, the two projects
should be linked together. thus Civ
ing the District the advantage of
cheaper electric power.
Calling attention to Secretary
Bakers expressed desire to see the
water-power facilities of the United
states developed to their full ca
paCity. Seymour declared that the
development of Great Falls would
prove an incentive to visitors from
all over the country. who would go
home and agitate the development
of power in their neighborhoods.
Can Split Cost.
seymour stressed the fact that
the Chamber of Commerce has had
under consideration plans for tho
development of Great Falls by re-
liable engineers at half the cost of
the Tyler plan and that. therefore.
the excessive cost could not be used
as an argument for splitting the
two projects.
Levering, in describing his plan
with the aid of maps, pointed out
that although his dam at Chain
Bridge was thirty-fve feet higher
than the one recommended by the
army engineers, and that his esti-
mates for concrete, steel, and all
other materials were twice as high
as figures provided in the army re-
port. the total cost of his project
would be only $25,O00,0OO, as against
$53,944,0O0 in the army projects.
He promised to present the COM
mission at a later date facts and
figures showing that dams similar
to ones proposed by Maj. Tyler had
gone out, and declared that his type
of dam would withstand more than
twice the pressure.
Favor Tyler Plan.
Levering and Secretary Baker ex-
hanged a number of pointed remarks
clothed in polite pleasantries, indi-
eating that the engineer believed the
chairman, as Secretary of War, nat
urally would support the plan pro-
posed by the army.
Secretary of Interior Payne and
Secretary of Agriculture Meredith,
the other members of the commits
sion, took little part in the proceed
ings and said nothing to indicate
which plan they favored, but Sec
retary Baker Undated on numerous
occasions that he was greatly
with the Tyler report.
Engineer Commissioner Charles W:
Kutz urged immediate action to Sc
cure additional water supply for the
District and said that he had IA
Vored bringing water from the Pa
tuxent, both as a precaution against
the failure of a one-system water
supply, and because of the soft
ness of the Patuxent water. He said,
however, that the Commissioners
were inclined to favor the Tyler
plan