Evening star., 1922-02-27

nave been emphasized many times
during the past quarter Of a century.
He points out that Washington's daily
consumption Is about 65.000.000 gal
Ions day, and that the capacity Of
the reservoirs is about 50,00O.000,
making it possible for the city to be
left without water within eighteen
hours II the supplying tunnel should
be damaged" Washington has been In
the habit Of using more than 65.00e,-
900 gallons a day, and that low aver
age has been reached by plugging up
the city fountains. putting stringent
restrictions on sprinkling lawns and
the price of water to consumers and
keeping up ceaseless hunt for leaky
street mains and water fixtures in the
homes. The water service has been
more or less steadily extended to ad-
ditions to Washington and to suburbs,
and the extension of this service must
continue. The city cannot stand still.
Il keeps on growing, and people who
set up their homes, forming new set
Elements on the commons and on old
farms, must have sewer and water
service.
Washington's single water tunnel is
sixty years old. Parts Of it are con-
siderably older. 1t has been working
at or near capacity for many years
Washington needs the water as fast
as the tunnel can deliver 1t. 1t can
not be inspected because Washington
would suffer thirst between the time
Of turning off and turning on the wa
ter. 1t may break down at any mo-
ment at any point along its fifteen
mile course. The probability that it
will break is good-or bad.
Washington would suffer pending
the patching Of the break. Her suffer-
ing would be proportioned to the time
required for repairs. More than 400. .000
people would be drinking all kinds OF
water. Water would be hauled in
from springs, creeks and wells and
sold in the streets for what the traffic
would bear. No warranty could GO
with the character Of the water. Nc
one would be likely to inquire as to
the purity of the spring or the I'M
purity of the creek or we'll whence 1t
came, or as to how the water was
handled or in what kind OF contain
ers it was transported. People would
be drinking raw Potomac water. con-
taminated, Of course. The sewer sys'
tenn would cease to function. Typhoid
fever and other scourges would be
epidemic. Weak children and adults
would go under. There would be
panic, and an exodus from the city
that would jam the roads. People
would bivouac along the river and the
creeks.
Fires would break out. They break
out several times every day now, and
are generally promptly drowned by
firemen because there is enough water
With no water, each fire would spread
and government buildings and private
buildings would go up together. The
CAPITOL could easily become a black
ruin, a scrambled heap Of smoked
marble. Congress would hurriedly con-
yene in temporary quarters. or In
shady grove or an open field, and pass
resolutions Of sympathy for the poor
And everybody would be poor. The
Army and Navy might open stations
for the distribution Of canned goods
and blankets. kilograms Of coincidence
would come in from the mayors OF
cities. Relief committees would be
formed. Water wagons, water carts
and hearses would rattle through the
streets. Great stores Of liquor would
be uncovered and run in during the
confusion. and there would be drunk
enness and looting-
A wise statesman would stand up In
Congress and say: Mr.. Speaker, we
need an enlarged water supply. The
need has been felt for some time. II
we had had a second conduit from
Great Falls the unpleasant circum'
stances which now beset us would not
have come to pass" loud applause.l
Then would follow a tremendous ap
preparation, and tremendous out
burst of excitement and enthusiasm
and all that. Many thousands Of
men would be set to work with pick
and drill cutting second conduit
Lack of foresight. loss, waste. haste
and the reckless spending Of money
An old story!