Evening star., 1922-03-06
CONDUIT Menace,
ENGINEER warns
Break SGuId Not Be Rena'red
in Several Days, He.
Grs .-
Declares.


various articles In. The star OF Feb
ruary 27. March and .. resuaetiyefy'
and all that has been sata Regarding
The condia lions surrounding the water
supply to this city l.. wfthocE doubt
true, and there are still! moro danger
ouss conditions that may be expected
in the-svent OF q break In the 2eue-
duct
There Is only one exception that !
make to the statement made relative
TO making the repairs and restoring
the aaueduct for safe operation. As
q practical constructing engineer. L
do not believe that the water service
could be restored within a pertod of
two to four days II serious break
should occur along one of the many
weak points.
II may seem ridiculous, hut az an
engineer of experience and with
family to care for in my homo here
I have provided a barrel of water in
my cellar since the. war started IN
Europe.
Sees More Than One Brenk.
knowing how easy 1t would be for
dangerous person to put the aque-
duct out of service for possibly u pe-'
riod of ten days to two weeks. ! have
felt it my duty TO provide drinking
water for a period Of two weeks TO
guard against such an event Assusn-
ing q break at any of the hundred
or more weak points along the aQus-
duct. with the resistance removed by
the break, the increased velocity of
the water would Sc damage tho base
as well as the entire embankment
along the side, that one can plainly
see the impossible task to replace the
service in few days, and usually
this first break and the increased
velocity of the water through
the duct, would result in similar
breaks simultaneously above-the first
point.
Consider the transportation of ma
terials at the point along this very
isolated roadway beyond the Dale
cariia reservoir and how difficult it
would be to deliver material over
the first break in order to reach a
break beyond il.
In the winter all steam heating.
plants in the city would have to shut
down within one to Ave hours and
all hot-water heating plants for resi-
dences, etc, would have to shut down
within six days, and the very, serious
conGakion after a period of seven to
ten days the water in the various
plumbing fixtures (traps) of all resi-
dencesS would possibly be evaporated
and the vent stacks attached to the
plumbing system being cold and the
general sewerage system of the city
connected Herewith would change all
residences into sewer gas tanks, and
this is just what happens in a. small
way when the family returns home
In the fall (after closing up their
residence during, the summer) and
within few days. calling in the
doctor. whose diagnosis is that the
fever is the result of the conditions
prevailing at the mountains or sea-
shore.
Advice to Prevent Disease
In the event of a water famine all
occupants of houses should apply
half cupful of calcium of chloride
in the drain of every plumbing fix
ture and three times this amount in
every toilet or closet. as well as cess
pools in the various areas or in
cesspooi. should it unfortunately be"
in the cellar. and this by all means
should be done at any time the family
should close up the home for Pc
riodEof one week or more. az the cal.
ciumi of chloride will prevent the
evaporation of the water for a. period
of at least three month"; Engineers
use calcium of chleride for this pur
pose;in connection with REFRIGERATION.
and it has been practical and sue
cessful for many years.
Use half pint of Kerosene to
every cesspool surrounding the
premises or in the cellar should
there be one, during the month of
September, and it will positively re-
move the dangerous mosquito.
In addition to the appropriation for
q new and additional aqueduct sufs-
cient funds should be Immediately
available to install motor-driven GEN.
trifugal pumps at the river near the
Delcarita reservoir. This machinery
not less than % per cent capacity
OF the present service ard to be of a
temporary constructions. wired up to
the Capital Traction power house at
Georgetown, as an auxiliary pending
the completion of the proposed new
aqueduct during a period of three to
tive years.
Stampede for Water.
1t is doubtful whether the sur
check the advance Of the stampede.
with women and children and men
behind them making their exit
through every boulevard or road. as
well as the railroad stations: The
city of Baltimore would be the near
est possible relief.
or course. people could go to the
Potomac river and obtain water
hurriedIy in ash cans or other recep-
taeles and boil the same: it could be
used. Just as well as millions do in
China this present day, but then you
would not have water for heating or
sanitary purposes.
The writer had charge of the ar
HnEton hole" for period of four
years and really bought up most OF
the heavy timbers in this city during
that time in order to prevent the
streets surrounding same from fall
ing in, and also used quite d good
bit OF hydraulic cement, and-it is this
material which they would have to
apply to restore such serious breaks
and 1t may be doubtful whether such
material is at hama.
TSrOner Guard I;rned
The conditions of the exposed aQueA
duct supplying water To a. city of
almost half a million should be prop
erly guarded and the conduit between
Washington and Great Falls should
not have less than twelve motor cycle
armed guards divided UP in Il district
of three miles each, allowing six to-
of three miles a patrol calling sta
ton should be installed with con-
nectfons, to the captain of the watch
in order that he may know that a
guard has passed over every portion
of this aqueduct every half hour.
This is certainly not exorbitant ex-
penses to guard against fire and all
the other dangerous conditions set
forth for the proper protection of
the city and it's people.
II seems that these statements
properly placed before the various
congressional committees would re-
ceive- consideration. and do not
doubt that both houses of Congress
the trouble. THOS. w. POWER
M0MkN AEI n. I'M! lNii, --