Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-15

hereabouts. In speaking Of these floods,
w. B. Bryan says:
LAS early as 1910 a heavy loss OF
property resulted from the backing up
during a fresfet of the water from the
river into the drainage sewer which
entered the canal between Ninth and
Tenth streets. The houses and build
ings in the section between D and z
streets, south of the Avenue, were food
cd as were the cellars under the stores
on the north side. Two years later, as
the result OF an unusually heavy rain,
Pennsylvania avenue from First street
to John Marshall place resembled
broad river. AS result of a rainy spell
some nine years later the water rose in
the cellars of buildings on the north side
of Pennsylvania avenue between First
and Second streets from 1 to 4 feet, and
the following Spring the water In the
river rose TO height that had not been
equaled since the greatest freshet re-
corded. that of 1894 All the cellars In
the lower part of the city we're flooded
Twelfth street north of B street the
water rose to height Of 13 inches"
THE worst flood to cover this section,
of which the writer has personal
knowledge, was probably the one occur
ring February IL. 1881. It is said the
water from the Washington Monument
to the Capitol averaged feet deep. AS
youth, the writer recalls visiting an
aunt in the inundated area, after the
water had receded. and noticed the
high-water mark on the wall paper. only
about inches from the top of the CELL
ing of the first floor
The flood of June 1, 1889. resulting
from the Johnstown food, was no doubt
severe, but not quite as bad as the one
which preceded 1t by eight years. II,
recent years clever engineering has
remedied the flood situation, and the
downtown section has for some time
been free from the overflow which Wis
tied here in the past too often.
Mr. Croggon. in writing Of the resi-
dents west of the market. mentions also
the prices obtained for property in this
vicinity and gives other interesting In
formation. He SAYS:
1T was many years before the square
bordering the canal directly west of
the market became of use for business
purposes. Thomas Law was an early
investor. being the owner of four of
nine lots in 1902. when the ground rat/
of cents was reduced to half ceEt
IS to so cents and the few buildings
upon 1t we're owned by Mc>>rs. Law
and Van Ness. One of TIE was valued
at $400. facing the canal. in which S.
W. Handy had hat factory. This was
burned in November 1910. There was
a valuation of $1,000 on two frame
houses facing Louisiana avenue near
Sluice Run. A willow tree was a prorli-
nent object here and far and near
the term Willow Tree was the recog-
nized name for the locality. The west
lot was owned by Gen. r. c. Weight
man and Richard Smith. with the
exception of small portion leased to
John P. Ingle. On this lot, In the
forties. was Snyder's blacksmith shop.
and one night it was burned.
The military and civic ball Of the
Washington Light Infantry was in
progress that evening and many present
in uniform were flremen as well as SOL
diers. When the alarm was sounded II
was responded to so generally that the
terpsichorean exercises at the ball were
crippled. and the fire apparatus.
manned by the militia, made a spec
tacle not often witnessed
This lot was used by the Washing
ton Gas Light Co. as a site for tank
and shops. and Capt John McClelland.
In the fiftleS, located his machine works
here. Charles Lyons had his carpen-
ter shop on Louisiana avenue and, with
the exception of houses on Ninth street
occupied by A. Davis and Ignatius
Luckett. the rest of the ground was
used for the storage of wood and coal
B. and F. G.. Waters having used much
of it in 1920.
In the forties the wood and coal
yards of Joseph Fugitt and John 3.
Boone were on Ninth street In the
flfties the market house had led to the
location Of some stores Some brick
houses had been erected on the corner
of Ninth street and Louisiana avenue,
in which stores were located. John II.
Semmes & Co.. grocers. were here many
years and others soon followed. West
of this was small hall used for some
time as a practice room for Joe Marco
letti's Band and about 1887 the Central
Guard House was erected by the corpo-
ration"