Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27

Memories of the standptpe or IRON
water tank that stood at the head OF
Sixteenth street hill, q
A Water short distance above
chor4ar. Florida avenue, for many
0AVAtoSe' years are revived by the
following letter signed "Corcoran
Street." printed in The Star OF jan
uary 20, 1879:
"Is it not q little singular that since
the standpipe has been completed the
people In the northwest section OF the
city do not get as much water as they
did before the standpipe was erected?
Prior to the death of Water Registrar
Lubey we had plenty of water In the
second stories of our houses, but during
the past Is months we have had water
it. We were told that the standpipe
would remedy all this. but on the con-
trary we have less water am told by
experienced plumbers that the cause OF
our short supply now is the fact that
the pump which supplies the standpipe
throws 12-inch stream and draws
from a 12-inch main. and that the re.
suit Is a vacuum Is created in the
main. This may or may not be true,
but the fact that we have less water
than before the standpipe was COM
pleted Is undeniable. There must be q
great blunder somewhere on the part
Of our engineers.
1.-THE use and misuse Of water In our
section has undoubtedly largely in
creased during the past Is months, but
this fact was as patent before the
standpipe was begun as 1t Is now. II 1t
is true that the pump which supplies
the standpipe throws 12-inch stream
and draws from the 12-inch main it
must naturally follow that unless the
pressure on the main is sufficient to
supply the pump a vacuum would be
caused. To remedy this. two things are
necesSary-either a larger main or an
other pump to increase the pressure in
the 12-inch main.
Something ought to be done prompt
~ to give our section of the city greater
water supply. If fire was to break out
between Thirteenth and Fifteenth and
@ and r streets there would not be
sufficient head of water to supply the
engines. I saw this demonstrated a few
weeks since. when an attempt was made
to flush the sewer on Corcoran street
by bringing the water from the plug at
the corner of Fourteenth and @ streets.
And in spite of the inadequacy of our
water supply we have had our water
rents increased 81 per house. Why Is
this? No one would complain If the
rates were doubled If we got water on
our second floors, but IL Is not right to
make us pay for what we do not get"
4
The thought Of conserving the nat
ural resources of the country was be-
ginning to be impressed on
Forestry the public mind so years
otar+ ago, although it was long
SS"A" afterward before systematic
work was done in this direction. The
Star Of January "a. 1879, says:
1T Is not alone to the farmer and his
children that tree culture is important.
The destruction Of forests, by constant
~ lessening rainfall, has turned famous
rivers into insignificant rivulets, SWELL
ing sometimes into destructive torrents;
has made hard and unproductive the
former fertile fields and has left the
valley land exposed to every hurricane.
countries of antiquity that formerly
supported with ease q dense popula-
ton. It has thus affected the move
rnents Of the worlds population and has
made itself factor in history. 1t Is a
disease which, II unchecked, UNITS the
most fruitful country to be the habita-
ton Of large numbers of men. 1t Is
therefore q subject Of unsurpassed i'm
portance not merely to individuals, but
to nations.
"If the United States would escape
the fate Of Persia. the ravages of the
same diseases which laid that country
waste must be guarded against, and,
where entrance has been made, reme-
died. Something has been done in this
direction. Pennsylvania Is to have a
State forester and the Governor or ohio
has recommended the passage of for
estry laws. Much more Is needed. The
Government must prevent the indis-
criminate waste of timber on the pub
lie lands. Not only States, but town.
ships and individuals should become