Evening star., 1935-11-08
Water Supply Temporarily
Hauled to ChiIdren's Tuber-
CuIOSiS Sanat0rium.
superintendent DENIES
THAT SHORTAGE EXISTS
Effect on Future P. w. A. Funds
Is Awaited Because of New
Difficulty.
(Picture on Page A-6)

The task Of cleaning the 300-foot
well at the Glenn Dale, Md, Children's
tuberculosis Sanatorium. which be-
came muddied Monday. was we'll under
way today, with officials predicting it
will be functioning normally within
week.
Meanwhile, city water is being
hauled to the Sanatorium in tank
trucks to meet the requirements of the
institution until the we'll can be
cleaned. Approximately $4,000 gallons
of water are being hauled daily.
Water Shortage Denied.
DR.. Daniel Finucane. superintendent
of the institution. denied reports there
is a shortage of water in the we'll or
that the water now being used is not
suitable for human consumption. The
tank trucks. he pointed out, are clean
and the water transported in them is
the same as that used in Washington
To guard against any possibility of
danger to the health of the children,
he said. the water was tested before
being used.
The superintendent said he did not
know what caused the mud to show
up in the we'll. 1t may have been
caused, he said, from digging opera
tions on a new we'll about 100 feet
away. The new well, which will be
1000 or more feet deep, was started
last June TO meet the needs of the
sanatorium when it was enlarged to
care for adult patients and to serve
as a safeguard in case of future trouble
with the present we'll 1t is also be-
lieved better water may be found at
the l,O0O-foot level.
New Pumps Being Installed.
The regular pump on the present
we'll has been taken out and a much
stronger pump is being installed to
clean it. When the job is completed
the regular pump will be put back.
The institution normally uses about
10000 gallons of water a day, DR..
Finucane said, but present building
operations have increased the con-
sumption. The water hauled from
Washington is pumped into a 100000
gallon storage tank, which must be
kept filled to insure an ample supply
in case of fire. DR.. Finucane pointed
out the storage tank is in regular use,
since the institution has a gravity
feed water system. After being hauled
out by the trucks, the water is pumped
into the tanks with a District fire
engine.
District Engineer Commissioner Dan
J. Sultan said he is convinced the
water supply at Glenn Dale is ade-
quate and safe. Should it develop
that the well water supply is not de-
pendable, he added. the District will
order construction of water main
from Glenn Dale to Cheverly, Md.
under an arrangement with the
Washington Suburban Sanitary Com
mission. He said it has been esti-
mated this pipe line would cost $780,
600 or little more
Gag Rule" Denied.
Col. Sultan denied he had ordered
that the trouble with the we'll be kept
secret. He said he had not placed a
gag rule on his subordinates, al
though reports have come from sew
eral minor officials recently that under
orders from the colonel they could
not discuss any public works program.
Asked about this, Col. Sultan said
public works problems were quite
touchy."
About two months ago the we'll was
shut down for two days while a new
pump was installed. This became
necessary when the shaft for the new
we'll cut through the strata from which
the present we'll draws its water. Sand
got into the pump and damaged it.
Surprise and a little indignation was
expressed by P. w A. officials when
they learned of the new trouble at
the institution. 1t was intimated Sec
letary Ickes may not approve the con-
tracts for the new ST 700, 900 adult hos
pital If the water supply is not salts
factory when the time comes to let
the contracts.
Secretary 1ckes year ago opposed
locating the sanatorium on a desert"
Is miles from the city and expressed
doubt at that time whether the water
supply would be adequate.
P. w. A. officials also were said to
be investigating reports that Commits
sioner Sultan kept under cover the
present difficulty as we'll as the one
two months ago. An investigation by
the P. w. A. engineer department was
started at once.