Evening star., 1939-08-13

Two deep CunneS, eacA large
enough to admit q locomotive, are
being bored and blasted through
earth and solid rock at the P Street
and Calvert Street Bridges to form
additional links in the labyrinth of
new sewers designed to abate pollu-
ton in Rock Creek.
Work has just begun at each Of
these strategic points. They will be
the longest units In the ~ miles Of
underground lines that eventually
will extend east and west along Rock
Creek in one of the largest sewer
projects ever undertaken in the Dis
trict. Above Calvert Bridge, joining
connecting open cuts. the tunnel will
reach as far as Piney Branch Valley,
where another open cut sewer will be
dug to Sixteenth street.
South of the P Street Bridge to
Twenty second and M streets. 40
feet or more below the surface
through solid rock formations. two
other tunnels and 4 huge open cut
have been under construction for
some time. 1t is at the point directly
below p Street Bridge that the bend
OF the creek is being diverted to Rive
. better line for the new sewer.
Comparable In engineering prob
lens to the building Of q txzfic sub
way system and almost ,assformid-
able, the tunnels above the 2 Street
and Calvert Bridges will run as much
as 12o feet below the surface 1t
different points under a large section
OF Mt. Pleasant under the Zoo prop
erty. Eventually some of the elk in
the eastern enclosures of the Zoo
logical Park will have to be moved
when operations penetrate their
present range.
At the east end of P street Bridge
sweating human moles up to yester-
day had bored some 10 or IL feet into
the bank. The $3.710,8O0 project in
the Rock Creek Valley, for which
Secretary 1ckes allotted P. w. A.
funds last spring, is being carried
out under the general direction and
supervision of Ellwood johnson
resident engineer for the District
Sanitary Department and superin-
tendent also of the new sewage
treatment plant at Blue Plains.
Mr.. johnson has supervised more
sewer construction in the District
than probably any other man. He
speaks from much experience when
he says these tunnels are about the
toughest jobs he has ever under
taken here. Unlike other jobs, they
have involved diplomatic negotia-
tions with q foreign embassy.
From the entrance at the p Street
Bridge the tunnel will follow
Twenty-second street to Massa.
chusetts avenue and then west under
Sheridan Circle under some of the
finest homes in the city. Thence il
will follow a northerly route in the
line Of Twenty third street under 9
section of Mount Pleasant until II
comes out at Rock Greek southwest
Of the Taft, or Connecticut Avenue
Bridge, a distance of 400 feet
1t was In planning to run the
tunnel directly under the French
Embassy at 2221 Kalorama road thai
District engineer officials encoun-
tered opposition and accepted defeat
The Embassy ground is French sol
and 1t extends downward to the core
of the earth. When the Embassy
learned q tunnel was planned
directly underneath, even though II
was matter of some 100 feet, i
was feared blasting would weaker
the foundations of the building. Al
a result the tunnel will take a SHARP
turn at this point to avoid passing
under the building but will extenc
under a corner Of the Embassy
grounds. The residence formerly
occupied by Herbert Hoover as vel
as the home of the late Representa-
tive Fred Britten Of Illinois are othel
properties under which the tunne
will pass.
From the outlet near Taft Bridge
the sewer will follow the east banl
Of the creek through what is COM
monty called an open cut, though
it will be covered. Then 1t enters
the tunnel just now being started
in the north bank of the Calvert
Bridge. This tunnel will extend un-
der the offices of DR.. William M
Mann, director Of the Geological
Park, and will come out just south
of Ontario road. The sewer then
viii enter an open cut through the
Zoo property to Walbridge place
and. Lamont street, where another
tunnel is to extend under Walbridge
place and Park road, near the
bridge, and thence to Piney Branch
Valley.
Since the tunnel is to run along
the Piney Branch parkway, that
much, used thoroughfare will be
closed to traffic during construction
From Pineyi Branch Valley an open
cut will extend in time to Sixteenth
street.
Along the eastern bank Of Rock
Creek q short distance below the
oslvest Bridge u an el6 sad weak.
ened retaining vaN buik yeoga ~