Evening star., 1952-11-02
Army Engineers Look
Back on Century Of
Service 10 District

District. recalled nostalgically yes
terday that they have done every
thing from wrapping delicate
glassware to building mammoth
structures-but mostly they have
struggled with water.
They have fought to keep flood
waters out Of the District. and to
bring drinking water in.
The Engineers first big assign
naent here came just a century
ago when 1t. Montgomery C..
MeigS drew up plans for Wash
ington water system.
The city was growing so fast
that it no longer could depend
heavily on four big springs in
midtown. One was on the north
side Of F street between Ninth and
Tenth streets; another, in Frank
lin Park. This one served the
White House and other Govern
ment buildings.
But 1t. Meigs conceived the idea
Of drawing water from the Poto-
mac River above Great Falls and
piping it to the District. His orig
inal plans were good and. expanded
through the century, now have
helped give Washington as good
q water supply as almost any in
the United States.
Cast Name in Steps.
This Is . monument to 1t. Meigs
and the Engineers, but 1t. MeigS
made sure his name lasted. He
had 1t cast into each iron step OF
spiral stairways that lead to the
pipe chambers.
All this is recorded in an Army
publication, The Corps Of Engi-
neerS in the Nations Capital, 1852
1852. The volume was written by
sacket L. Duryee. under direction
Of Col. Alan j. McCutchen, Dis
trict engineer.
It points out that George WASH
ington picked this site for the
Capital partly because Of its close
ness to water transportation on
the Potomac and Anacostia Riv-
ers. One way or another, this
water has kept the Engineers busy.
Big Flood in 1870.
They are still trying to put up
permanent barriers against floods.
The Engineers first big flood hit
in 1870. and sent waters rushing
down Pennsylvania avenue to the
Anacostia. In 1889, floodwaters
got so high at Pennsylvania and
Fifteenth street that persons rid
ing horSe-drawn street cars (the
fare was six tokens for Is cents)
had to stand on the seats to keep
from getting wet.
Floods In 1896 caused $400, 900
damage here; in 1912, $500. 900.
Things would have been worse ex-
eept for Engineer-built flood walls
along the rivers.
Keeping the water OF dry land
has been no more difficult than
keeping dirt out Of the river. The
Engineers dredged ship channels
to improve navigation, designed
special equipment to slice away
thousands Of acres Of horse chest
nuts that threatened to choke
streams, and built up vast fiat
lands near the Anacostia and at
Gravelly Point in the Potomac for
National Airport.
When they got the water sep
arated from the land, the En-
gineerS put water on the land.
They built the Rejecting Pool
and Rainbow Pool Chats the
little pool at the foot-or head
Of the Rejecting POOH.
These pools represented the
easiest part Of laying out the
Lincoln Memorial and the WASH
ington Monument, which the En-
gineers did.
Memorial On Built-up Land.
The Lincoln Memorial went on
land reclaimed by the Engineers.
The Engineers selected the exact
site for the Washington Monu-
ment. although getting the money
for it was more difficult.
Soon after the colonies won the
Revolutionary War, Congress
voted a memorial to Washington,
but his objections temporarily
stopped the project. After he died,
public subscriptions paid to get
the monument started and pa
triotic citizens voluntarily hauled
the 24.500-pound cornerstone to
the site. It was completed by the
Engineers in 1884 with the Gov
eminent finally paying two-thirds
Of the cost.
Public subscriptions dwindled
after somebody stole a piece of
marble which the Pope had sent
here to be included in the mon
ument. The stone never was
found.
Prepared Defenses.
The Engineers threw up the ring
Of land and air fortresseS around
the District. These include An
drews Field, Boiling Field, Ft. Bel
voir and other camps and bases.
The Engineers built the old
War State Navy Department
Building, now described as Dis
trict demerit, and one Of its sue
eessor buildings, the Pentagon. re-
garded as one Of the more remark
able buildings in the country. Ger
man silverware, crystal and paint
ings that were brought here dur
ing or right after World War II
were stored and returned by the
Engineers.
They built Soldiers Home and
Walter Reed Hospital, then re-
modelled the Walter Reed Neuro-
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