Evening Star Newspaper, January 16, 1892, Page 10

THE CABIN J OHN BRIDGE. WIZARD OF THEW ATER How Gen. Meigs Smote the Rocks and Brought the Potomac to the City. BUILDING THE CONDUIT. The Pians and Estimates Firat Proposed by | the Engineer — Interesting Calculations | Made Forty Years Ago—Cabin John Bridce | and Other Splendid Feats. | HENEVER A WASH- agtonian drinks a glass J] of water there should be pourel into the soul at H, the same time a feeling of S#*\) cratitude to the man who 1 two weeks ago to- ¥, Gen. Montgomery Cunningham Meigs. This energetic and ac-! complished officer made the first survey for a system of water supply for the city of Wash- ington end to his sagacity and skill are due, toa great measure, the present efficiency of the supply and the absence of danger that the city will ever suffer from the prospects of a famine in that great necessity of life, the combination of oxygen and hydrogen that is used for so many purposes in this nineteenth century civili- jen. Meigs regarded the aqueduct with a greater fondness,” said Col. Elliot of the corps of engineers, who now has charge of the water supply, to a Stan reporter the other dar. “than anything else he ever did. He ook the atest pride in it and has often asked me Senderly ng the works und the p for their enlarg ant duty and the g1 career. He was given what was r important problem of modern municipal ex- istence to solve—the provision of an adequate of pure water to what promised to be- ‘the grandest city in the worl “His solution was beyoud expectation and worthy of admiration beyond the limits of time. At th the work that he did is a8 goo. he future additions ree great that onsider Gen. Meig: time of his survey be his me masterly way ditticalt dat; monumet i made at st that ory a debt of m which he accomplished the ed to him. He need ater supply is @ greate: monument than man could erect.” JECT. BE BEGINNING OF THE Ps The preblem of an adequate eupply for the city of Washington had seemed vision- oi w o referred it to r Deparime triple project for this purpose was recom- mended by Lieut. Meigs of the engineer corps— for adam across Rock creek. above the dam at Falls than that already the the establishment of a reservi system to give the water the r i third a dam across the river at Great Falls, two reservoirs, a brick conduit and necessary bridges. ‘The last named project was adopted and the wovisions carried out almost to the le ‘The main change was recommende himself in the substitution of a ni duit for one of seven feet m diameter. the aqueduct system as it the mains that bring the » from the distributing reservo: it was built under the dire. pu of small moment and there is practically no difference. 1 Lieut. and Capt. Meigs was in charge of the | work from the time of the first survey, Novem- | , to July 17, 1560, when he was re yy Capt. H.W.” Beub corps, who served until the following Decem- | ber, wher Lieut. James St. C. Morton, engineer corps, was placed in charge. He remained on | the work for two 2 1561, after an absenc Meigs was again p was practically com Capt. e Lin charge and the work ved by him. In June, 1862. there was legisiati mn to the effect of trans ferring the work irom the overcrowded War Department to the Department of the Interior, | it there remained until April. 1567. There | were three various officers—civi e: im charge during this period, Mess Hutton, Silas Semoar an: @n the 19th of April, 1 Michier, engineer o and then the oliowed each other in | this order: Maj. Geo. H. Elliot, November, | 1370; Maj. Orville E. Babcock, October, 1571; | Lieut. Col. Thos. L. Cas Mareh 3 Wm. R. Samo. | el | L 159%, and Lieut. Col. UIT. duit” constructed round the upper reservoir so that the water | eould be brough: directly from the reservoir, but this was F until 1949, when the upyer reservoir was be by the flow was pe Dasia and sent, as now, strai Feservoir. A glance at the fol origizal project will atf standing of the wor ABY-CON In 1863 there was a “b /-cc ut off from the at into the lower | ing abstract of the a thor pla: with the exceptions noted, the work as it stands today heretore, ne 25, 1560, ap- rs for the con- arly vetoe e of the clause con- Jed under the super- ” Heeompromised, bowever, by approving the bill with a protest against what he termed au assumption of his privileges by Congres. | There are few pablic documents m the files | of the goverment as interesting as the mes-| fe seat to Congress by l’resident Millard imore on the february, 1853. It communicated, in ¢ nce with & resola- tion of the Senat ort of Lient. Meigs, with survers, pla tes for supp! setown and Washing- tained im it “to b: intendence of ( tof ment may be termed nouncing birth of was the first step of a practical sort that had ever been taken in the direction of » ding the old nof obtaining water from welix, springs sud cisterns by amore modern system of a general store of water frow an Gucontaminated source and its distriLution into houses by Pipes. Finst STEPS IN THE WoRK. According to the report the first step in this work was taken by President Fillmore, who, in a letter to the War Department, then under the charge of Secretary Conrad, 13, 1562, ceusmitted to the departme: ty of making the necessary surveys, &c., for the | best manner of affording to the cities of Wash- ington end Georgetown an uofaiing and abun- | have consulted even for this amount in very | was exhaustive in its scope. dant supply of good gnd wholesome water. Under direction of Gen. Totten, then chief of engineers, Capt. F. A. Smith of that corps was ordered upon this duty, upon which he had jest entered when his death occurred. Lieut I. C. Meigs of the same corps was then, on the 3d of November, assigned to the service, being transferred from his post on the great lakes. He entered upon his duties with such energy and intelligence that in a little more than three months he had surveyed three practical routes for a conduit, had made the most careful esti- mates of their cost and had gone deeply into the scientific question of water supply in gen- | eral, and he gave to the War Department a re- port that has seldom been equaled for clear- ness, style and value. THREE PLANS PROPOSED. These three projects embraced all of the available water supply of the neighborhood. One was to dam up the waters of Rock creek about seven and a half miles from the system of city pipes, and, by means of a retaining reservoir and a conduit of brick, to be con- structed near the surface of the ground, to convey the supply to the city. For George- town a high service reservoir was to be built on the heights and filled by means of a turbine wheel, operated by the head of water in the mains, and operating a pump. As an alternative plan Lieut. Meigs sug- gested that the dam of the canal company across the Potomac at Little Falls be enlarged and made to serve the purpose of both a col- lector of water for the city and a means of pro- tecting the canal itself from freshets. ‘The canal at that time was one of the main enter- prises in this vicinity, and its annual deteriora- tion by tloods was a matter of most serious concern to the community. There was to bea reservoir made by dammimg up the valley of the Little Falls branch, where the receiving reservoir is now, atid the water was to be brought in a canal 100 feet wide and 6 feet deep, located between the Chesapeake and canal and the river, running to within two miles of Georgetown, where the supply was to Le pumped to @ proper height to give it the necessary head. THE GREAT FALLS SCHEME. But the project upon which Lieut. Meigs spent most of his time, as it seemed the most sensible of all, was that of a dam across the river at Great Falls and the construction of a brick underground conduit across country near the river bank to Georgetown, a distance of about fourteen miles. At first this project seemed the most extravagant, and Lieut. Meigs surveyed for it without much hope of ite adop- tion, but as he progressed in his investigations s THE ELLIPT if the present pros) of our country continues, must be m rapid. This estimate is particularly interesting, as shows to what an extent s person Beet and wrong atthe same time. All con- sidered, Lieut. Meigs’ estimate of tion was quite correct. The city now in the neighborhood of 240,000 inhabitanta, and this ‘number will be considerably added to in an- Other year. It is safe to say that by February, 1898, Washington will fall ttle short of 280,000. With his actual figures as a basis it would seem = officer was something of a prophet as ‘the other hand the estimateof thetotalcon- sumption of water in 1898 was wholly wrong. The city today consumes 40,000,000 8 of water each day, according to the most recent state- ments of Col. In another year it is al- together likely that the total consumption will reach 45,000,000, or twice as much as the esti- mate put upon it by Lieut. Meigs forty years Tihs Srror ls Interesting, as showsng how growth of large cities has developed an un- expected increase in the common needs of water. That is to eee ‘Meigs, with ail his keenness in pred made apparent by his close calculation of the future of Washing- ton, was anable to grasp the vastness of the agency of water as acivilizing medium. Although his estimate of water demand of the future was but half large enough his provision for the needs of the present day were quite ample, as our daily experiences seem to show. CALCULATIONS ABOUT THE SUPPLY. Mentioning the great advantages to be de- rived from good water supply, apparent in the increased prosperity of a city possessing such a supply, he remarks: “The quantity of water for use being determined, the next question is what quantity should be stored in reservoirs. This question admits of no accu- rate solution; the quantity will vary with the nature of the source and with the demand. If the source is smail, affording little over th erage daily supply, the reservoirs should be larger than when, from an ample stream, an inereased quantity can be poured into them at any moment to mect such contingencies as great contlagrations or great summer heats. If the source is liable to fail entirely or in part the reservoirs must contain enough not only for the minimum daily use, but for these same contingencies, which are most likely to occur daring long continued droughts, which dry up the streams, the source be like the Potomac, an un- failing river, always giving an ample supply, still it is liable to great floods, during which the turbid and discolored waters should, if possible, be excluded from the reservoirs, which, in this case, should contain enough for soveral days’ supply, until the swollen waters have subsided within their ordinary limits and returned to their ordinary state of purity. “When a river is the source the reservoirs should be large enough to allow the water to remain some time in them to deposit the earthy and other insoluble matters mechani- cally mixed with it, which injures its appear- ance far more than the more deleterious in- gredients, which, being dissolved, do not diminieb its clearness.” In that last sentence Lieut. Meigs hit upon one of the great questions of the present day. It will thus be seen that the officer undertook to correct the error of mistaking clear water for pure water, and to condemn turbid wator as being unfit to drink. The subject of filtra- tion is also taken up in the report a little later on, after some figures are given of the storage capacity of other cities. THE MATTER OF FILTRATION. Lieut. Meigs hved before the day of success- fal filtration systems that purified or rather clarified the water supplies of whole cities, and hence his remarks on fhe subject hardly apply to the present day. Yet he showed great keen- ness in investigating the matter. Ho say “The ordinary modes of filtration on a great scale are founded upon the same principles as the smallest domestic filters, in which sand, by straining the water through its interspaces, removes the ingredients mechanically sus- pended, and charcoal, by its chemical affinity, takes up the organic matter dissolved. But the dificultiesare much increased when, instead of pints, the quantity to be filtered becomes ms of gallons. "The filters, large and ex- ICA L ARCH. he found that it afforded means of provision tor the future to an indefinite extent, ayd, viewed in the light of the disastrous exper exces of other cities. such a policy seemed the most economical. There were difficulties on the route, and the expense would be greater than any of the other routes and projects, all the force of his recommendations wei its bebaif, enlist the «ympathy of Gen. Tot- | tenand attracting the attention of the Secre- | tary of War and the President, and eventually curing the consent of Congress and with it the appropriations that started the great work that now places this city beyond the possibili- ties of a water famine. Appended to the report was a recapitulation prepared by Lieut. Meigs for the convenience of the Secretary and President, which give a few words ‘the cost, advantages dis- advantages of each project, as follows: “The aqueduct from Rock creek complete to the navy yard and public buildings, in- | he “high service in Georgetown, will cost $1,255,863. Advantages over the others, eapness: supply in winter and spring, 26,- 300 gallons, but lable in the heats of sum- mer to be diminished to 0,460,000 gallons. “fhe Little Falis project complete will cost 415. Advantages—over the Great Falls project, cheapness; over Rock creek, steadi- | ness of supply, which, at the above cost, will be 12,000,000 gallons, to be increased in time, by another pump and wheel, to 15,000,000. Disadvantages—a doubt as to the sufficiency of the water power for a greater supply than 12,- 000,000 galions, and by some engineers whom I dry seasons; want of simplicity; use of ma- echinery always, however well ‘constructed, liable ‘to injury and interruption; want of reservoir space for settling the water; liability to interruption, for a time, during floods. “The Great Falls project wil cost complete $1,921,244. Constant and everlasting daily sup- ply 36,015,400 gallons. Advantages, simplicity and durability; perfect security and inexuausti- ble and unfailing source; lavish use, which ean be indulged in im consequence of abundant supply; power of street washing, cooling the air and embellishing the city by great foun- tains; use for driving small machines, lathes, printing presses and the like; great space for settling and purifying in reservoirs and great quantity in store for emergencies; #1 ex- peuse of keeping up the works when once estab- dished and consequent low price of water de- livered in houses ur factories.” GEN. TOTTEN'S INDORSEMENT. In bis letter of transmission to Secretary Conrad Gen. ‘Totten remarks: The construc- tion upon the enlarged scale suggested by Lieut. Meigs is much to be preferred. It will nearly double the delivery of water and, while it would remove all danger of an insuilicient supply of water hereafter, it would introduce into the city available for manufacturing pur- poses, and ata small increase of cost, a water power of near horses. Lieut. Meigs had not, perhaps, dwelt so much as he might have done upon the advantages to the iy of dis- pensing, ina great measure, with the labor of Working fire eugines, the head being suflicient in every part of the city for extinguishing fires by the use of hose alone, especially if the veloc- uty of water in the mains be kept up, ashe suggests, by the use of fountains ike repott submitted by the young officer He ‘wisely ‘drew upon the experiences of the large cities that had already adopted systems of the general supply of water to inhabitants by pipes, and probably avoided many grave errors of system ‘and construction in that way. ESTIMATES THEN MADE. Inthe course of his report he said: “The | present population of Washington is about | 50,000 souls, having increased 10,000 in the | two years which have elapsed since the last census. Georgetown contained, in 1850, 8,000. | Lhave not in ber case the means of determin- ing her inerease. The present population to be provided for, then, is 58,000, who, at the rate derived from the experience of im the past sumiacr, would require for washi the streets and for domestic uses 5,220,000. | “If Washington imcreases, not at the eame percentage, but adds to its population only the same number of persons every two years for | ten years as she has done in the last two years, | she will contain im 1863 100,000 souls, and re- | quire for her own use 9,000,000 gallons, inde- ndent of the quantity which may be wanted Tor tountsine anid the greater quantity needed the dust and wasbing the offal streetsand squares. At this rate for waterin; from her wide er | in forty yours from this date (Pebruary, 1893) pensive in construction and maintenance, are Soon choked with deposit. duplicated to allow for the frequent cleansing, which can only be effected by the removal aud renewal of the filtering material. Attempts have been made to cleanse them by reversing the direction of the current, but up to this fime upon a great scale unsuccessfully; and, atter all, how small a proportion of the veter delivered to a city needs filtering even for the most fastidious, When the allowance to each person is ninety gallons daily, less than one- inetieth can be used for cooking and drink- and if we provide filters the eighty-nine lons, which might just as well be poured unfiltered through the fountains and baths, clog up the filters and defeat their object.” Reference is made to what is thought to be a jood filter for domestic uses, and then Lieut. Meigs alludes to a scheme ofa Philadelphian to filter the water of the Fairmount by building a wall across the reservoir within a short distance of the surface, so as to arrest the suspended matters and thus cause the wate: to settl The same principle was used in this individual's white lead works und was wholly successful, The substances which discolor water,” said Lieut. Meigs, in continuation, “are mechani+ cally diffused. No city will supply itself from & source much contaminated by chemically dis- solved impurities. ‘The waters of the Potomac and Rock ereek contain of salts, soluble in pure water, not more than one grain, and of carbon- ates of lime and magnesia, insoluble in water alone, but beld in solution by excess of ca: bonic acid, from three to four grains to the gallon. “The mud floods is all heavier than water and tends to Sink as soon as this becomes tranquil. The large receiving and settling reservoir will allow the greater partto be deposited. ‘The quantity there in store will enable ns, if the Potomac line is adopted, to shut out the river when tur- bid from floods, and if we find that, when dé livered in the houses, it ia still sometimes too much discolored for domestic uses, the erec- tion of walls across the distributing’ réservoir Will, a8 in the white lead worke, effectually re- move all that can be disagreeable to the eve. I have provided for one division in the distribut- ing reservoir, believing that upon the scale adopted this will be sufiicient.” THE PURITY OF PoToMAC WATER. Reference is made to an analysis of the waters of the Potomac and Rock creek made by » Prof. John Torrey of New York, to whom va- rious specimens were exhibited. “The notes They require to be “The sources of su available for Wash- — seem to be, limited to Rock creek and Weshington, soclear and ite valley near the city so Tocky and apparently vo well calculated for and _preservi ‘uncontaminated an abundant supply that it has naturally attracted attention, while the greater volume of water in the Potomac and the it at which it Teaches at the brink of the Great Falls, with ite well-known reputation among ship-masters for purity and excellence, have equally given it to notice. I am informed that during the administration of Mr. Jefferson ® survey was made, by his direction, with » view of bringing in the water from the Great Falls to supply she city and to fill a dry dock at the Davy yard. “white advantages of Rock creck are its parity ‘and wholesomeness, the shortness of the works necessary for the introduction of its waters and their went less expense. In purity the waters of the Potomac are at least equal to those of Rock creek now, whilo they havesthe advantage of being certain to retain this purity for ages. Their volume is so great that no es- tablishment of manufactories on its banks i likely to pour into it enough of impurity sensibly to deteriorate it.” THE ROCK CREEK. ‘The officer at this point goes into # long dis- Cussion of the condition of things in the Rock Creek valley, which strengthens his position of favoring the Great Falls scheme. He bad taken good deal of testimony in regard to the average flow of water through the creek, from millers and others living upon its banks, be- sides having secured accurate gauges of the itream, and his conclusion is that the minimum supply from Rock creck would be 9,860,000 galionsaday. He then says: “In view of the growth of Washington to be expected within the next twenty or thirty Years, and the exponditure of water in such great fountains as the public taste will demand, andin the many smaller ones which public health and comfort will require, I cannot think this a sufficient supply. In ten years from this time 10,000,000 of gallons a day, I am contident, Will be found too little for the domestic use alone of its inhabitants, and in undertaking a great work, such as supplying a city with water, cannot think thats project which provides only for ten years is wise or judicious.” He then propored to dam up the waters of the creek, to build a reservoir and to bring the water into the city by meansof a brick couduit, His favorite plan, however, isthat of getting the water of the Potomac at Great Falls into the city. His description of the dificulties of such a work and its surprises form an interest ing portion of the report, Ho says: DIFFICULTIES OF THR GREAT FALLS PLAN. “The traveler asceuding the bank of the Po- tomac from Georgetown to the Great Falls Would conclude that a more unpromising re- gion for the construction of an aqueduct could not be found. Supported by high walls against the face of jagged and vertical precipice, in continual danger of being undermined by the foaming torrent which boiled beiow, the canal is a monument of the energy and daring of our engineers. The route seems occupied, and no mode of bringing in the water except by iron pipes secured to the rocks or laid in the bed of the canal seems practicable. Such were my own impressions, and, though I knew that in this age, with money, any achievement of en- gineering was possible, I thought the survey Would be needed only to. demonstrate by fig- ures and measures the extravagance of such a work. “But when the levels were applied to the ground I found, to my surprise and gratifica- Mon, that the rocky precipices and dificult pas- sages were nearly all below the line which, allowing a uniform grade, would naturally be telected for our conduit, nnd that insiend of demonstrating the extravagance of the pro- posal it became my duty to devise a work pre- senting no considerable diiliculties and afford- ing no opportunities for the exhi triumphs of science or #l THE CROSSING OF CABIN JOHN RUS. He then describes the proposed work some detail and in his explanation of the churacter of the Line he alludes to the project of a bridge that has given the officer more fame, rhape, than red. H a; any other thing that he achieved. He ‘The line proceeds in easy cutting to t! end of the seventh mile, where it meets ¢ only serious obstacle on its whole course. ‘Th is the valley of Cabin John branch. The bot- tom of this stream is ninety-five feet below the Water in the aqueduct. The valley might be crossed by pipes, but the reasons given in de- scribing the bridgeson the Rock creck line and the experience of the Harlem bridge on the Croton aqueduct are sufficient, I think, to prove that a bridge, unless very costly, should be pre- ferred. ‘The bridge proposed will be 482 feet in extreme leng*h, iis greatest height 101 feet, width 20 feet, and’ will consist of six semi-cir: cular arches of 60 fect span, resting upon piers Tfeet thick by 20 feet long at the top aud of various heights, the highest being 525g feet. ‘This bridge will cost $72,409 and is the only large one upon the route.” ‘This plan was wholiy changed afterward and the present magnificent arch was erected in place of the series of six spans. ‘The result was & surprise to the eugincering world and the fame of the builder spread until, even in later days, when other and perhaps greater works had been achieved by him, he was known the world over as the engineer of the greatest arch in existence. The alteration of the plans eaused an increase in the cost to $237,000. Meigs built the bridge without especial difficulty and saved much time and mouey bya clever arrange- ment. He dammed up the water of the creek that formed his worst obstacle and thus was enabled to so communicate with the canal that he could float his boat loads of stone to the very piers of the bridge. The arch, with a single span of 220 fect and 5734 feet from the springing line, carries the Wacer main across the ravine. Itis'20 fect wide and 420 feet long. Jt is a center of attention on the way from Washington to Great Faiis isacelebrated resort tor picnic parties. The perspective of masonry, viewea from one abut- ment to the other, is wonderful and awe in- sparing. ‘The conduit first suggested by the officer was seven feet in diameter, nine inches thick, but this was, at Lieut. Meigs’ own recommendation, changed to nine feet, at an ndditiouai cost of about £350,000, causing an increase in the ca- pacity of the conduit from 26,000,000 to 67,- ‘The project of damming the water at Little Falis and pumping it to the desired height, though described at some length, was not wore thy of sutticient attention, apparently, to cause it to be considered even with the plan of sup- plying the city from Kock creck. LOOKING To THE FUTURE. In conclusion Lieut. Meigs sets forth anew the advantages of the Great Falls project and say ‘he streets in hot weather may be flooded every morning by hose. Every parti- cal of dust or of offal prejudicial to health or comfort would thus be washed into the sewers, ‘The most magnificent fountains could be kept constantly flowing and tho city of Washington, you'll know. about ten years ing was calle had declared it carried. Then somebod: n ington © piped supply of water. ENGINEERING FEATS, The work involved several splendid feats of John bridge has already been alluded to, but this is not Fogarded by engineers as the great- est ‘k on line.” There is practically no limits to the size of a simple arch beyond the crushing limits of stone, and thus the span can be carried to an almost indednite length with only the capacity of the engineer for good work ase test. But the bridge that carries the mains across Rock creek on the line of Pennsylvania avenue isin reality as unique « bridge as was ever built. The new principle involved here is, the use of the water mains themselves as the arch of the bridge and the ct is that of a gracefully light stracture utilizing every pound of material for the practical uses for which it is built. The bridge was noticed by engineers of Europe and illustrated in the current journals of science and engineering. The Annales des Ponts et Chaussies of Paris, then known a8 the leading techrical journal of the world, characterized it as the most novel enterprise in bridge building of the times. Few people who cross the bridge realize this fact, of its beauty and reputation, and regard it asa mere truss bridge, undeserving of comparison with the arch across Cabin John run. bridge in the There is another beautiful aqneduct system, built by Lieut. Meigs, worthy of attention nt this time. This is known in the prolect as bridge No. 3, at station 264. It is located about a mile and n half above Cabin John and would scarcely be noticed by passers. It is elliptical in shape, with six centers, three of each side of the center. ‘the curve of the archend the great strength of tho structure givoto the bridge stamp that has made it weil known to engincers. The arch is fifteen feet high and seventy-five feet in the span. ‘The roadway is twelve feet wide and the piers twenty feet. The foundation laid by Lieut. Meigs for an ample water supply for the eity. is appreciated Sow, when the source is the same in its charac- ter and purity now as ever, and the demand is far greater than was estimated at that time. ‘The present capacity of the works is 40,000,000 gallons a day, which is just about enough for the needs of’ the city. The character of the Project, however, and th i Supply in the river makes it possible to pro- vide for all future contingencies. Col. Elliot, in his Inst annual report refors to this and suggests a plin whereby Washington can bo Put outside the possibility of « water famine ‘or generations. He proposes to raise the dam atthe Great Falls to the heicit of 150? feet above the datum line at acost of $100,000. This will afford @ supply, he estimates, of 100,000,000 gallons a day, or more than twice as much as is needed at present. ee “WITCHING” FOR WATER. An Operation That May Occasionally Be Seen Out West. From the New York Times. “Iseo that you had something in your paper the other day about ‘water witebes,’” said a gentleman to a Times reporter. said the reporter, “I believe that we “Well, do you know that I was entirely mis- led by the heading to the story that you printed? Until I read that story [had never seen the term ‘water witch’ applied to the undertow of @ mountain stream. I got the idea when I saw the headline that what followed had something todo with one of those fellows who go about telling people where to dig wells. They quite ro numerous out west and are always called witches.’ I've seen lots of them. ‘How do they do it?” asked the reporter. “Let me tell you about one of them and then Til pick out one whom I saw ago when I was out in the ter- ‘ory of Dakota, I'd gone there to grow up with the country. T sottied in papor town, that is to say, in a town that had been Inid out on a map into streets, squares and sites for churche schools, opera houses, and hundred-thousand- public dollar hotels. Two hundred dollars would have put up all the buildings in the place. There wasn’t a drop of water tobe had in all the town. The nearest well was at leust half a mile away. “There were lots of big holes about the place that had been dug by thirsty people, but they were all waterless. “‘We've got todo suthin’ right away,’ said the oldest imhabitant (he'd been there six montis). ‘I'm in favor of holdin’ a mass “I acquiesced, and the others who were spoken to wero willing, and so the mass meet- About’ twenty came—all there were—and 1 was made chairman of the meet- ing. ‘ihere wer8 remarks from several per- sons, and then up got the oldest inhabitant joved that we hire a water witch. ‘The motion was seconded, and before I knew it I passed round the hat for money. Being the chairman of the meeting I felt that I must chip in liber- ally, and I did. I didn’t know nor care what a water witch was. I proposed to show my new friends that they had made no mistukein sizing me up as. fit man to preside nt one of their important meetings, Besides, 1 hadn't had a bath for a week and I felt scrateby and des- perate. “The second day after the mecting the water witch came to town—a grizzly bearded fellow, muftied up in what looked like a fur-lined duster, a blue woolen comforter tied about his neck, with the ends flapping in the wind. “he had a T-shaped pigce of willow with him, the arms six inches long, the other part, say, eighteen inches long. “Well, Mr. Loring,’ said the oldest inhab- itant, addressing me, ‘what kind of a trade shall we make? The water witch offers to witch for us, and notguarantee, for $10. He'll guar- antee for $5 extra.” “Guarantee! I exclaimed, ‘Yes, guarantee us water.’ “By ‘all means, let him guarantee,’ I an- swered, decisively. ‘We need water 60 badly that $5 isn't worth looking at.’ “Tho witch took bis $15 and set himself to work. He grasped the T-shaped willow by the arms, an arm ia each band, and held it 80 that the long piece stuck straight out in front of him. ‘Then in the solemuect manner imagin- able he sy making tracks across the prairie. Wherever he went, the crowd followed clove at his heels. ; “Suddenly he stopped, and, turning to the oldest inhabitant, said mournfully: ‘’Fraid I sha'n't find no water here.” “Keep on, old man," I shouted. ‘Don't give it up.” Rorivaled in grandeur aud beauty of ame Re arg er pivemed eer repr tare mar} would in « few oars, refreshed) by ifving | Suddenly his sick, tu streams and beautified by spa: ets ea se : towering’columns of water, become'a place of | gry Dis, efer uo sai, ‘an’ T' guarantee you'll summer resort and the’ admiration of our whole people. “What American looks upon the great public buildings of our capital but witha fecling of pride and pleasure? Let our aqueduct bo ROCK CREEK AQUEDUCT. alysis.” continues this report, “show from either source is of uncom: that the mon purity and softness, well adapted todrink- ing, washing and manufacturing, aud, indeed, superior to the far-famed Croton. The chief difficulty in the analysis was caused by the ex- treme purity of the water, such that the speci- mens, two gallons each, did not afford him enough of the impurities to determine accu- rately their {uantitios. That is, the quantity of most of the dissdived ingredients was so small as to be inappreciable. ‘These specimens were taken in November, when both streams weresensibly turbid or discolored, being swollen by autumnal rains, and may, thercfore, be con- sidered at least fair average specimens. When the water from iqneduct shall have been further purified by settling in extensive and capacious reservoirs, as provided in the plan Proposed, Washington will be oe with water unrivalled for purity and salubrity, and which will need, I think, no complicated and expensive filtering arrangements.” THS UPPER BESERVOIR, Unfortunately for Lieut. Meigs’ forecast, however, the upper reservoir, which he and all his successors have spoken of as the “receiving reservoir,” has been abandoned, and the serv- ice therefore loses the use of that basin for set- hei y would be 250,000, fc shall flow | Se Hotter Satardare tan thoee which extant | foutbe purged. sien "om Segue and tie Croton, but at the same rate of use—90 means proposed by forty years | seson tend ta peeeseney eines ago. worthy of the nation, und emuious as wo are of the great Roman republic let us show that the rulers chosen by the people are not less careful of the safety, health and Beauty of thelr expe tal than the emperors who, after enslaving their nation by their great ‘works, conferred benefits upon their city which, their. treason almost forgotten, cause their ames to be re~ membered with Fespect aud affection by those who still drink the water suppliod by thelr magnificent aqneducts.” e report was accompanied pendices, including n deta Of tho three projects. On the lowing June, a change of administration hav- ing occurred the Great Fails aqueduct was Totten, chief of engineers; by Secretary of War, and by President. by several ap- estimate for each 28th of the fol- The * ‘THE FINAL cost. work was successfully accom; specice eee aed soot $100,000 March 8, 1853; $250,000 find all the water you want.’ ‘What'd I tell ve?" exclaimed the oldest in- habitant, exultingly. the next day the digging began.” “And what came of it?” asked the ir. “A hole, eight feet in diameter and a bun- drod feet deep, as dry as dust from top to bottom.” “And what abont the guarantor?” “He'd sloped when we sent a man to call him to account.” The six English anarchists arrested in con- nection with the Wanall bomb conspiracy have been remanded for trial. Col. Christian Febiger, president of the Dela- ware railroad, director of the Phildadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore railroad, president of the Firomen’s Insurance Company of Wil- mington and a prominent and weaithy citizon, yesterday died at Wilmington, Del. How America Has Had Young Men for Council as Well as War. PRECOCITY IN POLITICS. Great Men Who Laid the Foundations of the Republic Were Young When They Served— ‘The Youngest Men in the Present House— Men Who Wero Babes During the War ‘Now tn Congress. HE CRIME OF BEING ® young man is one committed by a good many members of the Fifty-second Congress. The generation born during the war is be- ginning to make its way to the front. In the Fiftieth Congress thero was not a single man Ddorn in the sixties. In the Fifty- second there are seven. The latest birth year to be noted in the directories of the Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Congresses was i857. In the Fifty- first the year 1860 began to show up. ‘The po- litical vintage of 1962 has now been put on tap, and it will not be long before we shall have a Congress containing men born in the post-bel- lum period. ‘Thus the sow, forward merch of the generation of men brings us to anew future. and the sharp and strident voice of the war Period sinks to a low murmur in the dim past, YOUNG MEN OF OLDEN THES. Precocity in politi not, however, a new thing. In the early years of the American re- public the proportion of young men was more marked than now. Jefferson wrote the Declara- tion of Independence when he was thirty-three, and he bad been in the Virginia legislature at twenty-six and a Congressman at thirty Alexander Hamilton waa in Congressat ty five; in the constitutional convention at thirty and amember of Washington'scabinet at thirty two. John Randoiph of Roanoke entered Con- Gress when he was twenty-six, and remained there with an interval of one Congress for REPRESENTATIVE BAILEY, THE YOUNGEST MEMBER. thirty years until appointed minister to Russia by Andrew Jackson. John Quincy Adams showed remarkable maturity in his sarly years and so commended himself to Washington that he was appointed minister to Engiand and the Netherlands when he was but twenty-seven. At thirty-six he entered the Senate. Madison was a Congressman at twenty- eight and the Madison papers were written be- fore he was thirty-five. Henry A. Wise, whose lurid rhetoric and errratic politics made him the John James Ingalls of bis time, was but twenty-six when he entered the Twenty-first Congress, and he had earned a national reputa- tion by his eccentricity that nowadays would make him worth $200 a night on Iveoum platform. | Webster. when he came to the Twelfth Congress, was thirty. After an in- terval of ten years he xgain came to the House, and at forty-five. a youtliul age even now, be entered the Senate. He was forty-eight when he made the famous repiy to Hayne. Tom Benton began hus illustrious thirty years in the Senate when he was thirty-eight. John M. Clayton had just passed his thirty third golden milestone im life when he took the oath of a Senator, and when he dicd, twenty-seven years later, he was stulla Sena: tor, ‘though’ in the interval he bad for a short time been chief justice of the blue hen state and also Secretary of State for Prosi- dent Taylor, in that capacity accomplishing ton-Bulwer tre: houn was twe nine when first sent to Congress five when he entered on his se ministration of the War Dey President Monroe, which, with oue exception, was tie longest term of cabinet service in he history of the government. Calhoun had shown his aptitude for publ lifelong before coming to Congress by his service at the age of twenty-five in the South Carolina legislature. RY CLAY'S EARLY TRIUMPHs, Henry Clay was remarkable in all things and in nothing more than in the confidence and en- thusiasm he inspired when @ very young man. ‘The history of American politits can chow no parellel. He was appointed to the Senate first at twenty-nine, before he was of the constitu- tional age. At thirty-four be entered the House to be elected Speaker on the first day of his appearance in that body. famo as speaker in the Kentucky legisiature had pre- ceded him. And live times he was re-elected to that great office. New York sent young mon to Congress—Edward Living- at ston and W. BR. King to the Senate thirty-one and thirty-three, respectively. Vi liam C. Johnston Maryiaud, who sided over the first bo: nommated Clay for the presidency, was but twenty-six when he entered Congress. John Tyler was thirty-seven when elected to the Senate. Nathaniel Macon, who was in Congress thirty-seven years from Georgia, and was for nearly a quarter of a cen- tury called the father of Congress, was but thirty-four when be was sext to the Second Congress in 1791. Keitt of South Carolina, who achieved fame in the ante-bellam Congresses and feli bravely fighting for the lost cause, was but twenty-eight when he took his seat in the House. Fernando Wood, the self-made man, who rose from the cigarmaker's bench to the lead- ership of great party in Congress, was but twenty-nine when he entered the House in 1341. PRECOCIOUS PENNSYLVANIANA. Wilmot of proviso fame was thirty-one when he appeared on the scene where he was to play so greats part. His successor was Galusha A. Grow, also known to fame, and he was but twenty-seven in 1850, when he first took the oath as an M.C. The precocity of this Penn- sylvania congressional district reasterted itself in the Forty-eighth Congress, when Georgo A. Post of Susquehanna Depot’ appeared as the youngest member of the House, being but twenty-nine. Andrew Jackson lived so long and so well that we forget what was a most notable thing in his career. Hie wasn revolutionary soldier, trudging along the march or pacing sentinel duty, or charging in battle with his old flint- tock musket when he was but fourteen years old. At twenty-three Washington made him district attorngy for ‘Tennessee, At twenty- nino he was a United States Senator. ‘THE YOUNORST VICE PRESIDENT. John C. Breckinridge was the youngest Vice President this country ever had, He came to Congress at thirty, and at thirty-five was elected on the ticket with Buchanan and was installed as President of the Scnaie. Caleb ing, who carved out a great name for as a lawyer and statesman, was thirty when be entered Congress. So, too, was Robert C. Winthrop, who, whon elected Speaker of the Thirtieth Congress in 1847, was but thir- ty-eight. Charles Sumner was a young Senator when at forty he took the seat of Daniel Web- ster. Abrabam Lincoln, when be was chosen President, bad conel that he was an old man and that he was soon to be crowded off the political stage. He wrote of friends that he feit at forty-nine as if he was old man and be could huve no expectation old and be when ook bis sect ia IX RECENT TIMES. 16, 1892—SIXTEEN PAGES. | When @ pretty Little golden yellow pickauinny House in the Thirty-fourthCongress when be was only thirty-two. Mr. Justice Lamar, twenty Con, ago, was in the House at thirty-two. dir. Blaine wasa boyish young fellow ! weering @ soft, silky beard—his firet growth, they say—when at thirty-three be” came above political horizon in the ‘war Congress of 1863. Four years before that he sat in the Maine legislature, and for two years he had been speaker of its house. Mr. Blaint friend, Mr. Wiilam Walter Phelps, was a Co! Sressman at thirty-six. Senator Edmunds, Whose snowy beard and bald dome have made him look ol} for twenty years past, was only thirty-eight when he entered the Senate in 1866. John R. Lynch of Mississippi, who was Dora a slave in 147, was twonty-eight when he took the oath asa member of the Forty-third Congress. Blanche K. Bruce, Missisxip noted colored Senator, was thirty-four when be entered public. life." Senator Voorhees was thirty-four when he first came to Congress. Sam Randall was thirty-five when he took off his yellow corded cavairyma: jacker and entered the Thirty-eighth Congress. Senator Allison, who was in the same House, was younger. year Judge Holman, when be took his 6 Thi ‘ongross, before the War, was thirty-seven.and'as haudsome a brown- whiskered young fellow as ever made a speech OF cast a vote. GEN. LOGAN'S aE. Tthas often been asserted that the youngest man who ever sat in Congress was Jolin A. Logan. He never told how old he was in the nal Directories nor gave not. He had been in the Lilinois re four years before he came to Co gressand throe of those years he had been Prosecuting attorney for ‘his county. Close friends of Gen. Logan's have always said that he could not have been of the constisutional age when he took his seat in the House in 4859. Yet he was adjutant of aa Il nois regiment in the Mexican war eleven {la7s before and he had been admitted to the arin 1852. It often occurs that good law students in practice before they are twen- ty-one. Hon. ‘thomas Jackeon Clunie of San Francisco, who was an able member of last Congress, was empowered by the legisla to begin his legal carcer ighteen, Gen. Logan may r precocious, but it is not an officer in a regiment in the re he was fifteen, and that his age at least twenty-six ture of Californi: when he was made | When he entered c bs" OF RECENT CONGRESSES. The “kid” of the Forty-cighth as well as the Fiftieth Congresses was Ben Shively, who be- sides being the youngest man in those bodies Fas the tallest and bigzest. He was born in 1837 and is still ela ; ‘There were a good m: House. There was V of ‘Tennessee, now dead, who was thit ene. Aud there was Bob Lafollette, the salty Little tariff talker, who was ‘on ways and means in the last Congress aud made himseif a political personality shat sooner or Inter will be feit in the United States Senate. He was in the thirty-one class also, Bob Vance, the Connecticut "story teller, was in his thirty-first year. Bourle Cockran was in that Congress and thirty-three years old; 80 too were McAdoo of New Jersey, Yost of Virginia and Charley Voorhees of Washington territory. TURNER DEAT THEM. In the Fifty-first House it was for some time supposed that Dolliver of lowa was the “kid” and he was dubbed “Dolly” and talked about a d deal. He was thirty when he wns elected. But when Mr. Mudd of Maryland turned in his age it was found that he had come into the world eix days latter than Dolliver, but this did not count when the returns came in from Brooklyn and Mr. Magner came forward with his family Bible, showing that be was born in 1960. . to disappoint | all comers, Iceman Turner was elected to fill out a fra term and his birthday | proved to This chilled th Various aspirants for the honor of being “kid of the House and the contest finally cvoled down, with the iceman in sole and undisturbed possession of the ttle. THE YOUNOEST MAN I THIS ROVER. In this House Joseph W. Bailey of Texas is the youngest member. Mr. Gantz of 0) crowds him at a distance of eight months. Mr. Bryan of Nebraska, the brilliant young fellow who has been put ou the ways and means in his first term; Sherman Hoar, the distinguished nephew of noted uncles, and Mr. Macner of | New York were all born in 1860. Mr. Crossly | of the Berkshire district of Dinssachusetts and | Mr. Donovan of Ohioare a year younger. The year 1858 has but one member to its credit, Mr. Doliiver. ‘Then comes 1857, with the young giant, Mr. Shively; Mr. Durborow, whose brillia cess in getting the cis ship of the world’s (ait committe being talked about, aud Mr. Cheatham, the stalwart colored member from North Carolina, who was born a slave, aud was given as a weddi who owned him ‘The boys of '56 w ing present to the lady | ring the war. = Crawford of North Caro- lina, Dunphy of New Yori, Moses, the Georgia | alliance young m:n; Brookshire, the hoover | farmer,who sai in the Fifty-tirst House; Hooker of New York and Watson of Georgia. ie THE FISHERIES EXHIBIT. Capt. Collins Tells About It Before an Associ- ation in New York. Capt. J. W. Collins of the United States fish commission, who is at the head of the fish and Aisheries department of the worid’s Columbian | exposition, made an address before the United States Menhaden Oil and Guano Association at its annual meeting yesterday. In his address Capt. Collins eaid: “There will be three puild- ings erected for the accommodation of fishery exhibits, having acombined length of about feet. ‘The central structure, which will be devoted to commercial fisheries and fish cul- turo, is rectangular in form, 360 feet in length by 163 feet in width, except in the center, where the extreme breadth is 269 feet. In addition to | the floor space in this building there wiil be | galleries for exhibition purposes thifty feet | wide, runing the entire length and across | both ends, making an aggregate exbil floor arca of about »50,; square fect. | ¥ decm it a matter of importance, and one well | worthy of mention on this occasion, that pro sion bas been made tn the upper part of this building for un cating saloon, where it is ex- pected a specialty will be made of supplying food composed of fish and other animale taken from the water. ‘Chis will be a practical and ost excellent illustration of the economic importance of our fisheries, and it is to be hoped that this special work will be o con- ducted as to give thoso who patronize fish dinners at the exposition a better conception than they now have of the valve of fish as food. Connected with tnis structure on the east by a beautiful curved arcade will be a polygonal building, 135 feet in diameter, which will be devoted to an aquaral exhibit’ The inter will be instalied and maintained by the United States fish commission, and it will be the effort of the commixsion to show there, in ther natural surroundings, fish and other aquatic animals suitable for such installation, from the Atlantic, the Pacitic, the Gulf of | Mexico, the great lakes and other interior waters. There, practically side by — side, }we hope and expect to see the brilliant: ; hued fishes of the tropics, the lordiy salmon, the vigorous and gamey trout and the innabi- tants of our northern seas, including the cod and itsallies, the mackerel, the menhaden and other fishes that heve gained wide renown for their economic importance. West of the main building and also connected with it bya curved arcade will be a pavilion exactly like that de- voied to aquaria. In this will be installed « mxgnificent display of everything style of architecture, and Mr. Heury Ives Cobb, the architect, has boldly stepped outside of the beaten track aud has vontured to decorate the structures with representations of fich and other inhabitants of the waters. It is conceded by all that his effort has been most successfal, and many claim that even among the maguifi- cont that are now rising in Jackson Park Mr. Cobb's design will and something which no the fisheries can fail | Which has beeu piedged | describes in the most to NEW YORK Nores, Something About the iiatlrond Terminal Pe etlities Gotham, THE XEW BRIDGE OVER THR RUDSON AND TAB UXION RAILROAD STATION—DOWN-towN LIFE THE GENEROSITY TOWARD aUETROPOLITAN UME VERSITIEG—A CHILD (N Tu Stow Special Correspondence of The Fvenine Star. New Yorx, Jan. 14, 1892. NE OF TRE CHIEP sce which Washingtom people make of New York is to go through itas quickly as posnibley and hence your readers Will like to learn of the remarkable progress that is being made im that particular kind of Tepid transit in which you have such a local interest. Work is going on rapidly on the great bridge over the Hudson, and no donbt that stapem- dous work will be finished on schedule time. Ineed not sy that the usual chorus of hom tility has broken out which has met ew great public tmprovement in this city time out of mind. Possibly rome of you remember tha Passage in “Lucille” where genius is described &s insisting on helping a world which does ite best to obsiruct and thwart these kindly em- deavore, So toa remarkable degree ci sete ite face stendfartls against anything which can improve or adora it THE ORFAT MRIDaR will span the Hudson at about treet and make @ long curve down to the Broadway station, come where near 40th street. This much is fixed upon, but it on torday that the New York ment will adjusi the term own roa > grand um would be almost too there das, but b changes in the Central's ter- all work in with the gea imaking 42d street, from Bre jon comp th aven the great railroad center of the cou What will be the effect of this raoveon the down town portion of the island? We already have one icant straw in the New York Jie ° ment th present bui tion near the also, the prin Will be erected in the course, there will hi the retail trade largely residential. 0 RADICAL CHANORS 1X DOWN-TOWN LIFE. But that the wisest heads do not antic any radical changes in down-town life appears from the fact that the very people who are in~ terested in this rm: Vauderbilts—have jz monster iif e corner of Beckman opporite their ott the Vaud a the a eits plant ing same regi & rw post office. a, and, of ad development’ of tm districts which are mow 4 traneportation hot affect the present crush sal and wholesale business pur Canal street. UNIVERRITY BEQUEST. While Tam speaking of real estate clanges I might add that the splendid project forremoy- ing Columbia Cuilege to Blooutngdale Heights, making it a truly national untersity, is making rapid headway. ¥ “ Silts of £100,000 each tuerance of thus plan, Lesic ities Mow div corporat The ch is to be built om joining the proposed site fol Colume » is also making progross tovurd the c funds. A bequest ara sbout $250,000 of $300,000 for this pu Just been aunoanced and the religious the cathedral is aireudy begun i: preltainary way by the estublishment of regular sertices im @ chapel ou the cuchedral site. A CHILD IN THE Nant. Dandet, in his great novel of the corrupt de cadence of the second empir b the “enamel of innocence, dren, even im the most vic We se had witha ration of defense wa throws aroend her little ones in th et sornes of New York. Some days ago lof thirteen wandered ay fr bome pet and Inunched forth for hersel bread winner in th was absolutely workd a a ‘nemies of e etroets > much of the company lin some of te of the while, ‘acted parents teed every lice and of privaie inquiry Epis ‘Sway \ be which protests 1 by night and time in dang the worst utr of coun agency ot } to discover her wherenbouts. Finalig, thr the publici newsp strect by then subject inqdries, and eut comfort of the family it past sie had entirely escaped any apral ation, and, in fuct, t of the danger to whi exposed. This, of course, is an excegional ox- perience. Most gis of ‘even » would have been tarnished by ran New York for days ata pe, bul Ui ber case the iniquities of the city seemed to ro off from her young nature Like water fromm ducks back: which the a wed terly ig- she ad been if wild in 700 Goon a Theard a very amui illustrates the benefits told to me by the owner of a paperthic one of the largest circulations in t world. Ho suid that recently being im agnt hurry just as the forms were cloning. he haduven the Toreman a piece of reprint to fill amail g on one of the pa: nd had then J@ the of fice and the country for ashort fogen trips | Upon his return ie was astonished | find om huis dewis tter from one ofle lead- ing dry g in another city, reaten- ing hin with a libel suit for an adveleement of their concern, which the paper hatrinted: without their authority and which Ki boom the source of the greatest annoyance nd lose to them. It appeured om investigaty that tue foreman had taken the slip of par and given it to “the intelligent composite? whe liad found on the other side of the slip com plete udvertisement of the dealer in @stion, and he had assumed that it was this adrtise- ment which sbould be reproduced. Acc@ingly ithad been inserted, as a conm@ence, the dealer was overwhelmed with or certain line of goods which he had ». bofore cleared out of stock, inv: therefore, ia no end of explanat appointments to customers. His cal was something like that of the Tarpeian mai Was crushed under the weight of the ments thrown upon her. Day aft week after week orders came in from aibarte of the country, and finally the merch be- came 80 euraged that he was moved to di im the strong nrm of the lew agaiust such mood of unsought and inconvenient popuileity. The proper explanations were wade all arqu but probably the merchant necds no canyse- ing now to ‘couviuce hum that the papedse Goud advertising medium. A YOUNOSTER OF SEVENTY. Rev. Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler is evidently me 0? those sprightly natures that are willingto grow old gracefully, if necessary, when he uot willing to grow old at ip it, Anat Sunday be resched, the rij of seventy, and preached to his congregation on two’ teat which he Heke, together, the first from the nineteenth Psalm, “Lhe daye of our yearsare three scoreand ten,* and the other text from the 102d Pealm: my God, teke me not away in the midst of my days.” “Those who know Dr. Cuyler's exuber- ant spirite will smile to see how evidently be Gouiders seventy as & mile pont of active mid- dio iize. exe RB. Exxaos. Penneyivania Porder Claims Commission, ‘The border cla.ms commission of Pennsyl- vauia organized yesterday at the Metropolitam Hotel, all the members being present save Gow. Pattison and Auditor General McCamant. ‘This commission is the second of its kind created by the Pennaylvania logidature fon the urpowe passage of a Eoagress to pay the lomes incurred during the Jate war, in ceriain border couutios of Penasyle yania. The adjudicated lowes amount ‘$3,500,000. a A De-ta’l of the ATuir Last Night.