up during the fiscal year 1895-96 have opened, and that no new ones have developed. THE CONDUIT ROAD AND ITS FENCES. For use in repairing the Conduit road 2,665.7 cubic yards of flint stone were crushed and spread upon the road during the year between the Foxhall road and the clubhouse near Great Falls. Extensive repairs were made to the dirt road between the clubhouse and Great Falls, a distance of about 24 miles. General repairs were made to all other portions of the road, ditches were cleaned, bushes cut down, slopes trimmed, and deposits removed from culverts. All of the guard fences on the embankments along the Conduit road have been repaired and whitewashed. Year by year the travel on the Conduit road, which is the most beautiful driveway in the vicinity of Washington, increases, and with it increases the amount of road metal necessary to keep the road in repair, until at the present time the cost of repairing this road entails a most serious drain upon the very limited annual appropriation for the maintenance of the Washington Aqueduct and its accessory structures, amounting during the past two years for the surface repairs of the road alone to more than 12 per cent of the total annual appropriation for the Washington Aqueduct during that period. Although the Conduit road is the property of the Washington Aqueduct, it is so extensively used as a public driveway that it does not seem fair to charge the annually increasing cost of maintaining it entirely against the appropriation for supplying the District of Columbia with water, thereby reducing the amount available for use on other parts of the system. Although much appreciated in its present condition by the thousands of persons who use it, the condition of the road would be greatly improved if a fixed amount were appropriated annually, exclusively for supplying and spreading road metal upon the road, the repairs to culverts, ditches, bridges, etc., being essential to the safety of the Washington Aqueduct, to be paid as at present from the regular appropriation for the maintenance and repair of the Washington Aqueduct. An estimate of the annual cost of supplying and spreading road metal upon the Conduit road between Georgetown and the clubhouse is accordingly submitted in the proper place. An appropriation of $1,000 for the purpose was made by the District of Columbia act of June 30, 1898, but in my opinion this amount will not be sufficient, and an annual appropriation of $5,000 for this purpose is earnestly recommended. THE MAINS. The trunk mains, aggregating 21 miles in length, which lead from the distributing reservoir and supply the distributing system of street mains, were laid by the United States and are under the control of this office, but the distributing mains were laid by the District of Columbia and are under the care of the Commissioners of the District. A break in the 24-inch main at First and K streets NE. was repaired, and leaks in the mains at the following points were discovered and stopped by recalking the joints: 48-INCH MAIN. Leaks in several joints on M street near Thirty-first street NW. 30-INCH MAIN. A leak at Twenty-fifth street and Pennsylvania avenue NW. 24-INCH MAIN. A leak at Eleventh and U streets NW. Nine valve casings on the Canal road were raised to the new grade of the road. All pipe vaults have been cleaned and valves have been oiled and worked regularly. Section 1803, Revised Statutes, forbids the tapping of any main laid by the United States in the District of Columbia except by permission of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army. Upon recommendation of Col. George H. Elliot, Corps of Engineers, in letter dated December 31, 1894, concurred in by the Chief of Engineers and approved by the Secretary of War, general authority was granted to the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to tap all the United States mains in the District of 12 inches in diameter and under at their pleasure, with the exception of the 10-inch main in Georgetown between its valve just north of M street and the Rock Creek Aqueduct Bridge at Pennsylvania avenue, the 12-inch main on the Conduit road between the distributing reservoir and Foxhall Hill, and the 12-inch main on the Canal road. Permission was given by the Chief of Engineers to Mrs. Margaret Halloran to tap the 12-inch main with one 1-inch tap on the Conduit road in front of lot No. 2 in Harlem for a building erected on that lot; Mr. Thomas Sullivan to tap the same main in front of lot No. 3 in Gordon's subdivision of Harlem with a three-fourths-inch tap; to Messrs. S. S. Shedd & Bros. to tap the 20-inch main in front of premises No. 106 B street NE. with a 1-inch tap; to Mr. James Albinson to tap the 12-inch main on the Conduit road in front of two houses on that road with two 1-inch taps, and to Mr. Charles Lockhead for Mr. Philip Zier, owner, to tap the same main with a 1-inch tap. THE BRIDGES. All of the bridges are now in excellent condition, the wooden flooring of the roadway over the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge having been renewed and that of the wooden bridge across the spillway of the Dalecarlia Reservoir repaired. Locked covers have been placed on the manholes at bridges Nos. 1 and 2. The roadway of Pennsylvania avenue, which in the vicinity is 53.5 feet in clear width, is contracted on the bridge to a clear width of but 17 feet, and as drivers are required to walk their teams while passing over the bridge, a congestion of travel results during the busiest hours of the day, causing delay and annoyance, as there is not room for one team to pass another, and consequently the speed of all teams on the bridge moving in the same direction is limited by that of the team in front. Especially is this annoyance felt by the thousands of bicycle riders who daily pass over the bridge and who, unless experienced riders, are frequently forced to dismount and lead their bicycles over the bridge, the rate of progress of the teams blocking the roadway ahead being too slow to allow an inexperienced rider to maintain equilibrium. In addition, the sightly appearance of the avenue is much injured by the extreme contraction at this point. This bridge, the property of the Washington Aqueduct, is very graceful in appearance and is unique among the bridges of the world, in that the roadway is supported upon arched ribs formed by two 48-inch cast-iron pipes, through which flows at least half of the water consumed by the city. It would seem therefore that any plan to widen the bridge should preserve both the graceful form and the distinctive features of the bridge. A Board of Engineers, constituted by Special Orders No. 8, February 2, 1877, and composed of the following officers of the United States Corps of Engineers, Bvt. Maj. Gen. Z. B. Tower, Bvt. Maj. Gen. H. G. Wright, and Bvt. Maj. Gen. Q. A. Gillmore, was assembled to examine into the propriety of certain proposed modifications of this bridge. This Board, after due consideration of the matter, reported as follows: It would, in our opinion, therefore, better accord with the position on Pennsylvania avenue and with the general character and architectural effect of other aqueduct structures to widen this structure, without changing its design, by the addition of two arched iron ribs similar to those of the present bridge and by widening the abutments. These two arched ribs should be made about as heavy as those of the present bridge. As the previous discussion shows the latter to be abundantly strong without the truss work, in the new construction the greater portion of the whole weight of the bridge could be thrown upon the added arches not used as water pipes. We regard the arch as far more sightly, beautiful, and architectural than the truss, and therefore more suitable for this position. On April 26, 1877, the late Gen. Thomas L. Casey, United States Corps of Engineers (retired), then in charge of the Washington Aqueduct, was requested by the Chief of Engineers to investigate and report upon the present and prospective use of that bridge as a highway, etc." This he did on July 19, 1877, his report concluding with the following opinion: 66 I am further of opinion that the present and prospective interests of the citizens of Washington and Georgetown do demand an increase in the width of the roadways and of the footway, the present width being, of the roadway only 17 feet, and of the footways 4 feet each. The abundant strength and stiffness of the present bridge, under any statical or moving loads that are likely to be placed upon it, are clearly shown by the investigations of the Board of Engineers, as detailed in its report of April 7, 1877, and I agree with it as to the manner in which the widening of the road and footways should be accomplished, should it be decided to increase their width, namely, by the addition of two arched iron ribs, similar to those of the present bridge, and by widening the abutments. The estimated cost of widening the bridge in the manner above stated is $75,000. While it is believed that the interest and convenience of the citizens of Washington and Georgetown demand the widening of this bridge, yet because the present structure amply suffices for all requirements of the Washington Aqueduct system, and because during the past few years no official complaints regarding the width of the bridge have been made to this office, no estimate is submitted for this work, the estimates for the next fiscal year being confined to those subjects directly affecting the operation of the Washington Aqueduct. THE TELEPHONE LINE. In accordance with the recommendation of this office, an appropriation of $5,000 was made in the act approved March 3, 1897 (Public, No. 129), for constructing a new telephone line between the Aqueduct office and Great Falls. A project for the expenditure of this appropriation was submitted May 25, 1897, and approved by the Chief of Engineers on May 27. Proposals for furnishing materials for constructing the new line were opened June 15, 1897, and award made to the lowest bidder. With the materials thus purchased a new line provided with a pair of No. 12 B. S. copper wires stretched on cross-arms was constructed by day labor at a total expense of $3,175.85, and equipped with firstclass long-distance telephones. This line connects the office in Georgetown with the dwellings of the watchmen at the distributing and Dalecarlia reservoirs and Great Falls, and forms an essential component of the Aqueduct system. Its total length is about 144 miles. There has been no trouble whatever with the new line, and it has at all times rendered excellent service. An unsuccessful effort was made to purchase long-distance telephones for this line, and hired instruments are used. THE AQUEDUCT LANDS. By act of Congress (Public, No. 74) approved April 6, 1896, Margaret Shugrue, Caroline Lochboehler, and John R. Scott were authorized under certain conditions to purchase, at prices to be determined by the Secretary of War, certain tracts of land the property of the Washington Aqueduct, of which they had been for many years in uninterrupted possession, under the belief that they were bona fide owners. No action having been taken by these parties to purchase the lands named in the act, they were all, upon recommendation of the officer in charge of the Washington Aqueduct, which was approved by the Secretary of War, served in April, 1897, with a notice setting a price upon the lands and stating that unless payment was made within four months after the receipt thereof steps would be taken to recover possession of said tracts for the United States, and to fence in the same for the use of the Washington Aqueduct. On April 7, 1898, John R. Scott paid the sum of $163.35 for his land and on May 4, 1898, Margaret Shugrue paid $233.50 for hers. The expenses attending the sales were the same in both cases, 50 cents for a notary's fee for the signature of the Secretary of War on the deeds, and the net proceeds, $162.85 and $233.26, respectively, were deposited with the Treasurer of the United States to the credit of miscellaneous receipts. Up to date, so far as this office is informed, Caroline Lochboehler has instituted no steps to purchase the land. A barn belonging to Mr. Arthur B. Cropley, which encroached on the lands of the United States, was blown down during the past winter, and the remainder of the building removed by the owner, thus terminating the encroachment. On November 6, 1895, William and George Bobinger, Arthur B. Cropley, Thomas Dowling, Peter C. Harris, John T. Hill, Alexander Hill, William Kirk, and the Washington Anglers' Association were notified that their fences were in whole or in part on the lands of the Washington Aqueduct, and that when these fences are rebuilt they must not encroach on these lands. William Kirk's fence has been removed, but the others still remain as encroachments on the lands of the United States. It is believed that the following table includes all structures situated in whole or in part on the lands of the Washington Aqueduct: During the fiscal year the following revocable licenses have been granted by the Secretary of War: On July 15, 1897, to the Glen Echo Railroad Company to erect and maintain an electric-light pole on the lands of the United States pertaining to the Washington Aqueduct in front of the Chautauqua buildings near Glen Echo; on August 18, 1897, to the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company to string its telephone wires across the Conduit road at the intersection of Milwaukee avenue and said road; on September 27, 1897, to Bobinger Brothers to replace two existing wooden lamp-posts, in front of Cabin John Hotel, with iron posts, and to erect and maintain an electric arc light at each extremity of Cabin John Bridge. On October 19, 1897, the license granted to the Glen Echo Railroad Company on July 15, 1897, was revoked, and a license was granted to the National Chautauqua, of Glen Echo, Md., to change the positions of two electric-light poles on the lands of the United States pertaining to the Washington Aqueduct in front of the buildings of the National Chautauqua, of Glen Echo, Md., to points near the junction of the Conduit road with the road that leads from and to the entrance to said buildings, and to erect and maintain an electric-light pole on said lands of the United States at the junction of the Washington and Glen Echo Railroad with the Conduit road. On February 14, 1898, a revocable license was granted to the Washington and Great Falls Electric Railroad Company to shift seven poles erected in front of the Chautauqua buildings on the lands of the Washington Aqueduct, under authority of an act of Congress approved June 3, 1896, and to erect not more than three additional poles in all on said lands at other points along the line of said company for the purpose of substituting span-wire construction for the present centerpole construction. In response to a Senate resolution of January 10, 1898, Capt. D. D. Gaillard, Corps of Engineers, then in charge of the Washington AqueENG 98-228 |