USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > Historical sketches of the ten miles square forming the District of Columbia : with a picture of Washington, describing objects of general interest or curiosity at the metropolis of the Union. > Part 21
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328
Original Correspondence of
present Commissioners, might not some difficulty arise on Ciat head? I merely suggest this for your consideration, as it struck me, without any intention of viewing the matter in a reprehensible light. I do not mean, by special warrants, that the Treasurer should have a warrant for every trifling pay- ment that may be made; but as you will probably have before you, at stated periods, estimates of monies that may be want- ed before the next meeting, a general warrant might be given to the Treasurer for the amount of the sum, accompanied with a copy of the estimate, under cover of which he could make the payments. You will, however, consider this as a mere suggestion to guard against inconveniences that might happen, but not intended, by any means, to dictate to you the mode of transacting your business.
With great esteem, I am, gentlemen, Your most obedient servant, Gº WASHINGTON.
The Commissioners of the Federal District.
[No. 13. Objections to Thornton's plan of the Capitol. ] President Washington to the Commissioners, dated Philadel- phia, July 25, 1793.
I enclose for your information, the copy of a letter from the Secretary of State to me, on the subject of the objection of Doct. Thornton's plan of a capitol. By this letter you will see, that, after a candid discussion it was found, that the objec- tions stated were considered valid by both the persons chosen by Doct. Thornton, as practical architects and competent judges of things of this kind; and one of them, (Mr. Carstairs) who appeared to have studied the matter with inost attention, pronounced them irremediable, without an alteration of some parts of the plan; the other, (Col. Williams, ) proposed cer- tain methods of obviating some of the objections, but in what manner, you will see by the enclosed letter. The plan pro- duced by Mr. Hallet, although preserving the original ideas of Doct. Thornton, and such as might, upon the whole, be considered as his plan, was free from those objections, and was pronounced by the gentlemen on the part of Doct. Thorn- ton, as the one which they, as practical architects, would choose to execute; besides which, you will see, that, in the opinion of the gentlemen, the plan executed according to Mr. Hallet's ideas, would not cost more than one half of what it would if executed according to Doct. Thornton's. After these opinions, there could remain no hesitation how to decide, and Mr. Hoban was accordingly informed that the foundation
$29
Washington, Jefferson, &.c.
would be begun upon the plan as exhibited by Mr. Hallet, Leaving the recess in the East front open for further conside- ration. If this meets your ideas, the work of that building will progress as fast as circumstances will permit. It seems to be the wish that the portico of the East front, which was in Doct Thornton's original plan, should be preserved in this of Mr. Hallet's. The recess which Mr. Hallet proposes in that front, strikes every one who has viewed the plan, unpleasant- Is, as the space between the two wings or projections is too contracted to give it the noble appearance of the buildings of which it is an imitation, and it has been intimated that the rea- son of his proposing the recess instead of a portico, is to make it, in one' essential feature, different from Doet. Thornton's plan. But, whether the portico or recess should finally be concluded upon, will make no difference in the commence- ment of the foundation of the building, excep: in that particu- lar, and Mr. Hallet is directed to make such sketches of the portico, before the work will be affected by it, as will shew the advantage thereof. The ostensible objection of Mr. Hal- let to the adoption of Doct. Thornton's East front is, princi- pally, the deprivation of light and air, in a degree, to the apartments designed for the Senate and Representatives.
Gentlemen, your most ob'dt serv't, Gº WASHINGTON.
[No. 14. Last letter-relating to the affairs of the City.] General Washington to the Commissioners, dated Philadel- phia, 3d March, 1797.
Gentlemen: Three things relative to the City of Washing- ton, call for my decision, and this is the last day I have power to give any.
The first respects the dispute with Mr. Law, touching the conveyance of lots; the second, to my approbation of the plau of the executive offices; and the third, to the instrument you transmitted to me in your letter of the Sist of January.
With regard to the first, however hard and unexpected the case may be, as it affects the public interest, and whatever my private opinion on some points may be, I think it safest, and, all things considered, perhaps the best, to let the opinion of the law officer of the government, herewith enclosed, pre- vail; and I advise it accordingly. The second, not only meets my approbation, but is much approved, also, by the heads of the departments, and may, when the funds and other circum- Kanees will permit, be carried into effect; for which purpose the plans are returned with my approving signature. On the
*21 [duplicate. ]
350
Original Correspondence
other, or third point, the bill for incorporating the Commis- sioners of the City of Washington, has not been passed into a law, in consequence of the superior claim of more important matters upon the attention of Congress in the close of the pre- sent session. The instrument you transmitted to me, as men- tioned before, having been altered according to the advice of the attorney gen. you will herewith receive formally executed. With esteem, I am, always, yours. Com'rs of the City of Washington. Gº WASHINGTON.
*Extracts from the Agreement of the 19 original Proprietors.
The limits of the District of Columbia, as they now exist, having been fixed and proclaimed, in March, 1791, under the authority of acts of congress, nineteen of the principal propri- etors of the lands, constituting the present site of the city of Washington, drew up and signed a general agreement among themselves, dated March 30, 1791, which they presented to the commissioners, as the basis of the terms on which they should dedicate their lands to the purposes of the federal city, and as such it was accepted by the commissioners, and record- ed in their books, on the 12th April, 1791, as follows:
" We, the subscribers, in consider tion of thegreat benefits we expect to derive from having the Federal City laid off upon our Lands, do hereby agree and bind ourselves, heirs, execu- tors, and administrators, to convey, in trust, to the President of the United States, or Commissioners, or such person or persons as he shall appoint, by good and sufficient deeds, in fee simple, the whole of our respective Lands which he may think proper to include within the lines of the Federal City for the purposes, and on the conditions following:
' The President shall have the sole power of direc ing the Federal City to be laid off in what manner he pleases.
'He may retain any number of squares he may think proper for public improvements, or other public uses; and the Lots . only, which shall be laid off, shall be a joint property between the Trustees on behalf of the Public, and each present propri- etor; and the same shall be fairly and equally divided between the Public and the Individuals, as soon as may be, the City shall be laid off.
'For the streets the proprietors shall receive no compensation -- but for the squares or lunds in any form, which shall be taken for public buildings, or any Kind of public improvements or uses, the proprietors whose lands shall be taken, shall receive at the rate of 25 pounds per acre, to be paid by the Public.'
For the general form of the conveyances to be executed by the several proprietors, see Burch's Digest, page 350,
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331
Drainage of City Lots. DRAINAGE OF CITY . LOTS.
Having in our possession some extracts from a valuable pa- per, interesting to property holders in particular, relative to the drainage of the city, by the late B. H. Latrobe, Esq., we insert it as follows:
"Previously to the establishment of the city, all the water falling upon the vast surface of its site, and the very numerous and copious springs which rise in every part, had their natural discharge by vallies, more or less deep, into the Eastern Branch, James creek, the Tyber and its various branches, the Potomac, and Rock creek. In forming the plan of the city upon this surface, varying in its levels from 15 to 150 feet above high water, no attention appears to have been paid to the course of its natural drainage. The squares of houses, and the streets surrounding them, have been land out at right an- gles crossing the natural hills and vallies in every direction .- 'The avenues have been adapted in like manner to artificial ob- jects, and have no reference to the natural surface, except with a view to the sites of the public buildings.
From theme it happens, in many instances, that in the length of ja single square of about 500 feet, there will be a difference of level of more than forty feet between the ex- tremes and the centre of the streets that bound it-as in north D, E, F, and G, streets, between 9th and 10th streets; and that the natural drainage must be altogether put out of view, if the water is to be carried off by the streets. When these natural vallies are the beds of permanent streams, as in the case men- tioned, the difficulty is much increased. We have all seen this whole valley, after heavy rains, covered with water some feet deep, although the water is collected from a very mode- rate extent of surface, south of north K street, and confined between 16th and 9th street west.
But when the extent of country drained by the Tyber, is taken into view, subject, as that creek is, to sudden and vio- lent inundations, and when the height and steepness of the hills that bound its valley are considered, it will be still more evident that it is high time now to decide in what manner its waters, and the rain water naturally carried off by it, shall be disposed of.
The principles on which this may be done can only be de- termined, after deciding a very important question, in the dis- cussion of which some legal knowledge appears to be necessa- ry. The stream passing through the squares 374, 375, 376, 877, 378, 379, 380, between 9th and 10th streets, is so much 14 public view that it may furnish examples of all the difficul- fies relating to the subject.
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10
332
Latrobe and King's
By the book of graduations it appears, that no respect what- ever has been paid to this valley, in the system of drainage adopted for the streets; but that the water has been assumed to find vent, over bridges or causeways carried across the valley from 9 to 10th street. It is not easy to conceive why this was done, unless under an opinion, that in laying off the ground into squares, to be sold as building lots, the right to drain the upper grounds by the natural course into the neigh- bors lower grounds, which exists in all other cases, and is established both by the civil law and the common law of Eng- land, ceased. Otherwise the expense would merely not have been in. posed upon the city of carrying an elevated causeway across a stream; when by a descent from 9th street westward, and 10th street eastward, into the natural drain, the heavy ex- pense of embanking or arching in 5 streets would be saved, 2 very unnecessary and injurious accumulation of water in 9th street would be avoided, and an enormous and expensive in- convenience to individuals, who build in the low ground, and are obliged to raise their floor to the artificial level of the street would be prevented. If this supposed opinion be cor- rect, that the right of the public to drain the street by the natural course across the building lots of individuals, ceased, when that natural course was converted into building lots and sold as such-then have these individuals acquired the right to dam up the natural stream and throw the water running in . its usual quantity, and of course every inundation into the street above them, to the utter destruction of all the grave? roads, such as the streets of Washington must for many years remain, and even of good pavements. In the case of the Ti- ber such a diversion of the natural stream would spread ruin over a large range of the city.
It may be said on the other hand, that the inconvenience and expense to individual proprietors of lots, over which na- tural courses of drainage or of rivulets pass, would be insup- portable if they are obliged to permit the filth of the streets to pass through their cellars or vards in open drains, or to construet sewers to carry it off. But if it be once known that the natural course of drainage is not to be obstructed-then the purchasers of the lots so circumstanced purchase with their eyes open, and the price of such lots will regulate itself according to the advantage or disadvantage of such drainage. L'the decision is now rhade, no inconvenience will be suffered, because few such lots are sold or improved, excepting (as in Mr. Herford's case, square 380) where the stream and drain- agehas been deemed an advantage.
The surface of many of the squares of the eity, is altogether
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335
Drainage of City Lots.
upon a declivity. The walks of course which falls within the square, has a natural and unavoidable tendency to the lower side. If in these cases an alley passed from the interior of the square towards the lower side thereof, the water of all the yard, would run off through the alley into the lower street. But by the plan of the city, the lots in these cases have no in- terruption on the lower side, while the only alley leads up- wards into the higher street. Square 254 is a most prominent case, in which the fall from north to south is no less than 26 feet, and the alley runs out to F street, without any outlet to E street whatever. The difficulty is more obvious than the remedy, which we do not feel ourselves competent even to suggest, because it appears to us impossible to propose the ar- tificial elevation of the whole interior of the square, and the drainage across the lower lots can hardly be permitted or be legally enforced.
We, therefore, respectfully ask your advice on the follow- ing points :
1. In cases, where a natural stream, especially if permanent. be running across the streets through private property, offers the most eligible drainage-have we the right to propose » graduation adapted to such natural drainage? In all cases in which, without great expense, a drainage by the streets can be effected, we consider it to be right to prefer it.
2. Is it a part of our duty in fixing the graduation of public alleys in the centre of squares, so to determine them, that without any regard to the convenience or expense of the public or of individuals a good drainage shall be effected?
Yours, &c. B. H. LATROBE, & City Surveyors.' ROBERT KING, S
" I have considered the questions submitted to me in your let- ter of the 23d of November, and am of opinion:
1. That the fact of the city being laid out into building lots, under the plan sanctioned by the President, does not affect the right of draining through means of the natural water courses which originally flowed over its site.
2. That the cost of draining must be borne by proprietors of the lower lots, in the predicament stated, provided the wa- ter has been thrown upon it through natural means. In this answer I also take for granted that the proprietors did not purchase with any special exemption.
(Signed)
RICHARD RUSHI, A. G."
B. H1. Latrobe and R. King, Esqrs. Surveyors of Washington.
Nov. 25, 1817 .
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REPORT
OF THE BOARD OF INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT, ON THE Chesapealte & Obio Canal,
Comprising the Plan and Estimate of the Same.
359
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. REPORT
Of the Board of Internal Improvement on the Chesapeake and D'o Cana!, comprising the plan and estimate of the sainc .- October 23, 1820.
The operations which have been executed in the field, in 1824, in relation to the contemplated Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, had chiefly for object to ascertain the practicability of the undertaking: those performed in 1825 were to determine the route to be recommended as also to obtain the data ne- cessary to frame a general plan of the work, and a prepara- ory e. timate of the expense.
Another series of operations remains yet to be executed: 1. To locate accurately the canal on the ground, and to fix the final site of the locks, aqueducts, culverts, dams, bridges, &c. 2. To frame for each portion of canal the plans and profiles necessary for is execution; 3. To make, on the spot, the cal- culations of excavation and embankment; 4. To draw up the estimate of each individual work according to local circum- stanecs; 5. To prepare the proper specifications to put the work under contract. This series of operations belongs more properly to the construction than to the general plan of the canal, and may be deferred until the execution shall have been decided. These operations will then keep pace with the execution of the work, and their results for each portion will improve by the experience gradually acquired during the construction of the canal.
These considerations, the scarcity of means at our disposal at this time, and the expedieary of affording a result as to this great important national work, have induced us to limit the surveys to those strictly necessary to enable us to frame a general plan and a preparatory estimate.
In the report submitted by the Board on the 2d of Februar- ry, 1525. (marked A, among the documents which accompin- ied the President's message, of the 14th of February, 1825,) all the experimental lines surveyed in 1994, have been des- cribed, and mention has been made of several others which we're yet to be surveyed. We have also presented, in the, same report A, the considerations relative to the hydrography of the country in the general direction of the canal; we will, therefore, confine ourselves to the description of the exp. ri- mental lines, which, on account of the advanced season in 1824, had been postponed to 1825; we will compare these lines to the others, and point out the route which seems to us entitled to preference.
22
$40
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Experimental Lines.
Summit level by Deep Creek. In the report A, it had been anticipated that the section of eanal from the tunnel at Dewickman's Arm to the mouth of Bear Creek, would fol- low the valley of Deep Creek as far as the Rapide, then turn Panther's Point and descend to the mouth of Bear Creek along the left side of the Youghagany. However, it became necessary to compare this route with another more direct, which, following the former as far as Deep Creek Bridge, would continue to Rock Lick Run, a western tributary of Bear Creek. The survey has shown, that the bottom of the canal being assumed three feet above the bottom of Deep Creek at the Bridge, a tunnel would be necessary to cross the ridge which separates Buffalo Marsh Run from Rock Lick Run. The distance and descent are as it follows:
ils. Yds. Fect.
From the Eastern end of the tunnel at Dewick- man's Arm to the base-mark at Deep Creek 6 1018 Descent in this distance 000
From the base-mark to the debouch into Rock Lick Run, - - -
5 383
Descent in this distance - 000
- From this debouch to the mouth of Bear Creek 7 5353
Descent in this distance 912
Total 19 1622 912
In this total distance two tuntiels would be ne- cessary, one at Dewickman's Arm, whose length would be -
1 568
And whose bottom would be below the top of the ridge 233
One at Buffalo Marsh Run, whose length would be - 254 And whose bottom would be below the top of the ridge -
343
Total length of tunnels 3 822
In order to remove all doubts as to the expediency of this portion of canal route, and to lessen, as much as practicable, the length of the tunnels, and the excavation at their deep cuts, a second line, 13 feet 9 inches higher than the preceding one, has been tried; the results of which are as follows: Als. Yds. Feet. From the Eastern end of thetunnel at Dewick- man's Arm to the Base-mark at Deep Creck Bridge - 7 216 .
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$41
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Mls. Yde. Feet. 000
Descent in this distance
From the base-mark to the debouch into Rock Liek Run - - -
5 383
Descent in this distance - 000 From this debouch to the mouth of Bear Creek 7 5354
Descent in this distance
9253
19 790 925 As to the length of the tunnels, and the height of the ridges above the bottom of tunnels, they are, respectively-
Mis. Yds. Feet.
Dewickman's Arm, length -
-
- 1 278
Height of the ridge - -
-
- 2191
Buffalo marsh run, length -
-
-
1 1215
Height of the ridge - -
3291
2 1493
This arrangement would lessen the length of tunnels by 1089 yards, and also the excavation, through the valley of Deep Creek, by at least one million of cubic yards. But the level of this route being 132 feet higher than that of the form- cr route, the volume of available water in the reservoir o? Deep Creek would be much diminished, and it would also become necessary to raise, by 132 feet, the dams recommend. ed (in the report A) across the Youghagany, in order to feed the canal,a circumstance which would increase the expense and difficulty attending the erection of these dams. It must be observed that Deep Creek alone, is altogether unable to feed a summit level; whilst it scarcely yields, during the dry sea- son, five cubic feet of water per second; its tributaries ate liable to become entirely dry, as it happened in 1825.
However, we will compare this direct route, running from Dewickman's Arm to the mouth of Bear Creek, with that through Deep Creek and the right side of the Youghagany, and whose distance and descent are as follows:
.Mis. Yds. Feet.
From the Eastern end of the tunnel at De- wickman's Arm to the Basc-mark at Deep Creek Bridge - Descent in this distance - -
6 1049
000 From the base-mark to the Western end of the summit level -
- 6 204 2-3 Descent in this distance ·
$42
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Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Als. Yds. Feet.
From the Western end of the summit level to
the mouth of Bear Creek -
- - 15 100
Descent in this distance - - - 912
Total 27 13523 912
On this portion of route there would be one tunnel only, (at Dewickman's Arm) whose length, as already stated, would be 1 mile 568 yards.
The distance and descent in following the direct route would be, as above, 19 miles 790 yards 9252 feet.
The length of the two tunnels, taken together, would be, as above, 2 miles 1493 yards.
The direct route would therefore be 8 miles 5622-3 yards shorter than the other; but it would require a greater length of tunnel by 1 mile 568 yards, and cause an increase of lock- age of 273 feet, which, as to time and expense, gives a decided advantage to the other route. Again-the descent from the debouch into Rock Lick Run to the mouth of Bear Creek, is 9252 feet on a distance of 7 miles 5354 yards, which, in the supposition of an uniform declivity, could afford but 115 yards to the location of one lock, S feet lift, with its adjoining pond; but this declivity is far from being uniform, and in some places it will be so rapid as to oblige to locate the locks quite close to each other; a circumstance which would involve the ex. pense of a double set of locks. All these considerations, add- ed to the difficulty of feeding the upper level, induce us to reject this direct route, and to give the preference to that through the valleys of Deep Creck and of the Youghagany, as assumed in the report .A. [ February, 1825 ]
Summit level by Flaugherty Creek .- But a much more im- portant route was yet to be examined, which, having its sum- init level at the sources of Will's Creek, would commence at Cumberland, ascend this creek, eross the ridge which sepa- rates Will's Creek from Casselman's River, and descend the valley of this stream to debouch into the Youghagany at its junction with Casselman's river and Laurel Hill run.
Mention has been made of this route in report A. (pages 40 and 41,) some experimental lines were surveyed on the sum- mit ground in 1824, and some measurements of water were taken. But the season being then too far advanced to prose- oute farther the surveys and levellings relative to this route, the board were compelled to defer their exeention until 1825; anst, as early as the 12th of March, 1825, they framed detail-
4
343
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
ed instructions respecting the surveys and investigations neces- sary to ascertain the practicability of a route of canal in this direction. This route deserved so much the more a careful examination, that it promised, by means of a tunnel, a shorter distance; but it became necessary to ascertain, in the first in- stance, the minimum length of the tunnel which should receive at its Western end, water enough from Casselman's River to supply the summit level, and a portion of the canal down Will's Creek Upon this point rested the practicability of this route. Indeed, the survey made, in 1824, had tried x tunnel of 1,453 yards in length, with a greatest height of ridge of 156 feet; but the essential condition of a sufficient supply of water had not been obtained at such an elevation. It there- fore remained to find out, by surveys, a tunnel combining the shortest length with a competent supply of water. These sur- veys were entrusted to Captain Win. G. McNeill, of the To- pographical Engineers, who carried them, in the most able manner, into execution.
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