Keim's illustrated hand-bookWashington and its environs: a descriptive and historical hand-book of the capital of the United States of America . gate-house and gates. This dam, should there be oc-casion, will be extended to the Virginia side. The Government owns the water-right, having 5 a. of ground. The dam is faced with massive guards of stone. Thetotal water supply of the river is 1,196,019,511 galls, in 24 hrs. At this point theChesapeake and Ohio Canal is carried over the .Aqueduct. At the Great Falls the Potomac breaks through the mountain in a channel nar-rowing to 100 yds. in width, a
Keim's illustrated hand-bookWashington and its environs: a descriptive and historical hand-book of the capital of the United States of America . gate-house and gates. This dam, should there be oc-casion, will be extended to the Virginia side. The Government owns the water-right, having 5 a. of ground. The dam is faced with massive guards of stone. Thetotal water supply of the river is 1,196,019,511 galls, in 24 hrs. At this point theChesapeake and Ohio Canal is carried over the .Aqueduct. At the Great Falls the Potomac breaks through the mountain in a channel nar-rowing to 100 yds. in width, and bounded on the Virginia side by perpendicularrocks 70 ft. high. The water falls over a series of cascades, making a descent of 80ft. in 1]/^ m., the greatest single pitch being 40 ft. At a distance of 4 m. it widens,and its agitated waters quiet into an unbroken current. About 10 m. below, atthe Little Falls^ about j m. above Georgetown, the stream makes a descent of J7 a series of cascades. Released from the mountains, after passing Georgetown, theriver widens into the lake-like stream which we have seen in front of CABIN-JOHN BRIDGB. COLUMBIAN UNIVERSITY. 219 There ii a fine view of the Falls from cither side, the ledges and rugged boulder*Appearing to advantage. Mingling with the wild aspect of nature is the cedar, oak,willow, birch, and jessamine. Wild cherries and strawberries in season arc found ingreat abundance. The most venomous reptiles abound. The scene in winter is en-chanting, great masses of ice piled up on either side, and the rocks and trees frostedwith spray, form a charming surrounding for the boiling torrent in the channel. HistOn^.—Surveys for the supply of the city with water were made by MajorLEnfant, unaer the direction of Washington. In 1S50 surveys were made by from the Great Falls and Rock creek. The first ground on the WashingtonAqueduct was broken by President Pierce on Nov. 8, 1855, in the presence of a largeassemb
Size: 1590px × 1572px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherwashi, bookyear1887
