Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-02
report OF tEe Beard of Public Works
81 fne District of CoIumb ta, from It's
Organization until Nov. L. Is1S

Iv 4HE L PRESIDENT. In accordance with the
aor OF Gov gress, approved February 81, 1871,
siHlt.sI So An act 70 provide a Government for
u i..-Il't ~ columbia the following is re-
~" ,t.ilv submitted ~ the report of the Board
~ FuEIc OIks OF the District OF Columbia:
me rev District Government went into ope-
r-fi.E on tie - day OF June, ISL. On the 10Th
81 Tie sane month the Board OF Public Works
submitted 20 the legislative Assembly estimates
tDr certain improvements, smDuncing in the az
srcgate % - 1851 and recon mended that the
B-s-fICt should provide tor the payment thereof
u a loan 81 = on .OJJ, and an assessment, a
provided IN The organic act, OF one-thrd
a. $500 o10. ON the iOJh OF July theLeglsla-
tive A~serlh-y, by p twJ-fhlrds vote, passed
o.. making an Appropriation Of S4,pUI 800 for
IrUytIl- hts IL tbs District, and authorizing
A. '-sHe oil t~enty-year seven per cent. bonds in
& yr.Ut OF he same. Shortly afterwards certain
cd t.eT~ applied 20 the District Equity Court
% a. oTuer culoirinE Tie DiStTiC. GOvernment
I PIP f>>SiUg bonds under this act. The order
t"NtUE been granted by Mr.. Justice Wyiie, the
legislature, IN the llth Of August passed a
See PEN ma. appropriation bill of S5r9,OJO, for
ne THTi use OF yviIIBg the technical difficulties
.-tg Nv the injunCtiOniSts, and WORK was i'm.
p EdIltely commenced The injunction granted
~ judge NyiIe was subsequently dissolved on
"u aT!"g. by the court in banc, and by a later
at q the legislature the bali million appro-
Ii's'l1n was deducted from the Si,500OJD
having The total amount - 090, 600, as originally
7. tcs.
Tie Legislative Assembly at the same session
T1feTTrdtna question OF a loan OF - OD0. 600 "a
ire people Of the District, and at an election
y w
endorsed by an almost unanimous vote.
From the outset the Board found themselves
embarrassed N many ways in prosecuting the
important Work which had been contiied To
their care. Under the Old municipal govern
meIt no system OF grades had been established
tor the city, although numerous attempts
lad been made toward that end. The
policy Of accommodating grades to par
ucular streets localities, in COM
piiance with the peculiar ideas of individual
prOperty-Ovners, had prevailed to such an ex
grade N .nft h..
old corporations were, in many instances, utter
" inconsistent and worthless, and to this NAV
lie attributed many OF the changes and apparent
errors which nave occurred in the prOsec ution
OF improvements.
The establishment OF a system of sewerage
required numerous changes in the grades AMI
IN many Instances these were of a radical
nature. In ayailing ourselves of the experience
Of other cities, changes were IN sde which in
some cases were regarded As involving too great
expense, and imposing unnecessary incOuyeni-
ence upon the owners OF property affected.
These, however, were absolutely necessary to
the Iertecting OF the expensive and needed i'm
FrOyements projected by the Board.
The plan OF Washington, laid out by its
founder evidently contemplated a capital to
avenues are OF greater width than those of any
other city IN the world, and, with the alleys
CONF rise an area equal 10 about One-half of
that contained within the entire city limits.
How 30 improve these very wide tROrOug hfares,
interpreted with numerous reservations and
public squares without bankrupting the peO-
licf Wa lie iIdctlcil luestlOn winch ldI ITSt
10 Dc solved Tie most feasible plan suggested
was 80 10 barrow the CaTriageways as to render
the use Ct improved pavements practicable.
The would place the surplus width inside the
irOtHalks- where Il could be parked and
otherwise beaUtIued az a slight expense
10 the public, and in many instances az the
expense Of the property bordering upon il, the
owners q which, Tor the privilege OF the use OF
the ground, would gladly beautify and adOrn it.
BY this pan, that which was a barren aud I'M
sigh Us waste has been made a beautiful feature
a Il
has been carried out in all the streets that have
been improved, and has met with general
approval. The cost has thus been very largely
reduced while the capacity OF the streets, as a
means OF intercourse, has not been in the least
abridged. a table showing the comparative
area occupied by the tbOrOughf2res OF WASH
Iug'On, ana Gf other cities in this country and
~ Europe, is herewith submitted, follows:
Rata T Street Ars1s 10 Irgds Of certain Cities.