National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-03


fuil and free access given thereto. Cpnsideru-
bic expense has been Incurred In the improve
meht Of the main roads leading Into Mary
land, and IN rendering the city more easy Of
access from that agricultural region, on
which, In large measure, the markets Of
Washington aud Georgetown arc dependent
for their supplies. This action Of the board
the cxpediency Of which was at the time
doubted BY some requires only an impartial
examination to meet with general approval.
sEwERAaE.
Tho sewerage Of the city had received but .
llttlo attention prior to the Inauguration Of
| the present system ofguvernment for the Dis
trict A large proportion Of the drainage
/ empticd into an open ditch known as the |
canal, which separated the northern part Of |
the city from the Government parks aud reser-
vatlons and from South Washington. The |
current Of water depending upon the ohb and |
How OF tho tides In the rlyCr was insufficient |
To carry OF the deposits made at the outlets |
| OF the various sewers and the canal thus be- |
came so Offensive Us to threaten pestiloncO,
and so unsightly as to disgust every behOlder.
How To- abate the nuisance was subject
which had occupied the attention Of and
called forth opinions frum every variety Of
scientific and practical authority dhrlng the
past twenty-five years. The plan Of tic city
rendered an intersccting sewer at this point u
necessity, as oil Of the branch sewers from the
northern part Of the city had been led into
"
the heights upon which the Smithsonian and
other buildings arc situated, would have In
yOlved agrcat outlay Of money Indeed,
than tho District could have afforded.
After mature elaboration and consultation,
II was concluded TO build an lutCrsecting
sewer from Seventh street west to Seven
teonth street west, following a course paral-
lei TO the old canal, and from Sixth street
west to Third street wost--the former branch
emptying Into the river at Seventeenth street,
and the latter into the Tiber arch on Third
stroot. These sewers vary In size from five
70 twelve feet In diameter, increasing their
dimensions as they approach their outlets, In
order to obtain free and unObstructod dis
charge. The work on these improvements Is
nearly completed, the canal filled up, and the
experience Of the past few weeks warrants
the board IN expressing the opinion that the
problem which has 50 long disturbed our Citi-
zens has been successfully solved The land
reclaimed by filling the canal would, II sold,
reimburse the outlay fourfOld, and, should
the Government sec NJ 20 include II In the
Mall, would add greatly to the beauty and
. value Of that reservation.
Reference has been made to the Tlber creek
, sewer, which receives all the sewerage Of the
city east OF Sixth street west, and drains n
section OF country nOrthward embracing an
, area OF more than three thousand acres, The
, only portion Of this sewer which had been
/ built when the board entered upon It's duties
Z was the arch crossing Pennsylvania avenue,
and passing through the botanical garden as
, far west as Third street. This sewer has been
i continued sOuthwardly from It's terminus at
Third street across Maryland avenue, and
/ northwardly from the north side Of Pennsyl-
! vania avenue, following the natural water
course to street north at Its junction with
North Capitol street, where II Is diverted to
the centre Of North Capitol street. This Is
one OF the largest sewers In the world, vary
Ing In diameter from twcnty-fOur to thirty
feet, and has proved to be Of abundant capac-
lty to supply oil the demands made upon II.
The floods Of the past summer have oqualcd
any on record, and the work has stood the
test without impairing Its strength or solidlty
In the slightest degree. II is the intention Of
the board 10 continue this sewer through
/, North Capitol street to Its intersection with
X street, along X TO First street east, and
thence along First street east to Boundary
street. Abranch sewer Of nine feet diameter Is
In course Of construction along Third street
northwest to Q street, and along Q TO Eighth
street, into which the lateral sewers east Of
? Fourteenth street will have an outlet. An i'd
! ditlOnal branch sewer Of nine feet In diameter
Ia being constructed on the line Of 7 and g
streets In the northeastern section Of the city
to drain the valley lying between + and
Boundary streets. These sewers, when I'm
nlshed, will form u complete system Of main
sewerage for all that section Of the city cast
Of Fourteenth street not drained into the
B-stroet lntersectlng sewer.
direction Of the board, Is known Us the Slash
run sewer, deriving its name from the natural
water-cOuTse which enters the city In several
branches from its northwestern boundary,
and mcanders southwark to the corner Of
Seventeenth and l. streets; thence westerly by
a Clrcutous route to Rock creek A main
A., sewer following the general line Of this
: water-cOursc, has been built from Rock creek
Castcrly as far as Twentieth street, along
Twentieth street nOrhwardly to VI street,
along VI Castwardly to Eighteenth street,
along Eighteenth to n street. along 10
Seventeenth'strect west, and is now being cX-
tended along Seventeenth to Boundary street.
A similar sewer has been extended along
e street to Vermont avenue, interseCting that
/. portion Of the run lying south Of the malu
n sewer, and providing drainage for that pOr.
Ia ton Of the city lying between X and NJ streets
q This sewer Is so large In Its dimensions that d
= buggy can be driven through Il with ease.
From this general statement Of the system
a Of main sewers, adopted and carried into exc.
n cutiOn, an Idea may be formed Of the magni.
= tude OF the work accomplished In this direction
3 during the past year. Tho following Is an
, exact statement Of the main sewers laid No
4 vembcr |
. 2,415 llnea feet OF Tiber sewer, 30 feet span
y bSOO llneal feet Of street htercepting sewer
. 1900 linea feet Of Slash-run sewer, 10 feet
n span.
v 2T,OSI linea feet Of brick sewers, from 10 o
> feet In diameter.
n or about miles Of main sewerage.
4 About seventy miles Of tile sewer have been
= and are now being laid IA will be seen by
: reference TO the tabulated statements accom-.
4 panying this report.
= wATER-MAISs
q The Improvement Of the carriagrways Of the
y city, aud the change Of grades adopted, have
. involved the necessity Of extending the water.
= mains connecting with the Washington aquc-
4 duct In some Instances, and In lowering the
al, HI
v ing In the aggregate to about thFty-One miles,
\ u detailed statement Of which, together with
4 the valuable report of the water distributor
7 In the cities Of Washington and Georgetown,
p will be found In the accompanying report OF
/ the water registrar.
: 0As-MAISs.
The gas-inains laid and altered by the Wash.
+ ingtOn Gas-llghI Company during the past sea
e sou aggregate about fUrty-twO miles, and the
/ board take great pleasure In recognizing the
Q prompt and satisfactory manner In which that
= company have acted In furthering the I'M
prOyements inauguratcd.
s STREET PAvEMENTs.
c The board have endeavOrGd, In the matter
D Of pavements for carriageways, TO adopt all
the most approved varieties In use, and with
: this view have laid item In about the follow
Ing proportions:
y H.26 miles Of treated wood pavements; Ballard,
7 Miller, Stowe and others. The most OF
0 these are either finished or under way,
and 50 far advanced as 10 insure their
completion this season.
b.O6 miles Of Philips round block pavement.
, OsT miles Of compound wood and concrete
pavement.
1880 miles Of concrete pavement
. 4yOl miles Of Belgian and granite pavem ents.
s6s miles Of Macahamlzed street.
6T6 miles OF CObblestOne pavement.
S92 miles OF gTaVeled streets and roads (nnst-
ly In county,
1880 miles Of improved CarTiageway pave
ments, assuming the same as 80 feet
Wide.
, OF these there are
T62, 300 yards OF wool pavement
] gOB,I6l yards Of concrete pavement.
223,O5T yards Of granite and MacadamEcd
. pavement.
, I26,SO6 yards Of COhblestOne pavement.
4TS,3 1913 yards Of graYeled streets and roads.
: 500, $50 yards.