Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-12-04
IMPROVEMENT OF THE DISTRICT
Report of Lieutenant Hoxle.
STREET. lyP SEVER WORE, TEEE PLANTING. sc.
IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION,

The full snd sble report Of x. l.. H1Iie. 'lss-
/ tenant OF engineers, L. =. A, aud engineer OF
the District OF Columbil. just submitted 20 the
Distinct Commissioners, afte- ciung the a. Of
Congress approved Jan. Gotta, 4. l. creating the
! Cfi &c, Nc ms transfer from the duties OF tse
/ regular arny 70 the important positI0n he pov
/ occupies, states: / assumed CONTROL on July IA
| islt. ct the wCIk OF repair sni improvemsa
| heretofore deyolvIug upon the Board 0f Pus.ic
| Warls, aud organized tue engineer Office for
/ yh's purpose, At THIS time the contractors ag1
| others claiming coHtIaCss, we're A. work r-ite a
| vieT 10 establish their CLAIMS. The SG5 b3uas
| proyited for meeting the existing legal ohli.a-
| Hons Of The n n $, had apparently Induced
many who Lad long since abandoned their work
| to resume wlihout Authority or directions. Taev
| we're now " W'skins Al Tandom, without pIaas or
| supervision.
| The last report Of the y Slpegiute ndeHts CT the
| b0ald of Public works snow that twenty con
| tracts were in operation on June 3ath, Is s.
| Do july 9Th found fJIJy-twO in operation, ia
| Guiding ths main sewer contracts. Under your
general order of Juiy .tE, ali Of this work was
| suspended, except the work upon the main
! 1eNets, In order 10 aImrt % pTei'mt-
| nary survey and meas Irement CT the work
| and cEsmiustiOu OF the contracts
| under which the right 10 proceed was
| claimed. strict Interpretation Of the law
| would have required simply that 1 should
| begin with the wTok where found Il, and incur
| no responsibility for that which hal beeu
| sl-eady done; but the necessity for a se'tlement
1 with contractors tor work upon unfinished con
tracts, in order 10 sbie them TO proceed, CON
| peled me 10 undertake, for the B 9ard ~ Audit,
| the labor OF measuring and Inspecting all sVca
| work as &c vac desirable TO continue. OSIaZ -
the lmpeTIt CT state OF the records ami sccOan.-
| n the engineers Ofice of the Board Of Publc
| works, each % these eNamina natious has been
| rssk of cOTS ideTHbis magnitude, bat both Ia -
| been made iu each case in winch YOa have
| revoked the order Of Suspension and s.l1wot
/ the WORK to proceed.
| Before ANY dec sion u4On the recommend alton
| 70 he made, number of considerations hAye
! presented themselves.
While the general cJassc'er o. the improve
| me ntE designed 10 loo ma Je Was in aCC0Ed sncg
with definite plans, the details Dt the plans hai
| not been worked Ouy noe prOvidc tor, ap1 the
| limitation o. the Commissioners 10 eNi-Jias
4 iegal Obligations, cyIfnIBg them to the work
| actually provided Tor IN valid contracts, nec>s-
ne done.
| A sudden rush OF claims Tor contracts which
| bad lain dCl DaGt while Improbable vas maze
| II the outset; auo. while s0ms OF these CLANS
| we're found 10 be withoIL foundation, Others
1 brought TO notice, a. did rbe rImeFous GPPlica-
| lions tor Improvements, unfinished contract
| work TO be completed, aud completed contract
| upon which additional work very much
| needed Next 10 the validity OF the claim. I
| have corsidered the eNpediency OF dong the
| WORK; and IN ali doubtful cases the latter has
| beer decisive as to tie recommendation to he
| made. IheS- recommends Ipgs have been IN ale
| in ply in the interest OF the work, prompt
action being indispensable IN the premises, ani
| wen where they have a legal status b.
he expressed opinion Of TIE Al Orney Of
| he District, 10 Ensl acton upon the
| claim has been taken by you, since this
| : the province OF the Board Of Audit, before
whom all matters connected with T. see con
tracts must come for examination aui set e
| meut. In each case where the order OF sns.en-
ion has been Revoked, letter has been writ a
90 the contractor, n-ufFinE Ain Of -ais fact, &C
OIHPRuied BY a cigc1isF a. escribinE the manner
y setuemen' iOT work uons, Or here after - De
tone.
Whenever it has been Necessary - au.h9-ize
AHirs work under contract "a urd sT & properly
complete the work required GE1eT il, the tx-
uTt Ss stipulation has been made that paYm nt
shal b. received IN 5.0j Oou i upon the cert
cate Ct the bC tT OF aGdit Ninety nBs cOutT,ct.
nave been - resumed. III these, IS arc con-
pleted and have received hnsl messgreme ers,
srd upon the remainder WORK ls progressing
Final measurements have ai-S been made upon
-wsDty contracts .h.cd WeTe so-.s stUd GHisr
he late Board of Public WOrzs, oGJ wa.cA dil
not reach a final measurement.
The condition OF The ICrk ot repair all I1-
prOEement If as follows.
CpOn the Tiber creek sewer, draining an area
or Two thousand acres, with Its outlet IN the
James creek canal, there we're OF .Ja'y 9th fge
contracts i'll operation upon different parts 0f
he work, and two Others had been terminated
by the completion OF their sections.
Ihe gravel pit AMI inlet on sta street north
west, beyond Boundary. built by SylEaEus
Gleason and completed i.st summer, il well
Constructed and substantial 1t receives toe
Sster from the mos westerly branch or TibeT
reek and introduces il lutO a six-fO0t sewer,
which II of ample capacity.
The gravel pit aud Inlet on lat street north
vest 5ey ond boz nda5y baitt by ". II. Adam 1nh
completed III January last Is well CONSTRUCTED
and sCbstaHtlal. receives the water OF the vest
i rrly main branch o. rib ~ Greek and introduces
| t ;ntO q 9 foot brick sewer OF ample capacity.
These two inlets receive all the water railing
outside of Boundary street which passes through
riter Greek sewer, the other branches CT tue
sTe5k being 'gken up " ths InterScptiag sewer
GoFg Boundary 81 eet &Uo carried into AnacDs-
ia creek.
The foot saver or Sth street northwest be-
ginning atthe gravel plt snd ruLntag doga Stl
street. IA L street north, was bailt nv George
follsLsbee and completed IN June, 1873. After
careful inspection, have condemned the en-
ire werk. Ine arch has fallen ia in places, and
| Is dangerous throughout. The fault seems 70
be both in bad workmanship and defective plan.
1t is two ring sewer and should have been of
three rings. The invert is laid without support
upon bad ground. No back spandril appescs to
have been used, and the invert has hattened,
letting down the arch and spreading il at the
spFnging line; the key of the al ch is cracked
bent Inward or fallen at almost every point,
and indicates the speedy destruction of the en-
IRE line. Very Little, II any, Of the present
sewer shOuld be allowed to remain. The re-
Dui ding should he commenced at once, taking
advantage of al fair weather daring the wiDter,
As The spT!ng rains may bring disaster. Esti-
ma ed cost, r2J Coo cash.
The foot sewer which connects with this,
attending down Il street, New Jersey avenue,
,nd other streets 20 its Junction, with tie .
treet sewer, was built bg ". HI. Adams, and
completed in June, 1873. f. seems 70 be in
good order. and Is OF sGfti cient capacity.
The . foo sewer extending from the gravel
uit on lst street north vest, along lst street
o O sheet, aud along y street 10 The commence
me Mt of & Is foot brick ReT, was built by the
anne contractor under existing contract.
rhisNoI Is effective. About dfLy feet OF tue
.rcb is cracked and viii require rebuilding.
rhe cracking seems &c have been caused by the
-ettling and spreading of the iDvert, but the
sorkmansbip is not good. No Immediate &C.
ton is necessary, but the arch at this point
-hould be rebuilt next summer. The main Ti-
Der sewer commencing st the junction of the
.wo foot sewers, was intended to be Of srick,
semi-cireular cross section twenty feet in diam
eter, fiat reversed :h inyert, ana extending TO
North Capitol street, where It wss to join the
section in course Of eonstru ction by Bsrtett s
Wi liGms. About 600 feet of sidewalks were
built and lsrse quantity OF brick on hand on
he site of the work. The side walls were con-
structed without bond stones, and or worthless
cement, and the bricks on hand we're OF
very inferior quality and unfit for use.
have corcemned the side walls and the M n
rsrisl on band, changed the location OF the
/ sewer from o street to the bed Of the creek,
.hoGiepilg rhe line along North Capitol street
OF about 20 feet have also changed the
cross section of this part OF the sewer 20 13-
foot circle OF brick, with q concrete founds-
ion end back spsDdril, side walls and