National Republican., 1875-07-26

Third or Fourth street northeast can view Il
westuaTdly 10 Twelnh street northwest the site
Of the new Ascension church, and eastwardly TO
Lincoln square, on the extreme boundary Of the
city, distance OF several miles. No carriageway
has yet been begun on this avenue east OF the
Capitol.
Maryland avenue northeast. which has been 10
part improved heretofore, Is being completed in
its more easterly part. Pavements are being laid,
street-lamps added and the avenue being brought
to @ uniform appearance. Business Of all kinds
is following tho line Of the improvements on this
street, which is demanded by the rapid settle
ment Of adjacent squares.
Msny Of the squares In the extreme northeast
ern section Of the city, and in the vicinity Of
Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh. and Twelfth streets,
within convenient distances OF H street northeast,
are already entirely occupied by class OF resi-
denees far In advance In architectural beauty and
design Of the more ancient dwellings In the west
and central part Of the metropolis, and It Is no
wonder that the genius Of our modern civilization
should have become restiye under the long delay
during which she has been shut out from Rp-
proach to this inviting section OF the city, which
is now being SO finely developed by her presence,
and giving yet more abundant promise Of future
beauty.
But while the Commissioners have been thus
thoughtful as to the wants Of the new sections Of
the city, already noticed and % long neglected,
they have not been altogether unmindful Of the
necessity Of completing the more prominent Of the
suspended
OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN SECTION
Of the city. In Of localities large forces Of
workmen are busIIy engaged carrying forward
the work as originally undertaken, and many of
the most inviting boulevards and drives are rap
idly approaching most symmetrical completion.
Contracts have already been renewed for the con-
tinuance Of the work on the more northerly see
tions Of First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth
streets, all Of which will be thoroughly completed
as tar as is demanded, BY private improvements
and occupation; and portion of these streets Will
be improved to Boundary, giving convenient
means for spproachinR and leaving town. Resi-
dences on the more northerly portions Of these
streets will multiply after the completion Of the
North ostreet railroad, giving easy access to
them.
Eighth street northwest, work upon which
was abandoned at Rhode Island avenue, is being
improved to Boundary street. The sewerage and
sidewalks, with graded parking, have been pushed
regularly onward, and its gravel carrlagewsy af-
fords pleasant drive. 1t viii be opened beyond
Boundary to Grand avenue, which will also be
improved to Seventh street.
On Eleventh street northwest work has been re-
sumed, and the sidewalks and sewerage have
been completed to the Boundary, and the grade of
the esrriageway has been prepared to receive the
| bed Of stone.
street northwest has been handsomely i'm
proved from Eleventh to Fourteenth street with
concrete carriageway, the last half square Of
which is nearing completion.
On Fifteenth street northwest the improve
ments were suspended at Rhode Island avenue
by the Board Of Public Works. They we're, how
ever, resumed q few weeks since, and the entire
street is BOW finished. A hne concrete carriage
way has been laid, together with sidewalks and a
terraced parking, giving uniform grade and
beauty from street TO the Boundary. Opera
tions on this street we're made to include street
northwest, from Fourteenth TO Sixteenth street,
which has also been improved similar to Fifteenth
street.
Corcoran street has also been graded from Four
teenth to Sixteenth street, and is being rapidly
put in readiness for sidewalks, parking and con-
crete carriageWay, the sewerage being already
completed.
Madison street, from Fifteenth to Seventeenth
street, is also being reduced to grade to conform
to the intersecting streets upon which the i'm
provements have been finished, and is being pre-
pared for sidewalks and concrete carriageWay.
street northwest, from Fifteenth to Seven
teenth street, has been graded and sidewalks
paved, and is in readiness for the laying Of the
concrete carriageway from Fifteenth to Sixteenth
street.
CUTTING THROUGH SIXTEENTH STREET.
The large force which was put TO work cutting
roadway through Meridian Hill at Sixteenth
slIotl Justly engaged Win PICK anu EQOVel
making considerable headway. This is, per-
hsps, one of the deepest cuts undertaken in the
entire system of improvements, averaging, per-
haps, thirty feet in depth. twill make q con-
tinuous and easy drive when completed, connect
ing the city at this point with the beautiful SUBJ
urban drives and county roads leading to the
Soldiers Home park, and these will be connected
by way Of Sixteenth street, through the Execu-
tive grounds and across the causeway, with the
Aur mi
grounds. Botanical Gardens and Capitol reserva-
ton, giving an inviting drive Of about ten miles.
Care should be exercised in establishing the
grade Of the road at the cut through Meridian
HILL as 1t is thought by critics that the here
tofOre approved leaves the ascent too severe.
The earth taken from this deep cut through the
hill is being used to grade New Hampshire ave-
nue., which stretches from this point southwest
wardly to the circular reservation near George
town, containing the equestrian statue Of General
Washington, and beyond this to the river bank
at Easby's wharf at the foot of street. This
avenue has been improved in its more central por-
tiOns and will be completed to the Boundary.
street northwest is also being graded and
provided with sidewalks from Vermont avenue
westwardly to its Intersection with Boundary at
Twentieth street. The work is far advanced, and
the street quite ready for the macad am carriage
way with which it is to be supplied.
BEAUTIFUL SUBURBAN DRIVE.
The work Of cOnvtr trting Boundary street into a
handsome macadamiZed drive, from its intersec-
tiOn with Rock Greek at Georgetown to North
Capitol street, has been resumed. This carriage
way will be about sixty feet wide, bounded on
either side by spacious brick sidewalks. In al
most its entire length the boundary is deusely
shaded by the branches Of the stalwart oaks,
which grow in strength and beauty upon the
hillside by which it is skrted. The work is be-
ing vigorously pushed, the roadway being already
completed to Sixteenth street and the curbing set
to Seventeenth street. The stone for the bed OF
this drive is being broken by our enterprising
citizen, Thomas p Morgan, with 4 competent
force ofwCrkmen, on Rock Creek. This so far as
completed has been adiudged by citizens and
approved by the local authorities as one of the
most satisfactory pieces Of work connected with
the improvement of the city.
As an adjunct to this work, the improvement of
Columbia road-which intersects the Boundary
at Twentieth street nOrthwest-wIth macadan,
has been ordered, and will be pushed to compile
tiOn by the approach of fall. This will connect
the city with the county roads which lie imnedi-
ately outside the old corporate limits and form
the popular drives Of our citizens.
These constitute the principal improve ments
now authorized in the northwestern section Of the
city, where property advanced so rapidly under
the operations Of the Board Of Public Works,
and capital responded so literally in making 1t
the most favored locality for palatial homes In
the southwestern part Of Washington are to be
found in progress operations of greater magni-
tude, so far as to the labor involved than any yet
mentioned. In the
VICINITY OF TEE OBSERVATORY
the grades Of Twenty third, Twenty-fourth and
Twenty fifth streets, from street southwark TO
the river, are being reduced by an absolute re-
moval of the immense knoll which has heretofore
entirely hid the Potomac from view. The cut
through these streets in the immediate vicinity Of
the Washington Observatory will probably aver.
agethilty feet In depth. So immense is the work
that the ordinary mode Of transportation of the
earth by carts has been abandoned, and the en-
terprisiBg contractor has established q railway,
which is already over half mile in length.
Trains OF cars, very similar In appearance to the
bodies Of large wagons, each Of which will hold
about i've tons Of earth, are brought int the
large excavation, loaded and run down grade
to the termination Of the road, where they are
unloaded instantly by means of q patent opening
of one Of the sidss Of the car, and by means Of
another patent arrangement they are thrown into
slanting position, dumping the dirt This rail-
way is extended at either end by the insertion Of
additional sections kept ready at hand, and 50
the work goes on. The earth taken from these
streets befn0 TINS tra ad the