The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-05-05

STREET GRADING, SEWER CONNECTIONS, DC.
On the subject of street grading the City
Engineer, in his last annual report, which
has just been printed, says that no part OF
the s'reet-improvement brings better re-
turns to the city, IN the shape OF increased
tax able value to property, than the grading
OF streets and is the public ut large is more
benefited by it than by other necessary but
more local improy yemcntS it will be the best
and most economical disposition of the an
nuai expenditures Of the department to de-
vote the larger portion, for some time to
come, TO grading and grayeliDg. The
sooner the unimproved districts Of the
city, which embrace so large an area.
are opened out, the sooner will the
city be able to meet the demand for ln-
creased expenditures on its streets; anu any
curtailment in the work Of grading will de-
lay the settling up of. these open spaces and
the consequent improvement OF large
amount OF vacant property. During the
Year 2G,200 llneul feet Of streets have been
graded, requiring the removal Of g., 7,754 Gu
bic yards OF earth. This handling Of earth
is generally paid for in excavation only, for
the tlllng 10 of one street is made, as far rs
possible, from the excavation Of another.
The gravelng Of streets Immediately after
grading has seldom been done, and in many
instances the surface is not sufficiently set
| tied before wet weather sets in, which rem
| dcrs them liable to be cut up by wagons. 1t
| i highly important to have the TWO improve
ments 60 together; and, besides, if all this
| kind of work could be ordered in the early
| portion Of the working season we should not
have so many neWly-opened streets in an al
| most impasSable condition in long spells Of
/ wet weather. During the year the following
| surface has been done: 6,224 square
yards of stree-paying, 1868 square yards of
| brick sidewalks, 1879 square yards of gut
| ters, $3.50 square yards OF macadamizIng,
| 81 ,040 square yards of graveling, 1859
square yards Of tagging, and 6, lG0 ineal feet
| of curbing, besides the various kinds Of re-
pairs.
The engineer says that the manner Of
making transformations with the public
sewers is very Objectionable US it is now car
ried out. In many cases the sewers them
selves are injured by the careless way in
which the connections are made, and it almost
invariably happens that the city is put to the
expense of repairing the street ln very
short time after it has been done by parties
making the connections. 1t is Impossible to
give this work any supervision from this
office unless done under its direction; and
the inspections as now made, after the Work
is done and reported for. examination, show
little or nothing Of the plpe-connectlons.
which are then covered up. He recommends
that these connections be made by the city
at the time of building the sewer, and run as
far as the curb line; or, il this is not done,
10 make short branches with hub ends, and
leave them to he carried on afterwards 10y
parties making the connections, and that they
be required to keep the streets in repair over
the connections for at least twelve months
after the work is done.
During the year 1882 lineal feet of sewers
were built, including short lengths under
several streets filed in over depressions,
which receive the drainage of different Sec
tioDs of the city. In many cases the con-
nection of these short sewers will make the
main sewers of the city. The sewer on
Brook avenue, on account OF the weather,
was left to be finished later in the spring,
when it will be carried on to Bacon's Quar-
ter branch.