The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-09

DONE DURING THE iYEAR-TF7E HOW
TIERS ARMoRY-NEW ENslNE.HoUsE
&C.. &C.. .U
Colonel W. e. Cutshaw, City Engineer, In
his annual report to the Mayor says be hopes
The persistent effort to draw attention 10 the
necessities OF his department will have some
certain and definite action upon essential fea
lures of the working system. He suggests
that the wants of -.
THIS LARGE AND GROWING CITY
should be grouped together and digested
into plan which shall grasp the city as
whole, and argues that this can be accom-
piished to the satisfaction of the citizens
generally By the Committee on Streets, with
the assistance Of the engineers force. How.
ever general such a plan may be looking
only to small expenditures each year, there
are SO many persons who fail to separate the
Improvements of few years from the magui-
tude Of the work Of half centHry, with its
total expenditure of millions of dollars, that
| the whole scbeme,is looked upon as extrava-
CANT and impracticable. 1t is deplo-
rable fact, and yet too significant not to
! demand attention, that we are fast approach
Ipg that condition when We shall barely be
able to keep in repair the improvements
allotted. The area Of
UNIHPnorKD PLACES
Is 80 extensive that without enlarging the
city limits single foot for the next fifty
years to come, at the present rate of annual
expenditures, large sections Will be lett un-
| improved for an almost indefinite period.
| By comparison we stand In the unfortunate
position of the only city of the same popu.
i lot; In sc rfrx, rryifh
of total expenditures allotted to streets and
sewers. He says there are many clauses in
the street ordinances which are imperative,
while others are conflicting, and axis that
numerous charges be nude. The OPP
position to carrying street lines and
grades by plan beyond the corporate limits
seems to arise from feeling that it is n eff.
| fort to extend the limits Of the city, and
upon that point gays: 1t Is not advisable
to enlarge the already too extended area of
| the city until every vacant space shall have
been improved, and as this will not be the
case for many years to come, 1t is plain that
the projection of street lines and grades 10
advance of improvements is simply to pre-
sent such difficulties as at present surround
US. H..
| STREETS IMPROVED DURING THE YEAR.
| During the year 1871 lueal feet Of streets
have been graded, 22,416 cubic yards of
which was done by the city force of hands
and carts. This work required the excava'
ton OF Hits cubic yards Of earth. The
cost Of this work by the city force was seven
teen to twenty.one cents Inclusive per cubic
yard, against twenty to twenty-eight cents
inclusive by contract Although the work
done by the city force makes such an eco
nomcal showing, it is very doubtful whether
~ w i,
economically done unless by the closest
lsuperyison and rigid regulation from the
Engineers office. For the past few years
a great amount of regular work has been
put upon this repair force greatly to the de.
triment of work which properly belongs to
them, and unless the Street Committees in
structions are adhered to in future the OBJ
iect for which this force was created will to
q great extent be defeated. A large amount
of grading is needed. bat until some system
has been adopted, and grades established, IT
| would be irjudicious to make any sugges.
| tions. In surface work during the year there
was done 1892 square yards stone paving
| of streets at SAC. per square yard. L, ,495
square yards stone cutters at 84c. per
square yard, 13,457 square yards brick paving
of sidewalks at 62a TO 85c. per square yard,
1870 square yards macadamzisg al S9c. per
square yard, 1886 square yards gravelling at
| 8, 13, and Ice. per square yard, 6,45l square
feet stone.f flag crossings at 43c. per square
foot, 9,978 lineal feet of granite curbing at
64e. per foot.
COST OF THE WORK.
| In every item except stone.payng the
price has been lower than the year previous.
| The adoption of rougher style of curbIng
and tagging has in measure reduced the
prices of these items. Great difficulty at
tended the paving of sidewalks until the
ismended ordinance of July; but the salts.
factory working Of the ordinance since then,
and the readiness with which property.
owners comply with Its provisions, encourage
US to believe that in a short time there will
be little complaint about the condition OF our
sidewalks.
The experience of other cities in all their
experiments of street.paving confirms our
own practice here 10 the use of granite, and
from their mistakes and expenditures we are
enabled to appreciate the advantages OF the
cheap and excellent material We have. The
character of paving will compare favorably
with like work in any city 10 this country.
To produce the best results, he suggests in
macadaniziug greater depth Of metalling-
not less than twelve inches.
/ STREETS REPAIRED AND REPAyEp.
The amount of repaving and repairs is as
follows 1882 'quare yards stone paving OF
streets and guuers al SO and 42 cents per
square yard 4,484 square yards brick side
walks at % cents per square yard; 6,807
sauare feet Of f,ggipg reaid at 7 cents per
square foot; 5.728 l'neal feet of curbing re.
set at 7 cents per foot; 1880 square yards
macsdIm'zing ut SO cents per square yard ;
and 72,606 square Yards grading, by hands
and carts, at from 8 to Z cents per square
lysrd. The repairs to street paving have been
couiued to mending breaks IN the roadway,
and no attempt; has been made to restore the
uniformity of the surface. Breaks made for
isewers, pipes, aud sewer connections have
increased this lrregularity Of paving, until
now q frigbtfuI amount OF repairing is
needed in aIl our business streets. He sug.
gests some special provision for this work
that now necessary to be done is sufficient
to consume the whole annual appropriation.
He suggests that the work Of street-cleaning
be c>nfned to the management Of the Board
of Health, us the special Object Of the force
of hands and carts is to repair graded, gra.
yelled, and macadamized streets, DC.
In alluding to the
WORK PERFORMED By TIE cHAlN GANG
| in excavating and reflling trenches, lower.
ing pipes, putting In drains, trimming road
beds, streets, &C., he says 'tit Is doubtful II
a more valuable return to the city for the
outlay can be shown in any Of its depart
ments.n Nine thousand two hundred
land ninety y.six lineal feet of brick sewers