Evening star., 1877-11-19
OF THE DISTRICT
Annual Report OF 1t. Hoxie.
sTRTET AND SFWER MORN. ETC

tied extent, FOR the decayed wooden pave
ments of Washington and Georgetown; the
completion OF The system of sewerage for a
part of Tiber valley; the relief of a few local
tiles from defective sewerage, and moderate
extension OF the supply of water and gas.
Sewer piIe and other material which re-
maiDed from last years operations have been
supplied 10 property owners and laid at their
expense under the engineers directions. The
work of tree planting has been continued.
but the want OF funds has restricted the ope
TstiOns Of the parkin & commission, the work
being principally cor fined to the care and
pres, ~ alton OF the trees already planted.
TIE WORK OF RETAINING
in the District has been kept up, so that all
streets. avenues and alleys, sewers, roads and
hTidses are in fair condition, excepting the
de fecfiye wood and concrete ravemeDts.
Special provision must pe made for the
pair OF these psvements and the mainteu-
ance OF the existing concrete or bituminous
pavements. The engineer states that ne sees
10 reason 10 change ms former estimate of
20 cents per yard per annum as the cost of
N nalntalnlng the coal tar pavements; and as
The District now has I54 - 81 100 So uare yards
of these pavemeBts TO take care of. besides
S2,1.4 30-10O square yards of native asphalt
pavement, an annual expenditure OF at least
Sl50SS1 is required. For want OF proper care
theSe pavements are rapidly deieriorating,
and should II be found impossible to provide
for maintaining them, 1t will be necessary to
return TO stone. The greater part OF these
pavements can be advanta geously covered
with q much better quality OF wearing sur
face than that of the original pavement, and
the subsequent cost of maintenance may De
somewhat reduced. The bftuminOus mono
lithic pavements are a luxury, however, and
must he kept in good oT.sei at the price of a
luxury, or abandoned for something mOre
durs ble.
DAYS WOEE RECOMMENDE INSTEAD or
THE CONTRACT SYSTEM.
The eE gineeT renews the recon- men iation
heretofore made Of putting down pavenents
and Keeping them IN repair without resort To
contract, by employing skilled labor a1d
purchs sing the necessary material, being
satisfied that the system would be found
4. ore economical, and satisfactory in every
respect than The contract work with its mul
uplc!ty of patents, meaning nothing. II
VIII Le necessary 10 employ thoroughly
competent expert 10 super1n-end, and to p6r
chase suitable machinery.
BAD WOODEN PAvEMESTS.
The necessity OF reclaiming from their
present impossible condition the miles Of
wooden pavemsnts yeL rotting on the streets
is especially urged. These streets are peril
Gus 10 travel. and are prOnOuifOed by the
board ofhealth TO be in a condition highly in
jurious 10 health. The appropriation of
S2JG, eco by Congress for general purposes has
teen mainly applied to this purpose, and
% 500 square yards have been repaved W th
stone blocks and bituminous payements.
There remains about 7S2 ii5 square yards to
be attended TO, and of this 2S6.75i square
yards are selected and specified as being in
the worst condition and most in need of i'm
mediate attention. Not less than S500, 900
should be expended within the next year for
repairs of wood and concrete pavementS,
and s1,0O0,OoO could be probably spent for
tbis purpose.
THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS
on account of street and alley improve
ments have been completed, incluting all
expenditures transmitted TO the engineers
Cffice by the District auditor. A number of
revisions Of these assessments have been
made, based upon modification of the
rules, and the assessments OF alleys have
been Withdrawn, pending resdjustmsnt OF
the method of appOrtiOning the cost. Tne re-
vision OF the assessments made by the
Board of Public Works tn conform TO the
modified rules of the Commissioners of the
District, and TO eliminate certain errors, has
been undertaken with a view TO obtaining
such legislation AS will enable their correc-
tiOn ard adjustment. This work is still pro-
gressirg The estimated surplus on account
OF the collection of those assessments given
il the last report has been verified with re-
iDaTkable accuracy. bat has been materially
reduced by the modification of the rules
which governed these assessments at that
time The revision of the assess nents made
by The Board of Public Works viii still fur
ther reduce this estimated surplus, but 10
WI at extent is not ascertained. The accom-
pa1 ying report of the assistant engineer eX-
plains the modification of The rules for
assessment, and gives two examples of re
vision of the assessments of the Board of
Public Works, from which the probable
effect OF toe application Of these rules 70
The N may lie inferred.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The preparation of system of legal
sfadts, adapted To the changes made by the
ihe building lines of streets. avenues and
alley =, and the establishment of additional
monument stones on the District boundary
liIe. are matters deserving immediate at
tentiUn. The recommendation OF an in.
creased water supply for the District made
in former reports, is emphasized each year
by the growing water famine In the higher
parts of the city of Washington. AT least
SEQ Geo should be appropriated for this pur
Ose, to be expended only on carefully di
gested plans for permanent Increase of the
sistiIg only in the bringing of this supply
frCm the distributing reservoir and storing
II uIon the high ground near Washing ton.
THE MARKETS.
The condition of the various public mar
kets is satisfactory, except as to the ab sence
OF a suitable building for the Northern mar
ket. The sheds which were to have survived
only the time required for the erection OF
permanent building, are somewhat dilspi-
dated and require almost incessant repair
A new building should be put up Gs soon as
able in any respect another should be select
cd. The rentals of the Western market stalls
are higf er than is necessary for sustaining
the msrket, and should be reduced when the
pre- sent Indebtedness on account of the con
struct'on of the building shall have been
paid of.
THE HAREoR OF WASHINGTON
The engineer states that he has heretofore
Invited attention TO the establishment OF q
new river front and the reclamation of the
marshes now bordering the city of Washing
tOD- InlS plan proposes the creation OF IL
reTnanent deep water channel for Washing
ton ard Georgetown, and the sanitary mea-
scre OF retaining the marches which is in-
cidertai 10 II, The execution OF the plan has
been tied 10 the engineer department
of The army, but no sufficient approp-ia-
tons have YET been made ior carrying ii into
eftc CT. IL is a matter which intimately af-
ftcts the prosperity and health of the Dis
tr1t, ard cannot be too strongly urged upon
the attention OF Congress as one of the most
important OF all the projected river aud har
bOT Improvements.
ToPOo RAFHfCAL sURVEV OF THE DIS
TRICT,
With q view 10 the extension into the county
OF the grand system OF streets and avenues,
ard tbe establishment OF a system Of legal
grades outside OF the present city limits is
very much needed, and should anticipate the
irregular subdivisions OF land by ind vidual
owpers, which Will oihei wise have ID be rec
tilted hereafter. The extension OF the work
of imprOv, ment is TO be provided for, and
should begin with the completion Of what
has been already undertaken. Ia several To-
calities the supervision OF the work of inn
prOvement has Inflicted q serious Injury upon
sG joining property, having deprived 1t ex-
listing improvements without replacing them
In any manner.
TIRE SILVER PLAN SHEETS.
Joseph c. Rock, chief clerk of the Engi-
nter's flee. submits TO the engineer his au-
pual report OF work performed by the clerical
force of that Office. with the following