Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-08-01
PARKS AND RESERVATIONS.
Colonel R0ckwell's Annual Report,

Colonel Rockwell's Annual Report.
IMPROVEMENTS MADE DURING THE PAST YEAR
AND ESTIMATES FOR THE NEXT.
Colonel A. F. Rockwell. who relieved Colonel
T. l.. Casey on April 1, 1881, has submitted to
General Wright, chief of engineers u s. A.. the
report of operations upon public buildings.
grounds and works in the District of Columbia
| for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1881
The report says about the
GROUNDS SOUTH OF THE EXECUTIVE MANSION
that during the past year substantial progress.
has been made in the improvement of these
grounds. The small area i'm the center of the
Central Ellipse which was left uncompeted at
the date OF the last annual report owing to an
unfinished sewer of the District government
through these grounds was completed in Sept
1850 and sown down in lawn grass seed and
winter rye. The ellipSe now presents an un-
broken lawn surface. The eastern half of the
SO foot roadway around the ellipse was finished.
and a terra Gotta pipe drain was laid to connect
with the north B street sewer. and two brick
sewer traps were constructed on the margins of
the southern part of fthisroadwayto to carry off sur
| face water. The eastern portion of the grounds
along 18th street, extending from the Treasury
ph0tographng building to street north has
been graded, surface rolled and sown
down in grass seed. and the intersecting
roadways and walks through the same excavated
and hlled in with gravel, andcompleted. exceptin
| streets northwest. row of American ems
| was planted around the central ellipse. and a
row OF similar trees planted on the outer edge
OF the main roadway surrounding it. The lawn
surfaces OF the eliipse were mown when re-
| CURED, and were also dressed with heavy
coating of manure and soil compost. About 500
lneal feet of siX-inch granite curb was placed i'm
position on the southern margin of the semi
| circular roadway at the northeastern and north
western portions of the grounds. The lower
portions of these grounds along street
north to the extent of fifteen acres
were submerged during portion of two
days by the extensive freshet of February last
but no material damage resulted therAfrom.
Marks to show the height of the flood were cut
IN the walls OF the Old stone lodge at the south
eastern corner OF the grounds The total
quantities OF materials received and deposited
during the year were: Is, ,943 cubic yards of
earth, ,225 cubic yards of soil, and 1857 cubic
yards of gravel, besides a large quantity of
broken asphalt, concrete and brick bats. used in
preparing the road bed for the eastern half of
the main roadway. During the coming year it
| is expected to complete the grading, sOiling,
graveling and planting of the western half of the
grounds, excepting that portion at present occu-
pied by the stone yards and shops and sheds of
the new building for the State, War and Navy
departments"
MONUMENT GROUNDS, AND GREENHOUSES AND
NURSERIES.
These grounds. the report says are in much
the same condition as at the date of the last an
nual report. The lower surface Of the grounds
also suffered from the freshet Of February last,
number OF young trees and shrubs having been
broken down, and the paling fence across Vir-
glnia avenue, to prevent heavy teaming through
the grounds. carried away by the waters. An
area OF about eighteen acres was submerged,
including the carp ponds of the United States
fish commission. At the greenhouses additional
space for the propagation of plants suitable for
beddng-out in the public grounds was secured
by roofing over the space between two other
greenhouses. making house 100 feet long. 12 feet
wide and 8feet high, affordng accommodation for
the propagation of some 10 GOO additional plants
The whole number of plants prOpagated during
the year was upwards Of $4,000. which were
bedded out in the different parks during the last
spring: The improvements in the nursery
grounds. including a new iron fountain basin
and better provision for draining, are also noted
In the report. The general stock was increased
by the purchase of 2, $50 deciduous and evergreen
trees and shrubs, which were set out in nursery
rows preparatory to their final planting i'm the
public grounds. About / 300 trees and shrubs
were removed from the nursery and set out in
the various parks during the year.
SMITHSONIAN GROUNDS.
The report notes the completion Of the work of
recOnstructing the grounds around the National
Museum building. That portion of the main
roadway extending from 18th street to the Smith
sOnian Institution building was regravelled and
the other rOadways and walks were repaired
The lower portion of these grounds also suffered
i'OuA p'1ihS tlc lfcSIlcU OI FeDfuafV
last Referring to Armory Square and the res
ervations east to the BOtanica! Gardens, tine re-
port says: "The large extent of roadways and
walks need to be covered with heavy coating of
gravel over their entire length, to put them in a
really first class condition, while the grounds
should be still further improved by the
planting of large number of trees and
shrubs and the introduction of additional
park settees. An estimate for these purposes is
accordingly submitted and recommended as are
also the estimates for Watchpnan
grounds, the necessity for which becomes more
apparent each year." Under the head of Gre
servatiOns north of Pennsylvania avenue and
west of Capitol" the report notes surfacing of
the street roadway through Judiciary square.
with top dressing of fine gravel to depth of
SIX inches over the entire length and the resur-
facing in part of the street roadway; the COM
pietlon or the work of modifying Farragut
square; the repairing of the watchmans lodge
in Washington circle and the laying of CTS feet
OF iI-lnch terra Gotta pipe DRAIN a new asphalt
walk, and 916 feet of additional water pipe
IN lafayette square. In all of the i'm
says flower beds were prepared and planted with
sultaDie !Oilage and Towering plants Seven of
the small reservations in the northwest vection
OF the city were improved during the year by
regarding and planting, enclosing with park
post and chain fence and the introduction of
water pipe. These reservations are located at
rp- r,,".nwing points: Two reservations at the
intersections OF m...--ssachusetts and New York
avenues and X and 7th street. northwest re-
servation at the intersection of New Iv,. ave-
enue, 9Th and streets northwest; triangle at
intersection of Ohio avenue, and 18th streets |
northwest, and triangles at intersections of
PENNSYLVANIA avenue K and 22d streets north
west; Pennsylvania ave nue., X and oath streets
northwest, and Pennsylvania avenue and L
sIreets northwest. An unusually severe rain
storm, accompanied by hail and high winds.
winch occurred in Junedid much damage to the
various improved parks in this section of the
city, some fifty carloads of broken branches
&C., being removed therefrom. The roadways
ana walks also suffered to great extent from
heavy washings.
RESERVATIONS EAST OF THE CAPITOL.
Under this head the report mentions the work
OF current repair in Lincoln and Stanton squares
and the trianges at the intersections of streets
Flower beds were laid out in all of the improved
reservations in this section and decorated with |!
suitable plants during the spring and summer |
months The four small triangles at the follow |
ing points were improved during the year by |
being partially regarded and enclosed with park |
post and chain fence. Water pipe for irrigating /
purposes was also introduced Triangles at in
tersectiOnS of MARYLAND avenue, and I'd streets |