Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-08

otn 81. ne, ID to k-Grading and gray
18th st. NV, P to s-Grading. .... 2'csa i9
Ny. ave-, N. Cap. to Boundary
Grading. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 344 81
TOTAL. $40, 95S 78
In addition to the above various streets were
improved in front of private property by parties
interested therein under the ''permit system, :"
the District furnishing the materials, such as
curb, bricks. &c The total length of these i'm
prOvements was II .241 feet or 81 miles. and the
cost OF the materials furnished by the District
was Sll, 236. 63. Portions of various aleys
amounting in all to .143 square yards. were
also paved under the same system.
Ihe filling up of the old canal was continued
last winter under the special appropriation of
=2O.OOO made by the United States for this pur-
pose. This work has been carried on each
winter for the past three years. under special
appropriations; accomplishing the double pur-
pose of providing employment for worthy poor
during the season. when all other work is s1s-
pended, and of abating the nuisance created by
the Old canal The work has now progressed
from South Capitol street to l. street south. a
distance OF III feet. and has resulted in re-
Claiming III acres of land to the United States
As necessary incidental to the work 1862 feet
OF sewers have been laid to provide for the sew
erage. which formerly emptied into the canal
There only remains a portion about LOCO feet
In length untitled at the extremity of the canal
which Could be completed by similar apprO-
priatIon during the coming winter
CURRENT WORK OF REPAIRS OF STREETS AND
ALLEYS.
There are 25 miles of stone payements. 35
miles of graveled streets. 43 miles of paved al
leys and 260 miles of brick sidewalks for the
ordinary and current repairs of which no special
provision is made except in one general appro-
priation for current repairs" The estimate
submitted for this purpose last year was $780,
GOO. but the appropriation made for the current
year was only 10000 This sum is totally in
adequate to perform the large amount of work
OF this character absolutely necessary i'm the
course OF the year. and it will be impossible to
prevent some OF the cObble and gravel streets
from getting into very bad order after the rains
OF next spring. Thirty thousand dollars is the
least sum for which this work can be done It
cost SS, 4l2.46 in 1879 80 and S32 1854 70 in 1880
81. me nature OF the work performed last
year is shown in the statement of the Superin-
tendent Of Repairs (Appendix table E) it in
Guided ~. 7O3 square yards of cObble stone laid
or relad, IA 400 feet of gutter stone reaid 9 $50
feet OF curbing reset. 5000 square wards of
brick sidewalks relaid, 5000 yards of gravel
ing readways and 30 receiving basins built
under pumps and hydrants to carry the frjp-
pings into the nearest sewer.
After every heavy rain large numbers of ssdan-
gerOus holes are reported by the police and
these must be promptly repaired in order to
prevent accident. The present force of Overseers
superintendent of repairs have been selected
from among the employees of several wears past.
and are thoroughly efficient and familiar with
their duties, and the work performed under them
usually costs less than similar work executed
under contract, and it is much better done. It is
hoped that the Importance of this class of work
Will be recognized at the next session of Con-
gress by making a sufficient appropriation forit.
In regard to the sidesoaLks, the old municipal
ordinance OF 1858 required the owners or ten
nj ~ fn no sid
repair in their front, and provided in the event
OF their failure to comply with the ordinance for
the performance OF the work by public officers,
and the assessment of the cost against the prop
erty
While this ordinance has never been spe-
officially repealed, the attorney has advised the
commissioners that it is no longer i'm force and
that the sidewalks must be repaired i'm the same
manner as the rOadways-i. e. at the expense of
the general public. About 95 per cent of our
sidewalks are paved in bricks. which pavement
has very little to recommend it except IT'S chean.
ness VI the whole 26O miles of this pavement
at least one-tenth is in very bad condition. II
Is question, however, whether its repair is of
as much Importance to the city at large as the
replacement of the wood payements on the car
riageways- In case it should be determined to
do any of this work, have submitted an esti
mate for repaving the sidewalks on both sides
of PENNSYLVANIA avenue. from the Capt. oil to the
Treasury. with permanent pavement of blne-
such as has been largely used in the Capitol
grounds and elsewhere. This work is estimated
to cost not less than $4,000. Should it be done
portion Of the bricks obtained from that ave-
nue. could be used to make temporary repairs
elsewhere.
STREET CLEANING.
The paved streets are swept by contract run
ming for three years Subject to annual appro-
priatlOns) from July l, 1880, at the rate of 1881
cents per 1000 square yards actually swept and
cleaned: OF these streets about per cent are
cleaned daily, per cent twice a week. so ner
cent once week, and 40 per cent once in two
weeks; the streets on which there is most travel
being cleaned most frequently The total
amount cleaned during the past year was
ITO, $50, l6O square yards, costing SIG 252 10.
The contractor uses sweeping machines with re-
vOlying brOoms.
The unpaved streets are cleaned from time to
time by days labor, under the superintendent
of repairs, &. O29.45 having been expended for
this purpose last year. The unusually heavy
fall of snow during the past winter necesstated
a considerable expense for leveling snow banks,
cleaning crOSSwalks and removing ice from the
roadways. The ice was broken up by large
scrapers, supplied by the contractor for street
cleaning, and he was paid the actual cost OF this
work, amounting to S254.07. The balance of
the work necessary for removing the snow and
ice was performed by days labor. under the SUI
perntendent ofrepairs, at an expense Of g. S1937.
The total expenses for street cleaning were
then as follows:
Cleaning paved streets. ....... $26252 10
Cleaning unpayed streets. ........ 2.029 As
Removing snow and ice. .. SO6S A
Sprinkling macadam streets. 40 40
In additionto salaries ofinspectors. amounting
to 81 ,2SO.45
For the present year the appropriation is only