Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-26
this Office should be so fixed as to secure and
retain the services of competent man.
PAYMENTS.

retain the services of competent man.
PAyEMENTS.
The condition of the street pavements on the
first of July last was as follows:
Concrete, including coal tar and asphalt, 4.92
miles; stone block, 6.1S miles; rough stone and
cobble, III miles: macadam. 7.45 miles; gravel
g. 25 miles: wood, 1877 miles; unimproyed, 95
miles.
The Commissioners have continued the policy
heretofore adopted by them and approved by
Congress. of replacing the wooden pavements
by asphalt or stone, and during the past year
have renewed "a miles. On the LIST CT July
1878, there were "a miles of wooden pavement
in the city, all in a more or less decayed and
dangerous condition. At the close of the fiscal
year this will have been reduced to about ten
miles. containing approximately 100000 square
yards; it will therefore require two years more
to effect the renovation of these impossible
streets and avenues.
The full details of the work performed and to
be done will be found in the report of Lieut..
Greene, assistant to the Engineer Commits
sioner.
The operations of the year have been impeded
and delayed by the combination of parties inter-
ested in the importation of crude asphalt. The
Commissioners are Of the opinion that no city
can afford to place itself in the power of any
corporation or combination of men, by laying
upon its streets pavements of which the mate
rails are not to be bought in the open market
they have therefore taken such steps as are
the importation of asphalts by advertising for
l.50O tons OF crude asphalt. 1t this cannot be
purchased freely in open market. it is their
intention to abandon the use of asphaltic pave
mentS.
SIDEWALKS.
AS some complaint has been made in regard
to the condition of the sidewalks of the city it is
proper to state that in the absence of specific
law, the Commissioners have been at loss as
hat,
miles of sidewalks which, under the municipal
ordinance of 1853, would be kept in repair by
the owners of adjoining property. The board is
advised by the attorney that the ordinance can
not be enforced. The most of the pavement is
of brick, and one-tenth in bad condition. To
assume the entire expense of the foOtwaks of
the city would involve an expenditure larger
than can. at present, be borne by the general
fund. especially in view of the large areas of
rotten wood and rough stones i'm the heart of the
city, which are yet to be removed.
There are now on file in the Commissioners
Office 126 petitions for the Improvement of
various streets and avenues, covering nearly all
of the cities of Washington and Georgetown.
1t is found on examination that the cost of the
improvements so petitioned for. excluding the
unsettled portions east of Lincoln park, south
OF n street SOUTH and between the White lot
and the Observatory grounds will be 50 5S3.-
.65. 1t is apparent at once that the revenues
OF the District are not sufficient to complete the
work for many years. All these improvements
have, however been estimated and scheduled
for the information of Congress.
STEAM RAILWAYS
In obedience to the resolution of Congress-
the Commissioners have caused the subject of
the steam railway lines within the city to be thor
oughly examined. and detailed plans and esti-
mates to be prepared of the cost of removing
the railways from the surface of the streets
ha in yvin III -
subject, which will at once provide for the
exigencies of local and through traffic. and re-
move forever all cause of complaint arising
from the occupation and obstruction
of the public highways. The details
OF the plan proposed will be found
in the report of Lieut.. Hoxie. assistant to the
Engineer Commissioner. The whole matter
will be the subject of special report to Con-
greSS.
THE RIVER FRONT.
In previous reports the Commissioners have
repeatedly asked the attention of Congress to
the condition of the river front Of the city.
In the annual report of 1879. their views as to
the proper method of conducting the rccama-
ton OF the marshes were given at length. 1t
would appear that the time has arrived for
action. The details of the proposed work have
been carefully studied, and the conclusions
arrived at can be presented without delay When
called for by Congress
TELEGRAPH LINES.
In the last annual report the Commissioners
called attention to the distractions caused on
the streets by the large number of unsightly
telegraph poles: they also submitted data show
ING the large extent of underground wires now
in European cities and the perfect feasibility
OF that system; and they ask that the rights and
duties Of the telegraph companies in this re-
spect Should be defined by law. No legal action
hnSo v,nf han {,{-n
Commissioners have taken the responsibility of
refusing to grant permits to new companies to
erect poles III the more important streets of the
city, and have granted these companies the OPP
ton OF laying their wires underground. Under
this. the Mutual Union Telegraph Company has
laid its wires in pipes underground on New York
avenue, from 18th to 18th street, and on LIST
street and New Jersey avenue from [ street to
the Capitol. the total length of the two under
ground lines being about one mile. The Oppo-
stlOn to further extension of telegraph lines on
poles which has lately developed in various
cities has caused the production Of a number of
patented systems for carrying wires under
ground. The Commissioners do not feel obliged
to enter into the question Of the merits of these
various patents as against the system long in
use in Europe; but they have no doubt of the
perfect feasibility of carrying the wires under
ground, They therefore renew their recon-
mendatiOn that IA law be passed compelling the
removal Of all telegraph poles in the city within
a reasonable time.
SURVEYS.
The surveys Of the District with reference to
the extension of streets and avenues have been
continued during the year. The triangulation
has been completed and the topography carried
over an area of eight square miles. The area
remaining adjacent to the city. and for which
maps are now urgently needed, embraces about
thirty-five square miles.
The object of the survey is to obtain accurate
maps OF scale sufficiently large to make proper
plans for the extension of streets and avenues
in the rapidly growing portions of the county,
just north Of the city. The streets hitherto laid
out in that section do not conform to each other
or to the general plan of the city. and an altera-
ton in their lines will be demanded as soon as
they are thickly built upon. 1t is very important
that this should be avoided in streets to be
laid out hereafter.
SEWERS.
The New York avenue intercepting sewer has
been completed, and performs it's work salts
factorily. The records Of the year sustain the
accuracy of the calculations upon which the
sewer was designed.
Work on the Boundary intercepting sewer has
progressed more slowly than was desired on
account of difficulties encountered in the lower
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