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

during the past and present year, and require
more frequent cleaning it isprobable that this
present schedule of cleaning during the year,
and in the spring the streets will have to be
cleaned less frequently. For the next year the
appropriation should be restored to s33 600
Alley CLEANING.
The alleys are cleaned on the same system at
present, paved alleys by contract at 81 cents per
square yard for each cleaning, and unpaved al
leys by days labor. During the past year the
| alleys were cleaned by contract for a fxedsum
OF S4,275. The alleys are cleaned once week
during the summer months, and once in two
weeks during the winter.
STREET LIGHTING.
The streets are lighted by the Washington and
Georgetown gas companies, under contracts
with those companies at so much per lamp per
annum. The rate last year was S2S 20 in Wash
lngtOn and $32 in Georgetown. The price was
reduced by act of Congress to take effect on
July l, 1881, to 1875 per lamp. including all ex-
penses of repairs. lighting, etc. Hitherto the
Distrlct has paid for extraordinary repairs, such
as the destruction Of the lantern by storms, etc.
The lamps are erected by the District, and cost,
at present contract rates for iron castings, about
S21 each. On the LIST of July last there were on
the streets and alleys of the two cities 4 ,202
lamps, 162 having been erected during the past
year. With the appropriation of 81 900 for
erection OF lamps during the present year about
4S lamps will be erected, so that there will be
ESQ lamps to be lighted next year at S25 each,
or $1O6,25 in all. During the past year the cost
Of street lighting was $117. 1881 go, and during
the present year the appropriation is 91O3 1876.
The act of June T. 1880. appropriated $4,000 for
erecting and lighting lamps in alleys. Under
this appropriation IS lamps were erected in the
alleys, where they are of great service to the
police IN following criminals,
COUNTY ROADS
The principal work done in the county during
the past year was the thorough repair of por-
ton of the 18th street road, which is the main
entrance to the city from the country on the
north. This work began at Boundary street. and
for distance of .437 feet the entire ROAD ped
was picked up and reiaid with macadam. the
curbs were set, and sidewalk repaired. Beyond
this point the road was repaired by picking up
the Old macadam rebreaking it and adding fresh
metal In the central portion of the road 10 feet
wide, and in gravelling the road on each side of
the maeadam. The work was done by days
labor in the most thorough manner 1t was
stopped by bad weather in the latter part of
November, at which time the work had pro-
crossed as far as Summy's Hill. distance of
9.2S7 feet. The cost of this (ineluding an ac-
cumulatlon of macadam metal for further work.
exhausted the appropriation of $15, 600 made for
that special purpose. This year the work was
resumed on July 9Th, and continued until Sep
TENDER 18th, at which date it had progressed as
Tar as the foot of the hill leading to Brightwood
"a distance of 80 feet from the point of begin
ming. No special appropriation having been
made for this year, the cost (amounting to
$3.50 was paid from the appropriation for
general repair of county roads. Next summer
the work can be completed as far as Bright
wood.
No new roads were constructed during the
past year. The ordinary repairs of the roads
(abOut 100 miles in lengthy other than 18th
street, were made from time to time as required
at total cost of S17,26S.2 20, or S172 per mile
in repairing them an effort is made, as far as the
FUNDS Will permit, to make the repairs of a per-
manent character by substituting broken stone
gathered and broken during the winter for
the ordinary bank gravel, which contains SO
large proportion CT clay and earthly natter
and in repairing small cuiverts and drains stone
masonry is used in place of wooden abutlnents
during the present year the appropriation is
S2O.OO0, which is only twO-thirds Of the esti-
mate submitted. as necessary for this purpose
Owing to the large expenditure required for the
lth street road there will remain only about
S12.25O for the other roads. This amount is not
SUFFICIENT, and in the spring the roads will prob
ably deterlOrate to some extent For the next
year the appropriation should be not less than
S2o.OOO. in order to carry on the work on 9TH
street road and keep the other roads In proper
repair.
SURVEY OF THE DISTRICT.
The careful survey of the District made by the
Coast Survey, the District paying the current
expenses, which was begun in July. 1880. has
now progressed so far that the triangulation is
complete. and the topography of sheet No |,
embracing an area OF about eight square miles
will be completed during the month of October
The held work costs the District about 500 per
square mile. and the territory adjacent to the
city, OF Which maps are now urgently needed
embraces about 35 square miles. The appropr-
iC Xxx t,,,f
to prosecute the work more rapidly larger ap-
preparation will be necessary
The object OF this survey is to obtain accurate
maps OF scale sufficiently large to make proper
plans Tor the extension or the streets and ave-
nues in the rapidly growing portion of the coun-
ty. 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
alteration in their lines will be demanded as soon
as they are thickly built upon. 1t is very impor-
tant that this error should be avoided i'm streets
to be laid out hereafter.
ESTIMATES FOR COMPLETION OF STREETS
The act establishing the present form of gov
eminent requires the Commissioners to transmit
annually to Congress estimates of the amount
necessary to defray the expenses for the next
fiscal year, and among these estimates "a state
ment showing in detail the work proposed to be
undertaken by them during the fiscal year next
ensuing, and the estimated cost thereof The
dCt lurther provides tllat after Congress ap-
proves these estimates it shall appropriate the
amount of one-half thereof, and that the other
half shall be raised by certain uniform tax
upon taxable property and privileges.
There being no provision for assessing any
portion whatever of the cost of street improve
ments upon the abutting property. petitions inn
medlately came in. in large numbers. praying for
improvements of every character. The number
OF these petitions presented during the last three
years. and now on file in this office amounts to
20, and they cover nearly every street in the
CITY,. AS previously stated, however. the Com
missioners have limited their work on the streets
mainly tOreplacing worthless wooden pavements.
which alone has absorbed all the revenues avail
able for this purpose, and hence the greater part
OF these petitions have not been acted upon
In order to prepare basis on which to make
the estimates and statement of work above
referred to, have carefully examined the con-
dition OF every street within the limits of the
two cities, excluding the unsettled portions east
OF Lincoln Park south of street south, and
between the White Lot and the Observatory
The necessary measurements have been made
and the estimate calculated in detail of the cost
at present prices of putting all the streets in
proper order. as DetitOned for This schodnla