The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-05-21

Annual Report Of CIsy-Engineer W. +. Cut
shaw - Recommendations as TO Street
Cleaning and sprinkiing-statisticaI Ex-
hibit or the Work of the Year.
The following Is the report Of the City
Engineer to his Honor Mayor Darlington

| The following ~ tne tePVie vi tne Sity
Engineer to his Honor Mayor Darlington
CRY ESGIsEER's OFFICE,
i. RICHMOND, Va, May 10, 1882.
Hon. William O.. Carringto,s Mayor ot
the City Of Richmond
Sir,-I have the honor to submit for your
consideration my ninth. annual report,
showing the operations OF the department
for the fiscal wear ending January 81, 1882.
The usual statements show IN detail the
amounts, locations, and cost OF the various
kinds OF work done during the year, and a
comparison OF contract work with similar
work done on city account.
The following is comparison OF con-
tract prices for work done, showing an in
crease in every case, for the year:
To April. Issl-Sew spail p2y.ns. go; old
pawn paving. .ss; Old srise p.!:ss, "a. r.a,ns'
To April, lee2-Belgian blocks, 2.ig new spall
paving. .7S; old stone paving, SO; alley blocks,
| Los new brick paving, 81; old brick paving
Is; grading, 80 9-lO; curb, .oo' nas' .so' cor
TO April lssI-Resetting curb, .5; resctiing
flag, a resettiny corners, 20 JOIN, curo, -
Joint flag, ~; redressing curb, redrc-sine na9'
10 April. 1ss2-ResettIng curb; s.; resettise
flag. .5t; resptting corners, 80. tvnt cnrb, %
Joint dag, 81 redr,ssng curD, g; redressng dag -
on account OF a reduction in the chain
gang there is now only enough OF this
force TO work under the Board OF Health.
There IL no tabulated statement, therefore,
Of work done by the chain-gang under this
department.
During the continued drought OF last
summer the dusty condition OF the streets
was a cause Of much complaint, and again
during the continued wet weather OF the
winter there was similar complaint OF the
muddy condition of streets and flag-cross-
ings. As the whole duty Of
STRENGTHENING
belongs 10 the Board Of Health, although
the popular belief is that II belongs TO the
Street Department, hope it may not be
out OF place i'm me to make some sugges-
tions in regard to this necessary work.
Each street should be cleaned daily, or GER
tainlv not less than from two to three times
a week. As no part Of any street was
cleaned as often as six times in the whole
year. is IL TO be wondered at that the stl eets
were i'm the condition complained Of! |
would respectfully suggest that the whole
force which the Board OF Health now has
should be confined TO such part OF the
city as will certainly keep il clean and II
there is insufficient force TO 90 outside OF
this district, il will be merely question Of
Increasing the force 10 accomplish the
whole work. In dry weather the streets
should be swept after sprinkling them
thoroughly, and in wet weather the mud
should be scraped off. In very dry wea-
ther the streets should be regularly and
systematically sprinkled. and, instead Of
leaving this to private parties, should be
done by the Board Of Health. so n 10 have
proper supervision OF il. believe re
port can be furnished by the Board OF
Health showing the number OF sprinklcrs,
number OF horse-sweepers, number OF
carts, men, mules, &C., and the cost Of
the same, as will do this work thor
oughly and effectually. When the streets
are thoroughly clean every irregular,
broken, or sunken place is readily seen,
and can be more promptly looked after
than il now the case, covered as they are
with mud. and scarcely noticeable except
by driving over them.
Early in the winter serious
BREAK OCCURRED IN THE STONE cULyERT
under Eighth street, near Clay street, OBJ
structing the flow and causing back-water
10 rise in the branch sewers and cellars
draining into them. After repeated at
tempts TO repair this culyert, 1t had TO be
finally abandoned, a temporary channel
made for the flow OF water from il, and a
new main sewer started in Seventh street
to intercept and carry of the whole drain
age heretofore discharged by this old cul-
vert. The work Of constructing this new
main sewer has been difficult and tediously
slow. owing to the depth and character OF
the excavation, requiring careful timbering
at every foot OF the trench, which l.
through wet gravel and quicksaDd, con-
tinuing throughout its entire length.
This old stone culyert, like several 9TH
ers throughout the city, was badly located
and improperly constructed originally.
In most OF them water passes through the
large open Joints OF the stonc-work, wash
ing cavities in the earth around them, and
in this condition, with a great weight OF
earth above, from their excessive depths
below the surface. lying as they do in the
beds OF old rayincs, they are liable at any
time TO be crushed in and obstructed. All
these culverts should be replaced by regu-
lar sewers, properly located and con-
structed, and built i'm the working season
to avoid difficult winters work like that
on Eighth street.
Besides the usual repairs TO public build
ings made during the year
THE ARAoRY
for the First Virginia regiment was erected
at Marshall and Seventh streets, but, like
the Howitzers' armory, this building Is IN
an unfinished outside condition. Both OF
these buildings should be succeed and
finished to present proper appearance.
improvements in all the public grounds
were carried on TO such an extent as the
small appropriations allotted TO them would
hermit. The changes at Monroe square OF
slopng the plat- next to the streets ana re-
arranging q better hedge TO improve the
view from both inside and outside The
grounds have been partially carried. out
this year, although this work has been
under adyisement some four or five years:
have again TO commend the officers ana
employes Of the department for faithful
and efficient services to the city.
Very respectfully,
Then come tables giving in great detail
the character and location OF the work
done, and the following: