Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-24

process, as the suits will not be decided under
two or perhaps three years If the District is to
act as colector Tor the bills of the gas company,
then more efiicient means should be authorized
| for enforcing the collections. This could be
eHected IN the same manner as is now provided
| for collecting bills due from street railroads.
re, oy Issuing lien certificates against their
property. bearing interest at 10 per cent and
| redeemable In one year from date of issue
under penalty of sale
me Illuminating power, purity and other
Iuantles OF the gas are stated in the report of
the U. 5. inspectors of gas and meters, which is
submitted herewith.
PARKING COMMISSION.
The report of the parking commission shows
That during the past year 735 trees have been
Piahted, 40 trees replanted to replace losses
from casualties and 222 old trees removed. The
'o1ai number OF trees is now 59.401, giving 1874
miles OF shaded streets. With the increased
growth OF the trees the complete success of the
methOds pursued by the present parking COM
mission during period of more than ten years
becomes every year more apparent. The trees
and the asphalt pavements are the distinctive
FEATURES OF Washington streets which attract
| most notice.
There are few miles of improved streets
where the curbs and sidewalks are on the es-
taDshed lines where trees have not vet been
planted. The annual expense of maintaining
the boxes and renewing the soil around the
that the number Of new trees to be planted is
less with each succeeding year. These boxes
are needed not only to guide the tree in its
growth. but still more to protect it from de-
struction by horses gnawing at the bark. 1t is,
therefore, necessary to maintain the boxes as a
protection from this sort of injury long after
they are unnecessary for any other purpose.
during the past few months the first systematic
planting has been undertaken on suburban
streets which are technically beyond the CITY
n "a Mt nhf
teenth street and 10th street extended have
already been thus planted. and other streets of
the same character will be similarly treated.
The steps taken by the parking commission
10 prevent injury by caterpars are explained
In their report.
The amounts expended on each of the roads
In the county, under the appropriation of
$4,000, are shown in the appendix. All this
work is done under the direction of the SUPER
1ntendent Of roads by day labor. The appro-
priation for the current year was reduced to
$50, 600, This is not sufficient to keep the
roads-Whch have an extent of more than one
hundred mies-in proper condition. If the es-
innate of s25,0OO had been approved by Con-
gress it was intended to complete the recon-
structiOn of the It'll street road to the Mary
land line. The lack of money has made this
impossible, and only small amount of work
can be done this year on this important
town turnpike from It's owners under the
act Of January 10. 1883. has abolished the last
tOll-gate in the District of Columbia. It has.
however, thrown upon the District a road OF
great Importance, being the principal route
from neighboring farms to Georgetown,
which, is in dapidated condition.
1t will be necessary to entirely rebuild it from
end to end. The total expense will be about
VT 200, and special estimate of $4,000 is sub
mtted for beginning this work next year. With
on of no nf3nich o1 80
street, beyond Brghtwood and the Tenleytown
turnpike most of the roads are now In fair con-
d!tion. but it is impossible to keep them so with
smaller appropriation than $4,000. Effort is
made. so far as the funds available will permit,
to macadamiZe the more important roads in the
best manner. and thus make permanent i'm
provements in them Where this is not possible
the roads are repaired with bank gravel The
material as found in this ocalityis of an inferior
character on account of the large amount OF
clay contained in it, but it is the best material
which can be obtained, in default Of means for
matchmaking.
SURVEY OF THE DISTRICT.
The careful Typographical survey Of the Dis
trict has been continued during the past year by
the officers detailed from the coast survey. The
field work is now complete over an area of about
twenty square miles. and the maps. on scale
OF four hundred feet to an inch, have been
drawn for nearly half that area. The territory
thus covered is the most important in regard to
the extension of streets and avenues and the
proper subdivisions of suburban property. 1t
was expected to have ready to submit with this
report map OF the District showing such Of
these extensions as are now necessary with
project for compelling subdivisions to conform
to them. but the press Of current business dur
ing the last two months has DELAYED the draw
Ing OF the map and it is not yet completed. It's
completion is expected during the coming
winter.
STEAM RAILROADS.
In my last annual report the inconvenience
and annoyance caused by the present location Of
railroad tracks within the city limits was dis
cussed at length. / then suggested that the
Commissioners recommend to Congress the an
actment Of law fOrbdding the running of
trains on the present route of the Baltimore and
Ohio road in disregard Of the grades OF the
streets after a certain date, giving that company
Inception OF coming around Capitol Hill or under
it on any one of the three routes above named
also repeating the act which granted the Balt-
more and Potomac road the right to cross the
park on the lire of 9th street, but otherwise
conforming the present route Of that road; and
compelling the immediate enforcement of the
requirements above specified along the surface
roads viz: the fencing in of the tracks, the placing
of automatic gates at street crossings, and the
cessation of the practice of making freight
depot and car yard on the avenues"
During the succeeding session Of Congress
the subject was taken in earnest by the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia. 1t was
then learned that the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad had sold its interest in roads leading
south from Washington. and had no desire to
come to the southern section of the city.
AS it did not appear that any material advan-
tage would be gained by bringing the Baltimore
and Ohio tracks around to the southern side of
the city merely to have union depot, 1t was
decided to leave this road on the northern side
With this exception the above suggestions were
adopted, and after several consultations between
the committee and the Commissioners, a bill
was framed which, ifpassed, would have settled
the railroad question for several years to come
Unfortunately. the short session of Congress
prevented action on the bill 1t was reported
to the Senate on February 90. by Hon. Mr. In
gals. chairman of the committee but no action
was taken upon it before the expiration of the
session. Its provisions were, in brief That the
two branches of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
should be united at Brooks station. outside the
city limits, and should then come in on Della
ware avenue. to the square between and E
streets. North Capitol and Delaware avenue
where their depot should be located; that VIA
duct above the grade of the tracks should be
built az Massachusetts avenue. SO as not to in
terrupt travel on that important thoroughfare;
that the line of the Baltimore and Potomac rail-
road should remain on Maryland and
Virginia avenues, as at present, but that