Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-18
PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.
Annual Report of Col. Ernst, the Superin-
tendent In Charxe.

Annual Report Of Col. Ernst, the superin-
tendent in Charge.
WHAT WAS DONE IN THE VARIOUS PARKs-rHK
MONUMENT TWICE STRUCK BY LIoHrNISa-
MANY SQUARES ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED By THE
RAILROAD ooMPANIEs-AaAINsr THE USE OF
OVERHEAD WIRES
Col. Ernst, the superintendent Of public
buildings and grounds, has submitted his an
nual report Of operations on public buildings
and grounds TO Brig. Gen. Casey, chief of en-
gineers. for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1892.
The report says
parks in good condition has been extended
during the year.
The operations have consisted in moving and
raking lawns, repairing gravel walks, pruning
trees and shrubs, maintaining pavements and
roadways and planting flower beds. In the
autumn some Of the beds we're planted
with chrysanthemums for fall blooming
and others with early spring towering bulbs.
Mansion were repaired and trees and shrubs
planted.
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
At the Washington monument two new
cables. each 1850 feet long and ~ inches in
diameter, were put in. Monthly inspec-
tions Of the elevator and machinery
were made by an agents Of the build
ers and daily inspections of the safety
appliances on the car were made before start
ing to carry passengers. Numerous minor re-
pairs were made. The two boilers were thor
oughly cleaned twice during the year.
There were 156, $40 visitors to the top Of the
shaft during the year, Of which number 108, ,701
made the ascent in the elevator and 4s 1859 by
the stairway, making a total Of 613, IT'S persons
who have visited the top since the monument
was opened to the public on October
8, 1885, Numerous acts of vandalism
occurred during the year, the most fragrant
being the removal Of three of the four remain
ing silver letters from the Nevada stone. An
unsuccessful attempt was made to remove the
fourth.
STRUCK TWICE BY LIGHTNING.
During an electric storm on June27, 1892, the
monument was struck by lightning The cur
rent followed one Of the lightning conductors
in the shaft, which are the four hol-
low wroueht-iron phoenix columns stand
ing in the well Of the shaft supporting
the elevator machinery, to within about twenty
feet from the floor, when It left the conductor
and in the form Of a ball Of fire large as
ones fist struck an iron plate in the hoor Of the
shaft; it then jumped to the heater pipe adjacent
and continued through to the engine room,
where the only damage done was the burning
out Of two electric lamps. It also charged the
machinery with electricity, as the assist
ant steam engineer, who was in the act
Of opening a valve on the elevator
engine experienced quite a severe shock, but
sustained no injury. Later (about $40 p.m.),
n the same day, the monument was struck q
second time when the current seemed to leave
the conductor at the same place and explode on
the floor.
There are sixteen greenhouses in the nursery
grounds, covering area Of "a, ,7S7 square feet.
There are also two brick potting sheds, nine
frame buildings used as shops and store houses,
one large lath house, two open sheds
and 766 feet of cold frames, numerous
repairs and improvements were made in these
houses. During the winter and spring months
about 486, ,493 ornamental foliage and towering
plants were propagated, nearly all Of which
were set out in the parks during May and June.
GRADING B STREET.
The work Of grading the low grounds along
street north was continued during the year
and about ten acres were rough granded and
six and one-third acres sown in grass seed.
Roads and footwalks were also made and
board walk $40 feet long was laid out to the
18th street entrance.
In the Smithsonian grounds several asphalt
pavements were laid and gravel walks made.
In the government reservation on Maryland
streets southwest, plank walk was laid. cross
ing SO much Of the reservation has not been
appropriated by the Baltimore and Potomac
railroad.
ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED GROUND.
Col Ernst says: Attention is again invited
to the fact without authority Of law and in
violation Of section 22S Of the Revised Statutes
relating to the District of Columbia, the Bal
timore and. Potomac Railroad Company.
is now occupying the reservations Nos 10l los,
109, 174, III, 17s, 241 and 800. and the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company is occupying
reservation 201.
'This Office has reported from time to time
reservations by the railroad companies, and the.
subject has been referred to the law
officers of the government. with the request
that such action may be taken as will be neces-
sary for the protection of the interests Of the
United States"
AGAINST OVERHEAD WIRES.
The report details at length the minor repairs
made at the White House and in the various
parks and says: Attention is again respectfully
invited to the fact that it is becoming more and
more difficult to operate the overhead telegraph
system, owing to the fact that the trees
along the line are gradually growing up into
the wires and interrupting continuity Of the
currents. Not only have the present poles be-
come too short, but many Of them are
rotting at the butts and in constant
danger Of breaking from their own weight or
being blown down BY storms. The necessity
for either replacing the overhead wires by un-
derground cables or Of replacing the present
poles by taller ones is obvious
Col. Ernst says there is reason to believe that
a large number of lots in this city to which the
United States has o clear title are held and oc-
cupied by private persons. 1t is of much i'm
portance that this Office should be provided
with the clerical force necessary to investigate
this subject