Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-03
STREET SWEEPING AND sPRrNKLrNe.
what II Coats Various Cities to Look Amer
Roadwnys.

What II Coats Various Cities to Look Amer
Isoadways.
Washington is supposed TO have compare
lively clean streets. although for a city with its
advantages in the way of pavements. none too
clean. The methods Of paving for the street
cleaning system here is well known. and il lie OF
interest TO find out how other cities manage the
same work. Mayor washburne of Chicago has
recently made rather an elaborate investigation
into this matter. aud the results have been
combined into a report to the city council.
The indianapolis system. according 20 this
report. ofthe cities of New York. Chicago. Phi.a-
delphia, ST. Louis. Minneapolis and lndianapo-
lis, the latter Is the only one which paws FOR
street cleaning by special assessments. In that
city the work Is done b. cortrsct. the cost in
1881 having been IL cents per l0. 600 square feet
each cleaning for wood and brick and 50 cents
Tor asphalt pavements. the cleanings VARYING
from weekly 10 daily. By this contract the cost
to property owners varied from !. to 10 cents
per front foot.
IN WASHINGTON.
Taking this city and others considered by the
report. comparison may be made with Wash
inston in regard TO the cos: of this wo-l. In
Washington for this year $4,000 was appro-
priated Tor tins purpose and the contract is "a u
cents per 1000 square wards or Q Gao square
feet. IL will be seen. therefore that Washington
Gets It's streets cleaned at a cheaper rate than
indianapolis.
CLEANING IN ST. LOUIS
According TO the report the streets Of ST.
Louis are cleaned under three-vear contract.
The sweepings are Immediately removed,
hauled to barges and dumped in the river. The
present contracts in that CITY are as follows;
Granite and wood ravements IS cents and as-
phalt. 80 cents each cleaning per 10 900 square
Thaa
however, including administration and care Of
barges, Is about GO cents each cleaning per
10000 square feet.
OTHER CITIES
In Philadelphia and Chicago the removal Of
garbage and other items enter into the contract.
and the cost Of street sweeping solely cannot be
given A commission in 1891 reported. how
ever, that streets were cleaned in New York for
SOU per mile; in Philadelphia Tor Sill ~: St
Louis, s9.l2; indianapolis. IS Sc. and Buffalo.
"a, while the report of the mayor gives s27 50
per mile as the cost in Chicago.
STREET spRISKLISa.
street sprinkling is another matter which
Mayor Washburne's report touches Chicago.
ne says SO far as the city service is concerned is
entirely without street sprinkling. In st.
Louis, indianapolis and MINNEAPOLIS the streets
are sprinkled by special assessment. In st.
Louis the work is done by contract and in 1891
the average cost was 8 y cents per front foot of
abuttng property. There are twenty inspectors,
IN addition to the whole police force, to see that
the work is properly done.
In ST Louis in 1891 1000 900 gallons Of water
were daily used on this service. the water being
furni.h by the city without charge.
In Indianapolis seventy miles of streets are
sprinkled during the summer at an average
cost OF "a cents per front foot Of abutting
property.
In Minneapolis the contracts were let by the
aldermen in the different wards. The cost in
1881 averaged 81 cents per front foot for I'M
paved streets and o. cents for paved streets.