Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-05-11


Mr.. krafft's Speech.
The following were the remarks of
Mr.. Louis Kraft in the Common Couu-
ell on Tuesday night when the ordi-
nance providing for the election of a
city engineer was under consideration !:
Mr.. President-The bill reported by
the committee on general laws is sub
stantially the same measure which in
reduced in this board about two years
ago. but failed to become law be-
cause of its defeat in the other board.
AT that time already in the opinion
Of a large majority of our people the
necessity for the creation of this Office,
which is an all important one, existed.
but since then our munich al affairs
have taken such a turn for the better
in the way of improvements that | con-
slider it the imperative duty of every
member of Council to support either
this bill or some measure of similar
character. An era of building activity
has started which is unprecedented 10
The history of our city, and we can not
afford to let this opportunity slip away
from us to make this activity perma-
uent one, and am confident we can
double our population in the next
decade. But first Of all it is absolutely
necessary to establish our grades and
building lines on all streets to the city
limits; then it is equally necessary to
have plats made on larger scale of
every square in our city, showing the
frontage and depth of each and every
lot and giving the names of the owners.
By doing so we will avoid the continu-
Gus disputes about grades, building
lines and division lines and thereby
save our city great many expensive
law suits which are bound to follow if
the present state of affairs continues
much longer. had an interview with
our city surveyor, Mr.. Graves, and the
state of affairs revealed to me by him
is simply amazing. There are in our
survey Of the city hundreds Of errors,
not Only of inches or feet, but
in dozens of cases OF yards
and | will only mention few of the
most prominent ones:
The west wall of the machine shop
of the Y. NJ. Il. II. stands over 6 feet
out on Henry street, and this wall haV-
ing been used by Il great many differ
ent SURVEYORS as starting point for
other surveys, makes nearly all the
SURVEYS west of Patrick and south OF
Wilkes street erroneous: so, for in
stance, is the corner of Gibbon and Pat
rick streets 6 feet . inches out IL the
street: Councilman McCuen's house is 2
feet out on Alfred street. On Pendle-
ton street, the two squares between
Patrick and Fayette are + feet too long.
On Alfred street, the square between
Gibbon and Wilkes, built up solidly
with new frame houses, is also feet
out on the street. All the houses on
Cameron street below Lee are three
feet back of the building line. Not
single square on King street is an ex-
act prolongation of the adjoining one.
OF the results of such errors l will
give only two illustrations. Mr.. De
Silva owns lot on the corner of Pen
dleton and Washington streets. AdJoin-
ing him is a 20-foot lot, belonging to
Mr.. Mills who built house on it. After
this was finished his neighbor on the
oth,r side. Mr.. Tremaine, detected that
Mr.. Mills was feet over on his lot and
the latter bought the three feet for
$120. The mistake occurred when MIR.
De Shva's lot was surveyed that the
opposite corner building, which stands
feet out on the street was used as a
starting point. On the same square on
Columbus street Mr.. Richardson had
to move his house feet at a cost of
$50. Here we have two cases
and hundreds are liable to fol-
low. This is indeed very
serious condition which confronts us,
the result of century's mismanage-
ment of our street department, which
requires the immediate consideration of
City Council and hope that Council is
equal to the emergency.
Shall these errors stand for ever?
Shall they all be corrected or in some
cases and not in others? All these are
serious questions which should DC
solved in the near future. 1t might,
perhaps, be best to establish the correct
building lines and only allow new
houses TO be built on the new lines, in
Guiding those, also, where old ones have
been torn down. Then we would event
ually get beautiful city, but the pre-
sent generation would not live to see
much oft.
The only objection that can be raised
against this most necessary Office and
the work to be done is the expense
which it causes, but 1 think, under the
circumstances, this ought only to be
matter of secondary consideration. AT
ter the preliminary work is finished,
grades and lines established and pla,s
made the running expenses OF this Of
fee will be less than 50, 500 per annum,
which will be money well invested land
hope it will be the pleasure of City
Council to allow this bill to become
law.
A GENERAL Row.-shortly after II
o'clock Saturday night, while Police
men HoWsnn and Sherwood were at