Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-04

| tour-inch base and was awarded a contract
Tor rev streets on which the residents
had petitioned for that kind of pavement.
subsequently this company has substituted
| crushed bluestone for crushed limestone in
IT'S product, which change, it is believed
VIII insure more durable block and render
| 1t better competitor for certain purposes
against sheet asphalt.
| Experience having shown that street
| waters are injurious to asphalt, a practice
Is now adopted of giving more crown than
| formerly TO the pavements and in laying
| paving brick cutters on asphalt streets.
FOR the same reason partly, bituminous
base for asphalt pavements. heretofore used
on account of its cheapness, has been dis
| carued; only Portland cement concrete base
is now permitted
Another defect in asphalt pavement, as
compared with stone, is the rapdity of
wear; to diminish that and in another case
with a view of decreasing the cost of as
phalt su-facing over old stone pavements.
Where the traffic permits, two trial pieces
OF modlted asphalt pavements were recently
lalo. Inc ACCESSIBILITY is recognized of doing
/ away with our stone pavements to the de-
gree permitted by the production of a suf-
nciently durable smooth pavement.
! A larger proportion than heretofore of
| alley pavements was laid during the wear
and has been continued to the present The
standard Kind now used for alleys rs vit-i-
ned brick, although asphalt blocks are laid
|
| is desirable.
For sidewalks on important streets the
grano1thic pavement is used. The repair
of old brick walks has been discontinued
FOR new walks on unimportant streets, the
cheaper brick pavement is generally laid
| Many or the sidewalks around important
reservations are in a dlapidated or poor
3Ondltlon and should be replaced with
granothic. The estimates for 1895 contain
separate item for this work, including
granite curbing
Names or Designations of Minor
| streets and Alleys, and Iowa Circle.
| There is confusion and a lack of system
IN the names of minor streets and designa-
tons of alleys in Washington and George
town. The Commissioners request author
ity to change the names of such streets
upon system which will indicate their
locality and to apply designations to alleys
1t is proposed to term as places" all minor
streets connecting two or more principal
| streets and not less than forty feet in width
| ana as courts all inhabited streets or al
! leys OF less than forty feet in width or not
| connecting two principal streets
| Authority Is also requested to change the
name OF Iowa circle to Logan circle.
| Work for the UnempIoyed
| Inc Commissioners earnestly recommend
an appropriation be made Immediately avail
able for grading and impro wing other than
paViEg, the county streets and roads ac-
cording to the schedule in the estimates
| for 1895 for county roads," and that the
funds be expended by contract or other
wise as the Commissioners may deem most
advantageous for the public interests
! The object is to furnish useful work this
winter for the unemployed.
Inc part OF the schedule named, which is
lhcHGed IN the Commissioners estimates
Tor 1870, is from its beginning to include
NJ street extended between 18th street and
no of
land purchases and paving in this part the
balance is $4,000, which amount can he
advantageously as well as humaney ex-
pended during this winter Its immediate
availability would provide employment at
common labor to many men who would
otherwise be forced to idleness, and in some
charity.
Street Trees and District Parks.
There has been no increase of funds for
street trees for the last ten years. Many
or the trees were broken or damaged by
recent storms and demands for trees in
new sections of the District are frequent.
The District has thirty-six small parks
which should be improved; most of them
are now but little better than waste
grounds.
1t is also desired to plant and care for
trees in the larger Enclosure of the public
schools where the spaces are bare. The
estimate for use of the parking commits
sion did not include this last item: il is
urgently asked that the estimate be not
curtailed. There is no single feature of
the national capital which adds more to its
heaithtulpess ana beauty than the trees.
Water.-Service.
An urgent ne ID of the water service is a
greater supply of water. The most direct
and economical means of providing this is
by raising the dam at Great Falls suffi-
Client to Keep the water in the distributing
reservoir at the height of 146 feet above
datum, for which duty the reservoir and
the conduit leading to it were built The
consumption of water is now SO great that
such level in the reservoir cannot ar tin1ns
be maintained The Commissioners have
accordingly inserted in their supplemental
estimates an item of $102,t91 for raising
the dam. the estimate given by the officer
in charge of the Washington aqueduct in
his annual report for 1891.
The raising of the dam properly belongs
to the work of increasing the water supply
OF the District, ard ii is suggested that the
cost should be paid from the balance of
that appropriation. which, on July l. 1Sn3
vas $429,345.2S The execution of pIans
are now about to be commenced for water
distribution to the suburban settlements
of Washington and Georgetown not already
supplied with Potomac water. There will
consequently by next summer be greater
inSufhciency of water supply.
. The Commissioners are of opinion that the
time has come for definitely determining
whether o. not the tunnel from the dis
tIlDutlilS TeStTNOlT 10 the new reservoir
advantageously be made useful An esti- |
mate of $4,000 for testing the tunnel is
given in a report of the chief of engineers
of the army, June II, 1890, and published in /
Senate Ex. Doc. No. 26, sd Congress- first /
session. Any amount appropriated for the /
purpose named could properly come from
the available balance of funds for increas- |
ing the water supply of the District 1t is /
submitted if the tunnel is not to be used
that steps should soon be taken for provid- |
ing another principal channel of water dis |
tribution.
Sewer Department.
An event of interest is the commencement
of the Easby's Point sewer, part of a main |
interceptor of the plan of sewage disposal |
recommended in the report to Congress of a |
board of sanitary engineers in 1880 This |
part of the interceptor will run from Eas- |
by's Point, on the Potomac river bank at |
the prolongation of 18th street west along
F street and across the White Lot TO 18th |
street.
Ninety thousand dollars were appropriat- |
ed toward the sewer construction, accom- |
panied by authority to enter into contract |
for its completion at not exceeding $3.50 600 |
"A contract was made within that limit and |
the construction is now we'll advanced 1t |
should be noted that the balance of the es- |
tmated cost of the Easbys Point sewer is |
not included in the estimates for 1885. the |