Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-03

number or lamps ana time OF burning OF
the gas lamps. Many of the streets are
insufficiently lighted; some of tho streets.
alleys, principal roads in the county and
suburbs are not lighted at all.
In this connection. request is made for
the enactment OF the bill which has passed
the House OF Representatives, increasing
the quality and candle power of gas in
the District, and limiting it's price to pri-
vate consumers and In public buildings to
one dollar per thousand cubic feet.
Street and sidewalk Pavements and
County Roads.
The street pavements laid with Bermudez
asphalt near the beginning of last fiscal
year have not shown any defect, but still
appear to be In excellent condition. This
asphalt was a new product in Washington.
The competition caused by its introduction
still obtains At the last contract letting
the lowest bids for asphalt on 4-inch and
6-inch concrete bases were, respectiyely
$1.53 and $1.6S per yard. The lowest pro-
posal for sheet asphalt on cobble or ma
cadam base was $3.50 IL per yard, and the
proposals for asphalt block were MS and
81 25 on gravel and concrete, respectively
The proposals named were accepted, and
the pavements are now finished or in pro-
gress. The prices are considerably de-
creased below the low prices Of the previ-
Gus year.
No stone pavements were laid; It is be-
lieved there will be no further need of new
present ones require replacing or extensive
repairs, asphalt block or brick can be ad-
vantageously substituted. The crushed
granite asphalt block furnished during the
year appear to be excellent and to make a
fairly durable. smooth pavement
In laying sidewalks on wide residential
streets, the tree space Is now generally
made continuous, instead of leaving open
only small rectangular spaces at the curb
trees This change Is economical and aids
a better growth of the trees,
White flint rock, which Is found In the
northwestern part OF the county, was
much more extensively used as a covering
on county roads than heretofore. The flint
is not so dusty in summer nor muddy In
winter as other available broken-stone
coverings.
The county roads and unpaved suburban
streets are now about three hundred miles
in length All repairs on these highways.
including cleaning cutters, repairing cul-
verts and sprinkling, are paid from the
appropriation for repairs of county roads.
The amount has been inadequate to keep
the highways in first-claSs condition.
PLAN Of Extension Of Highways.
Plans Of the first section have been ap-
proved by the Commissioners. and trans
cribed for record upon thirty-six large
scale plates, twenty by thirtysix inches in
size and embodying the data required by
the highway act.
Plans for the other sections have been
completed in part. These of the first sec
ton now await a report upon them by
Frederick Law Olmstead, landscape archi-
tect whose services for that purpose were
engaged in compliance with require
ment in the last District appropriation
act. Mr.. Olmstead has also been invited
to prepare original sketch plans deviat-
ing from the Washington street plan for
the rough tssxitory west of Rock creek.
The first Section comprises the north
west part q the county, east of Rock
creek and the Rock Creek parks. Sixteenth
street, North Capitol street and Rhode Is
land avenue are extended without change
of direction or north. Other avenues and
meridianal streets of the city, as they
would fall in this section on direct extern
sons have been changed more or less
In parts Of the territory contiguous to the
Rock Creek parks curved streets or short
diagonal ones have been laid down, but
on the whole the plan conforms to the
street plan of Washington as nearly as
deemed advisable and, practicable; other
requirements of the law have been care
fully followed. ~ &c
Prominent features of the plan are the
provision for q wide parkway along the
Piney Branch and Spring road, from the
National Park to the Soldiers Home. and
an extension of THIS parkway 10y an avenue
of 100 feet width from the Soldiers Home
to proposed park along the upper part
of the Eastern branch. Another wide
avenue passing to, the north OF the Home
will connect the upper part OF the National
Park with the PROPOSED Anacostia Park.
The street plans fureher contemplate the
establishment of ya3lpafk inclosing Rock
creek from the geological Park down
stream to Oak HiH cemetery on the, right
bank and to the -prolopgatlon Of 18th
street to near Lyons Mill on the left bank.
The Commissioners have In view to
recommend. when the revenues appear to
justify the measure. a widening to 10 feet
of 18th street and its prolongAtion to the
second crossing of Its line of Rock creek.
together with a certain Improvement of
Rock creek below Lyons Mil. Virginia
avenue and 25th street, In connection with
the Piney Branch and Spring road park
way and East Capitol street, and prefer
ably with a return to the L'Enfant plan of
the Mall, Will furnish a complete circuit of
wide driveways connecting the grand parks
of the District.
Conduits and Overhead Wires.
There was no noticeable extension Of
conduits for electric wires during the ye ,r,
the companies doing much work in the way
Of replacing old poles with new, stronger
a ID longer poles. and substituting copper
fer iron wires, and generally in making
their overhead lines more permanent. Troll
ley wires and electric lighting wires are
the dangerous ones; the former are coz
trolled by existing law and the latter In
part. In addition, 1t Is desirable that the
police powers of the Commissioners should
be extended to give them authority 20 re-
quire the companies to unite their lines on
one set of poles and to place the poles in
alleys, where practicable, and otherwise
fully control the maintenance and erection
of the poles for wires allowed by law. Such
regulation would result in diminishing the
obstruction of streets by poles and wires.
Grade CROSSINGS of Steam Railroads.
So far as known, no action was taken by
any of the steam railroads in the District
toward changing the elevation of its tracks
from that of the street or road crossing.
Notwithstanding precautions of fences,
gates, watchmen or signals, accidents con-
tinue to occur, by which persons travelling
on the public highways are mangled to
death by passing trains.
The stoppage by trains of street traffic is
a matter of serious Inconvenience and loss
to the public
The Commissioners recommend the enact
lnent of a law compelling steam railway
companies to change their track crossings
from grade levels. in Washington within
two and half years, and in the county
within five years. upon plans subject to the
approval of the Commissioners.
Sixteenth Street Complication.
new complication has arisen in regard
to 10th street extended. 1t Is stated that
Mr. Burr, who is one of the original own.
ers of the land abutting upon Meridian
street between Prospect and Crescent. has