Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-08
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
Colonel Wilson's Report of Work on Them
During the Month Of May.
Serious Damage Done by the Three
Violent Gales to the Trees
and Shrubbery.

Col. John NJ. Wilson has made a report
to the chief of engineers of operations on
public buildings and grounds during the
month of May. He says that the White
House has been put in shape for the sum-
mer season. All the carpets have been
taken up and the draperies removed and
stored. New mating has been purchased
to replace the old and worn mating in the
east room and main corridor. Some addi-
tions have been made to the china which
Is used on occasions of state ceremonies.
The Washington monument has been
maintained in good condition, but Col Will
son says that in spite of the efforts OF the
few men on duty there, vandals have been
Pgain a work, and the Vermont tablet has
been defaced by breaking off a piece of the
carving. The entire iron and woodwork of
the interior of the shaft has been repaint-
ed. There were Il ,Gt5 visitors to the top
of the monument during the past month,
OF which $500 made the ascent by the ele-
vator and 2, 7.S by the stairway, making a
total of ,2::-I, II3 who have visited the top
since the monument was opened to the
public, October o, 1855.
Damage to the Trees.
Three violent gales during the last ten
days of May proved very disastrous to the
trees and shrubbery in the White House
grounds and the various parks in other
parts of the city. The fine old trees in the
Presidents grounds suffered severely. Two
were uprooted and six more were so badly
broken that they will have to be removed
at an early day. The worst damage was
done TO the soft NAPLES and American ash.
"A silver poplar eighteen inches in diane
ter, one OF the largest trees in the grounds
was uDrOoted, tearing up about 80 square
feet OF the lawn and at least two tons of
earth Some of the soft NAPLES had their
crowns so badly injured that they must be
topped off next winter to bring them into
shape About ninety carloads of wood and
brush were removed from the Presidents
grounds alone after the May storms.
Considerable damage was done to the
fine trees in the Smithsonian grounds and
Lincoln. Lafayette and Franklin parks and
some time will be required to restore their
beauty The storms also did much damag e
TO the green houses at the propagating gar
dens near the bureau of engraving and
printing
The propagation of different varieties of
tropical, subtropical and bedding plants
was continued during the month. Nearly
twenty-four hundred Towering plants were
placed in the nursery grounds for stock
and summer bloom, and 111.0.O plants were
sent to the various parks for decorative
purposes.
The Public Grounds.
Col Wilson reports that the usual care
has been bestowed upon the large and val
liable collection of tropical and other
plants in the conservatory and green
houses al the Executive Mansion and that
every effort has been made to maintain all
the public parks in good order. Lawns
have been moved, roads repaired, cutters
and traps cleaned, flower beds spaded. en-
riched and planted, and the various foun-
tain basins have been decorated with
aquatic plants The planting of flower beds
In the monument grounds has been COM
menced, and seven flower beds have been
completed, three in the Smithsonian
grounds and four in Henry Park.
The PEDESTAL fer the statue of DR.. Samuel
d. Gross, for which an appropriation of
Sl.:f1 was made by Congress, was COM
plete'. during the past month, and a con-
tract was made for erecting iron fence,
thirty leet square and six feet high, around
the monument at Wakefield, Va, the birth
place of Washington.
N accordance with law, the ellipse and
portion. of the park in its vicinity, Col
W liScn says, will be turned to the
committee of the Christian Endeavor So
Getty during the latter part of this mont tn
for the erection Of tents, etc, for use dur
In the meetings of the convention early in
July.