Evening star., 1898-12-05

have such large traffic over them that
macadam seems to be Insufficient to stand
the wear 20 which the road is subjected.
It is recommended that the policy be in
augurated by Congress OF taking granite
blocks from the streets within the city and
placing them upon the county roads The
roadway of these highways need not be
over 80 feet wide. and if the granite block
were used to pave the two outside thirds
of the roadway-that is, a 10-foot strip on
each side-it is believed that this portion or
the road would be practically removed from
the cost of maintenance. 10-foot strip
of asphalt or asphalt block laid down the
middle third of the road would give
smooth driveway, and the cost of main
tanning this third would he no greater per
square yard than the cost of maintaining
the same amount of maJadan roadway
The cost of the construction of a roadway
of this nature is estimated to be 81 per
linear foot, and the cost of sprnkling
would also be saved. Take the Bladens-
burg road, for example: The cost of re-
pairs has been So cents per square yard.
and the cost of sprinkling . cents per
square yard. If the roadway were con-
structed in the manner described, the cost
of repairs would be nothing for five years,
after which it would be about 80 cents per
square yard per year: or. reducing it to a
total for the road, the cost Of repairs may
be estimated to amount to Sl,412.So per
year: sprfnkling, $90S per year: total
81 $50 50 per year: while the cost of main
tenance under the construction proposed
after the guarantee period of five years
expired would probably be about s4S4.27
per year.
The organic act providing for the present
form of government of the District of Co.
lumbia states that all work costing over
$1,000 shall be dore by contract. and it
has been the Interpretation of the office
that the macadamiZing of streets or county
roads, if the cost of doing the work exceed
ed that amount, must be done by contract
instead of by hired labor. The result has
been far from satisfactory. None of the
contractors who have done work for the
District in recent years upon the county
roads has possessed a road roller, SO that
the roads as constructed by them have
lacked proper degree of compaction for
best construction. Furthermore, work done
under contract requires under the law a
five-year guarantee from the contractor,
it being impossible during the guarantee
period for the District to spend any money
for repairs. The proper maintenance of
macadamized road is matter of const ant
attention and repair. This 1t has been
found impossible to obtain from the con-
tractors. with the result that the roads
frequently get in bad condition before the
contractor can be brought to do anything
upon them, and sometimes IS it is impossible
10 secure the results desired. the amount
retained under the contract being INSULT
cient to do the work. Connecticut avenue
extended is a notable example of this.
Owing to these circumstances the policy
has been inaugurated by the office during
the past year of doing the grading and
purchasing the material under contract,
the stone being laid by District employees
and compacted by the District road roller.
Much better results have been secured in
this manner, and as the cost of labor sell
dom runs to thousand dollars, even upon
the larger works, it is believed that the law
is fully carried out. This feature is re-
ferred to in the report of Mr.. C. L. Hunt,
computing engineer.
The appropriation for the ordinary con-
struction and repairs of bridges has been
for the past year and is for the coming
year $4,000, which is too small to serve the
purposes for which it is intended.
The Navy Yard bridge is entirely made
quate to properly serve the travel which is
required to pass over it, 1t should be re-
placed at early date by modern
structure Estimates for this work have
years. but so far no results have been OBJ
tanned.
Street Railways. -r-..
The Brown underground electric system
upon the Capital Railway Company's line
11th and NJ streets southeast is still in
an experimental stage. the company hay
ing changed the details of the contact
boxes but the last form adopted has been
50 recently introduced that its permanency
is not assured.
Congress has authorized the reorganiza-
ton of the lexington and Soldiers Home
Railway Company and certain of its con-
Meeting lines, with the proviso that the por-
ton I'm the city shall be converted into an
underground system similar to that in use
on the Metropolitan railroad, 1t is hoped
that this work will be promptly commenced
the section of the city which depends
upon this line for transit facilities is now
suffering greatly for proper means of con-
Veyance to and from the center of the city
The power house which operated the ca
bic of the Pennsylvania avenue and 14th
street lines of the Capital Traction Com
pany was destroyed by fire September 90
1897, and advantage was taken of this mis-
fortune TO change the method of propul-
sion from cable to underground electric
similar TO the system in Use on the Metro
pOiitan railroad. Horses were used TO draw
the cars during the period of changing the
conduits to conform to the new system.
After this work was done the 9TH street ca
BILE line; which was operated from another
power house was changed to the under
ground electric system without interfering
with the operation of the cars. no tempor-
airy tracks whatever being used while the
change was being made.
Sewers.
The details of work done by the sewer de-
partment are shown in the report of the
superintendent of sewers Mr. D. E. Me
Comb
Good progress has been made on the Tiber
creek and New Jersey avenue intercepting
sewer, and appropriations have been made
by Congress which fully enable the Com
missioners to make contract for building
this sewer to the point where it will inter
cept the present Tiber creek sewer. APP
preparation has also been made for prepar-
ing plans for the pumping station, and it is
hoped that rapid progress can hencefor-
ward be made on the sewage-dsposaI sys-
TEN. The necessity for the early compile
ton of this system has been fully told in
former reports that it is believed unneces-
sary to repeat here the statements there
made.
The question of doing away with the
James Creek canal has been agitated by
the citizens of Southeast Washington. This
IS measure which should be carried out
at the earliest possible moment. The only
economical way Of doing it, however is
believed to be in the prompt execution of
the sewage disposal works. Any other
method of attempted relief would be only
temporary and would be unnecessary if the
sewage disposal system is to be completed.
An estimate has been made of the cost of
constructing so much of the sewage dis
posal system will permit of the abolish
ment of this canal, which estimate is up-
pended hereto.
The recommendation is again made that
authority be secured, If possible. in cases
where work is done under the continuous
contract system, TO accept bond from the
contractor equal to each seasons work