The times., 1898-09-18
The Annual Reportof Comput-
ing Engineer Hunt.
RECORD OF THE WORK DONE
President of the Eastern Dispensary
That the Institution Is i'm Need of
Financial Assistance - Other Mu-
nfcipaI Items of Current Interest

erations OF his office during the nscal
year ending June 80 last.
The report reviews the work done in re-
pairing various streets, and is also ac-i
companied by the annual reports of
George II. Bailey, engineer of bridges.
and H. NJ. Moss, superintendent of
streets.
The report of Mr. Hunt is in part as
follows:
''The appropriation for repairs to
streets avenues and alleys was 10000, as
in former years. A departure from for
mer practice in its expenditure was in
augurated by the Improvement of a num-
Der of roadways by resurfacing with
macadam and gravel under the constant
service of a steam roller.
las an incident 10 the expenditure by
contract of the bulk of the appropriation
for Improvement and repairs repairs to
concrete paVements and construction of
county roads, and on account of other APP
preparations not under the control of the
surface division, there were executed
miscellaneous items of work by day labor
during the year amounting TO SIG, 1880
"A roadway improved with macadam
or gravel is found in a short time again
pressing for place on the list of streets
to be paved. Once paved with proper
regard 10 its requirements, it is elimi-
mated from future similar consideration.
The graveling and macadamiZing of any
roadways can promptly and properly be
provided for at comparatively moderate
cost from the repair appropriation should
the policy be encouraged of thus repair
ing roadway where new curb and side
walks have been provided under the as
sessment system. The advantage of this
is double, in that property owners are en-
couraged by the offer of road repairs TO
make free use of the assessment system
in localities that might otherwise hesi-
tate to seek Improvement involving as
sessment; while the road Improvement is
always an advantage, often necessity,
in the protection of the new curb and
sidewalk work.
''It has been in every way advantage
Gus in the construction of gravel and ma
cadam roadways to execute the work by
day labor. This practice has been follow
ed as far as possible. A requirement of
the organic act provides for a five-year
guarantee on all new work done by con-
tract, and during that time no public
funds can be expended on the street. The
practical fact is that the necessary re-
pairs 10 such a roadway are frequently
such as are due to causes such as Will
not permit the contractor TO be called
n.
results from the purchase and delivery of
the material by contract, and its con-
struction into a roadbed by day labor,
and this course is the one now followed
1.-THE fact that the District owns the
steam rollers proper for such work, while
local contractors do not, is a further adj
vantage of this method.
"The designation of six by twenty-inch
curb as standard and of eight by
eight-inch as special" has been elimt-
mated from the past years specifications
The eight by eight-inch curb is yearly in
creasing it's advantage over others. Eff
forts to construct artificial curb have
not led to results that would indicate
that it offers advantages of economy or
otherwise over equivalent construction OF
the standard granite types. The use Of
vitrified block in the cutters Of asphalt
roadways to a uniform width of about
twenty-six inches, without toothing into
the asphalt, is now the approved con-
struction in surface work. Such con-
struction may be omitted on steep grades,
but the economy is trifling.
"In connection with the circumstances
that in this years list of sheet roadways
has been included, for the first time,
about 10000 square yards heretofore laid
by private individuals in the development
or SUBURBAN ptOptTliSS, ilit AeNb - At-
called and emphasized that sheet
roadway must have d certain amount of
travel to prevent rapid deterioration.
The lack of this is evidenced in several
of these but-little-used streets.
mo new granite-block pavements are
now laid and no vitrified-block roadways
were laid during the past year.
THE extent of cement sidewalk work
done during the past year exceeded all
former experience, due largely to the un-
precedentedly low price bid for such
work, which approximated the cost OF
| brick walks. In consequence, but little of
| the latter was laid.
I'm paving alleys the materials used
during the past year, as in other recent
years, has been vitrified and asphalt
block An innovation in the vitrified-
| block pavements has been the introduc-
ton at intervals of about sixty feet in the
length of the alley pavement of expan-
sion joints, filled with asphaltic cement,
in order that temperature changes may
be taken up at those points.
The Bridge Report.
From the report of the superintendent
of bridges it appears that the following
expenditures were made under the ap-
preparation for the ordinary care OF
| bridges: