Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-05

miles of this pavement in the city now
amounts to 1865.
''Forty-one thousand seven hundred and
thirty-three and seventy-three one-hun-
dredths square yards Of old paVements
been with sheet asphalt and the work haV-
ing been confined almost entirely TO the
OLD coal tar or coal-tar distillate pave
merts.
The prices paid for pavements during
the year were: Sheet asphalt. $l.I6 per
square yard, asphalt block. H.1I per square
yard For the coming year the prices will
be: Sheet asphalt, S1.IS and 81. 50 per square
yard: asphalt block. $iTT per square yard"
The Commissioners here introduce an eN-
tract from history of paNements laid in
the District, as prepared by MIR George
II. Bailey. who was formerly in charge of
the street department.
Objections to Granite Block.
The objection throughout the city to the
granite-block pavement is apparently
greater than ever. and the office is con-
stantly in receipt of petitions and individual
requests to have such pavement removed
from streets upon which it now exists and
the streets provided with smoother and
less noisy pavement. Congress has recog-
ntzed the objections to The Sranite-block
pavement by causing its removal from Vari-
Gus streets adjacent TO government build
tnss. The annoyance ana disadvantages
to the people occupying stores 8nG build
ings adjacent to this class Of pavement are
great, and the money loss is larger than il
was to the government or its employees
along those streets adjacent to government
buildings from which the block has been
removed. 1t Is hoped that Congress hav-
ing recognized the claims of the govern
ment for relief in this respect, will , OF he
less slow to see that equal justice demands
that the property owner be relieved from
the same condition of affairs at early a
date possible
The use of brick cutters for sheet asphalt
pavements has been continued and the eX-
perience of the office leads to the conclusion
that this form of construction s. eCidedly
better than laying asphalt 10 the curb.
The first cutters of this material were laid
with the brick tCothed into the asphalt.
This practice, however, was discontinued,
and the cutters have been laid since with
continuous joints. The latter construction
has been found to be much better than the
toothed method, as it has been demonstrat-
ed by several years experience that it is
impossible to sufficiently compact the as
phalt between tie teeth to prevent water
entering, thus producing cary decay or
breaking up Of the asphalt With contin-
uous joints 1t is possible to run the roller
up to and along the very edge of the brick
producing as much compaction al this point
as on other portions of the street. II has
been observed in the cases OF cutters of the
two classes laid about the same time that
in the toothed gutter the asphalt between
the teeth and immedia tely adjacent thereto
is, in number of instances, already be-
ginning to show signs of breaking up,
While the asphalt adjacent to the contin-
pous-joint gutter is apparently as good as
ever.
Cement Sidewalks.
THE amount of cement sidewalks laid
during the fiscal year was 57,53S square
yards The price-9S cents a square yard
was so favorable for doing this work that
many citizens awaited themselves of the
opportunity to have walks constructed in
front of their premises. Most of the brick
walks throughout the city are in A lament
ably poor condition, and it is doubtful If
there are many cities in the country of the
size of Washington which are not better
provided than the capital city in this re
spect. The work of replacing these had
walks has progressed as rapidly as possible
with the amount of money available for
the purpose, and the demand for new walks
In the various sections of the city was so
great that the office was unable to do as
much toward replacing these old walks as
1t desired, they being replaced, as a rule
only in cases where the work was especial
ly requested by the property owners.
Several instances have occurred during
the year where cement walks have failed
along the joints, due to expansion. This
has occurred only in the longer walks and
means will be taken by inserting expansion
joints to avoid this trouble in the future.
No instance occurred of walks having been
thrown by frost although during the mast
winter Washington experienced the coolest
weather known in the city since the estab-
lishment Of the, weather bureau, if not the
coolest that has ever visited the District
of Columbia.
Gives Good Results.
1T has been. found that the policy adop:-
ed by the office concerning permits for side
walks to be laid by parties other than the
District has given most excellent results
Formerly nfiVafa ed
to lay walks in the street whenever they
SO desired. This resulted in many walks not
being laid at proper grade, and where the
walk was of brick it was frequently laid
rnevenly and of material Of inferior quail
ity; or. if of cement, the work would be so
poorly done that the walk would begin to
break up or become uneven within a year
or two and frequently within less time. The
policy was therefore adopted, of requiring
permit for every such construction by
private parties. If the walk was to be of
cement the permit required that it should
be laid in accordance with District speci-
ffcations for this class of construction, and
the party desiring the work done was re-
quired to deposit an amount sufficient 20
pay the cost of a District inspector upon
the work at the rate of 81 per day. If the
walk was of brick, the party taking out
the permit was required to deposit an
amount sufficient to relay the brick in case
it was not laid with a sufficiently good
surface and at proper grade. These re-
ship to the property owners, in view of the
very low contract price at which the Dis
trict can lay the Walks-one-half of which
is paid by the District-so that the only
way the property owner can save money
by. laying the walks himself is by putting
down an inferior grade, which is the very
thing the office is trying to avoid. Owing
TO the manner in which the work is now
managed by the office. the only case in
which the property owner desires to do the
work himself is where some emergency
arises and he does not feel willing TO wait
until his turn arrives for the District 10
build his walk for him.
Street Railways.
THE year has marked a new era in the
street railway history of the District. All
the street railway lines in the District Of
Columbia except the Capital Traction and
Mount Vernon lines-viZ., the Ana .ostia
and Potomac River Railroad Company, the
Belt Company. the Brightwood Railway
Company, the Capital Railway Company,
the Columbia Railway Company, the Eek
ington ana Scilers' Home Hallway c. IN
pany, the Georgetown and Tennallytown !
Railway Company, the Maryland and
WaShingtOn Railway COMPANY, the Metro