The times., 1899-12-06
THE DISTRICT ENGINEER.
Water Meters for Private Houses
Strongly Urged.


during the fiscal year Vitrlfed block was
used mainly for the alleys, a few, however,
being paved with asphalt block Fifty-four
thousand eight hundred and eighteen ana
seventy-foUr one -hundredths square yards
OF the new sheet asphalt were laid. which
makes the total area OF asphalt and coal
tar in the District 2.667.8 851 square yards,
with q street mileage of 117.67
Twenty-One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-five and five e-hundredths square
Yards of asphalt block were laid making
the total yaTdage @59 7gS The number OF
miles of this pavement in the city now
amounts 10 15.GS
FCrty-oHe thousand seven hundred ana
ihirty-three and seventy three One-hun-
5redths square yards OF old pavement were
resuTfaced, all rcsurfacing having been
with sheet asphalt. and the work having
bean confined almost entirely to the old
coal tar or coaI-Jar distillate pavements
The objection throughout the city to the
granite block pavement is apparently
greater han ever before, and the Office
is constantly in receipt of petitions and
individual requests to have such pavement
removed from streets upon which il now
exists ana the streets provided with a
smoother and less noisy pavement. Con-
Eress has recognized the objections to the
various streets adjacent to Government
buildings. The anuOyances and disadvan-
tsges TO the people occupying stores and
buildings adjacent TO this class of pave
ment are great. and the money loss Is
larger than it was to the Government or
its employees along those streets adjacent
to Government buildings from which the
block has been removed.
The amount Of cement sidewalks laid
E1.-
yards the PRICES cents a square yard
was so favorable Tor doing this work that
many citizens avaiied themselves of the
opportunity 10 have walks constructed in
front OF their promises. Most of the brick
walks throughout the city are in a lament
ably poor condition and it is doubtful if
there are many cities ia the country Of
the size of Washington which are not
better provided than the Capital City in
this respect. The work of replacing these
bad walks has progressed as rapidly as
possible, with the amount OF money avail
able for the purpose. and the demand for
new walks in the various sections Of the
city was so great that the Office was unable
10 do as much toward replacing these cd
walks as IL desired, they being replaced,
as a rule only IL cases where the work
was especially requested by the property
owners.
~Afttt NaN
The year has marked 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 Iines-namely the
Anacostia and Potomac River Rail
read Company, the Belt Railway
Company. the Brighrwood Railway
Company. the Capital Railway Company.
ing,on and Soldiers Home Railway Com
pany, the Georgetown and Tenleytown Rail
way Company, The Maryland and Wash
iug30n Railway Company, the Metropolitan
Railway Company, the Washington Wood
side and Forest Glen Railway Company. the
Washington and Rockville Railway Com
.p2ny. Washington and Glen Echo Railroad
Conparv. aad ne Washington and Great
Falls Electric Railway Compauy-have been
consolidated under one management. termed
the Washington Traction and Electric Com
pany. Free transfers are given at all con
Meeting points of these various lines ex-
cepL at such places where The issue Of trans
fers would make possible a perpetual ride
for one fare. Although under one manage
meut it is understood that the orgauiza-
tiou Of each company is preserved. the same
set Of officers serving for au.
During the year The cid lexington and
Soldiers Home Railway now the City and
suburban has been equipped win a nod
CTn underground electric system in the city
and overhead trolley outside of the city
limits: tine Columbia Railway, which was
operated by cable. has been changed 10
underground electric within the city and
extended III the county to Deanwood by
The double overhead trolley system. con
Meeting there with u road running 10
Chesapeake Bay. Permits have also Leen
taken out for the reconstruction of the
Anacostia, Belt. Great Falls, BriEhtwOod.
and TeuleytoWn lines, and work there
under is being pushed as fast rs practica-
BILE although il is understood that con
siderable delay has been caused by the
difficulty in securing steel rails and other
constr tructiOu material. The work Of re-
construction. as far Is carried out has
been done in a most thorough manner.
on the streets S-inch grOOved rails have
been ased it having been found BIZ ex-
perience that rails Of this depth give much
greater stiffness and consequent less dis
rUTbance of the paving. requiring less re-
pairs 10 the roadbed, a matter which be-
comes Of great economic Importance where
the streets are provided with an cxpen-
siye pavement. On streets provided with
sheet asphalt pavement the companies have
laid either vitritiod or -scOria block imme-
distelv adjacent to the rails, a double Tow
being laid longitudinally outside 0f the
rails and single row longitudinaIly inside
Of each rail This construction has given
much better results than the former
method Of laying the asphalt up to the
rails.
The construction adopted by the CON
soidated companies upon all roads where
the lines have been reconstructed pro-
vides for a metallic return of the electric
current The system used within the city
is Identical with that previously in use on
fhe Metropolitan and Capital Traction
lines. and where the roads are operated
outside Of the city by the overhead trolley
the cars have been provided with a double
trolley. the return wire being similar in
situation and capacity TO the feed wires.
Most of the recent charters granted by
Congress which have permitted the trolley
10 be used have required the double troll
Icy with feed wires and return wires sit
Uatel as above indicated, and with the fur
ther proviso that no pole of any dynamo
furnishing power 10 the road shall be in
any manner connected with the earth.
Building Inspection.
Owing to the greater amount OF building
i'm the suburban districts than formerly it
requires a greater length OF time for the
inspector 10 make a given number OF ex-
an.inations. One assistant is required to
devote his time entirely TO elevators, and |