Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-21
COL. BINGHAM'S WORK
Years Improvements of the Public
Grounds.
REPAIRS TO TIE WHITE HOUSE
Needs of the Department Pointed
Out.
ESTIMATES FOR NEXT YEAR

lie eieCtTic llSht ana power cables
placed in the concrete tunnel constructed
last year and their carrying capacity in
creased. An additional line Of lo-inch cast
iron pipe, 1915 feet in length, placed in the
tunnel to drain north area way and the
large fountain basin at north front
"A new lead-covered cable $50 feet in
length for the automatic telephone service
between Executive Mansion and State, War
and Navy departments building run in tn,
conduit between those buildings. New
sashes with plate glass put in windows of
three rooms. The blue parlor redecorated
and refurnished. Walls of library repa-
pered, ceiling frescoed and furniture re-
upholstered and recovered. Two bed cham
bers repapered and one bed chamber and
two bath rooms reprinted. New plumbing
fixtures placed in one bath room. Corridor
on second floor repainted and repapered
and a new carpet laid
Woodwork in thirteen rooms in base
ment reprinted. A silver polishing appa-
ratus with electric motor placed in engine
room. Cabinet room repainted and one
office room repapered. Much miscellaneous
painting done. New carpets laid in three
rooms and new straw mating In two
rooms. New window draperies placed in
five rooms, new lace curtains I'm one room
and new loose covers on furniture in four
rooms. The interior and exterior of the
conservatory reprinted. Extensive repairs
and Improvements made in the stable Of
the mansion.
Washington Monument.
New tap wires run from main wire to
the electric lamps from bottom floor to
$50 foot landing. New telephones placed
| in elevator car, engine room, boiler house
and lodge house.
Public Grounds.
"a roadway $50 feet long and 30 feet
wide opened on east side of nursery grounds
on line of 18th street, and a piece OF ground
$50 feet long and 50 feet wide In southeast
part of the grounds graded. The ground
added to the area of the nursery On the
west side during the previous fiscal year
irclosed with poSt-and-wire fence, and an
| earth embankment built along west houn-
dairy line; 12,2oo loads of materials for fiIl-
ing low portions of those grounds received
without expense to United States.
In " propa eating gardens 10000 bed
ding leants propagated for planting out in
the public parks. Twenty-one unimproved
parklets. containing IS acres. brought to
their first stage of Improvement, one of
them having been prepared a play
ground, six Enclosed with iron post and
chain fences and a fountain constructed In
one. A new walk constructed OH west side
of Farragut Park as an entrance into GEN.
ter of park from 18th street. bride path
about mile long for equestrians only con-
structed around Presidents Park and one
| about same length constructed in the monu-
ment grounds. A new entrance from 18th
street to roadway in southeast part mon
trance into grounds of Agricultural grounds
and old entrance closed. Asphalt pave
| ments in the parks extended by 9S1 square
yards of roadway and 2, 135 square yards of
footwalk; 312 square yards of asphalt road
way and 574 square yards of asphalt foot
walk repaired and resurfaced.
"Ninety-eight feet of cobble stone gutter
constructed and 800 feet of drain pipe laid
Marking stones placed at the corners of
five of the unimproved parklets Eighty
young trees and 1,153 young Towering
shrubs planted. A fence 62o feet long of
cedar posts and wire constructed along the
south and west boundary lines of the COM
post and storage grounds. Thirty-eight Sec
lions of high iron fence, the fence on east
| west and south sides of Executive Mansion
grounds, 1,63S posts and chains, 351 posts
| and bars in fences around reservations 66
lamp posts and lamps, some of the flower
vases and seven watchmens lodges painted
Gas radiators placed In twelve watchmen's
lodges to replace coal stoves formerly used.
Ten hundred and thirty-two feet of addi-
tional water pipe laid. Brick manholes
with iron covers built around tine three
shut-off valves on Capitol Spring pipe line
north of V street, and marks in low ground
showing location of pipe raised to grade.
THE iron fountain in Mount Vernon
square taken down and regretted in reser-
walton a. Four hundred and forty-tiree
applications for permits beyond the building
line investigated and reported upon.
The terrace buttresses and steps belong
Ing to the pedestal of the statue of Gen.
the pedestal of the statue of Gen. Albert
Pike constructed by the sculptor The
foundation for the monument to Samuel
Hahnemann constructed by this Office and
the monument erected by the monument
committee of the Society of American
Homeopathfsts.
"A fence erected in front of the street
portion of the United States wharf property
lying between the arsenal grounds and n
street south. An addition built to the
stable Of public buildings and grounds.
1T is earnestly hoped that the system of
lighting the public grounds by electricity
will be extended to the Smithsonian
grounds and to the various improved parks
throughout the city.
Statues in Public Grounds.
There are nineteen statues in the ma
uonal public grounds under charge of this
office, as follows: Daguerre, General Han
cock (equestrian), General Scott (eques-
trtan), Admiral Dupont (standing), Profess
scr Henry (standing), General Thomas
(equestrian), Admiral Farragut (standing),
President Jackson Equestrian, President
Washington (equestran), President Gar
field (standing), General Lafayette (stand-
ing), Mr.. Webster tstandingl, General
Green (equestrian), President Lincoln e.
Standing), DR.. Gross (standing), General
Mcpherson (equestrian), DIR. Hahnemann
(sitting), General Rawlins (standing). Three
statues are under construction, namely:
General Sherman (equestrian), General Lo-
gan (equestrian). Albert Pike (standng).
Some of these statues have no inscrip-
ton, as, for instance, Hancock, Lafayette
and others. 1t Is thought 1t would be ad-
visable to have simple Inscriptions placed
on all statues now unmarked. and a small
estimate Of 500 is made for this purpose.
THE lincoln statue in front of the city
hall is in a precarious condition and liable
to be blown over in a high wind. The level
of the soil around 1t has ben lowered since
1t was built. 1t should all be taken down, a
solid foundation provided and the shaft and
statue be regretted. An estimate of 5000 is
made for this work. If done the site can be
slightly changed to good advantage and
this Is recommended.
Needs of the Department.
1.-The work of this department has now