The evening times., 1901-08-15
AFFAIRS OF The DISTRICT.
Annual Report of the Superinten-
dent of Bridges Received

An Appropriation Of 100000 Ask
ed for the Connecticut Avenue
| Structure-Work OF Repair Carried
on During the Past Fiscal Year.
W J. Douglas. Superintendent Of
| Bridges. today transmitted TO the Com
/ missi1UsJs report OF the operations of
! his Office for the fiscal year ended June
| 80. 1901. lie states that the expenditures
/ of the work OF his Office were &,JE-
S}St4ag for salaries, S32N2 for coal and oil
contingencies, and $lIS.76 for paint, Ieav-
ing "a balance Of $4o3 Of the appropria-
| tion of $1,000 Concerning the po-
| ucing Of the bridges Mr. Douglas says:
Keepers were stationed at the Aque-
duct Bridge over the Potomac. and the
Pennsylvania Avenue and Navy Yard
bridges over the Eastern Branch At the
| Iast-uamed structure the operation OF the
! draw requires a keeper and helper, and
a: the other two the demands of the pub
lie convenience Justify their retention
These men are special police officers, and,
in addition to caring for the cleanliness
and safety OF the structures, they en-
force public order and have frequently
made arrests and secured conviction in
cases OF violation OF law
THE regular repairs cons .sted Of paint
1 ing the iron work, removal OF floors and
( such minor repairs as were from time to
time required The structures are IN good
condition, requiring only such repairs as
are due to their regular and continued
use. An exception from this statement
should be made IN the case OF the Navy
Yard Cor Anacostia) Bridge, which has
been considered structurally weak, and
Z
cars of the Auacostia Railway Company,
particularly so. The electric cars which
now cross the bridge weigh when empty
between seven and ten tons. and when
loaded with people this load reaches
maximum Of seventeen tons. The bridge
was not designed to carry such a heavy
load. In addition the draw is archaic. the
/ bridge unsightly, much too narrow ,the
entire width OF the roadway being taken
up with car tracks,. and totally made
Quate TO meet the demands OF public
| travel, in consequence OF which / have
/ the honor to recommend that II be re-
placed with a modern structure Of ample
/ width Its condition Is nOtOriOusIy bad
and worthy OF serious consideration.
! The principal item Of expenditure un-
/ der the appropriation for construction
and repairs Of bridges. Is for the con-
Structiou Of a concrete arch bridge over
I =
Road The contract price for this bridge
/ Is S3,f6l.Jo, S3Z2S.20 Of which viii be paid
/ from this appropriation consuming the
entire balance The new bridge which Will
consist of concrete throughout was de-
signed by this office. assisted by MT
/ Glenn Brown. architect. 1t has a span OF
twehtE-four feet, and a rise Of nine feet.
MS bridge Is now under construction
The other wOrk-Of considerable maEni-
! tudt-uuder this appropriation consisted
/ OF laying OF new floors on bridges No. 30
lf lTGIuuEfi ETTEGFl F.g
I AEeuuel. and the purchase Of lumber for
bEldEt No - tAnacOStlal amounting to-
Eether 60 $b.ay6.7.. The sum Of S3I65 .26
was expended from the ems rgenCy ap-
| preparation for the repair of certain roads
ana bridges damaged by the storm of
! June 2. 1900 I'm the reconstruction of "a
! bridge over Blney Branch on the line of
Rock Creek Drive The bridge destroyed
hy the storm was Of Culvert construction.
having "a span Of ten feet The plans for
lLt new bridge were prepared by the Me
Ian Arch Construction COmUauV Of New
York, under the direction Of this office II
consists Of e. nve-cCntred arch, having a
span OF tWenty-four feet, and a rise Of
Z nlne feet II Is constructed Of concrete
eueaslng, nine hve-inch steel lI'' beams
The entire bridge is faced with second
! class masonry Of q good description. The
waterway is double that of the old bridge
:" nd al foundations are carried 10 rock
The sum Of 2.200 was appropriated
RoclS Crcet dn ion 40, ,ir 25 bridge iS
Road iu the Geological Park to b. built
unler lne AIFtCuOn OF tue Eubiilttl ~Dl-l
'fHe' 'Oid bridge was constructed OF tim
Der ana iron and was in a very unsafe
condition. The plans for the new bridge
were prepared by she ---lan Arch Con-
strucuon Company. UnOeT the direction Of
thlS Office Il consists Cf a single 7-cen-
trea arch Of 50 feet span and j feet rise.
ana has an effective discharge area Of
loo square feet II is CONSTRUCTED Of con
crete throughout with a cement mortar
face. The arch encases ten steel latticed
EiTders. The bridge had Laen completed
excepting the construction OF the side
walks and the grading Of the creek The
present balance is S775Gg
Concrete steel was used i'm these two
bridges in preference 10 steel OF stone
as IL is thought that il con- hines the beau
ty and permaueucy O. the stone arch
with a cost not more than ~ per cent
cost OF maintenance Of which is factor
Of great moment
The sum Of $4,000 was appropriated to-
ward the construction of bridge across
Rock Greek on the line Of Connecticut
Avenue extended The work is now under
construction.
The sum Of $4,000 was appropriated for
continuing the construction Of a bridge
across Rock Creek on the line OF Massa-
ChuScttS Avenue extended, provided the
necessary land, the title OF which was
not possessed by thc District The strip |
Of land lying Immediately ad diacent TO the |
creek was the only piece not possessed by |
the District This was acquired by con