The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-29
CAPT. BBACH'S TRANSFER
HIS Career as a District Commits
siOner Ends Friday.

Administration of the Engineer De-
P"rtment Since lie Became Its
Hend-Street Extensions. Improve
mcnts in Sidewalks and Rondvnys.
/ Capt. Lansing II. Beach. the Engineer
I Commissioner ia accordance with an or
/ der issued by the Chief Of Engineers.
/ United States Army. viii turn over his Of
/ hCe next Friday To his successor, Major
! John Bddle. Captain Beach was detailed
/ as assistant TO the Engineer Commission
/ er OF the District 10y special order Of the
/ War Department October go, 1924 He
/ served in this capacity until June 1. 1S9N.
J when no was detailed as Engineer Com
/ missioner to succeed Major William NJ.
. Black
/ In the administration Of the Engineer
J Department Captain Beach has been
. tIreioss worker for the welfare Of the nu-
/ uiCiuanty- He has faithfully carried out
. the hehests Of Congress for public i'm
/ Urovomeut. and ne has taken the iuijia-
/ tive in working cut many Of the most
! important improvements during recent
. years. The work Of the department under
. the management Of Captain Beach is seen
! IN The extension and batterrneut of
/ streets. in the drainage and water sys-
/ TENS, In public parks, and in the erection
/ of municipal buildings for schools and
! for other purposes, The relations between
/ the Engineer Department and the public
I have been cordial and il has been the aim
/ of the Commissioner constantly 70 work
4 In harmony with the best public spirit as
/ shown in the citizens associations and in
! individual conferences with those most
! interested in specific improvements.
! II has been Captain Bcach.s idea 20 Sc
/ cure the improvement OF the main thor
] ouEhfares leading from the city into the
/ county Before his time road work had
/ been done sPoradicaIy, a stretch Of road
) being improved here and there. instead OF
/ concentrating attention uponon particu-
lar road and improving that for a con-
: siderable length.
It was due to the efforts OF
/ Captain Beach that the District
i of Columbia acquired the quarry
. at Dickerson, Nd. The District
/ now owns fourteen acres of property
/ there containing a quarry Of trap rock
/ pronounced by the department Of road en-
/ Qulry 10 be the finest In the country. This
! stone IS now being used in road building
Z in the District with most excellent results
J The quarry is on the line O. the MetrOp0I-
I ltan Branch Of the Baltimore and Ohio
I Railroad, which branch traVerSes the
/ District in such manner as 10 make de-
/ liveries both convenient and economical.
/ During the first year after It's purchase
! the quarry paid for the cost OF the land
/ and saved the District S15.OO0.
: The Engineer Commissioner has also
i done all in his power to secure an ade-
] quate water supply for the CITY. u must
I be understood that the AQueduct and main
/ channels Of supply are in charge OF the
J War Department, the city simply distrib-
I uting the water supplied by the United
/ states. As a part Of the distributing sys-
Z TEN. a new reservoir has recently been
/ completed near BrightwOOd 10 supply the
/ high territory north OF the city, so that
/ IN case Of a break down Of the pumps
| a water famine would be averted. And
/ the reservoir performed this duty only a
| little while after its completion. when the
| pumps were disabled temporarily A
/ pumping station has also been establish
| ed for the territory in the vicinity Of Ana
/ costa. which has much improved the wa
! ter supply Of that section.
Under this plan the Bcnning Road. the
] Seventh Street Road, BrightwOOd Avenue
/ and Pennsylvania Avenue east. have been
/ placed in excellent condition In line with
/ this general plan has been also the opera
I lions for the widening and extension Of
/ the Columbia Road, the widening Of old
/ Sixteenth Street. the opening Of new Six
teCnth Street, the construction Of the
| Massachusetts Avenue bridge ard the
I working out Of the plans Of the Connect
| cut Avenue bridge. Some OF these i'm
! prOvements will be left for his successor
! in Office 10 complete but matters are far
! advanced in each instance Plans are
| also under way for the extension and i'm
| provement Of other thOrOughfares as fast
/ as appropriations for the purpose can be
| secured from Congress
! Captain Beach has also endeayored, as
| far as possible, 10 secure the removal Of
| the Belgian block payemenJs throughout
/ the city. and have them replaced with as
/ phalt. a great many complaints being re-
! Ceived from the people living along these
/ rough streets Of the noise caused by tho
| Chara Cter Of the pavement. some Of these
| rough pavements have been replaced by
| smooth though the work has been ueces-
| sarily very slow on account Of lack Of
| money 10 do the work.
| One Of the improvements to which Cap
tain Beach has addressed his attention
! Is the Improvement Of Rock Creek Park.
or which hc Is the executive officer. Con-
sidering the small amount Of money avail
been achieved in road building in Rock
Creek Park. The chain gang has been
used very largely for this work, and the
| roads must be traNersed In order 20 APP
preclate the amount Of work done with
| the funds provided Miles OF eNcellent
driveways have been built. bridges erected.
| and this beautiful park made accessible.
| The Trumbull Street pumping station IS
| another one Of the large projects started
| during his administration The plans for
this station nave air sady been prepared
and accepted. and work upon II Is now
! under way. a new project which will be
presented at the coming session Of Con
| gress Is a hIgh-serVice system for the
! business section Of the city. for use In
| GraUt connected with IL would be virtu-
| ally a FIRE engine in itself. the pressure
/ being so great as 20 throw Gre stream
| 20 an ordinary heights without the aid Of
! a fire engine.
/ Considerable has also been accomplish
| ed in the way Of work upon the stwa &c
! disposal plan. Work has steadily pro
| gressed upon the large iutercepuug sew
/ gTs- and NJ the last session Of Congress
/ $40. Gf- was appropriated on account Of the
! sewage pumping station. and a contract
! authorized for its completion at "a cost not
| exceeding $4,000
| There has also been notable advance
| IN the style Of municipal architecture
! The new school buiIdu Is are a decided
| Improvement. both In appearance and ar
| TaIEemeut. over tho old buildings. Two
| manual training schools have been erect
! ed. one at Seventh Street and Rhode Is
] land Avenue and one Cu = Street be
/ tween First "ud Third Streets and viii
| soon be ready for occupancy, which are
| beautiful buildings OF their kind.
! Captain Beach also aided i'm the selec-
| ti0u II several large tracts Of land aC-
gmrDd by the Government for public Uur-
p,Scs-fDr instance. the site FOR the filter
| beds IN the vicinity of Howard Tuiver-
| sity reservoir. the thirty-acre tract FOR
! the Municipal Hospital al Thirteenth and
! Richmond Streets. and the Z3G-aCrr tract
| fJI the almshOUse and pOtter's field.
| The plans for the abolition Of grade