Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-11

| than 100000 over the preceding year.
About two-thirds Of this increase Is in
dwelling houses. AS an indication of the
extent to which the city Is yearly pushing
out beyond its original boundary 1t may be
stated that the estimated value Of new
buildings erected in the county during the
| year is about 81. 500, 600.
This growth in business has placed
heavy burden upon the Office of the building
| inspector. Congress has added to the force
OF this office from year to year, but the
additions have not kept pace with the In
| crease In business. There is just complaint
| on the part Of builders OF time wasted in
getting building permits. Additional force
is requested.
The building inspector calls attention to
| the desirability Of inspecting scaffoldings
and derricks for the better protection Of
| the life and limb Of workmen. There have
been frequent accidents due to lack of pre-
| cautions in this regard, and it has been
| impossible for the office to give the matter
| the attention 1t deserves. With the amount
| OF building in progress ali over the District
| the inspectors have only been able to give
| few minutes daily to each building. An
| increase in the number of inspectors is re-
quested.
Surveyors Office.
The work of this office has Increased
| about one-third over what 1t was during
| the preceding year. This rs largely due to
| activity in the real estate and building
| business. The new building regulations,
| which went into effect last March, require
| that the walls of all new buildings shall
be located on the ground by the surveyor.
| This has added to the duties of the Office
and while 1t may incur small delay and
| expense to the builder at the beginning of
| the work, it is believed to be very de-
sirable, insuring, it sdoes, against future
| litigations on account of Entertainments on
adjoining property.
Several years ago the Commissioners
| adopted rule requiring that each new
Oh no lnoa tod on to Lot
| and that building sites should be subdi-
| vided accordingly. The object of this was
| to do away, far possible, with the
| necessity of describing property in the rec
| ords by metes and bounds. For instance,
| there are cases all over the city where
parts Of original lots are held by different
! owners.
| The appropriation for the support of the
surveyors office during the present year Is
| s17,SOO. The fees collected by the surveyor
| during the year just ended amounted to
| So, 652. 40. These fees were deposited
| other revenues of the District of Columbia.
Bridges.
The Office again calls attention to the seri-
| GUS condition Of the Anacostia bridge. This
bridge was built in 1875 for ordinary traffic.
| In recent years an electric railway has been
| installed upon It, carrying heavy cars, a
| load 1t was never designed to carry. The
| roadway is entirely taken up by car tracks
| and the draw arrangement is out OF date.
The bridge is unsightly, too narrow and
| structurally unfit for the heavy traffic i'm
| posed upon It, This bridge is more used
| than any other of it's size in the District of
Columbia. An estimate for rebuilding Is
submitted
| The K street bridge over Rock creek is
| also structurally weak and should be rebuilt
| as soon possible. The estimated cost Of
| this work Is $4,000
| The principal bridge constructed during
| the year was the boulder-faced bridge
across Rock creek in Rock Creek Park.
| Its total cost was $1T, 63577.
The masonry arch of the Massa chusetts
| avenue bridge across Rock creek was COM
! pleted during the year, at a total cost Of
| $132 O05 So
| All of the foundations for the Connecticut
| avenue bridge over Rock creek, from piers
to 8, were built up to about three feet of
the springing line of the arches.
During the year the old foot bridge over
| 9Th street, which for many years connected
| the general post office building with the
| rented quarters opposite, was removed, the
need for it no longer existing.
Rock Creek Park
The principal work of the year in Rock
| Creek Park consisted in the erection Of two
| masonry bridges-one at the mouth of
| Broad branch and the other at the site of
| the old Argyle dam-and the grading of
about three miles of park roads. Some
| damage was done by high water during the
|
away and the dirt road above the Military
road was washed out in number of places.
| 1t is regretted that no appropriation is
| available for any work in the park this
year The sum alotted-S2 5OO-is barely
| sufficient to keep existing roads and bridges
| in repair. 1t is hoped that funds will be
| provided at the coming session Of Congress
| for necessary work in the park, as large
| parts of the park are unimproved and con-
| sequently unused, and existing roads need
| thorough repairs, widening in dangerous
| places and bank protection.
Street and Alley Pavements.
| The materials used for street pavements
| during the year were sheet asphalt asphalt
| block and macadam; 5021s square yards of
sheet asphalt %, $50 square yards Of as
phalt block and 4O,276 square yards of mac
adam were laid. The amount of street
grading was 2O7 100 cubic yards. The prices
paid for sheet asphalt and asphalt block
were SLIP and SLIT per square yard, re-
spectively: For the coming year the prices
will be $1.58 to $1.64 per square yard for
sheet asphalt, according to the character
Of the base; for asphalt block, $1.66 per
square yard on gravel base and 81 on natu-
raj cement base.
One of the most troublesome defects in
asphalt pavements is the rolling or buckling
Of the surface which is noticeable upon
nearly all the streets in the District of Co.
lumbia where this pavement exists; and
where asphalt Is SO generally used as 1t is
here the question becomes serious one,
since 1t has direct bearing upon the lie,
usefulness and cost Of repairs of the pave
ment.
During the present year 1t is, therefore,
the intention to use an asphalt which is,
either naturally or artfcially, reasonably
free from soluble salts, in the expectation
of considerable improvement in the pave
ment. That this will prevent the action Of
water on the pavement is not as yet an
established fact acknowledged by all, but
the indications in the District of Columbia
are that way and its great Importance war
rants any trial that may lead to better re-
suits.
Sidewalks.
Last year the prices for cement sidewalks
were so cents and $1.O7 per square yard,
the latter price prevailing upon streets in
the county not provided with roadway
pavements. The prices this year are $104
and Sill per square yard respectively.
This increase is due to the increased cost of
materials, particularly Of cement. During
the year 1913 square yards of cement
sidewalk were laid, an increase of more
than 5000 yards over the preceding year.
There is very little demand now for brick
sidewalks; less than 1900 square yards
were laid during the year.
The District appropriation act approved
| J,lx- 1000 contains prOyiSi6n thar .'bere-