Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-25
PUBLIC; Bull DlAGs
br rs
Col. Binghand's Report Sub
mitted oGhibf Of Engineers.
MUCH LOCAL INTEREST
OPERATIONS CONDUCTED BY HIM
DURING FISCAL YEAR.
Recommendation as to Increase Of
Salary of Park Watchmen and
Reasons Therefore.
MUCH LOCAL INTEREST

reasons Therefore.
COL Theodore L. Bingham, the engineer
oHlcer IN charge of the public buildings and
grounds in the District submitted his an
nual report to Col. Mackenzie, acting chief
OF engineers, today. 1t gives full account
o. all the operations conducted by his Of
fce during the past fiscal year, and cou-
tains considerable information of more than
ordinary local interest
For general convenience Col. Bingham
gives summary of the more important
items of work accomplished during the
year, as follows:
Executive ManSion.-A pair of oak storm
doors made and placed at front main en-
trance The exterior of mansion painted
except north and south porticoes, the walls
under them and lie roof, which were paint
ed in previous year. The woodwork N
three rooms and part of the side walls in
one room repaired and the ceiling in one
room refreseoed. Two rooms for servants
constructed in the attic. New carpets pur-
chased for three rooms. new linen moor
crash for one room and new straw mating
for three rooms The furniture in the east
room and the red parior reupholstered and
recovered WIN Si.., damask, and the frames
of that in the red paror regliued IN soid.
Work commenced for remodeling the man
sion and for building a separate office
building for the President. The wooden su-
perstructure of conservatory repaired ana
the building rewired for electric lights. Re-
pairs made in the stable.
Washington Monument.
The work of painting the iron work in the
shaft, running new electric light wires and
replacing the seventy-volt lamps with
lamps of 10 volts completed. Some paint
ing done in the boiler room, dynamo room
and motor room, and an air pump anu jet
condenser purchased and connected with
boilers. During the year 162,410 persons
visited the top of the monument
Public Grounds, Etc.
Twenty of the small unimproved reser-
vations at intersections of streets with ave
nues, containing 2.0S acres, brought to their
first stage of improvement. Iron post and
chain fences erected around seven reserVa-
tions and iron posts for similar fences
erected around ninesothers The iron fences
around two reservations and the iron fence
around part Of another taken down. one
hundred and forty=tive lineal feet OF the
18th street roadway tthirty-four feet wide)
between the Fropagating Gardens and the
grounds of the bureau of engraving and
printing graded and 40 linear feet OF SIDE
walk graded and surfaced with clnders
The ground on the north, east and south
sides of the boiler house ct the Washing
ton monument improved. A new plant
house constructed at the PTopagatlng car
dens ard one Of the houses remodeled and
reconstructed The main roadway in the
gardens widened and improved, The new
roadways planned for the development of
these gardens marked out and trees planted
along their borders; 7S3,5sS plants for
stock and planting IN the parks propagated.
large quantity of old material sold at
auction. The work of filling in low por-
tons of the addition to nursery grounds
continued, 2l ,ti2S cubic yards Of good earth
filling having been received and spread Inc
work OF erecting a brick building for shops
completed and old frame shops and store
houses torn down. The statue Of Rocham-
beau and pedestal for same erected. The
work of setting q stone coping around the
site of the Sherman statue completed, ard
work in connection with the construction CT
that statue continued.
Three hundred and sixty-three park set
tees repaired and 939 painted. One thouS-
and and ninety cart loads of compost spread
upon park lawns. Five hundred and sixty
one feet of iron dra pipe laid, las feet of
stone curb set, 314 linear feet of cobble-
stone gutter laid. 1891 cubic yards of gravel
used in repairing roadways in parks and
19G6 linear feet of cinder foot walk and
1868 linear feet of board foot walk con-
structed. Three Of the watchmen's lodges,
the roofs of three others, the iron post-and
chain fences and the iron post-and-bar
fences ncosing three of the larger parks.
one circle and forty-tive of the small TRAN
guar reservations De11S a IOCal OF Z, 40
posts 563 bars and 2,142 lengths of chain,
the iron railing around the Jackson statue.
81 lampposts, 50 lamps and flower vases
painted One thousand nine hundred and
fifty-nine feet of water pipe laid One
thousand four hundred and one square
yards of additional asphalt foot walk laid
and $50 square yards of asphalt roadway
and 1868 square yards of asphalt foot walk
pavement repaired and resurfaced. Five
hundred and fifteen applications for per-
mits for the erection of projections beyond
the building line investigated and reported
upon. Repairs and improvements made in
stable of public buildings and grounds.
All of the gas lamps in the public grounds
have been maintained in good condition,
minor repairs made and old lanterns re-
placed with new boulevard lamps as the old
ones became unServiceable.
1T is earnestly hoped says Col. Bing-
ham, that the system of lighting the pub
lie grounds by electricity will be extended
to the Smithsonian grounds and to the va
rious improved parks throughout the city"
The necessity for replacing the poles and
overhead wires of the departmental tele-
graph line with a. system of underground
cables has been urged in previous annual
reports, and Col. Bingham saws is SO an
parent that argument in its favor is UNI
necessary. The cost of the underground
system will be about $780, 900, and the mat
ter Is presented 1or SUCH action as Congress
may deem best
Col. Bingham says that the following res
ervations. claimed as the property of the
United states, are now occupied, 1t Is be-
lieyed, without authority of law:
Reservation No. 125. by the Central Union
Mission as place Of worship
Reservation No.. 1856. by the Bethany
Chapel of the New York Avenue Presby-
terrain congregation.
Reservation No. 249 is occupied as lum-
Der yard by a man who claims to rent it
from a man in Port Deposit, Md
Reservations Nos, 137. 13s. 141, 152. 1874
and 1859 have sbeen Enclosed with iron or
wire fences and PARTIALLY improved by the
owners of adjaGent property.
The following also are improved and
utilized by adjacent property owners: Nos
81. 65. 81. 139, l41, t8t, 1872, 167 l6s, 175. a0s
and 2S4.- ,ttas-T
Estimates for Next Year,
The estimates for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1904. aggregate s227 230, the chief
items being Suisse for salaries. si43, l3O for
Improvement and care of public grounds,
$40, 600 for care Of Executive Mansion and
s13.sG4 for lighting buildings and grounds.
Col BinghaWuhas asked for an increase
of $100 per annum In the pay Of the SER
geant of park ywatchmen and an increase
u.