Evening star., 1903-07-27
Subject Discussed in Colonel
Symons' Annual Report.
THE PROGRESS MADE
WORK DONE AND MONEY Elk
PENDED THE PAST YEAR.
Roadbed of Fifty Foot Driveway Ready
to Receive Macadam-Other
Improvements Made.

made his first annual report as superintend-
ent of public buildings and grounds to
Colonel Mackenzie. acting chief OF engi-
necrs today. In a special chapter devoted
to Potomac Park and the proposed speed
way, he says:
BY authority of the chief of engineers,
United States army, Lieut.. Col Charles J.
Allen, corps of engineers. transferred to
the charge of the office of public buildings
and grounds by letter dated August II,
1901 the portion of Potomac Park between
the tidal reservoir and the Washington
monument grounds and extending from
18th street and Virginia avenue northwest
to Maryland avenue and 14th street south
west On October 80. 1901. this office sub
mitted to the department an estimate to be
transmitted to Congress for an appropria-
ton for improving the ground.
In Sundry civil act approved June p,
1902. Congress appropriated the sum of
$4,000 for the work and a project for the
application of the funds submitted to
the chief of engineers under state Of july
5, 1902, and approved July 10. This project
provided for raising the revetment wall
along the tidal basin three feet with con-
crete, adding to the masonry revetment
wall where necessary, and building mac
adam driveway, with Telford base fifty feet
wide. with cobble cutters and drains. traps.
etc.
The Work Begun.
Work was commenced on July IA. 1902,
and continued to June 30. 1903. except for
short time In the winter. when the weather
was unfavorable for outdoor operations.
Following Is a description OF the work done
during the year:
Grading-This work was done by hired
labor. About 2O.O 900 cubic yards Of earth,
ashes. etc, were excavated from those
parts of the ground above grade and used
In filling low portions. In addition about
14.Joo cubic yards of material were re-
ceived without expense to the United States
and used for the same purpose. The
ground on either side of the new fifty foot
roadway was graded for a width OF twenty
feet the entire length (about 4 $50 feet of
the roadway. Nearly all of the rough grad
ing other parts of the ground has been
completed. About 300 square yards of
sod were laid as borders along the road
way and walk, etc. and finished lawn sur
faces
Roadway-The roadbed OF the ffty-foot
roadway has been graded for the entire
length of the roadway 4,29 linear feet
along center line) and prepared to receive
the macadam pavement: thirty-two brick
catCh basins, with iron CRATES, have brick
built along the gutterways on the sides of
the road. and !. 116 feet of 6-inch terra Gotta
drain pipe. 2O6 feet of S-inch, 212 feet of
1o-nch, 2i3 feet of Pinch and 236 feet of
1s-inch laid to connect the basins with
sewer In addition to the grading of the
50-foot roadway a piece of roadway 154
feet long and thirty nine feet wide has
been constructed to connect the JO-foot
roadway by a turn south of the propagat-
Ing gardens with the 18th street roadway
in the monument grounds at d street
southwest Ane hundred elm trees were
planted along the borders of the JO-foot
roadway.
Macadam Pavement and Cutters
On October % 1902 a contract was en-
tered into for constructing a trap rock
macadam pavement, with Telford base Of
limestone, with stone cutters. on the JO-foot
roadway, the length of the roadway being
about 1850 feet. and the area of the pave
ment being approximately 81, $50 square
yards and the cutters 2,275 square yards.
The Telford base has been laid on the road
way for length Of $3.50 linear feet, or
1870 square yards. The roadway has been
completed with the three top corners of
trap rock and trap rock screenings for
length of 1000 feet, including the cutters.
The first course of trap rock and the gut
ters have been laid for length of COO feet
additional.
This contract was to have been completed
by April 80 1903, but because of delays re-
sulting from inability to get materials from
the quarry and because the work was sus-
pended during the past winter by unfavor-
able weather. the time has been extended to
August /, 1908.
Bride path and cinder walk-The bride
path seventeen and half feet wide on the
east side of the road and the cinder walk
eight feet wide on the west side have been
completed for length of 2OOO feet. COM
mencing at the entrance at 18th and B
streets northwest. and running thence
south
Old Bathing Beach.
In the act providing for the improvement
Of that portion of Potomac Park to which
this report refers, it was provided: THAT
the authority given the Commissioners OF
the District of Columbia, by act approved
September 29 1880, to construct a beach
and dressing houses upon the east shore
of the tidal reservoir against the Washing
ton monument grounds. is hereby revoked;
and they are directed to remove Immediate
1y said bath houses, floats. wharves, pipes,
and so forth, either to such other point as
may be agreed upon between them and the
Secretary of War. or to barges constructed
to carry dressing rooms. which may be an
chored at such point around an inclosed
water space or along the Shore as may be
agreed on between the Secretary of War
and the said Commissioners" AS soon as
the buildings connected with the bathing
beach were removed by the Commissioners
September l. 1902. this Office entered upon
the ground vacated between the power
house of the Washington monument and
the flushing basin, graded 1t and laid out a
large elliptical lawn surface upon 1t with a
roadway 35 feet wide around 1t connecting
the J0-foot roadway along the east side
of the basin with the main roadway on the
west side OF the monument grounds. The
ellipse has been sown in grass seed, its
borders sodded. the first course of broken
stone for a macadam pavement laid on the
roadway and cutters constructed An iron
post-and-chain fence was erected around
the elliDse.
New Revetment Wall.
When the sea wall was constructed on
the north and west sides Of the flushing
reservoir some years ago, before that por-
ton of the park transferred to the
jurisdiction of this office. gap about ATS
feet in length south of the power house OF
the Washington monument was left only
the foundation of riprap stone being built
in order that the bathing beach might be
located there. In constructing the bathing
beach those foundation stones were COW
cred with sand. When the bathing beach
was removed In accordance with the act OF
Congress above referred to proposals were
invited:
First-For removing the sand from old
foundation; and second, for constructing
necessary additional foundation and build
ing the wall to close the gap.
Only one proposal each was received for
the two items. Work for removing the sand