Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-22
PARK IMPROVEMENTS
The Care of Public Buildings
and Grounds.
REPORT OF COL. CROMWELL
Recommends Changes and New Ap-
preparations.
PLAYGROUND RESERVATIONS
Attention Given White House, WASH
ington Monument and Other s'truct-
ures-Schedule of Estimates.

A mass of interesting information regard
ing the public buildings and grounds IN the
District Is contained in the annual report
of Col. Charles s. Cromwell, the engineer
officer in charge, just submitted to GEN
Mackenzie, chief of engineers. Regarding
the executive mansion. he says that con-
siderable miscellaneous painting was done
in the interior last year. and that the roof
and the portion of the exterior around the
under part of the south portico and the
stairways therefrom painted Con-
siderable repairing was done to the plas-
tering about the mansion and that on the
columns between the main vestibule and
corridor was entirely renewed. The entire
exterior of the main building was washed
down, and some painting done about
the area walls and the entrance gates. The
post electric lights on the east terrace were
entirely rewired, new pipes and junction
boxes installed and the posts reconstruct
ed. Other changes were made in some Of
the electric wiring made necessary by
grounds on the old wires caused by damp
ness. In the Presidents office building the
wall covering in some of the rooms was
renewed interior painting was done and the
exterior of the building, including the roof,
was painted. Repairs were made in the
stable. and the first floor of the building
wired for electric lights, connections made
with electric light company's mains and
twenty-five incandeScent lamps placed in
position
The usual care was extended to maintain
the Washington Monument and its ma
chinery in good condition. and to keep the
interior of the shaft clean. During the past
year 14S,4I6 persons visited the top of the
| monument of whom 125.606 used the ele-
vator and 22.S70 the stairways, making
total of 2, ~, 0SS visitors since the monu-
ment onpned to the pllhlic October q
1855.
Children's Fairgrounds.
During the year the public Fairgrounds
committee was given permission to use five
| public reservations for playground pur-
poses Special attention was invited to
this subject says Col. -Bromwell in my
annual report for 1904. and the recommen-
dations therein made are repeated, name
ly: That an appropriation of $1,000 be
made for establishing, maintaining and
caring for childrens Fairgrounds on pub
he reservations in Washington. 1t is also
recommended that authority be given to
this office to erect or permit the necessary
structures thereon. During the past two
years the public Fairgrounds committee
has desired to place, at its own expense,
temporary wooden structures for shelter
and the use of children In their games, on
some of the reservations that have been
set aside as Fairgrounds. The committee
could not, however, be permitted to do this,
as the act approved August so, 1890 pro-
hibits the erection of temporary structures
of any kind upon any reservation Except
when authorized by special act of Con-
gress.'
In Public Parks
In summarizing the general work accom-
plfshed in the public parks Col. Cromwell
says that one new space was added to the
park system during the year by transfer
of S,S4S square feet of street area on 22d
street near street to the chief of engn-
GERS for park purposes Three reservations
were improved. Part of section 2 of Po-
tomac Park, hitherto unimproved. contain
ing fifty acres, was brought to a high state
of Improvement. -Four thousand four hum
dred and sixty-siN feet of cement concrete
coping ana forty-one corner posts were con-
structed around ten reservations Ten
thousand five hundred and nine square
yards of sod were laid to restore worn por-
lions of lawn surfaces. The macadam
roadway on the north side of the Presi-
dents Park and the 18th street driveway
in Potomac Park annex were resuIfaeed
with trap rock screenings, S15 tons of ma
terial having been used in making the
repairs. -Four cement concrete fountain
basins We're constructed The iron post
and chain fences inclosing nine rcserva-
tons were taken down and replaced with
cement concrete copings.
The various greenhouse structures, the
storehouse ana the shop building at the
propagating gardens were repaired and
maintained in good condition. The wooden
and glass superstructures Of two green
houses were entirely rebuilt. Over LOCO, eco
plants were propagated and G,I5f trees
and 3,145 shrubs were planted in the parks
in the nursery at the gardens and in the
new nursery grounds in Potomac Park
Department Telegraph Line.
Improvements were made in the depart
| mental telegraph line. The overhead cables
| We're removed from the roof of the Treas
ury Department building and placed to
enter the building underground. The over
head wires of the line were placed by
| cable in eonduits underground from 18th
and G streets along G to 14th street to
| B street north and from 18th and streets
| along 10Th street to the alley between Yer
| mont avenue 18th, III and l streets north
| west and the overhead wires removed from
those streets and from the northeast cor
| ner of the Treasury Department roof along
| 18th to E street to Ohio avenue, to c street,
| to l4th and B streets northwest. The five
| poles which carried the wires over this
! last-named route were taken down and
removed.
Duties of Park Policemen.
In special chapter in regard to the park
watchmen Col Bromweli says, In part:
II especially desire to invite attention
| to the force of park watchmen, which force
| is improperly named, ina 1eauate in point
Of numbers and iasufficientiy paid. The des-
ignation of watchmen does not describe
| the members of this force and their duties.
They strictly policemen, with all the
| powers of the regular police force. and
| their duty is to maintain proper police con-
| troll over the parks. The force is made
quate In point of numbers and Ii is urged
| that an additional sergeant and four men
| be added to 1t. The compensation of the
watchmen is also not commensurate with
the duties they perform, and it is earnest
| ly recommended that an increased schedule
| of pay be adopted for the force.
I'm my annual report of last year I rec
commended that the pay of the sergeant
| be increased from $3.50 to 81 900 per annum,
and of privates from $40 to $40 per an
mum. am actuated in now asking great
| er Increase by the fact that Congress, by
act approved June s. 1906, increased the
compensation of the metropolitan police
| force OF this city.