Year: 1870

Annual Report Of the Committee on


Streets Generally for the Year End.


ing January s1st, 1870.


RICHMOND, VA, February IA, 1870. ,
To the Honorable President and -
| Members Of the City Council:


Gentlemen,- THE Committee on Streets
Generally have the honor to transmit here
with the annual report of the City Engineer
Of expenditures made in street improve
ments during the fiscal year ending Janu-
ary 3lst, 1870, and in connection Herewith
beg leave to submit some suggestions and
observations derived from their own expe-
lriencc during the year.


The amount of money expended on the
lstreets during the past year, in the old dis
tricts of the city, was S1,037.72 less than
lduring the preceding year, notwithstanding
EN- increase Of $3.959.65 in the expenses Of
the city carts and hands, and was S18, ,254.17
less than expended during the year pre-
yious to that. This very limited expendi-
tllre was not because the streets did not re-
quire more, but was induced by desire to
limit our expenditures to the strict require
ments of necessity and economy. Our
streets are not in satisfactory condition,
and we believe that it will be t,We economy
for the city to take some measures to
generally improve them before they
become much worse. It is not only
the desire but the hope of all that
our city will rapidly increase in import
ance and prosperity, and we believe
that proper and intelligent public improve
ments will greatly contribute to that end :,
We do not offer many suggestions of i'm
provements We believe to be desirable, con-
ceiving it to be more proper to leave the
subject for the consideration of our legit!-
mate SUCCESSORS. We desire, however, to
call their attention to several that we think
should receive only consideration from
them: .r~ .t;r


Broad street is of such grade from
Twelfth to Seventeenth street that. it is
impossible to maintain it in proper repair
unless it shall be paved. 4 large amount
Of money has already been uselessly ex-
pended on it in the effort. We would re-
points mentioned with cobble-stones; and
would further recommend that, for this
purpose and to meet another needed i'm
provement, so much Of the cobble-
stone pavement On Main street as may be
necessary for that purpose be taken up
beginning at Eighth stree) and replaced
with granite-block pavement.


We would also recommend that Eighth
street be paved between Main and Cary
streets. ...r...... ...s. .s...


The condition of Shockoe creek demands
and should receive early and serious con-
sideration. In some places it has been
turned several hundred feet out of it's pro-
per bed, and during every freshet washes
away and carries to the river immense
quantities of sand and gravel, thus vastly
increasing the difficulties we have to con-
tend with in keeping the river channel
open.


Two experiments have been tried during
the year. A concrete sidewalk was laid on
Main street between Eighth and Ninth.
Although it was highly recommended, and
has, to our knowledge, been enlinently sue
cessful in some places, the sample laid
down here has not yet proved entirely
satisfactory to us. Whether the fault is an
inherent one, or whether the work was
badly done in this case, we cannot judge.
If it should yet prove success it would be
desirable pavement on account ol lt5
cheapness and durability. The other ex-
pertinent was in macadamizing, and has
proved so eminently successful as to merit
particular attention. The chain gang,
which hitherto has been burdensome ex-
penee to the city, has been employed IN
breaking stone, and a large amount has
been accumulated. We are satisfied that
this form of pavement should be used in all
those streets of the city, of the proper
grade, which it is not desirable to pave with
| a1i I'D hot @
of annually hauling upon such streets
large amount of clay and gravel, to be con-
verted into mud and dust, should be abol-
ished. We would recommend that the work
of macadamizing be Systematically entered
upon, beginning with the principal tho
roughfares and continued until all Of our
unpayed streets be made passable and plea
SAINT.


Many other improvements are MS impera-
lively needed as those we have mentioned,
but instead of detailing them we desire to
suggest that the subject of our present sys-
tenn of paying for public improvements be
taken up for consideration. Although it
has been our custom to pay the full amount of
cost of all street improvements by general
taxation the experience of many cities has
led them to conclude that it is both inexpe-
dent and unjust. twill be conceded that
in large majority of street improvements
the property and convenience of limited
number is vastly more enhanced than that
of the general public, and it would seem
proper that those most benefited should
pay the largest proportion Of cost. With
out making any particular suggestions on
this subject we would recommend that it
be taken up for consideration. and tho
roughly investigated.


1t affords us peculiar pleasure to present
with this annual report the map OF the
city. 1t has been the work of several
years, executed at considerable expense,
and we have every reason to believe that it
is thoroughly correct. 'We'recommend that
it be approved by this Council and trans
i mitted TO the succeeding Council, as re-
auired by ordinance. The Engineer, in
submitting the map to us, stated that while
all the lines and corners are carefully and
accurately marked on the map, in accord
ance with existing deeds and records, he
I found in entering upon the duties of his
Office that it been the habit to mark them
on the ground by measurements made with
a tape-linc, and that he has, consequently
found several inaccuracies in the setting OF
corner-stones. We would recommend that
the Engineer be specially charged with the
duty, during the ensuing year, of testing
every corner by earsfully-prepared rod
measure. 49,, sstsset y Il


Our system OF city carts and hands re-:
quires consideration, as they have not