Year: 1870

MAJOR Weyss, General MicEler's assistant has
prepared profile of Pennsylvania avenue,
showing the grades, changes Of the curbs, side
walks, &c, TO be observed in laying the new
wood pavement. He has been over the ground
between the Capitol gate and 18th street, and
made careful surveys OF both sides, in order to
have uniform grade from one end to the other
Considerable difficulty has been experienced in
establishing uniformity on account of the un-
even condition of the avenue and the difference
between the north and south curbs, the
latter being much lower than the former.
he old fashioned idea of giving public thor
oughiares great curve has been found entirely
useless as IL detracts much from the appear
ance OF the street, besides making the travel
more difficult, and increasing the wear upon the
pave ement. The most improved road-wavs
, among them, the Boulevards around Paris, laid
out by the most experienced French engipeers
are curved on the basis of one foot in from
eighty to cne hundred. This is found to be
ample fer drainage, and adds much to the
appearance Of the roadway, besides making
travel easier. Wood pavement also requires less
curve than cobble-stones or gravel. The Ave
nue. as it now stands in some places have curve
OF one foot in fifteen, and the least curve is one
foot in sixty-eight.


PROFILE OF THE AVENUE.


By the new profile the curve will be about one
foot IN ffty-fve on the south of the railroad
track, and ore foot in eighty on the north The
difference cannot be detected with the eye as
The rise on the north will be but a fraction
higher than that on the south. No better
arrangement could be made without interfering
with fhe grade OF the sidewalks, and in some
places hlliDg up above the base of the houses


CURBsTOEEs TO BE RESET.


The curbstone will be reset along the whole
line, and raised in some places as much as two
feet. This, however, will not interfere with the
building line, but will require the sidewalks to
be relaid with less inclination towards the curb
than they now have. The inclination for side :
walks will be six inches in TWENTY-FIVE feet
sufficient to drain them perfectly, and will
make them similar to the sidewalk on the norti,
front of the Treasury. The cost of resetting the
curb will of course be liquidated by the como
ration OF Washington, but the cost Of resetting
holders. 1t will be but trifiing, howeyer. and
in many places it would have to be relaid any-
how, as the bricks are worn out.


WHERE THE GRADE WILL BE CHANGED.


The only change in the grade OF the avenue
will be between 1st and Sd streets, in order to
make it level over Tiber creek and get rid of the
hump over the arch of that creek, which now
exists. TO do this the avenue will be filed up
gradually from the west side of 1st street and
west side OF 80 street towards the arch the tlling
at the arch ed street) being about Q inches from
which II viii taper off to nothing at the streets
above named. The crown OF the arch will not
be touched.


THE TROUBLESOME POINT.


The greatest difficulty in adjusting the grade
was found between 1ith and 18th streets, at
whieh pcint 1t will be necessary to til up about
two feet on the south side. There is but one
house on that side, however, which will be af-
fected, all the others having one or two stems AT
present, and after the filling is made they will
be nush with the sidewalk. At the corner q;
10Th street the fall from the center of the car
Track 10 the southeast corner is about seven feet
hence IT will be necessary to rase the curb here
the curb will be raised a fraction over
foot. and the inclination of the pavement
from the buildings decreased. At 9th street
but on the south side it will be raised two feet;
not enough though to put any of the buildings
in that locality below the sidewalk. At the
southeast corner of 7th street and the Avenue
(bac0n's corner) some difficulty was experi-
enced. as the curb there should be raised about
two feet; but the sidewalk has very little incli-
to some extent. On both sides of the Avenue the
curb viii be raised so as to give the sidewalk q
fall of inches in IS feet, if possible, and thus
above stated. The car track will not be inter.
ferred with except between lst and Sd streets


PRESENT IRREGULARITIES IN GRADE.


As an instance Of the irregularities in the
grade OF the avenue, it may be stated that, on
the east side of 9Th street. the curve from the
cartrack to the south curb is one foet i'm 6s, and





curb, IL one foot i'm "a. The idea OF putting the
new wooden pavement down on the old cObbie
stones, after covering them with bed Of sand,
is regarded as impracticable for the following
reasons:


LIST. Ii would put the pavement on either side
OF i, tee avenue emu at least eight inches above the
railroad, and thus form sort Of ditch along the
avenue of the railroad track.


ID 10 MI all the hollows now existing on the
avenue with sand, and lay the wood pavement
on top, would result in the new pavement sink
ing into those hollows as the sand settled andin
few months the wood pavement would be as
rough as the cobble stones.
50. The water would settle in puddes under
the pavement in spots and hollows where clay
bottom exists, and instead of disappearing by
evaporation as IT now does would remain there,
causing the wooden pavement to rot


The prohle will be submitted to the Councils,
as the cost Of resettipg the curbstones must be
paid by the corporate authorities In mauy
places on the north side of the avenue the curb
Will not be changed on the south side il will be
raised from ist to 18th street, the whole length
Of the improvement.