VIII-APPENDIX No. 8.-REPORT OF OVERSEER OF LAMPS. ENGINEER'S OFFICE, Washington, D. C., November 30, 1876. SIR: I have the honor to submit my report of work done and expenditures incurred from November 30, 1875, to November 30, 1876, as shown by the certified bills of this office, giving a total of $149,174.77. The law regulating the lighting of the street lamps has been fully complied with during the past year, as the lamps have been lighted 2,200 hours. The Washington Gas-light Company having reduced the price of gas to their private consumers, voluntarily reduced the price of lighting the street-lamps. The law of Congress fixed the price at $40 per lamp per year, and on the 1st of May the gas company reduced the price to $36.70 per lamp per year, thereby making a large saving in the cost of gas for the streets. During the past year the lamps have been extended as far as the gas company's mains would permit, and where the improvements required them. I would again respectfully recommend that some steps be taken whereby the expense of lighting the city may be materially reduced. This can be done in several ways without any very great inconvenience to the public; for instance, there is a large number of Government lamps in open reservations, in which a number can be dispensed with, and there is a large number of Government lamps which this city is compelled to light, and which is a very great source of expense to this District, and to which the attention of Congress should be called, as it will require an act of Congress to release the city of this burden. There is a great demand for lamps in the suburbs of the city, where the improvements have not reached, and where no necessity exists at present for lamps; and I would respectfully recommend that no more lamps be erected in the suburbs for the present. I would respectfully state that 103 lamps, which are located in the inclosed Government squares, and which have been lighted by the city, have again been resumed by the superintendent of public buildings and grounds, and are now lighted and paid for by the General Government, which is a large saving to the city. In the city of Georgetown but few lamps have been erected, owing to the limited extent of the mains. During the past year the names of the streets have been placed on the lamps, which will not only be a great advantage to strangers, but also to the residents of the city. I would also state that, by a request from this office, the Georgetown Gas Company very kindly consented to a reduction of 25 cents per thousand feet in the price of gas, which will make a considerable reduction in the gas-bills of that city. I also have the honor to submit a tabular statement of gas consumed by the different departments of the District, with the number of streetlamps erected and repaired, together with the cost thereof. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Lient. R. L. HOXIE, W. H. BAILEY, Overseer of Lamps. United States Army, Engineer of District of Columbia. TABULAR STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURES FOR LAMPS AND GAS FROM NOVEMBER 30, 1875, 580 street-signs placed in lanterns... 280 00 Number of street-lamps in Washington, D. C., November 30, 1875.. 3, 230 Lamps erected since November 30, 1875. 159 3,389 Number of lamps transferred from Washington, D. C., to Number of street-lamps in Washington, D. C... 3,277 346 Total in District of Columbia..... 3,623 Estimate of gas for public offices, streets, and repairs of lamps, for the cities of Washington and Georgetown, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877: APPENDIX 9.-TABLE OF CONTRACTS TABLE NO. 1.-Contracts and extensions of board of public works recognized as being existing original contracts are those which have appeared in OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS. legal obligations on June 20, 1874, and extensions of the same by the Commissioners, where the the printed reports of the late board of public works. Complete $48, 927 74 $138, 324 75 Complete Complete. 18, 567 17 20, 669 17 Complete (Complete. Complete. 17,961 53 98, 172 16 Complete.. 45, 912 80 7,207 95 Complete.. 28, 547 15 |