APPENDIX W W.

IPROVEMENT AND CARE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

EPORT OF COLONEL JOHN M. WILSON, UNITED STATES ARMY, OFF!CER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1887.

OFFICE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS,

Washington, D. C., July 5, 1887.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of operaons upon public buildings and grounds under the Chief of Engineers arried on under this office during the fiscal year ending June 30, S87.

In addition to these duties I was in charge of the first and second ivisions of the office of the Chief of Engineers until December 17, 1886; nd since October 21, 1886, I have been in charge of the construction f the building for the Army Medical Museum and Library; the erection nd unveiling of the pedestal and statue of the late President James A. Garfield; the erection of a monument at Washington's Headquarters, Newburgh, N. Y.; the erection of a monument to mark the birth-place of Washington, and the improvements over the grave of Thomas Jefferon at Monticello, Va.

GROUNDS SOUTH OF THE EXECUTIVE MANSION.

These grounds include those within the iron fence south of the White House, the road between the White House Grounds and the Treasury Department, and the entire reservation south of the White House, the 'reasury, and the War, State, and Navy Building, and north of B street, etween Fifteenth and Seventeenth streets.

During the year the main roads have been repaired, raked, and rolled compactly, using for this purpose about 500 cubic yards of gravel. These oads were well watered during the summer season in order to keep lown the dust.

A new gravel walk was constructed in the western section of the eservation, running from the intersection of D and Seventeenth treets to the main road around the ellipse. This new walk covers an rea of about 1,500 square feet. It was constructed in the most careul manner, requiring about 100 cubic yards of broken stone and 150 ubic yards of gravel. At its junction with the main road a rubblestone gutter 50 feet long and 2 feet wide was constructed, and a brick

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sewer-lodge built and connected with a 12 inch terra-cotta drain ing to the main sewer on Seventeenth street.

All roads, gutters, drain-traps, etc., south of the White House kept clean and in good repair. All lawns, covering an area of a 40 acres, were mown several times and maintained in perfect order. cept that of the ellipse, which, up to May 20, 1887, was also in exce condition.

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Extensive additions were made to the trees and shrubbery. the Executive Mansion Grounds handsome ornamental flower-beds laid out and planted, and a few new trees, a number of rhododendr and other handsome shrubs set out. In the western portion of the p south of the main road between Fifteenth and Seventeenth streets. flowering shrubs and 180 deciduous and evergreen trees were plat The stone lodges at the southeast and southwest corners of the ervation were repaired. A new roof was added to the former and a floor laid.

About 200 yards of soil and manure were used in planting.

All other trees and shrubs were pruned, mulched, and maintained: good order.

By authority of the Secretary of War, the ellipse, containing an of 17 acres, south of the Executive Mansion, was transferred to the can the National Drill Committee early in May for use as a drill ground the troops congregating in this city during the latter part of May. I grounds were fenced in and a grand-stand erected. While the grass the lawn of the ellipse was badly trampled down and worn out in ma places, no damage was done other than this temporary injury to the lar A bond in the sum of $2,500 was executed by the chairman of drill committee whereby he was held individually liable for any dama that might be done to the grounds while in charge of the committee.

On June 1 the committee began the removal of all fences, etc., & by the close of the fiscal year they had cleared up the grounds and everything in order as far as possible. It is anticipated that by ear autumn the grass on the ellipse will be in as good condition as befe, the drill.

It was believed that the drill would be a national affair, would a vance the interests of the militia throughout the country, and that use of the grounds for this purpose was therefore eminently proper. will be well, however, in my opinion, to select some other section the city for a drill and camping ground in case it is proposed to repr the affair; or in case it may be deemed best by the proper authorit to grant a similar privilege it should be coupled with the proviso the only the troops be allowed on the lawn of the ellipse, and that no struc ure of any kind be erected upon it.

None of the United States appropriation for care of these grounds ha been used during the fiscal year for repairs incident to this drill.

During the coming fiscal year it will be necessary to make new se age arrangements, on account of the filling of the Potomac Flats; and th portion of the reservation so long used for storage purposes during th construction of the War, State, and Navy Building, covering an are of about 2 acres, must be made to correspond with the remainder the reservation.

MONUMENT GROUNDS, GREEN-HOUSES AND NURSERY.

The appropriation for the Monument Grounds was all expended pre vious to May 20, 1887, when the reservation was occupied as a camping

und for the troops assembling from various sections of the country take part in the National Drill.

During the year the lawns of that portion of the reservation not ocpied by the Washington Monument Commission were mown three ies and about four tons of hay secured and stacked at the nursery ounds for the maintenance of the public animals belonging to this ice.

The main road between the monument and the nursery was repaired d improved from the new boiler-house to Fourteenth street, about 600 bic yards of gravel having been used for this purpose; 243 linear feet cobble-stone gutter, 23 feet wide, was constructed on the sides of the adway in the vicinity of the nursery. The lawns were edged on each le of the main roads and the gutters and drain traps cleaned from ne to time; other portions of the roadways and gutters were repaired d patched where necessary.

By authority of the Secretary of War the Monument Grounds were ansferred on May 15 to the national-drill committee for camping purses; no damage was done to the reservation other than the tempory destruction of the grass in a few places, which was immaterial as r as a large portion of the grounds was concerned, as they are now ing filled and regraded.

Early in June the tents and floors were removed and, at the close of e fiscal year, except as far as the temporary injury of the grass was ncerned, the grounds were restored to their original condition.

No portion of the United States appropriation was expended for any pairs rendered necessary by the use of the grounds for camping pur

oses.

The work in connection with filling and grading the grounds around e monument renders it almost impossible to maintain the reservation a sightly condition.

Extensive repairs were made during the year to the green houses. The entire superstructure of houses Nos. 1 and 2 was rebuilt, and n addition constructed west of No. 1, 100 feet long by 13 feet wide, to which 200 feet of 4-inch pipe for heating purposes was conducted. Two brick cold frames, each 75 feet long by 6 feet wide, and 265 linar feet of wooden cold frames 6 feet wide, were built for planting ulbs, etc.

About 2,000 linear feet of shelving was put up, and 40 large plant bs, 650 plant boxes, 23 seed boxes, 15 wooden trays, 200 by 6 feet of at work for shading, and 57 straw mats for protecting cold frames ere made.

A new tin roof, covering 936 square feet, was placed on pottingouse No. 2, and the roof of potting-house No. 1 was thoroughly reaired, both roofs being painted; 800 square feet of new flooring was id in these potting-houses, and a new bin to hold 80 tons of coal contructed in the cellar.

At the different houses there was made and put in place 600 feet of -inch tin gutter, and 300 feet of 8-inch copper gutter, with the necessary own spouts.

All furnaces and heating apparatus were cleaned and put in order, nd numerous minor repairs of various kinds made to all the green

ouses.

About 5,000 plants were placed under glass in the green-houses, conisting of carnations, begonias, heliotrope, bouvadias, sweet alyssum, nd smilax, and about 800 roses; there were also boxed and potted for winter bloom 5,000 lilies of the valley, 3,700 hyacinths, 1,500 liliums,

1,000 narcissus, 1,000 tulips, and 1,000 freesia; in the cold frames, spring bloom, 400 pansies and 1,800 liliums were set out.

During the winter months the propagation of bedding plants for parks was continued, and about 290,000 ornamental foliage and thos ing plants, of about sixty varieties were grown, nearly all of which set out in the parks during the months of May and June; among t were about 80,000 echeveria, now largely used in decorative bedd also a number of chrysanthemums for late fall flowering.

A large number of palms, crotons, and sub-tropical plants were ea for in the green-houses during the winter and used in park decorat during the summer.

About 20,000 spring flowering bulbs were purchased and used in ea spring decorations in the various parks.

At the nursery the young trees and shrubs were properly cared i the roadways and gutters kept in order, and the grass mown from t to time; 3,196 plants and 1,800 young trees and shrubs were set ont: stock and for summer bloom.

A new drain to carry off the water from the green-houses and close was constructed; it consisted of 492 feet of 10-inch and 96 feet of 6 in terra-cotta pipe placed in position in a trench 6 feet deep.

I am frequently in receipt of requests for the loan of plants from t gardens for the use of churches, fairs, festivals, etc., and demands constantly made for decorative and other plants for private purposes. I have been obliged to decline all such requests, as either the loa gift of any plants would be in violation of the following extract fry the act of Congress approved June 20, 1878.

Provided, That hereafter only such trees, shrubs, and plants shall be propagated the green-houses and nursery as are suitable for planting in the public reservat: to which purpose only, the said productions of the green-houses and nursery shali applied.

In the propagation of plants there are a few flowers blooming, s it has been a pleasure to this office to extend to Senators, Represents tives, and other distinguished officials, and to churches, festivals, fairs etc., the courtesy of sending to them these blooms, as far as the qua tity on hand will admit. The requests for flowers are numerous and a letters received in reference thereto are filed, and a complete recon kept of those to whom flowers are sent.

As the area of the improved reservations annually increases, it be comes necessary to increase the number of plants propagated, and the year it is larger than ever before, aggregating about 290,000.

SMITHSONIAN GROUNDS.

Extensive improvements have been made in these grounds during the year.

The main drive in front of the Museum Building has been covere with a first-class asphalt pavement from the Seventh-street entrance to a point about opposite the middle of the Museum building; the are improved was 2,767 square yards; about 2,500 additional square yards will be laid this season, thus extending the improvement to a poin about opposite the western wing of the Smithsonian Building, it is re gretted that the funds available are not sufficient to complete this pave ment through to Twelfth street this year.

All the other roads leading from Seventh, Tenth, and Twelth streets to the Museum and Smithsonian Buildings, covering an area of several

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