The following estimates are submitted for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1900: For completing the Washington Aqueduct tunnel according to the estimate of the board of experts.

For completing the Howard University Reservoir according to the estimate of Capt. D. D. Gaillard, Corps of Engineers..

Money statement.

$803, 410.00

198,013.30

501, 423.30

RAISING THE HEIGHT OF THE DAM AT GREAT FALLS.

July 1, 1897, balance unexpended..

$23, 627. 21

June 30, 1898, amount expended during fiscal year.

.21

July 1, 1898, balance unexpended, deposited with Treasurer of United
States.

23, 627.00

Colonel, U. S. A., Captain, Corps of Engineers.

APPENDIX C C C.

IMPROVEMENT AND CARE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-WASHINGTON MONUMENT.

REPORT OF COL. THEO. A. BINGHAM, UNITED STATES ARMY, OFFICER IN CHARGE, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1898.

OFFICE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS,

Washington, D. C., July 20, 1898. GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following report of operations upon public buildings and grounds in the District of Columbia, under the Chief of Engineers, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898.

In addition to the public buildings and grounds, this office has also been charged with the care and repair of the Government telegraph lines connecting the Capitol with the various Departments and the Government Printing Office; of the repair and improvement of the Government Printing Office; of the repair of the building on Tenth street NW. where Abraham Lincoln died; of the construction of the statue of Gen. John A. Logan; of such matters connected with the erection of the statue of General Sherman as may properly devolve upon the War Department; of the monument at Wakefield, Va., the birthplace of Washington, and the iron-pile dock erected under the supervision of this office in 1894, under the direction of the Department of State, at the mouth of Bridge Creek, Virginia; of the erection in the national military park at Gettysburg, Pa., of the memorial tablet to Abraham Lincoln. From May 30 to July 11, 1898, I was also in charge of the Washington Aqueduct and increasing the water supply of the city of Washington.

By an act (Public-No. 173) approved July 1, 1898, the legal status of the department of public buildings and grounds, which had become difficult to trace in the lapse of a hundred years, owing to widely separated and sometimes obscure or conflicting legislation, was clearly defined, and the mooted question of jurisdiction over parkings was settled. This act also provides for the necessary police regulations in connection with the public grounds of the District.

The act is as follows:

[PUBLIC-No. 173.]

AN ACT to vest in the Commissioners of the District of Columbia control of street parking in said District.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SEC. 1. The jurisdiction and control of the street parking in the streets and avenues of the District of Columbia is hereby transferred to and vested in the Commissioners of the District of Columbia.

SEC. 2. That the park system of the District of Columbia is hereby placed under the exclusive charge and control of the Chief of Engineers of the United States Army, under such regulations as may be prescribed by the President of the United States, through the Secretary of War.

The said park system shall be held to comprise:

(a) All public spaces laid down as reservations on the map of eighteen hundred and ninety-four accompanying the annual report for eighteen hundred and ninetyfour of the officer in charge of public buildings and grounds;

(b) All portions of the space in the streets and avenues of the said District, after the same shall have been set aside by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia for park purposes.

Provided, That no areas less than two hundred and fifty square feet between sidewalk lines shall be included within the said park system, and no improvements shall be made in unimproved public spaces in streets between building lines or building lines prolonged until the outlines of such portions as are to be improved as parks shall have been laid out by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia: And provided further, That the Chief of Engineers is authorized temporarily to turn over the care of any of the parking spaces included in Class "B" above, to private owners of adjoining lands under such regulations as he may prescribe and with the condition that the said private owners shall pay special assessments for improvements contiguous to such parking, under the same regulations as are or may be prescribed for private lands: And provided further, That where in any portion of a street more than one-half of the front is occupied and used for business purposes, the Commissioners are authorized and directed to denominate such portion of the street as a business street and shall authorize the use for business purposes by abutting property owners of so much of the sidewalk and parking as may not be needed, in the judgment of the said Commissioners, by the general public, under such general regulations as the said Commissioners may prescribe. SEC. 3. This act shall not affect in any manner the provisions in the act of March third, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, entitled "An act making appropriations to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, and for prior years, and for other purposes," that no permits for projections beyond the building line on the streets and avenues of the city of Washington shall be granted except upon special application and with the concurrence of all said Commissioners and the approval of the Secretary of War; and the operation of said provision is hereby extended to the entire District of Columbia.

SEC. 4. That when, in the judgment of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, the public necessity or convenience requires them to enter upon any of the spaces or reservations under the jurisdiction of the Chief of Engineers, for the purpose of widening the roadway of any street or avenue adjacent thereto or to establish sidewalks along the same. the Chief of Engineers, with the approval of the Secretary of War, is authorized to grant the necessary permission upon the application of the Commissioners.

SEC. 5. That when in accordance with law or mutual legal agreement, spaces or portions of public land are transferred from the jurisdiction of the Chief of Engineers of the United States Army, as established by this act, to that of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, or vice versa, the letters exchanged between them of transfer and acceptance shall be sufficient authority for the necessary change in the official maps and for record when necessary.

SEC. 6. That the said Chief of Engineers and the said Commissioners are hereby authorized to make all needful rules and regulations for the government and proper care of all the public grounds placed by this act under their respective charge and control; and to annex to such rules and regulations such reasonable penalties as will secure their enforcement.

SEC. 7. All acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act are hereby repealed; but nothing contained in this act shall be construed to affect in any way any pending litigation involving the validity or invalidity of the occupation of any public space or reservation in the District of Columbia.

Approved, July 1, 1898.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, GREENHOUSES, CONSERVATORY, AND STABLE.

The usual care was given to the Mansion and its furniture, and minor plumbing, gas fitting, and carpentry repairs made as needed. Repairs were made to furniture and some articles of new furniture

purchased. The chandeliers were overhauled during the summer, the glass removed, thoroughly cleaned, and replaced, and needed repairs made from time to time throughout the year. Carpets were taken up and cleaned and curtains taken down in July and replaced in the autumn and were again removed in June for the summer. All lace curtains were laundered and six pairs of new lace curtains hung in three of the private apartments. Some whitewashing and calcimining was done in the basement, and doors and locks were repaired wherever necessary. A pipe was run from the water tank on roof into the attic, and hose attached for use in case of fire. A new coldwater supply pipe was run to one of the bathrooms. New copper sash chains and new sash locks were placed on some of the windows; the five large awning frames on the south portico were covered with new canvas. New electric wires were run from the motor room in the basement to the loft over the north portico, preparatory to lighting the portico with electric lights.

Iron guards were made from old ornamental iron fencing on hand and placed at 22 of the basement windows hitherto unprovided with this protection, repairs made to the wooden frames of 10 wire screens at these windows, and 13 new screens made and placed at other windows of the Mansion.

New linen slip covers were provided for some of the furniture, some new window shades purchased and hung, and repairs made to others as needed. A new iron flagstaff was purchased for erection upon the roof when needed.

An automatic exchange telephone system was placed in the Mansion and connection made with the offices of the Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and Secretary of the Navy, and office of public buildings and grounds, and in the course of a few weeks this system will be extended to include the other Cabinet officers, giving them direct private telephonic communication with the Executive Mansion without the possibility of human interference or intervention; in fact, the system is so arranged that no persons other than those using the wires can gather any information as to the subject of conversation.

The pillars of the south portico, the iron railing around the portico, and the wire fence connected therewith, ten large lamps at the north front, the laundry, the washboards, and aprons under windows in the east room, and some of the doors, door frames, pipes, sashes, etc., throughout the Mansion were painted, the shaft of the elevator calcimined and the woodwork of same painted.

The portable exit bridge and the cloak boxes used at receptions were repaired and twenty new cloak and hatboxes were made, increasing the capacity from 788 to 1,068 persons. Six hat and cloak racks,

accommodating 122 persons, were also purchased. Velour curtains were purchased to drape the hat and cloak boxes, and some new floor crash had also to be provided. An outside storm door was constructed at the main entrance. The large chandelier in the main vestibule was taken down and replaced with a cluster of nine electric lamps, and the vestibule was additionally heated by two steam radiators. As the roof of that part of the conservatory adjoining the Mansion leaked, a canvas covering was put over it temporarily during each of the official functions. The exit bridge, storm doors, canopies and frames, and cloak boxes were placed in position for the official receptions held in January and February, and the parlors, east room, corridors, etc., were beautifully decorated with plants and flowers for those occasions and for the state dinners given in January, February,