Appendix IV. 



REPORT ON THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 



Sib : I have the honor to submit the following report on the operations of the 

 National Zoological Park for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1908: 



ROADS AND WALKS. 



The most significant advance made in the park during the year has been the 

 decided improvement in the means of access which was effected by means of a 

 special appropriation of $15,000 made by Congress for the reconstruction and 

 repairing of walks and roadways. 



From this appropriation there were put in excellent condition the roadways 

 from the concrete bridge near the Quarry Road entrance and from the same 

 point to the ford near the Klingle road. A concrete walk was constructed from 

 the bridge to near the lion house, and a new permanent footway was begun to 

 replace the temporary wooden walk by which most visitors entering from the 

 Adams Mill road reach the animal houses. A steam roller was found to be 

 necessary for this work and also for general use in the park. An attempt was 

 made to hire one, but finding this impracticable, one was purchased, weighing 

 between 7 and 8 tons, at a cost of $2,230, and has proved an excellent investment. 



When the roadbed was broken up it was found throughout a large part of 

 the extent to be in much worse condition than expected. The original macadam 

 pavement was in some places almost wholly gone, while in the creek valley 

 the roadbed had settled into the soft ground. Practically the entire body of 

 macadam had to be supplied. Potomac gneiss was used for the base and in 

 part for the middle layer. Limestone was used for the top layer and for a 

 considerable portion of the middle layer. The work was delayed very much 

 because of a difficulty in securing deliveries of stone. The large amount of 

 new construction and repair work that was going on upon the city streets 

 made such a demand for teams that contractors who supplied the stone for 

 the work in the park were unable to obtain them to do the hauling. The ex- 

 pense of putting these roads in proper order was therefore greater than had 

 been anticipated. The total sum expended, including the laying of gutters, 

 was $10,300. 



The macadam walk extending from the Quarry-road entrance to the con- 

 course, which was in extremely bad condition, was replaced by a concrete walk. 

 The length of this walk was 1,100 feet, with a width of 10 feet throughout 

 most of the distance and of 12 feet from the entrance to the concrete bridge. 

 The cost of this walk was $1.32^ per square yard, and the total was $1,936.46. 



The walk from the Adams Mill road entrance to the bowlder footbridge 

 to take the place of the wooden walk is 560 feet in length, with an average 

 width of 9 feet. From the bowlder footbridge to the upper end of the walk 

 the rise is 102 feet. The difficulties of making this walk were considerable, 

 for in some parts of its course it was necessary to cut into the face of a steep 

 hillside. Great pains were taken to shape the bared surfaces and to plant them 

 with indigenous ferns and other plants, so as to present a natural appearance. 

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