USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > City Officers and the Annual Reports to the City Council of Newburyport 1889 > Part 9
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Yours very respectfully,
E. S. DOLE, Chief Engineer.
REPORT OF THE CITY SOLICITOR.
REPORT.
-
To the City Council of Newburyport :
GENTLEMEN :- The following actions at law, in which the city is a party, are now pending, or have been disposed of during the past year :
1. Newburyport vs. Creedon ; Superior Court, Essex County.
The city's exceptions to the ruling of the justice presiding in the Superior Court in the defendant's favor were overruled, and judgment entered for the defendant.
2. City of Waltham vs. Newburyport ; Superior Court, Mid- dlesex County.
This case was tried in the Superior Court last February. Ex- ceptions were then taken by the plaintiff to a judgment in the defendant's favor, and the same were argued last November in the Supreme Judicial Court. Decision reserved.
3. Anastasia Henry vs. Newburyport; Superior Court, Essex. At the time of my last report this case was pending in the Su- preme Judicial Court, on the city's exceptions ; since then a decis- ion has been made sustaining the same, and the case is now for trial again in the Superior Court.
4. Ruel Philbrick, et. al., vs. Newburyport; U. S. Circuit Court, District of Massachusetts.
This case is not in my care.
200
ANNUAL REPORTS.
5. City of Newburyport vs. City of Waltham ; Superior Court, Essex.
This case was tried last September, and judgment was then entered for the plaintiff. It was then carried to the Supreme Ju- dicial Court on the defendant's exceptions, which have since been overruled, and the judgment in the Superior Court affirmed.
The previous history of the foregoing cases may be found in prior reports from this office.
The following cases were commenced this year :
1. Abbie A. Smith vs. Newburyport ; Superior Court, Essex.
This was an action of tort, brought in January, 1889, to recover damages for injuries done to the plaintiff's house on Marl- boro' street by an alleged mob, on the first day of February, 1888 ; and the same was settled in August last without expense to the city, by the entry of "neither party."
2. Frank Paul vs. Newburyport.
3. Lula P. Janvrin vs. Newburyport.
These are actions of tort to recover damages for alleged injuries received by reason of the buggy in which the plaintiff was riding coming in contact with a pile of lumber on Merrimac street, in front of the building now occupied by Burley & Usher. The plaintiffs claimed that the lumber was insufficiently lighted. Mr. E. P. Shaw has been notified to come into court and defend these suits.
4. Adeline Poor, et. al., vs. City Council of Newburyport ; Supreme Judicial Court, Essex.
This is a petition for an injunction to restrain the city from wid- ening State street at the corner of Pleasant, and to have the action of the city council in that matter, under its order of November 6, 1889, quashed. An injunction as prayed for was issued, to stand until otherwise ordered.
201
CITY SOLICITOR.
My receipts and expenditures have been as follows :
Paid for travelling expenses $80 74
for witness fees ... 50 70
for telegrams, copies, printing, etc.
22 07
for expert medical witness 10 00
for assistance
15 00
$178 51
Received from city
124 74
Due from city.
$53 77
Respectfully submitted,
NATHANIEL N. JONES, City Solicitor.
REPORT OF THE CITY MARSHAL.
REPORT.
-
To His Honor the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Newbury- port :
GENTLEMEN-The whole number of arrests during the year end- ing December 31, 1889, for offences committed within the city of Newburyport, is seven hundred and sixty-one, of which four hun- dred and sixty-three were of foreign birth, two hundred and ninety-eight were born within the limits of the United States, twenty-five were females and seventy-eight were minors.
THE ARRESTS WERE FOR THE FOLLOWING CAUSES, VIZ. :
Assault and battery 42
Assault (mutual) 5
Concealing personal property bought on conditional sale 1
Non-support of wife. 5 Arson, attempted 1
Selling oleomargarine without being properly marked
Burglary
1
Breaking and entering 8
Disorderly house 1 Breaking glass 6 Drunkenness. . 131
Drunk, second offence 104
Drunk, third offence 43
Disturbing the peace 13
Defrauding hotel keepers . 3
Defaulted
1
206
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Escaped prisoner
1
Forgery .
1
Fast driving
2
Fighting.
1
Evading fare
6
Receiving stolen money
1
Insane.
1
Larceny from building
2
Larceny
33
Larceny from the person
1
Neglected child .
1
Malicious mischief .
6
Selling goods under false pretences
1
On suspicion .
1
Runaway boy.
1
Stealing a ride
4
Profanity
3
Unlawfully using horse
1
66 boat
1
Vagrancy
1
Violation of the rules of the board of health
4
Violation of city ordinances
14
Violation of the lobster law
1
Violation of the liquor law 8
Total 761
DISPOSED OF AS FOLLOWS, VIZ. :
Appealed 12
Bound over to Superior Court 6
Cases continued. 14
Cases settled without trial 4
Committed for non-payment of fine 180
Committed to State Reformatory 3
77
Discharged by Court. 34
Fined and paid . 237
House of Correction 110
Newburyport Workhouse 6
19
Ordered to pay costs
Put on probation 22
Placed on file 18
Put under bonds to keep the peace 1
Defaulted .
1
Discharged without complaint
207
CITY MARSHAL.
Turned over to other officers 6 Turned over to parents. 5
Reformatory Prison, Concord 2.
66
66 Sherborn 1
Turned over to Board of State Charities.
3
MISCELLANEOUS.
Amount of property reported lost. $1.329 68
Amount of property recovered . 1,415 04
Amount of imprisonment imposed.
Accidents reported .55 years, 5 months.
85
Assisted other officers
373
Buildings found open and secured.
123
Cases of truancy investigated
43
Complaints investigated
2,953
Defective places in streets reported.
268
Dogs killed
18
Disturbances suppress without arrest
360
Escorts furnished processions
8
Fire alarms given
6
Fires extinguished without alarm 9
Injured persons assisted 39
Intoxicated persons helped home .
131
Lights furnished for dangerous places
186
Lost children restored to parents . 76
Meals furnished lodgers and prisoners
Nuisances investigated 3,078
Officers for extra duty at church
11
Officers for extra duty at City Hall
101
Persons provided with lodgings.
1,057
Search warrant for liquor served
7 Street obstructions removed 528
Stray teams put up. . 71
Money taken from prisoners and returned $860 20
Persons ordered to remove snow 309
Respectfully submitted,
ASA W. EMERSON, City Marshal.
CITY OF NEWBURYPORT, Dec. 31, 1889.
67
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
(14)
REPORT.
To His Honor the Mayor and the City Council :
GENTLEMEN :- The Board of Health herewith submits its report for the year 1889.
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation
$900 00
EXPENDITURES.
Salary of agent, and expenses $278 50
G. H. Stevens. clerk, fifteen months 62 50
C. W. Davenport, clerk, six months. 25 00
F. V. Pike, meteorological observer, and ex- penses
184 75
Advertising and printing
101 50
C. M. Lunt, cleaning city privies.
19 25
G. W. Woodwell, fumigating
13 00
Sundry expenses
6 77
$691 27
Undrawn
208 73
$900 00
Of the amount undrawn two hundred dollars is due to Charles M. Lunt for services in removing house offal under contract.
REPORT OF AGENT.
Mr. D. C. Batchelder, the agent of the board, has faithfully attended to his duties, and presents the following summary of
212
ANNUAL REPORTS.
NUISANCES ABATED ON COMPLAINT.
Privy vaults (full or offensive) 122
Cesspools (overflowing or defective) 65
Filthy yards. 31
Dead animals buried 27
Sinks without traps
25
Waste water running into streets
13
Filthy barn cellars .
6
Foul culverts
5
Filthy house cellars
4
Violation of swine ordinance
1
Foul cisterns and wells
1
Filthy hen pens.
2
Offensive cow stables
1
Filthy house.
1
General nuisances
10
320
Nuisances abated without formal complaint
86
Total
406
He has also placed 105 warning cards upon houses where scarlet fever and diphtheria have prevailed, and has made many unre- corded visits to premises where the occupants have needed advice as to the proper sanitary arrangements necessary for health.
REMOVAL OF NIGHT SOIL AND CONTENTS OF CESSPOOLS.
Early in the season it was deemed advisable by the Board to place the removal of the contents of the privy vaults and cesspools under the charge of one responsible person, who, by having the whole city to attend to, would be more likely to give the work the prompt and careful attention such work demands. An adver- tisement was accordingly issued asking for proposals for the work, the same to be performed with the "odorless exca vator." The following propositions were received: E. B. Gabin. of Medford, price $2 per load of twelve barrels ; C. H. Kelleher, of Newburyport, $2 per load of twelve barrels, for a term of years ; Jere Cashman, of Newburyport, $2 per load of twelve bar- rels, exclusive right for three years ; C. M. Lunt, of Newbury, $1.75 per load of twelve barrels, exclusive right for three years.
213
BOARD OF HEALTH.
The Board voted to give the contract to Mr. C. M. Lunt, he being the lowest bidder, and the work has been faithfully per- formed. The amount removed by Mr. Lunt has been 1,293 loads of twelve barrels each, or 15,516 barrels. Beside the amount removed by Mr. Lunt 100 loads, of twelve barrels each, were removed by Mr. Cashman before Mr. Lunt's contract went into effect, making in all 1.393 loads, of twelve barrels each, or 16,716 barrels. In addition to the above Mr. Lunt has removed during the summer months 56 loads of dead fish, decayed vegetables, and other matter from the docks and around the wharves.
COLLECTION OF HOUSE OFFAL.
Being desirous of abating, if possible, the nuisance caused by the collection of house offal in hand carts, wheelbarrows and other vehicles, proposals were issued looking to its collection by con - tract, under the direction of one responsible party.
Mr. Jeremiah Cashman and Mr. Charles M. Lunt each proposed to take the contract for the term of three years, at $300 per year. Before action was taken on these propositions Mr. Cashman with- drew his proposal, and no other proposal being made, the contract was given to Mr. Lunt. After the friction caused by the intro- duction of this method had subsided, the plan was found to work well, and to the public advantage. A section of the upper part of the city was given by Mr. Lunt, with the consent of the Board, to Mr. Sidebotham to cover, and the balance of the city has been attended to by Mr. Lunt, or by those acting under his direction.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
During the year there have been reported to the Board the fol - lowing number of contagious diseases :
Diphtheria . 65, of which 11 have been fatal.
Scarlet fever 40,
1
Typhoid fever 22,
66
5
66
66
none 6 6 66
Measles 11, 138
In all cases of contagious diseases the Board has required warn-
214
ANNUAL REPORTS.
ing cards placed upon the house, and a strict fumigation of the premises.
INFLUENZA.
In the month of December many of our citizens were afflicted with this troublesome disease. From reports received from physi- cians of many other cities and towns, we do not think Newbury- port suffered as severely as many other localities ; a few deaths, however, have occurred, attributable to the complications of this disease.
CO-OPERATION OF PHYSICIANS.
There is no class of citizens who can do more to aid the endeavors of the Board of Health to prevent the spread of con- tagious diseases than our physicians, and the Board has endeav- ored to impress upon them the necessity of their co-operation. We are pleased to report that in most cases our physicians have made prompt returns to us of the contagious cases to which they have been called ; and although from one or two sources we have heard it said "there was too much red tape," yet in the main our physi- cians have cordially given their aid to the desires of the Board to have as perfect a system as possible in relation to contagious dis- eases.
SEWERAGE.
We would take this occasion to urge upon those of our citizens who are living in that part of the city now covered by the sewer- age system the expediency of their making early connection with the sewers, for the very general use of city water will cause many of our cesspools to overflow and become a source of danger ; and one of the most frequent complaints to the Board has been of cess- pools overflowing, and their contents running upon the surface of the ground.
DR. H. F. ADAMS,
our late city physician, was obliged during the year, by reason of failing health, to resign his position on the Board and seek a more
215
BOARD) OF HEALTH.
congenial climate. We desire to testify to the faithfulness and ability with which he performed his duties, and to the deep inter- est he felt in all that tended toward the sanitary welfare of the city.
MORTALITY STATISTICS FOR 1889.
Deaths (exclusive of still-born), 297. Males, 137 : females, 142. Native born, 229 ; foreign born, 50.
Respectfully submitted,
ERNEST H. NOYES, M. D., Chairman. JOHN F. YOUNG, M. D. C. W. DAVENPORT. Clerk.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
REPORT.
- -
To the Board of Health :-
GENTLEMEN :- I respectfully submit the following as the tenth annual report of meteorological observations in this city, under your supervision.
At the outset I would congratulate you, and through you all our citizens and the public generally, that by means of the liberal, in- telligent and far-sighted policy of successive city governments this series of observations, so successfully commenced in 1879, under the former observer, Mr. Karl Castelhun, and in conformity to the recommendation of the National Board of Health, has been con- tinued unbroken for a period now amounting to a whole decade. Such observations increase greatly in value with length of contin- uity, and the present series has now attained such length as to be already of great value in the study of climateology, and the influ- ence of climatic conditions on disease and mortality. The health of a community is largely dependent on the varying conditions of the weather, and the ability to study these conditions for a long series of years, in connection with health statistics, must inevitably result in the determination of such alliances of cause and effect between them as to enable persons the more effectually to guard against sickness due to such causes, and so to promote the health and longevity, and consequently the prosperity, of the community.
Another aspect in which the value of these observations may be
220
ANNUAL REPORTS.
shown is their use as evidence in suits, in which damages are claimed against the city by reason of accidents. During the four years in which I have made the observations I have been three times summoned into court to testify in these matters, and I can safely say that this evidence has saved the city hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. In the first of these cases (Hall vs. City of Newburyport ; Superior Court, Essex, September sitting, 1886), the evidence from the records reduced the probability of proving the city's liability to such an extent that the case was set- tled without completing the trial, by the payment of a very small sum of money. The second case was Adams vs. City of Newbury- port ; Superior Court, Essex, at Salem, December sitting, 1887. In this case I was summoned by the plaintiff, but the evidence of the records was of such a nature as to relieve the city from all re- sponsibility for the accident, and the verdict was for the defend- ant. The third case was that of Arthur vs. City of Newburyport : Superior Court, Suffolk, at Boston, June, 1888, in which the plaintiff claimed four thousand dollars for injuries received from falling into a gutter near the foot of Strong street. In this case it was shown that the city was liable by reason of an improperly constructed gutter at that point ; but the evidence as to the con- dition of the weather at that time, showing an extraordinary rain- fall in connection with the deep snow then on the ground, essen- tially reduced the liability of the city, and the result was a verdict for only one thousand dollars.
In this aspect alone the value of the observations is proved to be such as to far out-weigh the trifling cost to the city of their maintenance.
The observers and the station of observation have remained the same as for the past four and one-half years, and the instruments used were the same as in the preceding year.
The instruments belonging to the city, in use at the present time, are as follows: One mercurial barometer, two mercurial . thermometers (dry and wet bulb), one mercurial self-registering maximum thermometer, one spirit self-registering minimum ther- mometer, one copper rain-gauge, one (reserve) galvanized iron rain-gauge, one anemometer with electric self-recording anemo- graph, battery, wire, etc., one self-recording aneroid barometer,
221
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
and one pair of sunshine recorders. In addition to these instru- ments the observer has had the use, through the courtesy of the New England Meteorological Society, of a valuable self-recording aneroid thermometer. These instruments are all in good condi- tion. The "normals" used in the following tables, and elsewhere in this report, are obtained from the observations of the past ten years, except those of the movement of the wind, which cover only seven years.
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.
All readings under this head are expressed in inches and frac- tions thereof, and are obtained from observations of the standard mercurial barometer, at an altitude of 72.7 feet above mean sea level. These readings are corrected for temperature, elevation and instrumental error, but not for standard gravity, the reduc- tion for which would probably be -007 inch.
TABLE I.
-1889
Departure from
Month.
Normal.
Mean.
Normal.
Max.
Min.
Range.
January .
.30.060
29.993
-. 067
30.655
29.073
1.582
February
30.068
30.069
+.001
30.904
29.267
1.637
March .
.29.912
29.865
-. 047
30.503
28.858
1.645
April
29.959
29.982
+.023
30.520
29 390
1.130
May
29.985
29.958
-. 027
30.317
29 532
0.785
June
.29.948
30.002
+.054
30.464
29.513
0.951
July
29.927
29.985
+.058
30.348
29.644
0.704
August
29.993
30.067
+.074
30.427
29.776
0.651
September.
.30.060
30.059
001
30.384
29.391
0.993
October
30.060
30.033
- 027
30.470
29.524
0.946
November
30.048
30.045
-. 003
30.636
29 283
1.353
December
30.033
30.100
+.067
30.960
29.085
1 875
Mean
30.004
30.013
+.009
30.549
29.361
1.188
The mean pressure for the year was 30.013 inches or .009 inch above normal. Highest annual mean in ten years, 30.024 in 1880 ; lowest, 29.963 in 1885.
The highest point reached by the barometer during the year
222
ANNUAL REPORTS.
was 30.960 inches on the 31st of December, and the lowest was 28.858 inches on the 7th of March. Range for the year, 2.102 inches. Highest pressure recorded in ten years, 31.016 inches in 1887 ; lowest, 28.772 inches in 1886 ; extreme range, 2.244 inches. The pressure was slightly above normal in February, April, June, July, August and December, and slightly below in January, March, May, September, October and November, there being no departure of more than .074 inch. The greatest monthly ranges were, as usual, experienced in the winter months, those of January, February, March and December exceeding 1.5 inch. The smallest ranges were those of May, July and August, all of which were less than .8 inch. January was marked by less storms than usual, but of greater severity, that of the 21st being preceded by the abnor- mal barometric fall of 1.19 inch in 14 hours. The storms of Feb- ruary were of no more than moderate energy. The distribution of the pressure during the month was very peculiar. During the first 19 days it was almost continuously below 30 inches, while during the remainder of the month it was continuously above 30 inches, averaging 30.56 for the period of nine days. In March the oscillations of pressure, though slow, were great, and the month was a stormy one, as usual. There were no great fluctuations of pressure, and hence no severe storms, in any of the months from April to October, both inclusive, the range of pressure for that en- tire period of seven months being only 1.13 inch. In November the changes of pressure were much greater and more rapid, culmi- nating in a fall of 1.25 inch as the storm of Thanksgiving morning came on. December was very changeable, depressions following each other at very short intervals, but there were no severe storms until the 26th, when, after a very energetic depression, a gale of 44 miles an hour, the heaviest of the year, occurred. The year closed with an abnormally high pressure of 30.96 inches.
The following shows the mean difference of pressure at the times of the several daily observations :
Annual mean at 7 a. m. 30.032
2 p. m. . 29.988
9 p. m. 30.019
Mean of all observations. 30.013
223
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
Decrease of pressure from 7 a. m. to 2 p. m. . 044 inch ; increase from 2 to 9 p. m., .031 inch.
TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR.
The air temperature is obtained from the readings of standard thermometers about 14 feet above the ground, in a NNE exposure, and protected by a shelter allowing abundant ventilation. All thermometer readings are expressed in degrees Fahrenheit.
TABLE II.
1889
Maximum Minimum
Month.
Normal.
Mean.
Dep. from Normal.
Max.
Min.
for 10 Years.
for 10 Years.
January
24.8
32.7
+7.9
58.3
7.2
60.0
14.8
February
26.3
24.4
-1.9
47.8
- -4.0
64.0
- 7.0
March
.32.1
36 7
+4.6
63.9
20.5
70.0
- 3.4
April
43.9
46 5
+2.6
75.8
30.0
86.5
18.3
May
.55.2
58.9
+3.7
92.0
38.0
96.0
30 0
June.
65.2
67.5
+2.3
86.3
45 8
96.8
40.0
July .
69.2
68.1
-1.1
86.5
52.2
97.6
47.7
August
67.0
65.3
-1.7
83.2
49.2
95.5
42.3
September
60.5
61 2
+0.7
84.1
39.9
97.0
31.3
October
49.1
46.9
-2.2
73.3
29.5
87.0
24.9
November
39.8
42.1
+2.3
66.3
19.3
72.4
11.0
December
30.3
35 3
+5.0
62.6
7.6
65.0
-12.0
Mean .
47.0
48.8
+1.8
73.3
27.9
82.3
17.4
The mean annual temperature was 48.8°. This is 1.8° above normal, and is the highest annual mean for ten years ; lowest, 45.5° in 1889. The highest temperature recorded during the year was 92.0° on the 10th of May, and the lowest was -4.0° on the 24th of February. The latter date was the only day during the year when the temperature fell below zero, while the only other instances of extreme heat than the one quoted above were : May 9th, 90.6°; May 18th, 91.8º. Annual range for 1889, 96.09. Maximum for ten years, 97.6°, in 1887. Minimum for ten years, -14.8º, in 1887. Extreme range, 112.4°.
224
ANNUAL REPORTS.
The means at the times of the several observations were as fol- . lows :
Mean temperature at 7 a. m .45.7º ..
2 p. m. 54.7
9 p. m 47.4
Mean of all observations 48.8
The year, as a whole, was the warmest on record in this city. Every month had a mean temperature above normal except Febru- ary, July, August and October, and in none of these was the defi- ciency as great as 2.5°, while January, March, May and Decem- ber each showed an excess of more than 3.5°. January was un- usually warm, averaging nearly 8° above normal, the temperature not falling below 7º above zero during the entire month. Febru- ary was slightly below normal,-a very good winter month, while March was unseasonably warm again, 20° being the lowest point reached during that month. April, May and June were all warmer than the average, resulting in a forward and delightful spring. In May the hottest weather, and in fact the only intensely hot weather, of the year was experienced, the temperature passing 90° on three different dates, after which month a temperature of 87° was not reached during the year. July and August were slightly below normal, September a fraction of a degree above, and October below, the latter month being a noticeably cool one. November was a warm month, averaging less than 5° cooler than October, and December was the warmest for eight years, averag- ing 5° above normal, and having, like January, no record lower than 7º above zero.
RANGE OF TEMPERATURE.
The daily and monthly range of temperature appear in the fol- lowing table :
225
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
TABLE III.
Month.
Normal Monthly Range.
Monthly Range, 1889.
Normal Daily Range.
Daily Range,'89
Mean.
Max.
Min.
January
56.6
51.1
16.4
15.5
24.2
4.2
February
.54.9
51.8
17.8
17.2
31.6
5.2
March
51.0
43 4
16.3
15.5
32.8
5.5
April
53.9
45.8
18.9
17.1
38.5
5.4
May
.53.8
54.0
19.9
20.9
38.3
9.8
June
47.3
40.5
21.6
19.1
32.6
9.7
July
42.3
34.3
19.8
16.6
26.5
7.5
August
43.2
34.0
19.5
16.2
25.3
6.7
September
47.7
44.2
17.8
14.6
28.7
3.6
October
.49.7
43.8
17.7
15.3
29.4
7.1
November
52.0
47.0
16.2
14.0
26.8
5.9
December
55.6
55.0
15.3
17.9
26.6
6.2
Mean
50.7
45.4
18.1
16.7
30.1
6.4
The monthly ranges for 1889 were, almost without exception, very small, those of July and August being among the smallest ever recorded here, while the greatest, that of December, was only 55°.
The daily ranges were generally small, also, averaging less than the normal every month but May and December. The greatest daily range occurred on the 11th of April, when the temperature rose 38.5°, under the effect of intense insolation and fresh SW. winds. A rise of 38.3º was recorded on the 9th of May under precisely similar circumstances. The smallest daily range was 3.6°, on the 11th of September, during the prevalence of a dry northeasterly storm. The last cold wave of the spring was felt on the 22d of April, and the first one of the fall on the 21st of Octo- ber. The sharpest cold wave of the winter was a fall of 30° in seven hours, on the morning of Feb. 23d. Numerous instances of a sudden rise or a sudden fall, amounting sometimes to several degrees in as many minutes, were faithfully recorded by the ther- mograph, the continuous records of which are preserved and per- manently filed for future use and discussion.
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