USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > City Officers and the Annual Reports to the City Council of Newburyport 1891 > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15
Outside parties are required to keep their teams a full day, and are not called away in case of an alarm of fire, and the city has no repairs or risks on horses.
33
258
ANNUAL REPORTS. -
CHARGED TO THE HIGHWAYS FOR YEAR 1891.
Amount paid for stone $6,734 73 Expense for city teams, 3 double, 3 single ; also bills and driver includ. 5,519 05 Expense of road roller for the year 666 61 To all expense of outside team for the year 1891, winter work included 692 10 Amount paid for manual labor during the time of macadamizing the road, 16.000 yards at zoc. per yd. (the cost of stone is 42) 3,200 00 12 crossings laid the present year, 300 feet, at a cost of 50c. per foot . 1 50 00
Labor, $10 each,
120 00
Labor building embankment at the car stable, and stock used; also lahor and stock used on the slip at foot of Madison street 66 55
Expense of city jigger 47 25
Boarding of horses and loss of hay and bedding, No.I Fire 62 15
To cash paid Luther Dame 19 50
To cash paid freight of road machine 5.00
To laying of 1,580 yards of cobble gutters, at 25c. per yard 395 00
Expense to the city removing dirt during the process of cementing side- walks, 3,591 yds. at 3 cts. per yd 107 75
Labor of removing dirt and hauling of sand from brick sidewalk, 1,768 yds. at Ioc. per yd. 176 80
To cash paid for tools year 1891 53 19
To cash paid for lumber used 30 02
To cash repairing tools and all iron work done during the the year for Highway Department 75 65
Building and repairing footbridges 74 50
To cash paid outside parties for gravel 37 50
66 6 paid for lumber and labor on Brown Square 19 30
paid for labor on sewer heads 19 08
Salary of Superintendent . 1,200 00
Bills carried over from last year and transferred to this department . 423 37
$20,035 32
Amount expended during the winter months, 1224 50
$21,259 82
Balance of money spent clearing of gutters, clearing of pavements, of macadamizing during the season, and general repairs about the city highways, 1,030 50
$22,290 32
259
HIGHWAYS.
Whole amount appropriated
20,000 00 Transferred,
2,567 00
17,433 00
Income for the year
465 47
17,898 47
Amount expended
22290 32
Whole amount for the year 1891 appropriated
17,898 44
Overdrawn
$4.391.88
260
ANNUAL REPORTS.
ASHES AND RUBBISH COLLECTED).
There have been collected the past year 400 loads more than in 1890.
No. of loads collected 3495
No. of loads sold at 5 cent 3274
Expense of teams-3 double and 3 single-$14 per week for double
and $S per week for single, 52 weeks in year . .
$1,144 00
Cost of collecting -- labor of men . 888 49
Sale of 3274 loads at 5 cents 163 70
$724 79
Amuont appropriated
700 00
()verdrawn
$24 79
From the above figures you will see the actual cost of collections is as follows-
Teams
$1,144 00
Pay of men
888 49
$2,032 49
261
HIGHWAYS.
MACADAMIZING OF THE ROADS, 1891. Amount of stone purchased by the City.
There was bought of Mass. Broken Stone Co., Salem, Mass., 1,244 net tons, delivered in the cars, at $1.30 per ton, amounting to $1,617 20.
In May of the present year Messrs. Kelliher & O'Neil puchased a crusher, and a very judicious purchase was made for the city of 5,000 gross tons delivered on the road, at $1.35 per ton, the city pay- ing the weigh bill, 3 cts. per net ton additional. You will readily see the city gets 5,600 net tons of the above amount ; 3,689 tons have been delivered on the road, costing the city $4,996.60 ; estate of N. Varina to weigh bill 4,031 tons, $120 93; whole amount expended for 1891, $6,734 73; 1,311 tons to be delivered on the present con- tract. By this purchase it will readily be seen the city gains 600 net tons at $1.38, amounting to $828. Were the teaming added for 5,600 tons, at 25c. per ton, without the expense of haulling, $1,400, making a saving to the city of $2228.
262
ANNUAL REPORTS.
EXPENSES OF ROAD ROLLER FOR 1891.
Pay of Engineer for the season amounts to the aggregate of $464 12 C'oal and wood bill 140 07
All bills for the year 62 42
$666 61
Machine in order for the coming year, needing no repair.
The surplus taken from the road bed and used on the following streets :
Part of Lime street.
Part of Tremont street.
Part of Hill street.
Part of Pasture street.
Part of Market street.
Part of Summer street.
Part of Winter street.
Part of Strong street.
Part of Merrimac street.
Part of Boardman street.
Part of Olive street.
Part of Kent street.
Part of Dove street.
Part of Warren street.
Part of Carter street.
Part of Broad street.
Part of Tyng street.
17 streets were benefited by the surplus dirt taken with macadam- izing.
263
HIGHWAYS.
EDGESTONES AND SIDEWALKS.
Concreting whole amount in yards, at a cost of 25 cents to the city, 3,591 yards $897 75 Brick sidewalks laid the present year, 1,768 yds., at a cost to the city of 30 cents per yard 530 40
Cost of labor and stock in relaying and repairing of brick sidewalks 182 05
$1,610 30
No. of feet of new edgestones, 5,319 9. inch., at a cost of 34 cents per foot to city
1,808 71
No. of feet where stone was reset, whole expense of the city, 3,073.3 inch., at a cost of 10 cents per foot 307 32
$3,726 33
Amount appropriated
$1,200 00
Transferred
1,100 00
Income
1,689 00
$3,989 13
Whole amount expended for sidewalks and edgestones for year 1891 $6,246 54
3,989 13
$2,257 41
Amount due the city and overdrawn the amount as above.
CHARLES M. PRITCHARD, Surveyor.
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
REPORT
To His Honor the Mayor and the City Council :
GENTLEMEN : The Board of Health herewith submits its fifteenth annual report. for the year ending Dec. 31. 1891 :
RECEIPTS.
Appropriation
$800.00
Transferred from incidentals
242.93 $1.042 93
EXPENDITURES.
Salary of agent and sundry expenses
$202 25
C. W. Davenport, salary
13 25
Charles M. Lunt, removing house offal
450 00
Edwin F. Hunt,
10 00
News Pub. Co., printing and advertising
26 50
Karl Castlehun
5 00
F. Curtis, inspection of plumbing
205 00
C. B. Huse & Co., printing
S 50
Francis V. Pike, meteorological observer
7 20
Newburyport Herald Co., advertising
4 00
Newburyport Standard Co., advertising
10 20
Ernest H. Noyes, expense to Boston
2 00
Amos H. Geary, salary as clerk
25 00
William Holker, inspection of plumbing
74 00
$1,042 93
The board would say here. $150 00 paid to C. M. Lunt and $74 paid to William Holker belongs to the expense of 1890.
268
ANNUAL REPORTS.
WORK OF THE AGENT.
Mr. D. C. Bachelder, the agent of the Board, has performed his work in a faithful manner, attending upon calls made upon him by the board and the public. The following is a summary of his work :
Privy vaults (full or offensive)
5
Cesspools (overflowing or defective) 69
Filthy barn cellars .
5
Filthy cellars.
IO
Swine nuisance
5
Besides the work of investigating complaints, the agent puts up on houses where diphtheria appears a white card, and where scarlet fever appears a red card. After these houses have been properly disinfected, he removes the cards. In many cases he has been obliged to do errands for the household in which diphtheria appeared ; and in one case the board has paid to provide for the family for a short time.
During the year the following contagious diseases were reported :
Diphthe- Scarlet ria.
fever.
Measles.
Typhoid fever.
January ·
7
0
6
I
February
2
O
4
O
March.
3
O
9
O
April
4
I
4
2
May
Ò
IO
I
June
3
7
I
July
2
O
O
O
September
2
O
2
October
C
O
November
. 12
2
O
0
December
. 24
3
0
70
7
40
5
Cases of contagious diseases reported in 1890, 177 ; cases of con- tagious diseases reported in 1891, 122-showing a decrease of 55 cases, which, in the opinion of the board, is owing to the sewer sys- tem, which is beginning to show its good effects within the bounds where it has been constructed, as only four cases of diphtheria out of the seventy reported occurred where the sewer has been con
O
August
269
BOARD OF HEALTH.
structed, and these in houses not connected with the sewer. We would recommend to the City Council the pushing forward of the sewer as fast as possible, in the interest of good health and the san- itary condition of the city.
CO-OPERATION OF PHYSICIANS.
· The physicians the past year have performed their duties in a faithful manner, reporting all cases of contagious diseases promptly. We hope that at a no distant day a ward for patients suffering from contagious diseases, especially children suffering from diphtheria, (where there is a large family of them), may be established at the Anna Jaques Hospital.
REMOVAL OF NIGHT SOIL AND CONTENTS OF CESSPOOLS.
This work has been performed by Mr. C. M. Lunt, whose contract expires June Ist of the current year, when his three years contract will be completed. The following is a summary of his work for the past year :
January .
7 1 loads of 12 barrels each
February
54 78
66
66
66
66
66
April
190
6
66
66
66
60
66
66
66
August
September
24
66
66
66
66
66
October
114
66
66
66
November
90
December.
I21
66
66
66
1,397
16,764 barrels
66
66
66 .6
March
May
215
June
188 66
July .
I44 108 66
66
66
66
66
66
66
66
There have been fewer complaints the past year in regard to the performance of this work than in past years.
270
ANNUAL REPORTS.
COLLECTING HOUSE OFFAL.
'This work has also been attended to by Mr. C. M. Lunt, who has tried to do his duty, and to have faithful employes. Many com- plaints have been made of neglect on his part, but the most of these have come from households, where irresponsible parties have stolen, or have been allowed to carry off the offal ; these parties would collect for a short time, and then would not for a week or two, ciusing much complaint from the households.
WORK OF THE INSPECTOR OF PLUMBING.
The inspection of. plumbing has been performed by Mr. Francis Curtis in a faithful manner, and the work performed is as follows :
Total number of systems of plumbing inspected, ninety six com- pleted, several remaining over, which have been viewed once or twice, but are yet in process of completion ; of these, three have in addi- tion to usual fixtures, a cellar drain for melted ice and salt, used in making ice cream.
Three being on other streets not sewered, are drained into suitable cesspools. Nearly all buildings certified this year are newly plumbed ; five are partly old work to which some addition or improvement was required ; eight are systemis of old work admitted without alteration ; three were reported to the board for error, one of which has been corrected and certified ; One for want of vent pipe now corrected and certified. Some more effective method seems necessary to en- sure notice on additional plumbing, and prevent considerable exten- sions being added to small systems already admitted to sewer, which may thus totally escape inspection, and hence be unlawfully, and per- haps dangerously fitted. One case of overflow of drain in celler has been reported, and it was found that a slight obstruction in sewer had raised the liquids in drain about six inches betraying a leak in the drain. This is a matter which in connection with the well known dislike of some to the safty pipe, will be worthy of careful examina- tion and perhaps further regulation. One case of escape into celler claims special attention, the system having proved totally worthless and was entirely replaced with new pipes and good work by another
27I
BOARD OF HEALTH.
plumber, and certified, one plug two inches in diameter left out and one cap on sewer side of trap left unpacked reported to plumber and immediately corrected by him, one drain in celler of new house Jeft unplugged, a dangerous source of infection. Drain layer was required to correct the error immediately.
REGULATIONS OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH OF THE CITY OF NEWBURYPORT.
The Board of Health of the city of Newburyport hereby makes and publishes, as required by the Public Statutes of the Common- wealth of Massachusetts, the following " Regulations for the Public Health and safety :"
[Extract from Public Statutes, Chap. 80, Sec. 18.]
" The Board shall make such regulations as it judges necessary for the public health and safety. * * * *
" Whoever violates any such regulations shall forfeit a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars."
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.
RULE I .- When a physician knows that a person whom he is called to visit is infected with any disease dangerous to the public health, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Board of Health.
(The Board of Health considers Asiatic cholera, small-pox, typhus fever, yellow fever, scarlet fever, diphtheria (or membranous croup), typhoid fever and measles, diseases within the meaning of Section 79, Chapter So, of the Public Statutes.)
RULE 2 .- When a householder knows that any person within his family is sick of any disease dangerous to the public health, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Board of Health, and upon the death, recovery or removal of such person, the rooms occupied and the articles used by him shall be disinfected by such holder in a manner approved by the Board of Health.
RULE 3 .- No teacher or scholar from any house in which a case of diphtheria (or membranous croup), scarlet fever or measles appears, shall, without a written permission from the physician of the Board of Health, return to any public or private school until the end of two weeks from the recovery or death of the last case in such house, nor within six weeks from the beginning of the last case of scarlet fever.
RULE 4 .- When an undertaker knows that he is called to take charge of the remains of a person who has died of small-pox, diphtheria (or membranous croup,) or scarlet fever, he shall at once notify the Board of Health.
272
ANNUAL REPORT.
RULE 5 .-- No public funeral shall be allowed over the remains of any person who has died of small-pox, diphtheria or scarlet fever, without the written permis sion of the Board of Health, and under such regulations as may prevent the spread of such disease.
RULE: 6 .- The remains of any person dying of small-pox, diphtheria (or mem branous croup), or scarlet fever, shall be wrapped in a sheet saturated with a solu- tion of bichloride 'of mercury, and at once placed in a tight or sealed coffin, and shall not thereafter be exposed to view or disturbed, except for burial.
RULE 7 .- No undertaker or other person shall be permitted to use at the house any stand with draperies which is to be used at any other funeral.
RULE S .- No owner or driver of any carriage or other vehicle used as a public conveyance shall receive, or permit to be carried in or upon such vehicle, any per- son sick or infected with small-pox, scarlet fever or diphtheria, nor the body of any person who has died with such contagious disease, without the written permis- sion of the Board of Health, to be given under such regulations as may prevent the spread of the disease. And any vehicle which shall be so used shall be im- mediately disinfected, according to the instruction of the Board of Health, before any other person shall be conveyed in or upon it.
RULE 9 .- Parents and guardians shall cause their children to be vaccinated before they attain the age of two years.
DRAINAGE, SLOPS AND FILTH.
· RULE I .- No person shall throw into, or leave in or upon any street, court square, yard, alley, wharf, public enclosure, vacant lot, pond, dock or body of waterwithin the limits of the city, any dead animal, dirt, ashes, manure, fish waste, clam or lobster shells, swill, garbage, rubbish, filth or slops, or offensive matter of any kind.
RULE 2 .- All owners and occupants of tenements, dwelling-houses, stores or other buildings with which there is back yard or other land, shall keep such yard or land at all times clear of all filth, garbage or decaying animal or vegetable matters.
RULE 3. Cellars must be properly drained and ventilated, and no decaying vegetable or other matter which allows the air to become vitiated shall be allowed to remain in them.
RULE 4 .- No sink or other fixture connected by drain pipe with cesspool or sewer shall be permitted without a proper trap.
RULE 5 .- All drain pipes within the house or cellar walls shall be of metal and air-tight.
RULE 6 .- Cesspools shall be properly vented.
RULE 7 .- Cesspools shall not be allowed to overflow or become offensive.
273
BOARD OF HEALTH
RULE 8 .- No person shall empty any cesspool, unless first anthorized to do so by the Board of Health.
RULE 9 .- On and after this date no privy vault or cesspool for sewerage shall be constructed on any street or lane where there is no sewer.
PRIVIES AND VAULTS.
RULE I .- The owner of every building shall provide suitable means for the disposal of all fecal matter, urine, slops and waste water.
RULE 2 .- Privy vaults must not be within three feet of any neighboring lot, nor within six feet of the street.
RULE 3 .- The contents of any privy vault shall not be allowed to accumulate within twelve inches of the even surface of the ground, nor in any way to become unnecessarily offensive.
RULE 4 .- No one shall empty any privy vault without the permission of the Board of Health, nor in any other manner than that approved by the Board. When an order to clean a privy vault shall be issued by the Board of Health, the contents therefore shall be cleaned to the bottom.
HOUSE OFFAL.
RULE I .- No person shall remove, or carry in or through any street or place within the city limits, any house offal, unless each person removing the same have permission from the Board of Health, and use only receptacles so constructed that neither contents nor odors can escape.
RULE 2 .- All occupants of houses or tenements are required to furnish proper receptacles for the separate storage of house offal, and such vessels shall be kept free from ashes or house dirt.
RULE 3 .- Any vessel containing ashes, dirt or rubbish will not be removed by the health department, but must be removed by the owner within twenty-four hours.
RULE 4 .- Vessels shall be kept in a place suitable for removal by the Health Department.
SWINE.
RULE I .- Within the limits bounded by Ashland street on the Northwest, by the Merrimac river on the northeast, by Marlborough street and Union street on the southeast, by High, State, Boylston, Hill between Boylston and Pond streets and Vernon street on the southwest, including the premises on both sides of said streets, no person shall keep swine unless authorized to do so by the Board of Health, nor a larger number, nor in any other manner than authorized by the Board , and such authority may be revoked by the board at any time.'
35
274
ANNUAL REPORTS.
COWS.
RULE 1 .- No person shall keep or allow to be kept, in any building or on any premises of which he may be the owner or occupant, within the limits bounded by Ashland street on the northwest, by the Merrimac river on the northeast, by Marlborough and Union steeets on the southeast, and by High, State, Boylston, Hill between Pond and Boylston streets, and Vernon streets on the southwest, including the premises on both sides of said streets, any cows except in clean and wholesome premises, nor more cows than at the rate of one for each 3,000 square feet of land, except in accordance with a permit from the Board of Health, and such permit may be revoked at any time by the Board.
Adopted in Board of Health, July 11, 1891.
ERNEST HENRY NOYES, Chairman. AMOS H. GEARY, Clerk.
RULES AND REGULATIONS RELATING TO PLUMBING.
Unless the Board of Health shall permit otherwise, the drainage system of a hotel, tenement-house, dwelling-house, stable with sleep ing apartments, factory, or other buildings in the city of Newbury port, Mass., shall be constructed as follows :
SECTION 1. Inspector. The Board of Health shall appoint annually an In - spector of Plumbing, who shall receive such salary as the City Council shall de- termine.
SEC. 2. Plumbers. No person shall carry on the business of plumbing unless he shall have first registered his name and place of business in the office of the Board of Health. Notice of any change in the place of business of a registered plumber shall be immediately given to the Inspector of Plumbing.
SEC. 3. Filing Plans and Specifications. No person shall proceed to construct add to, or alter any portion of the drainage system of said buildings (except to repair leaks) until a notice of the work to be performed has been filed with the Inspector of Plumbing, upon blanks in such form as the Board of Health shall order. No person shall commence work on such drainage or plumbing until the plans are approved by the Board of Health. Plans and specifications will be ap- proved or rejected within five days of the time of filing. After a plan has once
275
BOARD OF HEALTH.
been approved no alterations of the same will be allowed, except on a written application of the owner.
SEC. 4. Notice. The Inspector of Plumbing must be notified when any work is ready for inspection, and all work must be left uncovered and convenient for inspection until inspected and approved.
SEC. 5. Inspection. All plumbing work in new buildings, or new work in old buildings, shall be tested in the presence of the Inspector of Plumbing with a hydraulic, or such other test as the Board of Health may direct ; and in case the work does not stand the test, and the same is not repaired within ten days, the water shall be turned off by order of said Board, and not let on again until the plumbing has been pronounced satisfactory by the Board of Health.
SEC. 6. Main Drain. Every building herein referred to shall be separately and independently connected with a common sewer or cesspool. That portion of the house drain which is outside of the building, and not more than five (5) feet from the foundation walls, shall be constructed of extra heavy cast iron soil pipe. That portion of the house drain which is inside the walls, or under the building, and that portion outside of the building and within five (5) feet of the founda tion wall, must be of iron pipe, with a fall of at least one-half (12) inch to the foot if possible, but never less than one-quarter (14) inch to the foot. It must run along the cellar wall, and be securely fastened thereto, or suspended from the floor timbers in iron hangers. When impracticable, it shall be laid in a trench beneath the basemenr or cellar floor, provided with movable covers, and walled up of such a width as to admit of access to all joints.
SEC. 7. Traps. The house drain must have a trap located outside or close inside the foundation walls, unless otherwise permitted by the Board of Health. A suitable grease trap may also be required to be located at such points as the Inspector of Plumbing shall devise ..
SEC. 8. Fresh Air Inlets. There must be a fresh air inlet pipe entering the drain on the house side of the main trap, of not less than four (4) inches, internal diameter, extending therefrom to the external air, away from all windows and cold air box of the furnace, and protectected from dirt and obstruction.
SEC. 9. Soil Pipes. All pipes receiving the discharge from water closets must be iron at least four (4) inches internal diameter, and continued of undiminished size at least two (2) feet above the roof, or six (6) inches above ridge, away from all windows, and left open at the top.
SEC. 10. Connections. All connections with horizontal pipes shall be made by one-eighth (1/8) bends and Y branches, and all changes in direction shall be by curved pipe. No trap shall be placed at the foot of a vertical soil pipe.
SEC. II. Waste Pipes. All waste pipes, from sinks, basins, bath tubs, wash tubs, etc., of less than two (2) inches, internal diameter, shall be of lead, and two (2) inches and over must be of iron.
276
ANNUAL REPORTS.
SEC. 12. Trats. Every pipe connecting a water closet with the soil pipe must be trapped close to the connection with the water closet. Every waste pipe must be trapped close to the fixture, and separately from any water closet.
SEC. 13. Drip or Overflow Pipes. Drip or overflow pipes under water closet, or other fixtures, or from tanks or cisterns, shall in no case be directly connected with house sewers. Sediment blow off, steam exhaust pipes from boilers, shall in no case be connected with sewers directly or indirectly.
SEC- 14. Refrige: ator Wastes. No waste pipe from a refrigerator, or other receptacle in which food or provisions are stored, shall be connected with a drain, soil or other waste pipe, but must be separated therefrom by an open sink or tray, furnished with a trap.
SEC. 15. Ventilation of Trap. All traps must be furnished with a vent pipe, run from the crown of the trap, but the highest closest trap in a systeni, if a 12S and connected to a sanitary T in vertical soil pipe within eight (8) inches, may be excepted. The vent pipe from a water closet trap must be at least two (2) inches in diameter; other vent pipes must be as large as the waste pipe from the trap All ventilation pipes from a soil or waste pipe must be run of undiminished size, separately or combined together, to the roof, and carried up at least four (4) inch- es internal diameter, through the roof, and at least two (2) feet above it, and left open, or may be run into a soil pipe above all connections. In no case shall a soil, waste or ventilation pipe from a soil or waste pipe be connected with a chimney. No brick, earthenware or sheet metal pipes shall be used for ventila- tion pipes from a soil or waste pipe.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.