USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > City of Melrose annual report 1890-1892 > Part 18
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 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48
9
Complaints investigated
61
Dogs killed and disposed of
I2
Stray teams taken care of
6
66 6
liquor
8
160
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Disturbances suppressed
15
Fire alarms given 2
Dog notices sent out
160
Lanterns hung in dangerous places
20
Street lights reported out
97
Lives saved at the depot
4
Lodgers accommodated
85
Board of Health notices served
49
Board of Health cards for contagious diseases
76
The property of the police department consists of
Six pairs hand cuffs
$21 39
One pairs leg irons
5 00
Seven pair chain twisters
7 00
Eight long clubs
10 00
Eight short clubs .
8 00
Five short leather clubs
$3 75
Eight leather belts
8 00
Twelve officers' badges
15 00
Eight (small) officers' badges
4 00
Three doz. buttons
I 80
One desk
21 00
Four chairs
4 00
One clock
5 00
One cabinet
18 00
One copy Public Statutes
4 00
One supplement
3 00
One Democrat wagon
65 00
One B. plate harness
25 00
One whip
1 00
One blanket for horse
6 50
Three blankets for lock-up
5 00
Three pails for lock-up
45
One copy of Heard's criminal law
3 00
One measuring stick
4 00
One tape, 100 ft.
1 00
Two shovels
2 00
Five lockers for clothing
45 00
$296 89
161
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
The force as now organized consists of a chief, one man from 7.30 in the morning until one p. m. Four men coming on duty at seven p. m., until four a. m., the chief coming on duty at the station at one p. m., until 11 p. m .; the rest of his time is spent in investigating complaints, attending to the cases in court, and a large number of matters in connection with the duties of police business, of which the public as a whole, have but a very limited knowledge. I would call your attention to the very urgent need of an officer on duty at the station all night to attend to any calls that may come, also to attend to the prisoners that may be confined in the lock-up. I would also urge the necessity of removing the lock-up to the south end of the building. In its present location any- body can pass anything, or have conversation with anybody under arrest. Our town for the past year has been very free from crime of a serious nature, considering its close proximity to a large city ; over ninety ·per cent. of the parties arrested for drunkenness coming from out of town, as the police records will show. It gives me pleasure to state that the department was never in better condition than at the present time, and will compare favorably with any department of its size in the state. In closing, I wish to thank each member of the Board of Selectmen for their aid and kind advice during the past year. Also every member of the department for their cheerful obedience to all orders given them, and in conclusion I will say that I have endeav- ored to discharge the duties of the office faithfully and im- partially. I have the honor, gentlemen, to remain your obedient servant, FRANK M. MCLAUGHLIN,
Chief of Police.
11
Report of the Board of Health.
There has been no change from the previous year in the membership of the Board of Health. The election of its members for one, two and three years insures a permanency of the Board, which is of decided advantage in furthering any plans, looking to the future, for the improvement of the sanitary condition of the town. On Tuesday evening, March 3rd, 1891, the Board met and continued the organi- zation of 1890 by again choosing Dr. E. S. Jack, Chairman, and George W. Burke, Secretary. John Larrabee was ap- pointed special agent to issue burial permits. Regular meet- ings, in accordance with a vote of the town, were held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month until June 3rd, when it was voted to hold them upon the second and fourth Tues- days. This was done that the Board might not inconve- nience the Board of Selectmen and in order that the Board might enjoy a freer discussion than could be had in meet- ings held in common with other town officers.
NUISANCES.
Nuisances, in all instances as promptly as was possible, have been investigated and have been found of much the same character as last year. Personal suggestions have been much more readily listened to, and consequently it has been necessary to serve fewer notices. In no case has it been necessary to appeal to the courts. Much of the com-
163
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
plaint from that intolerable nuisance, a piggery, has been stopped since the town has undertaken to collect the swill by contract, and the collection by private individuals has been stopped. It is said that pigs can be kept without cre- ating a nuisance. If this is so, unless it is done, it is the opin- ion of the Board that no pig should be allowed to be kept within the town limits.
Although the State law allows Boards of Health to make such regulations as it judges necessary for the public health and safety, still it has been the desire of the Board, to act as far as it could, in accordance with the wishes of the town.
It is a matter of regret that the town should have voted against giving the Board power to make such regulations as they deemed necessary for the safety and health of the peo- ple with reference to house drainage. Plumbing rules and regulations are necessary in every town, but particularly so in one growing as rapidly as Melrose. A careful inspec- tion and regulation of the plumbing and material used in many new houses being built would greatly benefit the health of the town and be an important sanitary measure for the prevention of nuisance and disease in the future.
Such rules are necessary to remove that unmitigated nuis- ance, the old fashioned privy from places in this town where it has been found by experience that cleaning and ventila- tion do little to palliate the evil.
SWILL.
With the small appropriation, it was out of the question at the beginning of the year to do anything towards collecting the town swill. Its collection was therefore left to private individuals. The question was then discussed whether they should be licensed and obliged to furnish the names of fam-
164
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
ilies from whom they collected or whether they should work without license or control. The Board, employing no special agent, felt that nothing was to be gained by license, and, while regretting that the collection of swill should go into the hands of those who were known to gather it wherever and whenever they pleased, and to transport it in any kind of receptacle or conveyance, they took no action in the matter. In town meeting called June 22, the sum of $1,500 was voted for collection of swill. Bids were at once adver- tised, and on July Ist, the contract was awarded to J. O. Elms, and the following regulations were adopted and pub- lished for six months.
EXTRACT PUBLIC STATUTES. Chap. 8, Sec. 18. The Board shall make such regulations as it judges neces- sary for the public health and safety. * * Whoever violates any such regulations, shall forfeit a sum not exceed- ing one hundred dollars.
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
All house offal, whether consisting of animal or vegetable substances, shall be placed in suitable vessels, and no ashes or other refuse matter shall be mingled therewith, and the same shall be kept in some convenient place to be taken away by the swill collector, which shall be done as often as twice each week.
No person shall, without a permit by the Board of Health, collect, remove or carry through any street, alley or public place in the town, any swill or offal from any dwelling house, or other place. And the only person who is author- ized to collect swill in the town of Melrose for the ensuing year is J. O. Elms.
The Board desires that all complaints be made known to them at once.
The Board has received no complaints and all requests for the collection of swill have been promptly attended to.
165
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
These requests have come from those, who at first refused to keep their waste for the town collector or from those who, away for a longer or shorter period, had failed to notify the collector of their return. The Board of Health, there- fore, feel that the work has been well done, and recommend that the work be continued. The collection of ashes is a question which the town will soon be obliged to consider, and demands careful consideration of the ways and means necessary for its accomplishment. It would be interesting to compute the amount of money expended by the citizens for the removal of ashes and house rubbish, which though they hardly can be called wasted, yet, if intelligently dis- posed of, might be of money value to the town.
On the fifteenth of September appeared the first case of diphtheria, which afterwards became epidemic in this town, forty-four cases appearing between this time and Nov. first, with five deaths ; a small percentage when we consider the severity of the epidemic. Eight of these cases were at the center, thirty-three at the Highlands and three at Wyoming.
There was nothing in the sanitary condition of the places visited to explain the cause of the diphtheria. On the 24th of September the Board of Health being informed that malig- nant diphtheria existed in the town of Saugus, investigated the report at once and found the disease was in the family of a man named Penny; that one of his children had died of the disease and also found that he had supplied milk to two of our local milkmen, one of whom was still obtaining a portion of his supply there. Further investigation showed that the one who first obtained his supply there, when he saw diphtheria appearing upon his route, stopped taking this milk but did not notify the Board of Health. It was upon the route of this same man that diphtheria ap- peared when it was epidemic in Melrose in 1886 and from his experience he readily associated cause and effect and
166
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
sought milk elsewhere. It is to be regretted that another should have taken this same milk, a thing that would have been prevented had the Board known of the above facts earlier. This milk supply was stopped immediately and energetic measures taken to thoroughly disinfect all vessels that had been used in the conveyance of this milk. No can was left at any house containing a case of diphtheria, isola- tion was enforced, and disinfection was carried out under the direction of the Board of Health. The schools at the High- lands were closed and every precaution that suggested itself taken to prevent further spread of the disease. By these means the Board of Health know that the spread of the disease was stopped, the only cases appearing after- wards being in the families where the had disease existed and in those who had been exposed by contact with the patient.
Every case of diphtheria was directly traced to this milk. The first cases were supplied by the milkman, who first obtained his milk at the Penny farm, and which, with one exception, were at the centre. The Highlands were sup- plied by man number two, who also supplied with milk the families at the centre in which the disease appeared at the time it was prevalent at the Highlands.
If this is a mere coincidence, to quote from the report of Dr. J. S. Clark to the State Board of Health on the epidemic of 1886: "It attains to the marvellous when we consider that of probably 30 distributors of milk this disease only followed in the trail of a certain supply and failed to appear on the routes of 20 or more who drew their supply else- where and none of whom peddled this particular milk.
167
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
During the year 1891-92 151 cases of contagious diseases have been reported to the Board of Health, as follows :
Scarlet Fever.
Measles.
Diphthe- ria.
Typhoid Fever.
Croup, Membra- neous.
No. of cases.
No. of deaths.
No. of cases.
No. of deaths.
No. of cases.
No. of deaths.
No. of cases.
No. of deaths.
No. of cases.
No. of deaths.
No. of cases.
No. of deaths.
January .
3
2
.
I
I
.
I
February
I
4
March
3
2
I2
I
May
2
15
.
·
I
.
.
I
June
4
18
I
July
0
.
2
I
.
.
.
August
I
3
.
.
.
I
September . .
2
I7
.
3
October
O
26
3
November .
3
2
.
.
.
December . .
6
3
I
6
.
. .
I
April
·
.
.
Of these 62 cases were of measles, 27 of scarlet fever, 10 of typhoid, and 52 cases of diphtheria. There have been fewer cases of scarlet fever this year than the year before; the cases being of a mild character and at no time has the disease been epidemic. During the year we have had 10 cases
.
168
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
of typhoid fever, which is the same number as occurred in 1890-91; 62 cases of measles and 52 of diphtheria have been reported. As it has only been for the last year that it has been required to report cases of measles it is possible that in a few instances physicians may have failed to notify the Board of cases under their care. Undoubtedly cases of measles occur when the disease is so mild that a doctor is not called and the cases are not reported. Yet so far as known physicians have faithfully reported their cases of contagious diseases, and many householders, as required by the law of the state, have notified the Board of cases in their own families. As to the number of cases of measles the ex- planation is found in the popular idea of the harmlessness of the disease and in the consequent neglect of isolation. This is wrong for no one from one case can judge of the severity of subsequent cases, and, although the mortality from measles is small, yet complications may follow that, if they do not result fatally, injure the patient perhaps for life. Houses, containing cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria, have been placarded as heretofore. When the card is posted, inquiry is made as to the probable source of the disease, the number of families in the house, the number of children and what schools they attend. The teacher or teachers are then informed upon a printed slip, of the name and residence of the patient, and notified that such children be excluded from school until such time as the Board of Health or at- tending physician certifies that they may be safely re- admitted. Disinfection is required and it is a matter for re- gret that it cannot always be done under the direction of the Board. The Board of Health believe that energetic meas- ures are necessary to control the spread of contagious dis- eases, and that they are necessary to impress upon the minds of some that diphtheria, for instance, is dangerous. Igno- rance is a great obstacle but it is not the only difficulty to
169
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
contend with. There are a few who do not believe in dis- ease germs, and naturally do not believe that disease may be communicated through clothing, etc., or through the medi- um of food and drink. They see no reason for isolation and are glad to have their neighbors run in. The disease germs do exist, and while they flourish in filthy places, they may be carried about in the clothing, books, etc., and thrive in food and drink.
In the report of Board of Health of Cambridge for 1890, we find the following :
"As a vehicle for their ( disease germs) conveyance, there is probably not one which can surpass so necessary an arti- cle of food both to old and young, as milk. In the language of the bacteriologist, milk is one of the best " culture media " for nearly every species of germ, harmless as well as disease-producing. We must not expect that milk con- taining pathogenic germs shall make its dangerous nature known to the sight or the sense of smell. As the most deadly sewer air may be without odor, so may milk bearing disease germs be without any property that shall give warn ing to the senses of its noxious qualities."
170
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
THERE WERE 152 DEATHS DURING THE YEAR FROM THE FOL- LOWING CAUSES.
Accidents
5 Heart disease ·
12
Alcoholism
I Hemorrhage of lungs I
Anæmia
I Intestinal obstruction .
I
Apoplexy
6 La Grippe
.
I
Brain disease
2
Locomotor ataxia .
I
Bronchitis
I
Malignant disease of
Bronchitis capillary
I bowels 2
Bright's disease acute .
2
Marasmus
6
Cancer .
5 Meningitis
I
Carcinoma of liver
I
Meningitis cerebro-spinal
I
Cellulitis
I
Ossification of heart
I
Chronic nephritis
4
Oedema of lungs . I
8
Croup membraneous
2 Pneumonia 13
Phthisis
II
Convulsions .
5 Paralysis
IO
Debility
I Quinsy
I
Diarrhoea
3
Rheumatism
I
Diphtheria
8 Shock
I
Disease of liver
I Still-born
13
Diabetis
2 Suppression of locia
I
Dysentery
I Suicide
I
Exhaustion
2 Typhoid fever
3
Eudocarditis
I Uraemia
I
Gangrene
I Unknown
I
.
A careful consideration of the tables in the report of the Town Clerk shows that the greatest number of deaths oc- curred in the winter months and in people over 60 years of age. That the grip influenced directly or indirectly this in- creased mortality cannot be doubted when we consider the great increase in the death-rate throughout the State.
E. S. JACK, M. D., FRANK L. WASHBURN, GEO. W. BURKE,
Board of Health.
.
.
Cholera infantum
I Old age
.
Consumption of bowels
I
.
Report of the Superintendent of Streets.
To the Hon. Board of Selectmen :
GENTLEMEN : - I herewith submit a statement in detail of the labor performed and the amounts expended under my superintendence, in compliance with orders received from your board, upon the highways, for concrete crossings and gutters, for sidewalks, street crossings, and for drainage, bridges and culverts.
Highways.
There has been expended for labor on the streets named below, sums as follows :
Batchelder street
$50 00
Cedar Park
208 75
Cherry 66
75 00
Cleveland
400 00
Eighth
50 00
Emerson
100 00
First
200 00
Florence
50 00
Gooch
114 32
Grove
90 00
Grundy
40 00
Amount carried forward,
$1,378 07
I72
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
Amount brought forward,
$1,378 07
Highland street .
400 00
Lake ave.
185 00
Lebanon
275 00
Linden
30 00
Lynde
75 00
Main 66
429 82
Myrtle
75 00
Orris
200 00
Parker
100 00
Pleasant
286 20
Second
300 00
Swain's Pond ave.
100 00
Tappan street
194 12
Upham
225 00
Washington
245 00
Winthrop 66
100 00
$4,598 21
For Macadamizing Streeets.
Cost of stone broken and in elevator $1 14 per cubic yd. Cost for teaming, spreading and
rolling
50 -
Cost complete, ready for use $1 64 66
361/2" square "
The product of the crusher was 2,886.78 cubic yards, all of which has been placed upon the following streets :
Cedar Park, 92.59 cubic yards, cost . $ 151 85
Emerson street, 222.22 cubic yards, cost 364 44 Essex I222.22
2,004 44
Franklin 333.33 66
546 66
Vinton 66 268.15 66
439 76
Wyoming avenue, 604.94 "
992 10
$4,499 25
The balance, 143.33 cubic yards has been used in general repairs in different sections of the town.
I73
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
Concrete Sidewalks, etc.
Total amount of concrete laid 6,754 yds.
Sidewalks
5952.72
Crossings
260.45 yds .
Gutters
540.83
At an average cost of 50 cents per square yard.
For Repairs, New Walks Laid.
Second street
41.30
Franklin school
8.53
street
53.82
to Vinton street
422.63
R. C. Taylor, Emerson street
95.20
A. W. Parker, Vine
36.90
H. A. Leonard, Lebanon “
40.30
B. F. Bradbury, Main
63.91
Hose house, Highlands
142.35
16
School “
6.50
911.44
Concrete Crossings and Gutters
Have been laid at the following places:
Court off Franklin street, cross-
ing.
11.90 yds
Sargent street
crossing
22.40
Pratt
17.30 66
Cliff
16
18.55
Ashland
29.
Emerson
73.60 66
Upham
26.40
Howard
61.30 260.45 yds.
Second
gutters
389.10
Walton Park
64.23
Emerson street
87.50 ..
1
At a cost of 50 cents per yd ..
540.83 yds. 801.28 yds. $400 64
I74
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OP STREETS.
Stone Crossings.
Stone flagging crosswalks have been laid Opposite Methodist church
George Newhall's store
66 M. F. Eastman's block
66 Post-office
66 Bugbee & Barrett
At Grove street
" Wyoming ave.
Cost of stone 66 labor
$145 00
72 50
Total,
$217 50
175
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
DRAIN PIPE AND CATCH BASINS LAID IN 1891.
DRAIN PIPE.
CATCH BASINS.
STREETS.
No. feet
Size.
Cost.
No.
Cost.
Labor Totals.
Adams 66
I80
8
$ 36 00
I
$ 6 38
8 00
14 38
Cherry and Willow
414
6
62 IO
2
12 77
57 40
132 27
Emerson & Tremont
I290
8
258 00
2
12 77
145 00
415 77
Essex
I
6 38
8 00
14 38
Foster
60
6
9 00
I
6 38
14 00
29 38
Franklin through Vinton
486
8
97 20
I
6 38
56 60
160 18
Franklin near Depot
60
8
12 00
Franklin from Pratt to br'k
375
8
75 00
Gooch
30
I2
II 20
I
6 38
II 90
29 48
Green
356
8
71 20
2
12 77
51 60
I35 57
Grove
240
8
48 00
3
19 16
48 00
115 16
Grove and Dell ave.
I 200
I2
448 00
6
38 32
2II 81
708 13
Main and Essex
20
6
3 00
I
6 38
10 00
19 38
Orris
368
6
55 20
I
6 38
44 80
106 38
Trenton, (Second) (Third)
20
6
3 00
2
12 77
18 00
33 77
Vinton
345
8
69 00
2
12 77
50 50
132 27
Washington
150
8
30 00
I
6 38
23 00|
59 38
Wyoming avenue
15
6
2 25
I
6 38
9 50
18 13
Second
75
IO
21 75
66
200
6
30 00
2
12 77
45 75
IIO 27
Third
48
I2
17 92
6 24
24 16
Totals
6007
$1373 57
30
$191 52 $900 10 $2465 19
Cementing and concreting around catch basin covers,
12 04
Total cost,
,
$2,477 23
25
6
3 75
$36 50
$76 25
Berwick
6
66
50
8
10 00
6 00
18 00
37 50
II2 50
Average net cost of pipe per foot : 4 in., Ioc .; 6 in., 15c .; 8 in., 20c .; Io in., 29c .; 12 in., 371/3C.
176
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
Ell Pond Brook.
By your direction Ell pond brook has been widened and cleared of obstructions, the channel deepened, and new cul- verts built over the brook at Berwick street, near the Wyom- ing depot, at Grove street, and at Main street near its junc- tion with Grove street. These culverts are now 12 feet wide and of sufficient capacity to allow of the free passage of the water. The total amount paid for labor and teams on the above was $2,294.22 ; for covering stone, $1,260 ; for sundries, $494.20 ; total $4,048.42.
Respectfully submitted, WALTER B. ELLIS. Superintendent of Streets.
REPORT
OF THE
Committee on Electric Lighting,
APPOINTED BY VOTE OF THE TOWN, .
FEBRUARY 16TH, 1891.
MELROSE : DUNTON & POTTER, PRINTERS, REPORTER OFFICE.
1892.
12
Report of the Committee on Electric Lighting.
MELROSE, Feb. 15, 1892.
To the Citizens of the Town of Melrose:
The undersigned, your committee on electric lighting, re- spectfully beg leave to report as follows :
At the town meeting of June 22, 1891, the following mo- tion was offered and unanimously carried.
" That the committee on electric lighting be directed to inquire and report at a subsequent meeting whether in their judgment it is expedient and desirable for the town to erect and maintain a plant for the generation and distribution of electricity for public and private lighting; also what will be the probable cost of a complete electric light plant suitable for the necessities of the town."
And it is under said vote that this report properly be- longs.
At the meeting above referred to you also passed by a practically unanimous vote, the following :
" That it is hereby declared expedient for the town to exercise the authority conferred in an act to enable cities and towns to manufacture and distribute gas and electricity passed by the Legislature of 1891."
Before the town can exercise the authority conferred in said Act it will be necessary to pass a second and substan- tially the same vote at a subsequent meeting by a two thirds vote. And this having been accomplished, the town
180
REPORT OF ELECTRIC LIGHT COMMITTEE.
will be confronted by the question of an appropriation or a loan to carry out the intention of said votes.
Inasmuch as none of your committee could lay claim to being experts in the art of electricity, it seemed necessary at the outset to secure the services of an electrician thoroughly familiar with the subject of its generation and application, and in this we believe we have been successful.
Mr. Eugene F. Carpenter, electrical engineer, whose re- port to your committee is included herein, came to us high- ly recommended and was previously known to some of us as the successful manager of the extensive electric light plant at Gardner, Mass.
It is perhaps unnecessary to state that because of these facts we have the utmost confidence in the value and cor- rectness of his conclusions.
Previous to the engagement of Mr. Carpenter your com - mittee had secured from Mr. Walter C. Stevens a carefully executed plan of the town, and with this in hand, and act- ing under the general instructions of your committee, Mr. Carpenter proceeded to an investigation of the subjects committed to him with the following result :
MELOSE, August 11, 1891.
To the Committee on Electric Lighting:
I have carefully considered the subjects presented to me by your committee and herein respectfully submit a report of my investigations and conclusions. The subjects may properly be classified under four heads as follows :
Ist. To ascertain what lights the town now has and where located.
2d. To locate as many lights as would be required to light the entire town in a first-class manner to the town limits in all directions.
3d. To design a plant suitable and adequate to this pur- pose and ascertain its probable cost.
181
REPORT OF ELECTRIC LIGHT COMMITTEE.
4th. To compare cost of present lighting with the esti- mated amount required as described; the town owning and operating the plant.
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.