USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > City of Melrose annual report 1893-1895 > Part 14
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Maximum Number,
Sept. I to Dec. 31.
Average Attendance,
Sept. uto Dec. 31.
No. of. Pupils.
January, 1894.
Per Cent.lof Att'dance.
Yrs.
Mos.
High, First Class
28
26.5
39
37.5
39
94.2
I7
6
Second Class
27
23
35
34
35
94
16 10
66
Third Class.
60
56
57
52
55
93.5
I6
9
66
Fourth Class
90
81.4
104
95.I
105
94.7
15
3
TOTALS .
205
186.9
235
218.6
234
94.I
Eighth Grade, Mary A. Livermore.
40
34.8
53
46.5
49
93.4
I3 9
Eighth Grade, Grove Street ...
49
45.4
49
42.7
44
95.3
14
4
Eighth Grade, Warren Street
27
21.9
20
16.9
I9
94.5
14
8
Seventh Grade, Warren Street .
23
19.2
34
30.I
33
93
13
Seventh Grade, Mary A. Livermore.
51
47.6
45.8 43.9
43
96.3
I3
2
Seventh Grade, Grove Street ..
53
45.2
31.6 42.4
44
92.4
13
6
Seventh and Sixth Grades, Upham Hill
27
22.I
31
24.I
31
89.5
13
5
Sixth Grade, Mary A. Livermore
47
41.8
46
38
44
95
I2
Sixth Grade, Grove Street.
58
49
42.5
53
93.7
94.7
I2
6
Sixth Grade, Warren Street. ..
41
31
38
32.I
37
92
I2
8
Fifth and Fourth Grades, Upham Hill.
34
30.9
43
37.6
39
95.9
IC
7
Fifth Grade, Grove Street ..
58
44.4
59
4 .5
49
94
8
Fifth Grade, Mary A. Livermore.
54
52.3
50
45.9
52
94
II
Fifth Grade, D. W. Gooch
41
36.9
42
38.1
40
95.2
II
6
Fourth Grade, Grove Street.
40
36.4
47
42.9
40
91
IO
I
Fourth Grade, D. W. Gooch
41
36 4
44
42.2
44
89.5
9
2
Fourth Grade, Centre ...
26
23
36
32.5
36
94
IO
5
Fourth Grade, Franklin Street.
60
49.6
34
27.7
33
93.2
IO
I
Fourth and Third Grades, Converse.
30.2
28.6
29.5 27.6
30
190.3
IO
Third Grade, Centre
37
28.2
31
27.2
25
92
9
3
Third Grade, D W. Gooch
47
42.3
51
43.4
47
94.8
9
I
Third Grade, Grove Street ..
47
37
41
31.3
35
90.4
81
8
Third Grade, Franklin Street
26
27.2
25
93 9
4
Third and Second Grades, Upham Hill ...
48
39.4
54
49.3
55
89.5
8
II
Third, Second and First Grades, Warren Street .. Second Grade, Grove Street.
34
28.3
57
40.6
47
8
7
Second Grade, D. W. Gooch.
46
39
47
42
47
97.6
7
8
Second and First Grades, Franklin street.
67
42
64
41.6
63
87
7
4
Second and First Grades, Converse.
24.7 21 . I
27
24.5
24
91
2
First Grade, Grove Street ..
87
43.5
49
35. I
36
188.9
7
First Grade, D. W. Gooch
72
50.3
34
31.7
30
88
6
6
First Grade, D. W. Gooch.
37
32
35
28
37
86
7
I
First Grade, Centre ..
56
41.3
33
26.I
28
93.3
6
7
First Grade, Upham Hill.
43
33.6
50
40.9
50
85 94.3
6
I
Green Street
36
32.I
36
32.7
36
92.2
9
3
Ripley
25
18.38
28
19.9
23
82.15
7
6
....
36
32.3
34
29
34
85 88.6
7
5
48
36.8
51
38.5
48
Second Grade, Centre. ..
31
26.4
45
40.7
44
89.5
I
Fifth Grade, Franklin Street.
43
35.3
50
41.8
49
3
5
Sixth Grade, D. W. Gooch
43
39.58
42
.
Total enrollment, January 1, 1894, 1906.
8
2
6
6
4
First Grade, Lynde Street
6
Average Age, Dec. 51, 189€,
Jan. I to July I.
REPORT OF THE BOARD
OF
WATER COMMISSIONERS
OF THE
TOWN OF MELROSE, MASS.,
FOR THE
FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1893,
MELROSE : DUNTON & POTTER, PRINTERS, REPORTER OFFICE.
1894.
TOWN OF MELROSE, MASS.
WATER DEPARTMENT.
COMMISSIONERS :
WILBUR D. FISKE.
GEORGE J. BICKNELL.
GEORGE L. MORSE.
REGISTRAR :
ELBRIDGE H. GOSS.
-
SUPERINTENDENT :
JAMES W. RILEY.
-
PUMPING STATION :
CHARLES F. CHURCHILL, Engineer.
REPORT OF THE WATER COMMISSIONERS
FOR THE
YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1893.
The twenty-fourth annual report of the board of water commissioners of the town of Melrose, also reports of water registrar and superintendent, are hereby respectfully submitted.
STREET MAINS.
The demands for laying main and service pipes during the year has been as follows:
Number of feet of main pipe laid in 1893,
14,118
service pipe 6,705
new hydrants set I3
66 new gates set 66 28
A detailed statement of dimensions, location and cost of the above will be found in the appended report.
SPOT POND.
The supply of water in Spot Pond has remained at a low stage during the whole year, the lowest point reached being on January 30; at which time it was 148 inches below high- water mark, and the highest point reached was May 20, at which time it was forty-two inches below high-water mark.
The joint water boards have improved the pond by filling
282
WATER REPORT.
in on the corner adjoining Woodland and Pond streets, and when this work is finished it will be a permanent improve- ment that will add to the looks of the pond as well as improving the quality of the water.
ADDITIONAL WATER SUPPLY.
At the town meeting, held March 6, 1893, under articles 18 and 19, report of committee on additional water supply read by chairman of water commissioners, and accepted.
REPORT.
To the Inhabitants of the Town of Melrose, in Town Meeting Assembled :
Your committee on additional water supply for this town have the honor to submit the following report, to wit :
Since making our report at the town meeting held in December, 1892, we have had the driven wells, which were put down on the land north of Crystal lake, connected together by suitable pipes, and after procuring a large sand chamber, boiler and steam pump, we tested the wells by pumping them continuously for fifteen days, pumping at the rate of 460,800 U. S. gallons of water per day of twenty- four hours, the measurement of this water being carefully taken over a weir prepared for the purpose. There was driven at this place ten 21/2-in. tubular wells, five of which were connected together and pumped from, the others being used for observations. This quantity of water being produced from only five wells, would seem to indicate that at this point there is a large underground supply of water, and the quality is indicated by the several analysis taken by the state board of health, which we hereby submit, together with a report from our engineer, M. M. Tidd, C.E., and Walter C. Stevens, C.E., who was also a member of the committee and in charge of the wells while they were being pumped.
283
WATER REPORT.
To the Committee on Water Supply for the Town of Melrose :
GENTLEMEN :- Since my last report to you upon the ques- tion of an additional supply for the town of Melrose, five of the tubular wells at Crystal lake have been connected and tested by 360 hours' continual pumping in order to test the quantity and also the quality of the water there to be ob- tained. For the purpose of giving the quality of it a severe test, the wells were driven in a line about forty feet from the lake.
These five wells delivered water at the rate of 460,800 gallons per day of twenty-four hours, for fifteen successive days. At that rate the level of the ground water was only lowered about two feet; the original level however. was re- covered in two hours after stopping the pumps, thus show- ing a large amount of water and a free passage for it through the sand strata at the bottom of the pipes at a depth of thirty-eight feet below the surface.
Samples of this water were sent to the state board of health for analysis; one taken immediately after starting, and the last one on the last day of pumping, in order to as- certain how much, if any, the ground water was polluted by water reaching the wells from the lake. I enclose copies of the analysis that you may see the result.
There can be but little doubt that water enough to re-in- force the Spot pond supply can be obtained from this loca- tion by driving more wells further back from the pond in a northerly direction.
By locating a pumping station on the hard land, at the base-ball grounds, this water can be pumped through Tre- mont street to Emerson street, and through that to the 14-in. main at corner of Main street, in such quantities and times as may be necessary to furnish enough to supply what deficien- cy there may be in the Spot pond supply, as for instance, if
284
WATER REPORT.
you have 80 per cent. of the required amount in the pond, 20 per cent. of the well water can be pumped into the mains and thus furnish the required amount.
This water will not, perhaps, be as desirable as that of Spot pond. It will be harder, but a small quantity of it, mixed with that of the pond, will hardly be noticeable.
I do not wish to be understood as recommending this as a permanent source of supply for all time, but as a re-inforce- ment of the present supply, it will undoubtedly answer your purpose for several years.
It is estimated this will require about 700 feet of 12 inch pipe from pump station to Tremont street, thence about 2, 100 feet on Tremont to Emerson street one way, and Franklin street the other; then 1,700 feet on Emerson street to the present 14-inch main at the corner of Main and Emerson streets. This line will require about four new hydrants. In this arrangement no service pipes should be connected with this line, but should remain as at present connected with the 6-inch pipe already there, in order thatthe well water may be delivered directly into the 14-inch main, where it will com- bine with the water from the lake.
There will be required about twenty-five wells in all.
The cost of the above plant may be estimated as follows : 25 wells, 38 feet deep, with connections to main suction pipes, at $55 67 $1,391 75
325 feet 8-inch suction pipe, at
91 295 75
325 feet 6-inch suction pipe, at
71 230 75
I 8-inch stop valve,
23 00
I suction box,
500 00
25 special Ys, at
3 00
75 00
I25 piles, capped, at
8 00
992 00
Amount carried forward, .
$3,508 25
285
WATER REPORT.
$3,508 25
Amount brought forward, · Brick pump-house for two pumps and boilers, with chimney,
7,500 00
Pumping machinery,
8,000 00
4,500 feet of 12-inch pipe, laid, at
·
I 54
6,930 00
Special castings,
100 00
4 hydrants, at
30 00
I20 00
4 12-inch gates, at
45 00
180 00
$26,338 00
Contingencies, 15 per cent.
3,950 73
Total cost,
$30,288 73
Respectfully yours, M. M. TIDD.
Boston, March 18, 1893.
MELROSE, MASS., Feb. 2Ist, 1893. W. D. Fiske, Chairman of Water Committee.
DEAR SIR .- There were ten wells driven on the north-west shore of Crystal pond, and five of these were connected with a steam pump. This pump was started Monday, Jan. 16, at 9 p. m. A sample of the water which was being pumped was taken Tuesday, Jan. 17th, at five p. m., and on the next day a sample was taken from the centre of the pond. These were sent to the state board of health for analysis, as were also two other samples, one taken Jan. 25th, and the other Jan, 3Ist, both of the last being taken from the pump. A large box with a weir in one end was built and set in place so that all the water pumped had to pass through the weir and in this way the water was accurately measured. The measurement did not vary at all from day to day, but held the same throughout the fifteen days' test, with a result of 320 per minute or 460,800 gallons per day.
286
WATER REPORT.
At the end of the pumping test the water in the wells stood 2.18 feet below the lever of the surface of the pond. This test was not made to determine the quantity of water that could be obtained from the pond and its water shed, but it was made to determine the quality of the water after it had passed through the sand and gravel that may be found underlaying the mud on the shore of the pond.
The wells were driven about fifty feet from the shore, and were driven to a depth of thirty-eight feet, and the results show that the water flows very freely in this strata of gravel, there being pumped four-fifths of the amount of water used by the entire town out of only five wells of 21/2 inches diameter, while the reduction of 2.18 feet in the head shows that there is considerable resistance and filtering qualities in the sand and gravel between the pond and the well. Also the accompanying analysis will show considerable improve- ment in the quality of the water after being so filtered,
Respectfully yours,
WALTER C. STEVENS.
In view of the results obtained by the above tests, and the above analysis made by the state board of health of this water, your committee are unanimous in the opinion that on the grounds north of, and adjoining Crystal lake, is the proper place to locate a pumping plant for the purpose of procuring an additional supply of water for this town, and we believe that
Ist, We can here obtain an abundant supply of good water for domestic and fire purposes, and if the town should adopt this method of getting water from this place, we are very confident that we could install a pumping plant here that would be able to easily pump one million gallons per day; in fact the driven well men stand ready to put in a gang of driven wells at this place, and guarantee the supply to be
287
WATER REPORT.
not less than one million gallons daily; and in our search and investigation, we have very carefully examined all the several possible, or proposed places, in or about this town, where it was supposed a supply of water could be obtained, and with the single exception of this Crystal lake location, we have found all other proposed supplies entirely inade- quate to our wants, and we are firmly of the opinion that the town cannot afford to invest in any place, even for a tempo- rary additional supply, unless all the indications point to a source that will produce at least one million gallons of water per day.
2d, The quality of the water as shown by the analysis is remarkably good, pure and soft, its purity being almost faultless, while its hardness is only 5.6 as against 10.5 of the water the city of Malden is now using from her Webster park supply, and as against 7.26 hardness of the water the city of Medford has just obtained from a gang of driven wells, which they have just put down, and which the state board of health has recommended them to adopt, making this water, which we have obtained at Crystal lake by far the most desirable water of the three for domestic use.
3rd, In case the town should accept this plan, and take so much of the land north of Crystal lake as should be thought wise to obtain the water supply and properly protect it against any further pollution, it could at some future time improve and beautify this land and the surroundings, and thereby reclaim this tract, which is now an unsightly place, thereby greatly beautifying the central portion of the town, and benefiting all the inhabitants thereof, as well as pro- curing an additional supply of water, and when our Metro- politan system of sewerage is completed, it will in a great measure assist in keeping this source of water supply free from contamination; in fact the major portion of the con- tamination now in the lake itself is readily traced to the
288
WATER REPORT.
horse car stables which drain into a brook that flows into the lake. Electric cars, which are coming, will stop this, and other surface drainage, and various causes which now tend to contaminate the waters of Crystal lake, would and could be stopped and removed; and this feature alone, supposing we never used the water to any great extent, is well worthy the consideration of every citizen of this town, and when we get the Metropolitan system of sewerage, as we shortly shall, that will go far towards ensuring the purity of this supply of water.
In driving these test wells, we purposely put them quite near the pond for the express purpose of testing the quality of the water, as we thought by so doing we would get the poorest results in regard to quality that could be obtained; and the result of the analysis, under these conditions, has been a pleasant surprise, or a revelation to us, and all the indications point to the conclusion that if we drive our wells that we put down for permanent use more remote from the pond we shall obtain water of better quality, and at the same time large quantities of it. This is not alone our opinion, but also the opinion of experts we have employed in this case and who have very carefully studied it.
Understand we do not consider this source of supply as one which we could recommend the town to adopt for a permanent supply for all time, neither does our engineer so recommend, but the time has now arrived when this town has got to have more water, and that at once; and this source is now available, and seems in every way to fill the requirements of the situation, and can be obtained at reas- onable cost, and in a very short time; and time is a great factor in this problem, for if another year passes and the prevailing idea is circulated and believed, as it was last year, that Melrose is out of water, it will work great hardship to our citizens, it will destroy values on all of our real estate,
289
WATER REPORT.
it will double our insurance rates, and it will stop the growth of the town, and people now contemplating building and settling here will shun the town; many now already settled here will leave fair Melrose for other towns that can ensure an abundant supply of water.
To take this water as a source of water supply it will be necessary to apply to the legislature to take the land, water and water rights of this pond, as the pond is a great pond, and to do this we must act at once, and by special privilege get our bill before the legislature at this present session.
In order to protect this water supply we deem it necessary to take all the low land in this neighborhood north of the pond, as indicated on a map prepared by a member of this committee, Mr. Walter C. Stevens. We estimate the value of this land we propose to take to be about $20,000, making the total cost of this whole plan to be about $50,000.
In our former report your committee made the proposi- tion that the cities of Malden and Medford unite with this town in taking the waters of Great pond, laying in the town of North Andover, Mass., for a pure and permanent water supply for the three municipalities, the expense of the whole work to be divided among the three municipalities proportionately to the number of their respective inhabi- tants. We still believe in this plan as the wisest and best at present open to us, and your committee presented a petition to the legislature to permit this taking. We then placed all the facts before the Malden water board, their city engineer and water superintendent, also before the Medford water board, and after giving them a long time to contemplate upon this subject, we wrote them both under date of Feb. Ist, 1893, urging upon them the early decision of this question by the two municipalities. Feb. 16th, the chairman of your com- mittee received an invitation from the joint standing com-
19
290
WATER REPORT.
mittee on water of the city of Malden, to meet them in consultation relative to the proposition of the town of Melrose, in relation to additional water supply, at city hall, Malden, Feb. 18, 1893. Your chairman was at that meeting and made such arguments and cited such facts as he could for the furtherance of this project. The Malden committee decided then to go to North Andover the next week and view this Great pond and then come to some decision and let us know. Since which time we have not heard from them in any official manner.
At this meeting it was asked how we would propose to go into this scheme in regard to paying cost of same. We said pro rata, according to inhabitants, or as per the actual con- sumption of water, having it all metered to each munici- pality. We do not think this proposition pleased the city of Malden. We think if we would pay one-third of, or perhaps one-half, the whole expense it would be more in accordance with her idea of equity.
The city of Medford has just been changing its form of government, and the transition has been a long, painful operation, that she has had no time to attend to the wants of her citizens in regard to water, so has let the most impor- tant subject go by default, although under date of February 23rd, they informed us the reason of their delay was on account of the incompleteness of their city government and the unorganized state of their water board, and as soon as their board was in a state to do business they would let us know their decision in regard to this matter, but up to the present time we have not received any communication from them, and our petition, which was before the legislature, has been respectfully referred to the next session of the legislature; so if after all our trouble of discovering this pond, measuring the water-shed and the water-sheds adja- cent thereto, bringing the plan thoroughly before the muni-
291
WATER REPORT.
cipalities of Malden and Medford, and doing everything in our power that we could do to get them interested in this water supply, which we consider the best that there is in the eastern part of Massachusetts, fails, it will fail for the want of co-operation of the cities of Malden and Medford, and we shall lay the blame entirely at their doors. Even if we had been successful and obtained the right in the legislature to take the waters of Great pond for a permanent supply, it would take two or three years to build the works, and make that supply available, and in the mean time it would have been incumbent upon us to re-inforce the supply from Spot pond, by some other temporary supply, and we now bring to your attention, and urge on you the necessity of taking this source of supply, as indicated, from the land adjoining Crystal pond.
Respectfully submitted, W. D. FISKE, Chairman.
Authorized by vote of the committee.
On the following page will be found the analysis of the water by the state board of health.
292
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS .- State Board of Health. WATER ANALYSIS. (Parts in 100,000.)
DATE OF
APPEARANCE.
ODOR.
RESIDUE ON EVAPORATION.
AMMONIA.
Nitrogen as
Albuminoid.
Number.
Collection.
Examination.
Turbidity.
Sediment.
Color.
Cold.
Hot.
Total.
Fixed.
Free.
Total.
In Solution.
In Suspension.
Chlorine.
Nitrates.
Nitrites.
Hardness.
Iron.
Oxygen consumed.
1893.
9,897 Jan. 18
19
Distinct. None.
Consid- erable white. None.
0.30 0.00
Distinctly Vegetable. None.
Distinctly vegetable and greasy. None.
10.15
2.60
7.55
.0388 .0194 .0166 .0028 .0000.0000
1.13 .2500 .0000 5.3 .0010 .0511
9,942 Jan. 25
27
None.
None.
0.00
None.
Very faint or none. Very faint or none.
11.25
.0000.0018
1.30
.1250.0001
5.6 .0010.0219
9,858 Jan. 31 Feb.
1
None.
None.
0.00
None.
11.30
.0000.0012
1.14
1900 .0005 6.1 .0000 .0219
10,423 May 22
22
v s milky Sl't sand
0.05
None.
None.
18.15
.0012 .0014
1.86
1.8500 .0002
5.8 .0050 .0525
10,541 June 21
21
Very sl't Sl.brown
0.00
None.
None.
10.40
.0000 .0000
1.08 .2200 .0000 3.6 .0320.0000
10,542 June 21
21
Very'sl't Slight.
0.00
None.
None.
11.50
.0000.0000
1.17 .2300 .0001 3.6 .0300 .0079
10,584 July 3
3
None.
None.
0.00
None.
None.
10.70
.0000.0000
. .
1.12 .2000 .0001
3.8.0000.0079
9,897. From Ell or Crystal pond.
9,898. From steam pump, outlet of five driven wells on north-west shore of Crystal pond.
9,942. From pump connected with five driven wells on north-west side of Crystal pond.
9,958. From wells on north-west side of Crystal pond.
10,423. From well No. 1 on Magna's lot.
10,541. From one of five wells from which test was made in January, 1893.
10,542. Middle well of group of three 6-inch wells, about 175 feet from Crystal pond.
10,584. From pipe discharging from wells at same place as 10,542.
The color of water is expressed by numbers which increase with the amount of color. Boston water as drawn from a tap at the Institute of Technology, had an average color for five years of 0.40. Other water supplies in the State have an average color of from 0 to 1.45.
All water containing suspended matter is filtered through filter paper before determining the color and residue on evaporation. Occasionally these de- terminations are also made on the unfiltered water, the results in such cases being indicated by an asterisk,
WATER REPORT
1.47 .1200 .0011. 3.8 .0200 .3285
9,898 Jan. 17
19
10.00
Loss on Ignition.
293
WATER REPORT.
This report was accepted, and it was
Voted, That the water commissioners for the town of Mel- rose, in behalf of the town, make application immediately to the present legislature for the passage of an act authorizing the town for the purpose of an additional water supply, to take from time to time, by purchase or otherwise, and hold such lands as may be necessary for erecting and maintaining dams and reservoirs, and for laying and maintaining con- duits, pipes, drains, and for such other works as may be necessary for the purity and preservation of the waters which it is proposed to take as an additional source of supply, and to take and hold the waters of Ell Pond, otherwise known as Crystal pond, situated in the town of Melrose, and the waters which flow into and from the same, and to secure the public rights in said Ell pond, otherwise known as Crystal pond, and to secure the passage of the bill authorizing the town to do all that may be deemed necessary by said water commissioners to secure all the water and water rights of the said Ell pond, otherwise known as Crystal pond, and the streams flowing into the same, and all land about the same necessary to maintain and protect and use the said waters as an additional water supply for this town, and authority to issue bonds, notes or scrip to an amount not exceeding $75,- 000, in addition to the amount which it is now authorized to issue. Said bonds, notes and scrip to be payable at the ex- piration of periods not exceeding twenty years from the date of issue, bearing interest, payable semi-annually, at a rate not exceeding four per cent. per annum, to be signed by the treasurer and countersigned by the water commissioners of the town.
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