USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > City of Melrose annual report 1900 > Part 14
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$2,767 64
240
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
LIGHTING.
On January 1, 1900, the city was lighted by contract with the Malden Electric Co., the number of lights being 478 in- candescent of 25 candle power, and 50 arc lights of 1,200 candle power.
During the year these were increased by order of the board of aldermen, so that at present there are 523 incan- descent and 52 arc lights which are burned each dark night from twilight to 12.15 o'clock, a. m., and by special order of the board of aldermen all arc lights are burned in the morn- ing from 5 o'clock until daylight of each dark night during the months of November, December, January and February.
The cost of these lights is fixed by contract authorized by the town and executed in its behalf by the board of select- men, August 2, 1898, and runs for a term of 3 years from that date, except the cost of burning the arc lights in the morning which is at a price agreed upon by the engineer and superintendent of public works and the treasurer of the Malden Electric Co. and approved by the mayor.
The prices are, for each arc light from twilight to 12.15 · o'clock, $73.68; for each incandescent light from twilight to 12.15 o'clock, $15.50 and for burning the lights in the morn- ing $5 each for the four months, or $1.25 each per month.'
This contract expires August 2, of this year and will either have to be renewed, continued, or a new contract made with this or some other company. I would recom- mend that the latter be done for several reasons:
Ist. It is hoped that more favorable prices may be ob- tained.
2nd. It is desirable that some clause be inserted whereby the city may receive credit for lights reported out.
3rd. That some better understanding may be had in re- gard to the general quality of their poles, wires, etc., and especially that some arrangement may be had in regard to the insulation and ties where trees are interfered with.
Some steps should be taken by the board of aldermen toward passing an ordinance in regard to wiring, not especi-
24I
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
ally electric light, but all wiring. In many instances streets have two or even three lines of poles of all sizes, kinds and description; this, so far as consistent should be regulated by ordinance; all poles should be square, hard pine (or iron in case of street railroads); they should be set to conform with the lines of the streets, and of proper height and size.
The expense of lighting for the 13 months and the con- dition of the appropriation Jan. 31, 1901, is as follows:
Amount appropriated,
$11,500 00
January bills allowed,
923 12
$12,423 12
EXPENDED.
Amount paid Malden Electric Co.
for 50 arc and 477 incandes-
scent lights, 13 months as per contract, . $12,000 56
For extra lights added, ·
195 77
For running 52 arc lights from 5 o'clock a. m. to daylight, from Nov. I, to Feb. I, 184 17
12,380 50
'Labor as per pay roll, locating poles, 17 00
12,397 50
Unexpended balance, $25 62
STREET WATERING.
On May 14, 1900, the board of aldermen passed ordinance No. 244, chapter 24 of the city ordinance, entitled "Sprink- ling streets and assessment of betterments," whereby the engineer and superintendent of public works is directed to sprinkle all streets designated by the board of aldermen, and to assess upon the abutters three cents per linear foot
242
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
for all occupied and one cent per linear foot for all vacant land ; and also authorizing and directing the city treasurer to credit all moneys collected as above provided to the street sprinkling fund, and to pay all charges for sprinkling from said fund, and in the event that a deficiency should occur, the treasurer is further authorized and directed to borrow in anticipation of said assessment or tax, a sum sufficient to meet the payment of all bills contracted by or on account of said sprinkling.
On April 9, 1900, the board of aldermen passed order No. 248, authorizing the sprinkling of the following streets and ways :
Linear ft.
Ashland street, from Melrose street to Highland avenue,
1,241.02
Batchelder “
Bellevue ave.
" Porter street, . 869.07
Bellevue avenue, "
Linden street
" Upham 2,442.32
Berwick street,
Foster
" Wyoming avenue, . 1,230.04
Botolph
Franklin
" West Hill
373.41
Cottage ..
Foster " Wyoming 6 1,140.03
Emerson 66 66 Vinton 66
" Bellevue
3,552.95
Essex 60 Emerson
Main street, 1,896.67
Florence 66
Foster 66
" Russell " 2,132.33
Foster
Vinton 66
" Lebanon street, 3,315.32
Franklin 66 Main
" Stoneham line, 4,846.67
Green
Main at Franklin
" Porter and Lebanon, 2,834,47
Greenwood street from Franklin street to Wakefield line, 1,069.60
Grove street from Berwick street to Sixth street, 4,697.27
Herbert
Berwick
" Myrtle " . 378.61
Highland avenue " Sargent
" Chipman avenue, . 1,341.82
Howard street Green 66 " M. G. Cochrane's, 1,243.49
Hurd 66 Trenton
" Railroad, 1,060.04
Hillside avenue,
Bellevue avenue to angle in street, 336.38.
Lake
66 Emerson street
" Tremont 1,224.19
Lebanon street
Porter
" Beech avenue, 3,458.85
Main 66
66 Greenwood line " Malden line, . 11,993.62
Melrose
Vinton street
Belmont street. 654.20
Melrose place
66 Melrose street,
284.18
North avenue
Walton park to Stoneham line, 693.00
Orris street
Vinton street to Walton park, . 1,089.73
Orient avenue 66 Porter street to Emerson street, . 1,015.08
Emerson street 66 Vinton “ " Poplar 811.84
Chipman avenue “
Franklin “ " Highland avenue 195.06
243
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
Linear ft.
Pleasant street from Wyoming avenue to Ashmont street, . .... 1,360.78
Tremont street Emerson street
" J. P. Deering's, . ....
566.37
Tremont 66 Franklin
Melrose street, 848.36
Trenton 66 Foster 66
" Washington street, . . 2,560.00
Upham 66 Main
Sewall street, . 2,510.63
Vinton 66 Franklin " Foster 4,880.04
Wyoming avenue from Summer street " Stoneham line, . 4,366.87
Walton park from Franklin street to Orris street, 831.96
Youle street Vinton street " Leeds 66 891.72
Myrtle
Grove " Emerson street, 2,226.88
Warren “
Franklin street " Orris street, 614.38
79,079.25
During the year certain others were added as follows :
MAY 1, 1900.
Linear ft. Linear ft.
Wyoming avenue from Summer street to F. L. Wash-
burn's driveway, . 206.65
Greenwood street from Melrose line to Woodland avenue,
77.14
MAY 18, 1900.
Malvern street from Potter street to Meridian street, 1,324.50 Meridian Grove " Beech avenue, 736.63
JUNE I, 1900.
Adams street from Wyoming avenue to Russell street, 827.21
Lynde 66 " Main street to Walnut street, ..... 786.74
JUNE 7, 1900.
Lynde street from Walnut street to Summer street, 447.30 E. Foster street from Lebanon street to Larrabee 66 1,468.48 Third street from Lebanon street to Gooch street, . .. 663.99
Emerson “ Bellevue avenue " Orient avenue, .. 408.51
JUNE 28, 1900.
Rowe street from Emerson street to Upham street, .. 562.97
JULY 5, 1900.
Highland avenue from Sargent street to Cliff street, 608.98
8,119.10
87,198.35
Watering on the following was ordered discontinued:
JUNE 1, 1900.
Highland avenue, (entire length,) 1,841.82
Total, . . 85,856.53
244
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
The total length of streets sprinkled, 85,856.53 linear feet, or about 16.26 miles, on the line of which were 1,374 lots, aggregates a total frontage of 161,081 linear feet, of which 23,258 linear feet were assessed as vacant and 137,823 linear feet as occupied land.
On April 7, 1900, advertisements were inserted in the local papers, calling for bids for street watering. Eight bids were received and opened with the result as shown below:
Robert Philpot,
$41 00 per 1,000 ft. Total
$3,134 45
Francis W. Hoffman,
45 40
66 66
3,517 46
Christian L. Hoffman, 47 20
3,608 44
Frank A. Pratt,
52 50
4,013 63
Anthony Lux, Jr.,
53 50
66
66
4,090 08
Philip S. Keating,
53 71
4,106 13
Joseph Gibbons, 55 50
66
4,242 98
6
3,470 83
Norris & Co., 46 0I
66
16
66
66
The bid of Robert Philpot was the lowest and a contract was prepared whereby he was to water all streets designated by the engineer and superintendent of public works for the prices named in his bid and give a bond of $1,000.00, with the National Surety Co. of New York as sureties, which was signed April 24th, 1900. By this contract payments were made monthly, divided as follows: For each 1000 ft. of street watered in May $6.00, in June $7.00, in July $7.00, in Au- gust $7.00, in September $6.00, in October $6.00, in November $2.00, in December $o.oo. By this arrangement there was no dispute as to the relative value of the work each month, nor how much should be allowed for streets added or discon- tinued during the season.
Prior to the passage of this ordinance, May 14, 1900, there was no provision whatever for watering any streets; but the condition of the weather was such in the late winter and early spring that it was imperative that something be done in the business parts of the city to keep the dust down, and certain portions of Main, Franklin, Essex and Upham streets were watered and the expense ($234.13) paid out of the highway appropriation, and was later refunded.
The amount of the assessments levied in accordance with
245
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
the provisions of Chap. 24, city ordinances, is not sufficient to pay the whole cost of watering. A deficiency of $39.50 now exists, which will continue to increase each year unless some provision is made to obtain money from other sources. This account at present, provided all assessments levied to date were collected, stands:
Assessments levied in 1900, $4,188 98
Less abatements made by assessors:
On public property, $94 59
On vacant instead of occu- pied land, . ·
120 30
For other causes,
48 17 263 06
Net assessment for 1900, . ·
3,925 92
Amount of 1899 assessments uncol-
lected Jan. I, 1900,
1,552 97
Total, ..
$5,478 89
Amount of deficiency, Jan. 1, 1900, . $1,183 79
expended, 1900, 4,334 60
Total expenditures to meet to date, 5,518 39
Debit balance, $39 50
From the foregoing it appears that the length of the streets and ways watered was 85,856.53 linear feet, or about 16.26 miles; the total expense $4,334.60, or about $266.58 per mile .*
No town report was printed in 1899 so no comparison of the cost can be made.
In previous years the horses of the Central fire station and the one at the Highlands were used for street watering near the two fire stations. The reasons for abandoning this were:
First. The territory watered by these horses was the two business centres, the Highlands and the Centre. When an alarm of fire occurred there was no sprinkling done by them
* NOTE : This cost covers all repairs to carts, including painting, also the erection of twelve new stand-pipes, which alone cost $339.49.
246
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
the remainder of that day, which was very unsatisfactory to the store-keepers and others.
Second. The distance from the station that it was consid- ered safe to send these teams was so small that the greatest amount of work could not be obtained from these carts.
Third. The fire department is entirely separate from the public works department and the engineer and superintend- ent of public works has no control whatever over either the horses or the drivers.
The city owns seven double and one single street water- ing carts; one double cart was reserved for use in the high- way department, and with the remaining carts it is impossi- ble under certain conditions to keep the dust down. Last summer at three different times we had exceedingly hot weather and a very dry, hot wind; with this combination and the limited number of carts it was impossible to keep the streets free from dust.
I wish to call attention to the fact that oftentimes store- keepers, residents and people travelling upon a street may be greatly annoyed with dust when the street itfelf is well wa- tered; the dust may come from the sidewalks or from some adjoining street not watered.
Owing to the large territory watered and the limited num- ber of carts, it became necessary to erect new stand-pipes, to locate which caused no end of trouble to the department. There are many things to be considered in selecting a loca- tion, namely: it should be convenient to the territory wa- tered; on the line of some paved or concreted gutter, or near some catch-basin or local stream, (that the waste water may not create a nuisance); on some street whose grade is not too steep and which is wide enough to readily turn the cart; it must be where it will not annoy any one. No such locations could be found and they were placed where they would be the most convenient for use and the least obnox- ious.
A detail of the expenditures charged to street watering is as follows:
247
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
For sprinkling streets as per con-
tract with Robert Philpot, . $3,469 54
For extra work, R. Philpot, cemetery,* 2 50
" labor as per pay rolls, . 90 14
66
and teams, highway div., 234 13
stock on stand-pipes,
water division, 339 49
For painting watering carts, 105 00 ·
" repairs 66 50 30
“ making out schedules and abstracts, 27 75
" books and printing schedules, 12 50
advertising, . 3 25
$4,334 60
*Watering Linwood avenue and Sylvan street on Decoration Day.
STREET NUMBERING.
Section I of Chapter 22 of the city ordinances provides that the numbering of all buildings shall be done by or under the direction of the engineer and superintendent of public works.
Section 2 of said ordinance reads as follows:
The street doors of all buildings shall be numbered with suitable metal or painted numbers and shall be assigned by the engineer and the superintendent of public works, who shall at least once a year cause to be examined the numbers on all buildings throughout the city.
The provision of this ordinance has been complied with and numbers have been assigned and put on all doors, with the exception of certain streets and portions of streets which require some or all of the numbers changed. Believing that general change in the numbering of any street or way was not within the scope of the powers conferred upon the engineer and superintendent of public works by the ordi- nance above quoted, on Dec. 12, 1900, a communication accompanied by plans of Berwick street, Brunswick park, Franklin street, Malvern street, Melrose place, Pleasant
248
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
street, Winthrop place and York terrace, was sent to the board of aldermen, asking their instructions in the pre- mises, and is now pending their action.
It was afterwards found that the board of selectmen had considered Malvern street and caused a plan to be made showing the new numbers, which was considered sufficient authority to change them.
Many doors were not numbered, while some of those on others were wrong. They have all, with the exceptions above enumerated been re-arranged and now conform to the plans adopted by the town.
The entire city was canvassed and 625 doors numbered, which took 1,406 figures, costing $109.35, which was paid from the appropriation for contingencies and in detail is as follows:
Figures, Allen Brothers, $76 50
Brock Brothers, .
60
D. H. Woodward, box,
3 00
Express on numbers, .
. 25
Extra labor, carpenter and team,
29 00
$109 35
PARKS.
The tendency of the period is towards park and orna- mental spots, and Melrose is by no means lacking in opportunities or natural advantages ; but before beautifying artificially, it would seem wise to remove some of the blotches or eye-sores that exist in the centre of our settle- ment, principle among these are Dix's pond, the ice-houses on Main street, the freight yard at the Melrose station, and the shabby, tumble-down buildings along the banks of Ell pond brook.
Melrose is purely a residential city, and to encourage settlement must be attractive. Steps should be taken to cause the Boston & Maine railroad to remove their freight house and yard from the Melrose station, build a new
249
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
station here and also one at the Highlands, and it would seem policy for the city to join with the officials of the railroad to make such improvements at or around each of the three stations as would make them attractive.
The low land in the vicinity of Dix's pond can be secured at a nominal cost, could be filled and made suitable for a play-ground, park or some public building, or even residences.
Plans and estimates for the grading and improvement of the Melrose Common have been made and submitted to the board of aldermen, by which the east end is to be used as a play ground and ball park, while the west end is to be ornamented by a pond and fountain, walks, shrubs, flower- beds and trees.
Many are enthusiastic over the proposed boulevard running east and west, connecting Middlesex Fells with Lynd Woods. Would it not be preferable to have one run- ning more nearly north and south, connecting Melrose with the park system of Malden, Medford, Winchester, Somer- ville, Cambridge and the Back Bay Fenns, bringing us in close contact with the thickly settled suburbs of Boston, and even Boston itself ? This could, at the same time, be made to pass very nearly through the centre of the city by following along the banks of the main brook to Malden, there connecting with the present system.
CARE OF PARKS.
On all of the small public squares of the city the grass has been kept cut and a heavy coating of dressing put on this fall. The dressing was donated by Mr. A. Wilbur Lynde, chief of the fire department. The square at the corner of Howard and Green streets was grubbed, all roots removed, loamed over, fertilized and seeded.
The basin of the fountain in the square at the junction of Howard and Green streets has been repaired ; this fountain and the one at the junction of Elm and Avon streets has been cleaned and painted.
The banks along the edge of the roads in Sewall Woods road were sloped and seeded ; dead trees were removed
250
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
under the direction of Mr. W. N. Folsom, who also assisted in looking after a man raking up loose stones and furnished a team for this purpose free gratis.
The weeds were cut and trees trimmed on the Melrose common. The grounds around the city hall were fertilized and the bare places under the trees and next to the build- ings resodded, and the vase filled with flowering plants.
The seats at the old ball-ground, Tremont street, were ex- amined and condemned. Although this property is not owned by the city, in the past it has been hired for the stor- age of water pipe and the city allowed it to be used for out- door sports. All pipe and material is now removed and an- other year the city will have in it no interest whatever.
The expenses of this division were as follows:
Amount of appropriation,
$400 00
EXPENDED.
F. L. Washburn, filing plans of Ell pond park, $2 25
D. Bushong, labor cleaning Sewalls
Woods park, 40 00 Shady Hill Nursery, plants for Main and Lynde streets, 7 98
George Dew, paint, bronzing and varnish- ing vase and fountains, 10 00
Lewis C. Hoyt, signs for Sewall Woods park, 29 00
Wilbur Lynde, loam and labor, . 153 44
Labor as per pay roll, 21 50
Brock Brothers, repairing fountain, I 60
H. J. Perry, paint for fountain,
3 23
J. P. Deering, lumber,
72
WV. A. Goodno, boxing fountains for winter, 6 00
Water division, repairs,
3 68
Sewer 66 cement, 2 32
281 72
Unexpended balance, .
SI18 28
251
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
ENGINEERING DIVISION.
This division has been in charge of Mr. W. F. Hunt, who prior to his coming to Melrose had nine years' experience in the engineer's office of the town of Brookline; the draft- ing has been in charge of Mr. A. J. Waghorn, who was formerly employed in the sewer department; the other assistants have been George Maguire, Charles F. Woodward, P. R. Bowers, John H. Larrabee and Leonard F. Leighton.
It is a new departure for the city, for although in previous years there has been an office for this kind of work, it was maintained exclusively by the sewer department, and most of the surveys made and data collected were such as espe- cially pertained to the sewer work, and although of great value to the other branches of the department, required, in many cases, additional surveys and re-arrangement to be of specific use.
All engineering work may be divided into two parts, viz: Ist, that which it is necessary to do to lay out work for construction; 2nd, certain other work to properly compile and preserve a record of what was done, both for the pur- pose of making plans of the structures themselves, and for the further purpose of showing why certain methods or conditions were adopted. The value of the work pertaining to keeping such records, plans, profiles, notes, etc., will not be appreciated nor will its merits be in evidence at the pres- ent time, but if continued, will in the future result in great benefit to the city. As examples of a lack of this work in · the past, attention is called to the condition of some of our public improvements where work has been done at different times, places, and perhaps by different persons, each neces- sarily without proper regard to what had previously been done by others, for no record had been kept, and if kept was not available, no one knew where it was, and if it existed was the property of some private engineer. In all work done the past season great care has been taken to preserve these records in a concise and systematic manner.
252
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
In addition to doing the routine work the coming season it is desired to make a special study of the distribution of the water system with a view to improvement when cement pipes are renewed; make a set of plans, on scale of forty feet to the inch, on which to show all main pipes, gates, hydrants, stand-pipes, service boxes and service pipes; revise existing location sketches of services; take levels along all water courses; prepare in tabulated form all surface drainage esti- mates, that the cost of any particular drain may be readily obtained; locate street lines and renew old stakes at street corners and angles; extend the co-ordinate survey for the benefit of the assessors' department; make thirty-eight new numbering plans; locate all electric light and telephone poles and to prepare a card index of all plans, notes and calculation books.
I would recommend that an appropriation be made for the placing of street bounds, as the existing temporary stakes are fast being lost and destroyed.
A summary of all work done, its cost, together with a list of property in this division follows :
STREET LINES AND GRADES FOR CONSTRUCTION.
Feet.
Bellevue avenue. from Upham street to Porter
street, 1,350
Chester street,
Trenton
" Florence 66
220
Emerson
" east, "
Bellevue avenue, " Fletcher
820
Essex 66
Myrtle street Emerson 1.310
Ferdinand 66
Franklin 66
" 716 ft. north 716
Fletcher 66
Upham
" Emerson 330
Franklin
corner of Belmont street, 50
Green 66
Linden street " Rowe street, 750
Grove 66 Lebanon " Meridian 66 1,020
Highland avenue
Chipman avenue " Sargent
1,300
Lebanon street
Upham street south to angle, 300
160
Main street
Green 66 to Wakefield line, 2,200
66 Melrose 66 " Green street,
1,300
66
66
Foster
" Mt. Vernon " 1,700
Morgan avenue
66
Main 66 " Spring 370
Park street from east end,
400
Richardson road,
100
Ravine road, from Wyoming avenue to Stoneham line,
500
Lake avenue
Emerson " north,
253
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
Feet.
Sargent street, from Franklin street to Highland avenue, . 500
School 66
66 Porter
low point, . 800
Spear 66
66
Park
" south,
150
Tremont
66
corner of Union street, .
50
Upham 66 66 Bellevue avenue east to low point, .
1,500
Walton park,
Near Natalie avenue,
250
Wyoming avenue, from Cleveland street to Stoneham line, . 1,630
Washington street, "
Lynde avenue
" Stoneham line,
1,400
Total, .
21,176
STREET LINES SURVEYED FOR RECORD.
Feet.
Emerson street, from Bellevue avenue to Fletcher street,
820
Essex .: Myrtle street Main
550
Forest 66 Lebanon 66 " Naples road, 1,240
First 66
Eleventh
" Waverly avenue, . ..
1,020
Hopkins 66 66 Lebanon 66
" Forest street, 480
Highland avenue, junction of Cliff
100
Orient avenue, from Emerson
Porter 960
Sylvan
66 Main
" Lebanon 2,930
Porter
66 Bellevue avenue to Saugus brook, 3,100
Total,
11,200
STREETS PROFILED FOR RECORD GRADE PLANS.
Bellevue avenue, from Porter
street to Upham street, . 1,350
Chester street,
Trenton
" Florence 66
220
Crescent avenue,
Washington " " Frances
. . 570
Dell 66
66
Foster " Upham .. 602
Emerson street,
Bellevue avenue " Fletcher 66 820
450
Forest street,
Lebanon
" Naples road, 1,240
Fletcher
Upham 66
" Porter street, . 1,350
First 66
66 Eleventh 66
" Waverley avenue, 1,020
Goss avenue,
66 Grove 66
" Staples street,
750
Hopkins street,
66
Lebanon
" Forest
.. 480
Lebanon
Upham 66 " Emerson
582
Main 66
66 Wyoming avenue to gasometer, ..
200
66 66
street " Wakefield line, . 2,500
Orient avenue,
Franklin Emerson " north. 300
Rockland
66 South avenue to Harrison street, . 700
Richardson road,
Alpine street " Ashland
577
Ravine 66
66 Wyoming avenue to Stoneham,. ...
500
Feet.
Farwell avenue,
Green street, Haskell
.
....
¥254
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
Feet.
Upham street, from Bellevue avenue to School street, 1,800
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