USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1890 > Part 5
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"The construction of Common street, including the collat- eral matters mentioned, will require substantially $15,000, and your committee recommends the appropriation of that sum for building this street according to the plans of the Commissioner of Public Works, herewith submitted. .
" With respect to West street, your committee advises only such expenditures as will make it passable and safe. It is necessary to move the fences to the lines established by the County Commissioners, which will throw upon either side of the street, land which it will be necessary to make suitable for public travel. It is not recommended to make any repairs or construction at the present time further than is necessary to put this street into that reasonably good condition in which the city is required by law to keep all its public ways. Your committee recommends that the sum of $5,000 be appropriated to be expended for this purpose."
In accordance with the above, your Commissioner was in attendance at the Council meeting, with properly prepared
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plans, estimates and detailed drawings, showing clearly the ideas of the committee as expressed in their report at the time it was presented, and after a long, thorough and careful con- sideration of the subject, the sum of $40,000 was appropriated for the construction of Hancock street, $12,000 for Common street, and $3,000 for West street, the work to be done in accordance with the plans recommended by the committee.
During the past year there has been constructed in a per- manent manner, under special appropriations made therefor, 18,400 feet, or 3.46 miles of new streets, viz. :-
Whitwell street, 1,385 feet, total cost
$2,901 34
Liberty street, 875
248 93
Common street, 3,960
13,159 34
West street, 3,400
2,999 97
Belmont street, 580 66 66 470 74
Lawyer's lane, 1,500
497 42
Hancock street, 6,700
66 amount expended to
38,817 48
date
Special reference to the same is made as follows :-
WHITWELL STREET.
Whitwell street is a new street, laid out, accepted and ordered built by the City Council of 1889.
This street runs from Adams street to the new hospital ; its length is 1,385 feet, and its width is 40 feet.
After removing the top soil and bringing the surface to a proper grade, a good and substantial foundation composed of granite chip stone was placed thereon to the depth of fifteen inches, thoroughly compacted and rolled hard ; this foundation
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was then covered with a good coating of binding gravel and thoroughly rolled.
Gravel sidewalks were also constructed on either side of the street, throughout the whole length.
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for fiscal year 1889 $2,250 00
expended at the close of fiscal year 1889 298 66
available at the beginning of the fiscal
year 1890 1,951 34
expended for fiscal year 1890 1,951 34
LIBERTY STREET.
The extension of Liberty street to a point 875 feet southerly from Centre street was laid out, accepted, and ordered con- structed by the City Council of 1889.
The width of the street as now built is 40 feet, and the man- ner of constructing it was substantially the same as that of Whitwell street ; that is, the removing of the top soil, bringing the surface to a proper grade, and constructing thereon a sub- stantial foundation composed of granite chip stone thoroughly compacted together, and covering the whole with a good coat of binding gravel.
It was necessary to construct a culvert across this street to take care of surface water in time of heavy rain. The size of the culvert, as constructed, is 3 feet wide by 2} feet high, the side walls of which were built with granite rubble-stone 2 feet in thickness, and covered by granite cap-stone 5 feet long.
120
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for the fiscal year 1890
. $250 00
expended 66
· 248 93
unexpended
66 1 07
COMMON STREET.
Common street was ordered to be widened, straightened, and laid out to a uniform width of 40 feet from Adams street to Copeland street, a distance of 3,960 feet, by the County Com- missioners on August 7th, 1888. No money was appropriated or work done on the street, however, until late in the fall of 1889.
The Council of 1889 appropriated $4,000 for the work of rebuilding Common street, and at the beginning of this fiscal year there was an unexpended balance of $1,099.40 left over from this appropriation.
As no plans for the construction of this street had been for- mulated previous to the present Commissioner taking charge of the department, it was deemed wise by that official to use this unexpended balance in continuing the work of removing the ledge rock, made necessary by the widening of the street, and to also continue the work of building some of the many retain- ing walls required along the line of the street.
On June 23rd the work of constructing this street, under the appropriation of $12,000, was commenced and continued without interruption until the thirtieth day of August following, when the street was completed and open for travel.
In making their recommendations for an appropriation for the construction of Common street, the sum of $15,000 was asked for by the committee, with the idea in view that the
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northerly end of the street should be paved with granite block paving. It was decided, however, that with an allotment of $12,000 a substantial Telford road should be substituted in place of the paving ; consequently, in constructing that portion of Common street which lies between Adams street and Quarry street, a distance of 1,090 feet, great care was used by the Commissioner in placing a heavy and substantial Telford foun- dation, thoroughly underdraining it, and constructing thereon a heavy macadam roadway. Granite curbstones were also set, and paved gutters constructed on either side of this roadway.
A good macadam road was also constructed from Quarry street to Copeland street, the remainder of the distance, 2,870 feet, with such a system of gradients and paved gutters as will completely relieve the street of all storm or surface water.
Sidewalks of a suitable and proper width have also been constructed on either side of the street for nearly its whole dis- tance. A large amount of the money appropriated for this street was used in removing the ledge rock and building the heavy retaining walls required.
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for fiscal year 1890
$12,000 00
66 unexpended for fiscal year 1889 . 1,099 40
premium on note for fiscal year 1890
60 00
66 available for fiscal year 1890 13,159 40
expended for fiscal year 1890 · 13,159 34
unexpended 06
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WEST STREET.
This street was also ordered widened, straightened, and otherwise improved, by the County Commissioners on the same date as Common street. Its length from Copeland street to Willard street is 3,400 feet, and its width is 40 feet as now constructed.
Work was commenced on this street under the $3,000 appro- priated on August 18th of this year, and continued with a small force of men until finished.
With the small amount of funds available for this work not much could be done but to widen the street out to the lines established by the County Commissioners, build retaining walls required, and put the roadway in a suitable and proper condi- tion by grading it off and placing over it a good coating of gravel, well rolled.
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for fiscal year 1890
$3,000 00 ·
expended for fiscal year 1890
2,999 97
unexpended . 03
BELMONT STREET.
The Council appropriated the sum of $500 for paving the gutters on Belmont street. The work was accomplished soon after the money became available. The paving stones were purchased from Mr. Wm. F. Loud, of Quincy, and the work was performed by day labor.
The length of the street is about 800 feet, and gutters were paved each side of the street, as well as a large amount of work performed in re-grading the surface, for the major part of the roadway.
123
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for fiscal year 1890
$500 00
expended for fiscal year 1890
470 74
unexpended
29 26
LAWYER'S LANE.
The work of building Lawyer's lane, under the appropria- tion of $350, was commenced on November 13th, last.
Owing to the small amount of money appropriated for this work, it was impossible to do more than make the street pass- able ; a fair roadway has, however, been constructed over the whole length of the street, as well as doing a large amount of work on the bridges.
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for fiscal year 1890 . $350 00
expended for fiscal year 1890
346 97
unexpended
3 03
HANCOCK STREET.
The work of constructing Hancock street, under the plan recommended by the Committee on Streets and adopted by the City Council, was delayed until quite late in the season, owing to the many complications and difficulties which arose in con- nection therewith. Work, however, was commenced on this street in the early part of September, with a large force of men and teams employed, and has since been pushed rapidly forward.
Soon after the passage of the order authorizing the con- struction of Hancock Street, it was thought wise by the Com-
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mittee on Streets and your Commissioner, to recommend that the City Council take such action as should be necessary to require the Quincy & Boston Street Railway Company to relocate its tracks over this portion of the street ; changing from the side to the middle of the roadway.
The matter was presented to the City Council by the Chair- man of the Street Committee, at a meeting held on the 19th of May, and the Council, believing public necessity and con- venience required the change in location of the tracks as proposed, passed an order, on the same date, directing due notice be given to the Street Railway Company, and all other parties interested, that it was the intention of the City Council to order the Railway Company to relocate its tracks over this portion of Hancock street ; and further ordering that a public hearing be given to hear and consider any objections which might be made thereto.
This hearing was held on June 4th, at which time it was claimed by the counsel for the Railway Company, that, inas- much as certain legal technicalities were not observed in draft- ing the order, the same was made imperfect and illegal. So strongly was this claim presented by the opposition, through its able counsel, that an opinion from the City Solicitor respecting the legality of the proceedings in the matter was sought, and that official rendered an opinion stating that the order, as it passed the City Council, was imperfect and had not been legally drawn, consequently any action taken under it would be of no avail. Nothing further has since been done in relation to this matter.
The plan under which this street has been constructed, is in strict accordance with the ideas expressed by the committee
·
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in their report advocating the construction of a composite road, made up by the building of a paved roadway, 18 feet in width, and a Telford roadway, 20 feet in width, placed side by side throughout the whole length of Hancock street, from near Linden street to Neponset bridge, a distance of 6,700 feet, with the exception of a small portion of the street contained in the approaches leading to and from the bridge over the Old Colony Railroad Company's tracks near Atlantic Station.
The matter of compelling the Old Colony Railroad Company to widen their bridge and rebuild the approaches thereto, is now under consideration by the County Commissioners, and it is hoped that some decision respecting the matter will be reached soon.
Some delay in commencing the work upon the street was had by the difficulty experienced in obtaining suitable paving stone.
Early in July proposals were received for furnishing the paving stone under the specifications prepared by the Commis- sioner, but owing to the high prices named in the bids, and the small number of bids received, it was thought best to reject them all, and purchase the stone in open market.
Later, however, a contract was executed with Mr. Charles Wilson, one of the largest paving dealers in Quincy, for the furnishing of these stones in accordance with the specifications. The price paid Mr. Wilson was $1.35 per square yard of street surface covered, making about $35.10 per thousand stone, delivered on the street.
Inasmuch as it was claimed impossible, by some paving dealers, to furnish the stone called for by. the specifications for less than $60.00 or $70.00 per thousand, it would seem as if
126
your Commissioner had made a reasonably fair bargain in accepting Mr. Wilson's offer of $35.00 per thousand, for the same kind and quality of stone as those asked for under the specifications. The number of paving stone furnished by Mr. Wilson in the construction of the street, was 9,600 square yards, at a total cost of $12,960.00.
There was purchased from Messrs. John Fallon & Sons, of Quincy, 3.891 lineal feet of curbstone, at 55 cents per lineal foot, at a total cost of $2.140.05 ; the stone was of good quality and size and in every way suitable for the purpose.
A contract was made with Messrs. Gore Brothers, of Boston, to lay the paving, for the sum of 23 cents per square yard of street surface, and the work has been pushed forward to completion in a thorough and workmanlike manner; the number of square yards of paving laid was 12,578, at a total cost of $2,892.94.
The grading of the street, preparing the foundation for the paving, constructing the Telford portion of the roadway, and setting the curbstones, have been done by day labor, under the employ and supervision of Mr. Albert Spencer, who bas ex- pedited the same in a thorough and creditable manner.
The construction of a road of this kind is a new departure in road building for Quincy, and the manner in which it will withstand the heavy traffic over it is a subject of much interest and speculation.
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for fiscal year 1890
$40,000 00
premium on note for fiscal year 1890 224 00
66 expended for fiscal year 1890 (to date) 38,817 48
unexpended ·
1,406 52
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REPAIRS OF HIGHWAYS.
There are about 100 miles of streets in Quincy in charge of the Commissioner of Public Works, which are declared to be public highways.
With this large number of received streets comparatively few are paved, and their maintenance is therefore a heavy tax upon the City treasury, especially in sections of the city where they are much travelled by the heavy granite teams ; and it would be true economy to cause this class of streets to be cov- ered with a more enduring material than that which they have heretofore received.
Permanent repairs have been made on the following named streets :
Independence avenue, from Franklin street to Braintree town line, 3,100 feet, total cost $1,780.84.
Hancock street, from School street to Granite street, 1,600 · feet, total cost $3,142.54.
Adams street, from Milton town line, 1,540 feet easterly, total cost $1,780.84.
High School avenue, from Elm street to Quincy avenue, 920 feet, total cost $492.97.
Phipps street, from Franklin street to Water street, 970 feet, total cost $77.57.
Coddington street and Sea street, 3,000 feet, total cost $919.83.
General repairs have been made whenever and wherever required upon all other streets about the city, in order to keep them in a safe and passable condition, at a cost of $6,455.35.
128
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for the fiscal year 1890 $17,270 77
received from all other sources for fiscal
year 1890 2,126 75
available for the fiscal year 1890 ·
19,397 52
expended for the fiscal year 1890 · 19,330 72
unexpended 66 80
The expenditures under this appropriation, for the fiscal year 1890, are classified as follows :
Repairs on streets . $10,276 80
Paving gutters
1,465 00
Crushed stone, material and labor
1,675 26
· Gravel . 465 72
Stable expenses
668 00
Tools, implements, etc., .
454 81
Horses, wagons, harnesses, etc.,
3,156 76
Steam roller, repairs and supplies
132 96
Stone crusher, repairs and supplies
426 72
Fencing streets
568 35
Street signs
.
107 14
Total
$19,397 52
STREET LIGHTING.
At the beginning of the year there were situated at various points about the streets of the city, 87 arc electric lights, 3 incandescent electric lights, 56 gas lights and 91 oil lights, used for the purpose of lighting our streets and ways.
On October 21st, last, an order passed the City Council authorizing changes to be made in the system of street light-
129
ing. Under this order a special agreement was made with the Quiney Electric Light and Power Company, for 88 arc lights of 1,200 candle power each, at $75.00 per year, per light, 87 incandescent lights of 25 candle power each, at $20.00 per year for each light, 3 incandescent lights of 32 candle power each, at $30.00 per year, per light, and 1 incandescent light of 16 candle power, at $18.00 per year; the lights to be lighted and kept running from dusk until twelve o'clock midnight, every dark hour of every night, throughout the whole time of this agreement.
A contract has also been made with the Citizens Gas Light Company, for 68 gas street lamps, to be lighted and kept burn- ing throughout each night in the year, from dusk to twelve o'clock, the price to be paid, $20.00 per year, per lamp.
There are also 147 oil lamps which are furnished and lighted from dusk until midnight each night, by the Wheeler Reflector Company, of Boston. The price paid for these lights is 6 cents per light, per night.
A list of all street lights now in service by the city, giving the kind and location of each light, is appended to this report.
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for the fiscal year 1890 · $9,900 00
expended for the fiscal year 1890 9,717 82
unexpended 182 18
The experience in the past in lighting our streets with elec- tricity, would seem to indicate that there was ample oppor- tunity to make vast improvements in this manner of street lighting.
130
The service rendered by the local company in furnishing arc street lights during the year past, has been very unsatis- factory, and the public have been greatly annoyed thereby. It is thought that with more efficient management in the elec- tric company much better service could be rendered.
The gas street lamps have in their way given better satis- faction to our citizens generally, than the electric lights, for street lighting.
STREET LINES AND GRADES.
The fixing of street lines and the establishment of grades throughout the city, is a matter which should receive careful and prompt attention from the City Council.
Early in the year the attention of the executive department was called to the importance of this matter, and an allotment of money was asked for in the annual appropriation bill, for the purpose of beginning the work.
During the year surveys and plans have been made of a number of streets and much information collected, with the idea in view of having the lines and grades established therefor.
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for fiscal year 1890
$1,500 00 ·
66 expended for fiscal year 1890 214 50
66 transferred to Clerk for Commissioner of Public Works
400 00
transferred to repairs of public buildings 300 00
" advertising, stationery and printing . 450 00
66 unexpended .
135 50 .
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SIDEWALKS.
The Council, as has been the custom in the past, appropri- ated a sum of money to be used during the year, setting curb- stones and building sidewalks on streets where the abutters would agree to pay one-half of the expense of so doing.
This work has been attended to by the Commissioner, and edgestones have been set and sidewalks constructed during the year, on the following named streets, with the understand- ing that one-half of the expense should be borne by the abutters : -
Cross street, 40 feet, total cost $16 00
Phipps street, 320 1-2 feet, total cost
266 38
Common street, 203 feet, total cost
107 25
Hancock street, Adams Block, 192 feet, total cost, including tiling for sidewalk 1,000 00
Brook and Farrington streets, 209 feet, total cost 167 50
Greenleaf street, 132 feet, total cost .
117 94
Granite and Garfield streets, 80 feet, total cost
75 58
Summer street, 157 feet, total cost
133 61
Common street, 119 feet, total cost
9 62
Cross street, 375 feet, total cost .
225 00
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for the fiscal year 1890
· $1,200 00
due and received from the abutters 2,124 59
unexpended . 526 00
REMOVAL OF SNOW.
An appropriation was made at the beginning of the year, to be used in removing the snow from the walks and streets about
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the city, making the same passable, wherever it shall be necessary, after a heavy fall of snow.
Several storms of this kind have occurred during the year, and the work of clearing the walks and streets has been at- tended to in a prompt manner.
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for the fiscal year 1890
$1,200 00
expended for the fiscal year 1890 . 704 49
unexpended 495 51
SURVEY AND PLANS OF WATER STREET.
In connection with the matter of permanent construction of streets, the Committee on Streets recommended in their report, that the sum of $500 be appropriated for making survey and plans of Water street, for the purpose of formulating some definite scheme for widening and improving Water street.
The surveys have been completed, the plans drawn and sub- mitted to the Committee, who now have the matter in charge.
MONEY STATEMENT.
Amount appropriated for the fiscal year 1890
$500 00
expended for the fiscal year 1890
187 35
unexpended ·
312 65
[" C "]
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The public buildings belonging to the City of Quincy are ten in number, not including the school buildings; and the Commissioner of Public Works is required by law to have
133
charge of all repairs made upon the buildings and to super- intend the construction of all buildings built by the city.
The polling places have to be made ready by him for hold- ing the elections, and he in a like manner cares for the neces- sary furnishings and fittings connected with all public build- ings in his charge.
CITY HALL BUILDING.
Some changes in the furnishing of the City Hall have been made during the year, necessitating the purchasing of new furniture for some of the offices.
In connection with this matter some very important and desirable changes should be made the coming year, in re- arranging the department offices in the City Hall building ; this can be done at a comparatively small expense and provide suitable quarters for the transaction of public business, for all officers and boards connected with the City Government.
CITY STABLE.
Another matter that should receive the prompt attention of the incoming administration, is that of providing more suitable quarters in which to stable the horses of the highway depart- ment.
The city stable in which the horses are now being housed and fed is not, in the opinion of the Commissioner of Public Works, suitable for the department; the building is small, badly arranged and ventilated; and the stench penetrating the whole building, arising from the cellar, in which the swine belonging to the Poor Department are kept and fed upon the garbage collected about the city, is often unbearable.
134
The city has within a short time lost two valuable horses ; whether the cause of their death can be traced to the un- healthy condition of their surroundings is not known, but certainly the effect of being shut up in close quarters, breath- ing this nauseating smell for hours at a time, cannot be other- wise than harmful. Steps should therefore be taken at once to give the department a healthful, well ventilated and well arranged stable in which to keep its horses, with plenty of shed room attached to store its tools and implements.
WILLARD SCHOOL BUILDING.
On December 13th, 1889, the city contracted with I. H. & E. H. Cushing, of Hingham, for the construction of the Willard school building, under the plans and specifications prepared by Messrs. Sturgis & Cabot, architects.
Work on this building was commenced soon after the sign- ing of the contract and has been continued up to this time in a very slow and unbusinesslike manner.
The time mutually agreed upon for the completion of this building was January 1st, 1891; but the building at this date is not more than two-thirds completed.
A report was set in circulation a few days since that the contractors have become insolvent ; upon learning of this matter, the advice of the City Solicitor was sought in order to determine what legal steps were necessary to protect the city's interest.
At the suggestion of the City Solicitor, a letter was pre- pared by the Commissioner, calling the contractors' bondsmen's attention to the current report and notifying them that if the contractors were insolvent, the City of Quincy would hold
135
the bondsmen responsible for the completion of the building, under the contract.
Mr. William K. Chubbuck, of this city, has been inspector of the work during the year and has performed his duties in a creditable manner.
The old buildings which were situated on the Willard school lot at the time it was purchased by the city, were ad- vertised and sold at public auction on March 27th last, and the total amount of money received therefor was $1,116, which has since been turned over to the City Treasurer.
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