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 1901 > Part 6
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1,408 86
91 14
Quarry Street Paving,
5,000 00
4,925 32
74 68
Plain Street,
200 00
200 00
Grove st grading, not completed 3,000 00
3,000 00
Chubb'k st widen'g “
6,000 00
6,000 00
Botolph st grading
500 00
500 00.
Verchild st grading
66
300 00
300 00.
Hancock st widening "
2,700 00
2,700 00,
Excise Tax,
6,336 36 )
5,958 67 1,094 57
1900 balance,
716 88 S
PERMANENT SIDEWALKS.
Beach st tar concrete,
1,500 00 1
1,551 30
Beach st tar concrete, transfer
51 30 S
Beale st tar concrete,
1,700 00
1,592 82 107 18
Wash'n st tar concrete,
3,000 00
3,751 31
Wash'n st tar concrete, transfer
751 31
Chestnut st, tar concrete,
1,200 00
1,145 92
54 08
Bigelow st, tar concrete,
1,000 00
986 67
13 33
Walker Street, gravel
1,000 00
930 12
69 88
Clark street, gravel
500 00
491 66
8 34
Rawson road, gravel
1,800 00
1,264 09
535 91
Liberty st and Brook ave., gravel, one-half completed,
1,700 00
812 00
888 00
Newbury avenue gravel, not completed
1,200 00
1,200 00
Rodman st, gravel,notcompleted 1,800 00
1,800 00
Wollaston av « 66 300 00
300 00
144
PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.
Police Station, 4,500 00
2,547 99 1,952 01
Rep Council chamber & city hall 2,000 00
1,770 01 229 99
City Hall safes, 500 00
500 00
Engine house grading, Wd 5
1,500 00
1,514 80
47 70
66 66 66 transfer 62 50
Police signal service, not completed 7,500 00
7,500 00
Lincoln school sanitaries
not completed 2,600 00
2,600 00
Cranch school grading " 66 4,000 00
3,299 06 700 94
Fire station, wd six, hot water boiler, not completed 90 00
90 00
Fire station, wd four, bath room, not completed 160 00
160 00
Fire station, wd two, bath room
not completed
250 00
250 00
BRIDGES AND DRAINS.
Warren ave. foot-bridge not completed, 2,650 00
2 00 2,648 00
Water street drain
1,750 00
1,746 60
3 40
Miller street drain
1,000 00
1,000 00
Independence avenue drain
500 00
500 00
Goffe street drain
1,000 00
998 16
1 84
Liberty street drain
1,300 00
1,295 16
4 84
WATER AND SEWERS.
Water Maintenance
10,000 00
9,874 41
125 59
Water Construction
33,000 00
43,602 78
448 19
Receipts from services
11,050 97 $
Sewer Maintenance
3,500 00
3,141 34 358 66
145
The following appropriations were expended this year on orders passed by the Council of 1900, too late in the year to «commence work.
APPROPRIATION. EXPENDED. BALANCE.
Beale street
$2,000 00
$2,000 00
Intervale street
1,500 00
1,497 67
$2 33
Clark street
300 00
260 76
39 21
Quarry street approaches
300 00
53 00
247 00
Willard street drain
2,500 00
2,189 79
310 21
Teal pond
2,000 00
1,899 20
100 80
Grand totals,
$226,017 96 $187,543 88 $38,474 08
In the following report each item is taken up in its order and only the most important points mentioned.
For a detailed statement of expenditures of each appropri- .ation I beg to refer you to the report of the City Auditor.
BRIDGES, CULVERTS AND DRAINS.
The usual repairs were made on the various bridges, cul- verts and drains.
The new work done under this appropriation was as follows :
On Rawson road the old wooden bridge over Sachem Brook was taken up and replaced with a handsome stone bridge with parapet walls at a cost of $607.41.
The drain put in last year from Town Brook to Nash's corner was extended to the City hall corner with connections with catch basins at the Savings Bank and at the Church. In connection with this work the old paved gutter was taken up and relaid to a proper grade and now I can safely say that the problem of draining City Square is satisfactorily solved.
The bridge on Beale street over the tracks of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad was widened seven
146
feet on the southerly side to provide for a sidewalk convenient to the Wollaston Post Office, making a decided improvement.
Catch basins and drains were put in on Elm street, Revere road, Beale, Common, Centre, Walker and Atlantic streets.
By orders of the Trustees, $375.00 was expended for Quincy's proportion for repairs on the Hingham and Wey- mouth bridges.
All the brooks and water courses were cleaned thoroughly under the direction of the Board of Health and they are now in a clean, healthy condition. The amount expended for this work was $665.38.
SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR BRIDGES AND
DRAINS.
WILLARD STREET DRAIN.
Willard street drain was ordered by the Council of 1900. and the following year when the water was low the work was carried on. This was a case where a running brook after pass- ing under Willard street at the junction of Bates avenue, over- flowed the low land lying east of Willard street and caused damage and annoyance to several parties.
The difficulty was overcome by laying a 24-inch pipe drain under the Willard street sidewalk connecting with the stone drain near Rogers street. Man-holes were put in about 400 feet apart to furnish access to the drain for necessary cleaning,. also 4 catch basins connecting with this drain were put in on the westerly side of Willard street and 2 on the easterly side at the corner of Crescent street.
WATER STREET DRAIN.
Water street drain was ordered by the Council at the sug- gestion of the Board of Health to carry off the surface water that formerly flowed sluggishly or remained in stagnant pools
147
in the shallow brook lying north of Water street between Franklin and Summer streets. It also serves the purpose of quickly carrying off the flood of water that col- lects at the junction of Franklin and Water streets during every heavy rain. There were 4 catch basins put in at this point, 3 at the corner of Phipps street and 3 at inter- mediate points, all connecting with a 15-inch pipe that runs along in the centre of Water street and discharges into the brook near Quincy avenue.
This is a great public improvement but the full benefit will not be seen until the street is regraded which will be done in 1902.
LIBERTY STREET DRAIN.
The surface water from Pleasant, Water, Penn and Quincy streets formerly flowed down Liberty street to the brook near Brook road, and as the volume was large and the street flat with a slight grade the water often covered the entire width of the street to the great inconvenience of the travelling public. To relieve this condition a 15-inch pipe drain was laid under the northerly sidewalk from the junction of Liberty and Water streets to, and discharging into, the brook. There were 10 catch basins put in at street intersections and intermediate points connecting with this drain. The results so far are very gratifying.
MILLER STREET DRAIN.
This work was necessary to drain the pond of water that collected at the corner of Miller and Copeland streets. A 15- inch pipe was laid from this point to Furnace Brook at the corner of Miller and Cross streets. Opposite the Willard school yard a connection was made with the pipe drain from Copeland and Crescent streets. This connection, together with the 4 catch basins furnishes ample facilities for taking care of surface water in the neighborhood.
-
148
INDEPENDENCE AVENUE DRAIN.
Parties owning the low land lying north of Independence avenue near Bennington street contemplated filling the land and erecting houses thereon and were willing to give the city a right of way for a drain. It was thought an opportune time to secure a good permanent drain and an appropriation was made and a stone drain 3 feet square was constructed from Indepen- dence avenue across Federal avenue to the stone culvert under the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad. The value of this will show in the future.
Steps, however, should be taken to secure a stone drain from Bennington street connecting with this drain before the property on the south side of Independence avenue is de- veloped.
GOFFE STREET DRAIN.
This appropriation provided for a 12-inch pipe drain with 2 catch basins on the northerly end of Goffe street; paved gut- ters on Goffe and Dimmock streets and a catch basin and drain on Upland road. All of this work was completed and works satisfactorily.
TEAL POND.
The results obtained from the expenditure of this appropri- ation were not at all satisfactory. It was thought that the pond of stagnant water lying west of Newbury avenue, could be filled, thus removing a source of danger to the public health, but it evidently has no bottom. About 8300 loads of gravel and 450 loads of brush were dumped into the pond but it quickly sank out of sight and the pond is as large and apparently as deep as ever. Undoubtedly it would take 10,000 loads more to fill the pond and get the results desired.
149
WARREN AVENUE BRIDGE.
Early in the year the Council took up the matter of build- ing a foot bridge on Warren avenue over the tracks of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad, and passed an order for its erection, according to plans prepared. After advertise -. ment the contract was awarded to the National Bridge Co. of New York, the work to be completed by November 15, 1901. Owing to the steel strike the company were unable to get the necessary material and the bridge will not be erected until early in the year of 1902. The foundations are all completed ready for the structure.
REMOVAL OF SNOW.
During the year there were a large number of very light snow storms and no heavy ones, so that the cost of ploughing out was small, but on the other hand there was a great deal of ice, necessitating quite an expense for sanding sidewalks, which was done more thoroughly than ever before.
There is now a large quantity of sand under cover ready at all times to be used on slippery walks. The expense of giv- ing this comfort and security to pedestrians is so great however that only the walks in the thickly settled sections and near the railroad stations are given elose attention.
There are 14 snow districts, handling 29 ploughs, making it possible to thoroughly plough out nearly 125 miles of side- walk in three hours.
STREET LIGHTING.
There is little to be proud of in our street lighting the past year and our citizens have been very patient considering the service we have received. The Electric Light Co. have done the best they could under very trying circumstances. Their old plant proving inadequate for the amount of service required,
150
they early in the year commenced the erection of a new and up to date station on the water front, expecting to get it in operation in the early fall. Owing to delay in receiving machinery the station will not be in operation until about Feb- ruary 1902. In the meantime the Company could not handle the new lights ordered by the Council, consequently the lights ordered by the Council of 1901 will not be in operation until 1902. In most cases the poles are set and wires strung and once the new plant gets started it will only be a short time before the new lights are started, at that time all the oil lamps will be discontinued and electric lights substituted and I expect the year 1902 will show the citizens the best lighting service they have ever received.
.
We have now in operation 111 arc, 459 incandescent, 73 oil and 67 gas lamps.
Ordered but not in operation 5 arc and 11 incandescent lamps.
ADVERTISING, PRINTING AND STATIONERY.
As this account covers all the advertising, printing and stationery for all the city departments, beside that ordered by the City Council, it makes it almost impossible for me to handle it so as to keep within the appropriation.
As a matter of record a statement of expenditures for each department is shown for the years 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900 and 1901, and I would renew my previous recommendations that this appropriation be divided so that the responsibility for a deficit can be definitely fixed.
1897
1898 $248.54
1899 $240.00
1900 $315.09
$322.06
Tax Collector,
609.14
710.88
754.28
597.70
1,009.45
Treasurer,
186.33
112.13
472.45
335.57
356.77
City Clerk, Election,
872.09
941.76
1,007.13
1,358.81
1,167.66
Mayor and Council,
746.68
949.19
802.15
857.16
1,111.18
Auditor,
55.86
47.60
9.15
11.50
7.55
Chief of Police,
35.75
37.31
23.75
5.50
12.00
Overseer of Poor,
3.11
11.75
29.45
24.25
City Solicitor,
6.90
3.95
20.68
1.50
Milk Inspector,
15.13
19.88
24.81
20.31
19.87
Sealer of Weights,
4.50
9.75
11.07
5.50
14.87
Registrars,
23.92
48.55
71.50
27.13
Totals,
$2,797.55 $3,112.71 $3,426.74 $3,623.57 $4,050.04
1901
Com'r Public Works,
$262.12
151
REPAIR OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND CARE OF CITY HALL.
A great deal of attention was given to the many and varied demands for repairs on the public buildings. It is very difficult at the beginning of the year to accurately estimate the amount necessary to keep the buildings in a good condition. As is the case with all buildings, one repair necessitates another and there is seemingly no end. This was the case with the Alms- house, when painting was commenced it was found necessary to shingle the roof, repair the chimneys, windows, blinds, gutters and porches. This expense on the outside of the build- ing was so great as to cause a postponement of necessary toilet rooms and repairs inside, which I trust will be provided for the coming year.
The Quincy school building was shingled and some paint- ing done and the heating and sanitary apparatus thoroughly overhauled and repaired.
The Adams school building was painted and varnished inside and slight repairs made.
Under orders from the State Inspector of Boilers the heat- ing plants in all the school and hose houses were put in first class condition, complying with the State law.
Repairs on the buildings not mentioned were so numerous and varied that space will not permit of a detailed statement.
The following list will show amounts expended on each building and on the repair and care of the City Hall.
Expended on School Buildings for Repairs.
Adams, .
$312 22
Coddington
54 14
Cranch .
42 20
Gridley Bryant
236 32
High
302 88
John Hancock
434 74
Lincoln .
447 11
Massachusetts Fields
161 54
152
Quincy .
388 41
Washington
9 20
Willard .
768. 95
Wollaston
170 84
Old High
47 22
$3,375 77
Hose Houses.
Central Fire Station.
$413 78
Hose House, Ward 2
132 88
Hose House, Ward 4
150 98
Hose House, Ward 5
3 16
Hose House, Ward 6
46 36
Hose House, Houghs Neck
11 25
$758 41
City Stable
$212 14
Almshouse
844 11
Office Mt. Wollaston Cemetery
28 66
Police Station
26 80
City Hall.
Repairs, furniture etc.,
$450 49
Lighting
772 70
Coal
115 00
Janitor
720 00
Miscellaneous
213 83
2,272 02
Total
$7,517 91
SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
CITY HALL
A fire in the rear of the City Hall did considerable damage to the Assessor's office and Council Chamber and it was thought by the Council that it was a good opportunity to make an im- provement in the appearance of the Council Chamber, con-
·
·
153
sequently an appropriation of $2,000 was made and expended in a judicious manner in decorating walls and ceilings, furnish- ing carpets, repairing and purchasing new furniture and making necessary repairs caused by the fire. The improvement is very noticeable and is favorably commented upon.
NEW POLICE STATION.
The condition and accommodation of the Police Station in the basement of the City Hall was such as to lead the Council to appropriate $4,500 for fixing up the old stone building on School street to accommodate the Police Department.
The whole inside of the building was torn out, the cellar deepened, outside walls pointed up with Portland cement, windows and doors cut through and changed, new plastering and sheathing put in position, steam heat, gas and electric lights introduced, and ample toilet facilities put in and connec- tion made with the sewer.
The interior is arranged so that the cell room is in the rear of the first floor, with adamant walls and ceilings and con- crete floor, making it fire proof.
Eight steel jail cages are placed in the centre of the room with corridors all around. In the concrete floor are placed four strainers connecting with the sewer. A large brick venti- lating flue runs from the cell room up to twelve feet above the roof.
In one corner is a sink and water closet and in addition each cell has a soil bucket with ventilating pipes connecting with the vent flue.
In the front part is located the main office, toilet room, chief's private office and woman's cell. Overhead are five rooms for officer's use and for the police signal battery.
On the whole, the building makes one of the neatest, most convenient and up to date Police Stations to be found in the State.
154
POLICE SIGNAL SERVICE.
In connection with the above work an appropriation was made for installing a police signal service. The contract was let to the Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Co. for installing 17 signal boxes and necessary wires and apparatus.
Arrangements have also been made for a patrol wagon.
This work was not started until December and it will probably be April 1, 1902, before the system is in operation.
HOSE HOUSES.
Late in the year, appropriations were made for a bath tub and hot water heater in the Ward Two Hose House, a bath tub and hot water heater in the Ward Four Hose House, and a hot water heater in the Ward Six Hose House. This work has not yet been done, but will be commenced early in the coming year.
LINCOLN SCHOOL PLUMBING.
The appropriation for installing a system of water closets in the Lincoln School was passed so late in the year that it was found unadvisible to do this work and connect with the sewer during the winter months, so that this will probably not be com- menced until the summer vacation.
GRADING CRANCH SCHOOL LOT.
The appropriations for grading the Cranch School lot have not yet been expended, and considerable filling is still required in the rear. Edgestones have been placed around the lot and the front and sides graded and sown with grass seed.
The grading of the Ward Five Engine House was com- pleted in an attractive manner.
155
REPAIRS OF HIGHWAYS.
Under the $25,000 appropriated in the budget, a great deal of work was done in the way of cleaning gutters, repairing gravel roads and repairing and resurfacing macadam streets.
This class of work is done all over the city on nearly every street and it is impossible to give a statement of each job. Great care was taken first, to repair the places that could be con- sidered dangerous, and second, to improve the condition of our main thoroughfares.
Hancock street was somewhat neglected however on account of the granting of a double track location to the Street Railway Co. and it was thought economy to defer any improve- ment until after the tracks had been laid, which will be done in the early spring.
I believe we are making a substantial gain in the condi- tion of our highways and I look for more improvement the coming year.
The construction of the South Metropolitan Sewer through our city and our own sewer construction causes some annoyance and inconvenience, but the coming year will see most of this work completed and the streets back in their proper condition.
The Massachusetts Highway Commission have accepted a part of Quincy avenue for a state road and will in all proba- bility commence work in the spring.
Considerable money was expended on the trimming and care of shade trees but a great deal more should be done. The establishment of the office of city forester with a liberal appro- priation, would be a great benefit and also relieve the highway account.
During the year there were 101 street signs erected, 52 permits issued for street openings, parades, moving buildings, etc.
156
Five new streets were accepted and laid out as public ways, making our total street mileage 73.1 miles.
Length Width in feet. in feet.
Howard ave. from Howard st. southerly
1365
33
Albertina st. from Centre st. westerly
1051
36
Rogers st. from Hall Place, northerly
875
33
Plain st. from Trafford st. to Columbia st.
487
40
Verchild st. from Franklin to Bennington st.
540
40
Total length in feet
4318
By the deeding to the city by Mr. H. B. Blackwell of a strip of land seven feet wide on the easterly side of Prospect street between Billings and Sagamore streets, Prospect street was made 40 feet wide and it was then curbed and graded.
The Fore River Ship & Engine Co. deeded to the City a piece of land on the southeast corner of Howard street and Howard avenue, enabling us to round the corner and make an easy entrance to Howard avenue.
Our ten year lease of the Keenan quarry expires this year and I would recommend that provisions be made to move our stone crushing plant to some other ledge containing a better grade of rock, where the cost of quarrying would be less. 3000 tons of stone were quarried, crushed and used for street repairs. 2352 tons of crushed stone was purchased from the contractors on the Metropolitan Sewer, at a very low figure, and used on Hancock and Beale streets, and also in City Square.
Necessary additions were made to our outfit and now we have a first class plant, able to handle any and all kinds of work, economically and rapidly.
The old Aveling & Porter Steam Road Roller, after four- teen years of service, has broken down, and as the cost of repair_ ing would be so heavy, I would recommend that it be sold or exchanged for a new one as the most economical thing to do.
The permanent force are working faithfully and harmoni- ously.
The receipts shown below are for board of horses for Health
157
and Water Departments, and for work performed for other departments and paid for out of the highway appropriation.
Appropriation
$25,000 00
Receipts from Sewer Dept.
8244 60
Park Commissioners
16 84
Street Railway Tax
1,276 50
Water Dept.
150 00
Board of Health
235 00
N. Eng. Tel. Co. .
287 92
Old Colony St. Ry. Co.
397 99
Sewer Maintenance
144 00
Street Watering
886 98
Miscellaneous
235 82
$3,875 65
$28,875 65
Expended
27,842 07
Balance
.
$1,033 58
SPECIAL APPROPRIATION FOR HIGHWAYS.
The special orders for street improvements were numerous but did not involve a very large expenditure of money. They are as follows :
WILLARD STREET PAVING
consisted of paving with granite blocks the west side of Wil- lard street from the West Quincy depot northerly a distance of about 1,400 feet, containing about 2,172 sq. yards.
The Street Railway Company was required to put in a new girder rail to replace the old T rail and to pave with good blocks the space between the rails and 18 inches outside.
The curbing was altered to conform to the new grade,
158
catch basins and pipes put in to care for surface water and a thorough job done. All excavation was done by day labor. The contract for granite blocks was awarded to Charles Wilson for $35 per thousand and the laying of the pavement to H. Gore & Co. for 25 cents per square yard.
WINTHROP AVENUE GUTTERS
consisted of laying a five foot dished gutter on the east side of Winthrop avenue from Beale street to South Central avenue and on the west side between Warren and South Central aven- ues. This covered 908 square yards and will prevent the num- erous wash-outs that formerly occurred on these steep grades.
CENTRAL AVENUE GRADING.
embraced the work necessary to dig out the loam and clay and replace with telford foundation and gravel top that portion ly- ing between Prospect avenue and Belmont street.
ALBERTINA STREET
was accepted as a public way and the small appropriation was used to put it in a safe condition for public travel, after the abutters had signed releases for all claims for damage.
ATLANTIC STREET
appropriation was expended in resurfacing the entire length with binding gravel. It was spread and rolled to a grade nec- essary to carry off surface water and is a great improvement. The flat grade and lack of drainage facilities will however be a source of annoyance.
159
ROGERS STREET
was accepted as a public way and the appropriation was needed to put in drains, retaining walls, moving fences and trees, blast- ing ledge and bowlders and to grade the street the entire length. The abutters waived all claim for damages and the work was performed in a highly creditable and satisfactory manner.
QUARRY STREET PAVING.
This appropriation was made in pursuance of the policy to pave a portion of Quarry street each year to benefit the granite quarries and to prevent the large outlay each year for repairs.
The work consisted of setting edgestones on both sides and paving the roadway with granite blocks. Very heavy excava- tions were made in ledge and bowlders on the hill that was cut down to reduce the steep grade and to care for the surface water. Citizen labor only was employed.
The contract for granite blocks was awarded to Charles Wilson for $34.50 per thousand. H. Gore & Co. laid the pave- ment for 25 cents per square yard and the Quincy Granite Quarries Co. furnished the edgestone for 30 cents per linear foot.
In spite of the narrowness of the street, only 33 feet wide, and the heavy blasting, the street was only closed to traffic eight days. 1500 feet of edgestones were set and 40,000 blocks used in paving 1,665 square yards.
Quarry street is now paved in first class shape from Gran- ite street to Smith street and I trust the coming year will see it extended at least 1000 feet more.
PLAIN STREET
was laid out and accepted as a public way from Trafford street, to Columbia street under the conditions that abutters waive all claims for damages. After this was done the small appropri- ation was used to shape up and gravel the roadway.
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