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 1902 > Part 6
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SIR :- In accordance with the requirements of the City Charter I beg to submit herewith the fourteenth annual report of the Department of Public Works for the year ending December 31, 1902.
There were 106 orders passed by the City Council for work pertaining to my department, involving an expenditure of 8243,169.65, including transfers and receipts, divided as follows : Streets, Sidewalks and Drains, 20 orders $29,660 94
Public Buildings, 13
81,900 00
Water and Sewer, 2
45,500 00
Annual Budget, 1 68,180 00
Transfers and Receipts, 4 17,928 71
The remaining 66 orders were for location of lights, poles, street railway tracks and preparing polling places.
The following table shows appropriations, expenditures and balances :
ANNUAL BUDGET. APPROPRIATION. EXPENDED. BALANCE.
Bridges, culverts and drains, $4,000 00
$3,988 59 $11 41
Removal of snow, Transfer,
2,000 00 )
3,149 82
18
Street lighting,
20,300 00
20,247 80
52 20
Advertising, printing and
stationery,
2,000 00
1,936 49
63 51
1,150 00
2
Clerical services,
780 00
780 00
Repairs Public Buildings and City Hall,
6,500 00
6,393 67
106 33
Highways,
25,000 00 3
28,152 19
510 (6
Transfer and receipts,
3,662 25 S
Street watering,
6,600 00
6,600 00
Edgestones,
1,000 00
1,000 00
WATER AND SEWERS.
Water maintenance,
10,000 00
9,960 58
39 42
Water construction,
34,000 00
44,346 02 1,380 87
Receipts from services,
11,726 89 S
Sewer maintenance,
1,500 00
1,472 24
27 76
SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS.
Independence avenue drain
800 00
781 58
18 42
Brooks avenue sidewalk,
300 00
250 80
49 20
Faxon park road
3,000 00
166 76 2,833 24
Watering trough, Liberty st., not completed,
350 00
350 00
Hamilton street grading, not completed,
500 00
500 00
Edison street, not completed,
200 00
200 00
Newbury ave., not completed,
1,000 00
1,000 00
Eaton street
50 00
48 57
1 43
Rock Island road, not completed 700 00
6,272 05
6,272 05
Excise Tax.
16,488 89
9,641 91 7,941 55
Excise Tax, 1901 balance,
1,094 57
1,385 00 115 00
Police signal boxes,
400 00
394 16 5 84
Patrol wagon stable,
1,500 00
1,500 00
Washington school building,
55,00C 00
1,000 00 54000 00
Plumbing almshouse,
1,300 00
978 93 321 07
Hose house, Houghs Neck,
5,350 00
1,182 02 4,167 98
Sanitaries Willard school,
350 00
342 00 8 00
Sanitaries John Hancock school, 3,500 00
3,170 44 329 56
Remodeling City Hall,
13,000 00
13,000 00
Election expenses
295 00
293 56 1 44
700 00
Quincy ave., state highway,
Pest house,
1,500 00
3
The following appropriations were passed by the City Council late in 1901 and work completed this year.
APPROPRIATION. EXPENDED. BALANCE
Grove street grading, $3,000 00
$2,945 88
$54 12
Chubbuck street widening
6,000 00
6,000 00
Verchild street grading,
300 00
300 00
Hancock street widening, .
2,700 00
2,700 00
Botolph st grading, not completed 500 00
500 00
Brooks avenue sidewalk,
888 00
888 00
Newbury avenue sidewalk,
1,200 00
1,200 00
Rodinan street sidewalk,
1,800 00
1,800 00
Wollaston avenue sidewalk,
300 00
300 00
Police signal service,
7,500 00
7,500 00
Lincoln school sanitaries,
2,600 00
2,528 66
71 34
Hose house, Ward 6, heating
90 00
90 00
Hose house, Ward 4, bath room, 160 00
160 00
Hose house, Ward 2, bath room, 250 00
249 90
10
Warren avenue foot bridge,
2,648 00
2,648 00
The following is a short review of the work of the year, but for a detailed statement of expenditures for each appropria- tion, I beg to refer you to the report of the City Auditor.
BRIDGES, CULVERTS AND DRAINS.
Neponset bridge was replanked and deck planking repaired at a cost of $2,166.88.
Bates avenue bridge and Beale street bridge had the usual annual repairs.
All principal water-ways and brooks were cleared at a cost of $642.
The city's proportion of cost of repairs on the Hingham and Weymouth bridges was $175.
Under an act of the legislature, the County Commissioners let the contract and began work on the $100,000. iron bridge over the Weymouth Fore River. This bridge will probably be completed in March, 1903.
4
Catch basins and drains were put in on Chubbuck street, Des Moines road, Independence avenue, Willard street, North street, Rawson road and Quincy avenue.
By a special order, a 3 ft. by 4 ft. stone drain and a 15-inch pipe drain was put in on the south side of Independence avenue to carry water from the catch basins at the corner of Goddard street. This was necessary on account of the low land in that vicinity being filled in and built upon.
STREET LIGHTING.
The street lighting service was better this year than ever before. After the Electric Light Co. got finally located in their new station and replaced the old style arc lamps for the new in- closed arc lamps, the improvement was very noticeable.
All the oil lamps in the city were discontinued and electric lamps substituted in approximately the same locations.
We have now in operation 130 arc, 537 incandescent and 67 gas lamps, a gain of 19 arc and 78 incandescent lamps and a loss of 73 oil lamps over the year 1901.
The contract between the city and the Quincy Electric. Light & Power Co., expires January 1, 1903 and I would suggest in making a new contract that some provision be made for nightly patrol to insure us in getting the full benefit of all the lights in the system.
ADVERTISING, PRINTING AND STATIONERY.
This account formerly handled by this department was divided among the different departments except that the Com- missioner of Public Works' appropriation covers bills of the Department of Public Works, Treasurer, Solicitor, Milk In- spector and Sealer of Weights and Measures, which on the whole is a very satisfactory arrangement.
5
REPAIRS OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND CARE OF CITY HALL.
This appropriation covered the necessary repairs in all the school buildings, fire stations and City Hall and was divided as follows :
Expended on School Buildings for Repairs.
Adams
$111 21
Coddington
221 87
Cranch
122 93
Gridley Bryant
86 59
High
315 39
Old High
19 77
John Hancock
75 03
Lincoln .
54 01
Massachusetts Fields
116 45
Quincy
142 23
Washington
68 22
Willard
601 21
Wollaston
198 67
$2,133 58
Fire Stations.
Central Fire Station
$292 17
Hose House, Ward 2
1 00
Hose House, Ward 4
70 67
Hose House, Ward 5
284 82
Hose House, Ward 6
113 62
$762 28
City Hall.
Repairs, furniture, etc. . $835 70
Lighting
352 32
6
Fuel
345 91
Janitor
820 00
Miscellaneous
537 45
$2,891 38
City Stables
414 06
Almshouse
12 15
Police Station and Patrol Wagon
Stable
150 22
Total
86,393 67
REPAIRS OF HIGHWAYS.
This appropriation was expended in as economical a manner as possible in repairing roadways and. sidewalks, cleaning gutters and basins, trimming trees, erecting street signs, laying. cross-walks and paving gutters.
The surplus material taken from Hancock street by the Street Railway Co., in laying a double track was used in grad- ing streets in the immediate vicinity, namely, Woodbine, Berlin, Blake, Standish avenue, Old Colony avenue, Marl- borough street, Kemper street and Rawson road.
The surplus stone was carted to the portable crusher by the company and the crushed stone used to resurface Hancock street from Adams street to Squantum street.
Hancock street from School street to Adams street was resurfaced with broken stone from the City stone crushing plant.
Quincy avenue from School street to Scammell street, Water street from Quincy avenue to Franklin street, Beale street from the bridge to Hancock street and a portion of New- port avenue and Adams street were resurfaced with broken stone purchased from the Metropolitan Sewer Contractors on Adams street.
A large amount of work was done for the city sewer department and the Metropolitan Sewer Board in repairing streets in which sewers were built.
7
Six streets were accepted and laid out as public ways, making our total mileage of accepted streets, 74.3 miles.
Length
Width
in feet
in feet
Eaton street,
75
40
Newbury ave. extension,
535
40
Hamilton street,
734
40
Edison street,
736
33
Rock Island road,
2,006
33
Faxon Park road,
1,940
50
There were 7,825 tons broken stone used in repairing and building streets, 3662 tons from city crusher, 3467 tons from sewer crusher, 696 tons from Quincy Quarries Co. and 2800 tons from the city's portable crusher.
During the year 56 street signs were erected and 51 per- mits issued for street openings, parades, moving buildings, etc.
The receipts shown below are reimbursements for work performed and materials furnished for other departments.
Appropriation.
$25,000 00
Receipts from Board of Health 8255 02
Sewer Dept .
1,958 32
Old Colony St. Ry. Co.
.
125 38
Sewer Maintenance
200 00
Street Watering .
436 16
Metropolitan Sewer
Con-
tractors
281 58
Miscellaneous
405 79
$3,662 25
828,662 25
Expended
28,152 19
Balance
8510 06
8
The Street Railway tax was expended as usual in repairing streets upon which car tracks are laid.
Quincy avenue for a distance of 3000 feet from the Braintree line was accepted by the Mass. Highway Commission as a State Highway and the contract for its construction was taken by the city in order that our citizens could receive the full benefit of the appropriation.
The work was done without expense to the city and is a great benefit in not oniy giving us a well built, smooth roadway, but in reducing the grades on the hills.
The Street Watering was performed by five carts operated by city horses and an electric car sprinkler operated by the American Car Sprinkler Co. There were 15 miles of street watered at a cost of .044 per linear foot and the assessment on abutters was levied on a rate of .022 per linear foot frontage.
Edgestones were set, upon application, in front of the fol- lowing estates, the abutters paying one-half the cost.
Henrietta Cassidy, Edwin street, edgestones and gravel sidewalk
Alma Dornan,
Appleton "
66
George R. Phelps, 66
Jas. H. Churchill, Billings
Est. Emiline Page, Beach 66
66
66
William Watson, Kemper
66
66
Cora M. Merrill, Taylor 66
and No. Central ave.
66
66
W. E. Harmon Trs. Kemper street
66
66
Henry Pletsch,
Marlboro "
66
66
W. E. Harmon Trs.
66
66
66 66
The above work comprised the furnishing and laying of 991.3 ft. straight edgestone and 25.9 ft. curved edgestone.
There were twelve other applications received for edge- stones, but owing to the appropriation being exhausted, they were laid over to next year.
9
SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS.
Faxon Park Road, Edison street, Hamilton street, Newbury avenue extension and Rock Island road were laid out as public ways of the city and small appropriations made to put them in a safe condition, but the orders passed the Council so late in the year that it was deemed best not to commence work until spring.
The work of setting a stone watering trough on Liberty street was likewise laid over until spring.
The dwelling house on the French property, owned by the Thomas Crane Public Library, was purchased and moved to the city property on Sea street and fitted up as a hospital for con- tagious diseases.
The old wooden building on School street, adjacent to the Police Station was fitted up as quarters for the patrol wagon and horses, provisions being made up stairs for a hall to be used for election purposes.
The appropriation of $1,300 for plumbing the Almshouse was expended in installing three bath rooms and water closets in a first class manner, satisfactory to the State Board and Over- seer of the Poor.
The contract for installing a system of water closets in the John Hancock school building and Lincoln school building was awarded to John E. McCurdy & Co. This work was done dur- ing the summer vacation and are first class jobs, a great improvement over the old systems and greatly adding to the health and comfort of the pupils.
The John Hancock building was also thoroughly repaired inside and painted and varnished throughout so that now it is in a first class condition.
A toilet room was also fitted up in the Willard School building for the use of the teachers.
The contract for the new Hose House at Houghs Neck was awarded to W. R. Lofgren, under plans made by McLean & Wright, Architects, and is well along toward completion. It is a two-way house with accomodations for two pieces of ap- paratus, three horses and two permanent men, heated by steam and lighted by electricity.
.
10
Under an appropriation order of $55,000, plans were pre- pared by McLean & Wright for a ten room brick school building for Ward Two and the contract awarded to George Howard of Brockton on December 29th. This work will be commenced at once so that the building can be ready for oc- cupancy at the opening of the Fall term, September 8th.
One of the greatest improvements of the year and most far-reaching in its beneficial results was the remodelling of the City Hall.
Plans were prepared by McLean & Wright, Architects, under the direction of the Mayor and the contract was awarded to Marr & Waterman of this city. Work was commenced June 1st. and completed October 15th.
The new plan provided fourteen offices with the toilet rooms in an annex attached to the rear. Seven large fire proof vaults were constructed in convenient locations.
The business of the city can be carried on to better ad- vantage and all requirements met for many years to come.
Under an appropriation made last year a contract was made with the Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Co. and an up to date Police Signal System was installed, having twenty signal and telephone boxes located in different sections of the city.
This system has already proved its great usefulness and in connection with the Patrol Wagon, add greatly to the efficiency of the Police Department.
All the other appropriations, for improvements not finished in 1901, were expended this year in as wise and economical a manner as possible and the results are very satisfactory.
The work of grading Botolph Street, however, was deferred on account of sewer construction in the street and it was deemed advisable not to begin this work until the abutters had connected with the sewer and the trenches had thoroughly settled.
SEWER MAINTENANCE.
The system inaugurated last year for cleaning and flushing
.
11
sewers were carried out this year and no breaks or stoppages of any kind occurred. 22.48 miles of the completed sewers are under the care of this department. The portion completed last year not having yet been turned over by the Board of Sewerage Commissioners.
WATER DIVISION.
The business of this branch of the department continues to increase rapidly and many petitions are received to extend our mains to outlying districts and through newly developed prop- erty.
The past year the principal extension was on Quincy Ave- nue where an 8-inch pipe was laid connecting with the Quincy Point system at Newcomb Square and also with the Braintree system at the town line.
This extension does away with two dead ends and greatly improves the service in the Quincy Point district.
The Braintree connection may be of great service in times of emergency.
Other important mains were laid on Washington Street, Independence Avenue, Hall Place, Newcomb Place and Glover Avenue.
On all extensions a revenue was assured of at least 6 % on the cost of the work.
The total number of feet of pipe laid during the year was 46,488.7 of which 21,891 feet was street mains and 24,587 feet was service pipe and temporary mains.
Total length of mains is now 90.98 miles.
We have now 5000 service connections, 370 being put in the past year at a cost of $11,749.10, the owners paying $8,571.36 and the city $3,177.74.
17 meters have been set and 12 removed, leaving total in use 152.
40 Hydrants were set and 9 removed, leaving total in use 607.
12
54 gates were set and 10 removed, leaving total in use 1088.
There were 57 leaks repaired on main pipe and 20 leaks repaired on service pipes. 28 old services becoming clogged were dug up and renewed.
The receipts from water rates was $78,093.48 and from service connections $11,726.89, making total gross receipts $89,820.37.
Frequent inspection was made of all hydrants, gates, blow- offs, stand pipes and reservoir and they are all in satisfactory working condition.
The stand pipe was thoroughly cleaned and painted two coats inside and out.
The tables following will show miles of pipe and number of hydrants and gates, also location of pipe, hydrants and gates put in the past year.
A list of stock on hand is on file in the office.
I cannot close this, my sixth year as Commissioner of Public Works, without expressing my great indebtedness to His Honor the Mayor, for assitiing me with his sound business judgment, to the members of the City Government and to the foreman, clerks and employes for advice, assistance and courtesy shown me.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES F. KNOWLTON. Commissioner of Public Works.
13
LOCATION OF HYDRANTS SET IN 1902.
One on Barry street, 200 feet north from Reardon street.
One on Branch street corner of Centre street.
One on Branch street, 521 feet from Centre street.
One on Charles street corner of Edison street.
One on Copeland street, near Mrs. McIntosh's store.
One on Edison park, at end of street.
One on Fenno street, at Sailor's home.
One on Glover avenue, 278 fcet west from Faxon road. One on Glover avenue, 519 feet west from Faxon road. One on Hancock street, opposite Saville avenue.
One on Hall place, 300 feet north of Crescent street.
One on Hayden street, 358 feet west from West street.
One on Irving place, at end of street.
One on Independence avenue, at end of street.
One on Independence avenue, at residence of Thomas Smith. One on Independence avenue, opposite Verchild street.
One on Newcomb place corner of Union street.
One on Newcomb place, 458 feet from Union street.
One on Newcomb place, 920 feet from Union street.
One on private way, off Washington street, 272 feet from Washington street.
One on private way off South street, 362 feet from South street. One on Packard's lane corner of Scotch Pond place.
One on Quincy avenue, 562 feet north from Howard street. One on Quincy avenue, 1946 feet north from Howard street. One on Quincy avenue, opposite residence of Mr. Kerrigan. One on River street, 265 feet east from Bay View avenue. One on Standish avenue corner of Hancock street.
One on Shaw street, 266 feet east from Washington street. One on Thompson street corner of Bay View avenue. One on Washington street corner of Sumner street. One on Washington street corner of Elm street.
One on Washington street opposite Edwards street.
One on Washington street corner of Bent place.
One on Washington street opposite Union street.
14
One on Washington street corner of Pond street. One on Washington street corner of Shaw street. One on Winthrop street corner of Ratchford street. One on Winthrop street 885 feet west from Sea street. One on Wilson street corner of Newport avenue. One on Whalley road corner of Dimmock street.
HYDRANTS REMOVED IN 1902.
One on Copeland street near Mrs. McIntosh's store. One on Fenno street at Sailor's Home.
One on Hancock street opposite Saville avenue.
One on Hancock street opposite Hancock house. One on Standish avenue corner of Hancock street. One on Union street corner of Newcomb place.
One on Washington street corner of Sumner street.
One on Washington street corner of Elm street.
One on Washington street corner of Union street.
TOTAL WATER PIPE LAID. Length in feet and size of pipe laid to December 31, 1902.
DIAMETER OF PIPE IN INCHES.
WHEN LAID
Hydrants
Gates.
2
4
5
6
7
8
10
12
16
20
Previousto Dec. 31, 1901, In 1902,
576 1044 40
54
36853 2048
88085 3702
182875 9736
994
77434 1258
28384 2174
21230
19813
2679
159295 21891
Total, *Taken up
616 1098 9
10
38901 628
91787 24
948
192611 30
994
81692 109
30531
21230
19813
2679
481186 791
Total,
607|1088
38273
91763
9-18
192581
9944
81583
30531|
21230
19813
2679
480395
948
Total number of feet 480395.
Total number of miles, 90.98.
15
TOTAL.
WATER PIPES LAID IN 1902.
Ward.
STREET LOCATION.
Gates.
Hydrants.
LENGTH OF EACH SIZE OF PIPE.
2in.
4in.
6in.
Sin.
10in
1 Adams Street
1
430
3 Branch Street
1
2
4 Barry Street
1
1
344
2 Bent Place
1
209
3 Centre Street
1
1
250
1 Centre Road
1
520
6 Flynt Street
Glover Place
2
2
838
4 Hall Place
2
1
926
4 Hayden Street
1
1
486
1 Irving Place
1
1093
5
|Kemper Street Mt. Ararat Road
1
236
1
5 Marlboro Strect
1
1
497
2
Main street
1
3
920
2
Newcomb Place
5 Newport Avenue
2 Private Way off Washington Street.
1
1
293
1
213
1
1
367
1
148
3 |Private Way off Independence Avenue.
2 Patch Street
1
279
25
654
4
280
2 Charles Street
2 Edison Park
60
59
6 Glover Avenue
1
704
3 Independence Avenue
1
680
385
85
1 Private Way off Island Avenue
2 Private Way off South Street
533
16
1 |Packards Lane
1
540
1
1
100
84
7
3
21
375 270
3414
2 River Street
1
1
475
4 Robertson Street
44
4 Rail Street
1
50
2 Shaw Street
1
1
266
2 Souther Place
1
208
2
Thompson Street
1.
1
224 32
126 227
105
2147
1 Whalley Road
1 Winthrop Street
3
2
898
2
Wendall Road
1
425
1
1
346
5 Wilson Street Extra Hydrants,
3
Total
54
40
2048
3702
9736
4258
2147
5 Pope Street
6 Phillips Street
2 Quincy Avenue
1 Rogers Street
12
.
2 Washington Street
9
7
17
GATES IN USE.
Number and Size of Gates in Use December 31st, 1902.
SIZE OF GATES IN INCHES.
TOTAL.
WHEN SET.
2
4
6
7
8 .
10
12
16
20
Previous to Dec. 31, 1901, In 1902,
118 8
224 10
175 21
1
129 6
40 9
30
23
4
1044 54
Total Taken up
126 3
234 2
496
1
135 2
49
30
23
4
1098 10
Total
123
232
493
1
133
49
30
23
4
1088
18
19
Thomas Crane Public Library.
- -
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy :
The Trustees of the Thomas Crane Public Library beg leave to submit the following report, it being the thirty-second annual report since the opening of the Library.
The experiment of placing new books on the tables for the public has been continued with most gratifying results. The annual classified list of volumes added to the Library during the preceding year has been published, and its use justifies the Trustees in its continuance.
The circulation has practically reached one hundred thousand. It is a few books short of that number but it has been reached with no special efforts for enlargement. Such as it is, it has been an entirely natural growth and it is not likely to decrease in future. Probably it has very nearly reached its maximum and no great enlargement can be expected except through the natural growth of the city's population. It is nearly two thousand more this year than last. The year before the increase was nearly four thousand. The lessening number shows that we are approaching the limit beyond which no large increase can be expected. There are various reasons why this is so; chief among which is, probably, the greatly multi- plied conveniences for procuring books outside the Library.
As will be seen by the accompanying statistics more than half our circulation is fiction, and the means at the disposal of the Trustees make it entirely impossible to procure more than a small percentage of even the better class of fiction published. General literature, it will be seen, is only a little over four per
20
cent. History, still less ; while of educational works only three- tenths of one per cent were taken from the Library. Of books upon sociological subjects not enough were taken to make any account of; which, considering that those subjects are now stirring the public mind, is somewhat surprising. Apparently the great demand is for stories, thirty-eight per cent of the circulation going to fiction and twenty per cent to juvenile fiction. This is all very well. It is in its way a healthy taste and should be gratified. Our feeling is that the taste for. reading once formed will develop from less to greater things as the character matures. But there is such a thing as overdoing it. Still the Trustees feel bound to comply with the public demand.
Another thing they would like to point out is that the number of books circulated through the medium of the schools appears by the statistics to have considerably decreased, and in their opinion, steps might be taken to bring about a larger use of the Library in that direction. Some years ago the Trustees gave to the teachers very wide privileges, and it would seem as if those privileges ought to be of great advantage to school children living at some distance from the Library. A conference has been held with the Superintendent of schools and action will soon be taken by which it is hoped to bring the Library into closer touch with those of the schools in which its. influence has now considerably lessened.
They hope also to be able to solve another difficulty. The purchase of fiction is necessarily attended with sharply drawn limitations. However good it may be it is temporary in its influence. The average novel is in a few months forgotten. The demand for it ceases and it cumbers the shelves and fills. the place of the better books. The Trustees are maturing a plan whereby their supply may be largely increased and yet not retained as Library property.
One other thing must be said, that the Library accom- modations are becoming much too small for the circulation. Everything is crowded, the reading room facilities especially. We are greatly in need of a separate room devoted solely to the
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