USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1892 > Part 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
In short, an annual expenditure for a macadam surface of not less than $1,900 per year, or an annual interest account of four per cent. on $23,000, or $920, for a paved surface.
A further, but more indirect, benefit will result from the saving in wear and tear in horses, wagons, and harness, and the cost of repairing and replacing broken springs, axles, etc., which are often caused by the bad condition of a bad road surface; also from the saving in time and labor in hauling heavy loads over a paved surface in contrast with a macadam road when not in perfect condition.
388
ANNUAL REPORTS.
The cost of repairs in 1892 from Somerville avenue to the Fitch- burg railroad, as stated in the report of the committee on highways, was $1,408.80. These repairs extended over a greater length of street, but were not as extensive as in 1890.
REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS OF STREETS IN CONNECTION WITH SETTING EDGESTONES.
Edgestones were set on thirty-three streets. If the cost of work done on Linden avenue be taken from the total cost of repairs, the cost of repairs per linear foot of edgestone set, including the cost of paved gutters, would be $0.45.
LINDEN-AVENUE REPAIRS.
On the plan and profile showing the line and grade of Linden avenue under which the street was accepted, the grade of the centre of the street was the only grade given. As the walk on the easterly side was about two feet higher than the westerly side, it was not thought that the grade line, as shown on the plan, was sufficiently definite to allow the city to construct sidewalks in such a way as would provide for the best and safest cross section of the street, without a considerable risk of having claims presented for grade damages.
For this reason, a new plan was prepared, showing the grade of both edgestone lines, and after a release from claims for grade dam- ages was obtained from abutters, the plan showing the change in grade was adopted by the City Council. The work of grading the street and paving gutters was afterwards completed, at a cost of $1,163.24. The cost of street construction per linear foot of edge- stone laid was $0.52.
CONSTRUCTION OF STREETS.
The average cost per linear foot for streets constructed was $0.90; the average width of roadway is twenty-seven feet. Total cost, $21,411.51.
389
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
WASHINGTON STREET, RETAINING WALL AND STREET IMPROVEMENT.
On the northwesterly line of Washington street, from Medford street to the Boston & Lowell railroad location, no permanent side- walk was ever constructed. In that part of the street between the Boston & Lowell location and Tufts street a retaining wall and pier was constructed in 1887, at the time the new bridge was built, and a sidewalk was partially constructed at that time. On that part of the street first mentioned, the sidewalk as used was elevated from eigh- teen inches to three feet above the surface of the roadway, and be- tween it and the roadway a rough, unsightly, and irregular slope had been formed by the action of water and in other ways, until it was very objectionable in appearance, and dangerous to travel in wet weather and particularly after dark. No improvement in the surface of the sidewalk could be made unless a brick sidewalk was con- structed, and with the construction of the brick sidewalk came the necessity for maintaining a permanent slope between the sidewalk and the roadway. No great change in the grade as it then existed could have been made without causing heavy grade damages.
The grades for a new sidewalk and the existing roadway were carefully studied, and two plans were submitted to the committee on highways : one, to construct a retaining wall on the edgestone line from Medford street to the railroad location, the grade of the top of the wall to conform substantially to the existing surface of the side- walk as it was used; the second, to construct a wall on the edgestone line between Medford and Shawmut streets, to set an edgestone from Shawmut street to the railroad location to conform substantially to the grade of the sidewalk as then used; to grade a regular slope from the edgestone to the roadway surface; and to set a curbing at the foot of the slope to protect the grass slope and support the earth slope and the paved gutter in the roadway.
The second plan was approved by the committee on highways, because it seemed to provide an easier means of access to abutting estates, and was deemed to be less unsightly than a retaining wall.
The wall and slopes were constructed and an iron fence made of wrought-iron pipe was erected on the edgestone at the top of the slope. The work was done by the highway department; the grades
390
ANNUAL REPORTS.
and lines were furnished by the engineering department, but no plans for the wall were prepared.
The cost of the whole work, as stated in the report of the com- mittee on highways, was $760.
EDGESTONE AND BRICK SIDEWALK LAID IN SOMERVILLE, DECEMBER 31, 1892.
280,235 linear feet, or 53.07 miles, of edgestone. 5,284 linear feet, or 33.19 miles, of brick sidewalk.
TABLES.
In Appendix B will be found a table showing location and cost of edgestone and brick sidewalks and paved gutters, and of roadways constructed in streets where edgestone and sidewalks have been laid in 1892.
The average cost of repairing, grading and macadamizing per linear foot of edgestone laid, as computed from this table, is about $1.59.
In Appendix C will be found a table showing the location and cost of street improvements made during the year.
In Appendix D will be found a table showing the location, length and width of streets accepted in 1892. Plans for these streets, as submitted by the abutters, have been revised and corrected.
In Appendix E will be found a table showing the location and length of public and private streets.
STREETS NUMBERED.
By vote of the City Council in 1890, the city engineer was re- quired to affix a street number to every house and building in the city ; and to furnish numbers free of expense to the owner.
By this method of furnishing numbers, it is possible to fix a num- ber to every building in the city before it is occupied; for the amount saved by the owner, the cost of the numbers, probably con- siderably increases the demand for numbers, and also distributes the work of numbering more equally through the year.
Previous to May 1 the street numbers as used are compared with
391
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
the street numbering plans; errors are corrected and numbers are affixed to houses where none are found.
At the time the above-mentioned vote was passed, to comply with its requirements, about 135 plans of 349 streets and courts were prepared. These plans were compiled in a very short time, and were not in proper form for record plans.
During the past year these plans have been duplicated in proper form for record whenever the office work would permit.
BRIDGES.
Bridges over the Boston and Lowell Railroad.
CROSS, CENTRAL, AND CEDAR STREETS BRIDGES.
These bridges are all iron bridges, comparatively new, and are in good condition.
WALNUT-STREET BRIDGE.
This bridge is in good condition. The southerly abutment has moved outward and is not safe. It should be rebuilt at once.
MEDFORD-STREET BRIDGE.
This bridge is in good condition. The iron work has been painted and the wooden floor timbers and deck planking have been renewed the past year.
SCHOOL-STREET BRIDGE.
The bridge, approaches, and abutments are in good condition.
SYCAMORE-STREET BRIDGE.
The approaches and bridge are in good condition. The surface water should be diverted from the street into the drainage ditches on either end of the bridge and not be allowed to run over the wall, as it now does.
392
ANNUAL REPORTS.
BROADWAY BRIDGE.
The wooden bridge, which has for some time been in an unsatis- factory, if notunsafe, condition, has been removed, and an iron bridge is now being erected.
Bridges over the Fitchburg Railroad.
PROSPECT-STREET BRIDGE.
The bridge is in good condition. The northerly abutment is in. worse condition than in 1891. It should be rebuilt this year.
WASHINGTON STREET BRIDGE.
This bridge is in good condition.
BEACON-STREET BRIDGE.
The bridge appears to be in good condition. The southwesterly abutment shows signs of movement, but is probably safe.
Miscellaneous Bridges.
BROADWAY BRIDGE OVER ALEWIFE BROOK.
The retaining walls need pointing and are considerably worse than in 1891. The arch appears to be in good condition, except that the surface water finds its way through the arch ring. This should be prevented by collecting the surface water by a catch-basin.
BOSTON-AVENUE BRIDGE.
The fences were rebuilt in 1892 and the floor replanked. The bridge is in good condition.
MIDDLESEX-AVENUE BRIDGE.
The sidewalk planking on the Somerville side should be repaired. The fence rails are badly decayed and ought to be repaired this sea-
393
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
son. The planking on the easterly pier head should be relaid with new plank.
The faces of the channel way should be replanked, and new cross bracing on the pier is needed.
PERAMBULATION OF THE MEDFORD LINE.
A committee of the City Council, consisting of Alderman Newell F. Caswell and Councilman John Andrews, representing Alderman Wil- liam L. Barber, the city engineer, and superintendent of streets, in com- pany with a similar committee from the town of Medford, met at the Mystic water works pumping station, October 20th, 1892, and peram- bulated the boundary line between Somerville and Medford, ex- amined all the bounds and found them all substantially in good condition.
PUBLIC GROUNDS.
The work done on the public grounds comprises a considerable amount of improvement, particularly on Central Hill and at Nathan Tufts Park. .
The appropriation for the public grounds department for 1892 was $5,700. The cost of the work which the committee voted to do was so large that by the first of July the appropriation was exhausted, and as the additional appropriation could not be obtained, it became necessary to discharge all the men employed, and for this reason no work was done on the public grounds after July 1st.
The work of the public grounds department in the line of im- provements was as follows : -
On Central Hill, grading and seeding the Medford-street slope. In 1890 the entire northerly slope of the hill was graded and covered with loam, and the area south of the walk leading through the park from the railroad grounds to the corner of Walnut and Medford streets was seeded. The area north of this walk extending to Med- ford street was not seeded, because the appropriation had been expended when the ground had been covered with loam. As the appropriation of 1891 was not sufficient to provide for the work of seeding, the ground was allowed to grow to weeds, and in 1892,
394
ANNUAL REPORTS.
when it was finally seeded, the entire area had to be ploughed and regraded.
If fifty dollars had been expended in seeding in 1890, the amount expended in 1892 could have been saved. The items of expenditure will be found on page 401.
GRADING AND SEEDING NORTH OF THE HIGH SCHOOL.
When the new Winter Hill station was erected a considerable portion of the hill was graded back from the slope, retaining walls were built, and the hill sodded for a considerable distance from the depot grounds. The surface of the hill, between the depot grounds and the walk leading northerly from the high school to School street, was uneven with very little grass on it.
During the year this area was ploughed, graded, covered with loam, seeded and trees were set out. The cost of this work was $1,550.59.
GRADING SCHOOL-STREET SLOPE.
For many years this part of Central Hill has been very unsightly. School street was graded considerably below the public grounds, and only an earth slope, without loam or grass, was left. The surface and ground water washed over the sidewalk and often burst through the brick sidewalk, so that it was almost impassable in winter from ice, and almost impossible to maintain the brick sidewalk in the spring.
A catch-basin was constructed on the city land near the School- street entrance, and a blind drain was laid parallel and close to the sidewalk. This drain was dug four feet deep and filled with three feet of stone and is connected with the catch-basin in School street.
The earth slope has been graded and made to more nearly con- form to the contour of the hill. It has been covered with loam twelve inches deep and seeded. The total cost was $399.80.
NATHAN TUFTS PARK.
As the gift to the city of Somerville of the Old Powder House and surrounding ground is of considerable importance, and as there are some facts of a historic nature which will be of value if recorded
395
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
for future reference, the following abstract of the papers and proceed- ings of the City Council and a short account of some items of history connected with the Old Powder House which I have been able to col. lect, are herewith submitted.
A communication was presented to the City Council December 10, 1890, from the heirs of Nathan Tufts, which contained a proposi- tion whereby they agreed to convey to the city of Somerville the Old Powder House and surrounding grounds, under certain conditions. By an order adopted by the City Council January 3d, 1891, and approved by the mayor January 5th, 1891, the gift of the Old Powder House and adjacent land was accepted upon the condition expressed in the communication submitted from the Tufts heirs to the City Council December 11, 1890.
March 6, 1891, an order was introduced in the Common Council requesting the committee on public grounds to consider the expedi- ency of acquiring additional land adjoining the proposed park. After some consideration, the committee on public grounds addressed a communication to the heirs of Nathan Tufts, dated April 11, 1892, which expressed a desire to acquire more land than was donated by the original gift, and submitted for their consideration certain modi- fications of the original proposition, which are quoted from the com- munication of April 11 as follows: -
1. " That you will give to the city of Somerville the Powder House building and about 68,400 feet of land surrounding it, as con- templated in your offer of December 10, 1890, upon the following conditions."
2. "That the Powder House be kept perpetually in repair, and that the land surrounding it, included in the said gift, be made into a public park and forever maintained as such, to be called the 'Nathan Tufts Park.'"
3. "That the city will lay out and construct the carriageways and footways, which are laid down and indicated on the plan sub- mitted herewith, made by the city engineer, and dated April 11, 1892, and which are within the broad blue line, as shown on said plan, in- dicating the boundary line of the park property."
4. "That the abutters on said carriageways shall have the right to pass and re-pass over the same."
5. "That no assessment for betterments on account of the park shall be levied upon the owners of the so-called Powder House farm."
396
ANNUAL REPORTS.
6. " That the work of constructing the carriageways and foot- ways in said park property shall be commenced within three months from the delivery of the deeds of such property to the city, unless the deeds shall be delivered at so late a date that work cannot be pro- ceeded with before the frost sets in, and in that case, within three months from the time when the frost shall be out of the ground; and that 'Liberty avenue,' as shown on said plan of April 11, 1892, shall be constructed within the limits of said park property within one year from said delivery of the deeds, and all carriageways and foot- ways within said park property shall be constructed within two years from said delivery of the deeds."
7. "The deed of land donated by you, as referred to in Clause 1, is to contain the above conditions."
8. "That you will give to the city a deed of the remainder of the land included within the broad blue line, as shown on said plan of April 11, the city paying you for such remainder the sum of fifteen (15) cents per foot; that is to say, you are to receive fifteen cents per foot for the land within said park property, except that portion and quantity which is to be donated by you as aforesaid ; the land included within the area of Liberty avenue within the broad blue lines, as shown upon the plan, not to be reckoned as part of the land to be paid for, since it is to be maintained as a street, as shown on said plan."
This proposition, above referred to and quoted from, was accepted by the Tufts heirs by a letter dated May 7, 1892, and on May 11 this proposition was submitted to the City Council, and an order was passed by both branches of the City Council, by which the city rati- fied said proposition, accepted the donation of certain lands upon the terms and conditions as stated, and authorized the committee on pub- lic grounds to accept and receive in behalf of the city a deed or deeds of the lands to be donated and a deed or deeds of the lands to be purchased, and authorized the city treasurer to borrow therefor the sum stipulated.
The area donated amounted to 68,357 square feet, and the area purchased to 129,497 square feet. The order above referred to further appropriated the sum of $25,000 for the purchase and im- provement of said lands and the construction of said park in accord- ance with said communication and said plan of the city engineer.
The deed of land donated was signed May 28, and recorded at
397
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
the Middlesex Registry of Deeds, June 6, 1892, in libro 2,119, folio 524.
The deed of land purchased was signed and recorded at the same time and place in libro 2,119, folio 521.
The above deeds were signed by Francis Tufts, Sarah E. Kidder, Martha B. Tufts, Hannah J. Allen, Mary Alice Tufts, Albert C. Tufts, Nathan F. Tufts, and Fannie S. Tufts.
A certificate of performance of the conditions under these deeds was recorded at the Middlesex Registry of Deeds, March 7, 1893, libro 2,180, folio 493.
HISTORICAL TABLET.
June 28, 1892, a petition was received from the Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the Revolution for the privilege of erecting a bronze tablet, suitably inscribed, upon the Old Powder House, the tablet to become the property of the city of Somerville. July 14, 1892, an order granting the petition upon the conditions expressed therein was approved by the mayor.
December 14, 1892, a communication was received from the above-mentioned society formally presenting to the city of Somer- ville the bronze tablet which had been placed upon the Old Powder House. The City Council, by an order dated December 14 and approved by the mayor December 16, accepted the gift of the bronze tablet, and heartily concurred in the following sentiment expressed by the society in its letter of presentation : "That the tablet may serve to remind the present generation and the generations which shall follow of the patriotic deeds of our heroic forefathers."
The following is a copy of the inscription of the bronze tablet placed upon the Old Powder House by the Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the Revolution, and presented to the city of Somerville : -
This old Mill, Built by John Mallet on a site purchased in 1703-4, was deeded in 1747 to the province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, and for many years was used as a public Powder House.
On Sept. 1st, 1774, General Gage seized
the 250 half-barrels of gunpowder stored within it and thereby provoked the
398
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Great Assembly of the following day on Cambridge Common The first occasion on which our patriotic forefathers met in arms to oppose the Tyranny of King George III; in 1775 it became the magazine of the American Army Besieging Boston.
This tablet was placed by the Massachusetts Society of Sons of the Revolution, Sept. 1, 1892.
CONSTRUCTION OF DRIVEWAYS.
Early in the season specifications and contracts were prepared for grading the roads and walks shown on the plan adopted by the City Council. July 30, 1892, a contract was signed with Christopher Burke, and work was begun immediately thereafter. The work done under this contract is as follows : Between the lines of the slopes of all the roads, the loam has been stripped and deposited in piles con- venient for use in grading slopes. Liberty avenue has been con- structed to sub-grade. The road leading northeasterly from Powder House terrace and located on the southeasterly side of the Powder House has been sub-graded to the entrance at Elm street. The stone culled from the earth and rock excavation has been deposited in piles convenient for use on the roads.
The cost of work done under the contract to date is $2,640.97.
In addition to the work done by contract, the following has been done by day labor: The stone walls formerly located within the limits of the park have been removed and the stone deposited in con- venient piles for use on the roads. The ruins of the Emerson pickle factory buildings have been removed, the site cleaned and the cellar partly filled. All unsightly trees have been cut down. The face of the rock bluff has been cleaned from the wild growth of bushes, weeds, etc. Considerable quantities of stone have been collected about the grounds and deposited in piles. Excavations have been made along the top of the rock bluff to determine its character and profile as a study for the proposed parapet wall. The cost of the work done by the day has been $505.08.
The amount expended to December 31, 1892, less amount re-
399
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
ceived from the sale of dwelling-house and old materials, has been $21,620.95.
Items of expenditure, Nathan Tufts Park :-
Land
$19,424 55
Labor
142 58
Printing specifications, contract for grading
6 80
Christopher Burke, payments on contract and extra work
2,167 12
Lumber
.
4 63
Stakes
8 60
Repairs on Powder House
4 17
Sign and lettering
3 50
Advertising sale of building and auction
19 50
$21,781 45
BROADWAY PARKWAY.
The construction of the parkway in Broadway, between Arthur street and Marshall street, has been completed. In November and December, 1891, the location of the street railway tracks was changed from the northeasterly side of the roadway to the centre, and the grades of the tracks were adjusted to the grade of the proposed parkway in such a manner as to allow a crown of one-half inch to the foot in the roadway from gutter to parkway curbing, and a slight grade from curbing to railway tracks. Iron poles were placed in the centre of the space between the tracks, and on the poles cross arms were placed, from which the trolley wires were hung.
Early in the spring curbing was placed on the outside lines of the parkway, leaving a roadway forty-three feet wide on the north- easterly side, with a width varying from forty-two to forty-four feet on the southwesterly side. The surface of the old roadway included within the lines of the curbing was broken up and removed to a depth of eighteen inches below the grade of the tracks ; and as this depth of excavation did not remove all the ballast used in the old roadway, a layer of street sweepings six inches thick was spread over the bot- tom of the excavation to prevent the loam and water from leeching through the underlying ballast. Twelve inches in depth of loam was used to surface the parkway to the grade of the curbing, and enough
400
ANNUAL REPORTS.
more added to grade to the railway tracks. A sod border was laid inside the curbing and outside the rails of the tracks, and the balance of the area within the parkway seeded, except the area between the rails of the tracks, which still remains in the same condition as in November, 1891 (which is to be graded and maintained by the street railway company). The West End Street Railway Company has agreed to complete the grading and seeding of this area early in the coming season.
A line of maple trees was set out parallel with each line of curb- ing. The macadam and ballast excavated from the surface of the old street was used to macadamize Middlesex avenue, but no credit was allowed the parkway appropriation for the material taken from the limits of the parkway.
The area improved included within the lines of the curbing is 61,688 square feet. The area between the outer rails of street railway tracks is 22,760 linear feet.
The area which the city is obliged to maintain is 38,928 feet; the street railway company, 22,760 feet.
MATERIALS USED.
2,258.8 linear feet of curbing
$1,053 41
5,992.6 cubic yards loam delivered
2,774 93
9,471 square feet sod borders delivered
284 13
12 granite posts delivered
90 00
67 maple trees delivered
67 00
1 catch-basin constructed
67 17
Temporary wire fence .
27 23
Lime and cement
3 90
Fertilizer
25 00
Grass seed
16 00
Labor .
977 50
Teaming
154 90
Total cost
$5,541 17
Less cost of loam used between tracks paid for by
West End Street Railway Co. 247 95
Net cost of parkway
$5,293 22
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER. 401
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.