USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1904 > Part 22
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$6,290 00
TABLE NO. 5.
Population and Gross Expenditures, 1883 to 1903, Inclusive.
Year.
Population (Estimated).
Expenditures.
1883
.
27,000
$15,959 80
1884
28,000
17,272 52
1885
*29,992
16,430 32
1886
32,000
14,341 83
1887
34,000
13,430 89
1888
36,000
13,375 98
1889
39,000
14,610 92
1890
*40,117
15,261 14
1891
43,000
15,980 49
1892
46,000
17,015 30
1893
.
48,000
17,799 58
1894
50,000
19,733 13
1895
.
*52,200
20,755 46
1896
.
54,000
21,999 79
1897
56,000
25,681 47
1898
57,500
28,522 21
1899
60,000
28,924 39
1900
*61,643
Miscellaneous, $23,697.62 City home, 5,528.83
29,226 45
1901
62,500
City home, 6,622.43
1902
.
63,500
Miscellaneous, $28,667.04 City home, 7,396.64
36,063 68
1903
.
65,500
City home, 7,548.39
38,018.59
1904
69.500
Miscellaneous, $20,476.54 City home, 6,563.11
27,039.65
·
*Census.
Miscellaneous, $29,171.15
35,793 58
Miscellaneous, $30,470.20
88
$5,000 00
287
TABLE NO. 6. Expenditures, in Detail, for the Year 1904.
1904.
Dry Goods.
Board.
Groceries.
Towns and Cities.
Boots and Shoes.
Medicine.
Burials.
Salaries.
Fuel.
Sundries.
Public Institutions.
Somerville Hospital.
Total.
January .
$80 72
$849 89
$361 55
$9 80
$19 65
$85 00
$316 66
$299 85
36 30
$4,027 35
.
$266 66
1,446 54
February .
$8 00
S8 00
301 59
6 00
6 00
.
·
.
.
38 01
512 42
39 76
18 80
391 66
176 35
41 34
391 63
133 33
1,743 30
April
2 50
81 01
392 95
314 00
40 00
341 66
9 45
38 82
181 48
133 33
1,535 20
May
38 01
296 20
21 75
1 61
27 00
341 66
20 68
34 05
133 33
924 54
June
37 So
400 29
10 40
15 41
20 00
341 66
39 17
337 99
133 33
1 336 11
July
77 29
376 01
566 13
2 30
341 66
18 42
382 58
133 33
1,901 47
August
50 11
444 61
6 70
10 00
341 66
46 11
133 33
1,032 52
September
4 60
45 43
418 20
260 43
10 00
5 50
15 00
341 66
34 54
306 50
1,441 86
November
65 58
451 95
16 45
341 66
20 75
46 88
113 96
1,057 23
December
29 15
12 50
..
10 00
341 74
115 60
24 02
90 03
623 04
Totals .
$15 10
$676 74
$4,773 30
$1,793 02
$68 60
$67 62 $247 00
$4,100 00
$802 11
$437 14
$6,205 91
$1,290 00
$20,476 54
DEPARTMENT.
SUPPORT
·
.
.
·
·
.
.
.
·
.
·
.
36 88
37 67
173 16
133 33
1,347 96
October
.
·
.
·
.
.
·
45 57
316 69
213 00
.10 00
·
·
40 00
341 66
143 23
53 19
257 21
March
·
· 10 25
3 75
·
·
·
OF POOR
$6,086 77
316 66
288
ANNUAL REPORTS.
TABLE NO. 7. Recapitulation (Miscellaneous).
Appropriation
Reimbursements
·
$14,000 00 4,374 62
Total receipts
$18,374 62 20,476 54
Total expenditures
Account overdrawn
$2,101 92
Net expenditures
16,101 92
City Home. TABLE NO. 1. Permanent Repairs and Fixtures.
Bedding platform
$23 70
House furnishings Hot-bed fence .
28 27
Cell in basement .
11 57
Closet in attic
20 41
Painting iron fence
50 00
Tide gate and digging ditch
24 68
Hot house
125 00
Carpenter, painting and mason work on hot house
126 97
Pigeon loft
77 88
New tools
48 53
Grading
49 50
Laying water pipe for hot house
22 26
Living expenses
5,926 09
Total expenditures
$6,563 11
TABLE NO. 2.
Reimbursements.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts (board)
$25 00
Board of sundry persons .
263 00
Produce and pork sold
3,317 36
Wood (for poor families)
.
144 38
$3,749 74
.
28 25
.
$637 02
289
SUPPORT OF POOR DEPARTMENT.
TABLE NO. 3.
Number weeks' board of inmates
1,015 3-7
Average weekly cost of inmates $2 15
Number of males admitted during 1904 8
Number of females admitted during 1904 5
Number of males discharged during 1904 7
Number of females discharged during 1904
5
Number of males supported during 1904
20
Number of females supported during 1904
13
Number of males died during 1904 .
1
Number of females died during 1904
1
Number of inmates in Home January 1, 1905,
19
TABLE NO. 4. Living Expenses.
Groceries and provisions
$1,633 26
Salaries and wages
2,541 23
Dry goods .
129 30
Boots and shoes
36 05
Grain and hay .
537 65
Seeds and fertilizer
120 08
New curtains
14 95
Kitchen furnishings
17 67
Sundries
309 25
Cash paid by warden, car fares for warden, inmates and laborers
47 30
Medicine
24 03
Horseshoeing
52 15
Repairs on sash
13 84
Telephone
51 93
Ice
14 40
General repairs
30 89
Swill and bedding
242 66
New tools
14 96
Credits :-
Commonwealth of Massachusetts (board)
$25 00
Board for sundry persons
263 00
Produce and pork sold
3,317 36
Wood for poor families .
144 38
3,749 74
Net living expenses .
$2,176 35
TABLE NO. 5.
Reimbursements :- Produce, pork, and wood sold $3,461 74 405 00
Produce used at city home
$3,866 74
Repairs on wagon
94 49
$5,926 09
290
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Extra Expenses on Farm.
Wages for extra help
$1,269 15
Feed for one horse .
·
138 86
Seeds and fertilizer
120 08
Shoeing one horse
15 38
Repairs on wagons .
94 49
Repairs on sash
13 84
Swill and bedding
233 06
Farm sundries
111 83
1,996 69
Balance
$1,870 05
TABLE NO. 6. Recapitulation.
Appropriation
$4,000 00
Reimbursements
3,749 74
Total receipts
$7,749 74
Total expenditures
6,563 11
Balance
$1,186 63
This report, with tables, is respectfully submitted.
EDWARD B. WEST, Overseers ALBERT W. EDMANDS,
HERBERT E. MERRILL,
of the Poor.
REPORT OF THE CITY PHYSICIAN.
OFFICE OF CITY PHYSICIAN, Somerville, December 31, 1904. To His Honor, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen :-
Gentlemen,-The following is a summary of the work I have performed during the year ending December 31, 1904 :-
One thousand thirty-eight house visits have been made. Six hundred thirty-seven persons were treated at my office. Eighty- five persons were vaccinated. Twenty women were attended in child-birth. Ninety-nine persons have had teeth extracted. Twenty-seven visits have been made at the police station.
Under the rules of the board of health, 395 cultures for re- lease have been taken in cases of diphtheria. Twenty-nine men were examined for the police force, and eight for permanent men in the fire department.
Respectfully submitted, ALVAH B. DEARBORN, City Physician.
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
OFFICE OF THE CITY ENGINEER, CITY HALL, SOMERVILLE, January 18, 1905.
To His Honor, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen :-
Gentlemen,-In accordance with the provisions of the city charter, the following report of the work done and expense in- curred for the year ending December 31, 1904, by the depart- ments under my charge and supervision, including Engineering, Sewers Construction, Sewers Maintenance, Public Grounds, and other public works, is herewith presented.
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
Statement of Expenses, 1904.
Salary City Engineer (including maintenance
of team)
$2,800 00
Salaries of assistants 7,818 33
Stakes, tools, and general supplies (outside work)
77 14
Draughting materials and office supplies (in- side work)
140 18
Setting stone bounds for defining lines
street
35 88
Car fares
188 40
Telephone, postage, and incidentals
150 72
Boston & Maine Railroad, engineering ser- vices, subway
190 53
Total expenditure in the department Transferred to other departments . 602 82
Total debit
$12,004 00
CREDIT.
Appropriation
$11,900 00
Amount received from making acceptance
plans
104 00
Total
$12,004 00
$11,401 18
YO
NATHAN TUFTS PARK, SOMERVILLE, MASS. Old Mill, Provincial and Revolutionary Powder House.
COPYRIGHT, 1905, BY G. O. W. SERVIS, ENG. DEPT.
293
CITY ENGINEER.
Classification of Expenditures, Assistants' Salaries.
Sewers,-comprising surveys, estimates, profiles, lines,
grades, titles, plans, assessments, and all engineering work relating to sewers Highways,-comprising plans, estimates, titles, profiles, lines and grades, and all other engineering relating to the department
$2,068 71
785 90
Sidewalks,-comprising profiles, lines, grades, measure- ments, titles, costs, and assessments
1,011 96
Water Works,-comprising lines, grades, locations of mains, gates, hydrants and services, and other mat- ters relating to water department .
266 34
Public Grounds,-comprising surveys, plans, estimates, profiles and grades, including laying out of parks and grounds
360 78
Public Buildings,-comprising surveys, estimates, lines and grades, and other work relating to construction
84 99
Street Numbering,-comprising locations of buildings, plans and affixing street numbers on houses
332 58
Street Lines and Grades,-comprising establishing of lines, grades, and miscellaneous data given parties for building and grading 211 18
Middlesex Registry,-comprising copying of plans and ab- stracts from deeds and examination of titles filed at East Cambridge, also tracings of street acceptance and sewer taking plans filed for record
334 07
Railway, Telephone, Electric Light, and Gas Light Com- panies,-comprising grades, plans, profiles and office notes, locations of poles and conduits
95 22
Stone Bounds,-locating and setting
77 78
Office Work,-comprising records of all locations, index- ing, typewriting, calculations, and general draughting, Miscellaneous Work,-comprising preliminary surveys,
875 05
designs, sketches, etc., relating to various schemes for different committees .
116 12
Vacations and Sickness
292 24
Total
$7,818 33
Office Records and Value of Instruments.
Number of survey note books, sewer permit books, and deed books 250
Number of plans, including sewers, highways, parks, house lots, etc. 6,000 ·
Value of field instruments, tools, and office instruments $1,600.00
The total cost of maintaining the city engineer's department since it was established. (1872-1904, both years, inclusive) has amounted to $214,421.68.
General Work. The number of assistants employed during the year on engineering work varied from eight to twelve.
The department has made designs, plans, estimates of cost of contemplated and completed public works, etc., as required by various orders of the board of aldermen and committees. All
291
ANNUAL REPORTS.
survey notes, records, and plans made of sewers, drains, highway work, water works, etc., have been filed and indexed for future reference.
All plans of estates in Somerville recorded at the Registry of Deeds, East Cambridge, have been copied, titles examined, and abstracts from deeds made for the purpose of assessments, and the proportional part of the cost of new work computed, and schedules of assessments made out showing the property owners.
Plans have been made and photographs taken where acci- dents- have occurred on the city's work, or where boundaries were in dispute, for the use of the city solicitor in court cases and hearings.
A number of street names have been changed and plans made showing a re-numbering of the buildings, and all old num- bering plans revised, new houses plotted, and numbers assigned ; some of the old main thoroughfares should be re-numbered throughout their entire length, so as to eliminate half numbers and letters now being used.
There are many streets, avenues, courts, and places in the city of the same or very similar name, which should be changed to prevent the confusion and inconvenience now existing.
Stone monuments have been set at a number of street inter- sections and angles to define and preserve the true lines of public streets, and this work should be continued as much as possible each year.
Lines and grades have been given for the erection of new city buildings, and plans and sketches made for the laying out of the surrounding grounds.
About seventy-five street lines and grades have been given by the department during the year for builders and private parties applying for established grades and lines in connection with the erection of buildings and fences and grading of property.
Plans have been made showing the change of boundary lines of precincts in certain wards of the city, from which large maps have been printed for various purposes.
Accurate plans have been made by The Edison Electric Illuminating Company, of Boston, the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, West End Street Railway Company, Charlestown Gas and Electric Company, and Cambridge Gas Light Company, and filed in this office, showing the various lo- cations of poles, tracks, and conduits in this city which have been granted by the board of aldermen during the year.
Lines and grades have been given for laying 5,800 feet of water mains; 294 house services, twenty-five gates, and thirteen
295
CITY ENGINEER.
hydrants have been located and recorded, sketches and plans made showing the same, and the large water works maps cor- rected to date.
During the year the department has made plans and estab- lished grades for the acceptance, under the betterment act, of fifteen new public streets, a total length of 1.55 miles; copies of these plans have been made and filed at the Middlesex Registry, as required by law.
The line of Hall street, at the Cedar-street end, has been changed and re-located northeasterly about one foot from the old line, so that a building formerly encroaching on the south- westerly side of the old street is now back of the adopted street line, an exchange of land being made with the abutting owner.
The total length of public streets in the city amounts to 69.3 miles, and private streets 24.26 miles.
Eight streets have been constructed during the year where betterment assessments have been levied, and in the laying out and constructing of Clarendon avenue as a public highway, the city is removing, by agreement, the stone from the ledge on the abutting property on the southeasterly side of the street, where the surface in places was twenty feet higher than the established grade of Clarendon avenue.
When this work is fully completed, a dangerous locality will have been made safe for public travel, and a section of land de- veloped for building purposes.
Lines and grades have been given for setting 24,228.4 linear feet (4.59 miles) of new edgestone, and the re-setting of 11,861.6 feet (2.25 miles) of old edgestone and measurements taken for computing assessments.
4,185.3 square yards of new brick sidewalks and 1,002.9 square yards of granolithic sidewalks have been laid (about 1.54 miles in length), and 7,464.1 square yards of old brick sidewalks re-laid.
The average cost for the year of setting edgestone has been ninety cents per linear foot, and laying brick sidewalks ninety- six cents per square yard.
8,010 square yards of new paved gutters have been laid, and 706.7 square yards of new vitrified brick, concrete, and granite crossings and driveways constructed ; 3,678.4 square yards of old gutters, driveways, and crossings have been re-laid, all requiring lines, grades, and measurements.
(See tables in this report for cost of new work. 1904, and total lengths of sidewalks constructed in the city to date.)
1
296
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Streets Accepted as Public Highways in 1904 under the Betterment Act.
NAME OF STREET.
WARD.
FROM
To
Width in Feet.
Length in Feet.
Date of Acceptance.
Edmands st.
4
Angle .
Bonair st. . .
40
86
Sept. 23
Farragut ave. .
7
Broadway .
Woodstock st. Ex.
40
905
Nov. 1
Glendale ave. .
7
Cameron ave.
Yorktown st.
40
410
July 1
Hawthorne st .
Willow ave. .
Cutter ave.
30
807
Dec. 23
Holyoke rd ..
6
Elm st.
Elm st.
40
637
July 15
Josephine ave.
6
Morrison ave.
Broadway .
45
1,718
Nov. 1
Malvern ave .. Milton st.
7
Cameron ave.
Yorktown st.
40
410
Dec. 23
Moreland st.
5
Main st.
Meacham st. .
40
691
Nov. 28
Ossipee rd.
7
Packard ave. .
Curtis st. .
40
682
Nov. 14
Pritchard ave.
6
Morrison ave.
Frederick ave.
40
511
Nov. 1
Richardson st.
5
Lowell st.
Lawrence st.
35
467
Dec. 23
Seven Pines ave.
7
Cameron ave.
Cambridge line .
40
92
Dec. 27
Veazie st.
4
Bradley st.
Marshall st. .
40
261
Dec 28
Yorktown st.
7
Cambridge line .
Malvern ave.
40
294
Dec 23
Total
(1.552 miles)
..
8,194
Length of Public Streets in Each Ward.
Miles.
Ward one
9.155
Ward two
7.615
Ward three
7.086
Ward four
8.951
Ward five .
10.386
Ward six .
11.386
Ward seven
14.715
Total length of public streets in the city
69.294
Miles of Edgestone, Brick Sidewalk and Gravel Sidewalk, in Each Ward.
Edge- stone
Brick Sidewalk 11.687
Gravel Sidewalk
Ward one
·
Ward two
.
11.896
4.207
7.689
Ward three
12.784
11.496
1.288
Ward four
12.499
8.725
3.774
Ward five
15.679
9.794
5.885
Ward six
19.408
10.226
9.182
Ward seven
16.399
7.731
8.668
Total miles in the city .
105.143
*63.866
41.277
.
·
.
*Includes 2.07 miles granolithic and tar concrete walk.
.
Cambridge line
40
223
June 13
Orchard st.
.
16.478
4.791
Table Showing Sidewalks Constructed (not exceeding one-half cost assessed on abutters) and Paved Gutters Laid in Connection Therewith in 1904.
MATERIALS.
PAVED GUTTERS.
STREET.
WARD.
SIDE.
FROM
To
WIDTH OF SITEWALK IN FEET.
Gravel and Edgestone. Lineal Feet.
Bricks. Sq. Yards.
Sq. Yards.
Cost.
Avon
3
Southwesterly
School st. .
Central st. .
6.67
950.6
$914 74
Bartlett .
5
Both .
Medford st.
Broadway .
6.67
1,449.4
1,287 97
563.6
$918 18
Beacon .
6
Northeasterly
Ivaloo st. .
Near Kent st.
11.00
387.4
346 71
129.1
240 26
Bowdoin
2
Both .
Fremont ave.
Lincoln Park
6.67
201.6
176 38
67.2
91 50
Broadway
1
Northerly .
Boston line
Cross st.
15.00
2,120.8
2,308 93
706.9
1,813 39
Broadway
5
Southerly .
Glenwood road.
Norwood avenue.
7.31±
219.1
221 67
Cameron avenue
7
Northwesterly
Holland st.
Seven-pines ave.
10.00
1,010.8
861 21
336.9
514 15
Cedar
6
Westerly
Hall st.
Near Summer st.
6.67
108.7
104 47
36.2
106 11
Charles
1
Both .
4
Both .
Medford st.
Angle
4.00 and 4.50
437.5
386 56
99.0
264 90
Chester
7
Northwesterly
Herbert st.
Northeasterly
6.67
72.6
60.1
102 28
24.2
79 15
Dane
Southeasterly
Washington st.
Somerville ave. .
6.67
1,217.9
1,115 27
405.9
793 81
Eastman road
6
Both
Highland ave.
Southwesterly to end. Cambridge line .
6.67
2,040.2
1,617 87
680.1
1,248 80
Glendale avenue
7
Both .
Cameron ave.
Yorktown st.
6.67
850.1
625 44
283.4
460 30
Hall
6
Southwesterly
Cedar st.
Cherry st. .
5.00
232.3
240 56
64.5
193 30
Hancock
6
Southeasterly
Highland ave.
Lexington ave.
8.33
304.6
298 55
127.4
208 83
Herbert
7
Easterly
Chester st.
Day st.
6.67
319.0
256 77
106.3
189 45
Holyoke road
6
Both
Morrison ave.
Broadway
7.50
3,269.1
2,947 72
1,089.7
1,898 50
Knowlton
1
Tufts st.
Northerly .
6.67
813.2
681 05
469 98
Lowell
North westerly
Highland ave.
Crown st.
6.67
401.5
356 03
Lowell
Southeasterly
Bingham School
6.67
102.3
96 88
Milton
Both .
Orchard st.
6.67
290.3
242 83
Morrison avenue
Northeasterly
Martha Perry Lowe School
6.67
77.7
76 90
Morton .
Both .
Glen st.
Knowlton st.
6.67
338.6
319 01
140.3
354 25
Richdale avenue
Northeasterly
School st. .
Sycamore st.
6.67
719.2
655 71
239.7
440 98
St. James avenue .
North westerly
Elm st.
Summer st.
6.67
333.4
307 55
Sycamore
5
Both .
( Pembroke st.
Willoughby st. .
5.83 and 6.67 {
607.9
530 47
202.6
374 41
Washington .
1
South westerly
Boston line
B. and L. R. R.
11.50
1,666.6
1,652 34
555.5
1,577 00
Washington .
2
Both .
Union Square
Cambridge line .
10.00+
2,775.1
2,590 32
925.0
1,756 84
Wigglesworth
Both .
Pearl st.
Bonair st. .
6.67
929.6
968 29
. .
. ...
Wigglesworth
4
Northwesterly
Near McGregor pl.
Bonair st. .
6.67
1,02.0
....
79 80
34.0
121 30
Winter .
Both .
College ave.
Holland st.
5.00
....
386 27
140.8
597 05
Total assessment, $12,778.29
Net cost to city, $12,778.35
24,191.3
4,007.8
25,556 64
8,010.0
1,6027 35
Amount of edgestone and brick sidewalk, including granolithic, in front of private estates Totals. ( Gravel sidewalks, 4.555 miles. Brick and granolithic sidewalks, 1.542 miles.)
37.1
1,180.4
.
5.00
307.5
237 66
85.4
82 88
Elmwood
7
Both
Holland st.
6.67
589.9
532 65
229.4
420 75
Hancock
6
North westerly
Highland ave.
Lexington ave.
8.33
382.3
326 90
1,135 93
458.0
811 28
Josephine avenue .
6
Both .
Both .
45771157 7 1 6 1 7 7
Both .
Somerville ave.
Joy st.
5.00 and 5.83
629.3
566 95
Richdale ave.
Montrose st.
5.83 and 6.67 §
.
...
4
7
Elm st.
Elm st.
6.67
1,374.0
. .
278.9
Cambridge line .
Poplar
Washington st.
Southeasterly
Chester avenue
·
505.9
TOTAL COST.
297
CITY ENGINEER.
Table of Street Construction.
Miles.
*Streets paved with granite blocks
2.80
Streets paved with asphalt
0.73
Streets paved with vitrified brick (Davis square)
0.14
Streets paved with "bitulithic" .
0.34
** Streets macadamized
64.75
Streets graveled .
16.00
Streets unimproved
8.79
Total
93.55
*Also 29.6 miles (single track) electric railway, paved with granite, asphalt, "bitulithic."
** Includes 2.84 miles boulevard.
Lines, grades, and measurements have been given and mis- cellaneous work done for paving with "Warren's Bitulithic Pave- ment" a portion of Bow and Summer streets, extending from Union square to the westerly line of School street, a length of 1,770 linear feet. The contract price for laying this new pave- ment complete, including a five-years' guarantee, was $2.25 per square yard.
In conjunction with the laying of this permanent pavement, the railroad company have double-tracked that portion of Sum- mer street, and the city has widened the roadway by setting back the edgestone on the sidewalk eight inches on each side of this street.
The total amount of "Bitulithic Pavement" laid, including an area of 1,824 square yards between the car tracks paid for by the railroad company, was 7,085 square yards, and the entire cost to the city of the new work was $14,422.78, and, deducting the amount allowed for old materials removed on the line of work as a credit to the account, shows the net cost to the city $13,- 964.63 for the improvement of a portion of Bow and Summer streets.
Union square has been enlarged at its easterly end by the addition of a triangular area in front of the new fire station, which was formerly occupied by old buildings. This additional space was paved with granite blocks amounting to 614 square yards, and also necessitated the re-laying of 748 square yards of the old granite paving, to conform with the established grade in the square.
There are sections of flat-grade macadam streets in the city where, in times of storms, they become nothing but mud holes, and it is impossible, under the present conditions, to drain the water from their surfaces; in these few places it would be ad- visable to re-construct the road bed with a permanent pavement, and the addition of catch basins between the car tracks would put these sections of streets in first-class condition for a nominal ex- pense. Also on some of the principal streets the edgestone should be completed and gutters paved, so that the street can be
298
ANNUAL REPORTS.
properly drained in times of heavy storms, thereby saving a large cost in the maintenance of the city's highways.
It would be advisable to lay with some suitable permanent pavement, bitulithic, vitrified brick, or asphalt, the narrow spaces left between the car track and sidewalk on certain streets where double tracks have been laid, and where it is impossible to main- tain a macadam roadway, even at a heavy expense yearly: sec- tions of Pearl street, Medford street, Washington street, Holland street, and public squares.
The West End Street Railway Company, by its attorney, the Boston Elevated Railway Company, in addition to the double- track laying on a section of Summer street, before referred to (on account of the paving of this street), have completed the double- track laying in Concord square, and two long turnouts in Spring- field street, where, on account of the narrow roadway, the rail- road company laid an asphalt pavement the entire width of the street where the new tracks were constructed.
A petition is still pending before the board of aldermen for a double-track location in a portion of Mystic and Middlesex avenues, extending from the Charlestown line to the Fellsway boulevard.
A public hearing has been held on this matter, and when- ever these tracks are laid, it will necessitate the widening and filling to grade of these avenues and macadamizing the roadways.
There are at present laid in Somerville streets twenty-nine and six-tenths miles of electric car track (single track location).
Bridges and Grade Crossings. All of the city's highways over the Southern division of the Boston & Maine railroad have good and substantial modern bridges, with the one exception at Lowell street, where there is great need of a highway bridge over the main line, and also the Arlington branch of the railroad, this street being one of the principal cross-town streets in the centre of the city. Negotiations with the railroad company are at pres- ent pending, but probably satisfactory arrangements will be made for the construction of these bridges in the near future.
The abolition of grade crossings in this city has been a mat- ter of discussion for a number of years past, and while the ex- pense to the city for changing these crossings would be large, the amount would be quite small when compared with the total cost and amount of work involved by the railroad companies.
Some feasible plan must first be agreed upon by the parties vitally interested, and this involves the steam and electric rail- road companies and cities of Somerville and Cambridge working in unison ; a petition has been before the courts for some time in reference to this matter.
Elevations and check levels have been taken on the Boston- avenue granite arch bridge recently constructed, and no settle- ment or change was found from the original construction work.
299
CITY ENGINEER.
SEWER DEPARTMENT. Sewers Construction Account. STATEMENT OF EXPENSES, 1904.
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