Report of the city of Somerville 1907, Part 31

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Somerville, Mass.
Number of Pages: 548


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1907 > Part 31


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 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42


Public.


66


1,637


..


Tenney ct.


Mystic ave.


Northeasterly


Private.


30


....


400


Tennyson


Forster st.


Pembroke st.


Public.


40


922


Thorndike


Holland st.


Arl'ngt'n Br. R. R.


Public.


40


465


....


Thorndike


Arl'gt'n Br. R.R. Highland ave.


Kingston st.


Public.


40


115


....


Thorpe pl.


Southwesterly


Public.


30


468


....


..


Seven Pines ave


Cameron ave.


Cambridge line


Public.


40


92


190


Sherman ct.


Sargent ave. .


Marshall st.


Private.


10


....


75


Snow pl.


Snow pl.


N'th'ly and S'th'ly


Private.


20


....


....


..


..


Sumner


Lawrence st.


Northwesterly


Private.


20


....


....


200


Taylor


Mystic ave.


Sydney st.


Private.


40


....


685


. .


*Proposed.


/


..


156


LENGTH.


....


250


369


CITY ENGINEER.


Table Showing the Location, Length and Width of Public and Private Streets. - Continued.


STREET.


FROM


To


Public or Private.


Width in Feet.


Public.


Private.


Thurston


Broadway


Richdale ave.


Public.


40


1,660


Tower ct.


Tyler st.


Northeasterly


Private.


25


...


Tower


Crown st.


Highland ave.


Public.


40


559


75


Tremont


Webster ave.


Cambridge line


Public.


40


589


...


Trull


Vernon st.


Medford st.


Public.


40


1,050


200


Tufts parkway


College ave. .


College ave.


Public.


22


900


....


Tufts


Washington st.


Cross st.


Public.


40


982


....


Tyler


Vine st.


Dane st.


Public.


40


404


....


Unnamed st.


Ware st.


Powder h'se blvd.


Private.


20-40


....


283


Union


Broadway


Mystic ave.


Public.


40


345


..


Union pl.


Linwood st.


Southwesterly


Private.


10


....


100


Upland Park


Main st.


Southwesterly


Private.


20


....


175


Veazie


Walnut st.


Bradley st.


Public.


35


392


Veazie


Bradley st.


Marshall st.


Public.


40


261


....


Vernon


Central st.


Glenwood road


Public.


40


764


....


Vernon


Glenwood road .


Partridge ave.


Public.


40 to 30


190


....


Vernon


Partridge ave.


Lowell st.


Public.


30


434


Victoria


Broadway


Cambridge line


Private.


40


....


1,036


Villa ave.


Winslow ave.


Arlington Br. R. R.


Private.


35


....


370


Vinal ave.


Summer st.


Highland ave.


Public.


45


1,425


Vinal


Richardson st. Vine st.


Northwesterly


Private.


25


....


140


Vine .


Somerville ave.


Hanson st.


Private.


40


... .


780


Vine .


Hanson st.


Beacon st.


Public.


30


662


...


Virginia


Aldrich st.


Jasper st.


Public.


40


405


..


Wade ct.


Cedar st. .


Westerly .


Private.


20


....


180


Waldo ave.


Beacon st.


Dimick st.


Private.


40


277


Waldo


Highland ave.


Hudson st.


Public.


40


287


....


Wallace .


Holland st.


Broadway


Public.


40


1,342


....


Walnut .


Bow st.


Broadway


Public.


40


3,948


Walnut road


Walnut st.


Kenneson road


Private.


40


....


270


Walter pl.


Walter st.


Southwesterly .


Private.


40


....


222


Walter


Walnut st.


( about 100 ft. N. Į of Bradley st.


Public.


40


548


....


Ward


Medford st.


Emery st.


Private.


30


....


450


Ware .


Curtis st.


Dow st.


Private.


40


....


680


Warner


Powder House sq.


Medford line


Public.


60


500


....


Warren ave.


Union sq.


Columbus ave.


Public.


40


663


....


Warren .


Medford st.


Cambridge line


Public.


30 to 40


109


.. ..


Warwick place


Warwick st.


Northeasterly


Private.


15


..


..


150


Warwick


Cedar st.


Warwick pl.


Public.


40


665


.. ..


Washington


Charlest'n line .


Franklin ave.


Public.


75


1,060


..


..


Washington


Franklin ave.


Fitchburg R. R.


Public.


60 to 100


3,977


....


Washington


Fitchburg R. R. South st.


Northerly


Private.


25


....


250


Waterhouse


Broadway


Cambridge line


Private.


49


....


986


Waverly


Washington st.


Roland st.


Private.


35


...


200


Webster ave.


Union sq.


Cambridge line


Public.


49.5


1,955


..


..


Webster


Franklin st.


Cross st.


Public.


40


1,034


..


..


Wellington ave.


Walnut st.


Montgomery


ave.


Public.


40


215


....


Wellington ave.


Montgomery ave.


Easterly


Northeasterly


Public.


40


405


Wesley .


Pearl st.


Otis st.


Public.


40


515


250


West .


Hawthorne st.


Arlington Br. R. R.


Private.


30


....


460


Westminster


Broadway .


Electric ave.


Public.


40


376


. .


Weston ave.


Clarendon ave.


Broadway


Private.


40


.. .


525


Westwood road


Central st.


Benton road


Public.


40


489


....


..


Trull lane


Highland ave.


Oxford st.


Private.


15


....


..


..


Village


Dane st.


Vine st.


Private.


25


Northeasterly


Private.


20


...


...


Cambridge line


Public


60


2,344


.. .


Watson .


Broadway


Fairmount ave.


Private.


40


....


236


West .


Broadway .


Heath st.


Private.


30


....


Private.


40


85


Wesley pk.


Wesley sq.


Northerly


Private.


18


350


Washington ave.


Washington st. .


Water


Tremont st.


Southeasterly


Private.


about 10


LENGTH.


150


Tremont pl.


200


200


Vine ct. .


370


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Table Showing the Location, Length and Width of Public and Private Streets. - Concluded.


STREET.


FROM.


To


Public or Private.


Width in Feet.


Public. Private.


Wheatland .


Broadway .


Mystic ave. .


Public. Public.


40


1,364


..


Wheeler


Pinckney st.


Mt. Vernon st.


Whipple


Highland ave.


Arlington Br. R. R.


Private.


30


318


White St. pl.


White st.


Southeasterly


Private.


20


...


684


Wigglesworth .


Bonair st. .


Pearl st.


Public.


40


744


William .


Chandler st.


College ave.


Public.


40


381


...


William .


Broadway .


Medford line


Private.


50


45


Williams ct.


Porter st ..


Northwesterly


Private.


30


..


Willoughby


Central st.


Sycamore st.


Public.


40


427


Willow ave.


Elm st.


Broadway


Public.


50


3,534


...


Willow pl. .


Cambridge line


South st.


Private.


25


....


310


Wilton


Lowell st. .


Lawrence st.


Public.


35


470


..


Winchester


Broadway .


Medford line


Private.


40


. ..


65


Windom


Elm st.


Summer st.


Public.


40


300


..


Windsor road .


Willow ave.


Hancock st.


Public.


40


575


...


Winslow ave. .


College ave.


Clifton st.


Public.


40


1,123


....


Winter


College ave.


Holland st.


Public.


30


402


....


Winter Hill cir.


Broadway .


Northeasterly


Private.


25


....


177


(Extension.)


Mystic ave.


Middlesex ave.


Private.


40


....


583


Woodbine


Centre st.


Lowell st.


Private.


30


....


600


*Woods ave.


North st. .


Alewife brook


Private.


40


....


1,350


Woodstock .


Victoria st.


Alewife brook


Private.


40


....


415


*Woodstock


Victoria st.


Tannery st. (Ext'n.)


Private.


40


....


920


Wyatt circle


Wyatt st.


Wyatt st.


Private.


20


....


315


Wyatt


Concord ave.


Lincoln parkway .


Public.


40


496


....


Yorktown


Cambridge line


¡ N. E. line Mal-) vern ave.


Public.


40


294


....


Yorktown


Malvern ave.


Northerly


Private.


40


100


*Proposed.


+Sidewalk in Somerville.


Court


11 Albion st.


Northeasterly


Private.


9


170


Court


21 Albion st. .


Northeasterly


Private.


-10


...


100


Court


292 Broadway


Southwesterly


Private.


15


....


96


Court


612 Broadway


.


Southwesterly Southeasterly


Private.


20


. .


. .


150


Court


227 Columbia st. 26 Craigie st.


Westerly


Private.


25


....


126


Court


36 Craigie st.


Westerly


Private.


25


.. .


70


Court


20 Dimick st.


Southwesterly


Private.


39.25


136


Court


66 Lowell st.


Westerly


Private.


25


..


101


Court


78 Lowell st.


Westerly


Private.


25


101


Court


Olive ave.


Porter st.


Private.


7.5


..


. .


156


Court


765 Som'rv'le ave


Northeasterly


Private.


20


....


138


Court


10 Stone ave.


Northwesterly


Private.


20


113


Total


384,238


114,560


+ White


Elm st.


Cambridge line


Public.


307


200


Whitfield road.


Packard ave.


Curtis st.


Private.


40


. .


150


Wilson ave.


Broadway .


B. & L. R. R.


Private.


20


....


188


Court


113 Central st. .


Northwesterly .


Private.


10


....


117


Court


126


Court


58 Dane st.


Easterly


Private.


10


..


. .


..


Public, 72.772 miles ( includes 2.843 miles boulevards ); private, 21.697 miles. Total length of streets in the city, 94.469 miles.


.


.


....


..


Private.


20


Winthrop ave.


(Extension.)


5


N. E. line


150


40


269


LENGTH.


SOMERVILLE. HIGHWAY DEPT.


DEPARTMENT'S EMERGENCY WAGON


EXPLOSIVE EXPLOSIVE DANGEROUS


DANGEROUS


TRANSPORTING EXPLOSIVES


REPORT OF THE STREET COMMISSIONER.


OFFICE OF THE STREET COMMISSIONER, CITY HALL, January 1, 1908. 5


To His Honor, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen :-


Gentlemen,-I most respectfully submit the forty-second an- nual report, containing a brief summary of the principal work performed by the highway department during the year 1907.


The highway maintenance appropriation was estimated at $57,000, this amount to be received from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for street railway tax and the Boston Elevated Railway tax, but the department actually received only $49,- 347.89, due to the shrinkage of the taxable value of the shares of the corporations.


The question of to-day is not only how to make good roads, but how to maintain the same against the wear and tear of automobiles and heavy travel, and the highway department has tried several experiments to overcome the same.


Permanent Paving.


The improvement started on Broadway in 1906 has been ex- tended with Hassam paving from opposite Franklin street on the north side to Cross street, and on the south side from Cutter street to a point between Arthur and Edmands streets. There were 8,796.13 square yards laid, at a cost of $15,558.93.


Cross street, on both sides from the outside rail of the car tracks to the edgestones, from Tufts street to Central square, has been paved with Hassam paving, the paving blocks between the rails and tracks having been allowed to remain, thus enabling teams during slippery going to reach the bridge on this steep grade. There were 799.3 square. yards laid, at a cost of $1,444.63.


On Medford street, from Hamlet street and opposite the same, to and including Central square, 2,746.8 square yards of this paving were laid, at a cost of $7,766.84, and on Highland avenue, on the northeasterly side, in front of city hall, 137.75 square yards were laid, at a cost of $247.05.


These several costs of streets where permanent paving was laid include the cost of re-setting edgestones, re-laying bricks, and crossings.


This paving was laid on the several streets by the Simpson Brothers Corporation, at a cost of $1.65 per square yard, with- out a guarantee.


The street railway company raised and repaired its tracks, and all mains and connections of the telephone, electric light, water, gas, and sewer pipes were repaired before the paving was laid. Edgestones were re-set where needed and flagging cross- ings laid at street intersections.


372


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Late in the year 1906 several streets were coated with "Tarvia," a product from coal tar. This proved to be so suc- cessful that "Tarvia" has been used to some extent this year on old streets as a surface and on new macadam as a binder. This was done at a very small cost, Somerville being situated so near the still where "Tarvia" is produced. The tank wagons which transport the hot "Tarvia" to the place where it is to be used make two trips a day, the city being charged at the rate of $.065 a gallon, exclusive of the cost of teaming. The cost is about $.12 per yard on surfacing, and about $.17 for binding, including the "Tarvia," labor, pea stone, and rolling.


Central and Lake Streets.


Central street was macadamized, from Highland avenue to Summer street, and after the street had been opened to travel about a week, it was closed again, and "Tarvia" was applied. Fine stone screenings were then spread, and rolled with a steam roller, and the street was again opened the same day to travel.


Lake street was macadamized, from Carlton street to Haw- kins street, but before the dust was applied, "Tarvia" was spread hot from the tank wagon on the one-and-one-half-inch stone, then the pea stone was spread and rolled into the "Tarvia" with a steam roller, and the street was opened the same day, thus saving the work of watering and rolling the street until it flushed, and keeping it closed to travel while so doing.


College Avenue.


College avenue was swept clean with sweeping machines, and "Tarvia" was applied on one section of the street, pea stone being used for covering with very good results.


Terracolio was applied to another section, and while it kept down the dust to some extent, it does not save the road from the tear of automobiles.


Asphaltoilene was tried on another section. This has, in my opinion, been a failure, as we have scraped this section of the street with road machines to remove the mud, many complaints having been received at the office about the condition of that section of the street after a rain.


City Ledge.


Test holes were made early this year at the Holland-street ledge to determine the quality of the stone still remaining, and such good specimens were found that it was deemed wise to quarry the same. Although the land was then down to the grade of Holland street and parts of Broadway, the intention has been to bring it to the grade of the Simpson property on the east side of the ledge, thereby making this land, which has been on the market, much more valuable for building property than it other- wise would have been.


373


STREET COMMISSIONER.


This year a steam drill has been constantly kept at work, instead of hand drilling, thus saving a large expense for labor.


Stone Crusher.


The crushing plant has worked 220 days during the past year, but was unable to supply the demand for stone. For the last layer, nut size, and dust for binder on nearly all the old streets re-surfaced and new streets constructed, trap rock was purchased, under contract, from the Winchester Trap Rock Company at $1.07 per ton, F. O. B., Somerville. Ten thousand four hundred thirty tons were crushed and 944 tons purchased during the year.


Street Cleaning.


All the streets, both public and private, were cleaned during the past year, and all the paved streets swept as often as the highway appropriation would allow, $17,714.98 being spent in this branch of the work.


The expense of teaming is increasing every year, as the dumping places are few and far between. Patrolmen with push carts have been constantly kept at the squares and on the main streets, and I hope the appropriation will allow this force to be increased the coming year, as more patrolmen with push carts are required to care for the permanent paving laid this year.


Experiments have been tried of flushing smooth paved streets with watering carts and by connecting hose to hydrants, but the latter has proved more successful; it is my intention early in the spring to do this work at night, thus keeping smooth


paved streets and squares in a clean and healthy condition. I recommend that a sanitary flushing machine be purchased, which would reduce the expense in this branch of the work.


The placing of waste barrels at all the schoolhouses and on the main streets for the use of the public has made a noticeable difference in the appearance of these places.


Bridges.


The bridges are in good condition. The railroad commis- sioners have accepted the city's plans for the abolition of grade crossings on the Fitchburg division of the Boston & Maine Rail- road. The bridges on the Southern division of the Boston & Maine Railroad at Cross street and Walnut street have been thor- oughly repaired and strengthened during the year.


Shade Trees.


Shade trees are a great improvement to the general appear- ance of a street. Many trees have been injured by electric wires, but as the work of placing the wires underground ad- vances, this difficulty will be removed.


Many trees are injured and killed by gas leaks.


374


ANNUAL REPORTS. -


In every case where trees have been set out the past year a pole and wire guard has been placed on them for protection.


When abutters purchase trees, the city set out the same free of cost.


There is no appropriation for the care of shade trees, and the amount expended is quite large. The expense so incurred is charged to the highways maintenance appropriation.


I recommend that the city purchase and set out shade trees where dead and dangerous ones have been removed, and think it wise to protect the trees which we already have by placing wire guards around them. The department lias set out 350 trees, and sixty-eight dead and dangerous ones were removed during the year.


Subways.


The subways at Kent, Sacramento, and Thorndike streets are in good condition. Men are assigned to care for them, and extra help is provided in case of a storm. If subways were built at West street and Hancock street, on the Arlington branch of the Boston & Maine Railroad, it would be a great convenience and safety to the public until such time as grade crossings are abolished.


Street Watering.


Under the law providing for the assessment for street water- ing, only accepted streets can be watered. When residents de- sire private streets watered, they must pay the cost of such watering in advance. The street watering is let out by contract at $90 per month per cart, the contractor furnishing a competent driver with a good pair of horses. He is obliged to see that his route, which comprises about two miles, is properly watered at all times, including Sundays and holidays. This branch of the department is under the charge of an inspector.


There are forty-two double and three single watering carts, all painted and repaired by the department.


So many new streets have been added to the street watering list that ten new carts were purchased during the year and a shed built by the department in which to house them.


So many complaints have been received from tenants of stores in the squares which are watered by contractors that single carts have been purchased to be operated by the department in these squares in the coming year.


Granolithic Sidewalks.


More granolithic sidewalks were laid during the year than ever before. Specifications were sent out and bids called for to lay the same. The contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, whose price was $1.42 per square yard, with a five-year guar- antee.


375


STREET COMMISSIONER.


The department, with its own labor, laid the granolithic side- walk on Bartlett street, between Broadway and Medford street, at a cost of $1.405 per square yard. I recommend that the city do this work with their own labor in the future.


Steam Rollers.


The city has three Buffalo Pitts steam rollers,-one fifteen- ton roller which has worked 189 days, one twelve-ton roller which has worked 173 days, and one five-ton asphalt roller which has worked seventy-three days.


The department has received a large revenue by the letting of these rollers to contractors doing work in and for the city and to the various departments.


During the year the department received, free of cost, in- cluding the teaming, much good material which may be used for the bottom of streets in remacadamizing and resurfacing. This, together with the fact that it was found necessary to carry over the work on so many streets to next year, on account of not hav- ing facilities for rolling the crushed stone with which they should be covered, leads me to recommend the purchase of another fif- teen-ton roller.


Snow and Ice.


During the winter of 1907 there were 3,114 loads of snow re- moved and a large sum of money spent sanding sidewalks and slippery streets on side hills. This renders the expenditures for street repairs correspondingly less, as no separate appropriation is made for the care of ice and snow. The amount spent in this branch of the work was $9,548.28. The teaming in this branch has been increasing every year on account of the scarcity of dumping places. An experiment, consisting of dumping the snow into the sewers by way of the manholes, was tried, which proved a success. This experiment not only removes the snow quickly, thus opening the main streets and squares for travel, but also flushes and purifies the sewers.


It is the duty of this department to care for the removal of snow from all sidewalks in front of public buildings and public grounds, and to prevent them from becoming slippery.


Ordinance No. 46, approved February 12, 1904, Section 1 and 2 of which are quoted below, clearly regulates the removal of snow and ice on sidewalks.


Section 1. No owner or tenant of land abutting upon a sidewalk within the limits of any highway or townway in this city shall suffer to remain on such sidewalk for more than six hours between sunrise and sunset, on any day, any snow nor any ice, unless such ice is made even and covered with sand or other suitable material to prevent slipping. Such owner and tenant shall remove all snow and ice from such sidewalk within the time and in the manner herein specified.


376


ANNUAL REPORTS. -


1


Section 2. Whoever violates any of the provisions of Sec- tion 1 of this ordinance shall forfeit to the city the sum of twenty- five dollars for each offence.


Boxes filled with fine sand have been placed within easy access of the push cart men who care for the smoothly paved streets, squares, and subways.


Wires Underground.


Permits for opening the streets for burying wires were is- sued to the Edison Electric Illuminating Company for the north side of Broadway, from a point near Fenwick street, to a point nearly opposite Partridge avenue, and to the New England Tele- phone and Telegraph Company, for the south side of Broadway, from Boston avenue to the Arlington line. Permits were also issued to the same companies for opening streets to extend their underground system, and to the Boston Elevated Railway Com- pany to lay conduits in the loam space between the car tracks from the Charlestown line to a point west of Grant street.


This does away with all poles except where lights are main- tained from the Charlestown line to this point, thus making a great improvement in the appearance of lower Broadway. The total length of underground conduits in the city amounts to fif- teen and one-half miles.


Accepted Streets.


There have been fourteen streets accepted during the year, a total length of 9,109 feet. There were six streets constructed, at a cost of $3,272.02, a total length of 2,926 feet. In all streets which were constructed during the past four years, edgestones were set and gutters paved with granite paving blocks before the construction work was begun. This is a good custom to follow.


There were twenty-five streets macadamized and resurfaced, at a cost of $12,942.77. There are 72.954 miles of public streets and 21.506 miles of private streets, making a total length of 94.46 miles of streets in the city.


Perambulation of Boundary Lines.


A committee was appointed to represent Somerville, con- sisting of a member of the highway committee, the city engineer, and the street commissioner, to meet a committee from Medford November 12, 1907, for the purpose of perambulating the boun- dary of Somerville and Medford. This committee has attended to its duty and made its report.


Sidewalks Maintenance.


The appropriation for this account was so small that old sidewalks were not re-laid as recommended in last year's report. I hope that the city government will, this coming year, see its way clear to make a much larger appropriation for this account. If this is not done, it is my opinion that the number of accidents


377


STREET COMMISSIONER.


on old sidewalks will increase, and that the damages which might be awarded in these cases would exceed the appropriation which should be made this year. I think it would be to the advantage of the city to make an appropriation sufficient to take care of this branch of the work.


Street Openings.


A great many complaints reach the office of the street com- missioner, for which he is blameless, in regard to the uneven con- dition of some of the newly-constructed streets, and depressions in the gravel and brick sidewalks in the older portions of the city, which are due to trenches made by the sewer, water, gas, and underground wire construction. In many cases in the first in- stance the defects are caused by trenches having been made to new houses after the street has been constructed, and in the sec- ond by work having been done late in the season after the ground is frozen.


The inspection of these trenches will be made by this de- partment, and if found unsatisfactory, will be repaired by skilled labor, and the expense so incurred charged to the different de- partments and companies.


Tunneling under streets and sidewalks ought not to be al- lowed when the tunnel is to be more than six inches in diameter, and when borings are made for pipes the bore should be made only large enough to allow the pipe to be put in position. From my experience, it can be safely said that it is impossible to re-fill a horizontal tunnel so that the pavement over the trench will not settle and require repairs which make extra expense for this de- partment. No department, company, or corporation should be allowed to open any street after the frost sets in unless in a case of emergency.


Street Railways.


Permission was granted the Boston Elevated Railway Com- pany to lay double tracks on Mystic avenue. From the Boston line to a point near Austin street the space between the tracks and for a width of eighteen inches outside of the outside rails was paved with paving blocks, and from Austin street to Fellsway East the tracks were laid in ballast on the north side of the street. This street is in very poor condition, and I hope that the state will take the same the coming year and construct it, from Austin street to the Medford line, where the Massachusetts Highway Commission finished this year. This would make a good main highway for travel from nearby cities and towns to Boston over an easy grade.


The Boston Elevated Railway Company widened the curves on College avenue, at Broadway and at Professors Row, to ac- commodate the large cars they intend running on this line to West Medford,


378


1


ANNUAL REPORTS.




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.