USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1910 > Part 28
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The Leopard Moth.
This moth is destroying many of the trees, and, unlike the other moths, which feed on the foliage, bores into the branches and feeds. upon the living wood, thus making it hard to find them. The larvae usually begin operations in twigs and small branches, and with their larger growth bore and tunnel into the larger branches and trunks. This work has the effect of girdling, the injured portion being blown down by heavy wind and snowstorms, while in case of severe attack the growth of the tree is checked, frequently causing its death. The fallen branches and twigs are gathered and taken to the dumps and burned.
There should be an appropriation for the extermination of this pest. The trees could then be examined and the larvae destroyed before it is too late.
Suppression of the Gypsy and Brown=Tail Moths.
The department cared for all the street trees and trees on private property where the owners had not cared for them. The gypsy nests are painted with creosote and the brown-tail
352
ANNUAL REPORTS.
nests are cut from the branches and taken to the city yard and burned in an incinerator. This work is done in the winter time, thus giving work to the employees of the department the year round.
This work is inspected by an inspector sent by the state forester, Mr. Frank William Rane.
The work has been so thoroughly done that very few trees were sprayed for the moth in the caterpillar form.
Where nests are found on private property the owner is charged at the rate of twenty-five cents an hour per man, and the amount of the assessment is collected with the taxes on the estate. The law gives the city the right to enter any private property to care for the moths and provides for an assessment to cover the cost of the work. Eleven thousand three hundred and five trees were inspected and cared for during the year.
Subways.
The subways at Kent street and at Sacramento street under the Fitchburg division of the Boston & Maine Railroad are in good condition. The subway at Thorndike street under the Southern Division needs some repairing.
These subways require constant attention. Men are as- signed to care for them, and extra help provided in case of a storm.
Sprinkling Streets.
Under the new law the city can use water or a substitute and assess the abutters at the same rate as for street watering. Good results have been obtained and money, saved where the department used oil or tar to keep down the dust. After seeing the results many residents have requested that their streets be treated. I hope to cover nearly the entire city the coming year with several kinds of dust layers. By so doing I think the assessment can be reduced.
Twenty-nine contractors signed contracts to furnish a pair of horses, harnesses, and a man at the rate of $90 per month. Each contractor was assigned about two miles of streets to sprinkle.
All the watering carts are repaired and painted by the em- ployees of the department at the city stables. There would be a saving in the painting of these carts if oil or tar were used on the streets.
This branch of the work is self-supporting, as the abutters pay five cents per linear foot for sprinkling.
Steam Rollers.
· The fifteen-ton roller has worked 194 days, the twelve-ton roller 1631 days, and the five-ton roller fifteen days.
These rollers will need some extensive repairs the coming year, and as they have been in service a number of years and
353
STREET COMMISSIONER.
are liable to give out at any time, I recommend the purchase of a new fifteen-ton roller.
Granolithic Sidewalks.
The department laid all the granolithic this year, thus giv- ing employment to Somerville citizens and furnishing grano- lithic sidewalks to taxpayers at the low average cost of $1.51 per square yard, the abutters being assessed half the cost.
As the cost of granolithic is but little more than brick, and as the abutters desire this kind of superior sidewalk and are willing to pay half the cost, it is only fair for the city to grant their wishes.
If a concrete mixing machine were purchased it would re- duce the cost of this kind of work, and could be used for con- crete work of all kinds.
Snow and Ice.
The department was called upon to care for a great amount of snow this year. As there is no separate appropriation for the care of ice and snow, the amount available for the running expenses of the department is thereby greatly lessened. Three thousand four hundred and, fifty-two loads of snow were re- moved, and a large sum of money expended in sanding side- walks and slippery streets on the side hills.
The sum of $9,900.82 was spent this year on the removal of snow and ice and incidental expenses.
It is the duty of this department to remove the snow from all sidewalks in front of public buildings and public grounds, and sand the same when they become slippery. This depart- ment receives no compensation for this work.
Dumping the snow into the sewers through manhole's has been a great saving in the expense of teaming.
As soon as the bridges made necessary by the abolition of the grade crossings are completed the city must care for snow and ice upon the same. This will add expense to this branch of the work.
Boxes filled with fine sand for icy streets, crossings, and sidewalks have been placed within easy access of the push cart men and men who care for the subways and squares during the winter months.
Sections 1 and 2 of Ordinance No. 46, approved February 12, 1904, as quoted below, clearly regulate the removal of snow and ice from 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 slip- ping. Such owner and tenant shall remove all snow and ice from sych sidewalk within the time and in the manner herein specified.
354
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Section 2. Whoever viclates any of the provisions of section one of this ordinance shall forfeit to the city the sum of twenty-five dollars for each offense.
Where there is an edgestone, if the residents, when clear- ing their sidewalks of snow, would clean the same to the outer edge of the edgestone, it would be a great help to and less ex- pensive for the department to open the gutters, especially in a thaw after a snow storm.
Underground Wires.
Permits for opening the streets for the purpose of con- structing conduits and burying wires were issued to the Edison Electric Illuminating Company in Broadway, northerly side, from opposite Billingham street to Teele square, and on Willow avenue from Broadway to its power station. Permits were also issued to this company and to the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company to connect their underground systems on the main streets with their overhead wires on intersecting streets.
Many of the large unsightly wooden poles on Broadway between Magoun square and Teele square and on Medford street between Magoun square and Gilman square have been removed and iron poles substituted, thus giving a better appear- ance to the streets.
I shall be glad when all the wires are buried, especially the electric wires.
Accepted Streets.
There were six streets accepted during the year, compris- ing a total length of 3,623 feet. -
There were eight streets constructed with macadam and tarvia under the Betterment Act, comprising a total length of 4,995 feet at an average approximate cost of $0.82 per square yard. In all streets constructed during the past nine years edgestones were set and gutters paved with granite paving blocks before the construction work was begun.
There were fourteen streets macadamized or re-surfaced at a cost of $8,814.43.
There are 75.864 miles of public streets and 20.357 miles of private streets in the city, making a total length of 96.221 miles.
Sidewalks Maintenance.
The city government is appropriating a goodly sum each year for the construction of sidewalks, but no appropriation for the care of the same. The last few years the sum so expended has been taken from the highway maintenance appropriation.
As there are many petitions from abutters for the repairing of sidewalks, and as some of them are dangerous, I hope the incoming city government will make an appropriation sufficient to care for the same,
355
STREET COMMISSIONER.
The chief of police notifies this department if the patrolmen find any defects in the sidewalks or streets. These reports are always promptly attended to, thereby saving the city the pos- sibility of law suits.
Street Railways.
With the opening of the reconstructed bridge on Mystic avenue over the tracks of the Boston & Maine Railroad the Boston Elevated Railway Company connected its tracks with some alterations over this bridge, and are now using the same for their line to the Fells and Stoneham, doing away with the line over Union street.
New rails on a concrete base, with paving blocks grouted with cement, were laid on Main street from Broadway to the Medford line. This improvement is greatly appreciated by the tenants.
New rails on a concrete base with paving blocks grouted were laid on Broadway, the inbound track from Main street to Sargent avenue at the parkway and the outbound track from Sargent avenue to Marshall street being reconstructed.
Many of the narrow spaces between the tracks at sharp curves have been widened to provide greater safety to the pub- lic.
Emergency Call.
This department is the originator of the "Emergency Call" for employees of highway departments. The emergency call is 8-8 on the fire alarm system, and is used in case of an accident on the railroad, a burst in a water-main, the collapse of a bridge, a big fire, or any other accident of such nature as would be likely to cause injury to life or limb, or be a menace to the safety of public travel, where teams and men could be used to good advantage. The emergency wagon is equipped with ropes, lanterns, and all kinds of tools, a quick hitch harness, and is always ready in case of an accident.
This wagon has been very handy when the police or resi- dents have telephoned about trees blown over or broken off which must be attended to at once, or when any of the depart- ment's teams have broken down.
Tarvia.
For some years past I have been investigating the matter of a proper binder for newly constructed macadam streets.
Late in the year 1906 several streets were coated with "Tarvia A," which are still in the very best of condition. This proves to me that it is the proper material for this purpose, and since that date tarvia has been used on all the streets con- structed and resurfaced.
This year tarvia macadam cost $0.82 per square yard.
356
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Tarvia macadam construction is as follows: Shape up the street to sub-grade by filling or excavating, roll the sub-grade, spread and roll '4" to 6" of egg stone, spread and roll 2" of nut stone, fill all voids with hot tarvia from the tank, spread pea stone as quickly as possible, and roll with steam roller until macadam becomes a solid mass. If the tarvia oozes through the pea stone or sticks to the wheels of the roller, more pea stone is spread, and the wheels of the roller may be oiled or water may be used from the water cart.
This department has been called upon to furnish steam. rollers, teams, crushed stone, sand, gravel, cement, and ashes to the other departments, being reimbursed for the same.
Permits for opening streets, Cambridge Gas Light Company
250
Permits for opening streets, Charlestown Gas and Electric Company
112
Occupying streets and sidewalks, contractors and corporations Opening street and sidewalks, contractors and corporations
103
Cross sidewalk, contractors and corporations .
.
7
Blast rock for cellars
3
Drain layers' permits
Water department
·
4
Steam rollers through streets
8
Defects in the streets and sidewalks reported by the chief of police
420
New signs erected by department
49
Signs re-painted
·
51
Requests and miscellaneous reports .
1,233
Notifications to other departments and corporations
41
Sand and gravel used (square yards)
· 2,385
Dirt removed or handled (loads)
14,350
Scrapings removed from streets (loads)
11,952
Old macadam used (loads)
1,364
Ashes used (loads)
.
4,496
Edgestones re-set (feet)
. 2,192
Brick sidewalks re-laid (square yards)
. 2,213
I have attended twenty-six meetings of the committee on highways for consultation regarding work and petitions.
Recommendations.
I most respectfully recommend :-
That Somerville avenue from Beacon street to Cambridge station at the Cambridge line be paved with granite paving blocks, and Elm street, the entire length, with some kind of per- manent paving.
That the brick paving already laid in Davis square be ex- tended on all the intersecting streets.
That on Beacon street, the entire length, and College ave- nue from Powder House square to the Medford line, the edge- stone be set and gutters paved and the thoroughfares placed in good condition with some kind of permanent paving.
The city government should seriously consider construct
.
.
159 59
Feed horses in streets .
.
123 205
Erect canopies
.
357
STREET COMMISSIONER.
ing Middlesex avenue and the portion of Mystic avenue from Austin street to the Boston line, not taken by the state. If por- tions of Broadway could be re-surfaced it would last a number of years and until such time as the city could afford to construct the street with permanent paving.
I hope that, in view of the fact that there are a large num- ber of petitions for sidewalks, a large appropriation will be made for construction work this year.
I trust that when the Committee on Public Works is con- sidering the matter of new sidewalks, it will consider the un- completed spaces now existing on many sidewalks. If these sidewalks could be made continuous it would be a great benefit to pedestrians, especially in the spring and fall.
I also wish to recommend that a fence be built around the yard at the stable and that a combination shop for repairing and painting be established.
Highways Maintenance Account.
CREDIT.
Balance from 1909
$12,341 59
Receipts and credits :-
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, street railway tax
$49,645 15
Boston Elevated Railway tax
9,737 32
Health Department (collection of ashes, 1909)
335 55
Lowell Street Bridges (bill of 1909) .
124 90
Private work, the bills for which re- mained unpaid December 31, 1909 .
141 80
Highways, Watering Streets (bill paid twice)
209 03
Highways, Suppression of Elm-leaf Beetle (bill paid twice) ·
35 00
Value of materials on hand January 1, 1900 .
3,429 99
Value of tools and property on hand Janu- ary 1, 1900
28,558 90
92,217 64
$104,559 23
Less amount transferred to Sidewalks Maintenance ac- count
1,900 80
1
$102,658 43
Profit and loss on tools, property, and materials
2,649 30
$105,307 73
DEBIT.
Expenditures :-
For repairs of sundry streets, as per table B, at end of this report
$8,814 43
General repairs of streets .
6,462 52
Repairs and maintenance of gravel sidewalks
2,005 64
Repairs of street crossings
89 56
Repairs of gutters
196 84
Repairs of sheet and block paving
1,004 37
Amount carried forward
$18,573 36
358
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Amount brought forward
Removing snow and ice and care of slippery sidewalks,
$18,573 36 9,900 82 20,764 29
Cleaning streets .
Care of subways .
329 05
Removing trees . .
1,097 01
Setting trees
371 34
Trimming trees
820 16
Spraying trees for tussock moths
44 30
Street opening, Electric avenue, at Packard avenue
31 50
Street opening, Liberty road, at Appleton street and Morrison avenue 42 16
Street opening, Mason street, at Broadway
28 86
Street opening, Whitman street, at Packard avenue
29 69
Blacksmithing
301 06
Carpentering
376 12
Painting
117 50
Street signs
592 54
Repairing stalls at city stable
102 31
Repairing yard at city stable
605 78
Waltham gravel land, taxes of 1910 .
100 80
Roping off Highland avenue at grand stand July 4, 1910 82 99
Repairs of shed at crusher
17 67
Sawing wood
75 50
Re-sodding sidewalk, Highland avenue, southwesterly side, School street to Central street
126 67
Sundry expenses
963 30
Albert M. Burbank, salary as foreman
1,173 25
Street Commissioner's salary
2,000 00
Street Commissioner's team
252 42
Street Commissioner's telephone
19 98
Repairing tools
83 98
Taking care of highway property (labor)
1,166 35
Money paid men injured while at work
424 50
Health Department (bill unpaid December 31, 1910)
60 60
Books, printing, stationery, and postage
184 42
Abatement of accounts for collection
19 12
Private work, the bills for which remain unpaid De- cember 31, 1910 372 85
Value of materials on hand this day
3,294 97
Value of tools and personal property on hand this day :- Horses .
$9,140 00
Carts and implements used with horses .
9,356 70
Harnesses and horse clothing .
1,466 95
Repairs of harnesses and horse clothing,
71 36
Horse medicine and doctoring .
23 12
Stable utensils and property
580 65
Tools
2,700 17
Steam road rollers
5,700 00
Stone crusher and fittings
1,852 75
Iron and hardware
242 14
Street signs .
57 00
31,190 84
Total debit .
$95,738 06
Balance unexpended .
$9,569 67
.
.
359
STREET COMMISSIONER.
Highways Construction Account.
CREDIT.
Balance from 1909
$5,951 51 43,000 00
Appropriation . .
$48,951 51
Advertising and recording deeds' in 1909, charged in construction of streets in 1910 $98 80
Highways, Paved Gutters and Crossings account (paving blocks) 591 28
70 02
760 10
1 Total credit
$49,711 61
DEBIT.
Expenditures :-
Construction of streets, as appears by table A, at end of this report .
$50,776 55
Less assessments
6,141 70
$44,634 85
Advertising and recording releases and plans for streets not constructed
72 00
Fred S. and A. D. Gove Corporation (final payment, paving Washington street in 1909)
2,116 57
Henry C. and Walter H. Wright, damages to estate on Mystic avenue from the recent location and con- struction of state highway 750 00
Dennis H. Gleason, for injuries received on Highland avenue Books (ledger and day book) .
310 00
10 50
Total debit
$47,893 92
Balance unexpended .
$1,817 69
Highways, Paved Gutters and Crossings.
CREDIT.
Appropriation
Transfer from Sewers Construction ac-
1,736 12
Value of materials on hand January 1, 1910, $4,621 01
Net gain on materials 8 89
4,629 90
Total credit
$11,366 02
DEBIT. 1
Expenditures :-
For paving fourteen gutters, as per table D
$10,408 97
Street crossing, as per table J . 57 05
Valuc of materials on hand December 31
900 00
Total debit
$11,366 02 .
$5,000 00
count
$6,736 12 .
Highways Maintenance (stone)
-
360
ANNUAL REPORTS.
1
Highways, Watering Streets. CREDIT.
Receipts :-
Assessments and contributions from abutters
$33,338 20
Value of water carts January 1, 1910
11,550 00
Total credit
DEBIT.
Expenditures :-
Teaming (street watering)
$20,062 60
Use of city teams
2,499 43
Tarvia
205 80
Road oil
2,167 85
Dust preventive
972 93
Sal. soda
1 50
Hose, nipples, etc.
24 22
Maintenance of water posts
273 82
Crushed. stone
25 63
Repairs of carts .
1,056 14
Painting carts
632 87
New water posts
58 63
Clerical work (making assessment list)
146 67
Books, printing, and stationery
27 85
$28,155 94
Value of water carts and materials on hand this day
11,473 45
Profit and loss on water carts
300 00
Total debit
$39,929 39
Balance unexpended
$4,958 81
Lowell Street Bridges.
CREDIT.
Balance from 1909
$31,567 13
Boston & Maine Railroad, proportional
15,000 00
Betterment assessments .
3,450 00
Total credit
$50,017 13
DEBIT.
Boston & Maine Railroad, constructing
bridge
$18,664 51
Labor
1,841 05
Use of city teams
718 20
Raising corn
30 00
Carpentering
321 00
Mason work
914 12
Plumbing
282 34
Furnace work
68 81
Changing water pipes
699 99
Grading yard
34 50
Conductor pipes
6 73
Lumber
289 66
Crushed stone
.
19 31
Amount carried forward
$23,890 22
$44,888 20
cost assumed by road
. .
361
STREET COMMISSIONER.
Amount brought forward
$23,890 22
Lime .
1 25
Loam
22 50
Ashes
43 25
Oil and lead
56 75
Hardware
18 90
Concreting
60 00
Setting glass and papering
7 88
Use of road roller
4 20
Total debit. .
$24,109 95
Balance unexpended .
$25,907 18
Amount transferred by order of the Board of Aldermen
and approved December 30, 1910 . 15,000 00
$10,907 18
Sidewalks Construction.
CREDIT.
Balance from 1909
$66 69
Appropriation
12,000 00
Transfer from Sewers Construction ac-
count
2,000 00
Total credit
$14,066 69
Expenditures :-
For thirty-eight sidewalks con- structed as per table C $23,319 04
Less assessments
·
$11,659 46
Partial abatement of assessment, estate of Thomas H. Eames, Chapel street
16 00
Abatement of assessment, Hamlet-street sidewalks
179 90
Books .
16 25
Total debit .
$11,871 61
Balance unexpended .
$2,195 08
Sidewalks Maintenance. CREDIT.
1
Transfer from Highways Maintenance ac- count .
$1,900 80
Value of materials on hand January 1, 1910 . 6 25
Value of materials on hand this day
16 20
Total credit
DEBIT.
Expenditures :-
Labor, repairing sidewalks
$1,248 03
Use of city teams
276 75
Repairing concrete
9 00
Sand
37 98
Crushed stone
.
2 53
Amount carried forward . $1,574 29
$1,923 25
DEBIT.
11,659 58
362
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Amount brought forward
$1,574 29
Ashes
4 75
Cement .
8 45
Loam . .
0 50
Sods
5 00
Edgestones
. 39
Bricks
303 22
Paving blocks
2 70
$1,900 30
Bill receivable December 31, 1910 .
6 75
Value of materials on hand this day
16 20
1
$1,923 25
Suppression of Gypsy and Brown-Tail Moths.
CREDIT.
Appropriation
$1,800 00
Receipts :-
From sundry persons, removal of moths from trees
883 96
Total credit
$2,683 96
DEBIT.
Expenditures :-
For labor
$2,115 02
Use of city teams and teaming . .
77 70
Tools
4 08
Supplies
14 21
Books and circulars
65 75
Clerical work
42 66
Total debit .
$2,319 42
1
Balance unexpended .
$364 54
Suppression of Elm-Leaf Beetle.
CREDIT.
Appropriation
.
DEBIT.
Expenditures :-
For labor
$472 13
Use of city teams
130 90
Walsh Brothers, spraying trees
20 00
Arsenate of lead .
124 75
Repairing ladder
3 60
Tacks, bolts, and spring balance
2 18
Printing, warning signs
3 75
Total debit .
$757 31
Balance unexpended .
$242 69
.
$1,000 00
.
363
TABLE A. Streets Constructed in 1910.
STREET.
FROM
To
MATERIAL.
LENGTH IN FEET.
COST.
Albion street
Cedar street
Lowell street
Macadam and tarvia
1,350
$2,314 15
Alpine street .
Lowell street
Angle ·
Macadam and tarvia
688
1,263 39
Bromfield road
Warner street
Dearborn road
Macadam and tarvia
1,262
2,180 65
Chestnut street
Poplar street
Southerly end
Macadam and tarvia
537
1,243 57
*College avenue
Powder house square .
Davis square
Paving bricks, macadam and tarvia
1,940
8,397 54
Dimick street
Calvin street
Concord avenue
Macadam and tarvia
957
1,766 18
Francis street
Porter street
Conwell street
Macadam and tarvia
180
319 03
Grant street
Jaques street
Mystic avenue
Macadam·and tarvia
829
1,530 45
Hamlet street .
Accepted portion in 1905
Boston street
Macadam and tarvia
165
520 00
Highland avenue
Uncompleted portion of
1909
Macadam and tarvia
967 56
Kidder avenue
Liberty avenue ·
Willow avenue
Macadam and tarvia
664
1,029 62
Lowell street
Vernon street
Albion street
Macadam and tarvia .
870
1,822 34
Marion street .
Westerly 176 ft. from ¿ Wyatt street
Dimick street
Macadam and tarvia
401
827 08
Princeton street
Lowell street
Catch-basin .
Macadam and tarvia
167
340 86
*Somerville avenue
East Cambridge line .
Medford street
Granite paving on con- crete base
843
13,275 03
*Somerville avenue
.
Lowell street
Junction of Elm st. and including Oak square Easterly to catch-basin
Granite paving grouted with tarvia Macadam and tarvia
799
12,851 05
Vernon street . .
Lowell street .
85
128 05
* Reconstructed with permanent pavement.
Length in feet, and cost
11,737
$50,776 55
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
·
.
·
.
.
.
·
.
STREET COMMISSIONER.
Expended in 1909 $247.81
Expended in 1909 $2,121.25
Expended in 1909 $55,768.77
TABLE B. Streets Repaired.
STREET.
FROM
To
DESCRIPTION OF WORK.
FEET.
COST.
Allen street ·
Somerville avenue
Charlestown street
Macadam and tarvia
640
$199 42
Broadway
.
.
Railroad bridge
Highland avenue
Macadam and tarvia
720
1,500 41
Chester street
.
Orchard street
Cambridge line
.
·
220
23 15
Elm street
Oak square .
Cedar street
.
·
·
895
140 63
Grant street .
.
Broadway .
Jaques street
Macadam and tarvia .
576
505 92
Irving street .
Broadway
Holland street
Macadam and tarvia .
1,180
1,211 94
Mystic avenue
Boston line .
·
Chester street
Old macadam
410
95 34
Perry street .
·
.
Summer street
Macadam and tarvia .
820
939 95
South street . .
·
·
·
Old macadam
989
42 95
Somerville avenue ·
Oak square . .
·
Medford street ·
. Macadam and standard asphalt .
230
497 13
Length in feet, and cost
.
.
·
.
.
·
·
.
8,969
$8,814 43
.
·
at .
.
Powder house square .
Macadam and tarvia
450
1,103 20
Central street
.
.
.
·
Lincoln Parkway
Macadam and tarvia .
606
1,033 16
Porter street .
Highland avenue
·
-
Beacon street ·
Old macadam andtarvia
900
1,354 25
Walnut street .
Gilman street
.
(between tracks extra width.) Union street
Granite paving
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