USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1911 > Part 25
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
11,50
331.35
121.1
290.39
Westminster .
Both .
Broadway .
Electric avenue .
6.67
408.7
276.0
385.44
1,091.42
320.1 428.0
604.30
1,398.50
1,008.84
6 5 55236677 3 2 6 7 7
Summit .
Northeasterly Westerly .
Prospect Hill Pkwy
5.67
28.6
21.1
29.02
5.00
6.67
Morrison avenue
2,729.05
1,037.24
194.20
485.8
338.19
139.9
294.84
Irving
Broadway
Holland street
6.67
Jay
7
Bowdoin street
347.53
139.0 167.7
304.52 435.90
922.17
141.5
256.28
Cedar
137.39
95.13
..
581.52
Lovell
1,185.33
8.33
6.67
1,090.52
312.9
721.58
36.77
Cherry street (where not laid)
5 10100
1 177 7 7
78.53
Hawthorne street
Gravel and Edge- stone. Lineal Feet.
Total Cost.
Summer street
446.03
111.0}
2
.
-
1
F
E
. .
f
E
-
.
323
CITY ENGINEER.
Lines and grades have been given for setting 15,957.1 linear feet (3.022 miles) of new edgestone, and 5,534.4 square yards (1.405 miles) of new brick sidewalks, and 12,459.1 square yards (3.517 miles) of granolithic sidewalks have been laid, and measurements taken for computing assessments ; also on private streets 0.36 of a mile of granolithic sidewalks have been laid by private parties.
In connection with setting edgestone 5,014.4 square yards of new paved gutters have been laid, at an average cost of $2.29 per square yard, and a number of driveways and crossings have been constructed, all requiring lines, grades, and measurements. (See tables for cost of new work, 1911, and total lengths of sidewalks constructed in the city to date.)
The average cost for the year has been as follows :-
For setting edgestone with gravel sidewalk $1.06 per linear foot
Laying brick sidewalk, complete . 1.30 per square yard
Laying granolithic sidewalk, complete 1.54 per square yard
And the cost of materials used, furnished by contract :-
Edgestone (straight) delivered at work
$0.58 per linear foot
Edgestone (circle) delivered at work 0.75 per linear foot
Bricks delivered at work
13.20 per M.
Cement (Portland) on cars
1.11 per barrel (net)
Sand and gravel on cars
0.66 per cubic yard
Crushed stone on cars . .
1.10 per ton
In sections of the city where brick sidewalks have been laid many years, and must necessarily be re-laid on account of de- terioration and unevenness, granolithic should be substituted in the place of brick.
Miles of Edgestone, Gravel, Granolithic and Brick Sidewalks in Each Ward.
Edgestone.
Gravel Sidewalk.
Brick Sidewalk.
Granolithic Sidewalk.
Ward one .
·
17.609
4.749
11.960
0.900
Ward two
14.421
8.110
6.300
0.011
Ward three
13.979
1.772
11.511
0,696
Ward four
14.301
3.093
9.854
1.354
Ward five .
20.574
6.800
12.142
1.632
Ward six .
22.338
7.514
10.612
5.628
Ward seven
23.345
8.954
8.260
7.383
Total miles in the city . 126.567
40.992
70.639
17.601
A considerable quantity of stone still remains on the two parcels of ledge property owned by the city, situated in West Somerville, that can be quarried and used for the foundation of streets and on sidewalk work, to the city's advantage. By using the stone from these two ledges and purchasing trap- rock, the city will have a sufficient supply of good road mate- rial for a number of years to come.
324
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Lines and grades have been given for laying 6,301 linear feet of new city water mains, varying in size from two inches to twenty inches in diameter. Two hundred and thirty-four new house services, gates, hydrants, water posts, and blow-offs have been located and recorded, sketches and plans made show- ing the same, and the large water works map corrected to date, and a large number of old meters and services have been lo- cated and recorded.
A set of block plans should be made covering the entire city area from accurate surveys made during the past twenty- five years, and compared section by section with the deed dimensions and areas recorded in the assessors' department, and in this manner the correct areas of land determined.
This set of plans would also be of value to the water de- partment and various other departments, and would more than pay for the cost of making; five of these sectional plans have already been made.
Plans have been made and photographs taken where acci- dents have occurred on the city work or where boundaries were in dispute, and special plans and data prepared for the city so- licitor's use in court cases and hearings.
All plans of estates in Somerville recorded at the Registry of Deeds, East Cambridge, including land court plans, have been copied, also titles examined, 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. Copies have been made of all city plans where land has been taken for highways or sewers, and these have been filed and recorded at the Reg- istry, East Cambridge, as required by law.
Plans have been made by the various companies and cor- porations, and filed in the city engineer's office, showing the locations of gas mains, poles, tracks, and conduits in this city, which have been granted by the board of aldermen during the year; and the work of placing overhead wires in conduits underground and removing all poles from streets should be ex- tended as rapidly as possible.
At the present time there are underground in the city's streets 14.4 miles of telephone conduits, 7.1 miles of electric light conduits, 1.4 miles of electric railway conduits, and about 5.1 miles of underground conduits used for the city's wires.
The Cambridge and Charlestown gas companies have ex- tended their mains in the city's streets 3.1 miles the past year.
Heavy explosions have occurred in the city's streets from underground conduits, owned by private corporations. The city ordinances should be so changed that in the future all
325
CITY ENGINEER.
underground work constructed by these companies should be rigidly inspected by a competent man employed by the city, so as to eliminate as far as possible faulty construction.
The Boston Elevated Railway Company have made ex- tensive repairs in their roadbed in this city during the past year, replacing the old tracks with new and heavier rails, filling the space between the ties with Portland cement concrete, and grouting the granite block pavement with cement in sections of Broadway, Holland street, Elm street, and Medford street. Also new curves and special work have been laid at the junction of Cross street and Medford street, and tracks re-laid on Web- ster avenue and Newton street on account of the grade cross- ing work.
.
Where double car tracks have been laid in streets, leaving narrow roadways on either side, it is impossible to maintain a macadam surface, even at a heavy expense yearly, and these streets should be permanently paved with a suitable pavement, adapted to the character of the surroundings and amount of traffic and conditions encountered.
There are 31.9 miles of electric railroad (single track loca- tion) laid at the present time in the city's streets ; and in water- ing the main thoroughfares, time and expense could be saved by utilizing this trackage for running street-sprinkler cars, the same as operated in a number of cities throughout the state.
Bridges and Grade Crossings. An act of the legislature was approved April 5, 1911, authorizing the city of Somerville and town of Arlington, any time within five years, to lay out, construct, and maintain a public way and bridge over Alewife brook, connecting Woodstock street in Somerville with Hen- derson street in Arlington, subject to the approval of the Met- ropolitan Park Commission, and assess betterments for the 1 same. No appropriation has been made for this work.
The location of this proposed bridge would be on land al- ready taken by the state for the improvement of Alewife brook, and when this work is further developed probably this connec- tion will be satisfactorily planned.
Grade Crossings Account. STATEMENT OF EXPENSES, 1911,
Account overdrawn, 1910 $33,760 16
Extra legal services (City Solicitor) 2,875 26
Paid various parties for appraisal of prop- erty and damages and repairing prop- erty 1,635 85
Paid for damages and land and buildings taken
103,830 19
Photographs
27 00
$142,128 46
326
ANNUAL REPORTS.
CREDIT.
Received from Boston & Albany Railroad Company, decree of court $1,466 93 Received from Commonwealth of Massa-
chusetts, apportionment of damages, decree of court . 32,198 29
Received from Boston Elevated Railway,
decree of court . 16,046 45
Received from Boston & Maine Railroad ·
Company, decree of auditor 53,102 68
$102,814 35
Overdrawn, 1911 . $39,314 11
The work of abolishing grade crossings on the Fitchburg division of the Boston & Maine railroad in Somerville is pro- gressing, the Webster-avenue crossing having been practically completed the past year. This work included the building of a new station for Union square, and a separate bridge was con- structed over the Fitchburg railroad tracks, east of the street, for carrying the state and city water mains.
Probably work will be commenced at the Medford-street and Park-street crossings the coming year.
The construction work for the elimination of these dan- gerous grade crossings will be continued for a number of years as decreed 'by the court, and the total cost of the work, as com- pleted, will be apportioned as follows : The steam railroad com- pany, sixty-five per cent .; the state, twenty-five per cent .; and the city, ten per cent., except at the Webster-avenue crossing, where the steam railroad and city pay the same percentage of cost as at other crossings, the state twelve and one-half per cent., and the street railway company twelve and one-half per cent.
The plans for abolishment of these crossings were de- scribed in previous annual reports, and at two streets the plan adopted is the same as proposed by the city's scheme presented to the commission; at the other three streets the plan adopted is just the reverse of the city's scheme, as presented.
Perambulation of City Boundary Lines. November 23, 1912, representatives appointed from the city of Somerville and city of Boston examined the boundary marks defining the division line between these two cities, and reported their findings in due form to the board of aldermen.
Some of these stone monuments are to be reset, and three, which have been removed, are to be replaced with new stones.
A contemplated change in the boundary line between Som- erville and Medford is under consideration by committees rep- resenting both cities, and probably an exchange of territory can be made that will be equally advantageous.
327
CITY ENGINEER.
SEWERS. Construction Account. STATEMENT OF EXPENSES, 1911.
Constructing "separate system" sewers (as-
sessments levied)
$1,921 30
Constructing "separate system" sewers (no
assessments)
2,102 46
Constructing "combined system" sewers
(assessments levied) .
1,755 09
Constructing "combined system" sewers (no assessments)
255 74
Constructing storm drain across athletic
field to Alewife brook
568 21
Constructing catch basins and manholes,
street drainage .
3,228 86
Constructing cement shed
361 60
Sundry expenses, books and printing
11 00
Materials on hand December 30, 1911
1,409 57
Total expenditure
$11,613 83
Transferred to Public Buildings construc- tion, building public buildings 1,816 45
Transferred to Paved Gutters and Cross- ings . ·
5,000 00
Transferred to Recreation Field, Alewife brook
5,000 00
Total debit .
$23,430 28
CREDIT.
Balance unexpended December 31, 1910
$5,281 94
Appropriation, 1911 .
20,000 00
Assessments levied, sewers constructed,
1911 ·
3,451 14
Amounts received from other departments . 27 43
Materials on hand December 31, 1910 679 53
Total credit
$29,440 04
Balance unexpended . $6,009 76
The greater part of the new construction work has been done by contract, and the remainder by the city employing day labor where old structures were to be remodeled or replaced by some difficult construction work.
All materials have been furnished by the city, and the prices paid for supplies, for the season, have been by contract with the lowest bidder as follows :-
Akron sewer pipe (3 ft. lengths), 81 3-5% discount from list price, on cars Sewer pipe fittings . 83% discount from list price, on cars
Portland cement, per barrel $1.11 on cars (net)
Sand, per cubic yard 0.66 on cars
Sewer bricks, per M.
7.20 at yard
Iron manhole and catch basin
castings, per hundred weight, 1.37 on cars Catch basin traps, each . 1.80 at foundry
.
328
ANNUAL REPORTS.
A number of sewers have been constructed as petitioned for in various sections of the city, or as considered necessary for the improvement of the drainage system, and portions of the cost of construction assessed on the abutting estates under orders adopted by the board of aldermen.
Short lines of storm drains and overflows from congested sewers have been constructed during the year in the most needed districts.
The "separate system" sewers (those built for house drain- age only) have been extended in a number of streets in the older districts, and this system should be extended yearly until all the flooded districts in the city have two complete systems of drainage, the old sewer to be used for storm and surface water. The city pays the entire cost of these new sewer exten- sions for house drainage, and wherever constructed the house plumbing should be changed where necessary, and the house drains and conductor, or surface water drains, re-connected with both systems as soon as possible.
New sewers and drains were constructed during the year varying in size from eight-inch pipe to twelve-inch pipe, and thirty-inch brick in the following localities :- -
1 "Separate system" sewers in :-
Bailey street,-North street to West Adams street.
Clarendon avenue,-extension of 1910 work, north- easterly.
Harold street,-Marion street to Dimick street.
North street,-Conwell avenue to Medford city line.
West Adams street,-Conwell avenue to Medford city line.
West Quincy street,-Bailey street to Medford city line.
"Combined system" sewers in :-
Columbia street,-extension of 1910 work to Webster avenue.
Line street,-extension of 1904 work, southeasterly.
Lowell circle,-Lowell street, northwesterly.
Mt. Vernon avenue,-Mt. Vernon terrace to Main street.
Mt. Vernon terrace,-Mt. Vernon avenue, easterly.
Snow place,-(Belmont square) Belmont street to angle, thence northerly and southerly.
Summer street,-Linden avenue to Porter street. Veazie street,-Marshall street, southeasterly.
Waldo avenue,-Dimick street to Beacon street. Storm drain :-
Across "Somerville Field,"-Powder House boulevard to Alewife brook.
TABULAR STATEMENT OF SEWERS AND STORM DRAINS BUILT IN 1911.
ITEMS OF CONSTRUCTION AND COST.
SEWER.
SUB-DRAIN.
PIPE SEWER, COST PER LINEAL FOOT.
NAME OF STREET.
FROM
To
CONTRACTOR.
MATERIAL EXCAVATED.
Average Cut.
Size in inches.
Length in feet.
Size in inches.
Length in feet.
Cubic yards Rock
Price per cubic
yard, Rock.
Manholes.
Average cost Manholes.
Inlets.
Excavating, Re- filling, and Pipe Laying.
Sub-drain
where laid
Inspection.
Miscellaneous.
Average cost per
Total cost.
Assessment.
Cost to City.
.Bailey street
North street .
Near West Adams st.
Bartholomew Burke
Hardpan and rock
53
8
358.1
6
358.4
98.9
$2.40
1
$38.00
54
$0.20
$0.12
$0.06
$1.53
៛547.65
$547.65
*+Clarendon avenue .
Uncompleted work 1910
Northeasterly
Day labor
Sand and rock
9.0
8
89.0
30.0
1
52
422.22
$423.75
...
+Columbia street
Uncompleted work 1910
Centre of Webster ave.
Day labor
Filling .
9.9
30
73.5
255.74
255.74
*Harold street
Marion street
Near Dimick street
John D. Collins
Filling and clay
7.0
8
279.3
1
47.00
24
0.50
0.21
0.04
$0.01
0.92
258.20
257.63
0.5'
Line street
Sewer built in 1904 .
Southeasterly
Day labor
Clay
9.5
8
210.3
1
34.00
19
4
0.42
0.23
0.07
0.01
0.98
133,84
133.71
0.13
Mount Vernon avenue and
Mount Vernon terrace .
Near Main street .
Bartholomew Burke
Hardpan
9.0
8
72.8
1
39.00
4
0,60
- 0.21
0.03
1.16
282.03
278.53
3.50
Mount Vernon terrace
Mount Vernon avenue
Easterly
Bartholomew Burke
Hardpan
8.4
00
169.5
1
: 39.00
14
0.60
1
0.06
1.46
1,240,88
1,222.60
18.28
Bailey street
Medford line bound 17 .
Bartholomew Burke
Hard pan
8.5
8
363.7
6
361.2
1
41.50
58
0.63
0.20
Across Recreation Field (storm drain)
Powder House boulevard
Alewife Brook
Day labor
Filling .
4.0
475.0
1
1
31.00
10
0.42
0.06
0.01
1.08
248.28
247.53
0.75
Summer street
Linden avenue
Near Porter street
Bartholomew Burke
Hardpan
7.7
8
322.2
0.5
4.00
38.00
26
0.58
0.21
0.04
0.95
307.36
306.34
1.02
Veazie street
Marshall street
Southeasterly
Bartholomew Burke
Filling and hardpan
5.5
8
169.3
1
36.00
10
0.38
0.22
0.02
0.83
140.94
139.85
1.09
Waldo avenue
Dimick street
Near Beacon street
T. F. Crimmings & Son
Hardpan
8.2
8
225.0
.. .
- 1.0
4.00
1
16
₹ 0.63
...
0.22
0.04
0.01
1.07
241.81
241.20
0.61
*West Adams street
Conwell avenue
Near city line (Medford)
Hardpan and rock
5.0
8
₲99.0
6
699.0
76.2
2.50
4
90
: 0.34
0.20
0.17
0.03
1.19
834.82
834.82
*West Quincy street .
Bailey street
Near Medford line
Bartholomew Burke
Hardpan and rock 7.4
8
287.0
6
287.0
188.5
2.40
1
44
0.42
0.20
0.12
0.06
.....
2.51
719.99
719.99
Total length and cost of new sewers and drains built in 1911,
4,644.5 ( 0.880 miles.)
* Separate system sewers. 1 Commenced 1910 ; completed 1911. Total cost of Clarendon avenue sewer $1,338.08
Total length of public sewers in the city, January 1, 1912 Total length of private sewers in the city, January 1, 1912
469,017.7 feet. 34,748.0 feet.
Total length of sewers in the city, January 1, 1912 Total length of storm drains in the city, January 1, 1912
503,765.7 feet, = 95.410 miles.
35,638,3 feet, =
6.750 miles.
Total length of the city drainage system, January 1, 1912 .
102. 160 miles.
Total length of Met. sewerage system mains running through the city
3.368 miles,
.
Northwesterly
Bartholomew Burke
Hardpan
5.5
8
136.0
1
34.00
*North street
Conwell avenue
Bailey street .
Bartholomew Burke
Hardpan
9.0
10
484.8
8
485.0
14.1
2.40
2
41.60
74
0.65
0.20
0.3
1.20
568.21
568.21
Snow Place (Belmont Square)
Belmont street
Angle, thence N'ly & S'ly
Bartholomew Burke
Hardpan and rock
6.2
230.0
20.7
2.60
1
36.00
32.00
.....
$6,602.80
$3,451.14
$3,151.66
...
400.83
200.00
200.83
Lowell circle
Lowell street
Main
Sewer.
Sub-
drain
Price, including
(26.853 miles separate system sewers.)
LOCATION.
Excavation.
lineal foot.
T. F. Crimmings & Son
38.00
$0.38
0.22
1.91
10
.
-
.
1
- S
.
.
T
2
٠
329
CITY ENGINEER.
Summary of Work. Sixteen new sewers and drains have been constructed during the year, a total length of 4,644.5 linear feet (0.880 mile), at a cost of $6,602.80; plans have been made showing these sewers in detail, and assessments levied on a portion of them, amounting to $3,451.14. (See tabular state- ment of sewers and drains for 1911, showing itemized statement of work and cost.)
The total length of the city's drainage system is 102.16 miles, 26.853 miles being on the "separate system" and 6.75 miles of storm drains, and the entire cost of construction has amounted to about $1,257,866, exclusive of the amount paid to the state for assessments for the construction of the North Metropolitan sewerage system.
Forty-seven new catch basins have been constructed in the highways during the year, at an average cost of $61.25 per basin, and six removed, making a total of 1,638 basins in the city for street drainage purposes, constructed and maintained as follows :---
By the city (sewer division) :-
Located in streets and subways
Located in city boulevard .
Located in parks (12), other city lots (12)
1,585 basins 29 24
Total catch basins constructed and maintained by city
. 1,638
By Boston & Maine Railroad Company on railroad locations
31 basins 52 66
By state, located in boulevards
83
Total catch basins in the city for storm drainage purposes . 1,721
Metropolitan Sewer Connections. All of the city's ten con- nections with the North Metropolitan sewerage system are in . good condition. No new main connections have been required.
At the Somerville-avenue-Poplar-street connection with the Metropolitan sewer, records compiled from an automatic recording clock placed in the "regulator chamber" on the com- bined system show this outlet to have been cut off as follows :-
Year 1911, completely closed 512 hours, partly closed 125 hours.
In previous years the following :-
Year 1910, completely closed 382 hours, partly closed 190 hours.
1909,
66
459
66
66
683
605 66
1907,
66
200
66
66
66
331 66
66
1905, 1904,
66
297
279
66
66
66
66
1903,
66
66
180
66
376
66
1901,
66
66
66
1900,
66
66
66 386 353
66
66
66
548 922 167 377 225 114
66
66
66
66
66
534
66
1906,
66
66
66
469
66
1908,
1902,
66
66
289
330
ANNUAL REPORTS.
The city's assessment for the Metropolitan sewer system for the past year was $42,090.54 on construction account and $22,160.32 for maintenance, and the total amount paid the com- monwealth of Massachusetts for this state sewer has been $821,791.70 (1892-1911, both years inclusive). The total length of the Metropolitan sewerage system mains running through the city amounts to 3.368 miles.
New Work. The separate system sewers should be ex- tended in the old sections of the city each year, as the appro- priation will allow. The construction of the storm drainage system commenced in the year 1905 should be continued in the vicinity of North Somerville, where buildings and new streets are being rapidly constructed, the outlet for this district being through the city of Medford into Mystic river ; and in connec- tion therewith, the boundary line between Somerville and Med- ford should be changed in the vicinity of Pearson road and Boston avenue, so that this outlet, Two Penny brook, can be improved by Somerville and the covered channel extended to the Boston & Maine railroad, to conform with the work already done within the present city limits.
A large storm overflow drain has been contemplated for some time at the East Cambridge line, across private lands from Somerville avenue, discharging into the head of Miller's river ; and this matter of improving the city's drainage system should be carried out without further delay.
Some agreement should be made whereby a storm drain and sewer may be constructed in the railroad valley along the location of the Southern division of the Boston & Maine rail- road, between Gilman square and Cedar street, this being the natural outlet for a number of the city's streets and house lots which at the present time have either very poor or no means of drainage.
There are about six and one-half miles of old private sewers connected with the sewerage system that should be re- leased to the city, so that they can be thoroughly repaired or re-constructed and put in a good sanitary condition, and be -maintained in the future by the city.
Maintenance Account. STATEMENT OF EXPENSES, 1911.
Maintenance of sewers, including cleaning and flushing (102.16 miles) $3,565 03
Maintenance of catch basins, cleaning and flushing (1,638) . 7,382 52
Changing line and grade and repairing catch basins 480 21
Changing line and grade and repairing man- holes . 323 28
Amount carried forward
$11,751 04
331
CITY ENGINEER.
Amount brought forward .
$11,751 04
Repairing old sewers 400 26
Inspection and location of house drains 61 72
New tools and supplies .
400 78
Repairs of tools and property
114 32
Sundry expenses, car fares, telephone,
books, etc. . ·
131 60
Maintenance of sewer department yards and buildings
560 50
Work and materials furnished other depart- ments and companies 347 29
Total debit .
$13,767 51
Appropriation
CREDIT. ·
$13,000 00
Amounts received from other departments and companies,-labor materials fur- nished .
347 29
iron, old hose, etc. .
420 67
Total credit
$13,767 96
Balance unexpended . $ 45
Value of tools and property on hand used in maintenance of sewers $705 00
A permanent force of men and teams are kept continually at work flushing, cleaning, and repairing the city's drainage system, catch basins, etc., the expense necessarily increasing yearly as lengths of sewers, drains, and catch basins are added to the system.
About 6,185 cubic yards of deposit have been removed from the catch basins and sewers during the year, at an average cost of $1.19 per cubic yard, and the average cost per mile for cleaning and flushing the drainage system, including catch basins, has amounted to $107.16.
Seventy-nine catch basins and fifty-eight manholes have been repaired and grade or line changed.
A number of repairs have been made on some of the old sewers, alterations made in the outlets, and overflows and extra manholes built for the purpose of improving the system.
Three hundred and forty-five permits have been issued to licensed drain layers for connecting buildings with the main sewers, fifty-four being for repairs or alterations; all of the work being done under the supervision of the city's inspector.
At the present time there are ten persons licensed as drain layers by the city and under bonds, for the purpose of laying these private drains.
There are to date about 14,643 private drain connections with the city's drainage system.
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.