Report of the city of Somerville 1911, Part 28

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Somerville, Mass.
Number of Pages: 546


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1911 > Part 28


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).


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Southwesterly .


Private.


25


1,090


Pembroke ct.


Franklin st.


Charlestown line .


Public.


40


Peterson ter.


Cutter st. .


Southeasterly


Private.


8


LENGTH.


Park ave.


College ave.


Wallace st.


150


..


Professors row


College ave.


110


Richdale ave.


Private.


65


Washington st.


220


349


CITY ENGINEER.


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


STREET.


FROM


To


Public o Private.


Width in Feet.


Public.


Private.


Robinson


Central st.


Bartlett st.


Public


40


582


....


Rogers ave.


Morrison ave.


Boston ave.


Public.


45


1,682


Roland st.


Waverly st.


Boston line


Private.


40


100


Roseland


Beacon st.


Cambridge line


Public.


40


121


Rossmore


Somerville ave.


Washington st.


Public.


40


534


175


Rush .


Broadway .


Flint st.


Public.


40


1,400


Russell road


Broadway .


North st.


Private.


40


1,193


Russell .


Elm st.


Cambridge line


Public.


40


700


. .


Sacramento


Somerville ave.


.Fitchburg R. R.


Public.


40


80


....


Sacramento


Fitchburg R. R.


Beacon st.


Public.


40


290


Sacramento


Beacon st. .


Cambridge line


Private.


40


Sanborn ave.


Warren ave. .


Walnut st.


Public.


40


280


176


Sargent ave.


Broadway .


Walnut st.


Public.


40


1,075


....


Sartwell ave.


Cedar st.


Cherry st.


Private.


35


..


690


School


Somerville ave.


Highland ave.


Public.


40


1,901


School


Highland ave.


Broadway


Public.


50


2,500


. .


Sellon pl.


Marshall st.


Northwesterly


Private.


12


120


Seven Pines ave


Cameron ave.


Cambridge line


Public.


40


92


. .


Sewall ct.


Sewall st. .


Southwesterly .


Private.


25


. .


190


Sewall


Grant st.


Temple st.


Public.


40


615


. .


Shawmut pl.


Shawmut st.


Alston st.


Public.


30


190


....


Shawmut


Washington st. .


Cross st.


Public.


40


575


310


Sherman ct.


Sargent ave. .


Marshall st.


Private.


10


. ...


250


Sibley ct.


Cutter st.


Northwesterly


Private.


10


. ..


100


Sibley pl.


Cutter st.


Northwesterly


Private.


10


..


100


Simpson ave


Broadway .


Holland st. .


Private.


40


306


Skehan


Hanson


Durham


Private.


30


....


414


Skilton ave.


Pearl st.


Pearl st.


Private.


40


....


540


Smith ave ..


Beacon st.


Line st.


Private.


25+-


....


120


Somerville ave.


E. Camb. line


Union sq.


Public.


75


4,325


...


Somerville ave.


Union sq.


N. Camb. line .


Public.


70


6,793


..


South


Medford st.


Water st.


Public.


30


989


....


Spring


Somerville ave.


Summer st.


Public.


40


1,220


. .


Springfield


Concord ave.


Cambridge line


Public.


40


788


670


Stanford ter. .


Beacon st.


Northeasterly


Private.


20


. .


200


Stickney ave. .


Marshall st. .


School st.


Public.


40


458


St. James ave.


Elm st.


Summer st.


Public.


40


488


. .


..


Stone ave.


Union sq. .


Columbus ave. .


Public.


40


676


....


Stone ave.


Columbus ave.


Prospect Hill p'k'y


Public.


38


107


Stone pl.


Stone ave.


Southeasterly


Private.


30


145


Summer


Bow st.


Elm st.


Public.


45


7,900


Summit ave.


Walnut st.


Vinal ave.


Public.


45


532


....


Summit .


College ave.


Billingham st.


Public.


40


262


Sumner


Hinckley st.


Northwesterly .


Private.


20


....


250


Sunset rd.


Curtis st.


Proposed st.


Private.


40


..


Sycamore


Broadway


Medford st.


Public.


45


1,275


...


Sycamore


Medford st.


B. & L. R. R.


Public.


40


667


. . ..


Sycamore


B. & L. R. R.


Highland ave. .


Public.


35


722


.. . .


Sydney


Grant st. .


Temple st.


Public.


40


679


....


Talbot ave.


Packard ave.


College ave. .


Private.


50


. .


1,409


*Tannery (Ext'n)


Cambridge line .


Woodstock st (Ext'n)


Private.


40


. . .


160


Taunton.


Wyatt st.


Easterly to angle .


Private.


30


....


170


Taunton


Angle


Marion st.


Private.


20


....


95


Taylor pl.


Somerville ave.


Southerly


Private.


15


....


200


.


Hancock st.


Public.


40


727


....


Spring ct.


Somerville ave.


Westerly .


Private.


20


200


Spring Hill ter.


Highland ave.


Belmont st.


Private.


20


St. James ave. ext.


Summer st.


Northeasterly


Private.


30


125


Sunnyside ave.


Walnut st.


Wigglesworth st.


Private.


35


. .


658


Shedd


Somerville ave.


Merriam ave.


Private.


40


..


825


Skehan


Dane st.


Hanson st.


Public.


30


Snow ter.


Jaques st.


Southwesterly


Private.


16


200


Sanborn ct.


Washington st.


Nortliwesterly


Private.


30


Sawyer ave.


Packard ave.


Curtis st.


Private.


40


. .


. .


Royce pl.


Bonair st.


Northeasterly


Private.


15+-


....


156


400


Spencer ave.


Cedar st.


175


*Proposed.


LENGTH.


350


ANNUAL REPORTS.


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


STREET.


FROM


To


Public or Private.


Width in Feet.


Public.


Private.


Taylor


Mystic ave.


Sydney st.


Private.


40


....


Teele ave.


Packard ave.


Curtis st.


Private.


40


685


Temple .


Broadway


Mystic ave.


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.


Kingston st.


Public.


40


115


....


Thorpe


Highland ave.


Southwesterly


Public.


30


468


....


Thurston


Broadway


Richdale ave.


Public.


40


1,660


97


Tower ct.


Tyler st.


Northeasterly


Private.


25


150


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


'Trull lane


Highland ave.


Oxford st.


Private.


15


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


....


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


Public.


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.


Northeasterly


Private.


20


....


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


.. ..


Walker st.


Broadway .


Leonard st.


Private.


40


1,342


. . ..


Walnut .


Bow st.


Broadway


Public.


40


3,948


....


Walnut road


Walnut st.


Kenneson road


Private.


40


..


222


Walter pl.


Walter st.


Southwesterly


Private.


40


....


Walter


Walnut st.


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


Cedar st.


Warwick pl.


Public.


40


665


...


Washington ave.


Washington st.


Northerly


Private.


18 about 7.5


....


350


Washington pl. .


Washington st. .


Southerly


Private.


Public.


75


1,060


. .


..


Washington


Franklin ave.


Fitchburg R. R.


Public. Public.


60


2,344


. . . .


Waterhouse


Broadway


Cambridge line


Private.


40


....


986


Watson .


Broadway


Fairmount ave.


Private.


40


....


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


Private.


40


....


85


.


Northwesterly .


Private.


25


....


200


Village


Dane st.


Vine st.


Private.


25


..


...


Waverly


Washington st.


Roland st.


Private.


35


3,977


. . . .


Washington


Fitchburg R. R. South st.


Cambridge line


Northerly


Private.


25


250


Water


Warwick st.


Northeasterly


Private.


15


..


114


Washington


Charlest'n line .


Franklin ave.


Public.


40


..


713


Wallace .


Holland st.


Broadway


Private.


3.5


..


....


Tremont pl.


Tremont st.


Southeasterly


Private.


about 10


....


200


Timmins pl.


Dane st.


Westerly .


..


..


200


Vine ct.


Vine st.


.


§ about 100 ft. N.


270


Warwick place


150


60 to 100


236


LENGTH.


310


351


CITY ENGINEER.


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


STREET.


FROM.


To


Public or Private.


Widtlı in Feet.


Public.


Private.


Wesley pk.


Wesley sq.


Northeasterly .


Public.


40


405


. .


Wesley .


Pearl st.


Otis st.


Public.


40


515


....


West .


Hawthorne st.


Highland ave.


Public.


30


192


266


West Adams


Conwell ave.


Medford line


Private.


40


....


710


Westminster


Broadway


Electric ave.


Public.


40


376


.. ..


Weston ave.


Clarendon ave.


Broadway


Private.


40


....


291


Westwood road


Central st.


Benton road


Public.


40


489


..


..


Wheatland .


Broadway .


Mystic ave. .


Public.


40


1,364


....


Wheeler


Pinckney st.


Mt. Vernon st.


Public.


40


269


..


Whipple


Highland ave.


Arlington Br. R. R.


Private.


30


307


White St. pl.


White st.


Southeasterly


Private.


20


..


200


Whitfield road.


Packard ave.


Curtis st.


Private.


40


. .


..


632


Wigglesworth


Bonair st. .


Pearl st. .


Public.


40


744


William .


Chandler st.


College ave.


Public-


40


381


45


Williams ct.


Porter st. .


Northwesterly


Private.


30


..


. .


150


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


150


Wilson ave.


Broadway .


B. & L. R. R.


Private.


20


310


Wilton


Lowell st. .


Hinckley st.


Public.


35


470


65


Windom


Elm st.


Summer st.


Public.


40


300


..


Windsor road .


Willow ave.


Hancock st.


Public.


40


575


..


Windsor st.(Extn.)


Windsor st., Camb.


Fitchburg R. R.


Private.


20


530


Winslow ave. .


College ave.


Clifton st.


Public.


40


1,123


..


Winter


College ave.


Holland st.


Public.


30


402


177


(Extension.)


Mystic ave.


Middlesex ave.


Private.


40


583


Woodbine .


Centre st.


Lowell st.


Private.


30


. .


600


Woodstock .


Victoria st.


Alewife brook .


Private.


40


. .


..


415


(Extension.)


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-}


Public.


40


294


. .


..


*Proposed.


+Sidewalk in Somerville.


Court


11 Albion st.


.


Northeasterly


Private. Private.


10


....


100


Court


292 Broadway


Southwesterly


Private.


15


..


96


Court


612 Broadway


South westerly


Private.


20


188


Court


113 Central st.


Southeasterly


Private.


20


..


..


117


Court


Conlon ct.


Windsor st. (Extn.)


Private.


20


..


126


Court


58 Dane st. .


Easterly


Private.


10


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


10 Stone ave.


Northwesterly


Private.


20


....


113


Court


Windsor st. (Extn.)


East'ly and West'ly


Private.


20


....


370


Total


404,794


105,873


.


.


Court


227 Columbia st.


Northwesterly .


Private.


10


240


Court


36 Craigie st.


Westerly


Private.


25


..


. .


..


.


.


Private.


40


. .


100


..


..


..


. .


*Woods ave.


North st. .


Powder House Blvd.


Private.


40


. .


..


1,350


*Woodstock


Broadway .


Medford line


Private.


50


....


318


+ White .


Elm st.


Cambridge line


Public.


684


Whitman st.


Mason st. .


Packard ave.


Private.


40


525


West Quincy


Bailey st. .


Medford line


Private.


40


West .


Highland ave.


Arlington Br.R.R.


Private.


30


....


Winchester


Broadway .


Medford line


Private.


40


Winter Hill cir.


Broadway .


Northeasterly


Private.


25


Winthrop ave.


N. E. line 1


vern ave.


Yorktown


Malvern ave.


Northerly


Court


21 Albion st.


Northeasterly


9


170


Public, 76.665 miles ( includes 3.294 miles boulevards and 1.16 miles State Highway); private, 20.051 miles.


Total length of streets in the city, 96.716 miles.


150


William .


LENGTH.


REPORT OF THE STREET COMMISSIONER.


OFFICE OF THE STREET COMMISSIONER, 2 CITY HALL, SOMERVILLE, January 1, 1912. S To His Honor, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen :-


Gentlemen,-I most respectfully submit the thirty-sixth annual report, containing a brief summary of the principal work performed by the highway department during the year 1911, with recommendations for necessary improvements and addi- tions for the coming year.


The Highways Maintenance appropriation for this depart- ment is received from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being the amount of the street railway tax and the Boston Elevated Railway tax.


The department is working under an eight-hour-a-day basis, and the two-dollar-a-day men's pay has been increased to $2.15, also the teamsters' pay to $2.25, thus increasing the expenditures many thousands of dollars.


This department has charge of the construction, alteration, repair, maintenance, and management of ways, streets, side- walks, and bridges; also the setting out and care of shade trees, the suppression of gypsy and brown-tail moths, elm-leaf beetles, and the supervision of street watering and oiling.


Paving.


There is a great problem before the highway department in the construction and care of the highways.


Residents and owners of automobiles are in favor of any kind of a street paying and oil for laying the dust, while owners of horses complain that this kind of construction is very slip- pery and dangerous to drive upon. I think, however, as the horses become more familiar with this kind of paving the diffi- culty will be overcome.


In some of the Western cities nearly all of the streets are paved with a sheet paving. This paving is more sanitary and very easy to keep clean, and could be flushed with a flushing machine nightly.


It is out of the question that highways can be constructed as they were years ago and stand the automobile travel. Many of the large concerns and corporations are being equipped with auto trucks, which means that the city must construct the highways to stand the wear of this modern transportation.


The department has followed out the usual custom of con- structing one or more thoroughfares each year.


Portions of Elm, Holland, Beacon streets, Mystic ave- nue, and Broadway, with Teele square and Ball square, were


353


STREET COMMISSIONER.


constructed with permanent paving. (See table in back of re- port for kind and cost of paving.)


Walnut street, the connecting link between the Fells and the Fens, and used almost exclusively by automobilists, has been resurfaced with a "Tarvia" and "A" binder.


The average cost of macadam and tarvia was $.95 per square yard.


In the construction of Broadway and Beacon street, where we found a clay bottom, which was removed and coarse ashes substituted, the average cost of macadam and tarvia was $1.35 per square yard.


Holland Street Ledge.


Quarrying has been carried on at this ledge summer and winter.


A large amount of good stone still remains, which can be used for sidewalks and repairs of side streets.


The steam drill has worked 258 days.


Stone Crusher.


The crushing plant has worked 2742 days during the year. A contract was made with Coleman Brothers for hard stone delivered on the line of work for $1.45 per ton south of High- land avenue, and $1.40 per ton north of Highland avenue, and also with the Winchester Stone Company for $1.25 and $1.15 per ton, F. O. B., Somerville or Cambridge stations.


There were 8,640 tons of stone crushed and 2,788.91 tons purchased during the year.


Street Cleaning.


A special effort has been made this year to keep the streets clean, and the department asks the co-operation of the resi- dents and storekeepers to help by not throwing or sweeping rubbish into the streets.


All the streets, both public and private, were cleaned in the spring and fall, and paved streets were swept as often as considered necessary.


Push cart men are kept in all the squares to care for same. and on some of the main streets. A single team with an extra man was assigned to a certain district this year to keep the same clean. Such good results were obtained that I intend to assign a team to each ward in the city, thereby covering the entire city once or twice a week.


The board of health resumed the old custom whereby the tenants instead of the city employees set out the ash and rub- bish barrels, and as a result the streets are littered with papers and rubbish, which gives a bad appearance. I hope money can be found whereby the employees may do this work.


354


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Bridges.


The bridges in the city are in good condition. Many of the railroad bridges have been replanked this year. If any de- fects are found in these bridges the railroad company is promptly notified, and the defect is repaired.


The abolition of the grade crossing on Webster avenue at the Boston & Maine Railroad is nearly completed, and the new bridge has been opened to the public. This will do away with a very dangerous crossing, which was a great inconven- ience to the general public and the cause of the loss of many lives. Wash borings have been made on Medford street in conjunction with the abolition of this dangerous crossing.


Shade Trees.


The city has lost many trees by gas leaks, electric wires, and insects, and I recommend that the city purchase and set . out trees to replace them.


The trees purchased by the abutters were set out by the department, each supported by a pole and protected by a wire guard.


One hundred and twenty-five dead and dangerous trees were removed during the year, and 112 trees set out. Two hundred and fifty-four trees were trimmed by request.


Elm=Leaf Beetles.


A gasoline spraying machine was purchased this year, and all the street trees were sprayed not only for the elm-leaf beetle, but for all the pests. The coming year will show good results and money well spent. The number of trees sprayed was 8,093.


Leopard Moth.


I think this insect the worst pest the department has ever had to exterminate. It bores into the branches and feeds on the living wood, thus making it difficult to discover them. Many branches and even whole trees broken off showed upon investigation to be the work of this moth.


I recommend an appropriation for this work.


Gypsy and Brown=Tail Moths.


The new spraying machine has also done good work in the extermination of this pest. I have investigated the street trees, and found very few nests this winter. The nests of the gypsy moths are painted with creosote, and the nests of the brown- tail moths 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 entire year.


355


STREET COMMISSIONER.


This work is inspected by an inspector sent by the state forester, Frank William Rane.


Where nests are found on private property the owner is charged at the rate of twenty-seven 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.


The number of trees inspected and cared for during the year is 4,446.


Subways.


Kent, Sacramento, and Thorndike street subways require constant attention.


With the abolition of the grade crossings I hope these sub- ways can be abandoned.


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.


The department has used a large amount of all kinds of oil to keep the dust down, and it has given good results. There is no doubt as to the efficiency of tar or oil on roads. I have received fewer complaints from residents this year in regard to the dust, which is a good proof that the oil and tar are satis- factory. The tar or oil coats the road with a wearing surface, thereby saving the expense of resurfacing many of our old streets.


A new automatic pressure oiler was tried late this fall with good results, and I think next year the entire city can be covered with these oilers.


By the use of oil the street watering force was reduced from thirty-eight carts to eighteen carts and a great many thousand gallons of water saved, also the repainting of these carts.


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 197 days, the twelve-ton roller 199 days, and the five-ton roller six days.


The twelve-ton roller has been in the department a num- ber of years, and is liable to give out at any time.


I recommend the purchase of a new fifteen-ton roller.


Sidewalks.


In the construction of sidewalks, which includes edge- stones, brick, and granolithic, this has been the banner year,


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ANNUAL REPORTS.


Never in the history of the city has such a large appropriation ($22,195.08) been made for this kind of work. With so large a sum the public works committee was able to recommend to the city government the construction of many sidewalks which had been petitioned for and on file for a number of years. The department did all the construction, thus giving employment to Somerville citizens, and the work was completed at the esti- mated cost. If the department could have this same appro- priation for 1912, it could complete many of the sidewalks al- ready started on the main thoroughfares, as was done on High- land avenue.


The average cost of gravel sidewalks with edgestones was $1.06 per linear foot; brick sidewalks, $1.30 per square yard; granolithic, $1.54 per square yard. The abutters are assessed half of the cost. The cost of brick and granolithic sidewalks includes the resetting of edgestones. The cost of paving gutters was $2.29 per square yard.


Snow and Ice.


It is the duty of this department to remove the snow and ice from all sidewalks in front of public buildings and public grounds, and sand the same when they become slippery, for which the department receives no compensation. On all of the gravel sidewalks of the city plows are used to clear the snow, but in case they become slippery the tenants must care for the same.


As soon as the bridges, which are made necessary by the abolition of the grade crossings, are completed the city must care for the snow and ice upon the same. Two of the bridges are completed, which adds extra expense to this branch of the work.


In a snow storm men are assigned to care for all the cross- ings on the main streets, and to sand the same if they become slippery. Sand boxes are within easy access for the push-cart men who care for the subways, bridges, and squares.


Underground Wires.


Permits for opening the streets for the purpose of con- structing conduits and burying wires were issued to the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company on the southerly side of Elm street, from Chester street to Oak square, and for enlargement of conduits on Pearl street, from Bradley street to Marshall street. Permits were also issued to this company and to the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston to connect their underground systems on the main streets with their overhead wires on intersecting streets.


Accepted Streets.


There were eight streets accepted under the Betterment Act during the year, comprising a total length of 4,152 feet.


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STREET COMMISSIONER.


There were six streets constructed with macadam and tarvia under the Betterment Act, comprising a total length of 2,179 feet, at an average approximate cost of $0.95 per square yard. In all the streets constructed during the past ten years edgestones were set and gutters paved with granite paving blocks before the construction work was begun.


There were seven streets or portions of streets macadam- ized or resurfaced at a cost of $8,293.13.


There are 76.665 miles of public streets and 19.916 miles of private streets in the city, making a total length of 96.581 miles.


Sidewalks Maintenance.


Under this appropriation the money is expended for caring for defects in the sidewalks which are reported by the police de- partment. These are always attended to immediately. Also, the repairing of brick and granolithic sidewalks and resetting edgestones comes under this appropriation.


A large amount of this kind of work was done this year, and as there are many petitions on file I hope to have a large appropriation to continue this kind of improvement. Eight thousand one hundred and forty-one feet of edgestones were reset, and 1,692 square yards of brick sidewalks relaid.


Street Railways.


The Boston Elevated Railway Company relaid and in some instances laid new rails on a concrete base, grouting the paving with Portland cement where the city constructed perma- nent paving with vitrified paving brick, and spread the tracks so that there is a space of five feet between them.


On Medford street, from Somerville avenue to Washing- ton street, the outward track was moved three inches, and from Washington street to Cross street the space was made five feet; also on Holland street, between Thorndike street and Moore street, the inward track was moved three inches.


This work was petitioned for by the company so to make more space between their tracks in order to give more clear- ance between the large vestibule cars and in conjunction with the opening of the new Cambridge subway.


Emergency Calls.


The emergency call for this department is 8-8 on the fire alarm system, and is used to call the employees to the stable when needed for a big fire or storm or in case of an accident where teams and men could be used to good advantage. £


The emergency wagon is equipped with ropes, lanterns, jacks, and all kinds of tools, a quick-hitch harness, and is always ready in case of an accident to the department teams, or reports from the police or residents.




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