Report of the city of Somerville 1913, Part 24

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Somerville, Mass.
Number of Pages: 540


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1913 > Part 24


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Sidewalks,-comprising profiles, lines, grades, measure- ments, titles, costs, and assessments ·


830 40


Bridges and Grade Crossings,-comprising surveys,


plans, profiles, estimates, lines and grades, etc. 171 20


Water Works,-comprising lines, grades, locations of mains, gates, hydrants and services, and other mat- ters relating to the department . 530 50


Public Grounds and Parks,-comprising surveys, plans, estimates, profiles and grades, including laying out of parks and playgrounds and boulevards . 430 30


Public Buildings,-comprising surveys, estimates, lines and grades, and other work relating to construc- tion and laying out of grounds . 95 10


Street Numbering,-comprising locations of buildings, plans, and affixing street numbers on houses . 153 40


Street Lines and Grades .- comprising establishing lines, grades, and miscellaneous data given parties for building and grading 270 50


City Survey,-comprising establishing of street lines, .


acceptance plans, and miscellaneous survey work for city map, etc. . ·


730 30


Middlesex Registry,-comprising copying of plans, and abstracts from deeds and examination of titles filed at East Cambridge, also tracings of street acceptance and sewer taking plans filed for record, 190 20 Private Corporations, Railway, Telephone, Electric Light and Gas Light Companies,-comprising grades, plans, profiles, and office notes, locations of poles and conduits 135 10


Stone Bounds,-locating and setting


71 40


Office Work, -comprising records of all locations, in- dexing, typewriting, bookkeeping, calculations, re- ports, and general draughting. 810 50


Miscellaneous Work,-comprising preliminary surveys,


designs, sketches, etc., relating to various schemes for different committees 140 20


Vacations, Holidays, and Sickness


508 84


Total


$7,296 34


Office Records and Value of Instruments.


Number of survey note-books, sewer permit books, deed books, calculation books and record books,-three hundred and forty.


Number of plans, including sewers, highways, parks, house lots, etc.,-seven thousand and fifty.


Value of field instruments, tools, and office instruments, $2,500 00


The number of assistants employed during the year on engineering work varied from seven to ten.


The total cost of maintaining the Engineering department


332


ANNUAL REPORTS.


(City Engineer account) since it was established (1872-1913, both years inclusive) has amounted to $319,791.00.


General Work. Under the title of Engineering Depart- inent a varied line of city work is carried on each year, includ- ing the designing and superintending of the construction and maintenance of sewers, parks, playgrounds, boulevards, bridges, and other public works as may be authorized; the making of such surveys, plans, profiles, estimates, descriptions of property, specifications and contracts for work as the mayor, board of aldermen, or any committee or department may require; the custody of all plans and data relating to the laying out, widen- ing or discontinuing of streets, the computing of all sewers, sidewalk and street betterment assessments, and the recording and indexing of all work under the control of the city engineer.


The city ordinances require that the city engineer must be consulted on all work where the advice of a civil engineer would be of service ; and no structure of any kind can be placed upon, beneath, or above any street by any department of the city, corporation, or individual, until a plan is furnished showing the location and approved by him.


During the year the department made plans and established grades for the acceptance, under the betterment act, of twenty- two new public streets, a total length of 8,785 feet (1 2-3 miles).


Plans have been made of private streets for acceptance as public streets during the year, as ordered, but not as yet made public, and there are plans for acceptance of eleven other pri- vate streets, previously made, on file in the office that for vari- ous reasons are still unaccepted as public ways.


Stone bounds have been reset in Portland cement con- crete at a number of street intersections and angles to define and preserve the true lines of public streets, and this work should be continued as much as possible each year. These bounds are also of great convenience in establishing perma- nent "Bench Marks" throughout the city for giving grades.


On account of the appropriation but four new bounds were set in 1913, three on Wesley Park, westerly side, at end of street ; one on easterly side of Springfield street at Somerville- Cambridge boundary line.


In the report of 1907 a table was compiled from old reports, maps, and office notes, showing the location of stone bounds, as set, for defining street lines and angles ; the year when set, and whether existing or removed at the present time, from 1860 to 1907, inclusive, and in the following reports a list of bounds set during each year. There are at the present time 576 stone bounds set in the city for defining street lines.


The total length of public streets in the city is 79.662 miles, and private streets 19.40 miles, (See table in this report for location, width, length, etc.)


333


CITY ENGINEER.


Streets Accepted as Public Highways in 1913, under the Betterment Act.


NAME OF STREET.


WARD.


FROM


To


Width in Feet.


Length in Feet.


Date of Acceptance.


Aberdeen rd. .


6


Highland ave. .


Cedar st. .


40


449


Dec. 31


Belknap st.


7


Broadway .


.


·


Hamilton rd.


40


449


Dec. 31


Belmont pl.


6


Belmont st.


.


( N'ly to angle


20


451


Dec. 31


Clark st.


2


Newton st.


Lincoln Parkway


35


552


Dec. 31


Clyde st.


5


Cedar st.


E. of Murdock st.


30


664


Dec. 31


Crescent st.


1


Pearl st.


Hadley st.


30


174


Sept 20


Derby st.


4


Wheatland st.


Grant st. .


40


200


Dec. 31


Flint ave.


4


Flint st.


Northerly .


40


202


Dec. 31


Garfield ave.


4


Broadway


Blakeley ave.


40


447


Dec. 31


Greene st.


3


End of accept. st.


Easterly


40


1


Sept. 20


Harold st. .


2


Dimick st.


Marion st.


40


316


Dec. 31


Main st.


5


1 widened


Medford line s'ely


Sept. 20


Meacham st.


5


Mt. Vernon ave.


Medford line


40


777


Dec. 31


Pearl st. pl.


4


Pearl st.


Northerly .


20


166


Dec. 31


Pearson rd.


Warner st.


Dearborn rd.


40


1,089


Dec. 31


Sartwell ave.


6


Cedar st.


Cherry st.


35


427


Dec. 31


Taylor st.


4


Sydney st.


Mystic ave.


40


309


Dec. 31


Teele ave.


7


Packard ave.


Curtis st.


40


685


Dec. 31


Vine st. .


2


Somerville ave. .


Fitchburg R. R.


40


540


Dec. 31


Wilson ave.


6


Broadway .


So. div.


20


307


Dec. 31


Woodstock st.


7


Victoria st.


Alewife Brook .


40 to 32


403


June 13


Total


(1.664 miles)


8,785


Length of Public Streets in Each Ward.


Miles.


Ward one


·


.


WVard two


8.936


Ward three


7.560


Ward four


9.797


Ward five


12.100


Ward six


13.150


Ward seven


18.374


Total length of public streets in the city .


79.662


A number of street names have been changed and plans made showing a re-numbering of the buildings, and all old numbering plans revised, new houses plotted, and numbers assigned.


Some of the old main thoroughfares should be re-numbered throughout their entire length, so as to eliminate half numbers and letters now being used, as many of these old streets have outgrown their original numbering.


There are many streets, avenues, courts and places in the city of the same or very similar name, which should be changed to prevent the confusion and inconvenience now existing.


Water street, between South street and the freight yard on the Fitchburg division of the Boston and Maine railroad, a


Easterly


'25


177


Dec. 31


Chester ave.


4


Cross st. .


inst. .


j S'wly sidewalk


( B. & M. R. R.,


9.745


334


ANNUAL REPORTS.


length of 372 feet, has been paved with granite blocks, averag- ing four and one-half inches in depth, grouted with pebbles and cement, laid with a sand and cement cushion one inch in thick- ness, on a Portland cement concrete base five inches in thickness.


This pavement was laid by contract at the following cost :-


James H. Fannon, Somerville, contractor :-


Laying 849 square yards granite block paving, concrete base $2,462 10


Extra work, relaying freight track . 80 68


Total cost of work . $2,542 78 Average cost, $2.90 per square yard for cement-grouted granite block pavement laid on concrete base, including all incidental work.


The easterly side of Elm street between Oak square and Cutter square (excepting the area used by the street railway), a length of 3,540 feet, has been constructed with a Portland cement concrete base, five inches in thickness, and a bituminous wearing surface two and one-half inches in thickness ; the exca- vation, concrete base and granite block brow-stone being done by contract, and the wearing surface by the city's highway de- partment.


The street railway tracks were relaid by the company at their expense, the old granite block pavement between the tracks being grouted with Portland cement.


This work completed cost as follows :-


James H. Fannon, Somerville, contractor :-


Excavation and laying 4,890 square yards concrete base $4,397 83


Laying 3,540 linear feet granite block brow-stone


592 97


Extra work, resetting curbstone, etc. ·


116 24


Cost of work done by contract


$5,107 04


City, Highway Department (day labor) :-


Constructing 4,900 square yards bitu- minous wearing surface :-


Labor, teaming, rolling 990 58


Stone used (trap rock)


1,286 57


"Tarvia" used . .


.


972 57


$3,249 72


Total cost of work


$8,356 76


Average cost, $1.70 per square yard for street construction with bituminous wearing surface laid on a concrete base (where car tracks exist).


Tufts street between Washington street and Cross street, a length of 980 feet, has been constructed with a bituminous wearing surface one-half inch in thickness on a Portland cement concrete base five inches in thickness, at the following cost :-


335


CITY ENGINEER.


James H. Fannon, Somerville, contractor :- Excavation and laying 2,933 square yards concrete base $2,463 72 Extra work re-laying crossing . 60 33


2,524 05


Cost of work done by contract .


City, Highway Department (day labor) :-


Constructing 2,900 square yard bitu- mimous wearing surface :---


Labor, teaming and rolling .


291 56


Stone used (trap-rock) . .


93 80


"Tarvia" used


79 85


Resetting curbstone


255 44


$720 65


Total cost of work . $3,244 70 Average cost, $1.10 per square yard for street construction with bituminous wearing surface laid on a concrete base.


Temple street between Broadway and Derby street, à length of about 990 feet. has been constructed with trap-rock, using "tarvia" for a binder, the work being done by the High- way department, day labor, at the following cost :-


Constructing 1,180 square yards pavement :-


Lahor, teaming, rolling


$2,021 08


Stone used (trap-rock) 1,528 19


"Tarvia" used


844 06


Total cost of work . $4,393 33


Average cost, $1.05 per square vard for street construction with bituminous wearing surface (using old street material for sub-grade).


The total length of permanent paved streets in the city amounts to 10.9 miles.


The policy recently adopted of permanently constructing the city's main thoroughfares in preference to side streets has commenced to show good results.


In a few years' time, by the continuation of permanently constructing the remaining roadways, namely, on Broadway (Winter Hill to Arlington line) sections of Summer, Elm, Wash- ington and Beacon streets, and some of the principal cross- town streets, the city will have main thoroughfares that will compare favorably with any city in the state.


Eight new streets have been constructed during the year, with a "tarviated" trap-rock surface, a length of 4,152 feet (0.79 mile) costing $14,577.92, where betterment assessments have been levied on the abutting property amounting to $7,135.40; the average cost of this construction being $1.18 per square yard, which includes the cost of granite paved gutters.


One street has been constructed, "tarvia" being used as a binder, a length of 993 feet (0.19 mile) where no assessment was levied.


One street and part of another has been constructed with a concrete base and a bituminous wearing surface, a length of


1


.


336


ANNUAL REPORTS.


2,749 feet, and one street paved with granite blocks on a con- crete base, a length of 372 feet.


Five streets have been re-macadamized with a "tarviated" surface, a length of 3,102 feet (0.60 mile) and six streets re- paired, a length of 5,753 feet (1.09 miles).


Land has been taken and the roadway widened on Main street at the Somerville-Medford boundary line, and the con- struction work should be continued on the southwesterly side of this street, its entire length, making a uniform width of roadway.


Many times in the past, streets-newly constructed or where an improved pavement is laid-are torn up and excava- tions made a short time after being built, when the changes should have been made considerably in advance of the new street construction work.


Previous notice of the city's intended street improvements should be given the various departments and interested private corporations and ample time allowed for making all extensions and repairs of underground work; and no permission should be granted to cut any newly constructed street, except for emer- gencies or under special conditions, where a sufficient sum of money is paid the city for damages.


Table of Street Construction.


Square Yds.


Miles.


*Streets paved with granite blocks


99,815


4.12


Streets paved with Hassam pavement


36,802


1.80


Streets paved with asphalt


10,410


0,73


Streets paved with vitrified brick


13,564


0.64


Streets paved with bitulithic


14,689


0.88


Combination pavement (concrete base with bitu- minous top)


32,652


2.69


Streets macadamized ("tarvia" bound) .


13.91


** Streets macadamized (water bound) .


52,24


Streets graveled or unimproved


22.05


Total


99.06


*Also 31.9 miles (single track) electric railway paved with granite, asphalt, bitulithic.


** Includes 3.29 miles boulevard and 1.16 miles state highway.


Lines and grades have been given for setting 12,182 linear feet (2.307 miles) of new edgestone, and 1,005 square yards (0.231 mile) of new brick sidewalks, and 17,147 square yards (4.063 miles) of granolithic sidewalks have been laid, and meas- urements taken for computing assessments; 0.68 of a mile of edgestone has been reset, and 2,700 square yards of brick side- walks relaid, also on private streets 1.615 miles of granolithic sidewalks have been laid by private parties.


In connection with setting edgestone, 3,907 square yards of new paved gutters have been laid, at an average cost of


Table Showing Sidewalks Constructed (not exceeding one-half cost assessed on abutters) in 1913.


MATERIAL.


STREET


Ward.


SIDE.


FROM


Tc


WIDTH OF SIDEWALK IN FEET.


BRICK.


GRANOLITHIC.


Lin. Feet. Sq. Yards.


Lin. Feet. Sq. Yards.


Alston


1


Northeasterly


Shawmut place .


Where not already laid


6.67


266.8


1,361.8


1,557.1


2,174.42


Beacon


6


Southwesterly


Forest street


Near Sacramento street Near Beckwith circle


11.00


1,331.8


1,513.1


2,162.95


Beacon .


2


Southwesterly


In front of estate Somer- ville Building Association


11.00


54.6


61.6


104.27


Broadway


1


Northeasterly


In front of estates Nos.


101 to 107, inclusive


15.00


80.3


120.0


162.00


Broadway


4


Southwesterly .


In front of estates Nos.


274 to 290, inclusive


15.00


148.0


222.3


307.88


Broadway


5


Northeasterly .


In front of estate No. 489


15.00


3


136.8


154.2


320.66


Broadway


5


Southwesterly .


Magoun square


City road


15.00


336.8


429.5


760.69


Broadway


5 & 6


Southwesterly .


City road


Railroad bridge


14.00 }


Gran. 8.0, sod ¿ rem. width


1,264.8


1,228.0


2,081.95


Broadway


7


Northeasterly . Easterly .


Washington street


Dimick street


5.00


420.7


204.5


280.58


Calvin


2


Westerly .


Beacon street


Washington street


6.67


2,703.6


Crescent


1


Both .


Pearl street .


Southwesterly side Hadley st.


244.3


...


226.82


Dearborn road


7


Both .


Boston avenue


College avenue


8.33


809.5


Dimick .


2


(includes cor. lots Both ? Concord avenue (and Marion street Southwesterly


Concord avenue .


Calvin street


6.67


1,756.1


1,097.3


1,690.87


Elm


7


Beech street


Miller street


10.00


495.8


385.0


1,113.12


Fremont


5


Both .


Meacham street .


Northeasterly


6.67


Garrison avenue


7


Both .


Broadway .


Ld. of City of Cambridge .


6.67


Gilman terrace


4


Easterly


Pearl street


End of street


6.67


360.0


242.2


437.14


Glen


1


Easterly


Flint street


Oliver street


6.67


181.0


122.9


180.83


Grant


4


Northwesterly


Jaques street


Mystic avenue


6.67


750.5


508.3


798.10


Greene


3


Southwesterly


Laurel street


Southwesterly where not laid Laurel street


6.67


103.8


70.4


458.9


304.5


937.56


Heath


5


Fenwick street


Bond street


7.50


209.4


150.5


281.37


Leland


2


Both .


Washington street


Dane avenue


6.67


731.2


6.67


355.3


239.9


361.86


Lowell


6


Both .


Summer street


Crown street


6.67


529.2


239.0


804.0


747.8


1,735.02


Moore


7


Southeasterly


Holland street


Mead street


6.67


689.6


466.8


742.82


Moreland


5


Westerly .


Meacham street .


No. 68 inclusive


6.67


131.2


86.3


135.32


Moreland


5


Easterly


Meacham street


6.67


758.9


511.3


748.50


Mystic avenue


1


Southwesterly


Union street


Charlestown line


10.00


356.2


382.4


465.49


Ossipee road .


7


Both .


Packard avenue


Curtis street


6.67


1,394.2


918.3


1,335.54


Pearson road .


7


Broadway


Warner street where not laid


6.67


327.8


235.4


350.05


Porter


6


Elm street .


Summer street where not laid


7.50


1,221.4


Powder House Blvd.


7


Southwesterly .


Northwesterly .


8.00


509.4


500.3


962.46


Prichard avenue


6


Both .


Boston avenue


Frederick avenue


6.67


970.5


Rossmore


2


Both .


Somerville avenue


Washington street


6.67


1,066.5


723.0


1,069.32


Shawmut place


1


Both .


Shawmut street .


Alston street


5.00


354.6


445.32


Shawmut


1


Southwesterly .


Central square


Washington street


6.67


346.9


309.58


South and Bedford


2


Northeasterly .


Porter street


Belmont street


7.50


889.1


1,132.21


Summer


South westerly


Cherry street


Hancock street


7.50


211.4


329.16


Temple .


5


Westerly .


Jaques street


Opposite Derby street 11.00


272.5


609.6


378.1


515.47


Walnut .


4


Northwesterly .


Medford street


Pearl street


6.67


104.3


387.6


265.4


817.6


670.6


1,029.06


Warner .


7


Northwesterly .


Bromfield road


Medford line


10.00


rem. width


311.6


247.0


442.39


Washington


2


Northerly .


Union Building .


Hawkins street .


11.50 }


714.5


695.07


Winslow avenue


7


Both .


College avenue


Fitchburg R. R.(Boynton yd) Clifton street


6.67


2,167.0


1,456.6


2,269.76


Total assessment, $19,483.89.


Net cost to city, $21,062.19.


12,182.1


1,222.4


1,005.9


21,454.3


17,147.2


$40,546.08


Amount of edgestone, brick, granolithic and tar in front of private estates


Totals . .


Gravel sidewalks, 1.335 miles. Brick sidewalks, 0.923 miles. Granolithic sidewalks, 6.491 miles.


11,038.0


7


Both .


Curtis street


North street


11.00


101.7


114.5


154.58


Calvin


2


655.5


366.0


521.55


Conwell avenue


6.67


887.7


872.57


Greene


3


Summer street


6.67


458.9


7


Easterly


Mallet street


Broadway


Medford


5


Northeasterly


Central street


Broadway .


9.17


274.8


48.7


663.6 162.7


448.15


Veazie


4


Southwesterly .


Walnut street


Marshall street


6.67 S


443.92


Walter


4


Both .


Walnut street


End of street


6.67


Gran. 6.80, sod l


306.6


358.0


579.36


Water


2


Both .


South street


3 & 2


48.9


108.48


Summer


6


Estate No. 6 & 8 South street and in front No. 11


Bedford street


5.00


100.0


5.83 |


6


Northeasterly


Railroad bridge .


11.00


Gravel and Edge- stone. Lineal Feet.


Total Cost.


$261.26


Beacon


Gran. 6.5, sod )


rem. width


461.2


952.3


1,072.75


103.8


169.13


Westerly & Northerly Northerly


638.81


Liberty avenue


552.20


Mystic avenue


Westerly Both .


1,270.97


Powder House square


925.21


5.00 }


2,577.41


854.12


In front of estates Nos. 1119-1135


Gran. 10.0, sod } rem, width


15.00 ₺


10.50 }


337


CITY ENGINEER.


$2.25 per square yard, and a number of driveways and cross- ings have been constructed, all requiring lines, grades, and measurements.


(See tables for cost of new work, 1913, 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 . $1.02 per linear foot


Laying brick sidewalk, complete 1.30 per square yard


Laying granolithic sidewalk, complete


1.57 per square yard (city, day labor)


Laying granolithic sidewalk, complete


1.41 per square yard (contract)


And the cost of materials used, furnished by contract :-


Edgestone (straight) delivered at work .


0.55 per linear foot


Edgestone (circle) delivered at work


0.73 per linear foot


Bricks delivered at work .


13.15 per M.


Cement (Portland) on cars .


1.26 per barrel (net)


Sand and gravel on cars


.70 per cubic yard (average)


Trap-rock delivered on work


1.42 per ton (aver- age)


In sections of the city where brick sidewalks have been laid many years, and must necessarily be relaid on account of deterioration 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


17.845


4.715


12.115


2.193


Ward two


.


14.703


6.90L


6.710


1.092


Ward three


14.085


1.559


11.572


0.954


Ward four


14.339


1.906


9.993


2.466


Ward five


21.121


6.297


12.194


2.629


Ward six


22.936


6.140


10.734


7.389


Ward seven


25.497


7.663


8.387


11.295


130.526


35.181


71.705


28.018


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 material for a number of years to come.


Lines and grades have been given for laying 6,651 linear feet of new city water mains, varying in size from two inches to twelve inches in diameter. Two hundred and thirty new house services, many gates, hydrants, water posts and blow-


338


ANNUAL REPORTS.


offs have been located and recorded, sketches and plans made showing the same, and the large water-works wall maps cor- rected to date ; also a large number of old water services where new meters were installed have been located 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 di- mensions and areas recorded in the assessors' department, and in this manner the correct areas of land determined.


This set of plans would show the area and dimensions of each lot, all houses and other buildings, sewers, catch basins, house drains, water services, gas mains, underground conduits for wires, street lights, street railway tracks, etc., and be of great value to many departments. Five of these sectional plans have already been made. A separate appropriation should be made for completing these plans.


Plans have been made and photographs taken where acci- dents have occurred on the city work, or where boundaries were in dispute, special plans and data prepared for the city solicitor's use in court cases and hearings.


All plans of estates in Somerville recorded at the Regis- try 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 the schedules of assess- ments made out showing the property owners. Copies have been made of all city plans where land has been taken for high- ways or sewers, and these have been filed and recorded at the Registry, 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 un- derground and removing all poles from the streets should be extended as rapidly as possible.


At the present time, there are underground in the city's streets 16.2 miles of telephone conduits, 7.504 miles of electric light conduits, 1.4 miles of electric railway conduits, and about 6.8 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 3.84 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 under- ground 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.


339


CITY ENGINEER.


The Boston Elevated railway has made extensive repairs in its roadbed in this city during the past year, replacing the old tracks with new and heavier rails, filling the space be- tween the ties with Portland cement concrete, and grouting the granite block pavement with cement in sections of Elm street and Washington street.


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.




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