USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1918 > Part 17
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At the same time it might be well to see whether or not the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can be urged through the efforts of our representatives in the Legislature to cooperate with the national government in the matter of development of the Mystic River.
In conjunction with this suggestion it might also be well to investigate the necessity or advisability of the present policy of the State in holding so much of the land adjoining the river for purely park purposes, which is one of the main ob- jections to the appropriating of money by the national govern- ment.
It must be appreciated by your Honorable body that the subject of the development of the Mystic River for shipbuild- ing purposes, is of such a nature that it requires considerable time for investigation, and the expenditure of more money than is at present at the disposal of the Planning Board.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM F. RILEY, Chairman.
HARRISON L. EVANS, GEORGE J. RAUH, PAUL R. VALENTINE, DAVID J. KELLEY,
Secretary.
247
PLANNING BOARD.
COPY B.
. To His Honor the Mayor and Members of the Board of Alder- mien :-
Gentlemen : - On Oct. 15, 1918, an order was passed by the Board of Aldermen and forwarded to the Planning Board for attention, the following being a copy of said order :-
"The Planning Board is hereby requested to de- vise some form of publicity to be given the men of this city now in the military or naval service, to be known as the Honor Roll of Somerville."
FREDERIC W. COOK, City Clerk."
In accordance with the request of the Board of Aldermen in the foregoing order the Planning Board herewith respect- fully submits the following report for your consideration.
In devising an Honor Roll for men of Somerville in the military and naval service of our country the Board has endeavored to work out a design that will accommodate the six thousand or more names of these men, and yet be of suitable size so that the name of each man can be read distinctly.
In order to bring about this result the Planning Board, after careful study of the subject, determined that such an Honor Roll should be eight feet in length by four feet in width, and that it should be set up two feet from the surface of the ground.
The next question considered was the kind of construction which should be used in erecting the Honor Roll. . With ref- erence to this important matter two different plans were dis- cussed.
One of the plans proposed was for the erection of a wooden Honor Roll fastened to a concrete foundation. It was pro- posed to have a plate glass front divided into two sections four feet square fastened in the centre and made weather tight. It was also proposed to have a lighting arrangement across the top of the Honor Roll. This plan called for the printing of the names on card board in alphabetical order, and of the same size type as shown by rough draft attached to the report. The estimated total cost of the erection of this type of Honor Roll would be about Five Hundred Dollars. Necessarily this would only be of a temporary nature.
The other plan considered was for the erection of a heavy
1
248
ANNUAL REPORTS.
bronze bulletin frame of the same dimensions, viz. : S feet by 4 feet, divided into two sections each 4 feet square with a plate glass front, the whole to be mounted on a plain heavy oak back board and made weather tight.
This heavy bronze frame is to be fastened two feet from the ground on heavy oak posts sunk in a concrete base a distance of about four feet in the ground. The posts are to be about ten feet in length and will act as supports from the ground to the top of the frame. Along the top of the frame it is proposed that a lighting arrangement be installed. The printing plan is the same as in the wooden Honor Roll, except that it is proposed to have the names printed on sixteen sec- tions of card board, each section to be fastened with a bronze strip screwed to the back board at intervals of every six inches to prevent the possibility of warping or bulging of the card board. It was also suggested that a star be printed be- side the names of those men who died in the service of our country. The estimated cost of this plan would be about Sixteen Hundred Fifty Dollars, erected and complete in every detail. The time required to erect this Honor Roll would be about eight weeks.
In the opinion of the Planning Board this last mentioned plan is the better one, although the initial cost is greater. Be- cause of the agitation for a memorial hall or building which has been lately discussed the Planning Board believes that the City would do well to adopt the last mentioned plan, which is in the nature of a permanent Honor Roll. Later on if the memorial hall becomes a reality this bronze frame could very easily be built into the wall of the new building with very little, if any, expense, and could then still fulfill its purpose.
The Planning Board suggests that the Honor Roll be erected near the Soldiers and Sailors monument on Central Hill.
The Planning Board is indebted to T. F. McGann & Co. of Somerville and Walter H. Hooper of the Hooper Printing Company of Somerville for valuable assistance in working out the plans submitted.
The Planning Board is annexing to its report the com- munications received with reference to the printing of the names and construction of the Honor Roll. The two plans which accompany this report were loaned by T. F. McGann & Co., and clearly illustrate the proposed plans, the one mounted on card board being the plan for the heavy bronze frame.
If further explanation of the plans is desired the Planning Board will be pleased to attend a meeting of the Board of
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249
PLANNING BOARD.
Aldermen, or discuss them with any committee which may be · appointed.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM F. RILEY, Chairman. HARRISON L. EVANS, GEORGE J. RAUH, PAUL R. VALENTINE, DAVID J. KELLEY,
December 14, 1918.
Secretary.
250
ANNUAL REPORTS.
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER
OFFICE OF THE CITY ENGINEER, City Hall, Somerville, January 10, 1919.
To His Honor, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen :-
Gentlemen,-In accordance with the city ordinances, the following report of the work done and expense incurred for the , year ending December 31, 1918, by the Engineering Depart- ment and appropriations under my charge and supervision, including the accounts of city engineer, sewers construction, sewers maintenance, parks maintenance, playgrounds main- tenance, and other public works, is herewith presented.
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
In previous reports the general work, charter require- ments and city ordinances relating to the duties of the city engineer have been fully described.
On account of the War very little new construction work has been attempted, the greater part of the work done, being for repairs and maintenance in the various divisions.
Divisions Appropriations and Credits
Expenditures
Balances
City Engineer
$12,750 00
$11,931 58 8,344 42
$818 42
Parks Maintenance
·
10,150 00
1,805 58
Playgrounds Maint .. 4,375 00 78 95 3,541 90
: 05
Sewers Maintenance 20,850 00 288 36 19,856 08 1,282 28
Sewers Construction
4,500 00 834 42 4,288 65
1,045 77
(Expenditures are shown in detail in the City Auditor's annual . report.)
CITY ENGINEER DIVISION, CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENSES, 1918.
Sewers,-comprising surveys, estimates, profiles, lines, grades, titles, plans, assessments and all engineering work relating to sewers
$2,060 24
Highways,-comprising plans, estimates, titles, profiles, lines and grades, inspection of paving and all other engineering work relating to the department
1,718 72
Sidewalks,-comprising profiles, lines, grades, measure- ments, inspection, titles, costs and assessments . 147 92 . Water Works,-comprising lines, grades, locations of mains, gates, hydrants and services and other matters relating to the department . 838 54
251
CITY ENGINEER.
Parks and Public Grounds,-comprising surveys, plans, estimates, profiles and grades, including laying out of parks and playgrounds and boulevard . 342 25
Public Buildings,-comprising surveys, estimates, lines and grades, and other work relating to construction and laying out of grounds 163 02
Street Numbering,-comprising locations of buildings, plans, assigning street numbers . Street Lines and Grades,-comprising establishing of lines, grades, and miscellaneous data given parties for build- ing and grading .
546 57
Bridges and Grade Crossings,-comprising surveys, plans, profiles, estimates, lines and grades, etc. .
15 20
City Survey,-comprising establishing of street lines, ac- ceptance plans, and miscellaneous survey work for city map, etc.
1,227 39
Middlesex Registry,-comprising copying of plans, and ab- stracts from deeds and examination of titles filed at East Cambridge, also tracing of street acceptance and sewer taking plans filed for record
124 93
Private Corporations, Railway, Telephone, Electric Light and Gas Light Companies,-comprising grades, plans, profiles and office notes, locations of poles and conduits Setting Stone Bounds and Brass Rods,-defining street lines .
84 12
Office Work,-comprising record of all locations, indexing, typewriting, bookkeeping, calculations, reports, and gen- eral draughting 3,298 21
136 50
Miscellaneous Work,-comprising preliminary surveys, de- signs, sketches, etc., relating to various schemes for different committees 103 72
Holidays, Vacations and Sickness
779 10
Total . $11,931 58
Value of field instruments, tools and office instruments, $2,000.00.
The total cost of maintaining the Engineer's Division since it was established. 1872-1918. both years inclusive, has amount- ed to $379,832.00.
Six assistants have been employed during the year on engineering work. (The War has reduced the office assistants, and employees in other divisions of the department).
No plans were made during the year for street acceptance and no streets accepted as public highways. under the better- ment act .- this being the first year that no street has been made a public highway since 1880-38 years ago.
The greatest number of streets accepted as public ways in any one year during this period being twenty-three and the average per year eleven.
There are plans for acceptance of eleven private streets, on file in this office, that for various reasons have not been made public ways.
345 15
252
ANNUAL REPORTS.
The total length of public streets in the city is 83.846 miles, and private streets 16.933 miles. (See table at end of report for location, width, length, etc.)
Tables in the city engineer's report, 1917, show length of Public streets-Miles of Edgestone, Granolithic and Brick Sidewalks in each Ward. No new sidewalks were constructed during the year; 6,757 feet (1.28 miles) of new edgestone were set in the constructing of New Streets.
Stone bounds have been reset in Portland cement concrete "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 permanent "Bench Marks" throughout the city for giving grades.
In the 1907 report a table was compiled from old reports, maps, and office notes, showing the location of stone bounds ; the year when set, and whether existing or removed from 1860 to 1907 inclusive, and in the reports of 1908, 1910, 1911 and 1913 together with the following table will show all bounds set to 1919.
STREET BOUNDS SET IN 1918 (Brass rods set in cement).
Albion Terrace,-East side at south side Albion Street X 2 foot offset lines.
Bristol Road,-East side at north side Broadway X 2 foot offset lines. Burnham Street,-West side at north side Broadway X 2 foot offset lines.
Curtis Avenue,-South side at west side Curtis Street X 2 foot offset lines.
Electric Avenue,-North side at east side Packard Avenue X 2 foot off- set lines.
"Electric Avenue,-North side at X of tangents to curve on 2 foot offset lines.
Gibbens Street,-North side at west side Benton Road X 2 foot offset
lines.
Hamilton Road,-North side at east side North Street X 2 foot offset lines.
Hamilton Road,-North side at west side Barton Street produced, X 2 foot offset lines.
Hamilton Road,-North side at east side Belknap Street produced, X 2 foot offset lines.
Illinois Avenue,-East side line at X 2 foot offset line Broadway.
Illinois Avenue,-East side line at X 2 foot offset line Pennsylvania Avenue.
Indiana Avenue,-West side line at X 2 foot offset line Broadway.
Indiana Avenue,-West side line at X 2 foot offset line Pennsylvania Avenue
Leonard Street,-West side at north side Broadway X 2 foot offset lines.
Leonard Street,-West side at north side Walker Street produced, X 2 foot offset lines.
Mason Street,-West side at north side Broadway X 2 foot offset lines. Mason Street,-West side at south side Ossipee Road X 2 foot offset lines.
253
CITY ENGINEER.
Michigan Avenue,-West side at north side Broadway.
Michigan Avenue,-West side at south side Pennsylvania Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
New Hampshire Avenue,-West side at north side Pennsylvania Ave- nue X 2 foot offset lines.
New Hampshire Avenue,-West side at south side Mystic Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Pearson Road,-East side at north side Warner Street X 2 foot offset lines.
Pearson Road,-East side at X tangents of curve 2 foot offset lines (drill hole in edgestone).
Pennsylvania Avenue,-East side at north side Broadway X 2 foot off- set lines.
Pennsylvania Avenue,-North side at west side Maine Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Pennsylvania Avenue,-South side at east side Wisconsin Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Pennsylvania Avenue,-North side at west side Rhode Island Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Teele Avenue,-North side at east side Curtis Street X 2 foot offset lines.
Vermont Avenue,-West side at north side Pennsylvania Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Vermont Avenue,-West side at south side Mystic Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Waldo Avenue,-South side at east side Beacon Street X 2 foot offset lines.
Waldo Avenue,-South side at west side Dimick Street X 2 foot offset lines.
Walker Street,-Northeast side P. R. C., near Broadway 2 foot offset lines.
Walker Street,-Northeast side P. R. C. near house No. 29, 2 foot offset line.
Walker Street,-Northeast side P. C. near house No. 45, 2 foot offset line.
Walter Terrace,-West side at south side Walter Street X 2 foot off- set lines.
Ware Street,-North side at west side Curtis Street X 2 foot offset. lines.
Ware Street,-North side produced, at west side Russell Road X 2 foot. offset lines.
West Adams Street,-East side at north side Conwell Avenue X 2 foot. offset lines.
There are at the present time a total of 620 bounds or brass. rods set for defining street lines.
Eight new streets have been constructed, under the better- ment act, with a bituminous macadam wearing surface, con- crete gutters and granite edgestones, a total length of 3,795 feet (.72 mile) ; three being done by contract and five by day labor.
The average cost of this type of construction for a forty- foot street complete, was $8.51 per linear foot, being approxi- mately $2.50 per foot more than the previous year, on account of the unusual cost of labor and materials. (Table showing- quantities and cost in report of Street Commissioner).
254
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Assessments have been levied on abutting property owners for a portion of the cost of constructing these streets.
On account of the wide variation in the cost of construc- tion, in various parts of the city, it would seem advisable that the levying of assessments be made more uniform throughout the city.
Table of Street Construction.
Square Yards
Miles
*Streets paved with granite blocks
119,672
5.01
** Streets paved with concrete
23,990
1.42
7Streets paved with asphaltic top
42,215
2.59
Streets paved with vitrified brick
20,958
1.29
Streets paved with "Bi-co-mac"
10,100
0.77
Streets paved with bithulithic (patent)
3,059
0.06
Combination pavement (concrete base with bituminous top
90,121
5.98
¿Streets macadamized (bituminous bind- er)
33 91
Streets macadamized (water bound)
32.07
Streets graveled or unimproved
17.68
Total
100.78
* Also 31.9 miles (single track) electric railway paved with granite. asphalt, bithulithic, etc.
** Includes 0.42 miles state highway.
Includes 1.16 miles of state highway.
Includes 1.406 miles of city boulevard and park roadways and 2.331 miles of state boulevard (Metropolitan Park Commission).
The Boston Elevated Railway Company has made exten- sive repairs in its roadbed in this city during the past year. re- placing long sections of old tracks with new and heavier rails. There are a number of miles of trackage, however, in the city's main thoroughfares where the old granite block pavement, within the railroad location, should be relaid and grouted with Portland cement, and additional catch basins constructed be- - tween the rails to relieve the flooding of sections of certain streets in times of heavy storms. There are 32 miles of electric railroad (single track length) at the present time in the city's streets.
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 17.06 miles of telephone conduits. 12.42 miles of electric light conduits, 1.65 miles of electric railway conduits ; and about 9.7 miles of underground conduits used for the city's wires.
The Cambridge and Charlestown gas companies have re-
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CITY ENGINEER.
spectively 62.85 and 27.99 miles of gas mains in the city's streets.
Lines and grades have been given for laying new city water mains. New house services, many gates, hydrants, water posts and blow-offs have been located and recorded, sketches and plans made showing the same, and the water works maps cor- rected to date; also a large number of old water services where new meters were installed, have been located and recorded.
A number of the locations of old hydrants, gates, etc., have been found to be incorrect, a few having been removed entirely ; a new survey of the entire distribution system should be made and the maps and office records compiled. (Length of water mains, etc., in report of Water Commissioner).
Lines and grades have been given for the erection of city buildings, and plans and sketches made for the laying out of surrounding grounds.
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 solicitor'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 the schedules of assessments made out showing the property owners.
Total number of plans on file in the office approximately eight thousand.
The recommendations and suggestions made in reports of the city engineer for a number of years past are for the im- provement of conditions in this city and I respectfully repeat some of the more important - abolishment of the dangerous grade crossing at Park Street, as decreed by the court a num- ber of years ago - reconstruct railroad bridge, Broadway (North Somerville) full width of street - construct new bridge over railroad at Prospect Street full width, the existing old, narrow, wooden structure being wholly inadequate for the in- creasing auto travel - replace railroad bridge over Washing- ton Street (East Somerville) designed to increase head-room in street and improve drainage, where at present, traffic is seriously impeded - extension of permanent street pavement, using old granite block, re-cut. laid on a concrete base - change city boundary line, North Somerville-Medford, thereby accomplishing a number of needed improvements especially in the drainage system in this vicinity - construction of proposed sewer mains and storm drain in railroad valley, extending from near Gilman Square to Lowell Street - construction of pro- posed storm overflow drain from Somerville Avenue into Mil-
256
ANNUAL REPORTS.
ler's River, at the East Cambridge line, for the relief of flooded streets and cellars in times of heavy storms-re-numbering old main thoroughfares and re-naming certain streets to avoid duplication and prevent confusion - special ordinances con- cerning city inspection on all underground work done by pri- vate companies or corporations and regulations as to method of street openings - set of block plans covering the entire city area, useful to city departments - stone and sand obtainable on certain lots owned by the city to be utilized in construction work.
257
CITY ENGINEER.
SEWER DIVISION. .
The high cost of materials and labor has prevented the ex- tension of the "separate system" sewers and likewise storm drain construction work, except that absolutely necessary.
No sewers have been petitioned for during the year and only a small amount of new construction work has been done.
Construction Account, Statement of Expenses, 1918.
Constructing "separate system" sewers
$ 824 45
Constructing storm drains .
2,493 75
Constructing catch basins
1,141 30
Cost of new work
$4,459 50
Charged to other departments materials
29 15
Materials on hand December 31
1,176 89
1,206 04
Total
$5,665 54
Credit.
Appropriation
$4,500 00
Balance unexpended, 1917
769 27
$5,269 27
Received for materials
65 15
Materials on hand December 31, 1917
1,376 89
Total
6,711 31
Balance unexpended (over to 1919) .
$1,045 77
A much needed storm drain has been constructed in Fre- mont Street discharging into Mystic River, and extensions in future years will provide for the disposal of storm water for the northerly slope of the Winter Hill district.
The sewer and storm drain in Middlesex Avenue, com- menced in 1917, has been completed and short lengths of sewer extensions have been constructed in Joy Street and Concord Avenue.
This work has been done by the city employing day labor ; a total length of 1132.5 feet were constructed during the year, varying in size from 8" pipe to 20" pipe, at a cost of $3,318.20. (See tabular statement for 1918, showing itemized statement of work).
The total length of the city's drainage system is 113.006 miles ; 32,344 miles being on the "separate system" and 11.451 miles of storm drains, and the entire cost of construction has amounted to about $1,346,752.00, exclusive of the amount paid to the state for assessments for the construction of the North Metropolitan sewerage system.
The city's assessment for the Metropolitan sewerage system for the past year was $47,935.30 on construction account and $32,494.99 for maintenance, and the total amount paid the Com-
258
ANNUAL REPORTS.
monwealth of Massachusetts for this state sewer has been $1,323,021.93 (1892-1918, both years inclusive). The total length of the Metropolitan sewerage system mains running through the city amounts to 3.475 miles.
There are within the city's limits thirteen connections with the North Metropolitan state sewerage system, also four out- lets through the city of Cambridge and three outlets through the city of Medford. The location's of the connections of the city's mains with the state sewer are shown in the 1912 report.
.
Tabular Statement of Sewers and Storm Drains Built in 1918.
LOCATION.
ITEMS OF CONSTRUCTION AND COST.
PIPE SEWER, COST PER LINEAR FOOT.
FROM
To
BUILT BY
MATERIAL EXCAVATED.
Average Cut.
Size in inches.
Length in feet.
Manholes.
Average cost, Manholes.
Excavating, Refilling
Pipe, including Sub-
drain where laid
Engineering and
Average cost per
Total Cost.
Assessment.
Cost to City.
Concord avenue, sewer extension
Sewer built (1899 N'ly ) sidewalk
Marion street
City Day Labor
Hardpan
7'-8"
10
76.8
3
$3.53
$0.48
$0.13
$4.14
$318.32
$318.32
Fremont street, storm-drain
Mystic river
near Meacham street
City Day Labor
Hardpan and rock
8'-0"
15 12
622.0
5
...
*2.60
1.08
0.12
3.80
2,366.00
2,366.00
Joy street sewer, N'ly sidewalk
Poplar street
City Day Labor
Hardpan
12'-6"
8
175.9
1
$57.68
3
0.85
0.29
0.17
1.64
288 41
288.41
Middlesex avenue, sewer ..
Completion from 1917.
City Day Labor
Clay and filling
8'-6"
8
130.5
1
44.09
2
0.77
0.38
0.18
1.67
663.60
419.38
Middlesex avenue, storm-drain ....
Completion from 1917 .....
City Day Labor
Clay and filling
7'-6"
10
127.3
1
18.87
2
0.33
0.36
0.17
1.00
127.75
127.75
1132.5 (0.214 miles.)
$3,318.20
$663.60
$3,519.83
* Includes cost of enlarging manholes. ** Cost (1917) $865.23.
Total length of public sewers in the city, January 1, 1919 Total length of private sewers in the city, January 1, 1919. 34,748.0
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