USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1919 > Part 18
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94 92
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
490 61
Office Work, - comprising record of all locations, indexing, typewriting, bookkeeping, calculations, reports, and general draughting
·
123 53
Miscellaneous Work, - comprising preliminary surveys, designs, sketches, etc., relating to various schemes for different committees 208 45
Holidays, Vacations and Sickness 945 09
Guard duty (Boston Police strike) . 392 25 .
Total
. $13,473 42
Value of field instruments, tools and office instruments, $2,000.00.
The total cost of maintaining the Engineer's Division since it was established, 1872-1919, both years inclusive, has amounted to $393,305.
Six assistants have been employed during the year on en- gineering work. Assistants and employees in other divisions of the department have returned from War duty and have been reinstated by the Civil Service Commission. Two assistants from the engineer's division were on duty for seven weeks dur- ing the Boston police strike in September and October.
A number of plans were made during the year for street acceptance and six streets have been accepted as public high- ways, under the betterment act; the greatest number of streets accepted as public ways in any one year being twenty-three.
There are plans for acceptance of eleven private streets ou file in this office, that for various reasons have not been made public ways.
2,428 11
STREETS ACCEPTED AS PUBLIC HIGHWAYS IN 1919, UNDER THE BETTERMENT ACT.
Name of Street
Ward
From
To Charlestown Street
Width in ft. 25
Length. in ft.
Date of Acceptance
Allen Street ·
·
2 Somerville Avenue
·
. Line Street .
30
245
. December 31, 1919.
Hillsdale Road
7 Conwell Avenue
Sunset Road
40
632 . December 31, 1919.
Hunting Street ·
2 South Street
Cambridge Line
30
117 . December 31, 1919.
Maine Terrace
·
1 Maine Avenue
Southeasterly
32
205 . September 17, 1919.
Windsor Street
·
2 Cambridge Line
Northerly
40
40 . August
1, 1919.
Windsor Street
·
2 End of above .
Fitchburg R. R.
27
490
. August
1, 1919.
Total .
.
.
· (0.450 miles) .
2373
.
2 Beacon Street
·
·
·
·
·
.
.
644 . January 5, 1920.
Cooney Street .
·
·
CITY ENGINEER.
265
266
ANNUAL REPORTS.
The total length of public streets in the city is 84.296 miles, and private streets 16.502 miles. (See table at end of report for location, width, length, etc.)
Length of Public Streets in Each Ward.
Miles.
Ward one .
10.659
Ward two
9.572
Ward three
7.630
Ward four
9.965
Ward five
12.388
Ward six
13.506
Ward seven
20.576
Total length of public streets in the city
84.296
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, 1913 and 1919, together with the following table will show location of all bounds set to 1920.
STREET BOUNDS SET IN 1919. . (Brass rods set in cement).
Connecticut Avenue, - East side at Mystic Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Connecticut Avenue, - West side at Mystic Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Maine Avenue, - West side at Mystic Avenue X 2 foot offset lines. Maine Avenue, - West side at north line Maine Terrace produced X 2 foot offset lines.
Minnesota Avenue, - East side at Pennsylvania Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Minnesota Avenue, - East side at Broadway X 2 foot offset lines. Rhode Island Avenue, - West side at Mystic Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Rhode Island Avenue, - West side at Pennsylvania Avenue X 2 foot offset lines.
Whitman Street, -North side at Packard Avenue X 2 foot offset lines. Whitman Street, - North side at intersection tangents to true lines.
There are at the present time 630 bounds or brass rods set for defining street lines.
Eleven new streets have been constructed, under the bet- terment act, with bituminous macadam wearing surface, con-
267
CITY ENGINEER.
crete gutters and granite edgestones, a total of 4,161 feet (.79 mile) ; all being done by contract. 7,755 feet (1.47 miles) of new edgestone were set in this construction work.
The average cost of this type of construction complete, for a forty-foot width street, was $8.20 per linear foot, a high rate, on account of the unusual cost of materials and labor.
Assessments have been levied on abutting property owners for a portion of the cost of constructing these streets.
Old granite block pavement has been removed, the blocks recut and laid on a concrete base with a cement grout ; sections of Washington Street - Webster Avenue - Beacon Street - Tufts Street have been constructed with this type of pave- ment. 6.208 square yards (2,264 feet in length) were con- structed by contract at $3.40 per yard complete.
The total length of permanent paved streets in the city amounts to 17.2 miles.
Grades were given and measurements taken for the re-con- struction of twenty-six streets with a bituminous wearing sur- face, a length of 21,200 feet (4 miles) .
Table of Street Construction.
Square Yards
Miles
*Streets paved with granite blocks
121,991
5.15
** Streets paved with concrete .
23,990
1.42
¿Streets paved with asphalt 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) Combination pavement (concrete base
3,059
0.06
with bituminous top)
89,205
5.92
¿Streets macadamized (bituminous bind- er)
38.52
Streets macadamized (water bound)
28.17
Streets graveled or unimproved
16.91
Total
.
100.80
* 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).
Lines and grades were given for constructing seventeen new granolithic sidewalks, 6,393 square yards (1.3 miles), and assessments computed, the abutting property owners paying one-half the cost.
In laying out new work, under orders passed for construc- tion of sidewalks, etc., occasionally portions of buildings and fences are found to be encroaching on the sidewalk and on
268
ANNUAL REPORTS.
some of the old rangeways these encroachments have existed for many years ; as improvements are made, the full width of sidewalk should be maintained.
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 · for brick.
Miles of Edgestone, Granolithic, Gravel and Brick Sidewalks in Each
Ward.
Gravel
Edgestone
Sidewalk
Brick Sidewalk
Granolithic Sidewalk
Ward one
19.827
3.756
12.093
4.617
Ward two
16.286
6.247
6.606
3.425
Ward three
14.325
0.967
11.572
1.784
Ward four
15.309
1.342
9.993
3.906
Ward five
22.679
4.540
12.194
5.875
Ward six
24.826
4.696
10.678
10.402
Ward seven
32.499
2.484
8.462
21.920
145.751
24.032
71.598
51.929
(Details, etc., streets and sidewalks in report of Street Commissioner.)
The Boston Elevated Railway Company has made extensive repairs in its roadbed in this city during the past year, replac- ing long sections of old tracks with new and heavier rails. There are a number of miles of trackage, orders having been granted for widening, however, in the city's main thorough- fares where the old granite block pavement, within the railroad location, should be relaid and grouted with cement, and addi- tional catch basins constructed between 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. A considerable length of high power cables have been placed in underground conduits.
Plans have been made by the various companies 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. The work of placing overhead wires in conduits underground 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 17.43 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- spectively 63.24 and 28.0 miles of gas mains in the city's streets.
269
CITY ENGINEER.
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 details, 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. Federal, State and Municipal hearings have been attended where information was required.
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.
Total number of plans on file in the office is approximately eight thousand one hundred.
. The city map was revised and printed in January, 1919; this new map has been of considerable value for various depart- mental purposes and useful for real estate agencies, auto tour- ing, etc.
I respectfully repeat some of the more important recom- mendations and suggestions made in reports of the city en- gineer for a number of years past which are for the improve- ment of conditions in this city - abolishment of the dangerous grade crossing at Park Street, as decreed by the court a number of years ago-reconstruct railroad bridge, Broadway (North Somerville) full width of street-construction of new bridge over railroad at Prospect Street, full width, the existing old, narrow wooden structure being wholly inadequate for the in- creasing auto travel-replacement of railroad bridge over Washington 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 es-
270
ANNUAL REPORTS.
pecially in the drainage system in this vicinity-construction of proposed sewer mains and storm drains in railroad valley, extending from near Gilman Square to Lowell Street-con- struction of proposed storm overflow drain from Somerville Avenue into Miller'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-adoption of special ordinances concerning city inspection on all under- ground work done by private companies or corporations and regulations as to method of street openings-making 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.
SEWER DIVISION.
The high cost of materials and labor has prevented the extension 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, 1919.
Constructing storm drains
$1,494 19
Constructing catch basins
2,481 14
Constructing manholes on sewers
431 58
Cost of new work .
$4,406 91
Charged to other departments, materials, etc.
142 50
Materials on hand December 31
1,381 00
1,523 50
Total
Credit.
Appropriation
$4,250 00
Balance unexpended, 1918
1,045 77
5,295 77
Received for materials, etc. .
142 50
Materials on hand January 1, 1919 .
1,176 89
Total
6,615 16
Balance unexpended (over to 1920) .
$684 75
.
$5,930 41
The Fremont Street storm drain has been completed, dis- charging into Mystic River, and future extensions will provide for the disposal of storm water for the northerly slope of the Winter Hill district.
Storm drains have been commenced in Elmwood Street and Conwell Avenue and will be completed during 1920.
271
CITY ENGINEER.
This work has been done by the city employing day labor. 550 feet of 12" pipe were laid during the year.
The total length of the city's drainage system is 113.11 miles, and the entire cost of construction has amounted to about $1,348,246:00; 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 sys- tem for the past year was $51,158.14 on construction account and $37,086.72 for maintenance, and the total amount paid the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for this state sewer has been $1,411,266.79 (1892-1919, 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 locations of the connections of the city's mains with the state sewer are shown in the 1912 report, and details of construction in previous reports.
I.K. 1,159 ,
272
STATEMENT OF SEWERS AND STORM DRAINS CONSTRUCTED TO 1920.
Total length of public sewers in the city, January 1, 1920
501,459.6 ft. 34,748.0
Total length of private sewers in the city, January 1, 1920 .
Total length of sewers in the city, January 1, 1920
536,207.6 = 101.555 miles*
Total length of storm drains in the city, January 1, 1920
.
61,012.3: 11.555 miles
Total length of city drainage system, January 1, 1920 .
113.11
.
Total length of Metropolitan sewerage system mains running through the city . * (32.344 miles separate system sewers).
miles 3.475 miles
ANNUAL
REPORTS.
273
CITY ENGINEER.
The 1918 report contains a compiled table of Storm Drains constructed to 1919 showing length, cost, date of construction, district benefited, etc.
Twenty-nine catch basins have been constructed in the highways during the year, making a total of 1,964 basins in the city for drainage purposes, constructed and maintained as follows :-
By the city (sewer division) :-
Located in streets and subways 1,802 basins 66
Located in city boulevard
33
Located in parks (17) and other city lots (12) . 29
Total catch basins constructed and maintained by the city 1,864
By Boston & Maine Railroad Company on railroad lo- cations
36 basins
By State, located in boulevards, and highways . 129 66
165
Total catch basins in the city for storm drainage purposes
2,029
The separate system sewers should be extended in the old sections of the city each year, as the appropriation will allow, and storm drains completed in certain localities as previously recommended.
The city's drainage system will be greatly improved when all the foregoing changes are made and construction work com- pleted.
MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT, STATEMENT OF EXPENSES, 1919.
Maintenance of sewers, including cleaning and flushing (113.11 miles) $4,732 40
Maintenance of catch basins, cleaning and flushing (1,864) .
11,437 41
Maintenance of storm water pump, Med- ford Street
82 66
Changing line and grade and repairing catch basins .
880 41
Changing line and grade and repairing manholes .
638 79
Repairing old sewers
1,055 68
Inspection and location of house drains .
644 26
New tools and supplies .
431 1
Repairs of tools and property .
57 11
Maintenance of sewer division yards . Telephone
669 50
53 50
Expressing, etc.
1 32
$20,684 14
274
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Labor, teaming and materials for other depts.
82 48
Total expenditure
$20,766 62
Appropriation
Credit. $20,660 00
Received from other departments :-
Labor and teaming
74 12
Materials . 33 69
107 81
Total credit
20,767 81
Balance unexpended .
$1 19
Value of tools and property on hand in maintenance of sewers, $2,500.00.
A permanent force of men, varying in number from twelve to seventeen, 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, and the distance increased to the dumps. These dumping places are fast diminishing and in a very few years' time some other means of disposal will have to be provided.
Approximately 5,300 cubic yards of material have been re- moved from the catch basins and sewers during the year, at an average cost of about $2.15 per cubic yard, and the average cost per mile for cleaning and flushing the drainage system, in- cluding catch basins, has amounted to about $143.00. There are about twenty catch basins (average) to a mile of roadway in this city and the approximate cost of cleaning per basin has been about $6.14 the past year.
A number of repairs have been made and sections rebuilt on some of the old sewers, alterations made in the outlets and overflows, and extra manholes built for the purpose of improv- ing the system.
Many catch basins and manholes have been repaired and grade or line changed.
One hundred three permits have been issued to licensed drain layers for connecting buildings with the main sewers and storm drains, fifty-five being for repairs or alterations ; all of the work being done under the supervision of the city's in- spector.
Certain persons are licensed as drain layers by the city and under bonds, for the purpose of laying these private drains.
There are to date about 16,523 private house drain conne(- tions with the city's drainage system.
During the year the sewer division has done considerable miscellaneous work for other city departments and outside com-
275
CITY ENGINEER.
panies, furnishing materials and labor, and being partially re- imbursed for the same.
Some of the old trunk sewers which were constructed many years ago are in a dangerous condition ; sections, where the arch is badly cracked and liable to collapse any time, should be im- mediately rebuilt.
PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS DIVISION.
Under this division about seventy-five acres are maintained as parks and playgrounds, and approximately a mile of city boulevard; 65.5 acres are owned by the city and certain areas owned by private parties are turned over to the city for recrea- tion purposes, also satisfactory arrangements have been made for a number of years whereby the city has the use of Tufts Col- lege playfield during the summer vacation months, and skating areas in the winter. Over 2,000 trees of various varieties are located on these grounds. These areas when completely devel- oped will compare favorably with other cities in the vicinity.
Athletics in general have revived since the war and the baseball "diamonds," football fields, tennis courts and athletic apparatus located on the various playfields have been in con- stant use as in former years. The money generally spent for flower beds, shrubs, etc. for ornamentation of the various city grounds has been used in cultivating areas of park and play- ground land. Many school children have devoted their time and energies to the raising of vegetables on these playfields ; the total cost for plowing, harrowing, fertilizing, etc., amounting to $285.32.
The past year, this division of the engineering department has had the supervision of plowing and harrowing of private land throughout the city, the owners paying the cost, as pro- vided by law, whenever the city does the work at their request.
MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT, STATEMENT OF EXPENSES, 1919.
Playgrounds
Parks
$328 73 Broadway Park (15.9 acres) .
$1,694 55
Broadway Parkway (2.0 acres)
207 25
188 88 Central Hill Park (13.1 acres)
1,793 94
1,109 82 Lincoln Park (8.3 acres)
886 25
11 01 Prospect Hill Park (2.6 acres)
1,306 6
24 00 Tufts Park (4.5 acres) .
829 08
Paul Revere Park (.02 acre)
13 25
Belmont Street Park (0.4 acre)
422 88
Powder House Boulevard (0.9 mile long)
476 07
Powder House Square Parkway (0.2) acre)
49 12
.
276
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Cemetery, Somerville Avenue (0.7 acre) .
125 12
1,060 58
Somerville Field at Alewife Brook (11.5 acres) .
771 51
679 29
Richard Trum Playground, Cedar Street and Broadway .
193 70
230 74
Playground, Glen street and Oliver street (0.9
36 79
104 80
acre + 1.5 acres private land) . Playground, Kent street and Somerville ave- nue (0.8 acre) ·
108 84
8 25
Playground, Poplar and Joy street (0.5 acre)
25 00
3 00
Playground, Beacon street, near Washington street (0.2 acre)
10 00
32 95
Playground, Webster avenue, near Cam- bridge line (0.2 acre) ·
20 00
152 43
Playground, Mason street and Broadway Ten- nis court (0.3 acre) . Playground, Fellsway East (2.5 acres private land)
57 40
Tufts College Land (Summer and Winter Playground, 4.8 acres) .
87 50
Plowing, harrowing and fertilizing Park and Playground areas for planting . Plowing, harrowing, etc., for Recreation Com- mission, Private land
Total expenditure, maintenance (75 acres) .
65.5 acres city property + 8.8 acres private land, .7 acre cemetery and 0.9 mile boulevard, and 0.54 mile parkway roads
$4,312 97
$9,089 46
Credit.
Playgrounds and Recreation
Parks
Appropriation for Parks
Transfer to City Engineer Account
$9,990 00 900 00
$4,050 00
Appropriation for Playgrounds
265 87 Received from Recreation and Playground Commission 165.87 By transfer 100.00
$4,315 87
· Total credit
$9,090 00
$2 90
Balance unexpended $0 54
The number of men employed has varied from seven to six- teen.
The city's assessment for Metropolitan parks and boule- vards for the year 1919 amounted to $16,468.70 on construc- tion account, $34,048.82 being the proportional cost for main- taining the same; in addition to this the city's special assess- ment for the Charles River basin construction and mainte- nance amounted to $7,917.24; for the improvement of Alewife brook and maintenance of same $1.169.30 and for the mainte- nance of Wellington bridge across Mystic River, $3,394.58. The
119 45
165 87
67 72
277
CITY ENGINEER.
total of these assessments amounts to $62,998.64, being Som- erville's proportional payment to the State on account of the Metropolitan park system for the year 1919.
The total assessment paid to the State for parks and boule- vards amount to $765,970.79, January 1, 1920, and the length of State boulevard at present constructed in this city consists of seven-tenths of a mile of double roadway, located in the easterly part of the city and extending between Broadway and Mystic River, and one and three-tenths miles bordering Mystic River, and Alewife brook located in the westerly part of the city.
Extra land has been taken at the junction of Broadway and Alewife Brook Parkway for future improvement of this road- way.
The Metropolitan Park Commission have furnished six band concerts, certain evenings during the summer months, at Broadway Park and Somerville Field.
The playground area located on Broadway at Cedar Street has been named "Richard Trum Playground"; this young war hero was killed on foreign soil.
A new flag pole has been erected at Broadway Park, replac- ing one destroyed by lightning.
All tar walk on Central Hill Park should be reconstructed and the wooden seats in the grand-stand at Somerville Field rebuilt immediately.
A permanent concrete field house should be constructed at the Somerville athletic field with all modern equipment and the remaining area graded as soon as possible; when com- pleted as originally designed the city will own one of the best recreation fields in the vicinity. (In the 1910 report, plan shows proposed complete laying out).
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