USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1919 > Part 21
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26
The advantages of good streets are not confined to the tax payers, or to those living in the immediate vicinity of any street, but are shared by all who avail themselves of the in- creased facilities.
The prosperity of any city depends upon the condition of its streets. The influence of good roads toward the devel- opment and increase in value of any city will hardly be ques- tioned.
Highway Maintenance.
Now that the war is over, it is the intention of the United States Government, states, counties, cities and towns to spend a large amount for road construction and repairs the coming years. I hope our city, and I know it will, keeps pace with the others in the improvement of its streets and on the same basis as last year "Pay as you go."
The department has done some good work with the cold patch preparation in filling holes in all kinds of streets and sidewalks, using 8,291 gallons of Barrett's and 4,272 gallons of Headley's mixed with stone or gravel. A supply of this preparation is kept mixed at the city yard. It is also handy in caring for police reports and emergency calls for streets and sidewalks.
$76,662.52 was expended for Highway Maintenance.
293
STREET COMMISSIONER.
Underground Wires.
The New England Tel. & Tel. Company constructed con- duits on Curtis street from Teele square to Conwell avenue and enlarged the conduits on Springfield street from Concord square to the Cambridge line.
Snow and Ice.
This department removes the snow and ice from sidewalks. and sands same when necessary, in front of all public grounds and buildings and the bridges made necessary by the abolition of the grade crossings.
$1,579.05 was expended for the care of snow and ice. 47 cubic yards of snow and ice were removed. 12 cubic yards of sand and 302 cubic yards of ashes were used in caring for icy sidewalks and crossings.
Crushed Stone.
The William J. McCarthy Co. furnished 781 tons of local crushed rocks at $1.50 -per ton, 60 tons at $1.70 per ton and 185 tons of $1.90 per ton at their crusher, and 6.615 tons at $2.10 per ton on line of work; Coleman Brothers, 3,800 tons of trap rock at $2.20 per ton on line of work.
I recommend the purchase of a portable crushing plant, electric power, to be erected at the city yard.
Bridges.
The bridges are in good condition. The Boston and Maine R. R. repaired and replanked the Cross street and Walnut street bridges. The iron fences and railings to our bridges have been cleaned and painted.
Steam Rollers.
No. 1 roller worked 1521/2 days.
No. 2 roller worked 1351/2 days. No. 4 roller worked 1221/2 days.
The old No. 2 roller should be exchanged for a new fifteen ton maintenance roller and a scarifier attachment purchased for the No. 4 roller.
Sidewalks Maintenance.
There are many miles of old brick sidewalks that are in poor condition and are continually being patched. There should be enough money appropriated in this account to allow the department to remove the old bricks and substitute grano- lithic.
294
ANNUAL REPORTS.
If the city follows out the policy began a few years ago the old brick sidewalks in Union square will be replaced with granolithic. When this square is finished Davis square should be considered.
7,130 linear feet of edgestones were reset. 2,398 square yards of brick sidewalks were relaid. 700 square yards of paved gutters were relaid.
Repairs necessitated by police reports pertaining to defects in the sidewalks are charged to this account.
$7,098.87 was expended for Sidewalks Maintenance.
Street Sprinkling.
The American. Car Sprinkler Co., of Worcester, flushed and sprinkled all the main streets and squares, under a con- tract of eight hours a day, seven days a week, for $825.00 a month and gave good satisfaction. I recommend a contract be made the coming year with this concern for a twelve-hour day so as to have the squares flushed early in the morning before the business houses open.
I also recommend that all the water bound, as well as the Tarvia Macadam, be covered with the cold tar preparation.
Calcium chloride was used in the winter on the squares to keep down the dust to the satisfaction of the store-keepers.
Dust layers used during the year :-
146,515 gallons of Tarvia "B" (Barrett's)
14,288 gallons of Besco Oil.
8.043 gallons of Emerald Oil.
7,753 gallons of McKenna's Oil.
8,117 gallons of Oilite Oil.
7,000 pounds of Calcium Chloride.
This department should have a new auto oiling truck. $37,684.64 was expended for Street Sprinkling.
Street Cleaning.
This department must have the assistance of the people in order to have clean streets. Papers and rubbish continual- ly thrown into the streets greatly hinder the realization of our desire for clean streets and detract from the good appearance of our city. No person who has regard for the beauty and good repute of his city will throw rubbish of any kind into the streets. There is no better test of the civilization of a com- munity than the treatment which the streets receive at the hands of the people.
The squares are sprinkled or flushed every morning and cleaned every night.
7,140 cubic yards of street sweepings were removed.
$25,890.70 was expended for Street Cleaning.
295
STREET COMMISSIONER.
Suppression of Moths.
The moth situation in this city is well in hand. Most of this work is done in the winter, this giving employment to men who would be otherwise unemployed.
All public and private trees are cared for in regard to moths. Bushes, vines, fences and foundations, public and private are also inspected.
Very few brown-tail moth nests were found this year, but the gypsy moths are increasing in number. If any nests are overlooked and the moths develop in the spring, they are ex- terminated by spraying the trees with the spraying machine.
7,590 street trees were inspected and cared for.
4.437 private trees were inspected and cared for.
315 bushes were found moth infested. 18 vines were moth infested.
1,158 fences and buildings on which moths nested.
· 31,032 gypsy-moth nests were painted with creosote. 15 brown-tail moth nests were gathered and destroyed.
7,242 trees were sprayed by the gasoline spraying machine to exterminate the different kinds of caterpillars and beetles.
$4,700.00 was expended for the Suppression of Moths.
Shade Trees.
There should be shade trees set out by this department to replace the dead and dangerous ones that were removed. Shade trees are a great improvement to a city.
The leopard moth has destroyed many of our trees. This department has done what it could in destroying the pest, from the Shade Tree Appropriation which is not large enough to make any extended fight against this moth.
87 trees were set out. 210 trees were removed. 352 trees were trimmed. 115 tree guards and supports installed.
$4,896.59 was expended for the Care of Trees.
Highways Construction - New Streets.
Eleven new streets were constructed during the year un- der the Betterment Act, by contract with William J. Sullivan, viz :-
Setting edgestones .55c per linear foot.
Gutter construction $3.00 per square yard.
Construction of Macadam roadway $1.00 per square yard.
296
ANNUAL REPORTS.
The city furnished the edgestone and tarvia binder. Straight edgestone $1.17 per linear foot. Circles $1.35 per linear foot from S. & R. J. Lombard.
Tarvia binder .11c per gallon from the Barrett Co. Six new streets were accepted this year. $33,175.12 was expended for New Streets.
Streets Constructed in 1919.
Street
From
To
Material
Length
Cost
Belmont square
Belmont street
E'ly thence N'ly & S'ly ..... .
Bituminous
Macadam ....
220
$745 65
Carter terrace
Summer street
Southwesterly
171
1,399 55
Central road
Central street
E'ly & N'ly to Sycamore St.
....
598
4,688 83
Connecticut avenue
Pennsylvania avenue ....
Mystic avenue
66
....
487
4,067 39
Horace street
Ward street
Fitch. R. R., B. & M.
2315
1,747
59
Jaques street
Bond street
Edgar avenue
395
3,140 86
Maine avenue
Pennsylvania avenue.
Mystic avenue
379
3,067
60
Maine terrace
Maine avenue
Southeasterly
190
1,360 52
Minnesota avenue
Pennsylvania avenue ....
Broadway
525
4,327 41
Linden avenue
Summer street
Cedar avenue
296
3,425 49
Whitman street
...
Mason street
Packard avenue
.
....
632
5,158 48
....
....
....
....
...
....
....
STREET COMMISSIONER.
297
298
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Sidewalks Construction.
The contracts for granolithic sidewalks were let to Denis I. Crimmings, William T. Kilmartin and Peter Salvi, of Somer- ville, who furnished all material and did the excavation at $2.20 per square yard.
Miles of edgestones, granolithic, brick and gravel side- walks in the city :-
Length of edgestones
145,751 miles.
Granolithic sidewalks
51,929 miles. .
Brick sidewalks ·
71,598 miles.
Gravel sidewalks
24,032 miles.
$15,263.86 was expended for Sidewalks Construction.
SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION. One-half the Cost Being Assessed Upon the Abutting Estates.
Sq. Yds.
Street
From
To
Grano.
Auburn avenue
In front estate No. 7
24.4
$53 68
Beacon street
Kent street
Sacramento street, N. E'ly side
805.6
1,893 62
*Boston avenue
Near Ball square
75 57
Broadway
B. E. Ry. entrance to car yard, w'ly
142.8
314 66
Broadway
Curtis street
North street
1,202.9
2,993 97
Broadway
Fellsway West
S. E'ly to already laid.
706.5
1,554 30
Broadway
Contagious Hospital
Alewife Brook Parkway N'ly
540.8
1,286 45
Craigie street
Somerville avenue
Summer street, E'ly side
913.2
.2,418 34
Crescent street
E'ly side where not laid
Hadley street
81.8
179 86
Heath street
Bond street
Edgar avenue where not laid
148.9
327 58
Holland street
Paulina street
E'ly side to already laid
560.9
1,344 44
Morrison avenue
Willow avenue
Clifton street. S. W. side
325.8
748 34
Russell road
Broadway
Hamilton road. N. W'ly
351.2
772 64
Russell road
In front estates 41-43
29.8
65 56
Willow avenue
Foskett street
Appleton street.
N. W. side
168.6
386 61
Windom street
Elm street
Summer street.
S. E. side
205.7
483 62
Union Square
S. E'ly side
Webster avenue-Somerville ave
164.1
361 02
*Wm. H. Wallis
Filling in sidewalk
3 50
Constructed by City labor.
STREET COMMISSIONER.
299
300
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Highways Construction - Permanent Pavement.
A contract was let to William J. Sullivan at $3.40 a square yard for removing the old granite paving blocks on a gravel base, recutting blocks and relaying on a concrete base, joints grouted with Portland cement.
Following is a list showing partial payments on contract. Finals are to be paid from the balance of $19,646.00.
Washington street
Medford St. to Tufts St. $7,722 06
Tufts street
· from Washington St. N. E'ly 3,114 06
Webster avenue
Cambridge line to Columbia St. . 5,509 00
Beacon street
Dickinson St. to Buckingham St. . 4,010 50
On all these streets the Boston Elevated Ry. repaired their tracks on a concrete base, grouting the paving blocks. All service pipes were renewed or repaired before the new pav- ing was constructed.
$20,355.62 was expended for Permanent Pavement.
Reconstruction and Resurfacing.
This appropriation was taken from the tax levy this year, wherein years ago it was borrowed on a five year loan, (thus the city saved paying the interest). Also under the five year loan the streets had to be constructed under specifications ap- proved by the Massachusetts Highway Commission. Although we are not now constructing streets under Highway Commis- sion specifications we are continuing to construct them in a first class manner, using from six to eight inches of stone af- ter being rolled, two applications of tar binder covered with pea stone thoroughly rolled. After the streets have been used for travel for two weeks they are covered with a cold tar ap- plication and with fine gravel.
Twenty-six streets were reconstructed or resurfaced by day labor at an average cost of $2.00 per linear foot.
$48,645.70 was expended for Reconstruction and Resurfac- ing.
RECONSTRUCTING AND RESURFACING APPROPRIATION. Streets Reconstructed and Resurfaced, 1919.
Street
From
To
Width
Length
Cost
Arlington street
Franklin street
Lincoln street
40
452
$1,128 64
Avon street
....
School street
Central street
40
1,360
2,289 08
Belmont street
Somerville avenue
Highland avenue
40
2,162
4,949
10
College ave., E'ly side
Powder House sq.
Dearborn road
30
1,250
1,754
01
Dana street
Bonair street
Pearl street
40
696
1,502 66
Franklin street
Washington street
Oliver street
40
690
1,366 78
Gilman street
Cross street
Aldrich street
40
745
1,143 81
Harrison street
Kent street
Ivaloo street
40
644
1,390 70
Hinckley street
Broadway
B. & M. R. R.
35
540
501 38
Hudson street
Cedar street
Lowell street
40
1,460
4,518 21
Ivaloo street
Park street
Harrison street
40
300
794 75
Joseph street
Newton street
Lincoln Parkway
40
458
1,433 99
Marion street
Wyatt street
Harold street
40
293
550 40
Morrison avenue
Willow avenue
College avenue
40
1,690
4,018 92
Oliver street
Glen street
Cross street
40
600
1,763 56
Oxford street
School street
Central street
40
1,361
2,228 87
Ossipee road
Packard avenue
Curtis street
40
680
1,764 41
Oxford street
Beacon street
Cambridge line
50
100
338 03
Pinckney street
Washington street
Pearl street
40
736
2,678 10
Raymond avenue
Curtis street
North street
40
1,345
3,714 48
Sanborn avenue
Walnut street
Warren avenue
40
280
629 61
School street
Highland avenue
Berkeley street
40
500
963 07
School street
Broadway
Medford street
40
1,600
4,081 54
Wyatt street
Concord avenue
Lincoln Parkway
40
496
1,190
23
Williams street
Chandler street
College avenue
40
381
789 39
Melvin street
Broadway
Bonair street
40
487
1,141 98
....
.
301
0
STREET COMMISSIONER.
..
..
302
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Miscellaneous.
54 Granolithic driveways constructed.
50 Brick driveways constructed.
19 Edgestones dropped.
6 Driveways extended.
3 Driveways discontinued.
1 Driveway relocated.
1 Granite block driveway constructed.
Driveways are constructed, discontinued, relocated or ex. tended at the expense of the petitioners.
Length of public streets 84.296 miles.
Three horses were killed on account of disability and five horses were purchased during the year.
The department maintains its own municipal repair shop for different lines of work.
I have attended meetings of the Committee on Public Works and of various other committees of the Board of Alder- men, for consultation regarding work and petitions.
Labor.
The regular employees were given two weeks vacation and all employees, twelve months Saturday half holiday without loss of pay. Mayor Eldridge increased the pay of all employees Sept. 28, 1919, to a minimum daily wage of $3.50 and on Nov. 16, 1919, to a minimum daily wage of $3.75, making the wages of laborers $3.75, drivers and chauffeurs $3.85, mechanics $4.25 and engineers $4.50.
Eight hours constitute a day's work.
The city does its own insuring for injured laborers. There are ten former employees receiving pensions under the act pro- viding for the pensioning of laborers.
There were during 1919 :-
150 permits issued to the Cambridge and Charlestown Gas Com- panies.
218 permits were issued to occupy streets and sidewalks.
65 permits issued to cross sidewalks.
19 permits issued to feed horses.
22 street watering complaints and requests.
171 notifications to other departments and corporations.
32 accident reports.
825 police reports.
476 brick and granolithic sidewalks repaired.
885 miscellaneous reports and requests.
42 drain layers permits.
693 water department openings.
88 permits to open streets and sidewalks.
16 danger signs erected.
44 new signs erected.
67 signs repainted.
303
STREET COMMISSIONER.
3,438 cubic yards sand and gravel used.
2,857 cubic yards dirt removed.
3,021 cubic yards old macadam used.
1,852 cubic yards of ashes used.
504 bags Portland cement used.
Recommendations.
I most respectfully recommend that the recutting of the old granite blocks and replacing them with grouted joints on a concrete base, on such streets as Washington street and Somerville avenue be continued; that the granite paving started on Beacon street be completed ; and that granite paving on Somerville avenue from Beacon street to Porter station, Cambridge, be constructed.
A garage should be erected at the city yard and a suitable heating plant for the same. This heating plant could heat the several work shops as well, doing away with individual stoves and saving coal and labor and reducing fire risks.
In closing this report, I wish to express to His Honor, the Mayor, my sincere appreciation of the valuable assistance rendered me and to extend to him my thanks for his counsel and support.
My acknowledgments are due to the Board of Alder- men and heads of departments for their courtesy and considera- tion in matters pertaining to the business of the city, also for the co-operation of all the employees of the department and citizens of our city.
Respectfully submitted, ASA B. PRICHARD,
Street Commissioner.
304
ANNUAL REPORTS.
REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
City Hall, Somerville, January 1, 1920.
To the Honorable, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen of the City of Somerville :-
Gentlemen :-
In accordance with the provisions of the City Charter, I submit herewith the annual report of the public buildings department for the year ending December 31, 1919.
The total valuation of the public property which is in the custody of the public buildings department is $3,282,700.
The total expenditure for the year 1919 for the care and maintenance of this property was $173,125.58.
This amount was expended as follows :
School Buildings
Janitors $48,560 07 144 00
Fuel $27,541 75 266 20 3,098 53
Light $9,156 29 110 20
Care and Repairs $38,843 44
Totals $124,101 55
Electrical Dept.
46 69
567 09
Fire Bldgs.
2,569 67
4,382 52
10,050 72
City Home Buildings
834 21
473 62
1,686 50
2,994 33
Contagious Hospital
426 14
1,677 88
840 84
1,622 52
4,567 38
Highway Buildings
338 34
232 43
346 58
917 35
Central Library
2,222 71
157 00
992 36
846 43
4,218 50
West Branch
Li-
·
1,156 26
404 52
447 05
190 44
2,198 28
East
Branch
Li-
876 00
190 70
244 17
254 53
1,565 40
Municipal Buildings
4,166 49
1,077 19
1,641 15
3,639 97
10,524 80
Park Buildings
357 00
·145 20
336 37
364 19
1,202 76
Police Buildings
1,905 43
884 09
518 44
487 46
3,795 42
Polling places .
7 10
32 56
434 63
474 29
Sanitary Buildings
...
113 00
236 80
612 96
962 76
Sewer Buildings
....
470 18
291 04
307 63
1,068 85
Bathhouse
1,202 70
1,045 14
2,247 84
Totals
$61,892 80
$37,513 91
$18,458 13
$55,260 74
$173,125 58
.
Br. Li-
Union Sq. brary
876 00
273 53
295 71
103 15
1,548 39
·
.
Inspection of Buildings.
The Commissioner of Public Buildings is also the inspec- tor of buildings according to the terms of the charter and as such during the past year has made 1350 formal inspections of buildings in the process of construction.
34 48
39 43
45 96
119 87
Water Buildings
brary
brary
305
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The following table shows the number of permits issued for building operations during the year 1919 :-
WARDS.
Buildings
1
2
3
5
6 23
33
131
Stores
7
2
3
3
3
2
5
25
Dwellings and stores
2
2
1
1
6
Garages
12
14
15
13
24
37
77
192
Storage
5
3
1
1
4
1
15
Manufactories
1
4
2
3
1
11
Sheds
5
2
4
1
3
1
16
Offices
2
1
1
1
1
6
Shops
1
1
3
3
1
9
Banks
1
1
2
Theatres
1
3
1
5
Laundrys
1
1
Miscellaneous
1
2
2
3
2
1
3
14
Totals
46
51
37
43
61
78
125
441
Wood
Fire resisting
Totals
New Buildings
34
188
222
Alterations
· 191
28
219
Totals
. 225
216
441
Buildings
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 Totals
Wood
28
27
16
26
30
28
41
196
Wood and Cement
1
2
6
6
4
23
42
Wood and Concrete
1
2
2
1
4
13
23
Fireproofed wood
2
1
5
2
3
1
4
18
Brick
6
4
3
1
5
4
3
26
Brick and Concrete
5
2
1
1 27
2
10
Cement Block
7
3
2
10
27
79
Concrete Block
1
3
4
4
8
7
27
Steel
1
1
1
3
6
Miscellaneous
2
2
Totals
46
51
40
40
60
79
125
441
The number of plumbing permits issued during 1919 was
212
Number of permits for plumbing in new buildings
32
Number of permits for plumbing in old buildings
180
Number of buildings in which soil pipes were tested
140
1
1
2
4
Brick and wood
3
3
1 3
The total estimated cost of the new buildings and altera- tions during the year 1919 was $773,099, while the estimated cost in 1918 was $676,470, showing an increase of $96,629.
The total number of permits issued during the year 1919, viz. 441, was 249 more than during the year 1918, when 192 per- mits for new buildings and alterations were issued.
Dwellings
12
18
12
4 10
23
3
7
Stables
2
2
1
1
Churches
Wood and Metal
WARDS.
7 Totals
306
ANNUAL REPORTS.
There has been very little of speculative building of dwellings going on this year owing to the high cost of both labor and materials.
There has been, however, a considerable number of altera. tions of dwellings owing to the scarcity of rentals.
Single family houses have been altered into two family houses and some of the larger houses have been altered into small kitchenette suites. These types of alterations demand very careful inspection and supervision by this department and entail considerable more time than new construction.
On September 1, 1918, the Board of Aldermen of the City of Somerville passed an ordinance requiring a fee to be col- lected for every building permit issued by this department. In accordance with this, fees collected for building permits during the year 1919 amounted to $1219.00.
The Commissioner has under his charge and direction the work of maintenance and keeping in repair all of the eighty- two public buildings of the city and the grounds in connection therewith, all janitors in the city's employ, a force of nine me- chanics who perform most of the work of keeping the buildings in repair, the inspection of installation and care of all eleva- tors, the supervision of construction of all new municipal build. ings, the maintenance of the public bathing beach and the pub- lic municipal baths in the Bennett and Bingham Schools and Lincoln Park.
The various activities in connection with the department work require a vast amount of time and attention in order to keep the property in proper condition for occupancy.
Coal.
As in the past years an invitation for bids was advertised for supplying the necessary tonnage of both anthracite and bituminous coal for the city buildings for the winter of 1919 and spring of 1920.
Several bids were received, some being from local concerns. After taking same under consideration His Honor, the Mayor, accepted the bid of the Metropolitan Coal Co. for anthracite coal, same to be delivered and housed.
R. K. Pratt Co., mine representative, was the successful bidder on bituminous coal. This bid was received by the Com- missioner after considerable effort on his part and was at an ex- tremely low figure. This coal is delivered direct from the mines to the several freight destinations furnished by the Commis- sioner.
The Commissioner made a contract at very little in ex- cess of that of 1918 with a teaming contractor for teaming and housing this coal, and is pleased to say that the coal thus purchased and handled was at a considerable saving to the city.
307
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
Elevators.
According to an act of the Legislature the Building Com- missioner is required to have every elevator in the city in- spected yearly and a report of the conditions and necessary repairs made to the State District Police.
Plans and specifications of all new installations of ele- vators must be filed in this office and certificates of approval granted by the Commissioner.
During the year 1919, there were 125 elevators inspected and 87 orders for repairs to be made, sent to the owners.
Plans and specifications were filed and applications granted for the installation of seven new elevators.
School Buildings.
The maintenance and care of school buildings has, as formerly, demanded the most vigilant attention from this de- partment and the appropriation made for that purpose has, I believe, been expended carefully and judiciously.
Every year just before the summer vacation arrives this department sends out a blank to be filled in by both principals and janitors of schools of all requisitions and repairs needed. These repairs and requests are taken up with the Superinten- dent of Schools and taken care of in the order which he sug- gests as far as the appropriation will allow.
First are taken into consideration the requests and re- pairs absolutely needed for the opening of schools. Then the others are taken up in the order of their importance. This in itself is a huge task as the wants of every section must be taken into consideration.
Among the necessary repairs that were taken care of this year are the following :
Seven boilers were retubed. A number of new grates were in- stalled and repairs made on 11 other boilers.
Steam repairs were made in 26 buildings.
Plaster repairs were made in 13 buildings.
Plumbing repairs and new installations were made in. 18 build- ings.
Mason repairs were made in 10 buildings beside repairs of fire boxes of boilers in nearly every building.
Sixty teachers' guest chairs were recaned.
Two teachers' couches were recovered.
Roof leaks and other roof repairs were taken care of on 13 build- ings.
Carpenter repairs, such as :
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.