USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1922 > Part 12
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West
Highland ave.
Arlington Br. R. R.
Private.
30
266.
200
tSidewalk in Somerville.
... ..
Washington av. Washington st. Northerly
30 to 40
Length
200
178
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Table Showing the Location, Length and Width of Public and Private Streets .- Concluded.
Street
From
To
Public or
Width in
Length
Private
Feet Public Private
Winslow ave.
College ave.
Clifton st.
Public.
40
1,123
....
Winter
College ave.
Holland st.
Public.
30
402
Winter Hill cir. Broadway
Northeasterly
Private.
25
....
583
Wisconsin ave. Broadway
Penn. ave.
Public.
50
499
...
Woodbine
Centre st.
Westerly
Private.
30
........
461
Woodbine Ex.
End of above
Lowell st.
Private.
35
........
.
...
*Woodstock (Extension)
(Ext'n.)
Private.
40
920
Wyatt circle
Wyatt st. around to Wyatt st.
Private.
20
.. .
315
Wyatt .
Concord ave.
Lincoln pkway Public
40
496
....
Yorktown
Cambridge line
N. E. line
Public.
40
294
Yorktown
Malvern ave.
Northerly
Private.
40
...
Court
39 Adams st.
Southeasterly
Private.
8
....
90
·Court
Albion st.
Central st.
Private.
12
216
Court
11 Albion st.
Northeasterly
Private.
9
178
Court
21 Albion st.
Northeasterly
Private.
10
....
100
Court
292 Broadway
Southwesterly
Private.
15
....
188
Court
Buena Vista rd.Easterly
Private.
15
....
59
Court
12 Carlton st.
Southeasterly
Private.
25
....
168
Court
113 Central st. Southeasterly
Private.
20
....
117
Court
36 Craigie st.
Westerly
Private.
25
126
Court
59 Craigie st.
Easterly
Private.
23.63
129
Court
58 Dane st.
Easterly
Private.
10
70
Court
20 Dimick st.
Southwesterly
Private.
39.25
. .
171
Court
35 Lexingtonave Northerly
Private.
21
90
Court
66 Lowell st.
Westerly
Private.
25
101
Court
78 Lowell st.
Westerly
Private.
25
....
75
Court
Sacramento st. Southeasterly
Private.
25
....
318
Court
335 Somervilleav Northerly
Private.
15
....
60
Court
10 Stone ave. Northwesterly.
Private.
20
113
Court
Windsor st. ex. E'ly and W'ly
Private.
20
370
Court
Washington ave Franklin st. Total
Private.
6
95
459,284
81,856
....
.
....
90
Court
612 Broadway
Southwesterly
Private.
20
....
145
Court
Cambria st.
Northerly
Private.
9
....
75
Court
112 Central st. Northwesterly
Private.
10
....
150
Court
227 Columbia st.Northwesterly
Private.
10
....
Conlon ct.
Windsor st. ex. Private.
20
...
1 .
Court
91 Franklin st. Westerly
Private.
12
...
. . .
. . ...
101
Court
101 Medford st. Easterly
Private.
8
....
....
....
...
*Proposed.
Public, 85.7622 miles [includes 1.406 miles of City Boulevard and Park Roadways, 2.331 miles of State Boulevard (Metropolitan Park Commission), and 1.596 miles State Highway]; private 15.1037.
Total length of streets in the city, 100.8659 miles.
212
*Woods ave.
North st.
Pow. House Bd. Private.
40
1,135
Woodstock
Victoria st.
Alewife brook
Public.
40 to 32
403
177
Winthrop ave.
Mystic ave.
Middlesex ave. Private.
40
...
Victoria st.
Tannery st.
....
240
Court
136
N. E. line
Malvern ave.
100
179
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
REPORT OF CHIEF ENGINEER OF FIRE DEPARTMENT
Somerville, Mass., January 22, 1923.
To the Honorable, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen,
Gentlemen, - In compliance with the City Ordinance, I have the honor of submitting, for your information, the annual report of the fire department for the year ending December 31, 1922:
Alarms of Fire.
Number of bell alarms
279
Number of still alarms
652
Total alarms
931
Number in excess of 1921
82
Value of buildings at risk
$651,750 00
Insurance on buildings
794,000 00
Damage to buildings .
120,652 84
Value of contents
728,686 67
Insurance on contents
748,198 00
Damage to contents .
336,299 89
Total value at risk
1,380,436 67
Total insurance .
1,542,198 00
Total damage
456,852 73
Approximate per capita loss
4 80
List of Probable Causes.
Ammonia leak
1
Assault
1
Automatic
5
Automobile
35
Awning
1
Back draught
1
Bonfire
51
Broken gaspipe
5
Brush and leaves
6
Careless electrician
1
Careless Painter
3
Careless Plumber
2
Careless Roofer
1
Careless smokers
22
Carelessness with candle
6
Carelessness with gas
5
Carelessness with matches
13
Cat in tree
2
Children playing with matches
17
Cigars, cigarettes and pipes .
8
Coke bin .
1
Covering on steam pipe .
2
Defective heaters, chimneys, etc. Dry room .
40
2
Dump fires
103
180
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Electric cars
14
Electric wires and appliances .
18
False alarms
35
Fireworks
3
Friction
1
Frozen water front
1
Fumigating
2
Garage
3
Gasoline leaking
2
Gasoline on street .
1
Gas stove and range
4
Gasoline tank explosion .
1 87
Grease in blower
2
Heating oil on stove .
1
Horse in pit
3
Hot ashes in wooden receptacle Incendiary
31
Jack-O-Lantern
1
Kettle of fat or meat
11
Leaking illuminating gas
5
Leaking kerosene
2
Lightning
1
Lime .
1
Liquor stills
3
Mailing letter
1
Oil heaters, lamps and stoves Out of town
99
Overflow of oil, fuel
2
Overheated furnace and stove
12
Paper lantern .
2
Person locked out
3
Rags on stove .
1
Rekindle
4
Removing paint from auto
2
Rescue of man on roof .
1.
Rubbish in cellar and barrel Salamander
18
Spark from chimney
13
Spark from boiler
1
Spark from locomotive
13
Smoking in bed
1
Spark on roof .
14
Spark from open fireplace Sprinkler alarm
5
Sweepings in register
2
Smoke mistaken for fire .
24
Spontaneous combustion .
10
Second and Third Alarm
7
Tar barrel and kettle
3.
Test
3
Thawing water pipe .
6
Train wreck
1
Wood and paper near stove
7
Unknown
10
Unnecessary
69
.
·
.
931
1
2
13
Grass fire
6
181
DEPARTMENT.
Engine 1.
Engine 2.
Engine 4.
Engine 6.
Hose 3.
Hose 5.
Hose 7.
Hose 8.
Ladder 1.
Ladder 2.
Ladder 3.
Totals.
Bell alarms
214
165
95
50
125
69
93
91
101
85
95
279
Still alarms
84
21
24
163
64
42
64
144
16
9
21
652
Miles traveled
298
3331/2
198
210
2231/2
16912
339
126
151
188
24221%
Feet of 21/2 in. hose
19,600
13,600
5,850
7,750
186 9,000
8,000
24,670
Feet of chemical
10,600
3,850
8,750
12,000
9,500
4,750
56,200
Feet of ladders
40
36
60
168
46
60
1,274
1,855
1,526
5,055
Extinguishers
18
6
16
21
39
14
19
18
6
7
164
Gallons of chemical .
1,760
375
920
1,400
1,560
1,200
1,330
741
9,286
At other stations
8
Out of town
12
8
34
3
2
38
2
-
99
Rubber covers used .
2
-
1
-
4
8
14
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE
.
.
3
1
1
2
1
-
33,000 6,750
121,470
182
ANNUAL REPORTS.
In Memoriam
LEBARON EMERY
Permanent
Appointed December 22, 1897 Died March 28, 1922
ELMER C. SHIERE
Permanent
Appointed November 14, 1899
Died November 30, 1922
183
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Manual Force.
The manual force consists of one hundred and twelve (112) permanent men, during the year two men have been retired and placed upon the pension list and two have died ; three men have been added from the eligible list of the Civil Service. The roster of the department is as follows :
1 Chief Engineer.
1 Deputy Chief.
2 District Chiefs.
7 Captains.
1 Master Mechanic.
10 Lieutenants.
3 Enginemen.
87 Permanent men.
Apparatus.
1 Second size, horse drawn, steam fire engine,
1 Horse drawn, combination chemical and hose wagon,
1 Tractor drawn, second size, steam fire engine,
1 Motor driven, 900 gallon pumping engine and hose wagon,
1 Motor driven, triple combination pumper and chemical engine,
5 Motor driven, combination chemical and hose wagons,
1 Motor driven, combination ladder truck and chemical,
2 Motor driven, ladder trucks,
. Motor driven, supply and wrecking car,
1 Automobile, Chief's car,
1 Automobile, Deputy Chief's car,
1 Automobile, District Chief's car,
1 Automobile, Master Mechanic's car,
1 Horse drawn ladder truck, in reserve,
1 Horse drawn, combination chemical and hose wagon, in reserve.
Horses.
Six horses are continued in the department being neces- sary for the operation of the apparatus in Engine 4 station; they are in very good condition, having been selected from the nineteen that were in service the previous year.
Hose.
The amount of serviceable hose is but 8,500 feet of two and one half inch double jacket rubber lined water hose and 1,950 feet of three quarter inch chemical hose. There has been 3,000 feet of new two and one-half inch purchased and 2,800 feet condemned, 1,100 feet of which was destroyed by acid while working at a fire at the Prison Point yard of the Boston & Maine R. R. There must be at least 2,000 feet of new hose purchased the coming year to maintain, any where near, the necessary amount.
184
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Brief Resume.
Two fires, one in the Medina Building in March and the other in the supply or stock building of the Boston Elevated Ry. in December, totalled $375,000, leaving but $75,000 to be distributed throughout the entire year classified, by months, as follows, -
January
.
$39,344 27
February
4,844 30
March
80,615 95
April
7,095 00
May
1,949 54
June
17,536 34
July
932 50
August .
950 00
September
652 00
October
3,430 00
November
1,966 75
.
December
297,536 09
$456,852 73
There have been twenty-six fires with an insurance loss in excess of $1,000. as follows, -
January 6, 5:15 P. M. 128 Linwood Street, White truck owned by C. Bowen & Sons, damage $1,300. Cause, filling gasoline tank.
January 8, 3: 10 P. M. Box 119, 38 Pearl Street, dwelling owned and occupied by John H. Meaney, damage to building $1,003, to contents $100. Cause, going to clothes closet with lighted candle.
January 25, 10: 57 A. M. Box 47, 2-2a West Street, dwell- ing owned by John Pierce, occupied by Patrick McCarthy et al., damage to building $936.75; to contents $188.05. Cause, oil stove in bathroom.
January 26, 6: 20 P. M. Box 341, 9-11 Stickney Avenue, factory owned and occupied by Edward F. Kemp, damage to building $3,748, to contents $9,385. Cause, woodwork too near chimney.
January 28, 9:54 P. M. Box 113, B & M. R. R. yard at Prison Point, 5 Passenger coaches, 1 baggage and 1 pay- master's car destroyed, damage $13,750. Cause, overheated stove in pay car.
January 29, 12: 29 A. M. Box 225, 6-8 Bow Street, Bacon Hall building owned by Herbert Jay, occupied by R. H. Missereau et als. damage to building $752, to contents $4,- 510.75. Cause, unknown, started in rubbish in fruit store cellar.
185
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
February 4, 2:07 P. M. Box 42, B. & M. R. R. freight yard off Kent Street, empty freight car belonging to N. & W. R. R. damage $1,100. Cause, set by boys.
March 5, 12-44 A. M. Box 443, a general alarm was sounded for this fire, Medina Building 6-12 Davis Square owned by John Medina Estate, occupied by stores and apart- ments ; Miss Catherine Perkins was suffocated at this fire ; damage to building $34,371.30; to contents $27,061.09. Prob- able cause, careless smoker in basement.
March 10, 7:37 P. M. Box 225, 332 Somerville Avenue, store and tenement owned by E. M. Gladstone; occupant Wm. Mendelson, Jeweler, damage to building $50, to contents $1,- 080. Spontaneous combustion.
March 17, 7:25 A. M. Box 19, 13 Joy Street, dwelling owned by F. G. Articary and occupied by same, damage to building $1,249, to contents $500. Cause, spark on shingle roof.
March 18, 8:17 A .. M. Box 36, 140 Central Street, dwell- ing owned by Dr. Charles F. Maguire, occupants, Alex. F. Morgan and George Simpson, damage to building $1,704, to contents $1,194. Cause, children going to closet with match.
March 24, 3:33 P. M. Box 114, a second alarm was sounded for this fire, 50-56 Joy Street, hay and coal sheds owned and occupied by Colbert Bros., damage to buildings $8,560, to contents $7,650. Cause, spark from a locomotive.
April 6, 8:39 P. M. Box 24, 535 Winsor Street, wood sheds owned by Waitzkin Bros. occupant Barron Bros. bundle wood, damage to building $2,820, to contents $3,335. Cause, unknown.
June 14, 3: 06 A. M. Box 428, a second alarm was sounded for this fire, 29-31 Newberne Street, factory building owned by F. B. Horseman, occupants Griffin-Weene Bag Co. et als. damage to building $4,585, to contents $12,324.34. Cause unknown, sprinkler valves were closed.
October 19, 2:52 A. M. Box 14, 50 Tufts Street, stable owned by D. Mulcahey, occupied by John Bergman, damage to building $650, to contents $1,000. Cause, liquor still caught fire.
October 31, 9:31 P. M. Box 212, Boynton Yard, three freight cars of B. & M. R. R. damage $16,265. Cause, set by boys.
December 2, 8:36 P. M. Box 46, 681-685 Somerville Avenue owned by J. E. Locatelli, occupied by Morris Saval et als. damage to building $2,300, to contents $2,000. Cause, carelessness with matches.
December 6, 11 : 14 A. M. Box 43, 28 Forest Street, dwell- ing owned by Lenno Zammarchi, occupied by owner, damage
186
ANNUAL REPORTS.
to building $1,006, to contents $198. Cause, overheated fur- nace.
December 6, 6:19 P. M. Box 443, 90 Dover Street, store owned by Parke Snow Corp. occupied by A. L. Gaudet, damage to building $449, to contents $1,786.65. . Cause, carelessness with matches.
December 10, 4: 42 A. M. Box 156, in rear George Street, Charlestown, stock building owned by Boston Elevated Ry. a total loss, damage to building $11,900, to contents $250,000. Cause, unknown.
December 11, 7: 07 P. M. Box 27, 370 Somerville Avenue, Drug store owned and occupied by Charles S. Lombard, dam- age to building $856, to contents $1,642.74. Cause, gas plate too near woodwork.
December 12, 10:27 A. M. Box 117, 78-84 Broadway. block of stores owned by J. I. Miller et als. occupied by J. T. Connor Co. et als. damage to buildings $2,435, to contents $4,- 442.03. Cause, rubbish on top of furnace.
December 14, 6:27 A. M. Box 114, 39 Poplar Street. dwelling and shed owned and occupied by Abram Greenberg. damage to building $1,086. to contents $316. Cause, un- known.
December 15, 9:23 P. M. a general alarm was sounded from Box 42, 285 Beacon Street, coal and wood yard and buildings owned and occupied by J. P. O'Neil, damage to buildings $5,100, to contents $6,200. Cause, unknown.
December 20, 2:30 A. M. Box 21, 4b South Street, store and tenements owned by A. S. Scotti, occupants Nic Cremaldi et als, damage to building $904, to contents $300. Cause, cigarette thrown under counter.
December 31, 11:14 P. M. Box 427, a second alarm was sounded for this fire, stable and shed owned and occupied by Gilman Express Co., John E. Palmer Prop. damage to build- ing $2,000, to contents $4,900. Nineteen horses were killed at this fire. Cause unknown.
Dump fires. This class of alarms amounts to practically one-sixth of the total alarms of the year and has required the services of one or more pieces of apparatus for hundreds of hours, thereby taking them from the stations and positions assigned them for the extinguishment of legitimate fires ·and uncovering their respective districts to an unnecessary and dangerous extent. An ordinance, of a restrictive character, should be made to reduce this hazard.
Defective heaters, chimneys and smoke pipes. Owing to the shortage of coal and the use of many makeshifts for fuel, the conditions of heaters and chimneys will rapidly become a source of grave danger, every owner and tenant of shop and
187
CHIEF ENGINEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
home should give his personal attention to inspecting and keeping clear and clean boiler tubes, smoke pipes and chim- neys thereby materially reducing this class of causes of fire, . inasmuch as a chimney fire being centrally located in a build- ing makes a disagreeable, dirty and dangerous fire and results in a considerable loss to building and especially to contents.
False alarms and bonfires. I should be delinquent in my duties if I failed to mention this class of alarms, each year I have called attention to their great number and the attendant danger and expense, during the past year there have been several cases, in the Police Court, of persons sounding false alarms and in some instances a punishment has been imposed ; I strongly urge continued and greater efforts towards investi- gation and prosecution of this class of criminals, that this unnecessary abuse of apparatus and equipment be reduced.
Recommendations.
I again recommend the discontinuance of the present Engine No. 4 Station, at the corner of Grove Street and High- land Avenue, and the erection of an up-to-date station for the housing of the motor equipment necessary to make this station effective; the horse-drawn apparatus consisting of a steam fire engine and a horse-drawn combination chemical and hose wagon should be replaced with a motor pumping engine and a motor double tank combination chemical and hose car; the efficiency of such an equipment is unquestioned and the ex- pense of operation will be 85% less than the horse-drawn, comparison being made with like equipment at Engine No. 2 Station, Engine 2 and Hose 8 requiring $202.82 for gasoline and oil as against $1,440.02 for feed, shoeing, harness repairs and veterinary service at Engine No. 4 Station.
A new car for the use of the District Chief should be provided to replace a ten year old roadster that was purchased second-hand seven years ago.
In Conclusion.
In concluding my report I wish to thank His Honor the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen for their confidence and consideration ; to the officers and members of the department commendation is due for their zeal and success in the per- formance of their duties.
Respectfully submitted,
SEWALL M. RICH,
Chief Engineer.
188
ANNUAL REPORTS.
REPORT OF SANITARY DEPARTMENT
March 3, 1923.
To the Honorable, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen of the City of Somerville.
Gentlemen :
I have the honor to submit to you the report of the Sanitary Department for the year 1922.
Collection of Ashes and Paper.
January
12,760
3,760
March
13,755
3,520
April
9,780
3,310
May
9,150
3,850
June
8,000
5,100
July
7,350
4,800
August
5,890
4,100
September
5,970
3,700
October
6,688
4,010
November
8,510
3,680
December
11,790
3,980
Totals
.
109,913
47,230
Departmental Revenue.
Sale of Garbage
$2,853 45
Manure
20
Horses, dump carts, offal wagons, etc. .
3,739 79
$6,343 24
During the year the Sanitary Department paid to the Highway Department $4,197.30 for the use of teams and $828.00 for board of horses.
.
February
Ashes (Cubic Yards)
Paper (Cubic Yards)
10,270
3,420
189
SANITARY DEPARTMENT.
Commencing June 12, 1922 the garbage has been col- lected by a contractor, the contract price being $33,000 per year for five years with a yearly increase of $300.
The paper and combustible materials are being disposed of at the incinerator plant. Ashes are collected principally by automobile trucks, deemed necessary as there are no nearby dumps. There is no public dump within the city limits and those now used by this department are located in the city of Medford and are subject to the rules and regulations of the Medford Board of Health.
Respectfully submitted,
EDGAR T. MAYHEW, Supt. of Sanitary Department.
190
ANNUAL REPORTS.
REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
City Hall, Somerville, January 1, 1923.
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, 1922.
The total valuation of the property which is in the custody of the public buildings department is approximately $3,591,206.
The total expenditures for the year 1922 for the care and maintenance of this property was $232,089.59.
This amount was expended as follows :
Janitors
Fuel
Light
Care and Repairs
Totals
School Buildings .
$58,242 59
$39,877 15
$10,077 77
$59,497 50
$167,695 01
Municipal Buildings
5,170 97
1,629 13
1,527 05
3,254 95
11,582 10
Polling Places
1 40
28 56
679 12
709 08
Police Buildings
1,961 19
1,177 38
718 97
2,500 51
6,358 05
Fire Buildings ..
4,809 86
3,110 06
7,776 62
15,696 54
Electrical Dept. Bldg.
880 00
208 12
139 68
159 86
1,387 66
Contagious Hospital
416 00
1,599 78
420 88
1,011 20
3,447 86
Sewer Buildings
44 00
49 13
489 18
582 31
Sanitary Buildings .
88 20
187 96
370 30
646 46
Highway
Buildings
703 42
221 57
899 06
1,824 05
City Home Buildings
1,933 99
694 37
1,686 14
4,314 50
Central Library
3,068 00
1,169 08
1,167 88
547 08
5,952 04
West Branch Library
1,408 00
519 31
397 81
142 97
2,468 09
East Branch Library
1,101 00
155 38
205 07
53 15
1,514 60
Union Sq. Br. Library
1,122 48
445 52
290 43
264 05
2,122 48
Park Buildings
378 00
175 50
551 29
414 77
1,519 56
Bathhouse
1,025 09
1,506 40
2,531 49
Bandstand
412 87
412 87
Water Buildings
811 70
318 84
194 30
1,324 84
$74,773 32
$55,348 92
$20,107 32
$81,860 03
$232,089 59
.
...
...
Inspection of Buildings.
The Commissioner of Public Buildings is also the in- spector of buildings according to the terms of the charter and as such during the past year has made 2688 formal in- spections of buildings in the process of construction.
191
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The following table shows the number of permits issued for building operations during the year 1922: -
WARDS
Buildings
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 Totals
Dwellings
38
49
25
25
45
49
189
420
Stores
10
4
5
3
7
6
9
44
Dwellings & Stores
2
2
2
2
1
3
3
15
Garages
42
32
36
38
44
65
154
411
Storage
7
7
1
7
1
3
4
30
Manufactories
1
7
....
2
....
..
Sheds
6
6
....
2
1
1
5
21
Offices
3
2
..
....
...
....
5
Stables
2
2
3
....
....
10
Shops
3
..
...
....
1
....
...
....
2
Gasoline Stations
....
....
....
2
2
....
2
6
Greenhouse
....
....
....
....
....
....
1
Creameries
2
....
....
....
....
1
5
Theatres
....
....
....
....
....
1
1
2
Stores and Offices
....
1
....
....
....
....
1
3
Miscellaneous
2
2
1
2
....
....
7
Totals
. 120
113
73
94
103
132
378
1013
Wood
Fire-resisting
Totals
New buildings
226
441
667
Alterations
296
27
323
Totals
.
.
23 buildings torn down
WARDS
Buildings
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 Totals
Wood
61
70
30
41
48
58
210
518
Wood and Cement
....
....
....
....
1
4
7
12
Wood and Concrete
1
....
....
1
1
....
3
6
Fireproofed wood
1
4
4
3
....
1
2
15
Brick
4
5
4
6
2
8
10
39
Brick and wood
3
2
....
1
1
1
....
8
Brick and Concrete
5
4
....
2
3
3
7
24
Cement block
25
15
29
26
27
45
118
285
Concrete
19
7
2
12
6
6
17
69
Steel
1
6
4
2
10
5
3
31
Wood and glass
....
....
....
....
....
....
Stucco
....
....
....
....
....
....
1
1
Wood and Stucco
....
....
....
....
4
....
....
4
Totals
·
120
113
73
94
103
132
378
1013
...
2
Halls
....
1
1
....
....
....
Chemical Laboratory
....
....
. . .
....
7
14
Churches
2
Bakery
1
....
2
....
3
....
1
3
....
1
1
1
2
....
....
1
2
Warehouse
.
.
522
468
990
·
.
.
1
1
....
.
10
192
ANNUAL REPORTS.
The number of plumbing permits issued during 1922, was. 415 Number of permits for plumbing in new buildings . 223 .
· Number of permits for plumbing in old buildings . .
· 192
Number of buildings in which soil pipes were tested . . 341
The total estimated cost of new buildings and altera- tions during the year 1922 was $3,136,602, while the estimated cost in 1921 was $1,838,455, showing an increase of $1,298,- 147.
The total number of permits issued during the year 1922, viz. 1013, was 299 more than during the year 1921, when 714 permits for new buildings and alterations were issued, showing an increase of 41 per cent.
There has been considerable speculative building of dwell- ings going on this year, or to be exact there were permits issued for 194 new buildings housing 401 families.
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 alteration 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 1922 amounted to $2618.
The Commissioner has under his charge and direction the work of maintenance and upkeep of the eighty-four public buildings of the city and the grounds in connection therewith, all janitors in the city's employ, a force of eleven mechanics who perform most of the work of keeping the buildings in repair, the inspection of installation and care of all elevators, the supervision of construction of all new municipal build- ings, the maintenance of the public bathing beach, and public municipal baths in the Bennett, and Bingham Schools, and Lincoln Park.
The various activities in connection with the depart- ment 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 was sent out for bids for supplying the necessary tonnage of both Anthracite and Bituminous coal for the city buildings for the winter of 1922 and the spring of 1923.
Owing to mine troubles and railroad conditions, it was impossible to obtain bids for fuel this year. Lack of high
193
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
grade soft and Anthracite coal in Boston markets made the situation look quite uncertain. However, the Commissioner succeeded in obtaining through several local Boston concerns a very high grade of New River soft coal at an exceedingly low price.
There are, however, several plants where it is almost impossible to obtain any results from soft coal. It has been possible, however, to keep these plants supplied with Anthra- cite coal.
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