Report of the city of Somerville 1922, Part 8

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Somerville, Mass.
Number of Pages: 472


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1922 > Part 8


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I recommend that the incomplete portions of the side- walks on our main streets be constructed with granolithic.


Miles of edgestone, granolithic, brick and gravel side- walks in the city : -


Edgestones


147.894 miles


Granolithic sidewalks


55.330 miles


Brick sidewalks


70.911 miles


Gravel sidewalks


22.601 miles


$15,379.35 was expended for Sidewalks Construction.


Highways Construction - Permanent Pavement.


Contracts were awarded to Simpson Brothers Corpora- tion at $5.90 a square yard and to C. W. Dolloff and Com- pany at $6.30 a square yard for paving with granite paving blocks grouted with cement on a concrete base. They fur- nished all materials and did the excavating.


A big improvement was made on Cross street from Pearl street to Broadway. All wires were placed underground ; Electric and sign posts were set on the back of the side- walks; the edgestones on both sides of the street were set back eighteen inches, making the roadway three feet wider than the old street; new tracks were constructed, in place of the old ones, on a concrete base by the Boston Elevated Railway Company and granite paving blocks on a concrete base grouted were laid from the car tracks to the edgestones by the city. If the State does not take this street for a boulevard I hope the remaining portion of Cross street will be widened and constructed in the same manner.


$69,100.81 was expended for Permanent Pavement.


Reconstruction and Resurfacing.


Twelve streets were reconstructed or resurfaced under this appropriation at an average cost of $1.50 a square yard by city employees.


By carrying on this kind of work each year the cost of maintenance is reduced and keeps our streets up to the standard of streets in other cities. I think this kind of con- struction for the money expended gives greater satisfaction and pleases more tax payers than any other division of this department.


$30,156.12 was expended for Reconstruction and Resur- facing.


SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION.


Broadway


In front estate No. 83B-91 ·


Grano


$188 34


Broadway


In front estate No. 95-99


113 11


Broadway


In front estate No. 282


39 90


Broadway


At drinking fountain, Trum Park . .


14 74


Broadway


In front estate No. 982-986


261 88


Broadway


In front estate No. 1298 1300


153 36


Broadway


At Waterhouse street


181 97


Clarendon avenue


In front estate No. 58-60 .


96 27


Concord avenue


Southerly side to Hammond street, westerly .


155 25


Curtis avenue


Curtise street to Hillsdale Road


..


1,375 93


College avenue


B. & M. line to Hotel Woodbridge .


404 69


Cross street


Broadway to Pearl street, both sides


3,817 99


Electric avenue


Southerly side near Mason street to Packard avenue


588 85


Elm street


Westerly side, Mossland street to White street


.


2,075 26


Garfield avenue


Southeasterly side where not laid


560 91


Hammond street


Both sides, Concord avenue to Dickinson street


935 50


Fremont street


In front estate No. 26 . .


142 63


Leonard street


At side estate No. 52 Powder House Boulevard


187 77


New Cross street


1,040 19


Paul Revere Park


394 70


Powder House Blvd.


In front estate No. 52


146 19


Powder House Blvd.


In front estate No. 50


115 31


Sycamore street


In front estate No. 53-55 .


198 01


Morrison avenue


Northeasterly side, Prichard avenue, to Boston avenue


344 98


Webster avenue


In front estate No. 2-4


197 00


Wellington avenue


Northeasterly side, Walnut street to Montgomery avenue .


349 30


Whitfield Road


In front estate No. 39 to 45


158 90


Whitfield Road


In front estate No. 34


120 04


Willoughby street


In front estate 26 to 34


.


.


.


403 94


Bonner avenue . ..


Westerly side, Homer square to Washington street


Brick


251 53


Highland avenue


Southwesterly side, Conwell street to Porter street (relaid)


83 36


.


.


.


.


ANNUAL REPORTS.


140


.


·


·


.


.


/


284 55


Union Square


In front estate No. 7-10 .


.


.


.


.


Northerly in front estate Frederick R. Curtis Broadway at Main street .


.


RECONSTRUCTION AND RESURFACING. Streets Reconstructed and Resurfaced in 1922.


Street


From


To


Width


Length


Cost


Bonair street


Cross street


Walnut street


40


520


$2,577 49


Cherry street


Summer street


Highland avenue


45


545


1,180 26


Cottage avenue


Russell street


Chester street


40


550


1,679 71


Hathorn street


Broadway


Arlington street


40


339


753 73


Hawthorne street


Willow avenue


Cutter avenue


30


807


1,972 06


Mossland street


Elm street


Somerville avenue


40


377


1,951 04


Poplar street


Linwood street


Somerville avenue


30


351


1,258 75


School street


Highland avenue


Medford street


50


825


3,890 45


Thurston street


Medford street


Broadway


40


1380


3,910 39


Warner street


College avenue


Medford line


60


500


3,058 46


Washington street


Beacon street


Cambridge line


60


220


1,770 76


.


..


....


.


.


·


.


.


1


STREET COMMISSIONER.


141


·


142


ANNUAL REPORTS


Miscellaneous.


137 Granolithic driveways constructed


100 Brick driveways constructed.


42 Edgestones dropped for driveways.


2 Driveways extended.


1 Driveway discontinued.


Driveways are constructed, discontinued, relocated or ex- tended at the expense of the petitioners.


Length of public streets, 85.762 miles.


Seven horses were killed on account of disability and no horses purchased during the year.


The department maintains its own municipal repair shop for the different lines of work.


741 horses were shod during the year. Our horses, during the slippery going in the winter, must be sharp shod (we use the iron grip shoe and drive calks) because we must have the sidewalks and hills sanded for others to travel on.


100 drive calk shoes were put on.


I have attended meetings of the Public Works and of the Board of Aldermen for consultation regarding work and pe- titions.


Labor.


Eight hours constitute a day.


The regular employees are given two weeks vacation and all employees twelve months Saturday half holiday without loss of pay.


Laborers receive $4.00, drivers and chauffeurs $4.10, me- chanics $4.50 and engineers $4.75 per day.


The city does its own insuring for injured laborers. There are twenty-one former employees receiving pensions under the act providing for the pensioning of laborers.


There were during 1922: -


154 permits issued to the Cambridge and Charlestown Gas Companies.


170 permits issued to cross sidewalks.


378 permits issued to occupy streets and sidewalks.


30 permits issued to feed horses.


3 street sprinkling complaints and requests.


254 notifications to other departments and corporations. 95 accident reports.


1096 police reports.


624 brick and granolithic sidewalks repaired.


1103 miscellaneous reports and requests.


128 drain layers permits.


690 water department openings.


141 permits to open streets and sidewalks.


46 danger and traffic signs erected.


15 new signs erected.


143


STREET COMMISSIONER.


95 signs repainted.


62 streets cleaned by request.


3886 cubic yards of sand and gravel used.


3571 cubic yards of dirt removed.


1354 cubic yards of ashes used.


1773 cubic yards of old macadam used.


4395 bags of Portland cement used.


Recommendations.


I most respectfully recommend that the granite paving blocks on a gravel base on Somerville avenue from near Union square westerly, and on the northerly side of Wash- ington street from the Boston line to Tufts street be removed, recut and repaved on a concrete base and grouted with Port- land cement. If this is done I think we could secure enough extra paving blocks to complete the northerly side of Beacon street, which is permanent paving on both ends. Within a short time permanent paving will be necessary on the north- erly side of Broadway from Cross street to the Boston line, as this part of the street is in sad need of a more substantial paving than is there at the present time. On Prospect street from Somerville avenue to the approaches of the Fitchburg railroad bridge the bituminous top should be removed from the concrete base and granite paving blocks be laid on the old concrete base and grouted with Portland cement. I recom- mend the purchase of a one ton Ford truck to be used by the tree division, and a fire proof garage to be erected at the city stable yard.


I desire to express my appreciation for the co-operation of Mayor Webster, who has taken a great interest in the work of this department, also to the members of the Board of Aldermen and Heads of Departments. I feel that I would be remiss in my duty if I neglected this opportunity to say a merited word of praise to the employees of my department who perform the actual labor of service.


Respectfully submitted,


ASA B. PRICHARD,


Street Commissioner.


144


ANNUAL REPORTS.


REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.


OFFICE OF THE CITY ENGINEER,


CITY HALL, SOMERVILLE, JANUARY, 20, 1923. 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, 1922, by the Engineering De- partment and appropriations under my charge and super- vision, including the accounts of city engineer, sewers con- struction, sewers maintenance, parks maintenance, play- grounds maintenance, and other public works, is herewith presented :- the 50th anniversary of the city-my twenty- seventh annual report as city engineer.


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-he shall be consulted in relation to public improvements of every kind when the ad- vice of a civil engineer would be of service-and no pipes, conduits, railway tracks, poles or other structures shall be placed beneath or upon the city streets unless a plan show- ing proposed location thereof has first been approved by the city engineer. City Engineer is also Supt. of Sewers and Supt. of Parks and grounds.


New construction work has progressed more during the past year, in the various divisions, than any time since the World War.


Divisions


Appropriations and Credits Expenditures Balances


City Enginneer .


$12,945 00


$700 00


$13,602 06


$42 94.


Parks Maintenance


11,450 00


11,383 15


66 85


Playgrounds Maint.


6,510 00


339 75


6,795 47(A)


54 28


Sewers Maintenance


24,500 00


419 40


24,573 59 (B)


345 81


Sewers Construction


17,042 47


14,286 09


2,756 38


Stock Account


422 65


199 05


223 60


(A) Includes $300.00 transfer to City Engineer Account.


(B)


Includes 400.00 transfer to City Engineer Account.


(Expenditures in the various divisions are shown in de- tail in the City Auditor's annual report).


145


CITY ENGINEER.


CITY ENGINEER DIVISION, CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDI- TURES, 1922.


Sewers and Storm Drains,-comprising surveys, esti- mates, profiles, lines, grades, titles, plans, assess- ments, all engineering work relating to same and supervision . Highways,-comprising plans, estimates, titles, profiles, lines and grades, inspection of paving and all other engineering work relating to the department .


$1,470 76


1,392 32


Sidewalks,-comprising profiles, lines, grades, measure- ments, inspection, titles, costs and assessments . 352 14


Water Works,-comprising lines, grades, locations of mains, gates, hydrants, services and other matters relating to the department


497 63


Parks and Playgrounds,-comprising surveys, plans, esti- mates, profiles, and grades, including laying out of parks, playrgounds, boulevard and supervision .


296 62 1


Public Buildings,-comprising surveys, estimates, lines and grades, and other work relating to constructing and laying out of grounds .


209 69


Street Numbering,-comprising locations of buildings, plans ,assigning street numbers, etc. .


431 89


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


361 69


Bridges and Grade Crossings,-comprising surveys, plans, profiles, estimates, lines and grades, etc. . . City Survey,-comprising establishing of street lines, acceptance plans, and miscellaneous survey work for city map, etc. ·


450 00


Middlesex Registry and Land Court, - comprising copying of plans, and abstracts from deeds and examination of titles filed at East Cambridge, also tracing of street acceptance and sewer taking plans, filed for record Private Corporations, Railway, Telephone, Electric Light


127 33


and Gas Light Companies,-comprising grades, plans, profiles and office notes, locations of poles and conduits


· .


132 83


Setting Stone Bounds and Brass Rods,-defining street lines and city boundary lines


63 83


Office Work,-comprising record of all locations, indexing, typewriting, bookkeeping, calculations, reports, and general draughting


1,597 25


Miscellaneous Work,-comprising preliminary surveys,


designs, sketches, etc., relating to various schemes for committees


19 42


Holidays, Vacations and Sickness


882 79


National Guard Duty ·


65 00


Engineering,-General Departmental expenses (all di- visions) comprising city engineer's salary, auto, tele- phone, car fares, postage and incidentals


5,181 52


Total


$13,602 06


Value of field instruments, tools and office instruments, $1,500.00


69 35


146


ANNUAL REPORTS.


The total cost of maintaining the Engineer's Division since it was established, 1872-1922 both years inclusive, has amounted to $438,463.00.


Six assistants have been employed the greater part of the year, on engineering work.


A number of plans were made during the year for street acceptance and five streets have been accepted as public highways, under the betterment act.


There are plans for acceptance of twelve private streets on file in this office, that for various reasons have not been made public ways.


Surveys, calculations, estimates and plans have been made for taking land. buildings and private property for School- house purposes in certain sections of the city and borings and tests made by this department to determine the character of the soil for the foundation of proposed buildings to be erected on the areas taken.


The improvement of Cross street (between Broadway and Pearl street) has been accomplished by widening the roadway and narrowing the sidewalks eighteen inches on either side of the street, placing all overhead service wires in underground conduits and removing old poles from the street, except the trolley wire support poles which were relocated on the inside of the sidewalk or property line; this plan of improvement should be extended the entire length of the street to Central Square immediately.


Many streets and avenues in the city are of the same, or very similar name and could be changed at the present time (renamed in memory of deceased veterans of World War) eliminating the confusion now existing; and where traffic is congested, certain streets should be made "one way" streets and traffic regulation and zone signs installed.


Some of the old main thoroughfares should be re- numbered their entire length, so as to eliminate half numbers and letters now being used.


147


CITY ENGINEER.


A LAST TRIBUTE OF RESPECT AND ESTEEM


TO THE MEMORY OF


JOHN JOSEPH MURRAY


BORN DECEMBER 24, 1877


DIED NOVEMBER 26, 1922.


AN ASSISTANT IN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT


FOR MORE THAN 26 YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE


"Johnny" Murray, as he was popularly known by his office associates, all city employees and his many friends, was a Somerville boy, educated in the city's public schools and employed in this department all his life ;- at his work on Saturday, but for the last time, as shortly after leaving the office for the week-end, he became ill and died on the follow- ing day. (Sunday). -


His sudden death deprived the department and city of servcie of a high character-his whole career displayed ability and he was conscientious, efficient and energetic in the per- formance of his duties.


A young man of a happy, genial and kindly disposition, of a courteous and affable bearing with his office companions, a general favorite, endearing him in the hearts of many friends, and he will be long and pleasantly remembered.


148


STREETS ACCEPTED AS PUBLIC HIGHWAYS IN 1922, UNDER THE BETTERMENT ACT.


Name of Street


Ward


From


To


Width in ft.


Length in ft.


Date of Acceptance


Gordon street


7 North street


Alewife Brook Parkway ·


40


1254


June 23, 1922


Miller street


6 Sacramento street .


Beacon street .


30-33


466


May


19, 1922


Murdock street


.


5 Cedar street


Clyde street


30


853


September 15, 1922


Murray street .


.


1 Washington street


Southeasterly


30


190


December


2, 1922


Total


(0.523 miles) .


2763


*Dow street 7 Powder House Blvd.


Ware street


40


257


January


3, 1923


*Was accepted by Board of Aldermen 1922. Mayor's signature January 3, 1923.


-


ANNUAL REPORTS.


.


.


.


·


.


.


.


.


149


CITY ENGINEER.


Summary. - Public streets 85.762 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 streets 15.104 miles.


Total length of streets in the city 100.866 miles.


In the 1910 report, tables were published showing old names of certain streets as formerly known, and names of public squares in the city ; the names of some of these squares having been changed recently.


Length of Public Streets in Each Ward


Ward one


10.824


Ward two


.


.


9.739


Ward three


.


7.630


Ward four


10.026


Ward five


12.540


Ward six


13.866


Ward seven


21.137


Total length of public streets in the city .


85.762


Street "Markers"-(Stone Bounds) (Brass rods set in cement sidewalks).


1922 - stone bound set southeast corner Otis Street and Wigglesworth Street.


Stone bound set southeast side Marshall Street at south- west corner old Fire Station Lot.


Stone bounds have been reset in Portland cement con- crete at a number of street intersections and angles, to define and preserve the true lines of public streets, and this work should be continued as much as possible each year. These bounds are also of great convenience in establishing per- manent "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 additional lists in the reports of 1908, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1919, 1920, 1921 and 1922 will show location of all street bounds set to 1923.


There are at the present time a total of 660 bounds or brass rods set for defining street lines.


Four new streets have been constructed, under the bet- terment act, with a bituminous macadam wearing surface, concrete gutters and granite edgestone, a total of 1,689 feet (.32 mile) ; the work being done by contract.


The average cost of this type of construction complete, for these streets, was $9.27 per linear foot, a high rate, on


150


ANNUAL REPORTS.


account of the unusual cost of materials and labor. (Average cost of bituminous surface $1.83 per square yard.)


Assessments have been levied on abutting property owners for approximately one-half of the cost of constructing these streets.


New granite block pavement has been laid on a concrete base with a cement grout in sections of Linwood street, Som- erville avenue, Beacon street, Cross street and Murray street ; 12,966 square yards (3,640 feet in length) of this type of pavement were constructed by contract at $5.90-$6.20-$6.30 per yard complete. In conjunction with this paving the street railway company also laid approximately 2,770 square yards new granite paving between rails where tracks existed and new tracks added.


In constructing the granite pavement, new bituminous streets and granolithic sidewalks, 4,006 feet (0.76 mile) of new granite edgestone were set, at an average cost of $1.55 per foot.


The total length of permanent paved streets in the city amounts to 18.54 miles.


Permanent street pavement should be extended as rapidly as possible, using old granite blocks, re-cut and laid on a concrete base - the best and most economical pavement for this city.


Grades were given and measurements taken for the reconstruction of twelve streets with a bituminous wearing surface, a length of 7,989 feet (1.513 miles) ;- this work was done by day labor, averaging $1.20 per square yard (at the rate of $3.10 a foot for 40 foot width street.)


TABLE OF STREET CONSTRUCTION


Sq. Yards


Miles


*Streets paved with granite blocks


153,850


6.83


** Streets paved with concrete .


23,990


1.42


¡Streets paved with asphaltic top


38,964


2.37


Streets paved with vitrified brick


20,958


1.29


Streets paved with "Bi-co-mac"


10,100


0.77


Streets paved with bitulithic (patent)


3,059


0.06


Combination pavement (concrete


base with


bituminous top)


87,200


5.80


Streets macadamized (bituminous binder)


43.53


Streets macadamized (water bound)


22.89


Streets graveled or unimproved .


15.91


Total


100.87


.


*Also 32.5 miles (single track) electric railway paved with granite, asphalt, bitulithic, etc.


** Includes 0.42 mile state highway.


+Includes 1.16 miles of state highway.


¿Includes 1.406 miles of city boulevard and park roadways and 2.831 miles of state boulevard (Metropolitan Park Commission).


151


CITY ENGINEER.


There are a number of very dangerous crossings in this city at intersecting public thoroughfares, where the corners should be cut back and the roadway widened for the safety of traffic and improvement in appearance.


Lines and grades were given and measurements taken for constructing thirty-three new granolithic sidewalks - 5,215.3 square yards (1.35 miles), and assessments were com- puted, the abutting property owners paying one-half the cost. The greater part of this work was done by day-labor at an average cost of $3.00 per square yard.


In laying out new work, under orders passed for con- struction of sidewalks, etc., occasionally portions of build- ings and fences are found to be encroaching on the sidewalk and on 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 sub- stuted in place of brick.


Miles of Edgestone, Granolithic, Gravel and Brick Sidewalks in Each Ward.


Edgestone


Gravel Sidewalk


Brick Sidewalk


Granolithic Sidewalk


Ward one


20.042


3.574


11.898


4.994


Ward two


16.962


6.513


6.386


3.835


Ward three


14.325


0.906


11.603


1.911


Ward four


15.309


1.250


9.802


4.189


Ward five


22.716


4.399


12.155


6.056


Ward six


25.372


3.949


10.678


11.419


Ward seven


33.168


2.010


8.389


22.926


147.894


22.601


70.911


55.330


(Details, etc., streets and sidewalks in report of Street Com- missioner ).


The Boston Elevated Railway Company has petitioned for a relocation of tracks in certain streets and has made extensive repairs in its roadbed in this city during the past year, replacing long sections of old tracks with new and heavier rails; and new double tracks have been constructed in Somerville avenue between Wilson Square and Beacon street bridge-completing a through double track line in this street, extending from the west Cambridge line to the east Cambridge line, connecting to Lechmere Square ter- minal. In Teele Square and Wilson Square double tracks


152


ANNUAL REPORTS.


have been relocated and widened out on the curves so that large cars can operate without delay.


There are, however, a number of miles of trackage, orders having been granted for widening in the city's main thorough- fares, where the old granite block pavement, within the rail- road location should be relaid and grouted with cement and additional catch basins constructed between the rails to relieve the flooding of sections of certain streets in times of heavy storms. There are 32.5 miles of electric railroad (single track length) at the present time in the city's streets. A consider- able length of high power cables have been placed in under- ground 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; and the work of placing overhead wire in conduits, underground, and removing poles from the streets should be extended as rapidly as possible.


In the city's squares overhead wires should be placed underground, immediately, and practically all poles (except for lights) removed - on the main thoroughfares many of the existing poles should be eliminated, at the present time, being unnecessary.


A special ordinance should be enacted concerning city inspection on all underground work done by private companies or corporations and regulation as to method of street open- ings.


At the present time there are underground in the city's streets 17.64 miles of telephone conduits, 12.72 miles of elec- tric light conduits, 4.46 miles of electric railway conduits, and about 9.97 miles of underground conduits used for the city's wires.


The Cambridge and Charlestown gas companies have re- spectively 64.42 and 28.16 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 corrected to date; also a large number of old water services where new meters were installed, have been located and recorded.




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