USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > The history of Melrose, County of Middlesex, Massachusetts > Part 26
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That Wingate P. Sargent, Wilbur D. Fiske, John R. Jones, Nathan D. Blake and William F. Sherman be a committee with full power and authority to contract for and cause to be made a suitable reservoir, and such other enlargements, extensions and improvements of our present water service as will give to the inhabitants of the town a full supply of water, provided the same can be done at an expense not exceeding $37,000.
This committee built a reservoir on the highest point of land
296
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
on the east side of Spot Pond, into which the water was pumped by the Pumping Station on the border of the Pond, and made all other necessary arrangements for a complete "High Service" system, which was finished and put into opera- tion in 1886. From this time Melrose suffered not for lack of water until the dry season of 1894, when it was found neces- sary, on account of the lowness of the water in Spot Pond, to take steps for procuring an additional supply of water. Ex- periments were made by sinking artesian wells on the north- erly side of Ell Pond, and other sources were examined and considered, but not availed of. The Middlesex Fells Springs Company having established a plant for furnishing pure water from wells sunk on the northerly side of Wyoming Avenue, and west of Whittier Street, near the Ravine Road, a contract was made between that Company and the Water Commission- ers in behalf of Melrose to furnish a certain number of gallons of water per day, by pumping into our system of pipes. This arrangement continued for nearly two years, from May 21, 1894 to May 1, 1896, the Company having furnished the Town 275,245,473 gallons of water at a cost to the Town of $18,500.60. At that time, May 1, Spot Pond again furnished all the neces- sary supply of water; and now that the great Metropolitan Water System has absorbed all the existing water works with- in the radius of ten miles-the " Greater Boston"-no further lack of water need be anticipated for generations to come. Spot Pond has been taken into the system as an auxiliary reservoir to supply the northern high-service district; and is to be kept constantly full by pumping from the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. The elevation of the surface of the water on Janu- ary 1, 1901, when only 3.53 feet below the high water mark, was 159.47 feet above Boston city base; and it then con- tained 1,450,000,000 gallons; the capacity of the full pond is 1,791,000,000 gallons. Its capacity under the old system was 758,000,000 gallons.
As an additional supply, a new reservoir has been built in the higher part of the Fells, a short distance to the south of the high service reservoir which formerly supplied Melrose. This is for the supply of Malden, Melrose, Everett and Chelsea. It has an altitude of 271 feet above the sea level, 137 feet above that of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, and 108 feet above Spot Pond. It has an area of 8.52 acres, and a capacity of 41,400,000
297
SPOT POND WATER WORKS.
gallons. It has cost $134,776.32. To supply this reservoir from Spot Pond, a very handsome pumping station has been erected on what was formerly the charming estate of Charles Copeland, on the shore of the Pond, at a cost, including a Leavitt engine with pumping capacity of 10,000,000 gallons daily, and a Holly engine with a capacity of 20,000,000 gallons daily, of $227,196.71.4
Under the provisions of the act of 1895, creating the Metro- politan Water Board and District, the following assessments have been paid by Melrose: 1898, $3,332.04; 1899, $4,921.63; 1900, $6,740.49; 1901, $12,546.32.
In 1890, cooperative action was taken by the three munici- palities, Malden, Medford and Melrose, with the view of pro- tecting the waters of Spot Pond from pollution; and at a Special Town Meeting held July 7, 1891, the Town voted to join with Malden and Medford in buying all the lands on the immediate border of the Pond, and appropriated $20,000 for its third of the total cost of $60,000. Had these cities and this town foreseen that within a very few years this whole question of water supply would have been absorbed by the action of the State, and placed under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Water Board, this united action of the three municipalities need never have taken place, and this outlay of money might have been saved.
+ Spot Pond was taken into this new and extensive system January 1, 1898, under the authority of " An Act to Provide for a Metropolitan Water Supply," passed by the Legislature and approved June 5,
1895. The district of "Greater Boston" embraced the cities of Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Newton, Somerville and Medford, and the towns of Belmont, Hyde Park, Melrose, Revere, Watertown and Winthrop. Since its passage additional legislation has added the city of Quincy and the towns of Arlington, Nahant and Stoneham to the district.
The total cost of this great and beneficent system thus far has been ·$40,000,000; and the cost to each
municipality each year is now as follows:
Boston, $1,266,809
Everett, 23,549
Medford, .
19,793
Newton, . 7,400
Somerville, 61,571
Belmont, . 4,622
Nahant, .
2,794
Stoneham,
6,139
Winthrop,
6,738
Chelsea,
32,045
Malden,
33,104
Melrose,
13,596
Quincy, ·
23,8.45
Arlington,
9,124
Hyde Park,
2,159
Revere, .
10,892
Watertown,
10,620
298
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
At a Town Meeting held December 9, 1897, this preliminary action was taken on account of the contemplated absorption of the Spot Pond Water Works into the great Metropolitan Water System:
Voted, That the water board, whenever the metropolitan water board shall have taken the waters of the south branch of the Nashua River, and the property of the city of Boston, situated westerly of the intersections of the main pipes to be laid from Chestnut Hill reservoir to Spot pond, with the main pipes which convey water from the Mystic distributing reservoir; also the pumping station at Chestnut Hill reser- voir, and lands under and surrounding the same, and the pipes and aqueducts leading thereto; also Spot pond, so called, in or near the town of Stoneham, and the lands under and surrounding the same, now owned by the cities of Malden and Medford and the Town of Melrose, or either of them, held for the purpose of water supply, or of protecting or preserving the purity of the water, and the pumping sta- tions and pumps thereon as provided in Act of 1895, Chap. 488, Sec. 4, shall file with said board, the application of the town for furnishing water thereto, as provided in Section 3, of said Chap. 488 of the Acts of 1895.
After the Spot Pond Water Works had been absorbed by the Metropolitan Water System, the following action was taken at a Town Meeting held March 14, 1898:
Voted, That the water commissioners and the following named five citizens of Melrose: A. V. Lynde, Royal P. Barry, B. Marvin Fernald, John W. Farwell and George R. Jones, be a committee to represent the town in all matters pertaining to the taking of its water supply by the commonwealth, any portion thereof, or interest therein; the said committee have full power and authority to negotiate for a settlement, and adjust all claims of said town against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the metropolitan board of water commissioners, to agree upon a price for the same. Said committee shall not bind the town by any final adjudication as to the value of any of its rights so taken, until the same has been reported back to the town, and duly approved by it, but may accept partial payment on account of said damages, then to cause proper petition or action therein to be brought to recover damages for taking of said property.
The same committee remained in force through the year 1899; and when the City Government was inaugurated, a Special Committee on Settlement with the Metropolitan Water Board was appointed, consisting of Aldermen Howes, Moore,
299
SPOT POND WATER WORKS.
Carrie, Shepard and Goss. The same Committee was ap- pointed for the year 1901, with one change; Elbridge H. Goss took the place of Curtis C. Goss. Later, April 6, Alderman Charles N. Shute was added to this Committee.
As the proper time had not arrived, no action was taken by the Committee appointed by the Town, March 14, 1898, neither by the Special Aldermanic Committee of 1900; but, during the year 1901, His Honor. John Larrabee, Mayor, City Solicitor Frank L. Washburn, and the Aldermanic Committee, and the representatives of the cities of Malden and Medford, equally interested with Melrose, met the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board,5 acting for the Commonwealth, with the view of obtaining terms which should be satisfactory to all three municipalities.
After that the Mayor and City Solicitor were authorized on behalf of Melrose, to continue these negotiations, the result of which was communicated to the Board of Aldermen at its meeting October 7, 1901, by the following correspondence:
CITY OF MELROSE, MAYOR'S OFFICE, October 7, 1901.
To the Honorable, the Board of Aldermen, Melrose, Mass.
GENTLEMEN :- I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of letter received from the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board, in which a direct offer is made by the Board to the City of Melrose in full for its claims against the Commonwealth by reason of the tak- ing of Spot Pond and lands under and surrounding the same, and for the pumping station, pumps, etc., said offer amounting, with interest allowed, to nearly $93,000.00. I have met on several occasions repre- sentatives of the cities of Malden and Medford in conference, and at hearings before the Metropolitan Board; so far as I am able to learn the cities mentioned, who have a joint interest with us, are not prepared to settle on the terms proposed.
I therefore suggest that the matter be referred to the Special Committee already appointed by your Board, with such authority in the premises as in your judgment may deem best.
Respectfully yours, JOHN LARRABEE, Mayor.
5 The Metropolitan Water Board and Metropolitan Sewer Board were
consolidated in one Board by act of Legislature, March 20, 1901.
300
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. METROPOLITAN WATER AND SEWERAGE BOARD. I ASHBURTON PLACE.
BOSTON, August 9, 1901.
Hon. John Larrabee, Mayor of Melrose.
MY DEAR SIR :- The Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board have taken into consideration the claims of the City of Melrose by reason of the taking of Spot Pond and the lands under and surround- ing the same, owned by the cities of Malden, Medford and Melrose, or either of them, held for the purpose of water supply, or of protecting or preserving the purity of the water, and the pumping stations and pumps thereon, as required by the Metropolitan Water Act of 1895.
The Board will pay to the City of Melrose in full for its claims, in- cluding its share under the joint claims of the three cities, the sum of $89,669.54, with interest at the rate of three and one-half per cent. per annum from November 1, 1900.
This includes the tools and supplies on the premises when taken by the Board, the value of which is estimated at $600. This sum so far as we have been able to determine from the exhibits furnished by you, is the amount paid by the City of Melrose on account of the works and property taken by the Board.
The settlement with the City of Boston for like claims was made upon the basis above proposed. The Board does not feel that it should pay for property not taken, although such property was used by the city as a portion of its water works. The city of Boston was not paid for similar works, nor indeed was it paid for the Mystic works which were taken. Water works belonging to several other municipalities in the District have been found useless by them since the introduction of the Metropolitan Supply, and have been necessa- rily abandoned, but in no instance have such works been paid for by the Metropolitan Water Board.
The Board trusts that this offer will be acceptable to the City of Melrose, and that a speedy settlement may be made with the city upon this basis.
Yours very truly,
HENRY H. SPRAGUE, Chairman.
The offer for settlement made by the Metropolitan Water Board has not yet been accepted. In conjunction with the other interested cities, Malden and Medford, further negotia- tions are in progress.
.
CHAPTER XIII.
SEWERAGE.
T T HE act establishing the Metropolitan Sewerage System was passed by the Massachusetts Legislature, June 7, 1889. It was entitled "An Act to provide for the Building, Maintenance and Operation of a System of Sewage Disposal for the Mystic and Charles River Valleys." Section 3, in part, authorized the construction of a Main Sewer, under the direction of the Metropolitan Sewer Commissioners, for the cities of Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Malden, Chelsea, Woburn, Medford, Everett, and the towns of Stoneham, Mel- rose, Winchester, Arlington, Belmont and Winthrop, in ac- cordance with the plans reported and recommended by the State Board of Health, in its report to the Legislature in 1889.
Under this act the State, by its Sewer Commissioners, at once began to build these works; and in due time the initia- tory steps were taken to enable Melrose to participate in this great public benefit.
At a Town Meeting held April 25, 1892, it was voted that a committee consisting of the Selectmen, Levi S. Gould, John P. Deering and Charles W. Higgins, together with George L. Morse, John Robson, Charles W. Cook and Francis S. Hessel- tine, be appointed
to consider the whole question of sewerage for this town, the work to be done, the cost, system or plan to be adopted, how the expense of same shall be borne, whether betterments shall be assessed upon estates or not, and that they be requested to report with recommenda- tions at the next town meeting.
On the 22d of October following, the Town voted:
That the treasurer be authorized to borrow a sum not exceeding $1 500, to be expended under the direction of the committee on sewer- age for the purpose of obtaining plans, specifications, etc., for a sewer- age system for this town.
·
302
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
This committee made its report January 4, 1894, in print; in a pamphlet of 47 pages, containing not only their own report, but that of the engineer, Walter C. Stevens, who had been employed by the committee to make
a map of the entire sewerage system, comprising all streets, both pub- lic and private, to date; a set of profile plans in detail ; specifications, estimates, etc .; all of which your committee believe to be thorough and complete, and in strict accordance with your instructions.
The engineer in making his estimates, divided the Town into nine sections, giving the pipe lines in detail and the estimated cost of construction of the sewers by section; and the commit- tee's recommendation was that the Town
should only authorize such sections to be built from year to year as may be considered absolutely necessary for the health and comfort of our citizens, otherwise a financial burden might be created which it would be unpleasant to contemplate.
Under the general plan thus recommended by the committee the work was duly begun, May 14, 1894, was continued, under the jurisdiction of the three Sewer Commissioners, which were chosen at the Annual Meeting, held March 5, 1894, in accord- ance with Chap. 417, Acts of 1893, relating to the election of Sewer Commissioners, and which had been accepted at the Town Meeting held January 4, 1894, until January 1, 1900, when Melrose became a city, and Sewer Commissioners were no longer elected. These Commissioners were: Seth E. Ben- son, elected for three years, L. Frank Hinckley, for two years, and John Larrabee, for one year.
During the first year sewer bonds were issued to the extent of $100,000, by authority of the Legislature, Chap. 323, Acts of 1894.
In 1895, John Larrabee was re-elected for three years, and the Sewer Department was organized as follows: Seth E. Benson, Chairman; L. Frank Hinckley and John Larrabee, Commissioners; Walter C. Stevens, Engineer; W. Dabney Hunter, Superintendent of Construction. Mr. Hunter acted as an Inspector during the first year.
During this year the Legislature authorized an additional issue of sewer bonds to the extent of $100,000.
The sections thus far completed were connected with the main sewer of the North Metropolitan Sewerage System, June
303
SEWERAGE.
1, 1895, and from that time house connections were made as rapidly as applied for, as they have been with the sections since completed year by year. In 1896, L. Frank Hinckley was re-elected for three years. W. Dabney Hunter was made Chief Engineer and Superintendent, and Clarence T. Fernald, First Assistant Engineer.
Those portions of the Town of Wakefield known as Green- wood and Boyntonville, having petitioned to be admitted to the Metropolitan Sewerage system, hearings were held which resulted in an act passed by the Legislature, under the provis- ions of which the State purchased of the Town of Melrose, the trunk sewer which connects with the State sewer in Wyoming Avenue, running thence through Berwick, Grove, Myrtle, Essex and Tremont Streets to a point near Lake Avenue, paying therefor the actual cost to the Town, and built the remainder of the line through Tremont, Melrose, Belmont, Franklin and Greenwood Streets to the Wakefield line; thus these sections of the Town of Wakefield have been accommodated, and are receiving the same benefits as if they had originally belonged to the Metropolitan district.
In 1897, Seth E. Benson was re-elected for three years, and the organization of the Board of Sewer Commissioners re- mained the same. Messrs. Hinckley and Larrabee, by re-elec- tion as their terms expired, served through 1898 and 1899, until Melrose became a city.
During this year, 1897, the Legislature authorized an addi- tional issue of $100,000 sewer bonds. The total issue of bonds on account of sewer construction has been $350,000, as follows: $100,000 dated 1894, payable in thirty years; $100,000 dated 1895, payable in thirty years; $50,000 dated 1896, payable in thirty years; $100,000 dated 1897, $25,000 of which is payable in ten years, $25,000 in fifteen years, and $50,000 in twenty years; all bearing interest at the rate of four per cent. per annum.
304
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
SEWERS BUILT TO FEBRUARY 1, 1902.
LENGTH IN FEET.
Inches.
1894.
1895.
1896.
1897.
1898.
1899.
1900.
Totals.
6.
14,004.16
20,411.66
26,179.93
22,916.40 2,512.00
4,662.40
839.00
91,525.55
8.
5,439.89
8,020.03
15,505.79
11,817.90
1,424.00
1,530.10
2,429.00
46,166,71
10
1,508.02
4,968.55
2,152.38
2,946.60
1,067.00
2,796.00
15,438.55
12.
949.95
1,250.69
2,407.62
5,672.64
10,280.90
15.
354.80
3,121.73
3.476.53
18.
2,715.07
317.66
2,117.10
5,149.83
20.
2,788.30
2,788.30
24 .....
1,213.10
1,213.10
BRICK.
20 x 18.
3,034.94
3,034.94
20 ..
111.00
111.00
24.
28.00
28.00
Totals .
29,112.29!
34,650.93
46,563.38, 56,627.31 3,936.00 7,259.50 6,064.00
*179,213.41
* Total length of sewers, 179,213.41 feet, or 33.94 miles, 2.4 miles of which are owned and controlled by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but by an act of the Legislature Melrose is permitted to use in the same manner as local sewers.
At a Town Meeting held March 21, 1895, it was voted:
That when this meeting adjourns it shall be to Monday evening, April 8, 1895; that a committee of five be appointed to act in con- junction with the Sewer Commissioners in the consideration of plans for the assessment and apportionment of the estimated cost of the sewer and report at said adjourned meeting.
This committee consisted of Levi S. Gould, Moses S. Page, Royal P. Barry, George L. Morse and George J. Bicknell. This committee reported June 10, 1895, a system of assessment, and apportionment which was adopted by the Town; but as this action was based on a partial knowledge of the cost of the whole system, it was deemed best not to act in the matter until the building of the sewers should be more nearly completed; consequently no further action was taken until the Town Meet- ing which was held April 7, 1896, when the following vote was passed :
That a committee of five citizens be appointed to act in conjunction with the Sewer Commissioners [Seth E. Benson, L. Frank Hinckley and John Larrabee] to take into consideration matters in connection with the levying of sewer assessments, and that the Commissioners be instructed to defer the levying of assessments until further action of the Town.
SIZE.
305
SEWERAGE.
The following were appointed by the Moderator : Royal P. Barry, Eugene H. Moore, George L. Morse, Moses S. Page, William N. Folsom, George R. Jones and William A. Burrell.
As this was a very important matter, it was considered by this committee very carefully, and, after mature deliberation, its report was made at the Town Meeting held March 21, 1898, and was accepted. At an adjourned meeting, held March 28, this report was debated, amended and adopted as follows:
That one-half of the estimated cost of all the Sewers shall be paid by the Town. One-half of the said estimated cost shall be assessed upon the estates directly benefited, wherever the sewer shall be laid, by the frontage and area plan combined, viz: Twenty cents to be assessed on each foot of lot frontage of estates or any street or way wherever a sewer is constructed. Five (5) mills per square foot upon the area of said estates extending back to a depth of one hundred (100) feet from the front of same. Upon all corner lots, assessment for lot frontage shall be levied as before stated, upon the whole frontage of such estate which abuts on the street where a sewer is first constructed, and when a sewer is constructed on the other street or streets, or ways upon which such corner lots or estates abut, an exemption, as may be determined by the Sewer Commissioners, of not exceeding Fifty (50) feet of the frontage assessment shall be made on such streets or ways, and the assessments, as before provided, shall be levied on all the rest of the frontage on such streets or ways. Upon such estates as shall receive a direct benefit from the sewer, and have no assessable lot frontage, and are not located within one hundred (100) feet of a street or way, such an amount of the area of said estate shall be assessed as may be deemed just and reasonable by the Board of Sewer Commis- sioners, for the benefit received.
By the action of the Sewer Commissioners, under the author- ity of the State Law, the payment of the sewer assessments has been so arranged as to bear as lightly as possible upon tax-payers. It was left optional with each citizen, to make the whole amount assessed in one payment, or, apportioned into ten equal parts, one part payable annually, the parts re- maining unpaid to draw interest at the rate of five per cent. per annum.1
1 Further facts concerning the cost of our Sewerage system, to- gether with other details, may be
found in the reports of the Board of Sewer Commissioners, Messrs. Benson, Hinckley and Larrabee,
306
HISTORY OF MELROSE.
Our excellent system of sewers was constructed at a cost of about $360,000. The additions of portions of Wakefield and Stoneham to the Metropolitan System gave to Melrose the opportunity to dispose of the line running through Myrtle, Essex and Tremont Streets to the State, the right being reserved to connect house or lateral sewers. Since that time a line has been constructed from Tremont street to Stoneham, and there is in process of construction a line from Wake- field, in all of which important privileges are given to Melrose, which will result in a saving in the cost of our local system, estimated at $40,000 to $45,000.2
The system at present comprises 33.94 miles of constructed sewers. On the streets through which these are situated there are about 2,500 buildings, 2,028 of which have been connected with the sewer. Owners of property have very generally made the request for these connections, showing that the public estimates the system as an economic and healthful measure.
The act of the Legislature authorizing Melrose to build its sewer system, required a sinking fund to be established, for the payment of the bonds as they mature. This was done, and the various sums that have been added to this fund amounted to $88,286.62, on January 31, 1902, which deducted from bonded debt of $350,000 leaves present sewerage debt $261,713.38. On July 9, 1901, the Board of Aldermen, made an additional appropriation of $15,000, for the extension of the sewer system throughout the settled portion of the north- eastern section of the City; also to enter it on Henry Avenue at the Highlands, and Corey Place at Wyoming.
The commissioners appointed by a decree of the Supreme Court. of Massachusetts, to determine and apportion the amount to be paid annually for the next five years, beginning with 1901, by the cities and towns in this Metropolitan Sewer- age System, to meet interest and sinking fund requirements, and also to pay cost of maintenance and operation, in their re- port gave the proportion for Melrose as $7,355.74 and $2,372.50 respectively; a total of $9,728.24. The amount paid by Mel- rose for 1900, was $9,431.01; for 1901, $9,727.23; for 1902, $10,561.13.
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