USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > The record of the town meetings, and abstract of births, marriages, and deaths, in the town of Dedham, Massachusetts, 1887-1896 > Part 45
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The bed of the culvert under the New York and New England Railroad tracks at Dedham Junction was-Se.of, or over one foot higher than the water in Little Wigwam Pond, making it at a total elevation of 8 feet 9 inches above the river level on December 15th.
Survey lines and profiles have been run from Little Wigwam Pond easterly across East street, and through land of William Fales and others to Greenlodge street. This would provide for the drainage into the Neponset river of Little Wigwam Pond and vicinity, while a sufficient cutting would carry Large Wigwam Pond in the same direction.
.. Lines and profiles were also run from the pipe culvert under the railroad bridge, High street, through the low land north of High street, across Brookdale avenue to Mill Creek at Maverick street, as shown upon the accompanying plans. These alternate routes will be considered in proper order later in this report.
In any consideration of the drainage of Wigwam meadows, due regard must be had of the fact that any change of the present outlet will affect the present vested rights. of the mill and land owners to a greater or less de- gree, and this fact should be fully considered in connection with the total cost to the town.
The primary object of this inquiry has been, first the lowering of Little Wigwam Pond water level and that of the surrounding swamp above the New York and New England Railroad. Considering the present method of draining this portion of the territory, it needs but a glance at the plan and the elevations previously given to show the main ob-
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struction to a free outlet in this direction. The New York and New England Railroad forms a barrier or dam, prevent- ing all flow of water across it, except through the small cul- vert at the Junction. This culvert is small, and at such an elevation as to prevent any passage of water through it for nearly nine months in the year. On December 15th, as previously noted, the bottom of this culvert was over one foot higher than the water above the railroad. The channel .on the south side of the railroad leading to this culvert is choked up, narrow and insufficient, in one point being higher than the culvert bed and thus forming an additional ob- struction.
The location of this culvert is unfortunate, since instead of being on the line of natural outlet from Little Wigwam Pond it is nearly seven hundred feet southwest along the railroad from this point. This culvert, as before noted, dis- charges by a short ditch into the swamp below the railroad, having no regular channel from this ditch through to the stream leading to Wigwam Pond. The effect of this absence of channel produces a saturation of the swamp below the railroad, and adds materially to the fall required to convey the water through to Wigwam Pond.
The proper location of a culvert through the railroad embankment is at the point where the old brook channel crossed. The diversion consequent to shifting the culvert so far to the westward and the necessary cutting through the gravel ridge at the Junction, makes it all the more diffi- cult to maintain a proper elevation of the drainage channel to and away from this culvert. A probable reason for locat- ing the culvert in its present position was the fact that the great depth of mud found at the old brook crossing required a large amount of work to construct the culvert at this point. To avoid this, the culvert was placed in the solid gravel ridge which crosses the track at the Junction.
Below the railroad to Wigwam Pond there is a very considerable amount of head lost on account of the tortuous and overgrown channel of the stream. The total fall through
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this swamp from the railroad to Wigwam Pond is nearly four feet. As before mentioned, Little Wigwam Pond is five feet, practically, higher than Wigwam Pond, and the culvert under the railroad is six feet higher. This five feet of extra elevation at Little Wigwam Pond can be easily reduced three or four feet by clearing a suitable channel through the swamp on both sides of the railroad, and pro- viding a suitable culvert at a proper elevation under the · railroad. The construction of this culvert and the entire expense incident thereto should be borne by the New Eng- land Railroad, and its location, elevation, dimensions and .construction made satisfactory to your Board.
While the location best adapted is on the line of the .original brook channel, there would be no strong objection towards placing such culvert so as to avoid a treacherous mud bottom, which probably exists at this point, provided that an ample and suitable channel was furnished on either .side of the railroad sufficient to give a full and unobstructed flow of water at all times. This culvert should be a box stone culvert, with stone caps, with an opening at least four feet square, the bottom to be at grade 82, or 3} feet lower than at the present culvert. A channel leading from the pond to this culvert and from the culvert to Wigwam Pond would be .excavated to a suitable width and depth, and the expense of such channel would be properly chargeable to the owners through whose property the improvements were made.
This method of lowering the water level in Little Wig- wam Pond and the surrounding swamp, is by far the most · satisfactory and economical one. It entails no damages which might be attendant on diversion of water from its original channel, or from crossing lands not hitherto having the stream naturally flowing through them. It is the shortest . and most direct route of so disposing of the drainage from this locality. It entails on the town practically no expense, . as the abutting land owners and the Railroad Company are, under the Statutes, required to pay such expense if your
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Board consider that this work is necessary as regards the public health. Even should the town be called upon to bear the whole expense, it would be the most economical to carry out this plan in preference to all others.
Several other plans for disposing of the water collected over the Little Wigwam Pond watershed have been examined and studied into.
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The most feasible of these alternate plans, at first sight, was the diversion of the water from this territory in a south- erly direction across East street, and through lands of Wil- liam Fales and others, to and across Greenlodge street, and thence into the Neponset River. A natural depression exists along this route, and a survey line and profile was carried through for the purpose of determining the feasibility of this. plan. It would require in some places a cut of from eighteen to twenty feet, and for a considerable distance. The mate- rial seems to be a hardpan more or less filled with boulders, and might be quite difficult to handle. The length of this diversion trench would be about 4,650 feet through the- · greatest cut, with a clear channel to Neponset River formed below. This distance and the excessive cutting which would be necessary, would entail a very large expense. An esti- mate of this had been made at about $26,275.37. The plan and profile of this route, showing the cuts and line to be fol- lowed in detail, is submitted with this report.
It has also been suggested that the flow of Little Wig- wam Pond be diverted over into what is known as South Brook, which passes across East street and into Neponset. River, in the Islington District.
While this plan has not been as extensively studied as that across Greenlodge street, it would involve a consider- able amount of cutting and the diversion of the water from its original course, thus entailing damages and expenses to a. much greater amount than the plan for clearing the old channel.
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The next question for consideration would be the drain- age and the permanent lowering of water level in Wigwam Pond and the surrounding meadows. As previously stated, the ordinary level of Charles river, for a period of eight months, is at elevation 77.5. During the four wettest months of the year, from December 1st to April 1st, the average elevation is about 80 feet above mean tide or 2} feet higher. During the time of freshet the water stands at various levels, having reached in 1886 an elevation of about 84. It should be borne in mind that where any use is made of the meadows for purposes of raising grass, cranberries or like uses, it would be of no practical value to have the water remain off at all times of the year. During the wet winter months there would seem to be no objection to having the meadows wholly or partially flowed, provided that some means were found to allow the water to subside on these · meadows to the level of the water in the river, or as near as might be during the dryer season. There would also seem to be no objection to having the meadows flowed during the four months previously mentioned, so far as the sanitary conditions of the town would be affected.
There is also another fact to be considered in relation to any lowering of the water level in Wigwam Pond to a sufficient depth to expose any great portion of its sides and bottom. Their character, as has been before stated, is of liquid inud, reaching to a great depth over a large portion of the pond. A lowering of the water surface .sufficient to expose this mud would, in my opinion, be de- trimental to the public health, until such time as the mud had dried sufficiently so as not to give off gases and vapors, which it would be sure to do if exposed to the sun in its present condition.
The rise and fall of the river must necessarily affect Wigwam Pond and the surrounding meadows, unless a means is provided for shutting out the waters of the Charles river, when they rise to too high an elevation, and also providing
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for some other outlet to Wigwam Pond at a lower elevation than that of Charles River. With such a rise and fall, the banks and exposed portions of the pond bed would necessa- . rily be saturated during a portion of the year; and, if too low a drainage was provided, the result would be unpleasant, if not harmful, for a considerable time each year. ..
A study of the depth at which it would be advisable to draw off Wigwam Pond and the surrounding meadows, has been made with this in view. Under the existing conditions, and with the elevations which we have in the river, Wigwam Pond can be safely lowered three feet from its usual height during the greater portion of the year. This would produce no ill effects, as before intimated, as it will expose only a very inconsiderable portion of the bottom. It will drain out the. swampy land and meadows surrounding so as to render them capable of being used. It will allow during the four months. from December 1st to April 1st a backing up of the water from Charles River sufficient to flow these meadows, and in this way will not interfere with any uses to which Wigwam. Pond may be put for securing ice. In order to accomplish: this result, it is necessary to provide a free and unobstructed passage between Wigwam Pond and Charles River. On the. present line of the brook leading between these points comes the long culvert under the railroad yard at the Dedham Station. This culvert has been already described and its. defects noted.
The chief difficulty now existing which prevents the. free flow from Wigwam Pond to Charles River is the double pipe culvert crossing High Street under the bridge. These pipes, as before noted, are laid in a somewhat irregular man- ner and are considerably higher than any other portion of the culvert under the railroad. It would be impossible to drain off the Wigwam meadows to a much lower elevation unless these pipes are lowered, which should be done. The. channel below this culvert to the river should also be cleaned.
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and put in suitable condition, as it is now somewhat choked by debris.
The culvert under the railroad should be carefully re- paired and cleaned out ; in its present condition it is danger- ous, not only to the railroad itself, but should a sudden col- lapse occur, it would produce a large pond on the Wigwam meadows, whose waters must rise to a very considerable height before they can overflow at any other point and find relief. The culvert should also be cleaned out, as the bottom has received quite a deposit of gravel, cinders and other ma- terials, and its upper end should be extended beyond the bank to such a point as will prevent the running in of ma- "terial from above, and thus choking the mouth of the culvert. There should also be placed at this upper end a coarse iron grating sufficiently secured so as to prevent the entering of all floating matter which would tend to choke this culvert. There should also be constructed immediately above this en- trance a sand pit or catcher, so that all sediment can be re- moved at this point without allowing it to pass into the cul- vert and be there deposited.
These repairs and alterations to the culvert and pipes under High street belong to the Railroad Company to do. The work of all such repairs and alterations should be done by the Railroad Company, and should be performed in a manner satisfactory to the Town authorities, and so as to ac- complish the purpose of draining the meadows.
The ditch leading from Wigwam Pond to the culvert under the railroad needs but little attention except that it must be deepened in certain places in order to allow for the greater fall of water.
There seems to be no necessity of maintaining the plank dams controlling the outlets of Wigwam Pond, es- pecially during the summer season, when it is not necessary to maintain the pond level for the cutting of ice. These dams can be arranged so that on December first they can be replaced and the water level carried up if desired ; but after
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the first of April they should be removed so as to allow a free- flow from the pond to the river. Maintaining these dams- will keep the meadows below in a constant state of satura- tion, and thus defeat the object in view.
One other way of disposing of the water from Wigwam Pond and the meadows has been quite carefully considered in obedience to your request; that is, to. carry the water. through the low lands lying easterly of High Street and across Brookdale Avenue to Mother Brook at Maverick street. There is about sixteen inches fall in the brook from Charles River to the pond above Maverick street, which would give so much additional fall to any conduit which might be carried to this point. If arranged to waste below the dam, there would be an additional fall of five feet eight inches over that obtainable at Charles River. This would allow of draining the meadows to a much lower level than could ever be obtained by direct drainage into the Charles River. It would, however, necessitate the following work :-
A culvert under the railroad would have to be provided at a lower elevation than now exists. A new culvert would be necessary because the lowering of the bed of the present culvert would be impracticable, owing to the insecure con- dition of its side walls and the great weight of embankment above. It would probably be more economical to build a new culvert than to attempt to lower the old one. The pipe culvert under High street would be discontinued, and the brook channel below ; the new culvert would occupy a dif- ferent location than the old, practically as shown upon the accompanying plan, and a channel provided leading from this culvert along the route before indicated to a point below the dam at Maverick street. This culvert would necessarily be covered, as it would be at too great a depth to stand open. It would follow the route indicated on the plan, passing across. Brookdale avenue and along the cemetery. At a point near the latter location, as indicated upon the plan, the culvert would be merged into a tight closed pipe capable of resisting.
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outward pressure; this would be essential in carrying the- waters below the Maverick street dam, as otherwise the water from the pond above might have opportunity to pass off in the same channel. An overflow would be provided so that. in case of severe freshets there would be no difficulty in pass- ing off surplus water.
This method would divert from Charles river a portion of the water now naturally flowing in it, and might raise a protest from the mill owners on the stream below. It has beed suggested that this difficulty could be remedied by hav- ·ing the sill in Mill Creek so adjusted as to give a slight in- crease of water to the Charles River mill owners in compen- sation for the diversion. It would be a somewhat difficult matter to make this adjustment, and there would be a prob- ability of more or less difference of opinion and trouble in making this adjustment satisfactory to mill owners.
- Should a plan of this nature be adopted. it would seem proper that the Railroad Company should assume the ex- -pense of all work on their land and under their tracks. But the Town would be obliged to construct and pay for such portion of the culvert and channel as extended from the. · railroad land across High Street and over the route above . indicated to Maverick Street. Careful estimates of this cost have been made, showing a total expense of $56,273.75, of which $47.398.75 would be borne by the Town. It does not seem advisable to recommend this plan to your Board, as the cost seems greater than the benefits to be derived would warrant.
I therefore recommend to you the following steps which have been embodied in this report: -
1. The straightening and clearing of a suitable water channel from Wigwam Pond to Little Wigwam Pond, mak- ing this channel of such dimensions and of sufficient depth, so as to drain at least three feet more from the surface of Little Wigwam Pond than can now be obtained. The ex- pense of this channel to be borne by the land owners through
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whose property it may pass, or by the town alone if it should be considered advisable.
2. The notifying of the New York & New England Rail- road Company in relation to their present culvert, and re- . questing them to replace the same in the manner and under the restrictions which have been previously noted in this report.
3. The removal of all dams and the deepening and · clearing of the ditch directly from Wigwam Pond to the railroad culvert, in such a manner as to allow the free pas- . sage of water, as before specified. No dams to be maintained from April 1st to December 1st, and at no greater height during the other months of the year than those at present in use.
4. The notifying of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company of the present condition of their culvert under the railroad, and the request that the same be - cleaned and repaired, and reconstructed so as to give a free and unobstructed flow of water. That a suitable grating and catch basin, with extension of culvert be provided at the upper end, and that the pipe culvert under the bridge on High street be lowered in accordance with the plans herein : presented-all work on this culvert to be done at their · expense.
5. That the brook channel and culverts leading from this pipe culvert to the river be cleaned and straightened, the expense of such work on private land to be borne by the - owners or paid by the town, as the town shall determine.
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The cost of such improvements may be estimated as. follows :
Estimate for clearing and deepening the Channel of Wigwam Brook, .. from Charles River to Wigwam Pond, and from Wigwam Pond to Little Wigwam Pond.
Length of section.
Location.
Cu.yds. Excavation meadow soil.
5.
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Estimated cost.
$151 00
74 ft. Across Washing- ton street.
500 ft. Washington street to Williams street.
374
93.50 1
696 ft. Williams street through to mead- ows above railroad.
Repairs and clear- ing of culvert and lowering of pipe across High street. -
1,500 00
1308 ft. R. R. yard to East- 843 ern avenue.
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210 75.
29 ft. Across Eastern avenue.
2685 ft. Eastern avenue to 1354
338 50 .
Wigwam Pond.
1500 ft.
Across Wigwam
Pond.
2600 ft. Wigwam Pond to 950
237 50
N.Y. & N.E.R.R.
100 ft. N.Y. & N.E.R.R. across tracks.
New culvert.
200 00.
720 ft. N.Y. & N.E.R.R. 725
181 25 .
to Little Wigwam
Pond.
11,220 ft . 4850
$3,048 50.
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1008 ft. Charles River to Washington street.
604
1
Other Work.
Deepening culvert. 126 00
Clearing culvert.
10 00 .
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Of this amount there is chargeable to
NHWH RR.
. Old Colony Division, N. Y. & N. E. R. R., $1,500 00
To N. Y. & NNE: R. R., . 200 00
"To various property owners,
1,212 50
'Town of Dedham, .
136 00
Making the total of
$3,048 50
I submit with this report the following plans :
A. A map on the scale of 100 feet per inch, showing Dwights or Wigwam Brook from Charles River to Little Wigwam Pond, including Wigwam Pond and a considerable portion of the meadows and surrounding territory ; upon the . map the proposed improvements of waterways recommended in this report are shown in red. A profile of the brook, . showing all present culverts, waterways and ponds, is shown upon the same sheet ; the proposed lowering of water level : and new elevations are shown in red.
B. A plan and ' profile of the route' surveyed from Little Wigwam Pond southerly across East street to Green- lodge street. The route of canal on the map and neces- . sary grades and elevations on the profile are shown in red.
C. A plan and profile of the proposed route from the meadows above railroad yard to Maverick street ; all .changes and necessary new work to carry out the plan, and the grades and elevations incident thereto, being shown .in red.
I also transmit a series of Bench Marks, which have been taken at the various points along the route surveyed, . and which are valuable for preserving a record of the eleva- tions of water surface at the various points from time to time. This benches are so located that a simple measure- ment can be made to the water surface by means of an .ordinary rod or pole. The datum used on these benches is the same as that used in the Dedham Water Company's levels, and also in the plans prepared in 1887 in relation to. street grades. The bench marks are as follows :-
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At the Charles River, Ames Street Bridge, a red paint spot on parapet over second arch, south side of street,
90.129
Top of culvert, at brook crossing Washington Street, north side of street, . ·
84.845 'Top of culvert, Williams Street, hear High Street, 83.150
Head of culvert, above railroad, 86.094 Abutment of bridge over brook west side Eastern Avenue, . 83.347
On upper end of ice runway at ice-houses at Wig- wam Pond, 82.259 · · "West end of culvert, Dedham Junction, N. Y. & N. E. R. R., 88.571
Railroad bridge abutment, near Endicott Station, East Street,
98.847 South end of culvert, East Street, near Hartnett Place, 92.00
Spike in blazed tree, south side of Little Wigwam Pond, 87.066 · Top of culvert, East side Greenlodge Street, foot of Smith's hill, 41.974
"Top of stone retaining wall at wasteway, near cor- ner of Colburn and Maverick streets, northeast side,
80.138
Respectfully submitted, ,
E. WORTHINGTON, JR., & Co., Civil Engineers.
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REPORT
OF THE
PARK COMMISSIONERS
DEDHAM, MASS.
Dec. 1, 1894.
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REPORT OF Board of Park Commissioners.
To the Inhabitants of the Town of Dedham:
The first work taken up by your Board upon its organiza- tion, August 14, 1894, was the consideration of the Stony Brook Reservation of the Metropolitan Park System. At this meeting it was voted to ask for a conference with the Metropolitan Park Commissioners, and ascertain what benefits Dedham might expect to receive.
As a result of this action, conferences have been held with the Metropolitan Board at its sessions, with its secretary and with individual members. Your Commissioners realized at once that they were embarrassed by not having been able to confer earlier, as the Stony Brook Reservation had already been considered and its details practically closed. They, how- ever, expressed a willingness to entertain and examine any suggestions which this Board might make, and as a result, plans have been developed benefiting Dedham which are now under consideration ; but with the large amount of other work in hand by the Metropolitan Commissioners, the prob- able tax upon their time in attending the Assessment Com- missioners' hearings, together with matters which will undoubtedly be brought before the coming Legislature, your Board feel certain that nothing definite can be expected until next year, and possibly later.
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Your Board being satisfied that any benefits which might be derived from a connection with the Metropolitan Park System could not be realized within such time as our citizens might reasonably expect to have park improvements, and feeling that the town desired immediate action in relation to local reservations, your Commissioners at once took up the matter of locating some small parks.
Your Commissioners believe that one important demand at the present time is a suitable and adequate play ground or grounds, to be used by the children, and in connection with which small park areas should be provided for the general public, to be developed from time to time as the Town may see fit, and which also might be made a part of a more ex- tended system of Parks.
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