USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1916 > Part 13
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The drain that runs from the meadow in the rear of Everett Loud's store to the Herring brook, has been a source of great inconvenience to the abutting property own- ers. This drain was originally laid sometime between 1650 and 1675; in 1897 it was relaid with cement pipe and appar- ently was not laid at a grade to properly drain the meadow. During the past summer the drain was blocked the greater part of the season and all attempts to free it with sewer
.
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rods were unsuccessful, the obstruction appears to be op- posite the office of the Weymouth Light and Power Co. The drain at this point is from 14 to 16 feet under ground, and realizing that it would be a waste of money to dig it up unless it could be put back at a proper grade to drain the meadow, nothing was done as the cost would have been more than the highway repairs account could stand. I be- lieve that this drain should come under the charge of the Board of Health, as the only object it serves is to drain this meadow, and there is no evidence that this was a natural water course.
The drain across High Street near the residence of Ever- ett Loud should be relaid on a straight line, as the present drain makes a sharp angle that becomes easily obstructed.
The majority of catch-basins in town are too small and with the exception of those built this year, are without traps and therefore become easily stopped up. At least 25 new catch-basins should be built next year.
CRUSHER.
The portable stone crusher, located at the Town Farm lot off Broad Street, was moved to Keith's gravel pit at East Weymouth, as there was a large amount of stone available for crushing, of a size that required no blasting or hand work. Before moving, the plant was given a thorough over- hauling and many worn out parts replaced. The bins at present are about all in and it is doubtful if they will stand moving again.
The capacity of this crusher is small and its present con- dition poor, although it does fair work in a gravel pit where the work is light, I would advise a larger capacity machine being purchased if any large amount of stone is to be crushed.
The following table shows the cost of running the plant and the amount and distribution of stone. $1496 00
Labor and trucking
Supplies, repairs and power 481 91
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Total cost of operating 1977 91
Permanent improvements 234 12
$1743 79
Credit from State for trucking
53 12
Cost for the year $1690 67
Amount of stone crushed, 1565.9 tons
Cost per ton, $1.07.
Distribution of Stone.
Crushed, 1916.
On hand from 1915.
Broad Street special 612 tons
Tar sidewalks
486.2 tons
General sidewalks 125.3 tons 1.8
General road repairs
63.8 tons
14.2
Whitman Street 2 tons
Hawthorne Street special 27 tons
Washington Street 51 tons
.97
Sold private parties
168.6 tons
Commercial Street 22
Richmond Street
28.5
Front Street, gutter
.31
On hand 30
tons 135.5
Total .1565.9 tons 330.0
The cost of crushed stone at Weymouth on the cars is $1.40 per ton; as compared with $1.07, the cost the past year at our crusher. This cost, I do not believe, could be accom- plished with our present plant in a ledge, but with a larger up-to-date crusher this cost could be materially lowered even in ledge work. The fact that local stone is of a poorer quality than trap rock is not as important where bitumin- ous binders are used, and it is a decided advantage to be able to get stone when you want it and not have to depend on the dealer and railroads. Practically all of the stone crushed the past year was taken direct from the bins to the job, thus saving unnecessary handling.
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SIDEWALKS.
Work on sidewalks was confined chiefly to the special ap- propriation of $2000 for permanent walks. This work, heretofore, has been let out by contract, with results not entirely satisfactory. This year the department laid all the walks except those at North Weymouth, and had it not been for the scarcity of labor and the lateness of the season, would have done the whole job.
The work at North Weymouth was done by Mr. Arming- ton of Brighton, his price being $1.00 per yard for drive- ways and $.80 per yard for walks, the town to pay for all excavating in excess of four inches and to remove all sur- plus material. While it is perhaps too early to make a com- parison of the work done by the town and that contracted, a few statements regarding the construction may be of in- terest. In the first place, we used from three to four inches of crushed stone for foundation course, as compared with two and one half inches of cobbles by the contractor. Sec- ondly, Barrett's Tar Rok sidewalk composition was used in- stead of the tar and pitch mixture, this composition is gen- erally conceded to be superior, in fact the contractor want- ed seven cents more a yard if this composition was to be
used. The wearing surface specified by the contractor was one inch thick, while that laid by the department was from one and a half to two inches thick. The cost of the walks laid by the department was slightly in excess of that done by contract, but considering the fact that more and better material was used and a heavier walk constructed, I feel that the abutters and public are getting what they paid for and that next year, with the experience gained by the workmen, the department will be able to do the work for considerably less. The following is an itemized state- ment of the sidewalk work :---
Labor .$1398 73
Engineering 178 26
Tar Rok Composition 853 75
Freight 50 30
Amount carried forward $2,481 04
1
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Amount brought forward $2,481 04
Wood and oil
79 06
Crushed stone (486.2 tons) 520 23
Trucking and teaming
492 83
Contract work 771 21
Sand
19 00
Total $4363 37
Credits for barrels returned and tar on
hand 188 18
Total cost $4175 19
Number of square yards of driveways 457.76
Number of square yards of walks 3724.46
As the betterment law says that sidewalk taxes cannot be charged to the abutter in excess of one per cent. of the valuation of the property, $516.10 was exempt.
The sidewalk on Richmond Street as referred to the Sup- erintendent of Streets for construction at the March meet- ing, was built of cinders and the hydrant and light pole moved to the curb line. Sidewalks on Randolph, Madison, Putman, Richmond, Federal, Prospect, Newton, Hawthorne, Randall Avenue, Broad and Grove Streets were resurfaced with stone screenings or gravel. At least $1,000.00 should be expended on sidewalks outside of the permanent side- walk appropriation, as there are many streets which have not even one good walk. A short piece of sidewalk on Church Street was built by Mr. Armington from the Tufts Fund receipts.
DUST LAYING OR STREET OILING.
This work was done chiefly with Tarvia B, 93,634 gallons being used. 8,215 gallons of No. 25 Texas asphalt oil was used on certain streets that were not in condition to receive Tarvia.
The result of continued application of Tarvia shows the decided economy and benefit of this material as a preserva- tive to the road surface and it should be applied to every street that is in a condition to receive it, regardless of the
255
dust problem. The initial cost of Tarvia is slightly in ex- cess of the light oils, but the majority of these oils do little more than lay the dust, in fact during wet weather oils tend to make the street muddier than it would otherwise be. The cost of dust laying the past season was $10,384.26, this is apparently an increase over the cost of last year's work, but in reality it is nearly the same, as the labor of carting and applying sand, cleaning the streets and the cost of sand was not included in the previous statement, as the money was paid from the highway repairs account. The same relative amount, ($3855.72) was taken from the same account this year, as it was considered the equivalent to repair work. I would recommend that this appropria- tion be made large enough so that it will not be necessary to draw on the highway repairs account, as the demands on this appropriation are greater each year with the increased automobile traffic and the more exacting public for better streets and sidewalks. 130,995 lineal feet of streets were treated with Tarvia and oil, making nearly 25 miles. Tak- ing 18 feet as the average width of road surface treated, the total number of square yards would be 261,990 and the cost per square yard .039 cents, as the abutters paid $3528.54 as assessments, it shows that the average abutter's cost is but .013 cents per square yard, or in other words, one-third of the cost.
SPECIAL ROAD APPROPRIATIONS.
The following list shows money appropriated and ex- pended for special road work :
Appropriation.
Expended.
Broad Street
$2000 00
$2015 59
Randall Avenue
200 00
205 77
Fore River Avenue
200 00
202 06
Hillcrest Road
300 00
329 29
Morrill Street
200 00
, 206 70
Hawthorne Street
400 00
396 89
With the exception of the appropriations for Broad and Morrill Streets, the amounts raised were insufficient to prop-
256
erly do the work.
The resurfacing of Broad Street on the southerly side from Madison Street to Central Square with a six inch tar penetration macadam top was the most important job and the only one where the appropriation was large enough to admit of so-called permanent pavement. The old road bed was excavated to a sufficient depth to allow six inches of stone at a uniform grade from the car track to the gutter. One new catch-basin was constructed and considerable of the curb reset. The material excavated was used in repair- ing Whitman Street, Cain Avenue, and the northerly side of Broad Street. Tarvia X was used for a binder and Tar- via B for a seal coat. The cost of 1948 square yards of tar macadam on the southerly side was $1647.71, making a cost of 84 cents per square yard. The balance of the appropri- ation was used for setting curb, building catch-basin and repairing northerly side of Broad Street.
Randall Avenue was completed but not left in as good a condition as desired. Considerable rock was excavated, the sidewalks trued up and resurfaced, the road bed crowned and graveled. A short piece of retaining wall was built adjacent to the barn of Mr. Randall where a cut was made.
Fore River Avenue. The munificent sum of $200.00 was allowed for this job and needless to say little more than a rough grading job was accomplished. With some large stones that were available a rough wall was built along the water side to protect the filling and to define the road line. Enough was accomplished to show the advantages of a forty foot roadway along this water front, but it is a waste of money to build a road there without a sea wall to pro- tect it.
Hillcrest Road was another job where the appropriation was about one-half what it should have been. A good gravel roadway was built and that is about all. This street should be completed next year and given a coat of Tarvia to pro- tect the surface from washing and a sidewalk and gutter built.
Morrill Street was brought to a true grade and surfaced with about six inches of cinders, covered with a light coat
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of gravel and rolled. A sidewalk on the easterly side was also made of cinders. For streets that have light traffic and are some distance from gravel pits, cinders make a very good and inexpensive road.
$400.00 was appropriated for that part of Hawthorne Street between High and Cedar Streets. A profile of this road was made and the street graded so that it will prop- erly drain. The line was worked to its original width, the abuttors willingly co-operating, even where it took consid- erable of their lawns, and the sidewalks were graded and resurfaced. Considerable filling will be necessary to bring that portion nearest Cedar Street to its proper grade, and a guard rail should be built along one side. The work should be completed next season.
SNOW.
The cost of removing snow and sanding walks was greater than for a number of years, due to the extremely heavy fall last winter. The appropriation of $3,000.00 made at the March meeting was immediately wiped out and the excess met by the appropriations from the Reserve Fund and Town.
The matter of taking care of the snow is always a source of considerable controversy and the department receives much criticism, both just and unjust. It is absolutely im- possible to get every walk ploughed out at a time that will satisfy all the people of the town and our endeavor is to ac- commodate the greatest number first. We realize that often delays arise and the paths are not where they should be, but considering the fact that there are considerably over 100 miles of walks to be ploughed out and that very often the men start from their barns long before the street lights are on, it is not to be wondered at that mistakes are made.
BARN.
The department needs a proper place to house its equip- ment more than any other one thing. At present we are renting the cellar of the Rice building, using a part of the
258
Town Farm sheds, a part of a church shed, a shed where the crusher was off Broad Street, and parts of five sheds belonging to the several foremen. An inventory of equip- ment shows a value of $8631.65, and it is surely not good business to have this amount of equipment scattered all over town without a proper place to protect, overhaul and paint it during the winter. The department needs a one-story brick building about 60'x35' and a range of sheds about 50'x25' to properly house its machinery and tools. The lot of land owned by the Town on Broad Street a short dis- tance westerly from Central Square would make a suitable place for such a building. Plans and estimates are being made in conjunction with the Water Department to see what a building would cost built large enough to accommo- date both departments.
EQUIPMENT.
A decided addition was made by the purchase of a Buffalo Pitts Maintenance Roller. This machine has proved most satisfactory and I believe will be a great help to the depart- ment, as a machine of this type was urgently needed. The horse-drawn oil distributor was exchanged for a "Little Western" road machine and a tar kettle. The oil distri- butor was in good condition but not adapted to our needs. A sidewalk roller, two sand heaters and a number of small tools were purchased for sidewalk work. 300 feet of sewer rods with attachments for cleaning out drains were pur- chased. An automobile dumping truck was hired from Howard Pratt in connection with the sidewalk work, and proved economical. If this type of truck had more power I would recommend the purchase of one, but believe a heavier truck is needed and one that can be used with an oil distributor. A new watering cart is badly needed and should be purchased next year. The old ten ton steam roller was given an extensive overhauling last winter and partly retubed in the fall. The retubing of this roller should be completed this spring before it is inspected.
259
GENERAL HIGHWAY REPAIRS.
The most extensive piece of work under this heading was the resurfacing and reshaping of Commercial Street from Commercial Square to the Hingham line. 119 tons of No. 2 stone was purchased from the Lane Quarry Co., and con- siderable gravel used. The cost of the job was $724.54. A portion of Norton Street was graveled and gutters dug out, the cost being $326.83. Gravel' repairs and rolling was done on Neck Street, Wessagusett Road, River Street, Commer- cial Street at Weymouth Heights, Saunders Street, Standish Road, Evans Road and North Street. At East Weymouth guide boards were erected at Jackson Square and Com- mercial Square, fences rebuilt on Broad and Lake Streets. Gravel repairs were made on Pleasant, Whitman, Caine Av- enue, Middle, Grant, Broad and Essex Streets. At Weymouth Landing a short portion of Washington Street near Lincoln Square was resurfaced with crushed stone obtained from the stone on hand at the Town Farm lot. Gravel repairs were made on Prospect, Summit, Broad and Front Streets. About 325 feet of sidewalk and road surface were built on Richmond Street, and a 280 feet of Tarvia gutter built on Front Street. At South Weymouth gravel surfacing was done on Pine, Park, Elm, Randolph, Hollis, Columbian, Forest Streets, and Park Avenue. On practically all the , streets where Tarvia was used the surface was made uniform by dragging and rolling before applying the Tarvia, and during the season patching was done with Tarvia at fre- quent intervals to keep the surface from raveling.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
I would recommend a change in the present flat rate of $2.50 per day for labor. Under the present system there is practically no inducement for a man to do good work, as the poor workman gets just as much money as the good workman. If a sliding scale of wages was adopted of $2.25, $2.50 and $2.75, I believe the town would be the gainer and the feeling among the workmen toward town work would be better than it is at present. Town work is not a form of
260
charity, and is just as honorable as any other occupation, and if the town expects to get good men for its departments there should be some inducement offered that will attract good men and induce the poorer man to become more effi- cient. The present labor situation is such that I do not be- lieve it is practical to continue under the ward system of doing road work; furthermore, the methods and character of road work has completely changed since the introduction of bituminous binders. It is impossible to get enough men in each ward to do the work, and the result is that we have neither one thing nor the other, and a great deal of useless bookkeeping is required to keep the accounts of each ward separate. No one would advocate having the water depart- ment under such a system and there seems to be no prac- tical reason for conducting the street department under such a system. It certainly is not economical, and I believe that with a central barn for headquarters the efficiency of the department would be greatly increased if the work was done with one gang of men instead of five small gangs. A Ford truck for taking men and tools from one job to an- other would be a good investment and I would advocate the purchase of the same, providing the recommendations re- garding barn and one gang system are adopted. I would recommend that the street oiling appropriation be made large enough to do the work without drawing on the high- way repairs account, and that $10,000.00 be appropriated for a construction fund. With a fund of this size it would be possible to take care of the work asked for by special appropriations and give the superintendent some latitude. At present most of the specials are too small to properly do the work, and the result is that another appropriation is made to finish the job the following year. This invariably costs more, and the results are seldom as satisfactory as if the job had been finished the first year. The present high- way repairs appropriation is so small that it will just about keep the streets in their present condition, but will not al- low for any new work. With the rapid increase in automo- bile traffic and practically no money being spent for per-
261
manent roads, the time is not far distant, unless a begin- ning is made and a certain amount expended each year for permanent construction, when it will take a large amount of money to put the streets in proper condition.
$4,000.00 was appropriated for Washington Street hill, providing the Street Railway Company would put in a double track, which they refused to do. The condition of this main entrance to the town from the west is anything but a credit and something should be done to put this street in good condition, regardless of the Street Railway Com- pany, as there seems to be no way of compelling them to put in another track if they do not want to.
A beginning of macadamizing Broad Street from Lincoln Square to Central Square should be made and the ledge at Central Square removed and the street widened at this point.
Columbian Square, in view of the fact that the Street Railway Company is to replace their rails with heavier con- struction the coming season, should be brought to a grade and then a permanent surface made. Pond Street, from the South Weymouth depot to Randolph Street, will be widened this coming Spring by the removal of several trees on the east side and with the relocation of the car tracks and repaving between the rails, the congestion on this street will be materially relieved. Considerable width on the west side could be gained by the sacrifice of a row of trees. A paved gutter should be built on the north side of King Oak Hill and Louds Hill should be resurfaced.
I would recommend for the ensuing year the following appropriations, in addition to the street railroad tax :
Highway Repairs
$9,600
Bridges
400
Construction Fund 10,000
Street Oiling
6,500
Permanent sidewalks
2,000
Snow
3,000
Barn
3,000
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SUMMARY OF WORK DONE.
Middle Street Drain
$215 04
Cleaning and repairing drains and catch-basins ..
531 49
Snow and sanding walks
6,230 13
Supervision
1,309 75
General highway repairs
4,069 44
Equipment and supplies
905 59
Crusher
1,977 91
Cleaning streets and gutters
3,641 89
Putman Street drain
435 24
Sidewalk repairs
360 24
Street Oiling
10,384 26
Maintenance of Supt. automobile
329 43
Broad Street special
2,015 96
Commercial Street, Ward 2, resurfacing
724 54
Norton Street, gravel repairs
159 60
Richmond Street repairs
174 94
Cleaning up Town House lot
21 19
Commercial Street, Ward 1, gravel repairs
211 71
Park, Pine and Elm Streets, gravel repairs
181 00
Signs and guide boards
63 80
East Street, graveling
326 83
Saunders Street, removing grass plot
74 10
Neck and River Streets, graveling
76 89
Wessagussett Road, gravel repairs
28 15
Randolph Street, gravel repairs
132 64
Office expenses
42 20
Fences
200 54
Tar sidewalks
4,363 37
Whitman Street, gravel repairs
93 31
Morrill Street, special
206 70
Front Street, Tarvia gutter
67 33
Cain Avenue, gravel repairs
49 66
Standish Road repairs
.72 49
Fore River Avenue, special
202 06
Hillcrest Road, special
329 29
Washington Street, macadam
336 77
Amount carried forward $40,545 48
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Amount brought forward $40,545 48
Essex Street repairs
39 24
Middle Street repairs
121 82
Green Street repairs
33 80
Grant Street repairs
48 57
Setting boundary posts
21 14
1
Hawthorne Street, special 396 89
Randall Avenue, special 205 77
New Maintenance Roller
4,200 00
Total $45,612 71
Less for crushed stone 1,940 86
Total expended .$43,671 85
The following is a list of tools, machinery and materials on hand January 1, 1917 :
33 Snow plows $660 00
5 Gutter plows 75 00
32 Picks 16 00
32 Shovels 19 20
17 Stone forks.
10 20
6 Stone hammers
4 50
14 Rakes
7 00
4 Iron bars
4 00
6 Catch-basin spoons 4 50
25 Lanterns 8 75
1 Two-horse road machine 75 00
1 Two-horse road machine 175 00
1 Four-horse road machine 150 00
4 Gravel screens 20 00
5 Push carts
50 00
3 Tool boxes
24 00
10 Hoes ยท
5 00
18 Push brooms
9 00
100 Sewer rods 50 00
2 Catch-basin pumps 6 00
4 Axes 3 00
Amount carried forward $1,376 15
1
264
Amount brought forward $1,376 15
1 Paving tamper 3 00
1 Sidewalk tamper 5 00
26 Drills 9 10
1 Austin road sweeper 200 00
1 Two wheel grader 50 00
1 Snow breaker 25 00
2 Tar kettles
200 00
3 Angle iron drags
30 00
1 Rooter plow
24 00
1 Barrel skid 25 00
1 Sidewalk roller
60 00
4 Wheel barrows
16 00
1 Ten ton roller
1,000 00
1 Maintenance roller
4,200 00
25 Barrels of tar 125 00
1 Watering cart 50 00
Stone crusher and motor 800 00
1 Portable boiler and engine 300 00
2 Sand heaters 60 00
Paving stones
40 00
Sundry small tools 25 00
Total . $8,623 25
Respectfully submitted, IRVING E. JOHNSON,
Superintendent of Streets.
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REPORT OF FIRE ENGINEERS.
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
The Fire Engineers respectfully submit the following re- port for the year ending Dec. 31, 1916. The department organized May 1, 1916, under the control of five engineers as follows: Walter W. Pratt, chief; John Q. Hunt, clerk, Matthew O'Dowd, Russell B. Worster, Philip W. Wolfe.
One hundred and five men, four permanent men and one relief man comprise the working force.
HOUSES AND APPARATUS.
The houses are in very good condition. Ward 2 house has been shingled with fireproof shingles. Ward 3 house has all been newly wired for electric lighting and other repairs on inside. Hose 5 house has had repairs on inside of house. Combination 1 has been shifted from solid tires to pneumatic tires. Combination 2 has had new and larger tires.
The three Knox trucks have been overhauled and are in good condition ; the two year guarantee on them expired in December of this year.
Combination 2 was called to Nantasket this year for the fire at Paragon Park and did good service.
FIRE LOSSES.
Value to buildings where fires occurred $918,050 00
Damage to buildings 21,600 00
Value to contents 550,950 00
Damage to contents 15,084 80
RECOMMENDATIONS.
We would recommend the following appropriations for salaries, fire alarm and other expenses :
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Engineers
$325 00
Firemen salaries
1,260 00
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