Town annual report of the officers and committees of the town of Scituate 1928-1930, Part 18

Author: Scituate (Mass.)
Publication date: 1928-1930
Publisher: The Town
Number of Pages: 768


USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Saugus > Town annual report of the officers and committees of the town of Scituate 1928-1930 > Part 18


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20


7


Acute Myocarditis ..


Mch. 17


Eva H. Merritt.


72


7


21


Diabetes Mellitus.


Mch. 18


Eunice May Hollis.


Status Lymphaticus.


Mclı. 20


Freeman H. Gannett


86


9


26


Bronchitis. .


Apr. 5


Edward J. Dunn


68


5


6


Heart Disease, Diabetes


Apr. 12


Carolyn Mitchell


10


1


11


Acute Endocarditis.


Apr. 15


Josephine Fouini .


7


Apr. 15


Louise Levangie.


3


6


64


11


10


Nephritis, Cerebral, Embolus


May 17


George Hunt Carver


77


8


3


Cerebral Hemorrhage.


May 23


Charles William MacNayr


56


9


10


Carcinoma of Liver and Intestines


May 29


Thomas Casey .


75


9


13


Hypostatic Pneumonia.


May 30


Harrict E. Clark.


79


11


22


Cirrhosis of Liver ..


June 2


Harriet E. Beal


79


10


15


Myocarditis . Electric shock, Accidental.


June 7


Daniel Edward Hill


84


8


24


Cardio Renal, Angina Pectoris.


June 30


Walter Thomas Newcomb.


72 8


6


Chronic Cystitis.


July 8


Francis D. Carlton .


75


11


8


Clironic Cardiac Disease.


July 16


Esther Squire.


89


1


1


Cerebral Apoplexy


Aug 1


- Fornini


Premature Birth


Aug. 3


Sarah W. Hall.


82


11


7


Chronic Interstitial Nephritis


Aug. 13


Adelaide Victoria Fraser.


74 9


20


Chronic Cardiac Disease .


Aug. 15


Amelia Lewis Merritt. 10 18


Carcimona, Intestinal involving Pancreas. . 69


William Hendry and Sarah W. Goss James Murray and Helen Boland John Marsh and Lucy D. Studley


163


Report of Town Clerk - Deaths


Hatch Carver and Rozanna Sylvester Benjamin MacNayr and Louise Derling Cannot be learned


James Smith and Eliza Eaton


June 3


Robert P. Corthell.


1


10


41 77


4


Nephrolithiasis, with associated Nephritis .. Myocarditis. .


June 9


June 16


Timothy Duane.


74


3 Marasmus. 3 Pistol Wound in Head.


Apr. 15


Madelene Levangie.


0 29


Pistol Wound, Suicidal. 9


Apr. 25


Charles G. Everett.


William G. Hammond and Mabel H. Barrett Joseph Merritt and Hannah H. Merritt Wilson T. Hollis and Edith B. Andrews Freeman Gannett and Elvira Bailey Patrick Dunn and Mary Welch George F. Mitchell and Lucy D. Marsh Armando Fonini and Cleslia Caprara Richard A. Levangie and Madeline Arnold John P. Arnold and Louise M. Davis Benjamin H. Everett and Rebecca C. Lawrence


Jan.


31


Catherine Mckinley.


75


Peter G. Wesley and Unknown Thomas Flynn and Mary Buckley Daniel Noonan and Mary Quinn John McKinley and Catherine McIntire Wilbur A. Carter and Marthia M. Lincoln


Thomas Flynn ..


82


Broncho-Pneumonia, Heart Disease.


Darius Harrub and Wilhemina Shultz John Gabbett and Mary Cristie Carl Johnson and Inga Olson


Influenzal Pneumonia.


James P. Murphy and Elizabeth Moore


Joseph Bailey and Mary L. Sanborn Gustavus Corthell and Annie Whalon Francis Cobb Snow and Sarah J. Balck


Anna A. Snow.


.


Daniel E. Hill and Lydia Litchfield James Duane and Mary McDonald Silas Newcomb and Susan Rafferty Frank Carlton and Sarah Brewster Mathew Dreyson and - Winter Armando Fornini and Cleslia Caprara


1


Frank T. Whittaker and Emily Merritt


DEATHS REGISTERED IN SCITUATE IN THE YEAR 1929-Continued


Date


Name of Deceased


Age Y. M. D.


Cause of Death


Names of Parents


Aug. 26


Loring


2


Hemorrhage of Brain .


Aug. 30 Sept. 2


Alice J. Lamonica


26


10


20


Injury to Brain and Multiple Injuries, Automobile Accident


Sept. 4


John Howard Crocker


82


6


15


Sept. 5


Jeremiah J. Delany


65


8


28


Sept. 15


Stillborn, Female.


35


1


Puerperal Septieemia


Sept. 26


Katherine McDonald .


38


-


.


Sept. 27


Paul R. Kelly .


3


12


Sept. 28


Arthur Cole Gardner


79


8


16


Oet. 14


Edwin Elliott Turner


55


11


13


Nov. 1


Sarah Adelaide Litehfield.


63


3


3


Aeute Nephritis


Nov. 13


Eliza Curran.


62


Cerebral Embolism.


Nov. 13


James O'Donnell.


76


56


Nov. 24


Martha J. Seaverns.


90


11


23


Cerebral Hemorrhage


Dee. 5


Arthur Briggs Curtis.


53


11


16


Heart Disease. .


Dee. 9


Albert M. Litchfield.


78


8


12


Broneho Pneumonia .


Dee. 10


Helen (Sullivan) Spinozola


31


2


17


Hyperstatic Pneumonia.


Edward Cummings and Margaret Flynn


Dec. 19


Susan Coleman Young


73


8


17


Careinoma of Pelvic Organs.


Ora S. Loring and Marie Calnan John Curton and Mary Mountain


Steven W. Preston and Johanna Murphey Ensign Crocker and Sylvia Foster John Delany and Julia Mahoney Edward Hincs and Mary Jane Hines


William A. Whiting and Ruth E. Rodswell


Marvis McDonald and Katherine McGaughin


James Kelley and Eva Rogerson Enoch C. Gardner and Eliza Gardner


Edwin Turner and Cordelia Stetson Nicholas Gibby and Rachel Shaw


Nov. 17


Rose Graee . .


Chronic Nephritis .


John Gibson and Margaret May James O'Donnell and Ann Frawley Seberiano Burgo and Mary Pierre Marsena Webb and Martha Lane William F. Curtis and Henrietta W. Mellaney Marshall :Litchfield and Mabel Curtis


Michael Sullivan and Mary Brecn


Dcc. 14


John Cummings ..


John H. Young and Susan M. Coleman


164


Report of Town Clerk - Deaths


Chronie Myocarditis. .


Arteriosclerosis.


Scpt. 14


Annie Elizabeth Whittaker


56


Cerebral Hemorrhage


Sept. 16


Susan R. Smith.


Fracture of Skull, Thigh and Leg, Auto- mobile Accident ..


Broncho Pneumonia.


Myocarditis, Spasmodic Asthma


Chronie Interstitial Nephritis .


Cerebral Apoplexy, Arteriosclerosis


Toxiaemia of Pregnancy .


Chronie Endocarditis


Mary Dinan


67


66


BROUGHT INTO TOWN FOR INTERMENT


Date


Name of Person


Age Y. M. D.


Cause of Death


Place of Burial


Place of Death


1928


Mary Phyllis Sehicding . Edith M. Walling.


15


3 8


Acute Pulmonary Tuberculosis, . Cancer of Stomach with Metastosis of Liver


Common Cemetery . Union Cemetery .


Hanson Hingham


Aug. 29 Dec. 26 1929


Jan. 2


Luey O. Colman.


86


11


7


Chronic Interstitial.


Jan.


4


Catherine M. Southwick.


58


10


24


Careinoma of Bladder.


Jan.


5


Willis Rogers.


66


4


6


Broncho Pneumonia.


Jan.


6


James P. Sullivan


14


10 6


Broncho Pneumonia, Influenza


Catholic Cemetery .


Jan.


9


John E. Leslic.


Union Cemetery .


Jan.


15


Davis C. Witherell


84


La Grippe ..


Groveland Cemetery .


Jan.


18


Sereno T. Spear. .


78 8


11


Lobar Pneumonia.


Jan.


28


William B. Eaton .


58


Feb. 1


Jane A. Wherity .


71


10


Cerebral Hemorrhage.


Syracuse, N. Y.


Feb. 4


Malina C. Pratt.


82


6


8


Chronic Myocarditis


Union Cemetery . .


Cohasset


Fcb. 12


Mary Ignacia Antonie


81


10


6


Cerebral Hemorrhage, Influenza


Norwell


Feb. 23


Emma E. Roberts.


83 3


13


Valvular Disease of Heart.


Groveland Cemetery .


Boston Stoughton


Meh. 13


Alfred W. Cook.


78


8


2


Endocarditis ..


Union Cemetery .


Meh. 18


Thomas Frank Kane


62


11


15


Margaret Curtis.


77


1


28 Cerebral Hemorrhage.


Apr. 5


George Willard Eldredge.


75


4


24


Apr. 18


Bethana Studley .


24 3


8


Chronic Myocarditis.


Fairview Cemetery


May 13


Elizabeth Vialle.


87


Cercbral Hemorrhage.


Union Cemetery ...


Boston Somerville


May 15


George L. Parker .


Broekton


May 17


Fred M. Romaine .


65


9 14


Catholic Cemetery .


Quiney Quiney


June 28


Bertha.


13


-


Union Cemetery. .


Hingham


July 1


Elizabeth Robbins.


74


24


Cerebral Hemorrhage


Fairview Cemetery .


Aug


13


Alfred Pepper . .


32


5


Epilepsy .


Seituate Cemetery . .


Cambridge


Aug. 30


Abby G. Vinal. John B. Turner


76


11


15


Broncho Pneumonia.


Groveland Cemetery .


Malden


Sept. 28


Boston


Oet.


2


Joseph H. Harvey


73


3


12


Natural Causes, No Violence


Groveland Cemetery . Union Cemetery . .


Hull


Oct. 21


Margaret H. Richardson


46


10


23 Pernicious Anaemia.


Catholic Cemetery


Marslıfield


Nov. 17 Sophia Frohn.


70


7


16 Careinoma of Intestines.


Conn.


Nov. 24 Alice M. Totman .


76 4


23


Myocarditis. .


Groveland Cemetery .


Boston


Nov. 23 Joseph H. Hartley


81


-


Pneumonia .


Dec. 23


Edwin Sanford Litehfield


69


11


15


Cerebral Hemorrhage


Mt. Hope Cemetery


Weymouth


165


Report of Town Clerk - Interments


Monson Jackson, Wyoming


Aug. 15


William T. S. Curtis ..


99


7 7


Arteriosclerosis .


Union Cemetery


Kingston


Sept. 26


Carrie S. Woodfall


62


5


1


Nephritis, Myocarditis.


Fairview Cemetery.


Somerville


Cerebral Hemorrhage


Fairview Cemetery


May 29


Stillborn . Searlet Fever


Fairview Cemetery .


Everett


June 29


Frederiek G. Doten .


75 3 22 Cerebral Hemorrhage


Fairview Cemetery .


76


Nephritis . .


Fairview Cemetery


Angina Pectoris.


Union Cemetery .


May 20


Florence Dunbar


68 10 21


Chronic Myocarditis. Chronic Myocarditis .


Mann Lot Cemetery .


Boston


Mch. 16


Louise Litehfield .


30


Lobar Pneumonia (Myocarditis).


Catholie Cemetery .


Seituate


Meh. 24


Braintree


Myocarditis


Fairview Cemetery .


Syracuse, N. Y. Boston Cambridge


Groveland Cemetery . Catholic Cemetery .


Braintree Haverhill Broekton Boston


RiversideCemetery, N. Seituate Union Cemetery .


Catholic Cemetery .


Norwell Weymouth


Cancer of Gall Bladder


Catholic Cemetery .


Union Cemetery .


Feb. 23 Jennie A. Merritt.


Cohasset


Fairview Cemetery .


Salem


69 3 12


58


64


10 12


57


Cardio Renal, Arteriosclerosis.


Union Cemetery .


Scituate Center Cemetery


Myocarditis


166


Report of Town Clerk - Summary


SUMMARY, 1929


Number of births registered in Scituate


for the year 1929 64


Male. 31


Female. 33


Number of marriage licenses issued


42


Number of marriages recorded


43


Number of deaths for the year


Male. 27


Female. 32


Brought to Town for interment and re- corded . 40


Number of dogs licensed for the year 356


Male @ $2.00. 277


Female @ $5.00 77


Breeders @ $50.00 2


Amount less Town Clerk's fees paid into


the County Treasury . $967 80


Resident citizens' sporting licenses, hunting and fishing @ $2.25. 183


Non-resident @ $5.25 1


Resident trapping licenses @ $2.25. 9


Minor trapping licenses @ .75.


27


Lobster fisherman's licenses @ $5.00


47


Duplicate licenses @ .50.


5


Paid Commissioners of Fisheries and Game less Town Clerk's fee. $637 95


Transient Vendors, Town license @ $15.00 8


Paid Town Treasurer . $120 00


Male residents of the Town of Scituate between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, subject to military duty . 561


Registered voters of the Town of Scituate, December 31, 1929


Males .


995


Females 996


HARRY E. BATES, JOSEPH A. WARD, CHESTER R. SHERMAN, JETSON WADE,


Board of Registrars of Voters.


59


167


Report of Town Counsel


REPORT OF THE TOWN COUNSEL


I will briefly call to the attention of the citizens of the Town a list of the principal matters in which I have rendered services during the past year. I cannot take the space to go into detail to show the complications involved, which have necessitated much painstaking to avoid litigation and help the Town officials in their successful management of affairs.


The list is as follows:


Scituate. Harbor Pier Permit and Dredging.


Humarock Water Legislation.


Dreamwold Inn in re license.


Settlement Cases: Advice, correspondence and court action. Investigation of purposes and restrictions on certain Town welfare funds and instituting of will book or file.


Town Warrant and Annual Meeting: Memorandum to chairman of board in re aid cases, reimbursement, etc. Report to chairman of Advisory Committee on various articles. Law research, correspondence, and conferences with Chairman and other members of Board of Selectmen, Messrs. Fenton and Waddell (Division of Accounts), As- sistant Attorney-General Simoneau, Town Moderator, and others, in re articles, appropriations and statutes. Corre- spondence and conferences in re: Layouts and Assessments. Nuisance complaints. Tort claims for personal injuries upon public ways.


Examination and Advice in re: Elm Park and approach- ing highways. Petitions for gasoline storage license. Ex- amination of Advisory Board powers and by-laws relative to subject. Releases from Edward J. Ball on harbor prop- erty for dredging. Board of Health powers as to garbage contracts. Peddlers' licenses.


Conferences and consideration of School Building Com- mittee matters.


168


Report of Town Counsel


Correspondence in re obstructions on Jericho Road.


Memoranda of Law in re: Fences. Police. Building Committee. Barking dogs. Sealers and weighers. Stray fowl, etc.


Peggoty Beach controversies: O'Brien et al v. Inhabi- tants of Town and Park Commissioners in Massachusetts Supreme Court mandamus proceedings. Securing of park- ing space for Scituate residents. Dealings with Second Cliff Association, S. L. Bailen as attorney, and John L. Rothery in re Peggoty Beach taking and deed. Securing of proper entry upon records at Plymouth.


Preparation of deeds of land in street layouts.


Advice and conferences in re Taxes.


Advice and conferences with federal and state officials and Board of Health on law in regard to removal of garbage, dogs, etc.


Board of Selectmen: Advice and conferences: Scituate Water Tower (closing of matter). Contracts. Sunday sports and use of field at Scituate Centre. Street signals. Gas company conduct, etc.


Fence Viewers (Charles Turner).


Special Town Meeting: Details in re school articles. Zoning by-laws. Planning Board by-laws. Conferences and memorandum for Town Moderator in re articles and powers as presiding officer. Conference with Town Clerk et al in re publication and filing. Miscellaneous conferences and ad- vice. Layouts, articles, betterment assessments, etc. Peti- tions of voters for layouts.


Court Cases : Henry T. Cole litigation, pending. Sargent land court petition, settled. Henneberry v. Town, drainage damage case, pending. Maguire v. Town, drainage damage case, pending. Adams v. Town, Bill in Equity, referred to Master and settled.


Leslie v. Town, taxes, inactive.


Advice and conferences with Planning Board regarding Old Town Landing. Miscellaneous matters.


The case of Henry T. Cole v. the Inhabitants of the Town based upon services in connection with the new Town


169


Report of Town Counsel


Way contract and the vote of the Town to pay him eight thousand dollars is the most important pending matter.


The Peggoty Beach controversy should not arise again, generous citizens of the Second Cliff, through their Associa- tion, having helped solve the problem by providing adequate parking space for Scituate people. The usual entry of the taking made in 1925 has been recently secured at the Land Court Registry of Deeds in Plymouth. Upon investigation of the details of the procedure followed in making the taking, I have found that the Board of Park Commissioners, follow- ing the vote of the Town on November 28, 1925, to make the necessary appropriation, did actually adopt the layout which they had proposed for adoption on November 4 and then filed the order of taking in the manner prescribed by law. The refusal last summer of the owner from whom the land was taken by eminent domain to give a deed without certain restrictions and a suggestion of the right to repossess led to the careful consideration of the question of legality of the taking at the time of the mandamus proceedings brought by abutters to enjoin parking. The receipt of fifteen thousand dollars plus certain costs and interest by the former owner and a judgment satisfied in the court action wherein the owner's damages were fixed by law in the amount received make it seem probable that there will be no further contro- versy with the former owner.


The two matters to which I have specially referred above illustrate the need of great care in the handling of the details of civic developments and undertakings. Conflicting inter- ests of parties affected by municipal activities necessarily cause some disputes, and our aim must be the avoidance of all such disputes as possible by foresight and due regard for legal rights.


I thank the Town officials and citizens for their con- stant cooperation which has made my second year of service a pleasure.


Respectfully submitted,


VERNON W. MARR, Town Counsel.


170


List of Jurors for 1929


LIST OF JURORS FOR 1929


PREPARED AS PROVIDED IN CHAPTER 348, ACTS OF 1907


Ainslie, Elwood F., Old Oaken Bucket Road, Clerk Bates, Aaron, Summer Street, Farmer


Bates, Harry E., Clapp Road, Painter Bates, Burleigh E., Mordecai Lincoln Road, Painter Bergengren, Ralph W., First Parish Road, Writer Blanchard, Archie M., Glades Road, Hotel Proprietor Bonney, Allerton L., off Country Way, Mason Cole, Alfred B., Brook Street, Carpenter Crowley, Jerome F., Jr., Common Street, Banker


Duffy, George W., Front Street, Restaurant Keeper Dunbar, Seth A., Studley Royal, Painter Dwyer, George F., off Willow Street, Fisherman Franzen, Frederick C., Booth Hill Road, Retired Freeman, Don. W., Stockbridge Road, Salesman Hernan, Thomas F., Roslin Road, Laborer Hyland, Ellery B., Cedar Street, Farmer Litchfield, Fred L., Clapp Road, Painter


Litchfield, Joseph H., Central Street, Laborer Littlefield, Albert L., Gannett Road, Teaming McCarthy, Jere, Willow Street, Fisherman Merritt, Roy C., Clapp Road, Farmer Mitchell, George F., Clapp Road, Trucking Murphy, Joseph N., Cherry Lane, Clerk Murray, Woodworth N., Old Oaken Bucket Road, Salesman Nason, Frank L., Michael Avenue, Sales Executive Otis, George H., Elm Street, Marketman Peters, Horace H., Grove Street, Painter Rothery, John L., First Cliff, Insurance Sharp, Franklin T., Booth Hill Road, Clerk Spear, Chester F., Lighthouse Road, Carpenter Stearns, Robert T., Old Oaken Bucket Road, Physician


171


List of Jurors for 1929


Stenbeck, Harry T., Otis Street, Merchant Sylvester, Harold G., Booth Hill Road, Salesman Tobin, Henry P., Crescent Avenue, Fisherman Totman, Aubrey W., Driftway, Carpenter Turner, James W., Captain Pierce Road, Contractor Turner, Thomas S., Turner Avenue, Fisherman Wagner, Charles M., Country Way, Farmer Welch, James W., First Parish Road, Fisherman Wilder, Herbert E., Country Way, Garage Proprietor Young, Howard H., Common Street, Contractor Young, John R., First Parish Road, Mechanic


ARTHUR H. DAMON, WILLIAM W. WADE, W. IRVING LINCOLN, Selectmen of Scituate.


172


Report of Chief of Police


REPORT OF CHIEF OF POLICE


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


I herewith submit the report of the Police Department for the year ending December 31, 1929.


5


Arrests for other departments .


1


Neglect of family .


6


Drunk.


13


Keeping and exposing intoxicating liquor for sale ..


4


Illegal sale of intoxicating liquor .


2


Manufacturing of intoxicating liquor .


1


Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor


4


Disturbing the peace


8


Indecent exposure.


1


Larceny


3


Obstructing railroad tracks with intent to wreck train .


2


Motor violations.


50


Automobiles transferred on record.


104


Pistol permits issued other than to officials. 37


Pistol permits issued to officials.


18


Automobile accidents investigated .


22


Persons injured (minor)


21


Deaths (pedestrian) .


1


Complaints investigated .


538


Papers served for other departments .


93


Automobiles reported stolen .


1


Automobiles recovered and returned to owners . .


1


Automobiles recovered and returned to other de- partments . 1


Stray dogs disposed of 48


Automobile licenses to operate suspended . 21


Assault and battery .


4


Committed to insane hospital .


173


Report of Chief of Police


Automobile registrations revoked . 5


Doors found unlocked in business district. 41


Vacant houses inspected . 1,400


Total fines imposed . $2,450


Sentenced to the House of Correction. 1


Sentenced to the House of Correction and suspended 6


Fires covered . 31


RECOMMENDATIONS AND REMARKS


I respectfully recommend that an article be placed in the warrant calling for the appropriation of five hundred dollars for the purpose of erecting a two-car garage for the housing of police property. It is also recommended that uni- form traffic signals of metal be purchased and permanently placed to replace the wooden ones now in use, which have be- come very unsightly and unsatisfactory. There should be an exit to the New Town Way (known as the Parking Space) at Scituate Harbor, so as to help relieve congestion on Front Street, which is quite a serious problem and will be more so in the future.


The "Stop and Go" traffic signals at Gannett and Hatherly Road and Jericho and Willow Street have worked as near one hundred per cent as is possible. Not one accident has occurred at either place since they were installed; pre- vious to their installation there had been many serious acci- dents at both corners.


It is my opinion that more of these traffic signals could be used to good advantage. The cost of operation of these signals is twenty-six cents for twenty-four hours per block; a total cost at the four corners of one dollar and four cents for each twenty-four hours, which is about four and one-half cents per hour day and night; this amount includes furnish- ing, installing and maintenance.


.


POLICE PROTECTION


I am on duty or on call day and night, and we have one patrolman on duty days; at night there are five patrolmen, one located at Scituate Harbor, one at North Scituate, and


174


Report of Police Department


one at the Police Station. Two patrolmen are on what is known as a roving patrol, covering the entire Town and not stationed in any particular place; this patrol is on from ten p. m. to five a. m. These men report to the station from the police boxes located in various parts of the Town and their reports are recorded by the patrolman on duty at the station. This patrol covers over one hundred miles per day. Since the police signal system was installed and put into operation on May 25, 1929, there has been recorded at the station 22,843 reports from the various patrolmen and 104 emergency calls put out to boxes by the officer at the station.


For many years past the Town has been troubled with many of the summer homes being entered and ransacked; since the system of inspecting and marking the vacant houses and having the day and night patrol on duty this trouble has been nearly eliminated. During the fall of 1928 and the winter of 1929 only six were reported to the department and nothing of value taken; up to January 1 this year, all houses have been inspected and no breaks found. Telephone calls and letters received from the property owners commending the department for their interest is proof that the Police Department is advancing in the right direction.


Each year brings calls for increased police protection, especially in the regulation of traffic and in investigations. Considering that we have more than one hundred and twenty miles of road and fourteen miles of shore line to be patrolled, on which there are over fourteen hundred unoccupied houses for nine months of the year, and with a limited number of men for detail, the officers of the Police Department have achieved excellent results which deserve commendation from the citizens and from their superiors.


I take this occasion to publicly commend them for their loyalty and devotion to their duty. Your Honorable Board has cooperated in every way possible to strengthen the Police Department and to give the Town better police pro- tection.


Respectfully submitted,


CHARLES M. LITCHFIELD,


Chief of Police.


175


Report of Fire Department


REPORT OF SCITUATE FIRE DEPARTMENT


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


The year 1929 has passed with a very small fire loss for the Town. On April 28 two houses were destroyed at Huma- rock, one of which could undoubtedly have been saved had apparatus been able to reach the scene of the fire, another at Surfside, that of Mr. Frank H. Torrey which was well under way before notification was received by the department; con- sequently a great amount of effort had to be directed on the adjoining property which resulted in the extinguishment of the fire at this point. The response and good work of both the permanent and call men, with the help of the Coast Guard, at this fire should not pass unnoticed. Numerous calls of minor importance have been taken care of by the perma- nent force on still alarms which we believe is economy.


A permanent man has been added to the department. This strengthens the fire-fighting force at the Minot Station one hundred percent, and with a call man sleeping there nights we feel safe in saying the fire protection to these property owners has been greatly increased. Station 3 also has a call man staying there nights, whose value has been demon- strated on several occasions.


Three companies of the department have engaged in a competitive hose-coupling contest at the Center near the Town Hall, for all the grounds for this branch of the work were unsuitable. Much interest and enthusiasm were shown, together with the acquisition of speed and knowledge.


Your Engineers hereby respectfully submit the following recommendations for the year 1930: the purchase of a new Ford fire truck for Hose 5, Scituate Center; more protection for the Humarock residents; the installation of twenty-one hydrants for the West End, this we consider necessary at this time; extensions of the fire alarm line at Minot; a satis-


1


176


Report of Fire Department


factory drill field for both permanent and call men; zoning and building laws; the numbering of all the streets; and in the near future the erection of a Central Fire Station on town property, with a ladder truck operating from this point as advised by the New England Insurance Exchange.


ARCHIE W. TORREY, Chief JAMES FINNIE, JOHN S. FITTS, ALBERT F. TURNER, PHILIP L. SCHUYLER,


Engineers.


177


Report of Forest Warden


REPORT OF THE FOREST WARDEN


To the Honorable Board of Selectmen:


During the year 1929 the Forest Fire Department has responded to seventy alarms, with only a slight loss in the wooded areas, ninety percent of these being grass or growth on waste land. There is no record of any of these fires being started intentionally. Those who have had permits to burn rubbish, etc., have used good judgment.


The forest fire truck has been placed on a new Ford chassis, a seventy-gallon pump added with extra equipment of pump cans, etc., all of which make a better appearing and much more effective piece of apparatus for extinguishing forest fires. I feel that the appropriation for 1930 should be slightly increased to cover the extra cost of burning for individuals and eliminating roadside hazards.




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