USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1871 > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
West
2361.0
Winter
2203.5
Woodland
5940.0
King to Downing
Total,
78140.8
66
66 " Austin to Pleasant st.
66
66
" Chandler to Pleasant
Lagrange
1360.6
66
Both sides from Arch to Belmont st. 66 Grafton to Union
Avenue.
Both sides from Main to Chandler South side from Crown to Newbury. Both sides from Myrtle to Madison Both sides from Water to Union Avenue.
Both sides from Chatham to Austin Both sides from Park to Madison st. North side from Hill to Henry st. Both sides
Both sides from William to High- land street. Both sides from Green to Water st. 66
MAPS OF THE CITY.
An additional volume of these maps consisting of 41 sheets have been finished during the year. This volume is duplicated,
Both sides from Grafton to Ætna st. East side from Pleasant to Chatham Both sides from Harvard to N. Ash- land street.
130
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 26.
one copy of which is for use in the office of the city engineer and one for that of the assessors. This volume contains 878 lots, and covers an arca exclusive of streets of 12,392,517 square feet equal to 284-493 acres.
In addition to this volume there have been finished fourteen duplicate maps of a like character, and a large amount of mate- rial collected for additional maps.
On the maps for the use of the office of the city engineer, the sewers are drawn with a representation of all man-holes, giving the elevation of the top of each above mean-tide water, and also the depths of the sewer.
WATER WORKS.
The repair of the works has been as good during the year, as on any previous one, since their construction.
Their efficiency for the usual supply upon the summits of the high lands, upon which distributing pipes have been laid has been constantly diminishing during the year.
During the fall, this evil had increased to such an extent that the Joint Standing Committee on water instructed the city engineer, Nov. 3, 1871 to examine the subject, and report what measures were necessary to be taken to afford the desired relief, as well as to keep up their efficiency upon the lower levels.
In accordance with those instructions, the following Report was submitted upon that subject : to wit :-
To the Joint Standing Committee on Water : Gentlemen :
In accordance with your instructions of Nov. 3, 1871, that the City Engineer report what is necessary in order to carry out the request of Geo. Crompton and 42 others, that measures may be taken to supply the high lands around the city with water, and to make an estimate of the cost of the work, and also to make a statement of the needs of the same as connected with the present works, the following considerations and estimates are sub- mitted.
When the original works built in 1845, were enlarged in 1864, the amount of water assumed as sufficient for the then present and prospective wants of the city for, from 10 to 16 years, was two millions gallons per day. The computations to ascertain the size of pipes required, resulted in adopting the present 16 inch
131
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
mains. These mains were in capacity twice as large as those recommended for the supply of the city in the project examined and reported upon in 1856 by M. B. Inches, Esq., which project was to bring the water from Henshaw Pond. The main recom- mended by him at that time as being ample, was 12 inches in diameter, while the amount of water proposed to be supplied was one million gallons per day. The unexpected growth of the city since 1865, which has added to the population a number as large if not larger than that of the whole population in 1848, has so far drawn upon the resources of the water supply as to reach the calculated limits of the capacity of the present mains. This is not only due to the large and natural increase for both domestic and manufacturing purposes, over that of the first years in which the present enlarged distribution was in use, but also to the use of a very large quantity, in a manner at first not con- templated.
The amount of street and other main pipes with the number of service pipes laid in each year since 1863, is given in the fol- lowing table, to wit :
Date. Feet of Street Mains Laid.
1864
31.741
Number of Serv. Pipe put in. 29
1865
26.723
207
1866
28.871
284
1867
27.543
388
1868
22.589
504
1869
46.506
673
1870
29.156
581
By this exhibit it will be seen that from 1868 including both years the number of service pipes laid was 1412, and in 1869 and 1870-1254 or in the last years 158 less than in the five pre- vious years.
The amount of street mains also followed about the same ratio of increase. Leaving out 1864 as those laid in that year were mostly the main pipes from Leicester to Austin street, and in the following four years there was laid 105.726 feet and in 1869 and 1870, 75.662 feet. The number of applications for service supplies for the present year is about up to that of 1868. The whole number registered for the year being 488, and the total number attached 3319.
18
132
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 26.
The works as projected and enlarged in 1864, continued to fulfill their desired office without much loss of head, until the latter part of 1870, since which time the demand upon the supply has sensibly diminished the effective head. From 1866 to 1870 the average head at the water shop on Thomas street might be taken at from 70 to 75 pounds to the square inch, or heads vary- ing from 161 to 172 1-2 feet. Since which time it has been grad- ually diminished until at the present time the average head may be taken as ranging from 50 to 65 pounds and subject to much and many variations, often going as low as 45 pounds, pressures representing 103} and 149} feet respectively.
The premises of the Petitioners lie upon the summit of Union Hill and Grant square, have a head of only 30 feet when the Hunt reservoir is full, at the house of George Crompton and at the square ; and as all motion of water in pipes is only produced or gained by the expenditure of power, and in all works supplied by gravitation, the power is only that of the elevation between the surface of the water at the reservoir and the point of delivery, the power consumed by this motion is a portion of the head itself and causes what is technically termed "loss of head." From the causes before pointed out it results that the petitioners cannot have water upon their premises but a small portion of the day, and that only at night.
This matter was discussed somewhat at length as to its neces- sity and utility in the annual Report of the Department, and need not be minutely considered at this time. Only suffice it to say that the mode then pointed out is the only remedy by which the evils and privations complained of can be remedied and these elevations be placed upon the same footing, as regards an effective supply, as is the lower levels in the city. This mode, as then stated, is to lay an independent main from the Leicester Reservoir, so as to use the whole head of that reservoir, with which to supply these high lands.
This head enables water to be delivered at the house of George Crompton with a head of about 150 feet, and at Grant Square with a head of 130 to 140 feet ; pressure ample both for domestic and fire service.
Before entering in detail upon the arrangement of mains needed for this purpose, one important matter will be mentioned
133
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
which has direct and essential bearing upon this subject. As before stated, the quantity of water provided to be delivered by the original pipes was two millions gallons per day, a limit which the present demand has not only exhausted, but somewhat exceeded, and, as has been shown, this demand is constantly on the increase. This draft so far affects the pressure upon the 12 inch main between the Storing Reservoir and the Hunt, that the hydrants upon the line of this main are of very little practical utility as a protection against fire to the mills they were intended to protect, when the gate is open and the pipe delivering the requisite amount of water into the Hunt Reservoir. To render them therefore effective, can only be accomplished by closing the gate at its lower end when an emergency arises requiring their use. Of this state of things the parties for whom these hydrants were originally set, already enter serious and strenuous com- plaints.
As before stated, the remedy for these difficulties can only be provided for by one new main from the Leicester Reservoir to the Hunt, and thence through the requisite streets to the locali- ties desired to be benefitted.
The size and location of the mains recommended, which shall aid in increasing the efficiency of the present distribution and supply the localities designated by the petitioners, are as fol- lows :-
FIRST : From the Hunt to the Leicester Reservoir, a new 16 inch main which shall supply the present Reservoir, and then using the present 12 inch main for the supply of the High Service main. This main will be capable of supplying five millions gallons per 24 hours. With this to be made the desirable con- nections between the present and new pipes so as to keep up a constant supply from both mains interchangeably, in case of repairs, &c.
SECOND : - A new 16 inch main to New Worcester. The desired connection to be made at Mill street between the new and the old mains to be regulated by a pressure valve, so that as occasion requires, the suitable supply to the lower service in the city can be maintained in case of repairs, &c.
THIRD : - From Webster Square to Southbridge street by the way of Cambridge street lay a 16 inch main. From the inter-
134
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 26.
section of Southbridge and Cambridge streets a main may be carried in Southbridge street to the site of the Catholic College, giving at that point an effective head of about 160 feet. From this last main the works of the Crompton Carpet Company may be supplied both by hydrants properly arranged to stand the severe presure of this head, of about 330 feet, and also to their works, regulated by suitable pressure valves. Hydrants may also be placed upon this main in Webster Square and along the line of Cambridge street, at the desired points. Services may be taken off to supply families along the line, each service being regulated by a pressure valve, these valves being far less expen- sive then a separate main for that purpose.
FOURTH :- From Southbridge street at Cambridge, run a 15 inch main in Cambridge to Millbury, and in Millbury to Ward, and in Ward to Endicott street, and in Endicott to Vernon, and Vernon and Winthrop to Providence street at its junction with Winthrop.
This main would supply the present wants of Union hill and also be of sufficient size to furnish the requisite supply to the high grounds in the vicinity of G. S. Howe's estate, and that of Chandler hill and the one near the residence of T. W. Welling- ton.
FIFTH :- In Providence street from Winthrop to Union avenue, a distance of 1400 feet, extend the 15 inch main. At Union av- enue a main would be taken off ultimately to be carried easterly in Union avenue to some suitable street leading in the direction of the hill of G. S. Howe's estate.
SIXTH :- From Union avenue in Providence street, the main for Chandler hill and Grant square hill would run as follows : In Providence to Grafton street, thence follow Grafton to Shrewsbury street, and thence Shrewsbury to Mulberry street, and thence by Mulberry to East Central, and thence turn north- easterly and take the extension of Wilmot street, running easter- ly of the site assigned to the State Normal School on the land of the Lunatic Hospital, and follow Wilmot street to Belmont, and crossing Belmont run easterly of the land of Wm. R. Hooper to Catharine street, thence turning westerly in Catherine street run to the intersection of Catherine and Channing street, connecting at Channing street with the present system of pipes upon this
135
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
elevation. The distance from Providence street at Winthrop street to the termination above named is 11,275 feet, and from Webster square to Channing street, 24,000 feet. From Webster square to the Hunt Reservoir 7,400 feet, from Hunt Reservoir to Leicester 7,417. Total length of mains required 38,817 feet. The line indicated from Washington square to Channing street, is far preferable to keeping up Summer street, as suggested in the last annual report, because after leaving East Central street the main lies in the precise location needed to supply the high ground along its line and upon either side of it, and further, it may be connected with the main from Bell Pond at Elliot street and thus be used whenever occasion requires in filling Bell Pond. From Shelby to Belmont street for 1,205 feet of the distance it would replace the 4 and 6 inch mains now laid. Otherwise there are no pipes on the line from near Fulton street to its termination.
For about 1500 feet in Wilmot street in passing the Normal School lot from East Central Street the trenching would be in ledge. The remaining ledge on the line has already been trenched, for pipe unless a small amount should be found north of Belmont and south of Catherine street.
The sizes of pipe recommended for the entire line are as fol- lows :
From Leicester Reservoir to Hunt's, 16 inches in diameter, 7417 feet. From Hunt Reservoir to New Worcester, 16 inches in diameter, 7400 feet. From Webster square to Southbridge street 16 inches in diameter, 5783 feet. From Southbridge to Union avenue on Providence, 15 inches in diameter, 7,892 feet. Union avenue to Channing street 12 inches in diameter, 10,325feet. The route chosen for the above line is traced in colors on the ac- companying map of the city.
The estimated efficiency of the 12 inch pipe at its termination at Channing street, is one million gallons per 12 hours, subject to such loss of head and variation of quantity at this extreme point as would be due to the amount of water drawn therefrom at the low levels along the line.
Before giving the estimates for the pipes required for the High Service, a few suggestions will be made as to an improvement on the supply from the present mains. If the present rate of in- crease in consumption continues from the works for only one or
.
136
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 26.
two years as it has in the past, new mains from Leicester for the lower levels will have to be added to the present system or an ad- ditional supply will have to be sought for from other and differ- ent sources to be added or made supplementary to the present system. Before adding new mains to the source, the following line of main is advised to be laid, and by so doing, the efficiency of the present distribution as arranged would be made more effective and possibly its efficiency would thereby be so much increased with what would be taken off for high service as to enable the works now in use to continue their former efficiency for some time to come without further alteration.
This is to lay a 15 inch main from the 16 inch main in Leices- ter street, through Mill and Newton streets to Mason street at Chandler street, and from this main continue a 10 inch main in Chandler street to Newbury street, connecting at Newbury street with the 8 inch main laid in 1868. The large main in Newton street should be continued at the proper time, from Tufts street, thence through Newton street to Elm, and thence to Highland street by the street East or West of Lincoln Park, as might be deemed most advisable.
The distance from Webster square to Mason street is 7500 feet. The distance from Mason to Newbury, in Chandler street is about 2000 feet.
This is recommended because the main when laid will tend very largely to equalize the pressures upon the distribution, as the supply will be direct to that section of the city lying westerly of Main street, instead as now being drawn westerly from Main street, and will thus relieve the Main street main of the double duty of supplying the entire area of the city upon each side of its line. And further, this new line will become a feeder to the original one, in that by this arrangement the supply would take that route to the point of largest demand along which there was the least resistance. That this main would be a great advantage to the distribution is evidenced by the fact that the present main as now arranged is very much more effective, proportionally, at Mill street near Webster square than it is at the City Hall. This is because the line from the Hunt Reservoir to Webster square is only 7,300 feet long, while the whole line from the Hunt Res- ervoir to the City Hall is 17,700 feet. The line from the Hunt Reservoir to Webster square is made up as follows :
137
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
Of 20 inch pipe, " 18 66 66 " 16
1,500 feet,
-
- 1,000
4,800 66
Total,
- 7,300
While the line from Webster Square to the city hall is 10,400 feet entirely 16 inch pipe, and by taking off a line to Mason street as above suggested a more full advantage can be realized from the arrangement of pipes between the Hunt Reservoir and Webster Square than is now obtained from the present single line, because to the point of supply by adding the new main pro- posed would be in effect like enlarging the diameter of the present, while the added main would give the double advantage of always having one main open to the city under almost all con- ceivable circumstances. To add this main is deemed to be an urgent neccessity for the preservation of the value of the present works for fire purposes.
The pipe estimated is the wrought iron and cement pipe now so extensively used on the works for all pressures under 225 feet, and heavy cast iron for all heads over 225 feet.
ESTIMATE OF COST OF HIGH SERVICES.
9,407 feet 16 inch cement pipe,
at 3 25
$30,605 25
11,183
16
cast iron "
at 6 00
67,098 00
3,000 15
5 50
16,500 00
4,892 15 66 cement 46
3 00
14,676 00
3,500 12
cast iron "
4 40
15,050 00
6,825 12
cement
2 25
15,356 25
Blasting ledge,
4,000 00
Gates and Branches,
3,500 00
$166,785 50
Respectfully submitted,
PHINEHAS BALL, City Engineer. Worcester, Nov. 17, 1871.
The following report was suggested by the discussion of the foregoing report, and was made in compliance with instructions from the Board of Aldermen. To wit :
138
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 26.
TO THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
Gentlemen: - In compliance with the following order adopted by your Board, Dec. 4, to wit :-
" Ordered, That the City Engineer be instructed to make an additional report in print, giving the probable population which the present Water Works will supply, and combining therewith the statement of previous reports on that subject."
The following considerations and extracts from previous re- ports upon the subject are presented :-
On the subject of the areas of the water shed of the present works, and the basins of some of the adjacent streams, my re- port to the Committee on Water in 1863 makes this state- ment :-
" The past season careful surveys in detail have been made of the basin of Lynde Brook, Henshaw Pond, and all of that por- tion of Kettle Brook above the mill of Samuel L. Hodges, in Cherry Valley.
The basin of Lynde Brook above the outlet of the intervale, on the farm of Mr. Edwin Waite, contains 1,870 acres ; that of Henshaw Pond 590 acres ; that of Kettle Brook, as above, 4,200 acres. Thus it will be seen that the basin of Lynde Brook is 3,169 times as large as Henshaw Pond Basin, and that of Kettle Brook only about 2 1-4 times larger than that of Lynde Brook. In general terms the water drained from any basin is directly proportioned to its area, and the amount of rain falling thereon."
A weir was constructed on Lynde Brook and finished on the 19th of March last, which was unfortunately washed away by the very severe freshet of the 26th of March, only six days after its completion, it having proved quite too small to carry so large a quantity of water as then came down the stream. The average amount of water passing down the stream in these six days was 4,845,960 gallons per day, not including but a very small portion of the freshet. From March 25th the stream continued so high that the weir was not reconstructed until the 8th of May after- wards, at which time the gauging recommenced and has been carried forward systematically ever since."
189
REPORT OF THE CITY ENGINEER.
The results of the gauging of the Brook, from May 8th to Nov. 1st have been calculated and arranged in the following table :
Rain fall in gal-
DATE.
in hours
Time Number of gal- lons, estimated Inc's lons estimated from the rain of by the gauge. gauge kept at the Hospital.
Pr. ct. of Average rain fall number of drained rain off each fall.
month.
galllons guaged per day.
May,
546
53,730,140
79,420,800
1.56
67
2,361,768
June,
659
15,006,770
60,074,700
1.18
24
546,528
July,
548
131,165,510
448,523,700
8.81
29
5,744,472
August,
757
123,328,550
293,755,000
5 77
42
3,910,008
Sept.
708
56.951,030
130,331,500
2.56
43
1,930,536
Oct.
720
140,153,000
215,352,500
4.23
65
4,671,766
Total, 3,938
520,335,000
1,227,458,200
24.11
3,111,800
Time, 164 1-12 days. Average amount of flow as estimated by the guage, 3, 111,800 gallons per day ; an amount largely in excess of any present want of the city. Percentage of rain fall drained off from July to November 1st, 48, nearly. Inches of rain fall during this time, 24.11; being 0.36 of an inch less than the usual average for those months for the last 21 years, as reg- istered at the hospital. The percentage of rain fall given as drained off in each month is not strictly correct, as each succeed- ing month is affected more or less by the month next preced- ing.
After careful investigation of the subject of the per cent. of the rain-fall, which can be collected from any water shed, and the comparison of many authorities, the amount assumed for basins like those under consideration with the total amount drained off in each year is thus stated in said report :
"An estimate is here given of the amount of water annually drained from these basins, from data derived from the experi- ments just given. The percentage is assumed at 65, in consid- eration of the steep hilly character of their contour and the impervious nature of their soil, aided by the result of the gaug- ing of Lynde Brook from May 8th to Nov. 1st. The average annual amount of rain-fall is taken at 46.92 inches, being the amount given as the average of twenty-one years observations at the hospital here.
Acres. 1,870 590
Gallons drained off per annum. 1,547,686,800 488,307,600
Gallons
per day.
Lynde Brook, Henshaw Pond,
4,240,238
1,337,911
Kettle Brook, above Kent, and from which water may be
turned into Lynde Brook, 3,200 19
2,648,248,000"
140
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 26.
Hon. D. Waldo Lincoln as Chairman of the Committee on Water in 1863, in a report to the City Council detailing the doings of the Committee for that year, states the value of Lynde Brook for the purpose of supplying the city with water in these words :
"It is asserted by Professor Silliman as a basis of calculation, beyond question reliable, that the springs and streams of a lim- ited district like this, represent, in the aggregate, only the annual rain-fall-less the amount lost in soaking and evapora- tion. Adopting and following his calculations and method of reasoning, we arrive at these results. On each superficial acre of ground are 43,560 square feet, upon which a rain-fall of 48 inches ( the aggregate annual rain-fall in Worcester for the last twenty years ) will precipitate an aggregate of 173,907 cubic feet of water. A cubic foot weighing 62.5 pounds, this is equal 10,869,187 pounds. As the imperial gallon holds 10 pounds of water, this weight corresponds to 1,086,918 gallons. It having been established by Mr. Ball that 65 per cent. of this quantity will flow into the stream and can be stored, we have an amount of water from each acre available for use of 706,496 gallons, and on 1,870 acres, which is the extent of the water-shed of Lynde Brook, 1,321,147,520 gallons, or 3,619,956 imperial gallons a day, which is equal to about 4,223,000 wine gallons for the 365 days of the year."
The observations made in the past seven years upon the amount of water to be relied upon annually from the present works has fully confirmed the conclusions arrived at in the inves- tigations of 1863. In the Fall of 1866 the Reservoir was nearly emptied in order to re-arrange the outlet gate. The work was finished so as to commence filling on the 15th of October. On the first day of January 1867, or in 67 days the Reservoir was filled ; having in this time saved 228 millions of gallons over and above the regular supply of 666 services, an amount exceed- ing four millions gallons per day.
In the drought of 1870, as is well-known, the amount of water in store was entirely exhausted early in November. The water furnished by the basin was inadequate for the supply until Feb- ruary 18 of the present year, when the Reservoir commenced filling over and above the supply to 2812 services. It was filled May 7, or in 77 days. By the raising of the dam in 1870 its capacity in May last is estimated at 375 millions gallons. On May 7 and 8, there was wasted by estimate 18 millions gallons.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.