USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1911 > Part 15
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STREET LIGHTING.
Thirty-seven (37) forty-candle power, seventeen (17) sixty- candle power, seven (7) one hundred candle power and three (3) arc lights were installed during the past year.
Eight (8) forty-candle power, one (1) eighty-candle power and six (6) arc lights were removed, making a net total of 49 new lights installed for the year.
SUMMARY OF STREET LIGHTS, DECEMBER 31, 1911.
Incandescent lights, 40 candle power 278
Incandescent lights, 60 candle power 17
Incandescent lights, 80 candle power 3
Incandescent lights, 100 candle power 1
Incandescent lights, 100 candle power (burning all night) 6
Arc lights, 1200 candle power 82
Total lights in use 387
On May 13 a new system of street lighting was put in service in the center of the town as desired by the Arlington Business Men's Association. This new system of street lighting as recommended by this department seems to meet the general approval of the public. Five (5) arc lights and one (1) eighty-candle power light were removed and were replaced by seven (7) one-hundred candle power, seventeen (17) sixty-candle power and five (5) forty-candle power Tungsten incandescent lights. Six (6) of the seven (7) one-hundred candle power lights installed in the center of the town are burned all night or a total of 3828 hours a year. These lights are located at junctions of intersecting streets between corner of
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REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF WIRES
209
Massachusetts Avenue and Water Street and junction of Massa- chusetts Avenue and Broadway. All other street lights in use burn from forty minutes after sundown to 1 A.M., or 2408 hours a year.
The following schedule specifies where new lights were installed and lights removed.
NEW LIGHTS INSTALLED.
Street.
Location. Pole Nos. Arc
Inc.
Academy Street
Near Massachusetts Ave. 80 -2
1-40 c. p.
Bow Street
Near Blossom Street
1-40 c. p.
Belknap Street
901-2 809-10
1-40 c. p.
Brantwood Road
1-40 c. p.
Broadway
812-47
1-100 c. p.
Cleveland Street
Near Waldo Road
1-40 c. p.
Franklin Street
Between Broadway and Warren Street
1-40 c. p.
Harvard Street
834-3
1-40 c. p.
Jason Street
839-21
1-40 c. p.
Jason Street
839-6, 8, 10, 12
4-40 c. p.
Linden Street
821-5
1-40 c. p.
Lombard Terrace
Near Playground Entrance
1
Lombard Terrace
Near Railroad
1-40 c. p.
Lombard Road
2
1-40 c. p.
Lowell Street
Near Massachusetts Ave. 845-1
1-40 c. p.
Massachusetts Ave. Near Car Barns
847-148
1-40 c. p.
Massachusetts Ave. Between Lowell Street
and Park Avenue
847-138, 140
2-40 c. p.
Massachusetts Ave. East Franklin Street
847-52
1-40 c. p.
Massachusetts Ave. Near Lowell Street
847-135
1
Massachusetts Ave. At Central Street
847-73
1
Massachusetts Ave. Near center of Town
1-53, 62, 63, 66
4-40 c. p.
Massachuse ts Ave. Near center of Town
847-58, 61, 62,
63, 64, 65, 66,
67,68,69
10-60 c. p.
Massachusetts Ave. Near center of town
1-56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 64
6-60 c. p.
Massachusetts Ave. Near center of Town
847-57, 60, 70
3-100 c. p.
Massachusetts Ave. Near center of Town
1-54, 60
2-100 c. p.
Marathon Street
848-7
1-40 c. p.
Mystic Street
854-1
1-100 c. p.
Mystic Street
854-40, 45, 53
3-40 c. p.
Norfolk Road
Edison Poles 4-1
3-40 c. p.
Pleasant Street
1-60 c. p.
Pond Lane
2-40 c. p.
Paul Revere Road
2-4 c. p.
Walnut Street
Near B. & M. Railroad West Park Avenue At Albemarle Street
879-6
1-40 c. p.
Water Street
26-2
1-40 c. p.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
LIGHTS REMOVED.
Street.
Location.
Pole Nos. Arc
Inc. 1-40 c. p.
Academy Street
801-2
Broadway
East Mass. Avenue
812-47
1
Cottage Ave
(Private way)
1-40 c. p.
Franklin Street
(Private way)
1-40 c. p.
Jason Street
839-8
1
Massachusetts Ave. Opposite Schwambs Pond 847-138
1-40 c. p.
Massachusetts Ave. East Mystic Street
847-63
1
Massachusetts Ave. Opposite Pleasant Street
847-65
1
Massachusetts Ave. N.W. corner Water St.
847-75
1
Massachusetts Ave. N.E. corner Medford St. 847-59
1
Massachusetts Ave. At Central Street 847-73
1-40 c. p.
Massachusetts Ave. West of Pleasant Street
1-61
1-80 c. p.
Pearl Avenue
(Private way)
910-4
1-40 c. p.
Robbins Road
(Private way)
867-13
1-40 c. p.
Woodland Street
(Private way). Corner
Lincoln Street
1-40 c. p.
FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH.
The fire alarm system has given the usual good service during the past year. Only one piece of trouble was experienced during the year, this being caused by the breaking of an aerial wire on Park Avenue January 28, caused by severe wind at that time. Careful inspection has been given all aerial and underground wires to strengthen and maintain these wires for efficient service. Boxes 31 and 48 were placed on new poles, the old poles being condemned as unsafe.
The aerial wires on Henderson and Lake Streets were replaced with new insulated wire. The following specified feet of wire was used on these streets:
Henderson Street
1210 feet
Lake Street 4750 feet
Eleven hundred forty (1140) feet of new insulated wire was in- stalled on Winter Street from Massachusetts Avenue to Crosby School to connect bell striker on this building. Eleven thousand seventy-two (11,072) feet of insulated iron wire was installed, from the corner of Broadway and Franklin Street, via Franklin Street, Warren Street and Broadway to the Somerville line, to connect with the underground wires of the Somerville fire alarm system to establish connection between Engine No. 6 Station at Clarendon Hill, Somerville, and the Central Fire Station in Arlington. Seven- teen hundred two (1702) feet of insulated iron wire was run on Wollaston Avenue from corner Hillside Avenue to new box No. 63. One new fire alarm box was installed during the year, this box
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REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF WIRES
being numbered 63 and is located on Wollaston Avenue opposite Wachusett Avenue. This box was put in service May 20, 1911.
On August 16 the new mutual aid system established between the Fire Departments of Somerville and Arlington was put in com- mission. On September 16 the Somerville Fire Department re- sponded to Box 13 in Arlington, this being the first alarm trans- mitted over this new signal system for a fire in Arlington. On December 7 the Arlington apparatus responded to its first fire alarm in Somerville. The Somerville department has answered six alarms in Arlington since this system was established and the citizens of the Town can judge for themselves as to the value of the service rendered by the new mutual aid system. All alarms for fires in Somerville which Arlington apparatus respond to are sounded from transmitter box in the Central Fire Station, the Somerville alarm being Box 221.
The bell striker and steel tower which has been in use in the Henderson Street district since June 6, 1902, was removed at re- quest of the Squire's estate, this bell and tower being placed on land of the above estate at that time without any charge for rental, the same to be removed at any time when requested; as the land in this vicinity has been cut up into streets and house lots it was desired by owners that tower be removed. The bell and electrical apparatus operating same were placed on the Crosby School as it was not considered advisable to hire or buy land to erect the bell tower in another location, but it was considered expedient to keep the bell in commission if for no other purpose than for "No School" signals. As the removal of this bell and tower was not estimated on in annual appropriation of the Wire Department a special ap- propriation was asked for of two hundred and fifty ($250.00) dol- lars at the November Town Meeting, which was granted. The bell was put in commission on the Crosby School on September 25, 1911.
Six hundred and thirty-five (635) feet of two-conductor lead cable was installed during the year for making connections from main conduit systems to side streets, etc. No other new construc- tion was done on underground wires.
Four (4) iron posts were purchased for fire and police boxes for connection to the underground wires. These posts are now in stock and will be placed in position when an additional appropria-
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
tion is made for underground construction. Forty-eight (48) storage battery elements were installed during the year on the fire alarm system to replace defective batteries. One (1) six- inch gong was installed in the Central Fire Station for sounding alarms on the Somerville-Arlington mutual aid system.
POLICE SIGNAL SYSTEM.
This system has given good service and very little trouble has been experienced in the operation of the various signal boxes and other apparatus. All aerial and underground wires were inspected and strengthened during the year. New batteries were placed in all signal boxes on the telephone service. Twenty-five (25) new batteries were installed at Town Hall for operating the apparatus in Police Station:
RECOMMENDATIONS.
I would recommend that thorough consideration be given the question of installation of additional fire alarm boxes throughout various sections of the town. New streets and buildings are rapidly being built and the fire alarm service will have to be ex- tended for proper protection. At least two new fire alarm boxes should be put in service this coming year as follows:
One at corner of Park Avenue and Prospect Avenue near the top of Arlington Heights.
One at junction of Mystic Street and Old Mystic Street.
Other sections of the town where new boxes should be located are as follows:
Jason Street near Norfolk Road.
Bartlett Avenue near Windermere Avenue.
Massachusetts Avenue between Lowell Street and Park Avenue.
Appropriations should be continued for extensions of the under- ground wires of both Fire Alarm and Police Signal Systems. This class of construction has got to be constantly extended to meet work done in this line by the various electrical companies owning poles and wires on the highways.
Respectfully submitted,
REUBEN W. LE BARON, Superintendent of Wires.
REPORT OF THE TOWN ENGINEER.
ARLINGTON, MASS., January 22, 1912. To the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works, Arling- ton, Mass.
Gentlemen: The annual report of the Engineering and Sewer Department for the year ending December 31, 1911, is herewith respectfully submitted with a statement of expenditures and a general description of the important work, also such suggestions as have been deemed proper.
The work of the Engineering Department consists in furnishing the several departments of the Town's service with such informa- tion, plans, designs, estimates and data of an engineering nature as they may require on work being done or contemplated; also keeping careful notes, measurements and locations of new work, additions, changes and extensions as they occur and properly re- cording the same for future reference by maps, plans, or profiles.
The Engineering Department is called upon to furnish general in- formation on nearly all subjects relating to municipal structures and systems and it has been the aim to so systematize the office records that information may be readily and accurately given. The policy of the Board requires that the Town Engineer must be consulted on all work where the advice of a civil engineer would be of service; and no structure of any kind can be placed upon, beneath or above, any street by any Department of the Town, corporation, or indi- vidual, until a plan is furnished showing the location and approved by him.
All engineering expense is charged each week to the Department or Board for which service has been rendered and is classified for the year as follows:
Highway Division: For the markings of lines and grades, making plans, profiles, estimates, locations and records
of work done and in contemplation by the division, $582.48 Sewer Division: For all surveys, plans, profiles, lines and grades, records and superintendence on cleaning and flushing of sewers, 229.22
213
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
ยท
Plans: Lines, grades, inspection and superintendence on sewer construction, $742.20
Superintendence and inspection on house connections 153.53
Water Division: For all lines and grades for new mains,
locations and records of gates, hydrants, specials, and service boxes,
115.72
Sidewalks: For all lines, grades, and measurements of edgestone, concrete, brick, and artificial stone walks, 35.25
Board of Survey: For all surveys, plans and profiles of streets laid out by the Board including the setting of stone bounds,
220.23
Assessors' Plans: For surveys and plans in connection with general survey of the town for Assessors' use,
510.17
Topographical Survey: Survey work on the area bounded by Mystic Street, Hutchinson Road, Winchester Line, Forest Street, Boston and Lowell Railroad and Sum- mer Street,
86.76
Abolition of Grade Crossings and Sucker Brook Improve- ment: For survey and plans,
225.58
Cemetery : Plans, estimates, lines, grades, marking out lots, etc.
94.23
Public Service Corporations - Boston Elevated Railway: For locations, grades and inspection of underground conduits in Massachusetts Avenue, Water Street, Broadway and Medford Street, 240.54
Arlington Gas Light Company: Lines, grades, and inspec- tion for new mains, 1.12
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
For details of cost and description of work done, reference is made to the Board of Public Works' report.
HIGHWAY DIVISION.
Lines and grades have been given for the new streets constructed this year and record plans made.
ACCEPTED STREETS.
Wellington Street, Harvard Street, Norfolk Road, Belknap Street, Marion Road and Magnolia Street were accepted and con- structed under the Betterment Act this year. Gray Street from a point about four hundred feet northwest of Bartlett Avenue to
215
TOWN ENGINEER'S REPORT
Oakland Avenue was accepted but not constructed. The con- struction of this street would develop a large area of valuable land and also provide another main thoroughfare parallel to Massa- chusetts Avenue which is entirely inadequate for the amount of traffic it is subjected to.
I respectfully recommend that the land necessary for the con- struction of the street be taken at once as its value is rapidly in- creasing.
The extension of Henderson Street across the Alewife Brook Reservation to Woodstock Street in Somerville would greatly con- venience the residents of East Arlington and a Committee ap- pointed by the Town has this matter under consideration.
I suggest that Massachusetts Avenue be widened from Water Street to the Lexington Line and then be permanently paved with a suitable pavement adapted to its grades and the character of its traffic and that the area occupied by the Boston Elevated car tracks be paved with the same material.
STORM DRAINS.
The extension of the Storm Drain system on Park Avenue, Wollaston Avenue and Appleton Street is very urgent as these streets are injured by every rain storm.
SEWER DIVISION.
Sewers have been constructed in Elder Terrace, Elmore Street, Florence Avenue, Gloucester Street, Harvard Street, Lombard Road, Lombard Terrace, Spring Valley, Trowbridge Street, Tufts Street, Windsor Street, Westminster Avenue and Wyman Terrace, a length of 3,681.8 feet at an average cost of $1.23 per foot. (See the Board of Public Works' Report for details.)
Ninety-five sewer connections were made during the year at a cost of $2,623.38, an average of $0.57 per foot.
The whole system has been carefully flushed and cleansed as in the past.
I wish to call attention to the necessity for sewers in Whittemore Park from Lake Avenue to the Boston and Lowell Railroad. The ground in this section is very low and affords no drainage for cess- pools.
It would seem advisable to have the Committee on Sucker Brook Improvement report on a valley sewer from Medford Street to
216
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
serve the territory north of the Boston and Lowell Railroad and later the Town of Lexington. This would permit the laying of sewers in Dudley Street, Grove Street, Grove Street Place, Brattle and Summer Streets, a district which is thickly settled and having no facilities for proper drainage. This sewer would also enable us to discontinue the small electric pumping plant at Brattle Street.
SIDEWALKS.
The brick sidewalk on the northerly side of Massachusetts Avenue was extended to a point opposite Mt. Vernon Street. This sidewalk should be continued to Park Avenue.
I believe that more people would be accommodated if the new permanent sidewalks were made of less width than is the present practice, thereby obtaining greater lengths of sidewalks for the same expenditure of money.
BOARD OF SURVEY.
All plans were examined on which hearings for locations and grades were held by the Board and thirty-eight plans were approved. Studies were made for the location of streets from Overlook Park thence through private lands to Appleton Street, Wollaston Avenue and the Lexington line.
The purpose of this study is to provide for a good development of that section of the town west of the standpipe.
MEDFORD STREET.
Final surveys and plans for the widening of this street were made for the County Commissioners. These plans provide for a width of seventy feet from Massachusetts Avenue to Chestnut Street and seventy-five feet from Chestnut Street to the Mystic River Reservation. The County Commissioners have not yet made a decree authorizing this widening.
Plans and studies for widening Mystic Street at the Winchester town line were made for the Board and the County Commission- ers have this matter under consideration.
Plans for the widening of Massachusetts Avenue at the Lexing- ton line and opposite the new Town Hall site were also made and are being considered by the County Commissioners.
The desirability of the extension of Summer Street to Forest Street as planned by the Board of Survey must be apparent to all.
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TOWN ENGINEER'S REPORT
The plan contemplates the continuation of the Boulevard now ending at Medford Street, along the shore of Lower Mystic Lake, through a portion of the Meadow Brook Park lands, owned by the Town, to Summer Street; thence continuing through Summer Street in accordance with the Board of Survey lines to Brattle Street; thence through private lands to the junction of Forest Street and Bow Street and thence through Bow Street to Lowell Street, Park Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue. This would establish a new route for travel over the new Boulevards from Cambridge, Somerville, Medford and Winchester to Lexington, Concord and towns beyond. This street, if built, will relieve the congestion on Massachusetts Avenue and greatly assist in the development of the northerly part of the town.
ASSESSORS' PLANS.
Surveys and thirty-two plans have been made of lands adjoining the Belmont, Lexington and Winchester lines. These plans show the ownership and areas of sections of land of which the Assessors have had no accurate data as the lands were never divided into lots or recorded at the Registry. The plans were finished April 1 and greatly facilitated the work of the Assessors in making their valuation list.
It is very necessary that this work be continued and if small appropriations are made each year, accurate plans of the whole town can be systematically completed.
TRIANGULATION SURVEY.
The triangulation work of the survey has been completed, also a large part of the final field work and plans. When completed the Town will have plans which will provide for a desirable develop- ment of the area bounded by Mystic Street, Winchester line, Forest Street, Boston and Lowell Railroad and Summer Street, comprising about 635 acres which can be made one of the most beautiful portions of the town.
SUCKER BROOK IMPROVEMENT AND ABOLITION OF GRADE CROSSINGS.
A plan of Sucker Brook from Mystic Lake to the Lexington line and a plan of the Boston and Lowell Railroad from the Cambridge line to Grove Street have been made and are in the hands of the Committee appointed by the Town to study these improvements.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
CEMETERY.
Plans were prepared and lines and grades given for the grading of Plot P. and Q. in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. The gravel exca- vated is being used to fill the Meadow Brook in accordance with the Park Commissioner's plans.
IN GENERAL.
Boston Elevated Railway underground conduits were laid in Massachusetts Avenue from the Cambridge line to Court Street, in Broadway to near Franklin Street, in Medford Street to a point opposite the Russell School, and in Water Street to the Transformer Station. The work was done under the direction of the Town Engineer.
All the underground structures that were encountered were properly protected, their locations recorded and the street surfaces properly replaced.
In that portion of Massachusetts Avenue between Medford Street and Pleasant Street the conduits are so laid that they will not be disturbed when the grade crossing is abolished.
One hundred and six permits for street openings were granted, a large number being for gas services and the extension of gas mains.
The work on the new channel of Alewife Brook has stopped at Little Spy Pond. The extension of this channel to Spy Pond is very urgent on account of the fact that during the summer months the water in the pond is lower than the bottom of the brook which formerly connected it with Little Spy Pond, consequently for nearly the whole year Spy Pond has no active overflow; also the townspeople are practically deprived of the use of the new Alewife Brook Channel because the Metropolitan Park Commissioners have neglected to connect the channel with Spy Pond.
The work of dredging the Mystic River is completed to the Med- ford Street Bridge and will be extended to the lower Mystic Lake this coming year.
The Metropolitan Plan Commission if established, would be of inestimable value to all the cities and towns in the district. The object of this Commission is to secure sensible co-operation by all the communities affected in order to obtain a systematic, har- monious and economical development of the whole district. Such
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TOWN ENGINEER'S REPORT
a Plan Commission is imperative if the district is to develop with intelligent regard for the future. There is no question of the benefits obtained where city planning has been adopted. It is merely a question of when and how these improvements are to be made, whether we are to wait until desirable lands increase in value, or whether we take immediate steps to provide for future development.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE E. AHERN, Town Engineer and Superintendent of Sewers.
ARLINGTON, MASS., January 26, 1912.
To the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works, Arl- ington, Mass.
Gentlemen: All matters of an engineering nature and affairs re- lating to the work of the Boards which have been referred to me during the year have had my careful consideration.
I heartily concur in the recommendations contained in the above report.
ROBERT W. POND, Consulting Engineer.
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS.
ARLINGTON, MASS., January 15, 1912.
To the Joint Board of Selectmen and Board of Public Works.
Gentlemen: Herewith is respectfully presented a report concern- ing the work done by the Highway Department under my charge for the year 1911.
The general organization and character of work has remained the same as last year.
The new eight-hour law which went into effect on June 17, 1911, caused considerable change in the working hours of the men. Where formerly the men worked from eight to nine hours of actual time, now, they are only allowed to work not over eight hours in any one day, or not more than forty-eight hours in a week. Any violation of this law makes this department liable to a fine of $1000 or six months imprisonment.
The loss of time by this law increased materially the cost of this department, caused by hiring new men and the necessity of placing two men in the stable where formerly one man did the work.
The loss of three of the horses was greatly felt by this depart- ment although the need was partly reduced by the purchasing of two new horses.
The division of work for this year has been the same as in the past, that is, new streets, permanent. sidewalks, storm drains, street watering, collection of offal and ashes, and highway main- tenance.
NEW STREETS.
The following streets were accepted and built this year: Welling- ton Street, Magnolia Street, Norfolk Road, Harvard Street, Belk- nap Street and Marion Road.
Wellington Street - The paved gutter was extended to the end of the accepted street where a catch-basin was built to take the water from the gutter and street and which in turn was diverted into the pond. The roadbed was built up with gravel so that the road has a good crown. This allows the water to easily run into the gutter.
220
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REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS
Magnolia Street - The roadbed was built up partly with gravel filling obtained from the trenches of the Boston Elevated Street Railroad Company while they were laying their conduits in Massa- chusetts Avenue, and the remainder was hauled from the town yard. The surface was then covered with a thin layer of blue gravel and the whole thoroughly watered and rolled with the steam roller. The sidewalks on both sides were built of gravel to the approximate grade.
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