USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1929 > Part 13
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1
2,500
Additions and alterations
54
73,610
Addition to school
1
100,000
Block of stores
4
61,000
Alter one family to two family
. .
1
1,000
Move one family dwelling to new location
2
2,650
21 apartment building
1
60,000
Laundry
1
9,000
Demolish building
11
1,400
Demolish one family dwelling
3
650
Demolish two family dwelling
2
700
Demolish ice house
1
3,000
Greenhouse
1
700
Foundations
6
5,150
Excavations
2
2,000
Belt conveyor
1
450
Repair burnt building
1
300
Marquee
1
3,000
Sun Parlor
8
3,900
Piazza
6
1,250
Piazza roof
17
4,175
Mushroom house
1
150
Summer house
1
175
Rabbit house
1
200
Dormer
2
440
Shed
2
750
Tool house
1
75
Hen house
2
925
·
· .
2
175
Chimney
619
$2,129,345
245
INSPECTOR OF BUILDINGS
985 Gas and 667 Plumbing permits were issued for the year.
FEES COLLECTED FOR 1929
619 Building Permits $2,033.00
667 Plumbing Permits 1,426.50
985 Gas Permits @ .50 492.50
2,271
$3,952.00
The Building operations in Arlington for the past year have held up well and stand very high in number and cost of buildings throughout New England.
The Building Department office space was increased last January which greatly facilitated the handling of the business under the new Code. As it is now laid out the records in all departments are kept in convenient separate compartments and has been working very satis- factorily.
The issuance of Building permits necessitated more time in checkup of plans, explanation of new conditions in the code. Inspection work in the field has increased materially, as have also violations of the Law which was expected. Work has been stopped in quite a number of cases because of flagrant violations, such as starting foundation walls before inspection, lathing without per- mission, construction contrary to plans filed and con- trary to requirements of the Code. There has been less trouble with house locations due to the required filing of scaled plot plans.
The question of gas flue construction has been troublesome in that it is new and the builders did not seem to grasp the conditions as required by law. The increase in height of chimneys has caused some trouble
246
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
as have also the starting of flue linings at cellar floor level and installation of cleanout doors for all flues.
It has been brought to our attention very clearly that the filing of complete sets of working plans with applica- tions for permits to build is of estimable value for future records, because of some outside court cases which sorely needed such plans.
One case of tenement house violation was taken to the Courts and conviction obtained with a substantial fine.
In the Plumbing division there have been numerous violations, I believe not deliberate but rather the radical change of requirements of the new Code, and all were corrected upon notification by the inspector.
The following safety appliances and fixtures have been approved for use in compliance with the Code.
Safety valves (temperature control) Stack, Donnelly
Pressure Relief Valves Stack, Donnelly
Closet Flanges Locke Stevens, Mott, Donovan, Moore, new principal
Bath Traps Arrc, Hartwell, Nichols, Wolverine
Vacuum Valves Donnelly, Stack
Storage System Dahlquist, Ampco (Artisan) Welsbach, Rudd, Compact Heater
247
INSPECTOR OF BUILDINGS
No appeals of any kind have been made to the Board of Appeal during the year, although one application was submitted for a permit to build and was refused.
I am grateful to the employees of the department for their loyalty and cooperation under the stress of changed conditions occasioned by the new Code.
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen I wish to ex- press my sincere thanks for their cordial cooperation and those of the Town Officials with whom we are in contact.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM GRATTO, Inspector of Buildings.
REPORT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT-1929
Arlington, Mass., January 1, 1930
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen, Arlington, Massachusetts
Gentlemen :-
I have the honor to present my seventh annual re- port as Chief of the Arlington Fire Department for the year ending December 31, 1929.
The manual force is the same as last year, forty men, including Chief, Deputy Chief, six Captains, three Lieu- tenants, twenty-nine Privates, and a Department Sur- geon.
Captain Patrick O'Brien of Ladder 1, was retired on a pension December 1, 1929. He had served faithfully and conscientiously from his appointment to the perma- nent force November 16, 1903.
Two Ladder Trucks, three Pumping Engines and one Combination (hose and chemical) are in active service. A Seagrave 750 gallon Pumper, known as Engine 2, was placed in service at the Highland Station May 28, 1929, replacing a Knox Combination that had been in constant use since March 16, 1911.
The Department responded to 144 bell alarms, 270 still alarms (telephone calls) and 78 Mutual Aid Calls, a total of 492, 66 more than last year, and the largest num- ber in the history of the Department.
248
249
REPORT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Seven false alarms were sounded. Last year we had 14 false alarms.
The total value of property endangered by fire and the losses sustained, together with the insurance paid, follows :
Insurance
Value
Insurance
Loss
Paid
Buildings $559,550.00 $546.050.00 $40,216.08 $40,206.08
Contents 231,421.00
193,674.00
31,882.42
31,832.42
Total 790,971.00
739,724.00
72,098.50
72,038.50
APPROPRIATIONS
Appropriation (incl. $12,500.00 for Pumper) $112,140.00 Expended 111,687.72
Unexpended Balance 452.28
CREDITS
Fees for 73 blasting permits $ 73.00
Fees for 9 fireworks permits 4.50
Fees for 10 inflammable fluid per- mits 10.00
Sale of chemical tank 40.00.
Sale of old junk
1.00
Sale of lockers
2.00
$130.50
Total balance $582.78
By a change in the fire alarm system, no alarms have been sounded on the whistle and outside bells since Octo- ber 3, 1929. This was made necessary because of the con- gestion and interference from automobiles that raced to the scene every time an alarm was heard.
250
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
FIRE PREVENTION
Fire prevention, next in importance to fire extinction, still claims the usual close attention of the Department. All buildings, exclusive of dwellings, are thoroughly in- spected at least twice each month. 14,752 inspections were made in 630 miscellaneous occupancies. Owners and occupants continue to work with the Department in its efforts to prevent careless fires.
Sprinklers are being installed in many places where the occupancies are considered hazardous or where a fire would cause serious interruption of business and inci- dentally it is a matter of economy as the saving in insur- ance premiums repays installation costs in a very short time.
DWELLING INSPECTION
The firemen donated their services as usual on "days off" for the sixth annual inspection of dwellings which began September 30, 1929. Cellars of 6247 houses were inspected and the improvement found over other years was gratifying to the Department, and showed plainly that householders are consistently working with the fire- men in their efforts to make their homes safe places of abode.
Following is some of the data compiled as a result of the inspection.
1929
Total Houses-6247 1928
3196
. Single houses . 3021
2898
. Double houses 2763
93
. 3-apartments
87
41.
. 4-apartments
36
1. . 5-apartments
2
9.
. 6-apartments
8
1. 7-apartments
1
1. 8-apartments 1
.
251
REPORT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
1929
1928
2. 10-apartments
2
1. .13-apartments 1
2. 16-apartments 2
1. 21-apartments 0
1. . 24-apartments 1
168.
Vacant apartments 210
107 sgl., 11 dbl. Under construction 119 sgl., 20 dbl.
608 . Combustible roofs 877
3529 . Garages on lot with house. .3061
325 Oil burners 226
9619. Total number of families .9114
33,666 Total number of persons 31,899
(3.5 per family)
NUMBER OF HOUSES
1924-3918; 1925-4640; 1926-5170; 1927-5559; 1928-5981; 1929-6247.
Mercantile inspections, 14,752; house inspections, 6247; total, 20,999.
Fire drills were given in all schools and the results obtained showed the value of the drills given at intervals under the direction of the teachers.
One hundred and seventy-six extinguishers were re- charged in schools and other public buildings.
Automatic fire plugs were installed on 447 gas me- ters, making 4141 meters now protected in this manner.
Four hundred ten permits were issued for the burn- ing of rubbish, etc. These permits may be obtained at any of the stations.
The drill tower was in constant use when weather permitted. This tower is of great value for individual training and for Company practice.
252
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
The new Highland Station, the third to be located on that site, was turned over by the builders, February 2, 1930, to the Building Committee, consisting of Selectman Hollis M. Gott, Chairman; Selectmen Luke A. Manning and Arthur P. Wyman; Ex-Chief Walter H. Peirce and Chief Daniel B. Tierney.
The official opening was held April 19th when the cornerstone was laid and the station dedicated to Charles Gott, Chief of the Arlington Fire Department, from 1878-1907.
This building was erected at a moderate cost, is beau- tiful and practical, a model of architecture and conceded by many to be the finest in this part of the country.
Ladder 2 was installed in the station March 4th and Combination A March 21st.
All are cordially invited to visit the stations. The firemen will be pleased to conduct visitors through the buildings, and it will afford an opportunity to get intimate knowledge of the work of the Department. Many are quite familiar with the class of service rendered by the firemen when an emergency arises and a prompt response is desired and expected, yet are unaware of the careful preparation necessary for quick service.
Dr. Kingman responded to 98 alarms during the year and gave 34 treatments to firemen at his office, 25 treat- ments at their homes and at the stations, 8 first aid treat- ments at fires, 2 examinations and 10 first aid lectures.
RECOMMENDATIONS
I recommend that six men be appointed next year to strengthen the Department in the operation of the large
253
REPORT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
hose lines and long ladders without serious delay, and to handle the rapidly increasing number of calls each year.
The New England Insurance Exchange recommends twenty-nine men as a minimum number to have on duty at all times, including meal hours, vacations, sickness and during inspections.
The present force consists of thirty-nine men, one third of whom or (13) are off each day, and one man is detailed for desk duty continually, leaving a force of twenty-five men, four less than minimum requirement, and only for seventeen hours daily are these men avail- able. During seven hour meal periods only nineteen men are at the stations to respond with six pieces of apparatus. Inspection duty, vacations and sickness further deplete our force below a safe complement, in fact it often hap- pens that men off duty come in to cover during meal hours.
The ultimate sufficient force recommended is forty- one, which would require sixty men, on the one-in-three schedule of days off for the same number of pieces.
I recommend the purchase of a commercial truck to be used as a "Rescue Squad."
In reality it means the concentration of all special and emergency tools and appliances on one piece instead of being distributed among the many pieces of apparatus as at present, with no assurance that a particular tool will be available when an emergency arises, since all ap- paratus does not respond to each call.
Engine 1 which responds to all bell alarms, carries many of these tools, almost to the overloading point, but it also responds to most of the out-of-town calls and our emergency tools are not available during these periods.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
A partial list of these emergency appliances carried in our Department at present is as follows: Deluge set; monitor nozzle; hydrant thawing device; hose protectors to allow traffic to move over hose stretched on street; rubber covers; heavy bars; wire cutters and rubber gloves; trolley pick-ups; wading trousers and masks for shutting off valves in ammonia plants used for refrigera- tion; heavy ropes ; block and tackle; inhalator and warm- ing pads for resuscitation cases ; stretchers ; first aid kits and splints of all sizes.
We also have a foam generator with 1500 pounds of powder for use in gasoline and oil fires, which is kept at Headquarters and must be sent for resulting in serious delay.
Duplication of these tools, which are expensive, would not be required were a Squad to be placed in service.
The service of this Department is in constant de- mand for emergencies other than extinguishing fires, in fact no other department of the town is equipped to ren- der such service. Should a leak occur in a refrigeration plant, commercial or domestic, firemen are summoned. Ladder service is furnished for special emergencies and all calls for resuscitation are attended to.
Five times during the past year the crew of Engine 1 has responded to drowning and gas poison cases, working more than two hours on each victim, thus keeping a valu- able piece of apparatus out of service.
An electric plant capable of generating 2000 watts for floodlights will be a part of the equipment of this truck for use at fires or other emergencies.
Almost daily throughout the Metropolitan District, firemen are being injured, often permanently, because of
255
REPORT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
insufficient light at the scene of action, in fact, we have a man on the pension list now from that very. cause.
This piece would respond to all calls in charge of a driver, while a trained crew would respond to all special calls.
A six cylinder Federal Truck, two tons capacity, which more nearly meets all requirements can be pur- chased complete with extras for. $2207.85 Kohler electric lighting plant will cost. 1200.00
Total $3407.85
I recommend that $108,846.50 be appropriated for the ensuing year, this sum to cover the appointment of six additional men and the purchase of the truck and floodlight equipment as described.
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen for the splen- did support it has given me in the conduct of my office; to the Board of Public Works for its complete co-opera- tion; to the Police Department for its prompt and effi- cient assistance; to the officers and men of the Fire De- partment for their loyalty and faithfulness to duty; to the donors of more than one thousand books and to the Librarian who selects and issues to the Department one hundred books every month, I extend my sincerest appre- ciation.
DANIEL B. TIERNEY, Chief of Department
REPORT OF THE LICENSING COMMISSION
January 13, 1930.
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen Arlington, Massachusetts.
Gentlemen :
The Licensing Commission hereby respectfully sub- mits its sixth annual report.
The Commission met on Friday, March 1, 1929 for its first meeting of the year and organized with Daniel B. Tierney as Chairman and John A. Easton, Clerk.
The first and third Fridays of each month were designated for the regular meetings of the Board.
Twenty meetings were held at which 396 hearings were given on petitions filed for one and two car garages.
The Commission acted favorably on 393 petitions. Two were withdrawn and one was denied.
DANIEL B. TIERNEY, WILLIAM GRATTO, THOMAS O. D. URQUHART, Licensing Commission,
John A. Easton, Clerk
256
REPORT OF THE GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTH DEPARTMENT
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen :
Dear Sirs :
I herewith submit my report as Superintendent of Moth Department for year ending December 31, 1929.
The general condition of the public shade trees in our Town as far as the Gypsy Moth is concerned is bet- ter than it has been for the past twelve years. There are only three bad infestations; namely at the section bordering on the Arlmont Golf Club near Belmont Line, the section between Dow Ave. and Valentine Road and the Turkey Hill section. The Turkey Hill section is the heaviest infestation and the hardest to control as spraying would be too expensive and to hold this insect in check and prevent spreading it is necessary to con- fine our activities to creosoting the nests. One of the chief difficulties in spraying is the shortness of the time allowed for the work. The feeding season of the cater- pillar extends from about the middle of May to the middle of July, but spraying cannot well commence until the trees are in full foliage which is about the last of May and spraying done after the first week in July is not very effective as the larvae has already done its worst damage and in heavy infestations the foliage may be so badly stripped as to be incapable of holding the poison. It is not possible to spray in wet weather because the poison will not adhere to the leaves and it is very difficult at least to spray in windy weather, so that there is sure to be considerable lost time to be
257
258
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
taken out of the six or seven weeks spraying season. During the past year besides creosoting nests and spraying our street trees we have creosoted all nests found on private estates and sprayed over two hundred and fifty estates which reimbursed the Town over $1000. As the infestation of the gypsy on our street trees is so small I would advise that more attention be paid this year to fighting the cottony and woolly scale which is very abundant on our soft maples. Another pest is the tent caterpillar and the fall web worm. This pest can be controlled by early spraying and the eradi- cation of the worthless wild cherry. You will notice in my budget for the coming year that I have not asked for any increase but only enough to insure and keep our trees free from any further invasion of the Gypsy Moth. The following is a financial report of expendi- tures :
Labor, treating nests
Succor Brook $16.55
Willows, Spy Pond 25.00
Crusher 20.00
Reservoir, Hospital and Parks 137.75
Cemeteries
37.00
Churches, Schools, Library 56.35
Streets
330.49
Private estates
549.45
$1,172.59
Spraying
Churches, Schools, Library $15.70
Willows, Spy Pond 35.25
Hospital 30.00
Streets 409.00
Reservoir
20.20
Private
424.05
$934.20
259
REPORT OF MOTH DEPARTMENT .
Remove dead wood
$62.50
Tent and Fall Web
104.25
Burn Brush
20.00
Vacations
180.00
Store house
40.70
Saturday afternoons
352.00
Holidays
282.50
$1,041.95
Summary
Labor
$3,148.74
Supt.'s Salary
1,422.11
Telephone
37.90
Repairs .
79.50
Insecticides
181.75
Auto Maintenance
277.16
Rent
90.00
$5,237.16
Appropriation
$5,240.00
Expenditures
5,237.16
Balance
$2.84
Respectfully submitted,
DANIEL M. DALEY.
DEPARTMENT OF POLICE
Arlington, Massachusetts, January 1, 1930.
To the Honorable Board of Selectmen.
Gentlemen :
I have the honor of rendering you my twenty-fifth annual report of the doings of the police department for the year ending December 31, 1930.
The police department consists of a Chief, five sergeants, thirty-two patrolmen and nine reserve police officers, a stenographer, one janitress and matron and a mechanician.
During the year 1940 complaints were brought to the attention of the courts. 1849 were males; 91 were females and 78 were juveniles or persons under 17 years of age. $6,933.00 were imposed as fines and costs.
POLICE SIGNAL SYSTEM
During the year 117,340 duty calls were received and 1810 telephone calls from officers on street duty ; 225 wagon calls; 60 ambulance calls have been responded to and the patrol and ambulance has run 1412 miles.
A Teletype System has been added to the equip- ment of the Department and this gives instantaneous communication with the twenty-one police stations in Boston, the Metropolitan Park Police and the police departments of Quincy, Brookline, Cambridge, Somer-
260
261
DEPARTMENT OF POLICE
ville, Medford, Malden, Melrose, Everett, Chelsea and several other cities in the Metropolitan District.
All police news of importance, such as stolen cars, robberies, burglaries and persons wanted, is broad- cast over this system by the several departments at the time of happening and much good work has been accomplished by the various police departments through its use, and it is expected before another year has passed, every city in the State will have installed this system.
THE AUTOMOBILE AND THE POLICE
During the year 5,678 automobiles were reported to us as stolen in the Metropolitan District.
We had 31 reported to us as stolen in Arlington, all of which have been recovered. We also recovered 21 cars for other police departments.
576 permits to sell cars in Arlington were granted to private owners, and 1,716 used cars were reported as taken in trade by Arlington dealers.
108 licenses to operate automobiles were revoked for violations of law, and 136 licenses to operate were suspended.
AUTOMOBILE FATALITIES AND INJURIES
This year six persons have been killed in Arling- ton by motor vehicles, three less than last year.
IN REGARD TO ELECTRIC STOP AND GO SIGNALS
The State rules in regard to standard of designs. They say that each signal face must have three lenses -Red, yellow and green and that additional lenses may
262
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
be used only where special conditions necessitate the use of right and left turn arrows.
Red. While the red lens is illuminated, no driver of a vehicle facing the signal shall enter the intersec- tion. Provided, however, that if a right or left green arrow lens is illuminated at the same time, a driver may enter the intersection to make the turn permitted by the arrow.
Confusion has resulted from a lack of uniform obedience to red signal lights. The red lens should always indicate a complete stop unless specifically modified by an auxiliary indication. Permitting opera- tors to make right or left turns during the showing of the red lens is believed to be bad practice, since it weakens the definite character of the red indication, and especially since the practice cannot be permitted at all intersections and therefore cannot be followed uniformly. The necessity for right or left turns dur- ing the general stop period is exceptional and there- fore should require a specific modification. This has been provided for in the specification of additional right or left turning arrow lenses. When such right or left turning arrows are used to permit turning move- ment during the interval when through movements are stopped, they should be illuminated in conjunction with the red signal which they modify and should afford the only indication which modifies the complete stop required by the red lens.
Yellow. While the yellow lens is illuminated, any waiting driver of a vehicle shall remain standing until the green lens is illuminated, and any driver of a vehicle approaching the intersection who can stop said vehicle with safety before reaching the intersection, or a marked stop line, shall stop at such point.
263
DEPARTMENT OF POLICE
The yellow lens has been required in standard signal apparatus for reasons already indicated. Con- fusion has frequently arisen from the use of this lens. A proper and standard interpretation of the yellow lens when used following either a green or red lens is indicated herein. It should be noted that in all cases the yellow lens when used in conjunction with stop and go operation is indicative of a change period, and is a warning to moving operators to stop, and to waiting operators to remain standing. In no case is it to be interpreted as permission to proceed.
If the yellow lens is to be used as an indication to waiting drivers it must always be shown alone, and never in conjunction with the red lens, as this combina- tion is reserved for an indication of an exclusive pedestrian interval.
When used in flashing operations, the yellow lens shall serve as a warning, meaning "proceed with cau- tion."
Green. While the green lens is illuminated, any driver of a vehicle facing the signal shall proceed, sub- ject to the safety of those who may have been in the intersection at the time the lens was illuminated and subject to the special turning restrictions.
In a standard three lens signal face the green lens when illuminated is an indication to drivers facing such lens that they may proceed into the intersection, sub- ject to the safety requirements, and pass through or turn to the right or left unless the turning movement is specifically limited as provided.
Red and Yellow. While the red and yellow lenses are illuminated together no driver of a vehicle shall
264
ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
enter the intersection, and during such time the inter- section is reserved for the exclusive use of pedestrians.
An exclusive pedestrian interval, to be indicated by a simultaneous showing of the red and yellow lenses, has been included for the very exceptional conditions which occasionally exist in the larger cities. These conditions are to be found where pedestrian traffic is so dense that sidewalks adjacent to the intersection become blocked unless an unusually large amount of time is provided for pedestrian crossing movements; or where the right or left turning movements of vehicles are so numerous as to make it impossible for pedestrians to cross normally with traffic movement. There is a strong presumption against the use of a pedestrian period, inasmuch as pedestrian movements at all except very unusual intersections can be accommodated con- veniently and safely in synchronization with vehicular flow. A special pedestrian interval complicates the controlling mechanism and interferes with the most efficient control of the intersection. The yellow lens alone is not considered adequate for the special require- ments of the pedestrian period. The maximum pro- tection possible should be given to pedestrians during such a period, hence the red lens in addition to the yellow is required as a positive prohibition against vehicular movements.
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