Town of Newton annual report 1881-1882, Part 16

Author: Newton (Mass.)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Newton (Mass.)
Number of Pages: 434


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Town of Newton annual report 1881-1882 > Part 16


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


9 63


Laurel


7 00


Walnut Park 9 75


Lexington


191 20


Walnut


144 62


Linden


5 37


Waltham


333 33


Lowell


42 00


Ward


929 99


Maple (Ward 4)


7 00


Warren Avenue


8 75


Margin .


25 38


Warren .


13 00


Melrose .


2 44


Washington Park


10 50


Montrose .


55 75


Washington


. 5,035 15


Mount Vernon


82 00


Watertown


895 92


Nahanton


32 50


Waverley Avenue


329 44


Newtonville Avenue


160 37


Webster 36 75


Nonantum


28 37


Wesley


.


10 50


Norwood Avenue


13 13


Willow


13 88


Oakland Avenue


27 78


Winchester


50 00


Orchard .


3 50


Winter 7 00


Otis


145 83


Winthrop


8 75


Park


457 43/


Wolcott 14 24


Parker


10 00


Woodland Avenue .


.


466 05


Peabody .


4 88


Cleaning crossings .


163 12


Pearl


46 87


Cleaning grates and man-


holes . 420 71 ·


Perkins


17 67


Cleaning gutters


. 1,346 25


Pettee


42 50


Gravel-pits


. 3,521 43


Pleasant


373 39


Picking stones


. 159 75


Prescott


10 50


Public property


49 12


Prospect .


25 37


Removing snow


. 7,147 36


Putnam .


25 75


Stable-work


241 57


River


100 91


Steam roller


99 50


St. James


3 50


Street signs


. 108 03


Sargent


. 3,462 00


Miscellaneous .


452 97


School


1 75


Shaw


11 67


Total


$37,513 97


Am't carried forward, $14,971 46


·


Pembroke


32 13


.


7


The principal work performed has been upon the following streets, and in the following manner : -


Boylston Street, Wards 5 and 6, from Parker Street to Dudley Street; Brookline Street, Ward 5, from Dudley Street to Dedham Street; Chestnut Street, Ward 5, from Woodward Street to Boylston Street, - were widened and graded.


Glen Avenue, Ward 6, was re-graded.


Beacon Street, Ward 6; Homer Street, Wards 3 and 4; Lake Avenue, Ward 6; Park Street, Ward 7; Pleasant Street, Ward 6; Waverley Avenue, Ward 6; Woodland Avenue, Ward 4, - were thoroughly gravelled, and rolled with the steam road-roller; and the compact road-bed of each street bears evidence of the value of its use upon gravel roads.


Sargent Street, Wards 6 and 7, from Centre Street to Park Street ; parts of Washington Street between Wards 1 and 3; and Watertown Street, from the Watertown line towards Chapel Street, - were thoroughly macadamized and rolled.


By order of the City Council of Feb. 6, 1882, the weekly collection of ashes was made in all of the wards, and an appropriation of $2,000 was made therefor. The cost of the collection in excess of the amount appropriated ($253.30) was charged to highways, general repairs.


HIGHWAY WIDENINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS.


Amount appropriated by the City Council for highway widen-


ings and improvements . $5,000 00


Amount expended 5,156 94


Amount charged to appropriation for highway widenings and improvements . 5,000 00


Amount charged to highways, general repairs 156 94


The above amount has been expended on the following- named streets : -


Auburn Street, Ward 4, Ash Street to near Woodbine Street, $300 00


Beacon Street, Ward 4, at junction of Washington Street 61 85


Amount carried forward .


$361 85


8


Amount brought forward .


$361 85


Brookline Street, Ward 5, near Dudley Street : -


For labor, etc., as per rolls $572 03


For building fence, as per bill .


34 60


606 63


Centre Street, Ward 6, for repairing fence, as per bill .


75


Cherry Street, Ward 3, for labor, etc., as per rolls


549 50


Greenwood Street, Ward 5, at corner of Dudley Street . .


90 14


Grove Street, Ward 4 .


20 62


Sumner Street, Ward 6, from Ward Street to Gibbs Street . Ward Street, Ward 6: -


1,360 80


For labor, etc., as per rolls . $1,969 83


For rebuilding and setting back fences and walls, 134 97


2,104 80


Washington Street, Ward 4, at junction of Beacon Street


61 85


$5,156 94


CURBING.


Amount appropriated by order of the City Council for curb-


ing, for the year 1882


$1,200 00


Amount expended


1,956 86


Amount charged to appropriation for curbing


1,200 00


Amount charged to highways, general repairs


756 86


The following table shows the number of linear feet, kind and cost of curbing, which has been laid : -


CURBING LAID IN 1882.


STREET.


WARD.


Linear feet Straight Curbing.


Linear feet Curved Curbing.


Total Length of Curbing.


COST.


Ash .


4


48 00


29.21


77 21


$70 11


Auburn


4


145.20


29.20


174.40


140 74


Bellevue


1


111 75


9 50


121.25


102 22


Bowers


2


333 65


6.30


339.95


351 43


Cherry .


3


19.00


19 00


9 41


Eldridge


7


355.15


42 90


898.05


363 58


Harvard


2


187 83


3.15


190.98


110 11


Hovey


1


10.50


10 50


8 81


Park


7


225.25


35.92


261.17


192 22


Sargent


7


68.75


68 75


133 24


Vernon


7


273.70


47.91


321.61


229 88


Walnut


2


144.40


144 40


109 80


Woodland Avenue


4


29 00


29.00


35 91


Stock


1-2


25.00


52.43


77.43


61 90


Miscellaneous


37 50


1.879 43


354 27


2,233.70


$1,956 86


9


SIDEWALKS.


Amount appropriated by order of the City Council for side-


walks, for the year 1882 .


$5,000 00


Amount expended .


6,893 56


Amount charged to appropriation for sidewalks


5,000 00


Amount charged to highways, general repairs


1,893 56


The cost of laying and repairing street-crossings is charged to the appropriation for highways, general repairs.


The following table shows the number of square yards of concrete sidewalk and street-crossings laid and repaired, and the cost of all gravel and concrete sidewalks : -


STREET.


WARD.


REMARKS.


Sidew'ks, New.


Sidew'ks, Cros'gs, Cros'gs, New.


Repairs.


Adams


1 and 2


$204 75


Gravel.


Arlington


7


63.08


46 98


Ash


4


49.94


15 75


Aspen Avenue


4


Gravel.


Auburn


4


512.63


435 23


Baldwin


7


7.60


1 22


Beacon


6


321.57


108 75


Bellevue


1


90.41


122 24


Bowers


2


258.72


32.70


112 37


Bridge


2


Gravel.


Central


4


399.47


86.57 650.99


49.16 66.94


29.84 78.91


379 10


Cherry


3


16.05


96.96 30.98


42.30


213 05


Church


7


113.21


39 88


Crafts .


2


20.00


575.37


58.75


99 24


Crescent Avenue


6


217.79


114 64


Eldridge .


7


316.46


163 28


Elliot


7


69.12


53.59


11 06


Emerson .


1 and 7


37 19


Gravel.


Forest Avenue


4


35.09


35 00


Gravel.


Gibbs .


6


219.38


124 44


Glen Avenue


6


254.74


43.73


107 39


Grove .


4


171.56


196.77


14.90


28.43


105 52


Hammond


6


15 43


§ Rep. plank sidewalk.


Harvard .


2


141.42


45 39


Highland .


3


342.82


283.56


312 54


Hillside Avenue


3


62.39


19 94


Hovey .


1


29.52


16 23


Jewett


1


206.76


36 58


Lake Avenue


6


184.73


66 99


Lexington


4


30 41


Margin


3


10 50


Montrose


7


129.00


71 09


Mount Vernon .


2 and 3


2 62


Gravel.


Newtonville Ave.


1


2 38


Nonantum


7


3 00


Norwood Avenue,


6


455.74


206 08


Amount carried forward,


5,110.83


2,267.07


242.52


291.82


$4,079.83


Part gravel.


Chestnut


3 and 5


133.20


312 74


Part gravel.


Elmwood


Fountain .


3


669.39


Centre


1 and 7


SQUARE YARDS OF CONCRETE.


Cost of Gravel & Concrete Walks.


Repairs.


7 12


26 75


208 10


208 86


Gravel. =


10


STREET.


WARD.


Sidew'ks, New.


Sidew'ks, Cros'gs, Cros'gs, New.


Repairs.


Am't brought for'd.


5,110.83


2,267.07


242.52 32.68


291.82


$4,079.83


Oakland Avenue .


4


Otis


2


5.02


2 76


Park


7


466.83


156.06


226 06


Peabody .


7


51.81


23 87


Pembroke


7


43 50


Gravel.


Pleasant


6


17 00


River


3


21 00


66


Sargent


6 and 7


500 25


66


Vernon


7


292.90


369.77


57.01


87.96


156 83


Waban Park


1


99.63


171.85


61 90


Walnut


2


342.12


108.27


61.46


216 12


( Part laid in 1881.


Washington Park, Washington


1, 2,3, 7


348.61


72.03


9.39


525 01


Laid in 1881. Part gravel.


Watertown .


2


176.22


School- yard. { 21.20


59 08


§ Part laid in 1881.


Waverley Avenue,


7


202.50


205 34


Part gravel.


Willow


6


307.93


112 81


Wolcott


4


759.97


105.94


33.15


507 07


Miscellaneous


26 38


7,983.13


3,552.21


448.02


389.17


$6,893 56


FLAGSTONE CROSSINGS.


In order to test the comparative convenience and cost of concrete and flagstone crossings, several crossings of granite flagging, two to four feet wide, with from two to four feet of cobble-stone paving on each side, have been laid during the past two years. So far as we have been able to determine, they have given general satisfaction.


The following table shows the number of feet of flagstone crossings laid during the year 1882, and the cost of the same : -


STREET.


WARD.


LENGTH.


WIDTH.


COST.


LOCATION.


Auburn


4


50.50


4.00


$113 75


At cor. of Ash St.


Eldridge


7


30.25


4.00


72 14


" Vernon St.


Sargent


7


48.50


2.00


58 04


66


" Park St.


Vernon


7


41.50


4.00


97 03


" Eldridge St.


7


26.00


4 00


60 84


Op. Channing Church.


Stock


4


55.00


40 01


$470 00


( Off Wood- land Ave.


66


Temple


3


17 50


2


119.98


17 99


73 26


Gravel.


Woodland Avenue,


4


4


25 00


2.00


28 19


" Maple St.


-


Cost of Gravel & Concrete Walks.


REMARKS.


SQUARE YARDS OF CONCRETE.


Repairs.


11


SUMMARY OF EXPENSES CHARGED TO THE APPROPRIA- TION FOR HIGHWAY GENERAL REPAIRS.


For maintenance, as per Superintendent's Record of Work . $37,543 97 For collection of ashes in excess of appropriation . 253 30 For work on highway widenings and improvements in excess of appropriation 156 94


For curbing in excess of appropriation . 756 86


For concrete and gravel sidewalks in excess of appropriation, 1,893 56


For flagstone crossings .


470 00


For miscellaneous expenses, as per sundry bills in Auditor's Report .


· 17,342 32


Total amount expended


. $58,416 95


Early in the year a 10"X 15" stone-crusher and screen were purchased of the Farrel Foundry and Machine Company, Ansonia, Conn., and an 8"× 15" horizontal engine and boiler were purchased of Messrs. Kendall and Roberts of Cam- bridge, Mass.


These were set up at the gravel-lot on the Towle estate, so that the stone could be crushed and disposed of more rapidly and with greater economy than ever before.


Should the city make additional purchases near its gravel- lots on Pine Street, Ward 3, a great saving would be effected by a similar arrangement of crusher and screens to that made at the Towle estate.


I am also convinced that the purchase of an 8"× 10" crusher on wheels would be attended with economic results, if run in connection with the steam road-roller at the banks or lots where no crusher is at present located, or where a number of loads of stone can be collected in the vicinity of where they may be wanted on the street.


PARKS.


Amount appropriated by order of the City Council for im- provements on public squares for the year ending Jan. 1, 1883


$500 00


Amount expended


404 00


Unexpended balance


$96 00


12


Three hundred and fifty dollars of the above amount was appropriated by the City Council for the completion of the grading about Centre Green, Ward 6; the Newton Centre Improvement Society agreeing to raise and expend an amount, in addition to the above appropriation, sufficient to complete the work.


Fifty dollars was appropriated and expended in planting trees in Washington Park.


DRAINS AND CULVERTS.


Amount appropriated by order of the City Council for the construction of new, and the cleaning out and repair of old, drains, culverts, and catch-basins


. $15,000 00


Amount expended, as per Auditor's Record .


· 11,500 85


Unexpended balance


. $3,499 15


Of the above amount expended, $549.87 for labor should have been charged to highways, general repairs.


The following table shows the lengths of each kind and size, and the cost, of drains constructed during the year, and the streets in which the same are laid : -


DRAINS CONSTRUCTED IN 1882.


STREET.


Size in


Inches.


Feet of


Drain.


Man-


holes.


basins.


Feet of


Inlets.


Size


Inlets.


COST.


LOCATION.


Auburn .


8


104


1


$47 58


Bowers


10


152


106 37


Centre


8


40


1


46 40


Cherry


12


710


1


5


16


8


1,792 39


Cheese Cake Brook to Auburndale Avenue.


Ellis


15


173


1


( 104


8 )


Elm


12


240


4


56


6


Ivanhoe and }


12


40


3


16


5


16 25


Newtonville Ave.


10


112


67 08


Sargent


15


425


5


24 40


12


C. F. Rogers's estate to Hyde Avenue.


Walnut


10


230


1


167 85


§ Newtonville Square to Newtonville Avenue.


Washington


36×24 1,380


6


8


40


12


4,583 97


( Eddy Street to Eddy's Coal-yard.


4,804


8


29


7473


$7,886 15


1


( 196


10 )


10


40


853


6


111 00


At Boylston Street. § Cheese Cake Brook to Webster Street.


At their junction.


Kenilworth


6


108


Margin


4


100


Near Highland Street. Near Bowditch Street.


563 65


152


8


5


281 13


18


6 1


102 48


At corner of Ash Street. § Through estate of P. C. Bridgham. Near Bellevue Street.


15


950 )


Catch-


13


CULVERTS AND CATCH-BASINS.


The following tables show the length, size, and cost of the culverts or catch-basins constructed or reconstructed during the year, and the name of the street in or under which they are laid : -


CULVERTS CONSTRUCTED AND RECONSTRUCTED IN 1882.


STREET.


Size in Length Inches.| in Ft.


COST.


LOCATION.


REMARKS.


Bellevue


$10 16


Under driveway.


Repaired.


Cherry


107 50


Near Mr. Stroud's est


Criss


80


At Derby Brook.


Pearl


3 50


" Laundry Brook.


Pine


2 50


Brook.


Vernon .


36 87


" Park Street.


Washington,


2 62


66


$163 15


CATCH-BASINS CONSTRUCTED AND RECONSTRUCTED IN 1882.


STREET.


LOCATION.


COST.


REMARKS.


Auburn


Near Washington St.


$25 20


Changing covers.


Boyd


66 Emerson Street.


409 89


Bridge


66 Mr. Bemis's est.


169 74


Carleton


" Centre Street.


143 12


Centre


Wards 1, 6, 7.


52 58


Repairs. 66


Church


Corner Park Street.


21 25


Eldridge


Near Elmwood Street.


62 41


Franklin


Cor. of Kenrick Park.


8 40


Hancock .


Near Central Street.


58 20


Repairs.


Highland Ave.


66 Murray Street.


4 75


Jefferson .


Maple Street.


22 16


66


Mount Ida


Newtonville Ave.


38


Pearl


66 Waban Street.


27 15


Changing covers.


Perkins


66


Washington St.


8 95


66


Pleasant


66


Hammond Brook.


18 58


Repairs.


River


66


Lexington Street.


17 50


Walnut


23 37


Washington Park,


Corner Walnut Street.


219 44


Washington 66


Opposite Davis Court.


7 55


Near Court Street.


7 55


66


Laundry Brook.


8 40


Covers changed


30 20


$1,346 77


( Charged to Gen. Rep'rs. Repaired. 66


14


MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES FOR 1882.


Beacon and Walnut Streets, repairs $11 54


Board of Health drain, Newtonville, repairs and cleaning out, 82 58


Bridge at Lower Falls, repairs


25 75


Central Avenue, repairing concrete over drain at Turner Street 9 82


Cheese Cake Brook, cleaning out .


31 50


Covering stones, 771 7 sq. ft. of 3 ft.


118 82


Eldridge-street drain, repairs and cleaning out


246 24


Franklin Street, cleaning out brook


7 25


Glen Avenue, cutting


294 13


Hamilton Street, repairs


1 50


Labor charged on Auditor's books .


549 87


Manhole covers set


69 14


Murray-street brook, cleaning out .


14 00


Nahanton Street, repairing bridge


125 15


Park Street, repairs


23 41


Perkins-street brook, cleaning out, and lowering grade .


43 75


Stock on hand: --


344 ft. of 6 ft. covering stones .


$87 43


17 No. 18 Concord grates .


$128 35


1 No. 24 Concord grate


10 10


138 45


8 manhole covers


88 11


58 barrels of cement .


81 20


Sundries


41 87


Walnut Street, repairing concrete over drain at Lowell Street, Watertown Street, repairing concrete over drain at Crafts Street


5 06


$2,104 78


SUMMARY OF EXPENSES.


Drains constructed


$7,886 15


Culverts constructed or reconstructed


163 15


Catch-basins constructed or reconstructed


1,346 77


Miscellaneous expenses .


2,104 78


Total


. $11,500 85


The drainage of the "Morse's Field " district, Wards 1 and 7, early engaged the Committee's attention, and two plans for effecting the same were submitted : -


First, By the construction of the large trunk sewer from Charles River to Jewett Street, with the necessary laterals, as


.


437 06


8 21


15


recommended by the Sewer Commissioners in their report to the City Council in 1879 ;


Second, By the construction of a small drain from Boyd's Pond, for the surface water of the district only.


In view of the large expenditure required for the first plan, and the uncertainty of effecting a permanent outlet for a sewer in Charles River, it was abandoned for the present.


The second plan was abandoned on account of the large expenditure, which would be practically thrown away, should a system of sewerage be introduced in the near future.


As a temporary expedient for the relief of the district, large catch-basins, or dry wells, were constructed, in which the surface water is caught, and filters into the soil.


As the surface of the ground is quite level, divided up into small drainage areas, and the subsoil a porous gravel, these wells will answer the purpose for which they were built for a number of years, except in case of a rapid thaw of snow, or a heavy and long-continued rain, when the water may slightly inconvenience the public for a few hours; and the whole cost was but little more than the interest for one year on the estimated cost by the second plan, and far less than that by the first plan.


The importance of taking some action towards the adop- tion of a comprehensive system for the disposal of house sewerage is forcing itself upon the minds of a large portion of the public, especially in the districts most thickly settled, or where the subsoil is clayey or wet.


CITY ENGINEER'S DEPARTMENT.


Amount appropriated for the year 1882 .


$5,600 00


Amount expended


5,883 98


Amount overrun .


. $283 98


CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURES.


For salaries of City Engineer, assistants, draughtsmen, and rodmen .


$5,241 00


Car-fares and other incidentals 209 24


Care and keeping of horse and wagon 200 41


Amount carried forward


$5,650 65


16


Amount brought forward .


· $5,650 65


Drawing-paper, maps, and supplies


101 33


Repairing of wagon


37 00


Horse-hire


35 50


Stakes and spikes .


34 50


Instruments


25 00


$5,883 98


The item of salaries of City Engineer and assistants may be divided as follows : -


For defining street lines ; making surveys and maps for street widenings, acceptance, and extension ; office records; high- way accounts ; defining and establishing proposed grades of streets; surveys, plans, and estimates for proposed work on highways; and all work relating to highways


$2,477 45


For establishing lines and grades for the extension of water- pipes, locating and measuring service-pipes, designing and superintendence of work at the pumping-station and filtering-basin, and for all work relating to water-works . For giving lines and grades for the construction of drains and culverts, making preliminary surveys, plans, profiles, dia- grams, estimates, calculations, and all work relating to drains and culverts


508 90


For making surveys and levels for plans, profiles, and esti- mates for the use of the City Solicitor in suits for or against the city, for attending court, and all work relat- ing to said suits


67 10


For defining the lines, surveys, and plans of city property, making plans and specifications for, and superintending the construction of, new buildings, and the alterations and repairs on old buildings, under the direction of the Joint Standing Committee on Public Property .


717 23


For plans, estimates, reports, and for all work relating to the Board of Health 25 00


For copying land-plans at Registry of Deeds, and indexing the same 103 16


For all other miscellaneous work . 136 93


$5,241 00


The calls upon the services of the City Engineer have been more numerous and varied than during any previous year, and it has been only by the closest application on the


1,205 23


17


part of myself and assistants that we have been able to keep pace with these demands.


Surveys have been made of the whole or a part of forty- four streets, covering a total length of eleven miles. Eighty street plans and profiles have been made. Levels have been taken over the whole or a portion of fifty-seven streets or brooks, a total length of twelve miles. Lines have been established on fifty-eight, and grades on fifty streets.


WATER DEPARTMENT.


In connection with the Water Department there have been located one hundred and sixty-nine services, laid during the year. Lines and grades for the laying of water-mains have been established on thirty-eight streets, and all special cast- ings have been located.


PUMPING-STATION.


The settlement of the large pumping-engine continuing through the year 1881, with no apparent prospect of ceasing, the Water Committee voted early in the year to try a plan for a quick and easy alignment of the pumps after each set- tlement, as recommended by Mr. William E. Worthen, con- sulting engineer.


The plan was to rest the pumps and steam cylinders upon long, thin oak or steel wedges, instead of on sulphur-beds as heretofore. Should a slight settlement occur, it was designed that the wedges should be started, and the axis of the cylin- ders in the pumps and engines brought into the same plane. But, owing to the irregularity in the surface of the castings, each wedge and each face had to be refitted after each align- ment. As this would entail a larger expense than by renew- ing the sulphur-bed, the Committee decided to put the engines and pumps on a new foundation.


In accordance with their instructions, the following plan for the new foundations was submitted and adopted by them.


The building was carefully shored up to prevent settle- ment.


An excavation was made the full size of the interior of the


18


building, except such portions as were occupied by the engines and pumps.


The sides of the excavation were carefully sheeted and braced, and the excavation carried to a depth of eleven and twelve feet.


A trench one foot deep and two feet wide was excavated around the edge of the excavation, and filled with Portland Cement Concrete, which was carried fifteen inches above and over the bottom of the whole excavation. Upon this a solid bed of 12"×12" hard pine timbers was laid parallel to the pumps, and thoroughly tree-nailed together with 1}" locust tree-nails twenty inches or more long, and bedded in fresh cement mortar.


Upon this another layer of 12"×12" timber was laid, at right angles to the first. and each cross of timber having a tree-nail as above.


A third course was laid as above, parallel to the first, and the whole covered with a bed of Portland and Rosendale Cement Concrete five feet thick, and levelled off twelve inches below the basement floor. Upon this was laid brick-work for the floors and piers.


In designing the plan for foundations, my aim was to have a body practically rigid ; so that the axis of the cylinders in the pumps and engines cannot be thrown out of the same plane.


The excavation, placing of the timbers, and filling of con- crete, was placed under the superintendence of Assistant Superintendent of Streets, George E. Stuart; and much of the success in carrying out the plan is due to his careful supervision.


Benjamin Grush of Salem superintended the laying of the brick-work; and Mr. Thomas Coughlan, the pumping-engi- neer, the moving and setting of the pumps and engines. The shoring of the building was performed by William H. Cava- nagh of Boston.


Although the excavation was made several feet below the foundation of the building, in running sand, gravel, and quicksand, no sign of a settlement has been apparent as yet.


19


All cracks in the building have been carefully pointed, so that any subsequent settlement can be detected.


At the request of the Committee, several plans for a dwell- ing-house for the engineer and fireman were prepared and submitted.


The plan adopted was for a double two and a half story house, with six rooms in one tenement, eight rooms and a bath-room in the other.


The house was placed back of the Pumping-Station, on an elevation commanding a view of the Filtering-Basin and Pumping-Station. The contract for building the house was awarded to Messrs. Higgins and Nickerson of Ward 2; and that for the excavation and grading, to Charles H. Hale of Ward 5. They were well and faithfully executed by each party.


A continuous run of the pumps eleven hours a day for nearly six weeks, from the last of July to the middle of Sep- tember, showed the maximum yield from the Filtering-Basin to be between 1,000,000 and 1,100,000 gallons per twenty- four hours. In hopes of increasing the supply, the Com- mittee directed that additional pipes be driven in the basin as far as practicable.


In accordance with this order, seventeen additional flowing- wells were obtained from two-inch pipes. From approximate gaugings made, I estimate there is a flow of from 500,000 to 750,000 gallons from these, and those previously driven. I do not consider that this is a material increase in the sup- ply, but merely furnishes a more ready outlet for the water which would ultimately find its way into the basin but for the silting-up of the bottom. The water flowing from the pipes is soft, pleasant to drink, and has a temperature of 48° to 50º Fahrenheit during the hottest days in summer.


PUBLIC PROPERTY.


Plans and specifications for the various alterations and repairs upon public buildings were prepared for the Joint Standing Committee on Public Property, and the superin- tendence of the execution of the work authorized by them.


20


Plans and specifications were prepared for the extension and alteration of the Almshouse, and the execution of the work superintended. The contract for the same was awarded to Milo Lucas of Ward 3.


About the middle of November the Committee on Public Property directed me to prepare a plan for heating, ventilat- ing, and for putting the Claflin Schoolhouse and out-build- ings, Ward 2, in a good sanitary condition.


In accordance with these instructions, a number of school- houses heated and ventilated in various ways were carefully examined, and a number of experts were consulted, in order to obtain the best results.


A visit to the new High-School building at Bridgeport, Conn., and a careful examination of the plans adopted there, convinced me that the results obtained were far more satis- factory than at any other school visited.


Plans and specifications for heating and ventilating the building by indirect steam were accordingly prepared upon a plan similar to that adopted at Bridgeport, and proposals obtained ; but, being largely in excess of the amount appro- priated, it was decided to apply the same principle in connec- tion with hot-air furnaces.


Two large ventilating-shafts were run up through the halls, with inlets at the floor and ceiling of each school, coat, and master's room, and entry. Beneath each shaft two furnaces were enclosed in one casing, thus enabling the janitor to heat by one or two furnaces, as the state of the weather may require.


The hot air is delivered into the room about eight feet from the floor; and the ventilation is from beneath the teacher's platform, or near the ceiling, as the condition of the atmos- phere may require.


Although the principle as applied to hot-air furnaces is somewhat experimental, yet it is confidently expected that a fair degree of success will be attained.


Matched maple floors were laid in the first two stories, walls tinted, and sundry repairs made.


21


The out-buildings were extended, Mott's privy sinks, and slate urinals put in, in place of the common vault-seats and wooden urinals; also a twelve-inch galvanized iron venti- lator, with branches running from the seats and urinals to and above the top of the main building.


The contract for the alterations in the out-buildings was awarded to Henry H. Hunt of West Newton. The car- penter-work on the building is being performed by Messrs. Higgins and Nickerson ; and the work upon the furnaces and flues, by Mr. Alfred Hopkins of Bridgeport, Conn.


With the Joint Standing Committee on Public Property the various schoolhouses of the city were examined as to their sanitary condition, and a report of said Committee made to the City Council.


A special committee, consisting of the Joint Standing Committee on Public Property, the Building Committee of the School Board, the Health Officer, and the City Engineer, was appointed to examine into the sanitary condition of the schoolhouses and the necessity for additional school accom- modations.


This Committee, together with Drs. Wolcott and Abbott of the State Board of Health, by especial invitation of the Board of Health of Newton, made an examination of most of the school-buildings ; but no report has as yet been made.


BOARD OF HEALTH.


March 21, 1881, the Board of Health adopted a set of rules and regulations to secure for the city a better sanitary con- dition. The rules for house drainage and plumbing were practically inoperative, there being no person or officer espe- cially delegated to secure their enforcement.


In November of this year the Board, by vote, directed the City Engineer to inspect all houses being erected, and here- after erected, and report to them any work being performed contrary to said rules and regulations. Notices were issued, inspection was immediately begun, and is now being carried on as necessity requires. Many unintentional violations of


22


the rules were corrected, and I find the owners of most of the places inspected willing and ready to co-operate in attain- ing the best results.


The average number of persons employed during the year was five; maximum number at any time, seven.


Very respectfully submitted. ALBERT F. NOYES, City Engineer.


16a 8353


.


L


-




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.