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