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[Document  52  —  1882.] 


CITY  OF  mmm  boston. 


ANNUAL    REPOKT 


OP    THE 


CITY    ENGINEEE 

J     ^ 

FOR    THE    YEAR    1881. 


Office  of  the  City  Engineer,  City  Hall, 

Boston,  February  25,  1882. 

To  the  Honorable  City  Council:  — 

In  compliance  with  the  sixth  section  of  the  ordinance 
relating  to  the  Engineer's  Department,  the  following  report 
of  the  expenses  and  operations  of  the  department  for  the 
year  1881  is  respectfully  submitted. 

The  duties  of  the  City  Engineer  may  be  classified  under 
the  following  heads  ;  — 

A. —  Those  pertaining  to  the  City  Engineer's  Department 
proper,  which  consist  in  the  superintendence  of  the  filling  of 
new  streets  and  of  districts,  in  the  care  and  maintenance 
of  bridges,  in  designing  and  superintending  the  construction 
of  new  bridges,  retaining-walls,  city  wharves,  etc.,  and  in 
miscellaneous  work  called  for  by  committees  of  the  City 
Council.      (City  Engineer's  Department.) 

B. —  Superintendence  of  the  Sudbury  River,  Cochituate, 


2  'City  Document  No.  52. 

and   INIystic  Water  Works,    including   charge  of  new  con- 
structions for  these  works.     (Water  Works.) 

C.  —  Charge  of  the  construction  of  a  system  of  intercept- 
ing and  outlet  sewers.      (Improved  Sewerage.) 

D.  —  Charge  of  the  eno-ineerins:  work  in  connection  with 
the  Back  Bay  and  other  proposed  parks.     (Parks.) 

The  expenses  incurred  under  the  head  C,  are  paid  wholly 
from  a  special  appropriation,  under  the  charge  of  the  Joint 
Special  Committee  on  Improved  Sewerage. 


(A.) — City  Engineer's  Department. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  engineering  expenses  from 
January  1,  1881,  to  January  1,  1882  :  — 

Amount  expended  from  department  appro- 
priation for  1880-81     ....  $6,567  01 

Amount  expended  from  department  appro- 
priation for  1881-82    .         .         .         .  19,711  64 


Total  expended  from  department  appropria- 
tions .......  $26,278  65 

Amount  expended  from   special   and  other 

appropriations     .         .  .  .         .  2,88755 


Total $29,166  20 


Condition  of  department  appropriation  :  — 

Amount  of  appropriation  for  financial  year 

1881-82 $28,000  00 

Amount  expended  to  January  1,1882  .  19,711  64 


Unexpended  balance,  January  1,  1882         .  $8,288  36 


From  special  appropriations  :  — 

Broadway  extension  — 

Pay-rolls  and  incidentals  .  .  .  $1,958  95 

CommonAvealth-avenue  extension  — 

Pay-rolls  and  incidentals  .         .         .  928  60 

Total $2,887  55 


.  $24,225 

50 

100 

57 

296 

93 

259 

44 

1 

47 

37 

120 

89 

725 

26 

253 

59 

69 

30 

179 

80 

.  $26,278 

65 

Eeport  of  City  Engineer, 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  EXPENSES. 

Salaries  of  City  Engineer,  assistants,  draughts- 

mea,  transitmen,  levellers,  roclmen,  etc. 
Engineering  instruments  and  repairs  of  same 
Drawing  paper  and  materials  . 
Stationery  and  printing  stock  . 
Reference    books,     maps,     photographs,     and 

frames     ...... 

Prinfino;  and  bindins^        .... 

Travelling  expenses,    including  horse-keeping 

Incidental  expenses  and  small  supplies 
"  Blue  Process  "  printing  and  materials 
Committee  expenses         .... 

Total         ..... 

The  number  of  persons  employed  and  paid  from  the  de- 
partment appropriation  was,  on  the  first  of  January,  1881 
(including  the  City  Engineer),  22.  The  present  number  is 
23.  The  operations  of  the  department  for  the  year,  together 
with  such  general  information  relating  to  the  various  works 
and  structures,  finished  and  in  progress,  as  is  thought  to  be 
of  interest,  are  given  in  the  following  statements  :  — 


BRIDGES. 

There  have  been  no  new  tide-water  bridges  built  during  the 
year,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  Mt.  Washington-avenue 
and  Broadway  bridges,  no  very  extensive  repairs  have  been 
made  upon  the  old  ones. 

Two  new  street  bridges  have  been  completed,  —  the  Bea- 
con-street bridge,  over  the  Park  water-way,  and  the  Blake- 
more-street  bridge,  over  the  Boston  &  Providence  railroad,  at 
Mt.  Hope  station,  West  Roxbury.  A  bridge  on  Common- 
wealth avenue,  over  the  Park  water-way,  is  in  process  of  con- 
struction, and  the  bridge  over  the  Boston  &  Albany  railroad, 
on  the  Broadway  extension,  is  .not  yet  completed.  In  the 
Back-Bay  park  the  foundations  for  the  arch  bridge  on  Boyls- 
ton  street,  over  the  Park  water-way,  are  completed  ;  the  Bos- 
ton &  Albany  railroad  bridge,  over  the  Park  water-way,  is 
practically  completed,  and  work  upon  the  Beacon-entrance 
bridge,  over  the  Boston  &  Albany  railroad,  is  now  being 
actively  prosecuted. 


4  City  Document  No.  52. 

The  ordinary  repairs  upon  the  tide-water  and  inland 
bridges  have,  as  for  several  past  years,  been  made  b}'  day's 
labor. 

The  Committee  on  Bridges  have  retained  the  services  of 
Mr.  S.  S.  Lewis,  as  superintendent  of  repairs  on  the  tide- 
water ])ridges,  paying  him  for  his  services  at  the  same  rate 
as  last  year,  but  allowing  him  $2.25  instead  of  $2.00  per  day 
for  carpenter's  labor. 

Mr.  J.  W.  Leatherbee  was  again  the  successful  competitor 
for  furnishing  the  spruce  lumber  required  for  the  tide-water 
bridge  repairs  for  the  year,  and  has  furnished  314,(>9^  feet 
B.M.,  at  his  contract  price  for  1881  of  $16.40  per  M.,  and 
17,092  feet  B.M.,  for  $13.90  per  M.,  his  contract  price  for 
1880. 

During  the  year  nine  of  the  tide-water  bridges  have  been 
painted  by  day's  labor,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  A.  H. 
Townsend  as  foreman.  The  paints  and  other  materials  were 
furnished  by  Messrs.  Dexter  Bros.,  under  contract.  The 
total  cost  of  labor  was  $1,986.30;  of  materials,  tools,  etc., 
$887.17. 

The  total  cost  of  ordinary  repairs  made  under  the  direction 
of  this  department  upon  the  tide-water  bridges,  has  been 
$31,178.02. 

The  system  of  making  the  repairs  of  the  inland  bridges 
(in  charge  of  the  Superintendent  of  Streets)  by  day's  labor, 
under  the  supervision  of  this  department,  has  been  continued 
during  the  past  year  at  his  request. 

The  total  cost  of  the  repairs  upon  these  bridges  has  been 
$4,984.20. 

By  vote  of  the  Committee  on  Bridges  of  1880  this  depart- 
ment was  authorized  to  })repare  rec()rd-l)ooks  for  each  of  the 
superintendents  of  the  tide-water  bridges  that  have  draws, 
the  ol)ject  being  to  have  the  superintendents  keep  a  daily 
record  of  all  vessels  passing  through  the  draw-ways,  time 
of  their  passage,  name,  etc.  The  books  were  furnished 
and  the  records  commenced  Jan.  1,  1881,  and  from  this 
record  monthly  and  yearly  reports  have  been  made  to  this 
department  and  are  kept  on  file.  An  abstract  from  these  re- 
ports, showing  the  number  of  vessels  passing  through  the 
several  draw-ways,  will  be  found  in  Appendix  A. 

The  usual  annual  examination  (required  by  Section  5  of  the 
ordinance  relating  to  the  City  Engineer's  de})artment)  of  all 
bridges  within  the  city  limits,  open  to  team  and  foot  travel, 
has  been  made,  and  the  results  of  this  examination  respect- 
ing the  condition  of  the  bridges  as  to  safety  and  need  of  re- 
newal or  repairs,  are  given  in  the  succeeding  pages. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  bridges  inspected.     The  total 


Report  of  City  Engineer.  5 

number  is  two  more  than  last  vear ;  the  bridg^e  on  Beacon 
street  over  the  outlet  to  the  Back-Bay  park  pond  and  the 
Blakemore-street  bridge  having  been  added.  Those  marked 
with  an  asterisk  are  over  naviijable  waters  and  are  each  fur- 
nished  with  a  draw  :  — 


I.  —  Bridges  wholly  supported  by  Boston. 

Ashland    street,    Ward    23,    over   Boston    &    Providence 
Railroad. 

Athens  street,  over  N.Y.  &  N.E.  Railroad. 

Beacon  street,  over  outlet  to  Back-Bay  Park  Pond. 

Berkeley  street,  over  the  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad. 

Berkeley  street,  over  Boston  &  Providence  Railroad. 

Blakemore   street,    over   Boston   &   Providence    Railroad, 

Ward  23. 
*Broadway,  over  Fort  Point  Channel. 

Brookline  avenue,  over  Muddy  river.  Ward  22. 
*Charles  river,  from  Boston  to  Charlestown. 
*Chelsea  (South),  over  South  Channel,  Mystic  river. 
*Chelsea  street,  from  East  Boston  to  Chelsea. 

Columbus  avenue,  over  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad. 
*C()mmercial  Point,  or  Tenean,  Ward  24. 
*Congress  street,  over  Fort  Point  Channel. 

Dartmouth  street,  over  Boston  &  Albany  and  Boston  & 
Providence  Railroad. 
*Dover  street,  over  Fort  Point  Channel. 
*Federal  street,  "       "       "  " 

Ferdinand  street,  over  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad. 

Huntington  avenue,  over  "  "  " 

*]Malden,  from  Charlestown  to  Everett. 
*Meridian  street,  from  East  Boston  to  Chelsea. 

Mill-dam,  over  Back  Bay  sluices. 
*Mt.  AYashington  avenue,  over  Fort  Point  Channel. 

Newton  street,  over  Boston  &  Providence  Railroad. 

Public  Garden,  foot-bridge. 

Shawmut  avenue,  over  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad. 

Swett  street,  east  of  N.Y.  &  N.E.  Railroad. 

Swett  street,  west  of  N.Y.  &  N.E.  Railroad. 
*Warren,  from  Boston  to  Charlestown. 

West  Chester  park,  over  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad. 

West  Chester  park,  over  Boston  &  Providence  Railroad. 

Winthrop,  from  Breed's  Island  to  Winthrop. 


6  City  Document  No.  52. 


n. — Bridges    of    which    Boston    supports    the    Part 

WITHIN   its   Limits. 

*Cambridge  street,  from  Brighton  (Ward  25)  to  Cambridge. 

Central  avenue,  from  Ward  24  to  Milton.' 
*Clielsea  (North),  from  Charlestown  to  Chelsea. 
*Essex  street,  from  Ward  25  (Brookline)  to  Cambridge. 
*Granite,  from  Dorchester  (Ward  24)  to  Milton. 

Longwood  avenue,  from  Ward  22  to  Brookline. 

Mattapan,  from  Ward  24  to  Milton. 

Milton,    •      "         '<       "    "         " 
*Neponset,     "         "       "    *'  Quincy. 
*North  Beacon  street,  from  Ward  25  to  Watertown. 
*North  Harvard  street,  from  Ward  25  to  Cambridge. 

Spring  street,  from  West  Roxbuiy  (Ward  23)  to  Dedham. 

*  Western  avenue,  from  Ward  25  to  Cambridge. 

*  Western  avenue,  from  Ward  25  to  Watertown. 


III. — Bridges   of  which   Boston   pays   a   Part   of  the 

Cost   of   Maintenance. 

Albany  street,  over  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad. 
*Canal,  from  Boston  to  Cambridge. 

Dorchester  street,  over  Old  Colony  Raih'oad. 
*Prison  Point,  from  Charlestown  to  Cambridge. 
*West  Boston,  from  Boston  to  Cambridge. 


IV. — Bridges  supported  by  Railroad  Corporations. 

1st.  —  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad. 

Brighton  avenue.  Ward  25. 
Harrison  avenue. 
Market  street.  Ward  25. 
Tremont  street. 
Washington  street. 


2d.  — Boston  &  3Iaine  Railroad. 


Mystic  avenue. 
Main  street. 


3d.  —  Boston  (&  Providence  Railroad. 


Beach  street,  Ward  23. 
Bellevue  street.  Ward  23. 


Report  of  City  Engineer. 

Centre  street,  or  Hog  Bridge,  Ward  23. 
Centre  and  Mt.  Vernon  streets,  Ward  23. 
Dudley  avenue,  Ward  23. 
Park  street,  Ward  23. 
Sharon  street,  Ward  23. 

4th.  —  Boston,  Revere  Beach  <&  Lynn  Railroad. 
Everett  street. 


5th.  —  Eastern  Railroad. 


Mystic  avenue. 
Main  street. 


6th.  —  J^ew  York  &  New  England  Railroad. 

Broadway. 

Dorchester  avenue. 

Fifth  street. 

Forest  Hill  avenue,  Ward  24. 

Fourth  street. 

Harvard  street,  Ward  24. 

Norfolk       "  "       " 

Norfolk       "  "       " 

Second  street. 

Silver  street. 

Sixth  street. 

Third  street. 

Washington  street.  Ward  24. 

7th.  —  Old  Colony  Railroad. 

Adams  street. 

Ashmont  street  and  Dorchester  avenue. 

Cedar  Grove  cemetery. 

Commercial  street. 

Savin  Hill  avenue. 


Recapitulation. 

I.    Number  wholly  supported  by  Boston  .         .       32 

n.     Number  of  which  Boston  supports  the  part  with- 
in its  limits  .  .  .  .  .  .14 

HI.    Number  of  which  Boston  pays  a  part  of  the  cost 

of  maintenance    .*....  5 

IV.    Number  supported  by  Railroad  Corporations  :  — 

1.  Boston  &  Albany      ......  5 

2.  Boston  &  Maine        ......         2 


8  City  Document  No.  52. 

3.  Boston  &  Providence 

4.  Boston,  Revere  Beach  &  Lynn 

5.  Eastern   ..... 

6.  New  York  &  New  England 

7.  Old  Colony      . 


'&' 


7 
1 
2 
13 
5 


Total  number       .         .         .         .         .         .86 


1.  — BRIDGES  WHOLLY  SUPPORTED  BY  BOSTON. 

ASHLAND-STEEET     BrIDGE      (OVER     BoSTON     &    PROVIDENCE 

Railroad,  Ward  23). 

This  is  a  modern  iron-bridge,  of  excellent  construction, 
and  is  in  good  condition.  It  will  require  painting  the  coming 
season,  and  will  need  new  roadway  sheathing.  The  abutment 
masonry  should  also  be  repointed. 

No  repairs  have  been  made  upon  it  during  the  past  year. 

Athens-street   Bridge   (over   New  York  &  New  Eng- 
land Railroad). 

Also  an  iron  bridge  of  modern  construction,  and  now 
in  good  condition,  —  the  wood-work  having  l)een  mostly  re- 
newed, and  the  entire  bridge  painted  the  past  year. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $141.77. 

Beacon-street  Bridge  (over  Outlet  of  Back  Bay  Park 

Pond) . 

This  structure  was  in  process  of  construction  at  the  date 
of  the  last  annual  report,  and  a  general  description  of  it  was 
then  given.  It  was  so  far  completed  that  it  was  opened  for 
travel  August  17,  1881. 

The  amount  paid  to  Ross  &  Lord,  the  contractors  for  the 
masonry  substructure  and  appurtenant  work,  was  $37,120.82. 

The  amount  paid  for  the  iron  bridge,  which  was  of  the  or- 
dinary deck  pattern,  and  the  wrought-iron  water-pipe,  both 
of  which  were  furnished  by  David  H.  Andrews,  of  the  Bos- 
ton Bridge  Works,  under  his  contract,  was  $4,746.05. 

The  masonry,  consists  of  two  abutments  and  a  central 
pier  of  Quincy  and  Gloucester  granite,  is  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial character,  and  is  built  upon  a  spruce  pile  and  timber 
platform  foundation.  The  water-ways,  spanned  by  the  l)ridge, 
are  each  20  feet  in  width,  and  the  portions  of  them  adjoining  the 


Eeport  of  City  Engineer.  9 

central  pier  are  depressed  so  that  the  park  pond  can  be  entirely 
drained  when  required.  The  depressed  portion  is  about 
one-third  of  the  width  of  each  water-way.  The  floors  of 
the  Avater-ways  are  paved  with  rectangular  granite  blocks. 

The  work  was  enclosed  by  a  cofler  dam,  on  the  water-side, 
which  cut  the  sea-wall  forming  the  northerly  boundary  of  the 
Mill-dam.  On  the  other  sides  the  earth  was  sufficiently  im- 
pervious to  keep  out  the  tide-water,  although  the  excavation 
was  carried  on,  in  the  central  portion  of  the  site,  to  a  depth 
of  more  than  three  feet  below  mean  low  water. 

In  carrying  on  this  work  it  was  necessary  to  remove  a 
section  of  the  Mill-dam  and  its  retaining-walls  ;  and  as  the 
manner  of  its  construction  at  this  point  may  be  of  interest, 
and  valuable  for  future  reference,  the  following  description 
of  it  is  given  :  — 

The  ]Mill-dam  was  begun  about  the„xear  1818,  and  com- 
pleted in  182LJ  In  consists,  in  this  location,  of  two  parallel 
waHsT^ithllieir  faces  al)out  50  feet  apart.  The  walls  are 
built  of  Roxl)ury  pudding-stone,  laid  dry  and  very  loosely. 
They  are  each  6  feet  wide  at  the  bottom  and  3  feet  wide  at 
the  top,  and  are  ballasted  with  small  stones,  the  ballast  having 
a  width  of  8  feet  at  the  bottom  of  the  walls,  and  tapering  to 
nothing  at  the  top. 

The  northerly  wall  is  built  on  a  grillage  of  white-pine  tim- 
ber, which  rests  upon  the  mud  1  ft.  9  in.  below  low  water, 
and  consists  of  three  courses ;  the  lowest  course  of 
12''  X  12''  timbers,  four  in  number,  covering  a  width  of  6 
feet,  and  extending  longitudinally  under  the  wall,  is  covered 
by  a  course  of  9"  X  9"  timber,  lain  traversely  about  9"  apart, 
and  another  course  of  five  12"  X  12"  timbers,  laid  longitudi- 
nally, completes  the  grillage. 

The  courses  are  trenailed  together  with  oak  trenails,  1|" 
square,  one  trenail  in  every  other  liearing. 

The  southerly  wall  has  only  two  courses  of  timber  in  its 
grillage,  the  lower  one,  12"  X  12",  laid  longitudinally,  and 
the  upper,  9"  X  9",  laid  transversely. 

Between  the  walls  the  filling  to  a  height  of  S^  feet  above 
the  grillage,  is  flats  mud ;  a  layer  of  5  feet  of  sand  covers 
this  mud,  and  is  itself  covered  by  11^  to  2  feet  of  road  mate- 
rial. 

The  whole  height  of  the  masonry  is  15  feet,  and,  consider- 
ing the  length  of  time  the  wall  has  been  built,  that  it  had 
under  it  from  6  to  8  feet  of  mud,  and  that  its  average  section  is 
but  -^Q  of  its  height,  it  has  stood  remarkably  well,  although 
on  the  water  side  it  had  been  for  some  years  previous  to  the 
wideninof  of  Beacon  street  in  a  chronic  state  of  disinteerration. 


10  City  Document  No.  52. 

Berkeley-street   Bridge  (over  Boston  &  Albany 

Railroad)  . 

This  bridge  is  apparently  in  no  worse  condition  than  it 
was  last  year.  It  has  been  strengthened  in  every  practicable 
way,  and  no  further  improvement  can  l)e  made  upon  it.  It 
is  one  of  those  structures  Avhich,  while  it  cannot  1)e  said  to  be 
dangerous,  is  still  an  improper  structure  for  an  important 
thoroughfare  like  Berkeley  street. 

The  abutments  are  built  of  Roxbury  stone,  laid  dry,  and 
very  loosely  put  together. 

A  constant  supervision  of  this  bridge  is  necessary,  and  as 
soon  as  it  develops  any  signs  of  weakness  it  should  be 
rebuilt. 

The  iron-work  has  been  painted  and  the  roadway  sheath- 
ing patched,  at  a  cost  of  $217.27. 

Berkeley-street   Bridge    (over  Boston  &  Providence 

Railroad)  . 

During  the  year  the  iron-work  has  been  painted  and  the 
roadway  sheathing  patched. 

The  bridge  is  now  in  good  condition. 
Total  cost  of  repairs  and  painting,  $425.50. 

Blakemore-street  Bridge  (over  Boston  &  Providence 

Railroad,  Ward  23). 

This  is  a  new  iron  bridge,  with  granite  abutments  and 
wing-walls,  which  has  not  yet  been  opened  for  travel,  as  the 
fillino-  of  the  connectino-  street  at  one  end  has  not  been  com- 
pleted.  It  is  fully  described  under  the  head  of  "  Miscellane- 
ous work  and  constructions." 

*  Broadway  Bridge  (over  Fort  Point  Channel). 

The  decay  of  the  wood  pavement  on  the  column  section  of 
this  bridge,  between  the  draw  and  Lehigh  street,  rendered  it 
necessary  either  to  repave  this  section  with  wooden  blocks  or 
to  replace  the  cast-iron  plates  forming  the  roadway  flooring 
with  a  wooden  floor,  having  a  plank-wearing  surface.  So 
much  trouble  had  been  experienced  from  the  expansion  of  the 
wood  pavement  on  this  bridge  in  freezing  weather,  that  it 
was  deemed  advisable  to  remove  it  from  this  section.  The 
cast-iron  plates  and  longitudinal  iron  floor-beams  were  there- 
fore taken  off  and  soki,  and  a  hard-pine  floor  and  floor- 
beams  sul)stituted.  The  wearin<x-surface  consists  of  two- inch 
spruce,  as  on  most  of  the  other  bridges. 


Kepokt  of  City  Engineer.  11 

It  was  intended  to  do  this  work  by  contract,  but  after  pre- 
paring specifications  and  advertising  the  work,  no  proposal 
was  received  that  it  was  deemed  for  the  advantage  of  the  city 
to  accept.  The  lowest  proposal  was  $3,517,  and  the  old 
materials.  All  the  proposals  were  therefore  rejected  by  the 
Committee  on  Bridges,  and  the  work  was  done  by  day's 
labor,  under  the  direction  of  this  department,  with  the  fol- 
lowing result :  — 

Cost  of  materials  and  labor      .  .         $4,008  00 

Old  materials  sold  ....  3,356  44 


Net  cost  of  work  .         .         .  651  56 

Attention  has  been  called  in  previous  reports  to  the  bad 
condition  of  the  draw-pier,  due  to  the  ravages  of  worms  upon 
the  spruce  sheet-piling,  but  as  no  change  for  the  worse  has 
been  noticed,  the  pier  will  probably  last  for  some  time  longer. 

The  entire  bridge  will  require  repainting  the  coming  season, 
otherwise  it  is  not  anticipated  that  more  than  the  ordinary 
repairs  will  be  necessary. 

The  laud  under  the  bridge,  between  Lehigh  street  and  the 
channel,  has  been  leased  to  the  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad 
Company  for  five  years,  at  an  annual  rental  of  $800. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $5,083.62. 

Brooexine-a VENUE  Bridge  (over  Muddy  River). 

This  bridge  is  in  fair  condition  and  has  required  no  repairs. 
If  the  covered  channel  for  Muddy  River  should  be  built  this 
year  its  continuance  would  be  no  longer  necessary. 

*  Charles-river   Bridge    (from    Boston    to    Charles - 

TO^^TS^) . 

The  pavement  has  been  temporarily  repaired  and  put  in 
fair  condition,  but  more  extensive  repairs  upon  it  will  be  re- 
quired this  year. 

The  draw  track-timbers  have  been  strensthened,  the 
quarters  for  the  superintendent's  assistants  have  J^een  en- 
larged to  accommodate  an  additional  man,  and  the  usual 
repairs  made. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $1,719.19. 

Chelsea   Bridge    (South)    (over    South    Channel 

Mystic  River). 

A  fire  in  the  work-shop  connected  with  the  superintend- 
ent's office,. caused  probably  by  the  spontaneous  combustion 


12  City  Document  No.  52. 

of  some  painter's  rags,  occasioned  a  damage  of  $350  to 
the  building,  on  tlie  night  of  July  27.  In  making  repairs 
accommodation  was  provided  for  an  additional  assistant. 

The  bridge  has  been  painted,  the  draw  sheathed,  and  the 
pavement  on  the  solid  filling,  between  this  bridge  and  the 
Chelsea  Bridge  (North),  put  in  good  order. 

The  filled  portion  of  this  avenue  has  been  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Paving  Department. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $2,047.84. 

*  Chelsea-street   Bridge    (from    East    Boston   to 

Chelsea). 

The  usual  repairs  have  been  made  and  the  bridge  painted. 
The  draw  is  in  poor  condition  although  some  repairs  have 
been  made  upon  it. 

The  fixed  part  of  the  bridge  is  in  good  condition. 

Columbus-avenue  Bridge  (over  Boston  &  Albany 

Railroad). 

One  end  of  the  iron  sidewalk  truss,  on  the  southerly  side 
of  this  bridge,  encroached  upon  the  land  of  an  abutter,  and 
a  compromise  was  effected  between  the  city  and  the  party  who 
owned  the  land,  by  which  a  portion  of  the  truss  was  re- 
moved, so  that  better  access  could  be  had  to  the  estate. 

Ordinary  repairs  have  been  made,  and  the  bridge  is  now 
in  good  order. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  etc.,  $325. fi2. 

*  COMIMERCIAL  PoiNT,    OR   TeNEAN  BrIDGE    (WaRD  24), 

Has  received  only  trifling  repairs,  and  is  noAv  in  fair  con- 
dition. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $7.88. 

*  Congress-street  Bridge   (over  Fort  Point  Channel). 

The  draw  has  been  provided  with  a  new  under-floor  in  the 
roadway,  and  the  sidewalks  have  been  replanked.  The 
whole  bridge  has  been  repainted,  the  concrete  sidewalks 
resurfaced,  and  other  repairs  made.  The  centre  pivot-bear- 
ing has  been  examined  and  found  in  better  condition  than 
was  expected.  A  new  centre  pivot-bearing  will,  however, 
be  provided  as  a  reserve  in  case  of  accident. 

The  bridge  is  in  good  condition. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $5,023.96. 


Eeport  of  City  Engineer.  13 


Dartmouth-street  Bridge   (over  Boston  &  Albany  and 
Boston  &  Providence  Railroads). 

This  bridge  has  not  required  any  repairs  during  the  year, 
and  is  now  in  good  order. 


*  Dover-street  Bridge  (over  Fort  Point  Channel). 

Only  the  usual  repairs  have  been  made  on  this  bridge, 
and,  -with  the  exception  of  needing  painting,  it  is  in  good 
condition. 

*  Federal-street  Bridge  (over  Fort  Point  Channel). 

For  several  years  a  suit,  brought  by  Mr.  W.  P.  Hunt, 
against  the  cit}^  to  determine  the  title  to  certain  portions  of 
the  flats  occupied  by  this  bridge  and  its  appurtenent  struct- 
ures, has  been  pending  in  the  courts.  A  decision  has  been 
reached  by  which  Mr.  Hunt's  title  to  the  flats  in  question  is 
affirmed. 

This  decision  rendered  necessary  the  removal  of  the 
superintendent's  office  to  the  draw  pier,  as  it  stood  upon  the 
area  belonging  to  Mr.  Hunt.  No  settlement  has  yet  been 
made  for  the  flats  occupied  by  the  bridge. 

In  addition  to  the  ordinary  repairs  upon  the  roadway  and 
draws  the  draw-pier  has  been  entirely  replanked.  Although 
the  bridge  is  now  in  fair  condition  extensive  repairs  will 
soon  ])e  required  upon  the  roadway  floor. 

total  cost  of  repairs,  $4,019.93. 

Ferdinand-street  Bridge   (over  Boston  &  Albany 

Railroad). 

All  the  iron-work  of  this  bridge  has  been  repainted,  and 
the  roadway  floor  has  been  renewed.  The  bridge  proper  is 
in  fair  condition,  but  the  bulkhead  adjoining  it,  to  which 
attention  has  been  called  in  previous  reports,  is  unsafe. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $792.73. 

Huntington- A  VENUE  Bridge  (over  Boston  &  Albany 

Railroad). 

This  bridge  has  been    newly    sheathed,  and  some   slight 
repairs  have  been  made  upon  it.     It  is  in  good  condition. 
Total  cost  of  repairs,  $250.64. 


14  City  Document  No.  52. 


*  Malden  Bridge  (from  Charlestown  to  Everett)  . 

Ordinary  repairs  have  been  made  upon  this  bridge,  and  it 
has  also  been  painted.     It  is  in  good  condition. 
Total  cost  of  repairs,  $383.25. 

*  Meridian-street  Bridge    (from   East   Boston   to 

Chelsea). 

The  draw  has  been  thoroughly  repaired  by  recalking  and" 
sheathing  the  roadway  floor  and  laying  new  sidewalk  planking. 

The  bridge  and  buildings  have  l)een  painted  and  the  road- 
way pavement  repaired.  The  roadway  floor,  the  pavement, 
and  the  sidewalk  bulkheads  are  in  poor  condition. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $2,633.44. 

Mill-Dam  Bridge  (over  Back-Bay  Sluices). 

As  this  bridge  will  soon  be  discontinued,  the  building  of 
the  new  bridge  beyond  it  rendering  it  unnecessary  when  the 
filling  of  the  Back  Bay  is  completed,  no  repairs  have  been 
made  upon  it. 

*Mt.    Washington-avenue   Bridge    (over    Fort    Point 

Channel)  . 

A  special  appropriation  was  made  by  the  City  Council,  at 
the  request  of  the  Committee  on  Bridges,  for  replacing  the 
old  and  badly-decayed  floor  of  this  bridge  with  a  new  one. 

The  work  was  done  by  contract ;  Young  &  Ryan,  the  lowest 
bidders  for  the  job,  being  the  contractors. 

The  new  floor  consists  of  hard-pine  planks,  six  inches  in 
thickness,  planed  on  all  sides  and  jointed.  It  is  calked  and 
covered  with  a  coating  of  asphaltum,  one-quarter  of  an  inch  in 
thickness  ;  a  bed  of  paving-gravel,  six  inches  in  depth,  upon 
which  is  laid  a  granite  block  pavement,  completes  the  work. 

The  concrete  sidewalks  were  repaired  and  resurfaced  at 
the  same  time. 

The  total  cost  of  the  entire  work  was  $9,937.G1. 

Shortly  after  the  contract  for  the  foregoing  work  was  let, 
a  petition  was  presented  to  the  City  Council  from  the  Stand- 
ard Sugar  Refinery  and  others,  requesting  the  widening  of 
the  draw-ways.  After  some  delay  an  appropriation  of  |6,500 
for  this  purpose  was  madft  by  the  City  Council.  A  license 
from  the  Harbor  Commissioners  havinij  been  obtained,  the 
width  of  the  draw-ways  was  increased  from  thirty-seven  feet 
and  ten  inches  to  forty-two  feet,  and  a  corresponding  increase 
in  length  was  made  to  the  draw. 


Kepoet  of  City  Engineee.  15 

The  work  was  done  mostly  by  day's  labor,  and  cost 
$6,450.54. 

In  addition  to  the  special  work  previously  mentioned,  the 
draw  has  been  newly  sheathed,  a  new  buoy-stone  and  buoy 
provided,  the  buildings  have  been  painted  and  smaller  re- 
pairs made ;  so  that  the  entire  bridge  is  now  in  excellent  con- 
dition. 

Total  cost  of  ordinary  repairs,  $1,379.66. 

Newton-street   Bridge    (over  Boston  and  Providence 

Railroad), 

This  bridge  has  been  sheathed  and  painted,  and  is  now  in 
good  condition.     The  a])utments  need  repointing. 
Total  cost  of  repairs,  $261.11. 

Public  Garden  Foot-Bridge. 

The  stone  masonry  of  this  bridge  and  its  approaches  should 
be  repointed ;  otherwise  the  bridge  is  in  good  condition. 

Shawmut-a  venue     Bridge    (over     Boston     &     Albany 

Railroad) 

Has  been  sheathed  and  thoroughly  repainted,    and   is   now 
in  good  order. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $622.65. 

Swett-street  Bridges  (over   South-Bay  Sluices). 

The  southerly  bridge  has  been  sheathed  and  its  sidewalks 
and  fences  have  been  repaired.  Both  bridges  have  been 
painted,  and  are  in  fair  condition. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $238.85. 

*  Warren  Bridge  (from  Boston  to  Charlestown). 

The  condition  of  this  bridge  has  not  changed  materially 
since  last  year.  A  very  full  report  of  its  condition  was  then 
made,  and  during  the  year  it  has  been  carefully  watched  and 
temporary  repairs  made  upon  it  when  required. 

Much  more  extensive  repairs  are  needed,  but  in  view  of 
the  existing  uncertainty  as  to  the  action  of  the  City  Council 
in  relation  to  additional  bridge  communication  between  the 
city  proper  and  Charlestown,  it  has  not  been  deemed  advisable 
to  attend  to  any  repairs  not  absolutely  necessary  for  the  con- 
venience and  safety  of  the  travel. 

The  total  cost  of  repairs,  the  largest  items  of  which  were 
repairing  the  pavement  and  sheathing  the  draw  and  northerly 
draw-pier,  was  $2,144.58. 


16  City  Document  No.  52. 


West  Chester  Park   Bridge    (over   Boston  &  Albany 

Kailkoad). 

A  trial  is  being  made  on  this  bridge  of  several  kinds  of 
paint  to  determine  their  comparative  ability  to  resist  the 
action  of  the  smoke  and  steam  from  locomotives.  The 
bridge  has  been  sheathed  and  is  in  good  order. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $167.76. 

West  Chester   Park   Bridge    (over   Boston   &  Provi- 
dence Railroad). 

All  the  iron  and  wood  work  of  this  bridge  has  been 
thoroughly  painted  and  the  roadway  resheathed,  and  it  is 
now  in  excellent  condition. 

Winthrop  Bridge  (from  Breed's  Island  to  Winthrop)  . 

No  repairs,  except  patching  of  the  sheathing,  have  been 
made  on  this  bridge.     It  is  in  fair  condition. 
Total  cost  of  repairs,  $24.08. 


II.  —  BRIDGES    OF    WHICH    BOSTON    SUPPORTS 
THE   PART   WITHIN   ITS   LIMITS. 

*  Cambridge-street    Bridge    (from    Ward    25    to 

Cambridge). 

The  roadway  planking  has  been  renewed  and  the  bridge 
painted.     It  is  in  fair  condition. 
Cost  of  repairs,  $781.40. 

Central-avenue   Bridge   (over   Neponset  River,  Dor- 
chester Lower  Mills). 

The  sheathing  has  l)een  patched  :  but  no  other  repairs 
have  been  made.  Partial  painting  of  the  structure  will  be 
necessary  the  coming  season. 

Cost  of  repairs,  $7.88. 

*CiiELSEA    Bridge     (North)     (from    the   Mystic  'River 
Corporation's  Wharf  to  Chelsea). 

The  city's  portion  of  this  bridge  is  in  good'  condition. 
The  running  parts  of  the  draw  will  re(piire  some  repairs  the 
coming  season. 


Eeport  of  City  Engineer.  17 

The  draw  has  been  sheathed,  a  new  boat  purchased,  and  a 
horse  to  replace  the  old  one,  worn  out  in  the  service,  has 
been  provided. 

Cost  of  repairs,  $434.44. 


*  Essex-street  Bridge  (from  Ward  25  to  Cambridge). 

A  small  office  has  lieen  built  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  superintendent,  and  some  few  repairs  have  been  made. 
New  Samson-posts  for  the  draw  have  been  recently  put  up. 

The  brido^e  is  in  fair  condition. 

Total  cost  of  repairs,  $309.19. 

*  Granite  Bridge  (from  Ward  24  to  Milton). 

The  roadway  has  been  replanked  and  temporary  repairs 
on  the  remainder  of  the  structure  have  been  made.  The 
entire  upper  portion  of  the  bridge  will  require  renewal 
the  coming  season.  Several  of  the  piles  are  also  in  bad  con- 
dition and  will  require  renewal. 

The  draw  is  in  fair  order. 

Cost  of  repairs,  $214.41. 

Longwood-avenue   Bridge    (from  Ward  22   to  Brook- 
line)  . 

This  bridge  is  in  good  condition,  and  has  required  no 
repairs  during  the  past  year. 

Mattapan  Bridge  (from  Ward  24  to  Milton). 

Only  slight  repairs  have  been  made  upon  this  bridge.     It 
is  a  weak  structure,  but  is  in  fair  condition. 
Cost  of  repairs,  $88.50. 

Milton  Bridge  (from  Ward  24  to  Melton). 

Xo  repairs  have  been  made  on  this  bridge. 
It  is  in  fair  order. 


*Neponset  Bridge  (from  Ward  24  to  Quincy). 

Only  ordinary  repairs  have  been  made.     The  bridge  is  in 
excellent  condition. 

Cost  of  repairs,  $188.64. 


18  City  Docujient  No.  52. 

*  North   Beacon-street    Bridge    (froji    Ward    25    to 

Watertown). 

Upon  this  bridge  the  floor  planking  has  been  entirely 
renewed,  and  niany  of  the  old  floor-stringers  have  been 
replaced  by  new  ones. 

The  bridge  is  in  fair  condition. 

Cost  of  repairs,  $1,405.74. 

*  North    Harvard-street   Bridge    (from   Ward    25    to 

Cambridge) 

Has  required  no  repairs  except  the  renewal  of  the  sheathing, 
and  is  now  in  good  order. 
Cost  of  repairs,  $223.78. 

Spring-street  Bridge  (from  Ward  23  to  Dedham). 

This  is  a  stone  arch  bridge,  and  it  is  in  good  order. 
Repairs  to  the  amount  of  $19.89  have  been  made. 

*  Western-avenue    Bridge    (from   Ward    25   to   Cam- 

bridge). 

The  roadway  of  this  Ijridge  has  been  sheathed ;  a  small 
building,  to  replace  an  old  one,  has  been  built  for  the  super- 
intendent, and  some  slight  repairs  have  been  made. .  The 
bridge  is  now  in  fair  condition. 

Cost  of  repairs,  $409.24. 

*  Western- avenue   Bridge    (from  Ward  25  to  Water- 

town). 

For  several  years  attempts  have  been  made  by  the  city  to 
induce  the  town  of  Watertown  to  cooperate  with  it  in  re- 
buildins:  this  bridii'c  ;  but  so  far  Avithout  success. 

The  draw- way  is  at  a  bad  angle  with  the  river  channel, 
and  causes  OTeat  annovance  to  vessels  passino-  throui>li  it  as 
well  as  to  the  team  travel,  from  dehiy  during  the  necessarily 
slow  passage  of  the  vessels. 

In  July  a  portion  of  the  retaining- wall,  about  20  feet 
in  length,  adjoining  the  abutment  on  the  abattoir  side,  fell 
into  the  river.  It  has  l)een  rei)laced  by  a  pile  and  timber 
bulkhead,  at  the  joint  expense  of  the  city  and  abutters. 

The  bridge  is  in  safe  condition  ;  but  the  stone  abutment 
cannot  be  considered  in  stable  condition,  as  it  overhangs  its 
base.  Althougli  it  may  stand  for  some  time  longer  it  ought 
to  be  rel)uilt. 

Cost  of  repairs,  $280.54. 


Keport  of  Cixr  Engineer.  19 

III.— BRIDGES    FOR    MAINTENANCE    OF  WHICH 
BOSTON  PAYS   A  PART   OF  THE   COST. 

Albany-street   Bridge  (over   Boston   &  Albany  Rail- 
road). 

This  bridge  has  been  for  several  years  in  bad  condition, 
being  very  much  deteriorated  by  rust.  The  abutments  are 
badly  cracked,  and  have  moved  out  of  position. 

The  retaining-wall  adjoining  the  abutment,  and  connecting 
it  with  the  retaining-wall  of  the  Broadway  extension,  will 
have  to  be  rebuilt  probably  this  year.  The  rebuilding  of 
the  abutments  cannot  be  much  longer  postponed,  and  if 
these  are  rel^uilt  a  new  bridge  would  probaljly  be  required,  as 
the  old  one  is  not  worth  putting  back  again  if  it  was  once 
removed. 

The  cost  of  repairs  made  upon  the  bridge  was  $167.26. 

*  Canal  Bridge  (from  Boston  to  Caivibridge  ) . 

*  Prison-Point    Bridge    (from    Charlestown    to    Cam- 

bridge) . 

*  West-Boston  Bridge  (from  Boston  to  Cambridge)  . 

These  three  bridges  are  in  fair  condition.  (See  report  of 
the  Commissioner  for  Boston,  City  Doc.  No.  15,  1882.) 

Dorchester-street   Bridge    (over    Old   Colony    Rail- 
road). 

Thorough  repairs  have  been  made  upon  this  bridge.  The 
wood-work  was  entirely  renewed,  and  the  iron-work  was 
then  cleaned  and  painted. 

New  wood-work  was  substituted  for  the  old  in  every  place 
where  it  was  needed.     The  bridge  is  now  in  good  condition. 

Cost  of  repairs,  $677.93. 


IV.  — BRIDGES   SUPPORTED  BY  RAILROAD  COR- 
PORATIONS. 

The  bridges  included  under  tliis  head  are  in  good  order  or 
fair  condition,  and  require  no  special  mention. 


20  City  Document  No.  52. 


MISCELLANEOUS     WORK    AND    CONSTRUCTIONS 

IN    1881. 

Alford-street  Sea-Wall. 

The  work  upon  this  wall,  and  the  fence  and  plank  sidewalks 
connected  with  it,  were  fully  described  in  the  last  annual  report. 
It  was  completed  and  a  final  estimate  made  May  16,  1881. 
The  total  amount  paid  to  the  contractor,  Charles  T.  Derry, « 
was  $3,759. 

Blakemore-street  Bridge. 

Plans  and  specifications  for  the  abutments  for  an  iron  bridge 
on  Blakemore  street,  over  the  Boston  &  Providence  Rail- 
road, near  Mt.  Hope  station,  were  made  in  April. 

The  work  was  advertised  for  proposals  in  May,  and  a  con- 
tract for  it  was  made  with  Joseph  Ross,  of  Ipswich,  the 
lowest  responsible  bidder. 

The  abutments,  with  their  wina-walls  and  a  retaining-wall 
70  feet  in  length,  connected  with  the  westerly  abutment,  are 
built  of  Quincy  granite. 

The  faces  of  the  abutments  and  wing-walls  are  regularly 
coursed  rub]:>le-work  with  courses  of  nearly  even  rise,  and 
the  retaining-wall  is  irregularly  coursed  rubble-work.  The 
bridge  seats,  parapets,  and  retaining-wall  coping  are  cut 
stones  of  the  usual  patterns. 

The  easterly  abutment,  with  its  wing-walls,  is  110  feet  in 
length,  30  feet  2  inches  in  height,  10  feet  of  which  is  founda- 
tion, and  it  averages  in  thickness  7^  feet. 

The  w^esterly  abutment  is  71)  feet  in  length  from  the  face  of 
the  retaining-wall  connected  with  it  to  the  end  of  the  wing- 
wall,  25  feet  2  inches  in  height,  5  feet  of  which  is  foundation, 
and  it  is  of  the  same  average  thickness  as  the  easterly  abut- 
ment. 

The  retainin":-wall  averages  17  feet  in  heio-ht  al)ove  the 
foundation,  and  has  an  average  thickness  of  5  feet. 

The  foundation  is  stepped  on  sloping  ground  and  is  3^  feet 
in  depth.  The  retaining-wall  carries  a  wooden  rail  fence  with 
iron  standards. 

The  masonry  was  commenced  May  26,  and  completed 
November  1,  1881,  at  a  total  cost  of  $17,435.25.  This 
amount  was  $421  less  than  the  price  bid  for  the  work,  on 
account  of  a  reduction  in  the  amount  of  masonry  caused  by  a 
change  in  the  plans. 

A  contract  for  the  iron  bridge  was  made  September  6, 


Eeport  of  City  Engineer.  21 

with  D.  H.  Andrews,  the  lowest  bidder,  for  the  sum  of 
$3,698. 

The  brido-e  consists  of  two  main  cfirders,  of  the  riveted 
triangular  pattern,  placed  26  feet  apart,  and  carrying  plate- 
iron  floor  beams,  which  overhang  for  the  sidewalks.  The 
length  of  the  main  girders  is  71  feet,  of  the  floor  beams,  40 
feet.  •  The  work  of  erection  was  commenced  Jan.  31,  1882, 
and  is  now  completed. 

The  amount  paid  to  the  contractor  was  $3,746.46. 

A  contract  for  the  fences  was  made  with  the  Manley  & 
Cooper  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  and  they  are  now  in  process  of 
erection.  The  fences  are  wrought  iron,  of  an  ornamental 
pattern,  and  strongly  connected  with  the  bridge  structure. 

Broadway    Extension     (over    the    Boston    &   Albany 

Eailroad). 

The  work  upon  this  extension  and  the  bridge  has  been 
actively  prosecuted  during  the  year,  and  is  now  in  a  forward 
state  of  completion. 

Between  Harrison  avenue  and  Washington  street  wooden 
bulkheads  have  been  built  on  l^oth  sides  of  the  street,  where 
they  were  required  for  the  purpose  of  retaining  the  lilling. 
On  the  northerly  side  the  bulkhead  is  260  feet  in  length  and 
about  7  feet  in  height.  It  is  built  of  creosoted  spruce 
piles  and  planks,  has  iron  anchor  rods,  and  is  ballasted  with 
broken  l)ricks  and  small  stones.  It  cost  $1,079.57.  On  the 
southerly  side  the  l)ulkhead  is  150  feet  in  length,  of  about 
the  same  height,  and  is  constructed  in  a  similar  manner  to  the 
bulkhead  on  the  northerly  side  ;  but  the  spruce  piles  and 
planks  are  not  creosoted,  and  the  bulkhead  is  ballasted  with 
oyster-shells.  It  cost  $519.32.  Both  bulkheads  were  built 
by  day''s  labor. 

After  the  completion  of  the  bulkheads,  and  a  new  sewer  to 
replace  one  destroyed  by  the  northerly  bulkhead,  this  portion 
of  the  extension  was  filled  to  a  sub-grade  in  readiness  for 
paving. 

The  abutments  for  the  bridge  over  the  Boston  &  Albany 
Railroad,  and  the  retaiuing-walls  connected  with  them,  are 
practically  completed ;  the  setting  of  the  parapets  and  fur- 
nishing of  a  small  jjortion  of  the  gravel  filling  being  all  the 
work  that  remains  to  be  done  to  complete  the  contract  of 
John  Cavanaoh  &  Co.  The  amount  paid  to  these  contractors 
is  $59,717.09^. 

Work  upon  the  bridge,  which  is  under  contract  to  David 
H.    Andrews,    has    been   greatly    delayed   by    his    inability 


22  City  Document  No.  52, 

to  procure  iron  from  the  rolling-mills  in  time.  It  is, 
however,  now  being  i)ushed  very  rapidly,  and  the  erection 
of  the  timber  false  works  upon  which  the  iron-work  will  be 
put  together  will  soon  be  completed.  A  saving  of  $3,000 
was  eli'ected  in  the  cost  of  this  bridge  by  rejecting  all  the  bids 
received  under  the  first  advertisement  and  readvertising  the 
Avork. 

The  buildino;s  which  were  on  the  line  of  the  extension  are 
being  rapidly  demolished,  and  filling  is  being  stored  on  the 
portion  of  the  extension  between  Harrison  avenue  and  Wash- 
ington street,  so  that  the  street  can  be  graded  without  delay 
when  the  removal  of  the  buildings  will  permit  it. 

Commonwealth-avenue   Extension. 

The  filling  of  this  avenue  and  the  adjacent  streets  and 
territory  has  been  continued  during  the  past  year,  not  only 
under  the  old  contracts  and  agreements  of  1880,  but  also 
under  new  contracts  and  agreements  made  during  the  year 
1881. 

April  27,  1881,  a  supplementary  agreement,  similar  in 
terms  to  the  agreement  of  1880,  was  made  between  the  City 
of  Boston,  the  Boston  Water  Power  Co.,  the  Trustees  of  the 
Beacon-street  lands,  the  Executors  of  the  will  of  D.  N. 
Skillings,  and  A.  A.  Marcus,  for  the  filling,  jointly,  of  the 
territory  bounded  by  West  Chester  Park,  the  location  of  the 
Boston  &  AUmny  Railroad,  the  fifty-foot  street  adjoining  the 
easterly  side  of  the  Beacon  entrance  of  the  Back  Bay  Park 
and  Beacon  street.  Contracts  were  made  with  the  Boston  & 
Albany  Railroad  Company  by  the  several  parties  to  this 
aOTcement  for  the  fillino^  of  the  entire  area,  including  all 
streets  and  passage-ways.  The  city's  contract  was  made  i\Iay 
26,  1881. 

Work  under  these  several  contracts  was  commenced  soon 
after  they  were  executed,  and  at  the  present  time  the  whole 
territory  described  in  the  agreements  of  1880  and  1881 
before  referred  to  is  filled  to  grade  12,  except  a  channel  left 
for  the  tidal  fiow  to  and  from  the  park  l)asin.  This  channel 
cannot  be  filled  until  the  new  channel  through  the  park  is 
completed.  Several  of  the  streets  within  the  territory  are 
filled  to  grade,  and  the  filling  of  others  is  now  in  prog- 
ress. 

The  quantity  of  gravel  deposited  upon  the  whole  territory, 
to  and  including  January  4,  1882,  was  194,205  car-loads, 
amounting  to  76,184  squares.  Of  this  amount  the  approxi- 
mate estimates  show  that  there  have  been  de})osited  — 


Keport  of  City  Engineer.  23 

Upon  land  of  the  Boston  &  Albany  K.R.  Co.,     1,813  squares. 

"        "       "      Boston  Water  Power  Co.,      20,452  " 

"        "        "     Trustees  Beacon-st.  Lands,  11,513  " 

"        ''        "     Trustees  Park  Entrance"  5,306  " 

"    of  A.  A.  Marcus,  &  Exr's  D.  N. 

Skillings  .         .         .         .        589  " 

"     Back  Bay  Park  ....     8,919 

"     Commonwealth  ave.  and  adjacent  sts.,  27,592  " 


Total 76,184       " 

All  the  gravel  delivered  during  the  past  year  has  been 
brought  from  the  bank  of  the  company  in  Newton,  near 
Riverside  Station. 

March  29,  1881,  a  contract  was  made  with  Trumbull  & 
Cheney,  for  building  the  abutments  for  the  bridge  over  the 
park  water-way,  at  the  crossing  of  Commonwealth  avenue. 
These  a1)utments  are  each  about  166  feet  in  length,  including 
wing-walls,  and  are  13  feet  9  inches  in  height  between  the 
platform  foundation  and  top  of  bridge  seat.  The  masonry  is 
built  upon  a  spruce  pile  and  timber  platform,  which  also 
covers  the  space  50  feet  in  width  between  the  abutments. 
Across  each  end  of  the  platform  a  line  of  4-inch  tongued  and 
grooved  sheet-piling  was  driven,  to  prevent  any  current  from 
undermining  the  flooring  which  forms  the  bottom  of  the 
water-way. 

The  masonry  is  built  of  Cape  Ann  granite,  has  an  ashlar 
face,  and  is  laid  in  "Flemish"  bond  with  a  rubble-stone 
backing. 

The  contractors  completed  this  work  November  9,  and 
the  amount  paid  them  under  the  contract  was  $27,974.69. 

November  5,  a  contract  was  made  with  Cook,  Rymes  & 
Co.,  for  an  iron  bridge,  of  the  deck  pattern,  consisting  of 
9  girders,  57  feet  in  length,  and  an  average  height  of  4  ft.  3  in., 
covered  with  a  timber  and  plank  flooring. 

The  time  for  the  completion  of  this  contract  was  February 
1st,  but,  owing  to  the  contractors  having  been  unexpectedly 
delayed  in  obtaining  their  material,  the  Joint  Special  Com- 
mittee on  Streets  has  extended  the  time  for  completion  to 
April  1,  1882. 

The  contract  price  for  the  bridge  erected  in  place  is 
$9,729.70. 

Deer-Island  Wharf. 

A  contract  was  made  May  26,  1881,  with  Young  &  Ryan, 
for  extending  the  Ferry  wharf,  in  Shirley  gut.  The  deposit 
of  material  by  the  currents  has  rendered  nefiessary  a  periodi- 


24  City  Document  No.  52. 

cal  extension  of  this  Avharf.  The  present  extension  was 
located  after  consultation  with  tlie  Harbor  Commissioners, 
and  is  104  feet  in  length,  measuring  from  the  end  of  the  last 
extension  ;  and  is  in  a  direct  line  with  it.  The  new  wharf  is, 
however,  120  feet  in  length,  as  16  feet  of  the  old  one  was 
removed ;  and  it  is  15  feet  in  width  for  a  length  of  104  feet, 
and  20  feet  in  width  f(;r  the  remainder  of  its  length  of  16 
feet  at  the  channel  end. 

It  is  a  spruce-pile  wharf,  with  hard-pine  caps,  and  floor- 
stringers  covered  with  a  spruce-plank  flooring. 

Tt  is  provided  with  oak  fender-piles  at  the  end  and  on  the 
side  used  as  a  landing-place  for  the  ferry-lwat. 

The  work  was  completed  June  30,  and  cost  $1,521.37. 

East  Chester-Park  Extension. 

A  contract  was  made  May  9,  1881,  with  the  New  York  & 
New  England  Railroad  Company  for  filling  the  extension  of 
East  Chester  park  from  Albany  street  to  Boston  street.  The 
work  was  begun  June  15,  and  completed  October  25,  1881. 
The  contract  price  was  $3.50  per  square,  and  the  total 
amount  paid  to  the  company  was  $31,130.42.  This  amount 
included  the  cost  of  constructing  drains  across  the  street 
where  needed. 

April  27,  1881,  a  contract  was  made  with  Trumbull  & 
Cheney  for  building  two  stone  piers  for  supporting  the  per- 
manent bridge  of  the  New  York  &  New  England  Railroad 
over  this  street.  The  abutments  for  this  l)ridge  were  built 
in  187G,  and  the  street  is  now  spanned  by  a  wooden  truss- 
bridge,  which  was  not  intended  as  a  permanent  structure, 
the  purpose  being  to  construct,  eventually,  an  iron  deck 
bridge  of  three  spans.  The  piers  are  built  of  granite,  with 
a  foundation  5  feet  wide,  28|-  feet  long,  and  5  feet  deep  be- 
low the  orade  of  the  street.  On  this  foundation  are  two 
courses  of  cut  granite,  each  1  foot  6  inches  high.  The  tops 
of  these  piers  are  at  a  grade  of  3  feet  above  the  grade  of  the 
street,  and  they  are  to  be  surmounted  by  iron  columns,  on 
which  the  bridge  girders  are  to  rest.  The  piers  were  com- 
pleted in  September,  and  the  amount  paid  the  contractors 
was  $1,200. 

Huntington- Avenue  Extension. 

June  29,  1881,  a  contract  was  made  with  the  Boston  & 
Albany  Railroad  Company  for  filling  the  extension  of  Hunt- 
ington avenue  from  Camden  street  to  Parker  street.  Work 
was  begun  July  1(5,  and  ended  August  18,  1881,  although 
the  street  was  not  filled  to  its  full  width  throughout  its  whole 


Report  of  City  Engineer.  25 

length,  as  permission  had  not  been  ol)tained  from  all  of  the 
abutters  to  slope  the  tilling  upon  their  lands. 

There  were  deposited  on  the  street  11,177  car-loads  of 
gravel,  amounting  to  4,633  squares.  The  price  paid  was 
$4.25  per  square,  and  the  total  amount  paid  the  contractors 
was  $19,690.25. 

South-Bay  Dam. 

This  dam,  the  construction  and  use  of  which  was  fully 
described  in  the  last  annual  report,  was  completed  June  9, 
1881. 

The  tilling  of  the  gap  in  the  dam  with  stone  ballast  up  to 
the  top  retained  the  water  on  the  enclosed  mud-flats  at  a 
depth  of  2  feet  during  the  summer,  and  relieved,  to  a  great 
extent,  the  nuisance  caused  by  their  former  exposure  at  low 
tide. 

A  recent  inspection  of  the  dam  shows  that  it  will  be  nec- 
essary, before  warm  weather,  to  place  additional  ballast  in 
the  gap,  the  upper  portion  of  it,  for  about  18  inches  in  depth, 
having  been  carried  away  by  the  ice,  thereby  causing  the 
flats  to  be  left  bare  at  low  tide. 

The  wood  portion  of  the  dam  appears  to  be  in  good  con- 
dition. 

The  total  cost  of  the  work  was  $4,451.92. 

Ix  General. 

The  usual  amount  of  work  of  a  miscellaneous  character 
has  been  done  during  the  year.  Under  this  head  may  be 
classed  surveys  and  soundings  of  the  Public-Garden  pond, 
and  an  estimate  of  cost  of  improving  the  bottom  ;  estimates 
of  cost  of  repairing  wharf  at  Deer  Island  ;  plans  and  esti- 
mates of  cost  of  bridging  the  B.  &  A.  R.R.,  at  the  Cam- 
bridge-street crossing,  at  Brighton ;  plans  and  estimates  of 
cost  of  retaining-wall  at  end  of  St.  Charles  street ;  measure- 
ments of  gravel  and  other  tilling  material  at  various  places, 
for  Board  of  Health,  and  numerous  estimates  for  various 
plans  of  a  new  In'idge  between  the  city  proper  and  Charles- 
town,  etc. 

In  the  draugh ting-room,  in  addition  to  the  large  amount 
of  copying,  tracing,  blue  printing,  and  revising  plans  which 
has  been  done,  plans  and  specifications  have  been  made  for 
the  building  of  the  followino^  new  iron  brido^es  :  — 

Broadway  Extension,  over  B.  &  A.  R.R. 

Blakemore  street,  over  B.  &  P.  R.R. 

Boston  &  Albany  R.R.  Bridge,  over  Park  water-way. 

Commonwealth  Avenue  Bridge,  over  Park  water-way. 


26  City  Document  No.  52. 

Plans  have  also  been  made  for  the  alterations  of  the  side- 
walk truss  of  the  Columbns-avenuc  Bridire,  for  lenjjthenino: 
the  Mt.  AYashinijton-avenuc  draw,  and  for  much  of  the 
machinery  and  iron  work  connected  with  the  engines  and 
boilers  of  the  Improved  Sewerage  Pumping-station. 

The  inspection  of  such  of  the  above  work  as  has  been 
completed  or  in  progress  has  also  been  done  by  ]Mr.  John 
E.  Cheney,  designer  and  principal  draughtsman,  and  his 
assistants. 


B.  —  WATER-WOKKS. 

Sudbuiy  River,  Farm  Pond,  and  Lake  Cochituate.  —  On 
the  1st  of  January,  1881,  the  water  in  the  reservoirs  on  the 
Sudbury  river  stood  as  follows  :  Reservoir  No.  1  was  2.48 
feet  below  the  top  of  the  flash-l)oards ;  Reservoir  No.  2  was 
5.70  feet  below  the  crest  of  the  dam,  and  Reservoir  No.  3 
was  11.47  feet  below  the  corresponding  point.  Reservoir 
No.  2  fell  until  January  8,  when  it  was  11.8  feet  below 
the  top  of  the  flash-boards.  During  January  and  February 
the  reservoirs  were  tilling,  and  Reservoirs  Nos.  1  and  2  were 
overflowing  on  February  13,  and  Reservoir  No.  3  on  March  6. 

Water  was  allowed  to  waste  continually  at  Dam  No.  1  until 
July  16.  The  water  surfaces  of  the  reservoirs  above  tide- 
marsh  level  on  the  flrst  day  of  each  month,  from  August  to 
November,  were  as  follows  :  — 


August        1  .  .  , 

September  1  .  .  . 

October       1  .  .  , 

November  1  .  .  . 

In  November  it  was  discovered  that  the  48-inch  pipe  con- 
nectinij  Reservoir  No.  2  with  the  gate-chamber  at  Dam  No.  1 
had  been  disconnected.  In  December  Reservoir  No.  1  was 
emptied  and  the  pipe  repaired.  Reservoir  No.  3  was  drawn 
upon  for  the  city's  supply  during  August,  September,  and 
October,  and  on  October  24  it  was  practically  empty.  During 
November  and  December  it  has  been  fllling,  and  is  now,  Jan- 
uary 1,  only  3  inches  below  the  crest  of  the  dam.  On 
January  1,  1882,  Reservoir  No.  1  was  147.85  ;  Reservoir  No. 
2,  167.43  ;  and  Reservoir  No.  3,  174.98  feet  above  tide-marsh 
level. 

In  October  last  the  "cucumber  taste"  in  our  water  supply 
was  found  to  originate  in  Farm  pond   (see  report  of  Prof. 


No.  1. 

No.  2. 

No.  3. 

159.02 

159.86 

173.22 

158.40 

158.96 

168.21 

157.55 

160.80 

161.44 

156.38 

162.78 

159.76 

Report  of  Citt  ENorNEER.  27 

Eemsen,  City  Doc.  No.  143,  1881),  and,  as  the  water  in 
the  reservoirs  above  the  pond  was  good,  but  could  not  be 
brought  to  the  city  without  being  contaminated  in  its  passage 
through  it,  a  temporary  channel  was  made  near  the  shore, 
from  the  terminus  of  the  supply  conduit  on  the  north-westerly 
shore  of  the  pond  to  the  main  conduit  leading  to  Chestnut- 
Hill  reservoir.  For  this  purpose  Farm  pond  was  drawn  down 
as  low  as  possible.  The  channel,  which  was  constructed  in 
14  days,  is  4,750  feet  in  length.  For  3,740  feet  it  is  a 
channel  5  feet  deep,  12  feet  in  width  at  the  bottom,  with  side 
embankments  of  earth,  3  feet  in  width  at  the  top,  and  side- 
slopes  generally  of  4  to  1 . 

For  about  560  feet  the  channel  is  in  mud,  or  partially  so, 
along  the  north  side  of  the  Boston  &  Albany  R.R.  embank- 
ment ;  this  portion  is  made  partly  of  sheet-piling,  and  is 
partly  a  flume,  9  feet  wide,  supported  by  transversal  frames. 

During  the  year  the  Sudbury-river  water-shed  has  yielded 
26,876,000,000  gallons,  equal  to  a  daily  average  of  73,633,- 
900  gallons,  and  the  Sudbury-river  works  have  furnished 
9,036,700,000  gallons  for  the  supply  of  the  city,  divided  as 
follows  :  — 


Amount  sent  to 
Chestnut-Hill  Reservoir. 

Amount  sent  to 
Lake  Cochituate. 

Total. 

January     . 

.     814,800,000 

814,800,000 

February  . 

.     ti80,300,000 

680,300,000 

March 

.     853,600,000 

853,600,000 

April 

.     810,700,000 

810,700,000 

May 

.     960,100,000 

960,100,000 

June 

.     941,700,000 

941,700,000 

July 

.     911,200,000 

911,200,000 

August 

.     730,700,000 

730,700,000 

September 

.     731,500,000 

731,500,000 

October     . 

.     429,300,000 

429,300,000 

November 

.     321,700,000 

191,400,000 

513,100,000 

December 

.     472,100,000 

187,600,000 

659,700,000 

Totals  . 

.  8,657,700,000 

379,000,000 

9,036,700,00 

Average  daily  amount  furnished  was  24,758,100  gallons. 

Lake  Cochituate  was  8.74  feet  below  hio^h-water  mark  on 
Januarv  1,  1881.  On  March  12  it  had  filled  to  within  6 
inches  of  high- water  mark,  and  waste  commenced  at  the  out- 
let dam.  This  waste  continued,  with  a  few  interruptions, 
until  the  middle  of  July,  when  the  lake  was  drawn  upon  for 
the  supply  of  the  city.  This  draft  gradually  lowered  the 
lake's  surface,   until  December  12,  when  it  was,  at  grade, 


28  City  Docuiment  No.  52. 

127.03,  or  7.33  foet  l)elow  hioh-water.     At  the  present  time 
(January  1)  it  is  128.27  feet  above  tide-marsh  level. 

Mystic  Lake.  —  eTanuar}'  1,  1881,  Mystic  lake  was  3.16 
feet  below  the  top  of  the  conduit,  and  temporary  pumping 
machinery  was  lieing  used  to  furnish  the  snp])ly  for  the  city. 
On  January  17  the  lake  had  risen  so  that  the  pum})s  were 
stopped,  and  February  17  the  lake  was  full,  and  wasting  at 
the  dam.  Waste  was  continued,  Avith  few  interruptions, 
until  the  beginning  of  August.  September  1  the  surface  of 
the  lake  was  5.52  feet  above  tide-marsh  level;  October  1, 
4.35;  November  1,  3.10;  November  28,  2.60;  December 
1,  2.77  ;  and  January  1,  1882,  5.77,  or  1.23  feet  below  high- 
water  mark. 

Consumption. — The  average  daily  consumption  from  the 
combined  works,  for  each  month,  has  been  as  foUow^s  :  — 


From  Sudbury  and 
Cochituate  Works. 

From  Mystic 
Works. 

Total. 

January  . 

.     32,121,900 

8,756,500 

40,878,400 

February 

.     31,607,900 

9,428,700 

41,036,600 

March     . 

.     27,531,700 

7,042.800 

34,574,500 

April 

.     28,146,200 

6,420,700 

34,566,900 

May 

.     29,307,600 

6,502,900 

35,810,500 

June 

.     30,059,200 

6,556,700 

36,615,900 

July 

.     33,885,300 

6,906,400 

40,791,700 

August  . 

.     34,472,200 

7,011,700 

41,483,900 

September 

.     34,801,500 

6,587,100 

41,388,600 

October  . 

.     32,871,200 

6,195,400 

39,066,600 

November 

.     27,519,800 

7,870,400 

35,390,200 

December 

.     29,860,400 

7,056,900 

36,917,300 

Average 

.     31,020,200 

7,194,700 

38,214,900 

The  consumption  from  the  Sudbury  and  Cochituate  Works 
shows  a  large  increase  over  that  of  tiie  year  1880  (4,520,- 
200  gallons  per  day).  About  2,000,000  gallons  of  this  is 
due  to  the  supply  of  East  Boston,  which  was  drawn  from 
the  Mystic  Works  in  1880. 

The  total  consumption  shows  an  increase  of  2,327,000 
gallons  per  day,  or  ^.b  per  cent,  over  that  of  1880. 

The  daily  average  consinni)tion  per  head  of  population 
has  been  95  gallons  from  the  Sudbury  and  Cochituate  works, 
81  gallons  from  the  Mystic  Avorks,  and  92  gallons  from  the 
coml)ined  supplies. 

During  the  year  about  110,000,000  gallons  were   drawn 


Repoiit  of  City  Engineer.  29 

from  the  Mystic  supply  for  the  use  of  the  Sudbury  and  Co- 
chituate  works.  East  Boston  was  supplied  from  the  Mystic 
Works  from  Noveml^er  14  to  December  14,  and  also  on  sev- 
eral other  occasions  during  the  3^ear,  when  the  Cochituate 
supply  mains  have  been  shut  ofl'  for  repairs,  etc. 

Highland  High-Service  Works. 

The  average  daily  quantities  of  water  pumped  by  the  high- 
service  engines  at  the  Highland  station,  during  each  month, 
are  as  follows  :  — 


January, 

2,445,000 

July, 

2,459,000 

February, 

2,550,300 

August, 

2,488,500 

March, 

2,224,000 

September, 

2,561,600 

April, 

2,243,000 

October, 

2,548,000 

May, 

2,301,000 

November, 

2,312,600 

June, 

2,377,700 

December, 

2,369,000 

The  daily  average  for  the  year  has  been  2,407,500  gallons, 
an  increase  of  2^  per  cent,  over  that  of  the  year  1880.  The 
small  percentage  of  increase  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that 
the  hose  consumption  for  lawn  purposes  w^as  smaller  than 
usual,  and  that  the  present  winter  has  thus  far  been  unac- 
companied by  any  severe  cold. 

During  the  year  surveys,  plans,  and  estimates  have  been 
made  for  removing  the  high-service  pumping-works  from 
their  present  location  in  Roxbury  to  Chestnut-Hill  reservoir, 
and  for  a  reservoir,  and  the  necessary  force  and  supply-mains, 
to  connect  with  the  })resent  reservoir  on  Parker  Hill. 

Deer  Island  Fire  Service. 

Special  fire-service  works  have  been  built,  for  the  better 
protection  of  the  Public  Institution  buildings  on  the  Island. 
These  works  were  rendered  necessary  by  the  loss  of  head 
caused  l^y  the  change  of  supply  from  the  Mystic  to  the  Sud- 
bury and  Cochituate  system,  and  consist  of  a  Knowles'  fire- 
pump,  having  20-inch  steam  and  10-inch  water  cylinders,  with 
24-inch  stroke,  which  is  connected  with  the  distribution-pipes, 
and  with  supply  reservoirs  on  the  island,  in  such  a  manner 
that,  in  case  of  fire,  the  Avater-pressure  upon  the  fire-hydrants 
can  be  maintained  at  from  80  to  100  pounds. 

The  supply  reservoirs,  in  connection  with  the  main  supply- 
pipe,  furnish  the  water  for  the  pump,  the  reservoirs  or  cis- 
terns, two  in  number,  having  a  storage  capacity  of  150,000 
gallons.     The  larger  of  these  reservoirs,  with  a  capacity  of 


30  City  Document  No.  52. 

120,000  gallons,  was  liiiilt  during  the  past  summer.  It  is 
50  feet  iu  diameter,  9  feet  deep,  "svith  side-walls  and  bottom 
of  cement  concrete,  and  is  covered  by  a  conical  wooden  roof. 
The  water-level  of  the  reservoirs  is  at  about  the  level  of  the 
surroundino"  2:round. 

The  work  has  been  done  by  the  expenditure  of  about 
$3,300,  the  unskilled  labor  having  been  supplied  by  the 
inmates  of  the  institutions. 


Mystic- Valley  Sewer. 

An  act  of  the  Legislature,  approved  May  13,  1881,  re- 
quired the  city  to  cease  discharging  sewage  or  other  polluting 
matter  from  this  sewer  into  the  lower  Mystic  pond,  except 
under  certain  conditions  as  regards  its  purification,  which  it 
was  impractica])le,  if  not  impossible,  to  compl}^  with.  The 
constitutionality  of  this  act  was  doubted  by  the  city ;  but  it 
was,  after  various  trials  in  the  courts,  decided  by  the  Supreme 
Court  to  be  constitutional,  and  an  injunction  was  issued  to 
l^revent  the  further  discharge  of  the  sewage  into  the  pond. 
It  was  agreed  by  the  city's  counsel,  and  that  of  the  town  of 
Medford,  petitioners  for  the  injunction,  that  if  the  city  would 
erect  certain  works  for  the  treatment  of  the  sewage,  the 
injunction  should  not  be  enforced. 

In  accordance  with  this  agreement  a  tract  of  land,  of  5y^^ 
acres  area,  was  taken,  December  5,  1881,  from  the  Boston  & 
Lowell  Railroad  Company.  The  land  is  in  the  town  of  Win- 
chester, near  Bacon's  crossing,  and  adjoining  the  railroad, 
as  well  as  the  line  of  the  sewer. 

A  system  of  settling  and  natural  downward  filtration  Avorks 
was  .adopted,  and  has  been  partially  carried'out,  with  com- 
paratively good  results.  The  works  consist  of  a  steam- 
engine  and  centrifugal  pump,  which  lift  the  sewage  from  the 
sewer  and  dischari^e  it  into  scttliui^:  tanks,  from  Avhich  it 
runs  through  an  open  trench,  excavated  in  gravelly  soil, 
1,250  feet,  to  the  sewer,  which  it  again  enters,  and  is  then 
discharged  into  the  lower  Mystic  pond.  In  its  course 
through  the  trench  it  runs  through  a  series  of  brush  filters, 
which  remove  ouich  of  the  material  which  has  not  been  de- 


posited in  the  settling  tanks.  Nearly  one-third  of  the 
amount  pumped  fails  to  reach  the  end  of  trench,  as  it  sinks 
into  the  soil  during  its  passage. 

The  works  are  very  expensive  to  maintain,  and  the  same, 
if  not  a  better,  result  could  be  accomplished  on  land  near  the 
outlet  of  the  Lower  Mystic  pond  ;  the  expenses  of  pumping 
could  be  avoided  if  this  land  (;ould  he  used,  as  the  sewer  if 
extended  about  3,500  feet  would  discharge  naturally  at  the 


Keport  of  City  Engineer.  31 

grade  of  the  land.  Authority  to  take  hiiid  for  this  purpose, 
and  also  for  other  modifications  of  the  Act  of  1881,  has  been 
asked  for  by  the  city,  and  the  matter  is  now  pending  in  the 
Lesfislature. 


"O' 


SUDBURY-ElVER    BaSIN    No.    4. 

As  the  result  of  the  investigations  made  for  the  purpose  of 
determining  the  best  site  for  a  new  storage-basin  on  the  Sud- 
bury river,  for  which,  and  also  for  the  purchase  of  the  land 
when  determined,  an  appropriation  of  $55,000  was  made  by 
the  City  Council  in  the  fall  of  1880,  a  report  was  made  to 
the  Water  Board  on  the  14th  of  May,  1881,  in  which  I  rec- 
omended  Basin  No.  4,  of  the  preliminary  Sudbury-river 
surveys,  as  the  most  desirable  to  construct.  The  examina- 
tions were  confined  principally  to  the  sites  of  Basin  No.  4 
and  Basin  No.  7,  of  the  original  surveys,  and  a  very  large 
number  of  borings  were  made  upon  the  sites  to  determine  the 
nature  of  the  ground.  Surveys  were  also  made  of  the  lands 
which  would  be  flowed  at  the  sites  of  both  these  basins,  and 
the  Water  Board  bonded  the  land  on  each  before  any  choice 
was  made. 

After  the  selection  of  Basin  No.  4  a  new  and  more  careful 
survey  was  made  of  the  various  parcels  of  land  which  had 
been  bonded,  in  order  that  accurate  deeds  might  be  made. 

Although  the  report  recommending  the  construction  of 
Basin  No.  4  was  made  to  the  Water  Board  May  14,  and 
by  it  transmitted  to  the  City  Council,  an  appropriation  for 
its  construction  was  not  made  until  August  8.  The  amount 
of  this  appropriation  was  $394,000.  The  site  of  Dam  No.  4, 
which  makes  this  Imsin,  is  on  Cold  Spring  brook,  in  Ashland. 
It  is  about  4,500  feet  from  the  confluence  of  the  brook  with 
Sudbury  river,  and  the  basin  behind  it  will  extend  about  6,000 
feet  towards  Hopkinton.  The  ordinary  flow  line  of  the  new 
basin  will  be  215  feet  above  tide-marsh  level.  Its  extreme 
depth  at  the  dam  is  to  be  45  feet,  its  estimated  capacity  is 
1,100,000,000  gallons.  The  area  of  the  land  acquired  for 
the  basin,  for  iiowage,  and  for  marginal  fVicilities,  is  263 
acres.  The  location  of  the  dam  is  underlaid  by  a  bed  of 
granite  rock,  on  which  it  is  expected  to  start  the  foundation 
of  the  structure  at  a  depth  varying  from  20  to  30  feet  below 
the  natural  surface  of  the  o-round. 

Although  the  position  of  the  ledge  had  been  determined 

with  sufficient  accuracy  by  the  borings,  still  there  was  enough 

uncertainty  with  regard  to  its  character  to  render  it  advisable 

■  to  build  the  lower  portion  of  the  dam  by  day's  labor.     This 

method  of  doing  the  work  was  approved  by  the  City  Council, 


32  City  Documej^t  No.  52. 

and  the  Water  Board  was  authorized  to  proceed  with  the 
construction  in  this  manner.     Work  bej^an  September  22. 

The  season  ])eing  ah'eady  advanced  no  attempt  was  made 
to  do  any  portion  of  the  masonry.  A  convenient  road  was 
built  to  the  centre  of  Ashhmd,  buildings  were  erected  for  an 
office,  blucksmith-shop,  tool-houses,  staldes,  etc.,  and  the 
entire  ground  to  be  covered  by  the  dam  was  cleared  of  loam, 
muck,  and  all  stones  which  interfered  with  the  proper  removal 
of  perishable  material.  The  amount  of  muck  removed  from 
the  meadow  was  very  large,  and  the  stones  taken  from  the 
side-hills  will  furnish  a  considerable  amount  of  material 
which  can  be  used  in  the  construction  of  the  rubble  masonry. 
The  work  of  preparation  is  now  completed  and  the  masonry- 
work  can  be  commenced  early  in  the  spriug.  The  force 
employed,  which  in  October  was  88  men  and  26  horses  and 
oxen,  was  iucreased,  in  December,  to  142  men  and  44  horses 
and  oxen.  The  work  is  to  be  suspended  as  soon  as  the 
weather  becomes  too  severe  to  continue  it  to  advantasfe. 
The  amount  expended  up  to  January  1,  1882,  is  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

For  borings,  examinations,  and  surveys     .  .     $3,544  54 

For  construction      ......     19,342  46 

The  whole  force  employed  at  the  dam  was,  from  November 
21  to  December  6,  transferred  to  the  work  then  being  done 
at  Farm  pond  on  the  temporary  channel. 

Owing  to  the  magnitude  of  the  work,  it  is  expected  that 
three  seasons  will  be  necessary  to  complete  it. 

Miscellaneous. 

A  trial  has  been  made  in  the  Charlestowm  District  of  the 
Deacon  system  of  preventing  waste  of  water.  The  results 
ol)t!iined  were  very  satisfactory,  the  sources  and  amounts  of 
the  difl'erent  classes  of  waste  were  clearly  indicated,  and  a 
large  reduction  in  the  consumi)tion  was  etfected  in  the  sec- 
tions where  the  trial  was  made.  A  special  report  upon  this 
subject  will  be  made  to  the  AVater  Board. 

A  branch  track  has  been  built  from  the  Boston  &  Lowell 
Railroad  to  the  Mystic  pumi)ing-station  for  the  transporta- 
tion of  coal  and  other  sup})lies.  The  surveys  and  plans  for 
this  track  were  made  by  this  dei)artment. 

During  the  year  the  40-inch,  3()-inch,  and  30-inch  mains 
have  been  connected  by  a  30-inch  pipe,  in  Francis  street. 
This  completed  the  work  done  under  the  appropriation  for 
the  new  48-inch  main. 


Eeport  of  City  Engineer.         •  33 

The  total  cost  of  the  48-mch  and  30-inch  mains  was  $269,- 
092.26,  or  $10,907.74  less  than  the  amount  appropriated  for 
purchasing  the  castings. 

The  distributing  mains  of  the  city  have  been  extended 
about  7^  miles. 


C— IMPROVED  SEWERAGE. 

It  has  been  evident  to  me,  ever  since  my  accession  to  my 
present  office,  as  it  must  also  have  been  to  my  predecessor, 
that  this  great  work  could  not  be  completed  for  the  amount 
of  the  original  estimates  and  appropriations. 

The  unforeseen  difficulties,  and  the  expense  attending  the 
overcoming  of  them,  have  been,  from  the  beginning,  much 
greater  than  it  was  possible  to  anticipate.  In  addition  to 
this,  changes  in  the  character  and  size  of  the  machinery  and 
structures,  which  were  made  in  accordance  with  the  results 
of  the  experience  with  similar  systems  in  European  countries, 
ajid  the  increased  cost  of  all  lal^or  and  materials  used  in  con- 
struction, have  contributed  to  swell  tiie  cost  of  the  work  to 
a  sum  far  beyond  the  estimate  as  originally  made. 

It  has  not  been  possible  until  recently  to  estimate  with 
any  approach  to  accuracy  what  the  additional  cost  of  com- 
pleting the  new  system  of  sewerage  would  be.  Several  of 
the  contracts,  amountino-  in  the  ao-o-reoate  to  more  than  a 
million  of  dollars,  were  in  the  hands  of  contractors  who 
could  not  })rol)al)ly  complete  them,  but  the  city's  interests 
were  best  subserved  by  allowing  them  to  go  as  far  as  they 
could  before  decisive  action  was  taken. 

In  three  of  these  cases,  during  the  past  year,  matters  have 
finally  culminated  in  the  city's  taking  possession  of  the  work, 
which  has  been  relet  for  much  larsjer  sums  than  the  original 
contract  prices,  or  has  been  carried  on  by  day's  labor  to  com- 
pletion. 

As  it  is,  therefore,  now  practicable  to  state  with  sufficient 
accuracy  the  amount  which  will  be  required  to  complete  the 
system  as  originally  designed,  it  is  the  intention  of  the  Joint 
Special  Committee  having  the  supervision  of  this  work  to 
submit  such  a  statement  to  the  City  Council  at  an  early  day. 

During  the  year,  at  all  points  Avhere  the  work  was  being 
prosecuted  by  the  city,  excellent  progress  has  been  made, 
notwithstanding  the  difficult  nature  of  the  ground  in  which 
most  of  it  was  being  l)uilt. 

There  are  now  a]>out  eleven  miles  of  main  and  branch 
intercepting  sewers  completed,  and  connected  with  the  pump- 
ing-station. 


34  •  City  Document  No.  52. 

A  large  part  of  the  sewerage  of  West  Roxbury,  Rox])ury, 
the  Back  and  South  Bay  districts  is  intercepted  l)y  these 
sewers. 

The  Leavitt  engines,  and  machinery  at  the  pumping-sta- 
tion,  are  nearly  ready  for  use,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
system  can  be  in  operation  so  as  to  relieve  the  South  and 
Back  bay,  and  Charles  river,  from  the  larger  proportion  of 
the  sewage  now  discharged  into  them  by  the  city  sewers. 
The  sewage  cannot  probably  be  discharged  at  jNIoon  Island 
for  two  years  at  least ;  but  it  would  not,  in  the  opinion  of 
those  most  competent  to  judge  of  the  matter,  create  any 
nuisance  if  discharged  into  Dorchester  l)ay  for  that  length 
of  time. 

The  Improved  Sewerage  System  has  cost,  to  January  1, 
1882,  including  the  preliminary  surveys,  $2,396,960.68, 
and  the  interest  upon  this  sum  would  amount,  at  4  per  cent., 
to  $95,878.42  per  annum.  This  seems  a  large  investment  to 
allow  to  lie  idle  for  two  years,  and  not  accomplish,  even 
partially,  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  made,  as  it  might  do 
if  the  sewage  can  be  dischai'ged  into  Dorchester  bay  without 
detriment  to  the  public  health. 

The  total  amount  which  has  been  ap]iropriated  for  the 
Improved  Sewerage  works  is  $3,753,000.00.  The  gross 
expenditure  to  January  1,  1882,  including  that  for  prelim- 
inary surveys,  has  been  $2,396,960.68,  as  above  stated, 
leaving  a  balance  of  $1,356,039.32. 

The  appended  extracts  from  the  report  of  Mr.  E.  C.  Clarke, 
principal  assistant  engineer  of  the  Improved  Sewerage  Sys- 
tem, will  show,  in  detail,  the  progress  of  the  work  during 
the  year,  and  also  much  other  information  of  interest :  — 

The  followinof  tabulated  statement  shows  tlie  leno'th  of  sewers  com- 
pleted  January  1,  LSHl,  the  number  of  feet  built  since  that  date,  and  the 
total  length  constructed  at  the  present  time. 

The  title  and  location  of  each  section  is  given,  and  also  the  name  of 
the  parties  by  whom  it  was  built. 

Tills  statement  is  followed  by  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  work  on 
such  sections  as  have  been  in  process  of  construction  during  the  past 
year,  and  of  other  work  in  connection  with  the  general  scheme. 


36 


City  Document  No.  52. 


TABTJtiAR   STATEMEIVT   OF  PROGRESS  — 


Section. 


1.  Main     . 

2.  Main     . 

3.  Main     . 

4.  Main     . 
4^.  Main    . 

5.  Main     . 

6.  Main    . 

1.  Weat  Side 

2.  West  Side 

3.  West  Bide 

1.  East  Side 

2.  East  Side 

1.  Stony  Broolj 

2.  Stony  Brook 

1.  Soutli  Boston 

3.  Soutli  Boston 

4.  South  Boston 
Roxtiury  Canal 

Pumping-station 

2.  Outfall  Sewer   . 

3.  Outfall  Sewer    . 


Locality. 


In  Camden  st.,  from  Huntington  ave.  to  Tremont  st 

In  Camden  st.,  from  Tremont  st.  to  Washington  st 

In  Washington  st.  and  E.  Chester  park,  from  Camden  st.  to  Albany  st. 

In  E.  Chester  park  extension,  from  Albany  st.  to  Magazine  st.     ... 

In  E.  Chester  park  extension,  from  Magazine  st.  to  Clapp  st 

In  Clapp  and  Mt.  Vernon  sts.,  from  E.  Chester  park  to  O.  C.  R.R.   . 

In  Mt.  Vernon  st.  extension,  from  O.  C.  R.R.  to  Old  Harbor  point .  . 

In  Camden,  Falmouth,  Dalton,  and  Hereford  sts.,  from  Huntington 
ave.  to  Beacon  st 

In  Beacon  St.,  from  Hereford  St.  to  Charles  st 

In  Charles  st.,  from  Beacon  st.  to  Cambridge  st 

In  Albany  St.,  from  E.  Chester  park  to  Dover  st 

In  Albany  St.,  Lehigh  st.,  and  O.  C.  R.R.  freight-yards,  Federal  st.  . 

In  Tremont  and  Cabot  sts.,  from  Camden  st.  to  Ruggles  st 

In  Cabot,  Hampshire,  Elmwood,  Ruggles,  and  Tremont  sts.,  about 
Stony  Brook 

In  Ninth  st.,  from  H  st.  to  N  st 

In  Von  Hillern  St.,  Locust  St.,  Washington  ave.,  and  Hyde  st.,  from 
Mt.  Vernon  st.  to  Dorchester  ave 

In  Dorchester  ave.,  from  Hyde  st.  to  B  st 

In  Albany  st.  and  E.  Chester  park,  from  Northampton  st.  to  Rox- 
bury  Canal 

Connecting  Main  Sewer  and  Filth-Hoist,  and  Engine  Wells,  and  Salt- 
water Conduit 

Tunnel  under  Dorchester  Bay,  from  O.  H.  Pier  to  Squantum  Neck 
(excavation) 

Squantum  Neck  to  Moon  Island 

Totals 


Report  or  City  Engineer. 


37 


IMPROVED    SEWERAGE    COaFSTRTJCTIOIV. 


Size  in  feet  and  inches. 


7  ft.  8  in 

8  ft.  5  in 

8  ft.  5  in 

9  ft 

9  ft 

(9  ft ) 

i  10  ft.  6  in j 

10  ft.  6  in 

4  ft.  9  in.  X  5  ft.  6  in.  .  . 

(  4  ft.  9  in.  X  5  ft.  6  in 
(  4  ft.  X  4  ft.  6  in.    .  . 

4  ft.  X  4  ft.  6  in.    ... 

6  ft.  8  in 

5  ft.  X  3  ft.  6  in.    .  .  . 

4  ft.  8  in 

(4ft.  6  in 

?  2  ft.  X  3  ft 

( 15-in.  pipe 

3  ft.  2  In 

(6  ft 

J  4  ft.  9  in.  X  5  ft.  6  in- 
(  4  ft.  6  in.  X  3  ft.    .   . 

4  ft.  9  in.  X  5  ft.  6  in. . 

I  4  ft.  6  in 

left 

(10  ft.  6  in 

{9  ft 

(  5  ft.  6  in 

7  ft.  6  in '.  . 

11  ft.  X  12  ft 


Length 
in  feet. 


1675.5 

1390.5 

1795. 

2506.5 

1894. 

3381. 

4088. 

4282. 

5043. 

1832. 

4524.5 

2340. 

2135. 

4500. 
2717.5 

3739. 
3350. 

620. 

602. 

7004. 
5989. 


Biiilt  prior 
to  Jan.  1, 

1881. 


65408.5 


1675.5 

1390.5 

1795. 

2321. 

1894. 

3381. 

4088. 

4282. 
4923. 
1832. 
4524.5 

2135. 

2200. 
2717.5 

3739. 
3350. 


332. 

2398. 
200. 


49178. 


Built  Jan. 
1,  1882. 


1675.5 

1390.5 

1795. 

2506.5 

1894. 

3381. 

4088. 

4282. 
5013. 
1832. 
4524.5 
650. 
2135. 

4500. 
2717.5 

3739. 
3350. 

620. 

507. 

5913. 
600. 


57113.5 


Built  by 


P.  J.  Condon. 

P.  J.  Condon. 

John  Cavanagh. 

Charles  Linehan  and  City. 

City. 


Hoblitzell,     Condon,     and 
Hoblitzell,  and  City. 

Clinton  Beckwith,  and  J.  V. 
Quackenbush. 


City. 

City. 

Thos.  McCann. 

A.  H.  Delameter  &Co.,  and 
B.  A.  Malone. 

City. 

Myles  Tierney. 

City. 


Stephen  Connolly  &  Co.  and 
City. 


Charles  Linehan. 


Hoblitzell,     Condon,     and 
Hoblitzell  and  City. 


City. 

City. 

R.  A.  Malone. 

W.  C.  Poland  &  Son. 


38  City  Document  No.  52. 


Section  4,  ]Main  Seavek. 

At  the  bej2:innin<i:  of  hist  year  there  remained  but  about  180  feet  of 
this  sewer  to  build,  and  it  was  expected  that  the  section  would  be 
finished  early  in  the  season.  The  contractor  began  work  IMay  2,  and 
early  in  Au<::ust  there  still  remained  about  40  feet  to  build,  with  no 
prospect  of  its  early  completion.  As  the  terms  of  the  agreement  under 
which  the  city  obtained  the  land  for  extending  East  Chester  park  re- 
quired that  the  roadway  over  the  sewer  should  be  filled,  graded,  and 
fenced  before  January  1,  1882,  it  was  considered  necessary,  prepara- 
tory to  this  work,  that  the  sewer  should  be  at  once  cleaned  and  linished. 
Accordingly,  under  a  provision  of  the  contract,  the  city  assumed  control 
of  the  work,  August  9,  1881.  The  sewer  on  the  line  of  the  proposed 
street  was  cleaned,  pointed,  and  calked  within  20  days  thereafter, 
and,  by  October  21,  the  remaining  poilions  were  built,  the  trench  back- 
filled, and  the  whole  section  completed.  A  side  entrance  and  boat- 
chamber,  at  the  corner  of  Swett  street,  afford  convenient  facilities  for 
visiting  this  sewer. 

Section  4^,  Main  Seaver. 

This  section  was  built  by  the  city  during  the  season  of  1879  and  1880, 
and  an  account  of  it  was  given  in  the  last  annual  report.  As  there 
stated,  the  sewer  is  built  in  East  Chester  park  extension,  in  gravel, 
filled  over  beds  of  mud,  from  15  to  100  feet  deep.  Most  of  the  mud 
was  displaced  by  the  gravel,  and  the  sewer  was  supported  by  2>iling- 
To  provide  for  slight  movements,  the  sewer  was  constructed  of  wood ; 
and  to  allow  for  further  settlement,  where  hard  bottom  was  too  deep 
to  be  reached  by  piles,  the  vertical  diameter  of  the  sewer  at  such 
points  was  somewhat  increased.  A  recent  examination  shows  the 
wisdom  of  this  method  of  construction.  Settlements  of  the  gravel  have 
occurred,  which,  though  slight,  would  have  been  sufiicient  to  destroy  a 
structure  wholly  of  masonry.  Beyond  some  irregularities  in  grade,  and 
a  slight  cracking  of  the  interior  lining  of  concrete  or  brick,  no  injury 
has  been  caused,  and  this  section  is  ready  for  sei'vice. 


Section  2,  Stony-Brook  Sewer. 

Work  on  this  section,  designed  to  intercept  all  the  Roxbury  and  West 
Roxbury  sewage  which  now  fiows  into  Stony  brook,  and  so  into  the 
Back  bay,  progressed  steadily  from  the  beginning  of  the  year  until  the 
completion  of  the  various  branches  in  August. 

The  work  was  done  by  the  city,  under  Mr.  II.  A.  Carson,  as  superin- 
tendent, and  the  jjortions  built  last  year  comprised  1,700  feet  of  2X3 
feet  oval  brick  sewers,  in  Ruggles,  Cabot,  and  Treraont  streets,  and 
about  625  feet  of  15-inch  vitrified  pii)e  sewer  in  Culvert  and  Vernon 
streets.  During  the  early  winter  the  sewers,  which  were  from  14  to  19 
feet  bcdow  the  surface,  were  built  chiefly  by  tunnelling  from  shafts  or 
pits  about  1(1  feet  apart.  In  two  cases,  at  Tr(;mont  street  and  at  Ruggles 
street,  the  work  was  built  iumiediately  below  the  bed  of  Stony  brook, 
without  interfering  with  its  fiow.  The  present  outlets  of  the  existinj^ 
city  sewers  were  retained,  to  act  as  overflows  for  storm-water,  and 
were  protected  by  double  sets  of  tide-gates,  set  in  chambers  built  just 
back  of  the  outlets.     Six  of  tliese  chambers,  with  12  gates,  were  built. 

All  of  the  intercepting  sewers  of  this  section  unite  at  the  corner  of 
Cabot,  Ruggles,  and  Hampshire  .streets,  where  the  fiow  of  sewage  is 
regulated  by  the  ajjparatus  shown  on  a  plate  in  last  year's  repoi't. 


Plate.  I . 

city  of  boston. 

improved    sewerage. 

Tide    Gate    Chamber. 

JAN.  1882. 


Scale  of  Fclt.  Scale  of  Metbes. 


I  Q  t  Z  O 


CAST    IRON     GATE    FRAME 


Hctir  Elevation 


C  - 


Section   EF 


-B 


Section  AB 


A    - 


Section    CD 


<b 


In 


I 

i 


o 

k 


«9 


Eepoet  of  City  Engineer.  39 


Section  2,  West-Side  Sewer. 

The  greater  pai't  of  this  section,  in  Beacon  street,  was  built  during 
the  season  of  1878.  Portions,  however,  of  the  sewer,  varying  in  length 
from  27  to  57  feet,  were  omitted,  where-the  city  sewers  crossed  the  line 
of  the  work  at  Berkeley,  Dartmoutli,  and  Fairfield  streets.  These  por- 
tions have  been'  built  during  the  past  summer,  at  a  time  when  most  of 
the  neighboring  liouses  were  vacant,  and  the  least  inconvenience  would 
be  caused.  At  these  points  the  .storm-water  outlets  of  the  city  sewers 
have  generall}'  been  raised  about  two  feet  and  carried  over  tiie  inter- 
cepting sewer.  Tide-gate  chambers,  each  containing  a  double  set  of 
new  tide-gates,  have  been  placed  on  the  line  of  each  outlet.  The  con- 
nections of  these  sewers,  and,  also,  of  the  one  in  Hereford  street,  with 
the  intercepting  sewer,  have  also  been  made  ;  and  the  general  arrange- 
ment of  these  connections  is  shown  on  the  accompanying  plate. 

As  will  be  seen,  the  sewage  in  the  city  sewer  first  enters  a  12-inch 
opening,  which  can  be  closed,  if  necessary,  by  a  cast-iron  flap-valve. 
After  passing  through  a  12-inch  pipe,  the  sewage  enters  a  regulating 
chamber  thn)Ugh  a  cast-iron  nozzle. 

This  nozzle  is  circular,  12  inches  in  diameter,  at  its  upper  end,  and 
rectangular,  20  X  6  inches,  at  its  orifice.  In  front  of  the  orifice  plays  a 
cast-iron  valve,  moved  by  a  float  in  a  tank  set  in  the  floor  of  the  chamber. 
The  water  in  the  tank  stands  at  the  same  elevation  as  that  in  the  inter- 
cepting sewer,  a  4-inch  ii-on  pipe  connecting  one  with  the  other.  The 
apparatus  can  be  adjusted  so  that  the  valve  will  begin  to  close  the 
orifice  and  cut  ofi"  the  flow  of  sewage  when  the  water  in  the  intercejjt- 
ing  sewer  reaches  any  desired  depth.  The  sewage  flows  around  the 
tank  and  enters  the  intercepting  sewer  through  a  second  12-inch  pipe. 


Section  2,  East-Side  Sewer. 

This  section  comprises  the  sewer  extending  in  Albany  and  Lehigh 
streets,  and  across  the  Old  Colonj'  switch-yard,  from  Dover  street  to 
Federal  street.  Work  began  at  the  Dover-street  end  early  in  September. 
Situated,  as  this  sewer  is,  in  filled  land,  near  the  water,  its  construction 
presents  many  difficulties.  The  loose  stone  walls,  on  either  side  of 
Dover  street,  aff"orded  direct  communication  between  the  trench  and  the 
bay.  Many  old  walls,  docks,  and  other  obstacles  have  been  met  with, 
and  construction  by  tide- work  only  has  been  possible. 

The  trench  is  excavated  throucrli  beds  of  dock-mud  and  loose  fillinof, 
and  the  sewer  has  generally  required  piling  to  supjiort  it. 

To  lessen  the  number  of  piles  required,  and  the  chance  of  injury  oc- 
curring through  movements  of  the  soil,  the  sewer  consists  of  a  shell  of 
wood,  ()  inches  thick,  spiked  or  treenailed,  and  lined  with'2  inches  of 
strong  Portland  cement  concrete. 

In  passing  under  the  switch-yard  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad  it  will 
be  necessary  to  support  over  forty  lines  of  rails,  and  to  build  the  work 
under  them  by  methods  of  tunnelling. 

As  the  character  of  this  work  could  not  be  definitely  ascertained 
beforehand,  and  may  need  to  be  varied  to  suit  circumstances,  it  was 
thought  impracticable  to  let  it  out  by  contract,  and  it  is  being  done  by 
the  city,  under  Mr.  H.  A.  Carson  as  superintendent. 

RoxBURY  Canal  Sewer. 

The  purpose  of  this  sewer  is  to  take  from  the  Hampden,  Albany,  and 
Northampton  street  districts,  the  Roxbury  sewage  which  formerly 
emptied  into  Roxbury  canal,  and,  after  the  canal  was  filled,  was  carried 
by  a  temporary  box  sewer  to  the  present  outlet  in  the  retaining-wall 


40  City  Document  No.  52. 

across  the  canal.     This  section  of  work  has  been  completed  by  the  city 
durinj2:  the  past  season. 

It  consists  of  a  -ii-feet  sewer,  extending  in  Albany  street  from  the 
corner  of  Nortliam})ton  street  to  East  Chester  park,  at  which  point  the 
Park  sewer  is  intercepted  ;  thence  the  intercojjter,  increased  to  6  feet  in 
diameter,  extends  about  200  feet  to  its  outlet,  following  the  north  side 
of  East  Chester  i:»ark.  The  work  also  comprises  a  bell-mouth,  a  tide- 
gate  chamber,  a  pair  of  double  tide-gates,  and  a  regulating  chamber, 
with  apparatus  to  control  the  flow  into  the  intercepting  sewer.  The  ac- 
companying plate  shows  the  general  form  of  chamber  and  gates  placed 
before  all  outlets  not  already  eliectively  protected. 

Salt-Water  Conduit. 

This  conduit  connects  the  wells  of  the  engine-house  with  the  sea.  Its 
chief  purpose  is  to  bring  salt  water  to  be  used  in  the  condensers  of  the 
pumping-engines.  It  will  also  furnish  an  ample  suj^ply  of  sea  water  to 
the  pumps  at  any  time  when  the  flow  of  sewage  may  not  be  suflicient 
for  maintaining  a  flushing  velocity  in  the  tunnel.  The  salt-water  conduit 
is  circular,  b^  feet  in  diameter,  and  extends  from  the  southerly  side  of 
the  engine-house  about  270  feet  to  and  through  an  extension  of  the 
present  dock  wall.  Its  bottom  is  6  feet  below  low  water,  so  that  it  will 
be  full  at  all  stages  of  the  tide.  It  is  now  being  constructed  through 
running  sand,  yielding  much  water,  and  its  trench  requires  side  sheeting 
and  end  bulkheads  of  double  tiers  of  tongued  and  grooved  4-inch  planks. 
An  iron  sluice-gate  has  been  provided  for  this  conduit,  and  grooves  for 
stop-planks  have  been  placed  at  each  end  of  it. 

Pumping-Station. 

Operations  at  this  point,  conducted  by  the  city,  under  Mr.  S.  H.  Tarbell 
as  superintendent,  have  been  continued  throughout  the  year.  The 
foundations  for  the  engines  and  the  engine-house  have  been  completed, 
and  the  two  engines,  furnished  by  N.  F.  Palmer,  Jr.,  &  Co.,  are  set  up 
and  nearly  ready  for  service. 

The  two  additional  engines  to  be  furnished  by  the  successors  to  Henry 
R.  Worthington  are  now  building  in  New  York,  but  have  not  yet  been 
delivered.  A  contract  for  furnishing  the  cast-iron  force  mains,  to  connect 
the  pumps  with  the  tank  sewer,  was  made  April  13,  1881,  with  A.  li. 
McNeal,  of  Bui'lington,  New  .Jersey,  and  deliveries  were  made  during 
November  and  December  of  the  same  year.  'I'he  contract  covered  about 
323  tons  of  straight  48-inch  pipe,  and  about  104  tons  of  special  castings. 
About  30  tons  of  other  j^ipe,  for  use  about  the  engine  and  boiler  houses, 
were  obtained  IVom  tJie  same  concern.  These  pipes  were  inspected  and 
tested  at  the  ibundery  by  a  city  inspector,  and  ni^arly  all  of  thera  are  now 
laid  in  place  and  jointed.  The  connection  between  the  force  mains 
and  tiie  tank  sewer  is  made  at  a  granite  masonry  connection  chamber, 
now  nearly  completed.  This  chamber  is  ;">!  feet  long  inside,  rests  on  a 
foundation  bed  of  concrete,  24  inches  thiclv,  and  has  walls  21  feet  high, 
and  from  4  to  7i  feet  thick.  The  walls  contain  102  dressed  stones,  which 
were  obtained  from  the  ("ape  Ann  fJranite  Co.,  under  a  contract  dated 
August  16,  1881.  There  are  to  be  two  6X7  leet  iron  sluice-gates,  for 
controlling  the  flow  of  sewage  into  the  tank  sewers,  and  grooves  for  6 
sets  of  stop-planks  have  been  providetl  to  iacilitate  repairs  to  the 
chamber  and  fjates  without  interferino;  with  tiie  flow  of  sewage.  A 
temporary  opening,  witli  woodtui  grooves  for  stop-pl:iiiks,  lias  l)t'en  left 
in  the  noithei'ly  wull  of  tliis  chamber,  to  afl'ord  a  sluice-way  through 
which,  before  the  completion  of  the  rest  of  the  work,  water  can  be 
pumped  into  Dorchester  baj',  under  any  head,  sliould  this  prove 
necessary  in  order  to  test  the  pumps,  or  for  otiier  puri)oses.    Hard-pine 


Eepoet  or  City  Engineer.  41 

timber,  suitably  dressed,  has  been  procured  for  the  various  stop-planks 
needed,  and  they  will  be  fitted  by  the  city  at  the  pumping-station. 
Dressed  granite  stones  for  the  engine-house  and  boiler-house  foundations, 
and  the  salt-water  conduit,  were  furnished  by  I.  A.  Sylvester  and  the 
Cape  Ann  Granite  Co.,  under  contracts  dated  March,  1881,  and  April, 
1881,  covering  92  and  46  stones,  respectively. 

Suitable  foundations  for  a  boiler-house,  to  contain  five  boilers  with 
their  pits,  flues,  heaters,  tanks,  pumps,  etc.,  have  been  constructed,  and 
two  of  the  boilers  are  in  place.  Two  additional  boilers  are  to  be  fur- 
nished by  Kendall  &  Roberts,  of  Cambridgeport,  under  a  contract  dated 
May  12,  1881,  at  a  cost  of  $18,850.  The  foundation  walls  for  a  coal- 
house,  and  a  chimney,  have  also  been  built  by  the  city  during  the  past 
season.  This  chimney  rests  upon  a  foundation  of  masonry,  8  feet  3 
inches  thick  and  26  feet  square  at  bottom.  The  depth  of  masonry  below 
the  floor  line  is  1-4  feet  6  inches,  and  the  height  above  the  floor  line  is 
134  feet  9  inches.  The  flue  is  5  feet  6  indies  in  diameter,  and  the  total 
cost  of  chimney,  including  foundation  walls,  was  about  $6,000. 

A  contract  for  furnishing  and  putting  in  place  11  iron  sluice-gates, 
with  all  their  attachments,  including  steam-engines  and  hydraulic  lifts 
for  operating  some  of  them,  was  concluded  December  3,  1881,  with  the 
Coflin  Valve  Co.,  of  Boston.  Eight  of  these  gates,  4  b\'  G  feet  each,  are 
for  the  openings  to  the  jiump-wells  of  the  four  pumping-engines.  Two 
gates,  6  by  6  feet  each,  are  to  govern  the  flow  of  sewage  in  the  filth-hoist, 
and  one,  4  by  4  feet,  is  to  control  the  admission  of  salt  water  from  the 
salt-water  conduit.  The  gates  are  all  to  be  furnished  and  set  in  place 
by  April  1  of  the  present  year. 

Temporally  frame-houses,  clapboarded  and  painted,  have  been'  erected 
over  the  engines  now  in  place,  and  upon  the  site  of  the  boiler-house. 
These  permit  work  at  these  points  to  progress  during  the  winter,  and 
will  suffice  as  protection  against  weather  until  the  permanent  structures, 
designed  by  the  City  Architect,  shall  have  been  built. 

Other  buildings  for  cement-sheds  and  store-houses  have  been  built  as 
required.  For  protection  against  fire,  a  hydrant  has  been  placed  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  buildings,  a  fire-alarm  box  is  established  at  the  pumping- 
station,  and  a  line  of  telegraph,  about  a  mile  long,  has  been  built,  to 
connect  the  station  with  the  nearest  engine-house  in  Dorchester. 


o 


Section  1,  Outfall  Sewer. 

This  section,  commonly  called  Old-Harbor  pier,  consists  of  a  pier  ex- 
tending 1,200  feet  from  the  pumping-station,  out  to  and  including  the 
west  shaft  of  Dorchester-bay  tunnel.  Work  upon  it  has  progressed 
slowly  during  the  past  year,  and  it  has  only  now  reached  that  stage  of 
completion  which  will  permit  building  the  tank-sewer  which  the  pier  is 
designed  to  support.  The  northerly  break-water  wall  of  ballast  and 
heavy  rip-rap  is  finished. 

The  gravel  pier  has  been  filled  to  grade  18,  up  to  within  about  100 
feet  of  the  tunnel  shaft;  its  southerly  slojie  is  ballasted  and  partly  rip- 
rapped,  and  the  cut-stone  retaining-wall,  at  the  easterly  end  of  the  pier, 
is  three-quarters  built. 

In  all,  about  7,000  tons  of  rip-rap,  6,000  yards  of  ballast,  40,000  yards 
of  gravel,  460  piles,  and  900  yards  of  masonry  have  been  put  in  place 
during  the  past  year. 

Section  2,  Outfall  Sewer. 

This  section,  commonly  called  Dorchester-bay  tunnel,  extends  about 
7,000  feet  under  Dorchester  bay,  to  Squantum  neck,  in  Quincy,  and  is 
worked  from  three  shafts,  about  loO  feet  deep.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
year  the  westerly  shaft  was  full  of  water. 


42  City  Document  No.  52. 

The  woi'k  of  pumping  out  this  shaft  began  January  17,  and  within 
a  few  dnys  thereafter  it  was  cleared  of  water.  A  heading  was  driven 
for  100  ieet  and  then  stopped,  pending  the  securing  of  the  shaft  with 
brick-work.  From  February  22  to  May  16  was  consumed  in  lining 
the  shaft,  from  its  bottom  up  to  the  iron  cylinder  forming  its  top.  After 
]\Iay  15  excavation  was  resumed,  and  has  continued  without  interrup- 
tion throughout  the  year.  The  heading  has  now  advanced  832  feet  from 
the  shaft. 

At  the  middle  shaft  excavation  in  both  directions  has  continued  with 
regularity  during  the  year,  and  the  east  and  the  west  headings  are 
respectively  distant  1,621  and  1,417  feet  from  the  shaft.  Power-drills, 
driven  by  compressed  air,  have  been  used  for  excavating  at  these 
points. 

From  the  east  shaft  westwardly  excavation  progressed  with  reasonable 
rapidity  until  August  18,  at  which  time  the  heading  had  advanced 
1,126  feet.  At  this  point  a  considerable  increase  in  the  quantity  of 
water  met  with,  and  a  lack  of  pumijing  capacity  for  dealing  with  it, 
rendered  it  advisable,  in  the  opinion  of  the  contractor,  to  suspend 
operations  in  this  direction  and  complete  this  portion  of  the  tunnel  from 
the  east  heading  of  the  middle  shaft.  A  brick  bulk-head  was,  accord- 
ingly, built  across  the  drift,  to  diminish  the  flow  of  water,  and  operations 
at  this  point,  since  August,  have  been  confined  to  trimming  the  excava- 
tion, preparatory  to  putting  in  the  brick  lining.  The  distance  between 
the  two  headings  to  be  excavated  is  now  about  87  feet,  and  it  is  ex- 
pected that  they  will  meet  by  the  middle  of  February,  1882.  Eastwardly 
from  the  east  shaft  excavation  continued  until  April  29,  when  the 
drift  previously  excavated  from  the  east  portal  was  reached.  Since  that 
date  the  lining  of  this  portion  of  the  tunnel,  about  900  feet  in  length, 
has  been  completed  from  the  shaft  to  the  portal,  with  the  exception  of 
a  short  distance  at  either  end  occuj^ied  by  pumps  and  an  engine. 

The  delivery  of  four  million  bricks,  to  be  used  in  lining  the  tunnel, 
contracted  for  under  an  agreement  with  Stoddard  &  Hellier,  of  Bangor, 
Me.,  was  comijleted  during  the  year.  The  bricks  cost  $8  a  thousand, 
and  this  price  being  favorable  for  the  city,  they  were  also  used  in  build- 
ing the  structures  at  the  pumping-station.  A  second  contract  was  made 
with  the  same  parties  for  two  million  more  bricks,  to  be  delivei'ed  during 
the  coming  season.  A  considerable  quantity  of  cement  has  been  pur- 
chased by  the  city,  under  competitive  bids,  at  prices  somewhat  under 
the  market  rates.  Eight  thousand  casks  of  Rosendale  cement,  at  $1.37 
per  cask,  were  obtained  from  F.  O.  Norton,  of  New  York,  under  an 
agreement  dated  October,  1881. 

The  very  low  temperature  which  prevailed  from  the  beginning  of  the 
year  to  the  middle  of  February  caused  ice  to  form  to  an  unusual  thick- 
ness in  Dorchester  bay,  and  caused  considerable  damage  and  expense, 
through  the  difficulty  experienced  in  conveying  fresh  water,  coal,  and 
other  supplies,  to.  the  shafts. 

No  fatal  accident  has  occurred  at  the  tunnel  during  the  year,  which  is 
an  unusually  fortunate  circumstance,  considering  the  natui'e  and  magni- 
tude of  the  work. 

To  recapitulate,  the  following  table  shows  the  amount  of  tunnel- 
work  done  and  remaining  to  be  done  on  Jan.  1,  1882:  — 

Tunnel  excavated  from  west  shaft  eastward 
'*  "     middle  "     westward 

"  "  "         "         "     eastward 

"  "  "     east        •'     westward 

"  "  "      4'  "     eastward 

Total  excavated  5,913 


832 

feet 

1,417 

i< 

1,621 

<c 

1,126 

( t 

917 

it 

Eeport  of  City  Engineer.  ,    43 

To  be  excavated  between  east  and  middle  shaft  ...  87  feet. 

west  "         "         "      .         .         .     1,004     " 


Total  to  be  excavated 1.091     " 

Length  of  tunnel  lined  with  brick-work,  844  feet. 

Section  3,  Outfall  Sewer  and  Moon  Island  Reservoir. 

Work  on  this  section  was  discontinued  just  before  the  beginning  ot 
the  year,  on  account  of  the  severity  of  the  weather,  and  the  harbor  was 
frozen  to  an  extent  which  prevented  vessels  reaching  the  wharf  until 
the  middle  of  February.  At  this  time  supplies  for  building  a  railroad 
began  to  arrive,  and  by  April  8  the  road  was  in  working  order,  and 
earth  was  drawn  out  upon  it.  At.  the  westerly  end  of  this  section,  on 
Squantum  neck,  about  400  feet  of  11  X  12  feet  sewer  have  been  built 
during  the  season,  making  600  I'eet  now  completed  ;  also  a  portion  of  the 
chamber  connecting  the  tunnel  with  the  outfall  sewer. 

At  the  easterly  end  of  the  section,  on  Moon  Island,  portions  of  the 
outfall  and  discharge  sewers,  and  of  the  outfall  chamber,  have  been 
built.  A  quantity  of  ballast,  rip-rap,  and  cut  stones  have  also  been 
delivered. 

Miscellaneous. 

"Work,  under  the  contract  with  Chas.  Linehan,  for  filling  a  roadway 
over  the  route  of  Section  3,  South  Boston  sewer,  on  Hyde  street, 
Washington  avenue,  and  Von  Hillern  street,  was  completed  during  the 
season,  and  a  final  estimate  was  given  August  5,  1881. 

Dorchester  avenue,  on  the  line  of  the  intercepting  sewer,  was  re- 
paved  for  one-half  of  its  width,. including  the  sidewalk,  by  Horatio 
Gore  &  Co.,  under  an  agreement  dated  March  24,  1881. 

The  price  paid  was  fifty-five  cents  a  yard  for  street  paving,  and  ten 
cents  a  foot  for  setting  edgestones  and  surfacing  sidewalks. 

The  testing  of  all  cement  used  by  the  department  or  by  contractors 
has  formed,  as  heretofore,  a  branch  of  ofiice-work.  Cement  has  also 
been  tested  for  use  upon  the  Water  Works,  Stony  Brook  Improvement, 
and  Back-Bay  Park.  In  all  6,199  tests  have  been  made  during  the  year, 
and,  as  a  result  of  them,  15,010  bbls.  of  cement  have  been  accepted  and 
1,575  rejected. 


D.— PARKS. 

For  the  purpose  of  emljodying  in  this  report  a  complete 
record  of  the  work  of  this  department  for  the  past  year,  the 
followinof  statement  made  to  the  Park  Commissioners  is  re- 
printed  from  their  annual  report :  — 

"  Filling. 

"  At  the  beginning  of  the  year  there  was  an  uncompleted 
contract  with  the  Boston  &  Albau}'  Railroad  Company,  for 
the  tilling  of  the  boundary  road  between  Longwood  entrance 
and    Huntington    entrance.      The  work  was   begun  July  1, 


44  City  Document  No.  52. 

1880,  and  was  finally  completed  Jan.  27,  1881.  The  total 
amount  of  material  delivered  was  13,197  squares.  The  con- 
tract price  was  $3.45  ])er  square. 

''The  sujjplementary  contract  made  by  your  Board,  Nov. 
4,  1880,  for  the  tilling  of  the  roadway  between  Huntington 
entrance  and  Boylston  street,  was  completed  May  2(y,  1880. 
The  total  amount  of  material  delivered  under  this  contract 
was  10,260  squares.  The  contract  price  was  $3.20  per 
square. 

"Under  an  arrangement  Avith  the  Boston  &  Albany  Rail- 
road Co.,  made  shortly  after  the  completion  of  the  supple- 
mentary contract,  12,120  squares  of  tilling  have  been  de- 
livered upon  the  park.  The  material  was  used  to  widen  the 
roadway  between  the  Beacon-entrance  bridge  and  also  the 
Lono^wood  entrance,  for  gradinof  around  the  Stonv-brook 
gate-chamber  and  on  the  roadway  near  the  chamber.  This 
work  wtis  completed  Dec.  19,  1881.  The  price  paid  per 
square  was  $3.20. 

"The  tilling  of  the  Beacon  entrance,  under  the  contract 
made  April  29,  1880,  has  not  been  prosecuted  to  any  extent 
during  the  past  year,  the  amount  delivered  being  only  2,072 
squares.  This  work  cannot  l)e  completed  to  advantage  until 
the  construction  of  the  retainino-walls  l)etween  Common- 
wealth-avenue  and  the  Beacon-entrance  bridges ;  and  the 
contract  now  in  force  did  not  contemplate  the  filling  above 
grade  17. 

"Bridges. 

"  Boylston- Street  Arch  Bridge,  over  Park  Water-  Way. 

"The  foundations  and  al)utments,  to  a  height  of  3.2  feet 
below  the  apparent  springing  line,  have  been  com[)leted.  A 
contract  for  two  additional  courses,  aggregating  1  ft.  3  in.  in 
height,  has  been  made,  and  the  delivery  of  the  stones,  under 
this  contract,  is  practically  completed,  as  only  a  few  con- 
demned stones  remain  to  be  replaced.  The  work  of  laying 
these  two  courses  of  stones  is  to  be  at  once  commenced,  if 
favorable  weather  should  prevail. 

"  Contracts  have  also  l)een  made  with  C.  J.  Ilall,  of  Belfast, 
jNIaine,  foi"  tiie  red-granite  voussoirs  of  both  faces  of  the  arch, 
and  with  the  Cape  Ann  Granite  Co.,  of  Gloucester,  Mass., 
for  the  seam-faced  voussoirs  to  comi)lete  the  faces  of  the  arch. 
The  stones  are  to  be  furnished  in  time  to  commence  the  work 
of  laying  as  soon  as  the  season  opens. 

"The  centring  for  the  arch  is  completed,  and  is  stored  in 
readiness  to  l)e  placed  in  position  as  soon  as  the  weather  will 
permit.     It  was  not  deemed  advisable  to  set  up  this  centring 


Keport  of  City  Engineer.  45 

in  the  fall,  althoiiob  it  was  completed,  for  the  reason  that  the 
ice,  which  could  not  he  prevented,  except  at  large  expense, 
from  forming  around  and  between  the  supports,  would  prob- 
ably- have  damaged  the  structure,  and  any  work  which  had 
been  laid  upon  it  could  not  have  been  [)roperly  ]:)rotected 
during  the  winter. 

"  Beacon- Entrance  Bridge,  over  B.   &  A.  B.B. 

"  The  foundations  of  the  abutments  and  wing-walls  of  this 
bridge  are  completed,  and  have  been  for  some  time  awaiting 
the  delivery  of  the  ashlar  work  for  the  abutments.  As  a 
measure  of  economy,  and  also  to  save  time,  it  was  decided  to 
use  the  stones  from  the  Beacon-Hill  reservoir  for  this  work  ; 
but,  as  the  bottom  courses  of  the  reservoir  were  also  to  be 
used  for  the  bottom  courses  of  the  abutments,  the  removal 
and  storing  of  the  stones  was  necessary  until  these  bottom 
courses  could  be  reached  in  the  process  of  taking  down  the 
reservoir.  These  courses  have  very  recently  been  delivered . 
A  side  track  has  been  laid  by  the  B.  &  A.  R.R.  Co.,  so  that 
the  stones  could  be  transferred  from  the  point  of  delivery,  on 
the  north  side  of  the  railroad,  to  the  south  side,  where  they 
were  needed  first,  and  the  work  of  buiklinoj  the  abutments 
has  been  commenced,  and  Avill  l)e  prosecuted  whenever  the 
weather  will  permit. 

""  The  plans  for  the  iron  bridge  will  be  finished  in  a  short 
time,  it  being  the  intention  to  have  the  bridge  completed  as 
soon  as  the  abutments  are  in  readiness  to  receive  it. 

^^  Boston   &   Albany   Raihoad   Bridge,    over  Park   Water- 
Way . 

''The  abutments  and  piers  for  about  one-half  of  this  bridge 
are  completed,  and  the  Avork  upon  the  remainder  is  now 
being  prosecuted  l)y  the  contractors  at  night  as  well  as  day. 
The  iron  bridge  is  completed,  except  that  the  girders  are  not 
in  the  positions  they  will  occupy  when  the  masonry  is  fin- 
ished. The  girders  for  two  tracks  rest  upon  the  portions  of 
the  abutments  and  piers  already  completed,  and  the  girders 
for  the  third  track  are  upon  timl^er  trestle-work.  Trains 
have  been  running  over  them  for  more  tlian  a  month.  It  is 
expected  that  the  masonry  will  be  finished  within  six' weeks. 

"  Beacon-Street  and  Co7nmonwealfh-Avenue  Bridges. 

"The  Beacon-street  bridge,  huilt  under  the  direction  of  the 
Committee  on  Paving,  was  completed  August  17,  1881,  and, 
in  connection  with  it,  the  temporary  dam  which  enables  the 


46  City  Document  No.  52. 

excavation  of  the  Park  water-way  to  be  prosecuted  without 
iiiterru})tion  by  the  influx  of  the  tide.  As  an  additional  pre- 
caution against  flooding  from  this  cause,  the  coft'er-dam  used 
by  the  contractor  for  building  this  bridge  has  been  allowed 
to  remain,  and  will  be  kept  intact  until  the  excavation  be- 
tween Beacon  street  and  the  B.  &  A.  II. R.  is  completed. 

"The  Commonwealth-avenue  bridge  abutments,  built  under 
the  direction  of  the  Committee  on  Streets,  were  completed 
Nov.  9,  18yl,  and  a  contract  for  the  iron  bridge  was  made 
Nov.  5,  1881  ;  the  terms  of  the  contract  requiring  its  comple- 
tion on  or  before  the  first  of  February.  It  has,  however, 
been  impossible  for  the  contractors  for  the  bridge  to  olitain 
the  material  with  which  to  construct  it,  although,  finding  it 
useless  to  attempt  to  obtain  the  iron  from  American  mills, 
their  order  for  it  was  placed  in  England  immediately  upon 
the  award  of  the  contract.  It  is  not  now  expected  that  the 
bridge  will  be  in  place  before  the  first  of  April. 

"  Excavation  of  Water-  Way. 

"  This  work  has  been  actively  prosecuted  on  the  portion  of 
water-way  between  Beacon  street  and  the  B.  &  A.  R.R  , 
since  the  com}iletion  of  the  Beacon-street  bridge. 

"  Teams  and  a  wire-rope  machine  excavator  have  been  used ; 
and  the  Avork  has  been  practically  completed  between  Beacon 
street  and  Commonwealth  avenue.  It  is  the  intention  to  have 
the  excavation  flnished  by  the  time  the  railroad  l)ridge  is 
done  ;  but  the  limited  capacity  of  the  machine  with  which 
most  of  the  work  is  necessarily  done,  as  the  bottom  is  too  soft 
in -most  places  for  teams  to  work,  may  prevent  its  completion 
at  the  intended  time. 

"  The  steam-dredg-e  and  scows  to  be  used  for  the  excavation 
of  the  water-way  in  the  portion  of  the  park  south  of  the 
railroad  are  now  being  built.  The  dredge  is  to  be  completed 
and  ready  for  use  on  or  before  IVIarch  10,  and  the  scows  are 
beinff  framed  in  the  l)uildin2:  on  Alhanv  street  which  has  been 
used  for  the  construction  and  storage  of  the  centring  for  the 
Boylston-strcet  arch  bridge. 

"  Covered  Channel  of  Stony  Brook. 

"There  remain  of  this  work  1,200  feet  of  the  conduit  to 
complete,  and  the  su])erstructure  of  the  gate-chamber.  The 
conduit  is  being  l)uilt  at  the  rate  of  about  80  feet  \)vv  day  ; 
the  gate-chamber  superstructure  cannot  be  built  to  advantage 
until  spring. 

"The  conduit  being  of  wood,  work  upon  it  has  been  prose- 
cuted in  winter  as  well  as  summer,  and  the  early  comi)letion 


Repoet  of  City  Engineer.  47 

of  this  entire  work  will  remove  the  only  remaining  obstacle 
to  the  prosecution  of  the  excavation  and  grading  within  the 
limits  of  the  park." 

The  table  giving  the  number  of  vessels  passing  through 
the  draw-bridges  controlled  by  the  City  of  Boston,  during  the 
year  1881,  will  be  found  in  Appendix  A. 

The  table  showing  the  width  of  draw-opening  in  the 
bridges  over  tide-water  in  this  city  is  given  in  Appendix  B. 
The  openings  have  all  been  remeasured  for  this  report. 

HENRY  M.  WIGHTMAN, 

City  Engineer. 


48 


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