A. Excepting Moon Island. Q. Moon Island. And this break in February, '93 A. I think that was in January. I am not sure which month it was, might have been February. Q. Well, it had no connection with the management of Long Island? A. If it should get cold this next season, very cold this season, the pipe would be almost sure to freeze again. Q. It will be sure to freeze. Well, as I understand it, Mr. Jackson, the reservoir now is situated where water can be forced into the building? A. Yes, sir. Q. And where the reservoir was placed before, the old one, it would be necessary to pump in order to get it into the building? A. Yes. Q. At any time did the plan include hydrants on the island? A. Well, I can't say when those hydrant pipes were laid, but I have been asked from time to time to locate hydrants, and have done so, and they have been placed there. Q. When have you located hydrants at Long Island? A. The last I located was about two months ago. Q. Had you located some before that? A. Yes. Q. The last one was for the new buildings? A. Yes. 1888, I think, was the first location I made of hydrants, 1888 or 1889, I won't say which. Q. And you have made them from time to time since? A. Whenever they have asked for them. Q. Were there cisterns at Long Island, too? 4. I have always understood that there were cisterns there, because they had a water supply before the city supply was introduced. Q. Well, as far as you understand it they relied on cisterns previous to the introduction of the city water? A. I don't know what they relied on. I know I have been told that there were cisterns there, that is all I know about it. How they got there I don't know. Q. Did you ever hear that their capacity was 160,000 gallons? A. I don't know. I may have or may not. Q. You may have? A. May have or may not. Q. (By Mr. BRANDEIS.) Mr. Jackson, Mr. Pilsbury testified that the present reservoir holds about two months' supply, and if there were breaks in the water-main such as had occurred pieviously, none of which were longer than two months, that they would have water there without any interruption? A. I think so. Q. So that the present reservoir guards against the recurrence, so far as past experience has been, of any interruptions in the supply of water such as have been known since the city water was introduced in 1889. A. I should say so. JOSEPH W. SWAN. Sworn. Q. (By Ald. LOMASNEY.) Mr. Swan, you are clerk of the Water Board? A. I am. Q. I would like to ask you if you have any communications addressed to the Board of Commissioners of Public Institutions from the Water Board, between the years 1889 and 1893, urging upon them the necessity of constructing a reservoir at Long Island? A. Well, I have been unable to find any communication to them bearing directly on that reservoir question. Q. Well, have you any communications in regard to the watersupply at Long Island? A. I have. Q. In regard to laying the mains or building the reservoir. I don't care so much about the mains. We know when they were built, but I would like to find out if there are any communications from your Board to the Commissioners, urging upon them the necessity of constructing a reservoir, to provide against fire. 4. Perhaps I had better state, for the information of the committee, that the first petition received from the Board of Directors for a supply at Long Island, was under date of October 24, 1887. Q. (By Ald. LEE.) That is, for a supply? A. That was the first petition for a supply of water for Long Island, signed by John B. Martin, President. Q. (By Ald. LOMASNEY.) Have you the petition there? "OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, No.14 BEACON ST., BOSTON, October 24, 1887. To the Board of Water Commissioners: GENTLEMEN : This Board respectfully requests that the Home for Paupers at Long Island be connected with the main water service of the city of Boston at as early a date as convenient. Q. (By Ald. LEE.) Respectfully, JOHN B. MARTIN, President." What is the date? A. October 24, 1887. That is the starting-point of the whole thing, as far as the water-supply is concerned. Q. (By Ald. LOMASNEY.) Now, when was the contract entered into for the introducing of the system? 4. That petition was referred to the Engineer on the following day, the day of its receipt, referred to the Engineer to report an estimate of the expense of connecting with the city supply. On October 29, four days later, the Engineer submitted this report to the Board: it is a letter written by one of Mr. Jackson's assistants to him and transmitted to the Board: OFFICE OF CITY ENGINEER, CITY HALL, BOSTON, October 29, 1887. WILLIAM JACKSON, Esq., City Engineer: I have made a somewhat hasty examination into the question of the watersupply of Long Island and submit the following report: The buildings already constructed are calculated to accommodate 650 persons, allowing 50 gallons per person, the daily consumption will be 32,500 gallons. The present consumption is, I am informed, about 5,000 gallons per day. The nearest point from which Cochituate water can be obtainted is Deer Island. I estimate the cost of laying a 6-inch main from the present mains on Deer Island to the buildings on Long Island, crossing the channel with a flexible jointed pipe as follows: 6,500 feet 6-inch pipe on Deer and Long islands 5,000 feet 6-inch flexible pipe, at $5 Add 15% for contingencies. $6,000 00 25,000 00 $31,000 00 $3,000 00 $34,000 00 If a two-inch lead pipe were substituted for the flexible pipe crossing the channel, the cost would be reduced about $15,000. The bottom on the Deer Island shore is very rocky, and it is'very doubtful if the lead-pipe would not be cut off by the action of the waves and tides. A pipe two inches in diameter would supply ten thousand to fifteen thousand gallons per day. The bottom of the channel between Long and Moon islands is better suited for a pipe-crossing. I estimate the cost of laying a 6-inch main from Neponset via Squantum and Moon Island, as follows: 21,000 feet of 6-inch pipe, at $1 3,000 feet 6-inch flexible, at $4.50 Rock excavation and siphon $21,000 00 13,500 00 5,000 00 $39,500 00 Add 10% for contingencies 3,950 00 $43,450 00 This estimate does not include the cost of any rights of way which might be required. The pipe crossing the channel would be much easier to lay and maintain than between Deer and Long islands. Either plan will require a storage reservoir on Long Island and pumps of sufficient capacity for fire service. These will probably cost from $5,000 to $6,000. Yours respectfully, DEXTER BRACKETT, Assistant Engineer. A. That was transmitted to the Board. Q. Give us the next paper on that subject, Mr. Swan. A. On February 23, the Engineer made another estimate of the cost of supplying the water. Q. (By Alderman LEE.) A. February 23, 1888. What year? OFFICE OF CITY ENGINEER, CITY HALL, BOSTON, February 23, 1888. COL. H. T. ROCKWELL, Chairman, Boston Water Board : DEAR Sir: The following are approximate estimates of the cost of supplying Long Island with water : This estimate does not include the cost of any rights of way which might be required. The pipe crossing the channel would be much easier to lay and maintain than between Deer and Long islands. Either plan will require a storage reservoir on Long Island and pumps of sufficient capacity for fire service. These will probably cost from $5,000 to $6,000. Yours respectfully, WILLIAM JACKSON. City Engineer, and Engineer Boston Water Board. On January 22, 1888, the Engineer submitted another detailed estimate of the cost of laying a six-inch line of pipe, as follows: The following is a detailed estimate of the cost of six-inch pipe to Long Island: Neponset to end of Moon Island, 20,000 ft., at $1.05 Siphon and pipe-box $21,000 00 16,200 00 4.725 00 ་ 6,000 00 500 00 500 00 $48,925 00 No allowance for land damages is included in the above. Those were the first letters in regard to the laying of the pipe system. In the limited time I had — I only received my notice to appear before this committee just before noon in the limited time I had I ran over the records as well as I could and made little notes which perhaps will give the committee some information. Q. (By Ald. LoMASNEY.) Could you give us the date of the contract, Mr. Swan? A. On July 3 — that is not the date of the contract. July 3, 1888, the Board received the order of the City Council giving them authority to lay the pipe. They advertised for bids on the 13th of July. Bids were opened on the 27th, and the contract was made with Geo. W. Townsend on the 30th of July. Q. What year, Mr. Swan? A. 1888. Q. When was the work completed? A. Then they had a long squabble with the Quincy authorities there in regard to going through. May 2, 1889, I made a little note here Inspection of the work with the Directors. That was, I suppose, that the Board went with them on that date. August 21, 1889, the 6-inch pipe to Long Island was placed in service. Q. Now, Mr. Swan, have you got any communications from the Water Board to the Board of Commissioners since they went into office in 1889 asking them to construct a reservoir? A. No communication asking for a reservoir on Long Island. The Board, I know, bave repeatedly in conference with one or more members of the Board of Directors, had that matter under consideration and have always urged it. Q. Have always urged upon the present Board of commissioners the necessity of constructing a reservoir? A. The necessity of having a storage reservoir on the island to be used in case of fire. Q. Now, when did they start this present reservoir? When did they start to build it on Long Island? A. That I have no means of knowing. Q. About how long ago was the first conference had with the commissioners when they urged the necessity of building that reservoir? A. Well, that I couldn't say. Q. (By Ald. LEE.) You said you had some data there that would interest the committee. Let us have it. Does it relate to the reservoir and the water at Long Island entirely. A. This all relates to the water, but not the reservoir question. Q. Let us have it, let us see what it is. A. I think it would be well to call the attention of the committee to what the Board state in their last annual report. Q. Last year? A. This last annual report. They say in regard to the harbor service. The submerged pipes supplying water to the several islands in Boston Harbor are constant source of trouble and annoyance to this department, and great expense is incurred each year in keeping them in repair. Their liability to freeze in exposed places at low tide, as well as the disturbance caused by the strong currents in the channels, make it impossible to insure an unfailing supply of water to the islands, and we deem it most essential that storage reservoirs be constructed on all the islands, of sufficient capacity to supply their needs, both for domestic and fire purposes, in case of emergency. And it gives the cost of all the various extensions amounting up to February 1, 1894, to a total of $72,633.61. That includes the repairs which have been made up to that date, which amounted to $6,608. The Board ordered the high service turned on the harbor system September 12, 1893. Q. The high service? A. Yes, sir. Q. It was on the low service was it? A. Previous to that it had always been low service. In order to make the change from low to high service the expense was $3,445. |