The above contract embraces the conditions and points now covered by the several agreements made with other companies since 1856, except as to prices for gas, which will be found below. PRICE PAID FOR GAS FOR PUBLIC LAMPS. City Proper. Five-sixths of one cent per hour, or $2.081 per thousand feet. South Boston. One cent per hour, or $2.50 per thousand feet. East Boston. One cent per hour, or $2.50 per thousand feet. Roxbury. One cent per hour, or $2.50 per thousand feet. Dorchester. One and two-tenths of one cent per hour, or $3.00 per thousand feet. Brookline. One and two-tenths of one cent per hour, or $3.00 per thousand feet. Brighton. One and two-tenths of one cent per hour, or $3.00 per thousand feet. W. Roxbury. One and two-tenths of one cent per hour, or $3.00 per thousand feet. Charlestown. One cent per hour, or $2.50 per thousand feet. EMPLOYÉS. The number of men employed is one hundred and ten, and there are no supernumerary men. The men (ninety-eight in number) who light and clean the gas lamps are paid at the following rates: City Proper South Boston East Boston Charlestown 40 men, 7 5 6 one and three-fourth cents per lamp per night; while in are paid at the rate of one and sixty-seven one-hundredths dollars per day. The lamps are lighted by the use of the torch. The duty of these men is to light and put out the lamps in their charge promptly, at the time designated; to keep the lanterns clean at all times, and report at this office in writing, promptly, for immediate repair, every defect, either of the lanterns or fixtures; to keep the fixtures properly cleaned and oiled, the burners in perfect order, and the pipes clear from water and frost; in case of gas leaks they are required to report immediately, in writing, both at this office and to the office of the gas company; they are also required to make a statement, in writing, on each Monday morning, of all the duty performed the previous week. These men, after performing the duty, have a considerable portion of the time remaining, and are allowed to have other employment, provided it shall not in any way interfere with any duty which may be required of them in this department. This privilege is very generally used by the employés, and in this way the city is enabled to procure an intelligent and reliable class of men, at a much less cost than it could expect to do otherwise. The men who light the oil and fluid lamps are fifteen in number, as follows: The men employed to light the fluid and oil lamps are paid at the rate of three cents per lamp per night. All the men employed to light both gas and fluid lamps are supplied with the necessary ladders, hooks, cans, etc., etc., by the city. HOURS OF BURNING. The public lamps are burned every night throughout the year, a total of three thousand eight hundred forty-nine and one-half hours each. GAS-BURNERS. The burners in use are known as Tufts' Regulators, by which the consumption is fixed at four feet per hour. GAS LANTERNS. All the gas lanterns made for the city are made of copper, and all made for the past three years have the Schmedlin & Driscoll patent mode of placing the names of the streets in them. This method of placing the street signs appears to be the best in use, more especially since the adoption of the acid or sand-blast process of producing the signs on colored glass, which makes the letters durable. The advantages of this style of gas lantern for use in this city will be fully appreciated by the knowledge of the fact that more than one-half the public lamps stand on the corners of or opposite the ends of streets or places, and have the names of the streets and places upon them. BROKEN LANTERNS. The number of lanterns which have been reported by the Police as broken was By the lamplighters Total against a total of 10,287, in 1874. 326 7,942 8,268 All repairs of the lanterns are done by the department at its workshop on Albany street. At this shop there are permanently employed five men who, in addition to the above work, paint all the iron posts, paint and glaze all the new lanterns, and cart all the posts, lanterns, oil, etc., etc., as required. GAS LAMPS. The following tables will show the number of gas lamps in use in the various sections of the city, on the 15th of December, 1875, as compared with the eight previous years: — 1867. 1868. 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 87. | | 3,453 3,624 3,814 3,980 491 813 1,441 881 69 431 675 259 9,040 The increase in the separate sections of the city, as above, has been as follows: The decrease in Brighton is caused by the annexation of a portion to Newton. OIL AND FLUID LAMPS. Table showing the Number of Oil and Fluid Lamps in various sections of the city on the 15th day of December, 1875, as compared with the eight previous years. 1867. 1868. 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 84 294 301 219 20 73 283 17 0 73 926 1,053 The changes the past year have been as follows, in the several sections of the city: The aggregate number of public lamps in the City of Boston. is 10,093, an increase of 747 during the past year. FLUID AND OIL. The price paid for fluid for use in the city lamps is at the rate of one-tenth of one cent per hour, with the exception of a few patent naphtha lamps, for which the material has been purchased at an average of twelve cents per gallon. The kerosene for the use of Mattapan is furnished by the lighters, the city paying them in full for the oil, lighting and care; all the rest being supplied by purchase at the rate of fourteen cents per gallon. PROPERTY OF THE DEPARTMENT. In addition to the public lamps now located, and tools in the hands of the lighters, the department is possessed of the following property: Sixteen iron posts for stone sidewalks; ten iron posts for bridges, with two-foot bases; two iron posts for Federalstreet bridge; six iron posts for Common; two iron posts for Eastern-avenue bridge; forty-six iron posts as used on the public streets; fifty-one new gas lanterns; fifty-seven second-hand gas lanterns; one hundred and fifty-seven new gas lantern frames; one hundred and seventy second-hand fluid lanterns; and a small quantity of old iron. Four horses; five wagons, three of them with racks for carrying lanterns; three pungs; tools for setting glass and repairing lanterns and the necessary blankels, harness, and horse equipments. Also two horses; two harnesses; one buggy; one sleigh; one buffalo robe; two wool robes and the necessary stable and street blankets, kept for the exclusive use of the Superintendent. |