northeast, and from Border street on the northwest, to Chelsea street on the southeast. The other district comprises territory bordering upon Marginal street, and extending from Lewis street to Cottage street. In order to give a better supply to these districts, the following changes are suggested, viz:— Take up the 6-inch pipes, in Meridian, Border, Sumner, Lewis and Marginal streets, and substitute 12-inch pipes with Lowry hydrants. There should also be an extension of the 16-inch pipe, in Brooks street, to Chelsea street, and of the 12-inch pipe in Chelsea street, as shown on the accompanying plan. This latter would assist the above mentioned districts, and would also furnish a better supply for that portion of the "Fourth Section," northeasterly of Chelsea street, and for Deer Island. The expense of the changes proposed as above would be, approximately, as follows: Border Street, from northerly side of Central square to Sumner street. 2,050 feet 12-inch pipe, @ $3.50 6 Lowry hydrants, @ $115.00 Gates, branches and contingencies Total for Border street Sumner Street, from Border street to Lewis street. 1,090 feet 12-inch pipe, @ $3.50 . 6 Lowry hydrants, @ $115.00 Gates, branches and contingencies Total for Sumner street $7,175 00 690 00 786 50 $8,651 50 $3,815 00 690 00 455 00 $4,960 00 $6,300 00 690 00 699 00 Meridian Street, from Central square to Maverick street. 1800 feet 12-inch pipe, @ $3.50 6 Lowry hydrants, @ $115.00 Gates, branches, and contingencies Total for Meridian street $7,689 00 Lewis Street, from Webster street to Marginal street. Marginal Street, from Lewis street to Cottage street. Chelsea Street, from Brooks street to Marion street. Brooks Street, from Bennington street to Chelsea Street. It should be stated that the expense of laying the large pipe through Chelsea street, beyond Brooks street, will be paid from the appropriation for conveying water to Deer Island. The Committee would respectfully recommend the passage of the accompanying orders, authorizing a loan of $35,000 for the purpose of making the changes proposed. For the Committee. W. E. HAWES, Chairman. Ordered, That the Cochituate Water Board be requested to substitute for the six-inch water pipes now in use in certain streets in East Boston, pipes of twelve and sixteen inches in diameter, as shown on the accompanying plan, at an expense not exceeding thirty-five thousand dollars. Ordered, That the Treasurer be authorized to borrow, under the direction of the Committee on Finance, a sum not exceed ing thirty-five thousand dollars, to be expended by the Cochituate Water Board, in laying new water pipes in East Boston. ALDERMAN HAWES, FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICE, CITY HALL, Chairman of Committee on Water, Dear Sir, A committee of the Board of Engineers, consisting of Messrs. Dunbar, Green, Barnes and the Chief, would like to meet the Committee of the City Council on Water, at their earliest convenience, the object being to call the attention of your committee to the inadequate supply of water at East Boston for fire purposes. I remain, Yours respectfully, H. W. LONGLEY, Secretary. Mr. Chief, and Gentlemen of the Board of Engineers : Your committee, to whom was referred the important question suggested in the Chief's annual report, namely, that in East Boston there is an inadequate supply of water for fire purposes, and in some sections of the ward an entire destitution of water for fire purposes, and this, too, where some of the most inflammable material exists, have given the matter a thorough investigation, and find that the statements made by the Chief in his last report are strictly true, but stated, in the opinion of your committee, in too mild a form for a matter of so much importance to this section of our city, and to this department. This ward is peculiarly situated. Let the wind blow from whatever point of the compass it may, the Island Ward receives the full measure of its force; hence destructive and serious conflagrations are liable at any time upon the breaking out of a fire, and especially with a limited supply of water. It was stated by the Water Board that as soon as arrangements could be made with the authorities of Charlestown for a supply of water from the Mystic River, the evil complained of would be remedied, and a sufficient head of water be obtained for fire purposes. The arrangements have been completed, Mystic water introduced, and this alarming evil not remedied. The question is, what is the cause, and what the remedy? From the investigation of your committee, the cause is too patent to admit of a question, the small diameter of the pipes makes it impossible to get a sufficient flow of water. The remedy, to replace them with pipes of suitable dimensions to get a full flowage of water, and admit of attaching a steam fire-engine to a hydrant on these pipes, without making a vacuum, as it does now, by drawing the entire body of water to itself, rendering other engines of the force entirely useless. To your committee, it does seem that the government, with its multiplicity of duties pressing upon them, from that cause have entirely overlooked this great want of the Island Ward. In case of a destructive conflagration in this section of our city, with one of the finest equipped departments in the world, with the exception of the one thing needful, water, the odium of such a disaster would rest heavily upon this Board. But if the facts are properly laid before them, the responsibility rests with the government, and not with this Board. Now, in view of the facts, and the extraordinary levy made upon this department for water for fire purposes, and especially in this ward, amounting, as it does, to $6,560 for Ward 1, being the interest on $110,000, it would seem as if this ward should receive some attention, with proper facilities for water for extinguishing fires, embrac ing, as it does, a population of twenty-five thousand, with a taxable valuation of $15,000,000, whose buildings, dwellings, stores and manufactories are mostly of wood. In the opinion of your committee, the government should at once remedy this evil by changing the pipes; and in order that this matter may be properly brought before the government, your committee |