Cochituate Water, there was so much filth discharged from the sewers upon the flats in the basin, as to create a nuisance, offensive to the neighborhood, and dangerous to the public health. It became, therefore, a matter of necessity to provide means for relieving the basin from this great influx of filth, and to carry a part of the sewage into the unobstructed waters of the harbor, where it would be borne away by the tides. To meet this necessity the system of drainage now substantially in use, was adopted upon the recommendation of two skilful engineers, E. S. Chesbrough and William P. Parrott, Esquires. It consists of a marginal sewer in Tremont Street, into which all the sewers southerly of Tremont Street are emptied, which formerly had their outlet in the empty basin, and a connecting sewer extending from Tremont Street through Dover Street, into the South Bay at the Dover Street bridge. As the tides rise five or six feet above the grade of a part of the territory drained into these sewers, this plan of drainage could be operative only so much of the time as the tidal waters should be below the grade of the territory, and at other times the water from the sea would flow in through the sewers and inundate the territory connected with them. To obviate this difficulty, gates or flaps were constructed at the outlets of the Dover Street sewer, which were closed by the action of the rising tide, and remained closed until the receding tide should fall below the level of the water in the sewers and waste weirs or outlets were placed in the Tremont Street sewer opening into the empty basin, to provide for a discharge of the sewers, while the Dover Street sewer should be so closed.

With a few exceptions, arising from extraordinary causes, this system afforded satisfactory drainage to the territory in question, until the filling up of the Back Bay lands was commenced. This prevented in part, and will finally entirely prevent, any drainage into waters having a lower level than the ordinary tidal waters. It follows then necessarily that the lands, the grade of which is considerably below high water, cannot be

properly or effectively drained; and that the only adequate relief for the territory under consideration is to raise the grade thereof. Unless this shall be done, when the empty basin shall be entirely filled, many of the estates in this neighborhood must be submerged at every tide.

Arriving at this conclusion, and aware that the remedy suggested can be applied only at a very large expenditure of money, your Committee invited the Committees on Streets, Paving, and Sewers to a consultation with them upon the subject; and it was the unanimous opinion of all, that if some equitable plan can be devised and agreed upon, by which this great work shall be accomplished, and the expense thereof be borne by the owners of the lands and the city in reasonable proportions, the interests of all parties will be the best promoted thereby. It is vain to hope, however, that an enterprise of this character and magnitude can be successful unless all parties concerned, with a just appreciation of their rights and duties in the premises, are disposed to enter upon it in a liberal spirit. The benefits to result from it will mainly accrue to the owners of the lands, as their estates, now so rapidly deteriorating, will become eligible and of greatly enhanced value. It is their misfortune, that the grade of their lands is so low, and they have no legal claim upon the city to raise it, or to contribute to the expense of raising it. Some of the persons owning estates on this territory may have legal claims upon the city for some former damages growing out of the condition of the sewers, but this is the extent of their claims, and these damages are of small amount. They should, therefore, be willing to bear the larger part of the expense of the proposed improvement. It is believed that, for all the expenditures they may be called upon to make for this purpose, they will be more than compensated in the increased value of their estates.

The citizens at large have an interest also in the proposed undertaking. It is desirable in a sanitary point of view; it will add to the taxable value of the property, and it will give beauty

and utility to these lands lying in a central position between the Back Bay territory and the best improved lands in the southerly part of the city. These considerations justify a liberal appropriation from the city treasury to aid the enterprise.

For these reasons your Committee deem it advisable that an effort should be made to arrange a plan for the raising to a proper grade of all the estates within the limits hereinbefore described, or, if that shall be found impracticable, of so many of them as can be included in a general arrangement. This will require negotiation with the land owners, and concert of action between them severally and the city government. For the purpose of testing the practicability of the scheme suggested, your Committee recommend that a joint special committee, to consist of three Aldermen and five members of the Common Council, be appointed with full powers, under the advice and with the approval of his Honor the Mayor, to make such contracts with the owners of the estates, within the said limits, or any part of them, as they shall deem expedient for the raising of the grade thereof to a proper height; and that said Committee, with the concurrence of the Mayor, be authorized to appoint three commissioners to assist them in conducting the necessary negotiations, and to fix their compensation.

To carry into effect these recommendations, your Committee advise the adoption of the accompanying order.

For the Committee.

OTIS NORCROSS, Chairman.

ORDERED: That a Joint Special Committee, to consist of three Aldermen and five members of the Common Council, be appointed with full powers, under the advice and with the approval of his Honor the Mayor, to make such contracts as they shall deem advisable with the owners of the lands and estates lying between Boylston Street on the north, Pleasant and Washington Street on the east, Dover Street on the south, and the Back Bay lands, so called, on the west, for the raising of the grade of the territory, or any part or parts thereof, within the aforesaid limits, to a proper height to admit of good drainage thereof; and that said Committee, with the concurrence of the Mayor, be authorized to appoint three commissioners to assist them in making the necessary negotiations with the owners of said lands and estates, and to fix the compensation of said Commissioners.