1888-08-02 The committee upon Independent Water Supply would report that the work entrusted to them
has been in substance completed, and the town has been supplied with water from its new water
works since August 1, 1887. Brimbal Hill pasture of about forty acres was bought of Mr. John Bell,
with small house thereon for $6150 and a Reservoir there built of a capacity of three and a quarter
millions gallons capacity. Adjoining this, there has since been purchased of Mr. Joseph R. Pitman
for $2000 about thirty acres, whereby the Reservoir is brought more nearly into the center of the land
of the town, and the base of the whole Hill is thereby secured, so that the works may be better
protected, and a more symmetrical appearance given thereto. At Wenham Lake about three acres
were bought of Mr. Charles O. Gage for $2250 and thereon has been built a convenient and
substantial pumping station, which has been furnished with two Gaskill pumping engines of a
capacity two million gallons each, supplied with two steel boilers each of fifty horsepower; and all
first-class. A convenient house has also been built for the Engineer of the works, and a well house
and other needed out buildings, and the grounds about these works have all been neatly graded and
improved.
A purchase of a small portion of land was also made from the Joshua Trask estate by Cabot
and Colon Streets for $500 in order to secure a better pipeline and thereby save crossing the Salem
main pipeline twice.
It became necessary to buy from Mr. John H. Lovett for $615 a portion of his land for the
extension of Brimbal Avenue from Colon Street to Essex Street, and it was deemed best to extend
the purchase so as to include a triangular portion of his lot at its northeasterly end and to buy out all
of it beyond that required for said Avenue extension as public grounds; adding alike to the beauty
and convenience of the entrance to the Avenue, and furnishing also increased facilities for drainage,
the advantages of which are already manifest.
Some expense has been incurred in grading these grounds.
Of pipe laid, mostly of steel cement lined and covered, there is 10,330 feet of 18 inch in
Brimbal Avenue from the pumping station to Colon Street, and from said Avenue by Y Street to the
Reservoir; 26,256 feet of 12 and 13 inch in Common, Foster, Cole, Essex, Colon and Rantoul streets;
865 feet of 8 inch in Rantoul Street. The extra pipe found desirable in order to fully complete the
system of works, with the gates, hydrants and extra branches cost about $12,500 and were not
estimated for in the original estimate, but all came within the appropriation. The aggregate
expenditures have been for pipe $68,597.11 for Pumping Station, including engines and boilers
$33,626.86; Reservoir $17,372.15; Engineer's house $2904.77. Paid City of Salem for one-third of
land damages for flowage by shore of the Lake paid by said City, and the whole held in trust for the
two municipalities $1558.33; for land $2900 for engineering, surveying, superintendence and
various other expenses $6433.01. Making a total expenditure of $141,392.23 of the $150,000
appropriated; leaving $8607.77 a portion of which will be needed for grading and fencing around
Add Reservoir and other matters of completion. Add to this balance unexpended the $12,500
expended in extension of the works and makes $21,107.77, which taken from the $150,000 shows
$128,892.23 expended upon the whole works as originally estimated.
A whole number of gallons pumped to March 21,1888 was 194,997,799 at a cost for
pumping of $10.48 per million gallons raised 146 feet above the level of the Lake, and 174 feet
above tide water level. This is 31 feet 9 inches above the Salem Reservoir. Under the contract with
the New England Construction Company, George H. Norman, president the old pipe of the town is
guaranteed by said company for five years and the new pipe was guaranteed for ten years since
increased to fifteen years, on account of dissatisfaction, by reason of many low leaks being found,
when the new pipe was first used.
The total cost for maintenance including fuel for the year, at the rate thus far expended, will
amount to somewhat less than $4000. Add to this the interest on $150,000 authorized expenditure,
equals $6000. And this makes a total for interest and maintenance of $10,000. Instead of the
$16,274 yearly paid to the city of Salem under the last award. Making a net gain to the town of
$6274 a year, besides giving us all this increase of head equivalent to about fifteen pounds increased
pressure; thereby furnishing greater power for the suppression of fires, and for carrying water to our
highest highlands.
This showing is as we have always claimed that the water for our people could be pumped
at a cost not exceeding fifty cents for each person in town. The actual cost been shown to be even
less than that and the difference resulting to the city of Salem shows and lots of $12,274 each year.
There are acres of rotten stone and rotten stone gravel in the Brimbal Hill lot, independent
of that portion of the Hill occupied by the Reservoir and its immediate surroundings, which cannot
but the upgrade value to the town. There is also a liberal supplied of course gravel in the Pumping
Station lot near the Lake.
In connection with these works, Brimbal Avenue eighty feet wide, was laid out by the town,
as a town way, and our committee were made a committee to build it out of the ordinary
appropriations. This has been done for thirty feet in width from Colon Street to Dodge Street 7635
feet in length and the force and supplied pipe of 18 inches is laid along the easterly side of said
Avenue.
Y Street, from the Avenue and running up on to the Hill, and in which the force and supply
pipe is continued has also been built, as well as another Avenue through Mr. Bennett's farm from
Brimbal Avenue parallel to the railroad, with an outlet on Dodge Street above the railroad crossing,
so as to make an immediate usable connection between Brimbal Avenue and Dodge Street. In the
meanwhile the question of completing said Avenue either over or under the railroad is constantly
discussed, and may not be settled till the question of the drainage of the adjoining lands is concluded
upon.
Your committee unite in recommending that all water works of the town be put in charge of
a Water Board of three to be elected first for one year, two and three years, and after that; that one
be elected annually for a term of three years; and that said Board shall also have charge of the repairs
and care of Brimbal Avenue and Y Street and the other connecting avenue to Dodge Street, as fully
as though they were Surveyors of Highways.
For the committee. John I. Baker, chairman
Recorded by William H. Lovett, Town Clerk. Room
At a meeting of the Selectmen of the town of Beverly, held on the second day of August A.
D. 1888, upon the petition of the Association known as the Beverly and Danvers Street Railway
company after due notice and after hearing all parties who desired to be heard, said Selectmen
granted a location of track of said Association extending from Cabot Street in said Beverly through
Elliott Street to the boundary line between Beverly and Danvers on said Elliott Street, subject to such
specific orders and restrictions as said Board shall hereafter be determined. And at a meeting of said
Selectmen held August 28th 1888, it was determined and ordered that the track of said Association
shall be laid on the northerly side of Elliott Street in such a manner that the northerly rail of said
track shall not be further than twenty feet from the northerly line of said Street nor less than 12 feet
therefrom accepting that where said track crosses the mill dam it shall be laid as near the Northerly
line of said dam as possible. And said Association shall construct a safe and substantial plank walk
not less than six feet in width across and outside of the Southerly line of said dam, with suitable
landings and approaches at each end thereof, said walk to be suitably railed and constructed to the
satisfaction of the Selectmen.
Provided further that said Association shall widen the traveled part of said way four feet, by
removing so much of the ledge near the easterly end of said mill dam as may be necessary to
accomplish and if such widening to the satisfaction of the Selectmen.
And wherever said track is above located shall be laid into the traveled part of the way, said
Association shall widen so much thereof as shall be necessary to make said traveled part as wide as
it was before the laying of said tracks. And said Association shall be subject in the laying of said
tracks to such further orders and restrictions as said Board of Selectmen may determine and said
Association is hereby authorized to erect poles and maintain wires in connection therewith in said
Elliott Street for the purpose of operating the cars of said Association by electricity.
Beverly, Aug. 29, A. D. 1888.
Freeborn W. Cressy
Robert R. Endicott Selectmen
John H. Woodbury of
Joseph A. Wallis Beverly
Chas. H. Odell
A true copy.
Attest.
William H. Lovett, Town Clerk
To the Selectmen of the town of Beverly.
The directors of the Association known as the Beverly and
Danvers Street Railway Company hereby certify their acceptance of the location in said town, of the
tracks of the railway which said Association was formed to construct and operate; as said location
was granted by your board on the second day of August instant; and we also accept your
determination and order thereon made on the 28th day of said August.
August 31, 1888.
John I. Baker
Peter E. Clark
Samuel J. Foster
Sidney W. Winslow
Calvin Pumam
Perry Collier
Directors
Received and recorded August 31, A. D. 1888 at thirty minutes past four o'clock P. M..
By William H. Lovett, Town Clerk.