Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-01-04


Graton street. The ope0ing Of that street will be
great public convenience 10 the travel between the
depot 81 the Western railroad and the depot OF the
Providence and Worcester road, to people comiug
into the city from the east, and OF the largest
religious societies in the city, whose church has
stood for years upon private street. Provision
will therefore have to be made for the completion Of
Temple etreet, and foe a bridge over the canal.
The b idge near the mills OF William B. Fox 4
San, needs be rebuilt; and 10 relieve the tlaveiin
that direction from the liability To accidents, and the
city to the payment 81 damages in consequence OF
such accidents the last city council relocated that
porimn Of Green street that lies between the liked
Mills" aud lis junction with Mlllhury and Vernon
streets; thus rendering necessary the removal OF The
bank wall father east, and the erection Of new
bridge in ASSOCIATION some ehat different from thepre
sent one. ltis an improvement much needed.
our atientionis also invited 10 the subject OF the
floating bridge Long Pond II was panked
anew with heavy p'aik in the summer Of lS52,at an
expense of $l100; but such the amount OF travel
upon it, and snch its position upon The water, that
it wears out very rapidly; and am informed that II
may require to be panked again in the cousse Of tho
! present year. With view to the vation OF
| The hidge, the last board Of Aldermen passed
ordinance in conformity with a law Of the Common
wealth, providing that horse should be driven on
| the bridge at greater speed than walk but 1t
amended by the council i'll such manner as TO
he with without any value for the preservation OF The
! bridge. When the length Of the brdge-oyer- I'VE
hundred feei--the increasing value al Iupber in ths
market, and the consequent expense OF keeping The
bridge in repair, are considered. the city council
cannot be blamed for nanilesting reasonable soli-
cilude for ils preservation.
ask your attention also to small portion of
Mibury street, living between Cambridge street
and Quinsigamond village. When the Providence
and Worcester railroad was constructed, the corn
pany had permission to occupy portion OF the
road for their track upon the condition that they
would swing the highway to the east far enough
to make it safe for the public travel. This they
did but in a manner so imperfect that there is
now constant liability to accidents of a most Sc
rious character, from the proximity of the railroad
to the travelled way.
A new bridgehas become necessary across Mill
brook in Grove street ;and so GREATS the amount
of travel in that direction, especially with heavy
trains, that doubt not it will be good economy
to construct the bridge with stone Should you
accede to the propriety of this recommendation,
the adoption of an order for its erection, at an
early day, will enable the commissioner to make
such arrangements for it will tend to facilitate
the work with which he is charged.
The bank wall in front of the court house,
which was commenced in 1882 has been complete
ed The steps in front of the old court house be-
ing found lily adapted to the new WALL an agree
ment was made with the county commissioners
to substitute handsome fight in front of the new
court house, where the county Offices now are
%hey furnishing the steps and bu tTesses, and the
city laying them. The work has been completed,
with the exception of small portion of the grad
ing and setting some trees in place OF Others
which it was found necessary to remove.
5 But two claims have been made upon the city.
during the past year, for damages in consequence
of defects in the highways. One of them was by
an indiyidualin Holden. He was coming into
the city with load of wood and while driving
inattentively, across the bridge in Grove street.
one wheel of his wagon broke through, near one
end of the bridge. The wheel was broken, the
axle twisted and he himself was thrown from the
top of his load, over the bridge into the water
below. Under the authority givenb the city
council, the matter was promptly adjusted with
him upon the payment of The sum of twenty-five
dollars from the city treasury. The other was
| damage to a horse belonging in Sutton; which
got one leg into hole in a cuyert caused by the
dispacing ola stone, in Water street. 1t was
settled upon the payment of the sum of ten dol
| lars.
| AT the term of the criminal court in January,
| an indictment was procured against the city for
| defect in a eross-road leading from Grafton
street, W der the Boston and Worcester railroad,
] in the direction of Shrewsbury. 1t tried at
/ the September term, and the Indictment was not
sustained. At the court in May, another indict-
ment was found for defects in the construction of
the floating bridge, and in the road leading there
from to Washington Square The case was sub
mitted to the same jury, but before different
Judge ;and while they found no cause for complaint
so far as related to the road Both cases were
managed for the city by the city solicitor. No
other actions exist against the city, that l am
aware of, excepting two now pending, commenced
by two AUDITORS upon Manchester streets for dam
ages alleged to have been sustained by them from
the action of the city council in fencing up that
street, as dangerous private way, Eunder author
ity given the council SO to do by a statute Of the
commonwealth.
The Fire Department, (Which the city is SO
largely indebted for the protection of pritateand
public property, is under effective organization
and discipline and has rendered good seryicewhen-
ever it has been called ont. It is composed of
young men of energy, who know their duty, and
are eyer ready to do it. | commend the depart
ment to your ever-attentiye consideration.
The Aqtedxct has been found to be one of the
most valuable of the city properties. Yet the
opinion gains strength every year, that it is In
adequate to the present and prospective wants of
the city. When constructed, it was not contem-
plated thatit would domuch more than supply
water for the extinguishment of fires; and in that
service it has paid for itself many times over in
the property it has saved. But the conviction has
become strong among the people, that more
| abundant supply of water ought to be obtained,
if it possibycan be- for the use of the fire depaft-
ment at fires for the mechanical shops that are
| now or may hereafter be erected; and especially
for the thousands of uses of the inhabitants gem
orally, where it is essential to the health, the
comfort the morals, and the growing prosperity
VI a community. toO iulpOftdHt mas the matter
of an ample supply of pure water been regarded
by the people, in all times and in all places, that
| aqueducts and fountains are among the most
massive of the ruins of ancient towns and cities
and at the present day there is scarcely city or
town, Of any magnitude. in Europe, but has its
bountiful supply of water, for which it is indebted
| to the construction of some spacious aqneduct.
| And even in our own country we have ample evil
dence of the prolific power of effective aqueducts
upon the growth of cities, as well as upon their
! general health and prosperity.
Impressed with tie Importance Of this subecthe
last city council directed committee to examine the
source from which supply, adequate to the wants
Of the city, could be Obtained. That committee ex
plored the region around for several miles, and
reached the conclusion that supply Of water could
be obtained and he brought to the city in quantity
and with force enough to answer the public demands,
if certainneceseary powers could be first obtained
from the legislature, and if The city. after more mi
mute and careful examinations and calculations should
oeem il expedien TO venture upon an expenditure Of
so much magnitude such work must necessarily
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