The Portland daily press., 1874-03-03
CITY REPORTS.
CIVIL ENGINEER's REPORT.

CIVIL ENGINEERS REPORT.
We Gull the following from the report: AS
far as possible errors in the location of street
lines, made when instruments were less accu-
rate, have been rectifed. Previously undeter-
mined or unmarked lines have been determined.
The new lines of West Commercial street have
been laid out, and the street graded by the B.
& NJ. R. R. Walnut street, near Salem, has
had its name changed to School street. No
radical change of grade involving damage has
been made during the year. Many streets have
been newly surfaced. The grade of CONNER
cial street, west of the railroad depots, has
been slightly changed, and also of Danforth
street at the foot of the hill. The latter is
three feet higher.
A street three rods wide has been graded
from the old terminus of York street
extending York street dlagonally across Clark
street over the B. & NJ. arch to Beach street, a
distance of 538 feet. The street has been built
mainly at the expense of the B. & NJ. R. r.
The grading of Carter formerly Weymouth
street has been continued. A continuation of
Island avenue has been laid out ON Peaks Is
land. Nearly all the lands covered by the loca-
ton have been given by the owners. A sub.
stantial retaining wall has been built on the
westerly line of Green street, and the ledge be-
ween Market and Pearl streets has been exca-
waited for the purpose of widening and straight
ening Fore streea.
On the Marginal Way the old embankments
have been widened from 20 to As feet The
open space of 900 feet between the old easterly
and westerly embankments in the Cove has
been filled twenty feet wide. Tive sideways
have been constructed. A pile bridge S55 feet
long for railroad track has been built between
Tukey's Bridgs and the Grand Trunk. The
amoant of earth and rip-rap deposited i'll 1911
cubic yards, 37,249 being taken from North
street. About fve-sixths of the total grading
of this street may properly be placed to the
credit of the Marginal Way; 1850 cubic yards
of excavation will bring it to grade. Work
was suspended Feb, LIST.
Work on REMEMBERING Congress ard Cumber
land streets is progressing rapidly.
The matter of substituting permanent struc
lures in place of Vaughan's and Tukey's
bridges has been considered, and estimates
made. A system of dock soundings will be
undertaken.
GAS AGENTS REPORT.
The receipts of the Gas Company for the
year ending Dec. 81, 1873, were $137 1888. 49, and
the expenditures $1S1, 851.O3. Dividends of
two and a half dollars on share were declared
in January and July. The total number of
consumers up to December were about 1900, and
the consumption of gas 46, 900 cubic feet
The present number of street lanterns is $780,
Seventeen of the Bartlett lanterns are in use
FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT.
The report of the Chief Engineer shows 46
fires and alarms. The amount of loss is thought
to be- $674, 485, and the insurance $4,000
Taking out the Galt's wharf and Portland
Company fires, the loss is 1888 and the in
surance $220,9O Nineteen new hydrants
have been set. 1t is recommended that the
horses used be under the exclusive control of
the Department. The building of reservoirs
at Munjoy and Bramhall Is recommended.
REPORT OF THE HARBoR MASTER
The Harbor Master, Capt. B. w. Joues, states
that our harbor continues to be the great resort
of coasting and fishing vessels during stormy
weather, but they have been at all times so
anchored and arranged in the harbor as to
cause no delay or detention of steamers or
other vessels arriving at or leaving the wharves
The vessels now employed in the coasting
trade are of a much larger class than formerly,
and cannot always be anchored with safety
within the limits prescribed in your barber reg
ulatons. But there have been no collisions or
accidents of a serious nature during the past
year, and all have cheerfnlly complied with the
harbOr regulations so far as they could with
safety.
During the latter part of the winter there has
been much ice in the harbor, but by attending
to it before it became very thick have with
the aid of tug-boats) kept the ice so broken and
loose that vessels have been able to come up to
fha ubur do 6rvrtn t1,a xysv,far rIo
tug boats were employed twenty-three and
three quarter hours at an expense Of 1921. so.
All vessels, str ngers that have arrived at
this port have been notified to avo throwing
dirt or ashes in the harbor, and all others have
been more particular in that respect the past
year than formerly.
All vessels arriving from sickly ports have
been visited, and in all cases where there was
or had been sickness on board, the vessels have
been detained in the lower harbor until all dan
der had been removed before they have been
allowed to come up to the city.
Truaut Omcer'a Report.
The following is the substance of Mr.. w. L.
Fitch's report:
My labors have been in the same general di-
rection as in the previous years of my service
dren through the parents" I have cultivated a
very extended and pleasant acquaintance with
the parents of our boys inclined to truancv and
find that byUsecuring their cooperation, the work
done. My efforts in this direction have been
fruitful of the very best results; and am of
the opinion that the number of actual truants
(those who are absent from school without
the Knowledge or consent of their parents) is
smaller at the present time than at any period
within the last four years.
We still have large number of boys in our
city, however, who are growing up in ignorance
and vice simply on account of the greater ignor-
ance, Indifference and carelessness of their par
ents; who, knowing that they have an aversion
| to school, permit and encourage them to seek
some kind of employment that shall consume
| enough of their time each day to make it inn
| practicable for them to attend school For the
benefit Of this class we are waiting NOR. for a
majority of four legislators to favor compul-
| sorry law of some sort that shall give them the
| benefits of the sehool-room-at least three
| months during the year.
Aside from the usual street labor / have in
vestigated IT'S cases in response to cards re-
ceived from the teachers, made $50 arrests and
| sent nine to the State Reform School, Five
| other have been sentenced to the State Reform
School with the understanding that the execu-
ton of the sentence shall be suspended during
| good behavior; which experience in their cases,
has wrought desired reform
| In concluding this report, refer with pleas
| ure to the uniform kindness and courtesy of all
teachers, without exception, for which they
have my warmest thanks.
SILVER WEDDING.-On Wednesday evening
of last week. the twenty fifth anniversary of
the marriage of Mr.. Levi Estes and wife of
Gorham, was celebrated by themselves and
| about one hundred friends in very happy
|