The Portland daily press., 1898-03-15

IOr d proposed entfBuco uo VIZ -SoN -
State street, consisting Of an ornamen-
tai tower forty feet high with gateway
and pavilion attached, which has my
hearty approval, and | trust you Will
make a special appropriation for that pur-
pose.
Early last season my attention was
called to the neglected condition OF the
Western Cemetery, and during the year
comfortable improvement has been made.
A rev fence has been built and the yard
nut in a more tidy condition. While we
are Identifying our parks let us not neg
lect the last resting place of our beloved
dead, and recommend that during the
summer o custodian be employed in the
Eastern and Western cemeteries to keep
them in order and to point out to strang-
ers places of historical interest.
POLICE.
The city of Portland has thu reputation
of being one of the most orderly cities in
the land, city where the citizens may
walk the streets day or night free from
insult or molestation. This ia due to the
high moral character of our people aud
also to our very efficient police force.
The past year has been one of unusual
activity for the force, and | have only
praise for the way the department handled
the crowds that visited our city last sum-
mer. 1t reflects great credit on the Off
GERS and members of the force and honor
on the city.
SUPPORT OF POOR.
This has been an annually hard winter
for the unfortunate poor. Our appropria-
tion of $50, COO was exhausted early in
February, and several thousand dollars
more will be required before the end Of
the municipal year. But we cannot
afford to be niggarlly In this matter, and
must see that the wards of the city are
properly cared for even If we have to cur
tall in other directions. | commend the
department to your especial care.
LAW DEPARTMENT.
One of the most important departments
of the city is the law department. In my
opinion all orders of any importance
should be submitted to the solicitor before
being introduced. in order that they may
be properly and legally drawn. The city
solicitor, Mr.. Carroll w. Morrill,, has had
a large amount of imrortant matters sub
mitted to him the past year, and he has
attended to it with marked ability and
with great benefit to the city.
OVERHEAD WIRES.
A matter that should receive your at
tention is that of poles and overhead
wires in our streets. During the last
great storm, which Frustrated the wires
in Boston and throughout southern New
England, we escaped trouble more
through luck than anything else.
The city electrician informs me that
the poles are old and overloaded. and
recommends that all wire be put under
ground as soon as possible. The New
England Telephone and Telegraph COM
pany has already located conduits in
several streets and will do more this sum-
mer.
The Postal Telegraph com pany has
also Just petitioned to do likewise. ear
nestly hope that you will consider this
matter at an early date and compel all
corporations having overhead wires to
put them under ground ,as far as possible.
FIRE DEPARTMENT..
No department of the city is of more
Importance and should receive moro care
full attention than the fire department.
10 it's efficiency we often owe not only
the protection of our property but our
lives as we'll. The chief reports the de-
partment in good condition but recon-
mends that com bination truck and
chemical engine be purchased for the
better protection of property in ward one.
This 1 also approve and hope we may be
able to carry out his suggestion at an
early day.
The department ofspublic works has had
under construction, during the past year,
a very large amount of important work
in streets and bridges, as will appear by
commissioners.
TUKEY'S BRIDGE.
This. bridge, which has been under
reconstruction since October, 1896 was
opened 10 public travel February 10Th.
The present. structure replaces the old pile
bridge which has been maintained by the
city as q free bridge Hsincs 1887. The old
bridge was $50 feet long, including a
lift draw having a clear channel opening
of only Al feet inches. The new bridge
is a steel structure supported on granite
piers and abu.ments. 1t consists of four
liked spans and one draw span. The
length between parapets OF abutments is
900 feet The roadway has a uniform
width of forty feet, and on either side Of
the driveway is a sidewalk having clear
width outside of trusses of the draw span
of six feet, while on the fixed spans,
which are OF the deck plate girder design,
the width of walks is seven feet ten
inches. The length Of the draw span,
over all, is 204 feet, 2 l2 inches, and when
swung off it gives two clear channel
openings of 81 feet each.
The roadway of the fixed span is paved
with granite books laid with pitch joints.
The roadway on the draw span is of two
thicknesses Of plank, the lower course
being of three inch hard pine and the
wearing surface of two inch spruce.
The total cost of the work to date is
$1S3, 020.32, of which $l2S, 9S0.32 has been
paid, leaving balance of $54, $4,000 to
be provided for during the coming year.
WASHINGTON STREET BRIDGE.
This bridge which is about six hun
dred feet south Of TukeY's bridge, carries
Washington street over the Marginal
Way and the Portland and Rochester rail
road. During the year 1896 permission
was given the Portland Railroad company
and the Portland and Yarmouth Electric
railway company to cross this bridge,
and the Portland & Rochester railroad
was given permission to GROSS the Margi-
nal Way under the bridge.
The old bridge, which had been in use
twenty-six years, was a wooden trestle,
and not of sufficient strength to allow
electric cars to pass over it, and as the
location of the Portland q Rochester road
would interfere to great extent with the
substructure of the bridge, it was de.
oided to replace the samefwith a steel
structure.
In June of last year contract was