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April 9th, 1864 AD (search for this): chapter 10
ill obtains at corner-stone layings. We hardly think any vandals will undertake to make away with this particular coin, as has been attempted in our own and neighboring cities. The basal construction at this point was found difficult, as a centrifugal pump discharging four hundred and fifty gallons per minute failed to keep the excavation dry. A year and a week elapsed ere the work was complete. The demand of the men in May, 1863, seems to have been acceded to, as we find that on April 9, 1864, another strike occurred, and that ten days later the men returned at the same wage as before, $1.50 per day. On May 2, 1864, their pay was raised to $1.65, and even this did not conciliate, for on June 1 another strike occurred. The laborers then got notice that the permanent men would get $1.66 and the transients $1.50 per day. The dam was finished on June 17, 1864, just eighty-nine years after Bunker hill day, and the pond began to fill. Water was not the only thing to rise, as we n
September 27th (search for this): chapter 10
work was progressing on the reservoir, which had been begun two months before, as appears by the following:— On September 25 the first ground was informally broken. About 2.30 P. M. a plough opened the first furrow on Walnut hill. This was purely informal, but Mr. Grant, the division engineer, by the desire of the few present, guided the plough. Afterwards the site of the reservoir was ploughed around three times that day. The ground for the water-works was formally broken on Saturday, September 27, at the site of the reservoir. At 3 P. M. the members of the City Government and invited guests came upon the grounds. Mr. Edward Lawrence, chairman of the Water Commissioners, prefaced his remarks by asking a prayer of Rev. Mr. Miles and after a few words introduced the Mayor of the City, who after a short speech, received a spade and placed a sod in a wheelbarrow. Mr. Lawrence then made a speech and placed another sod in the wheelbarrow, after which Mr. James McDonald the contra
1897 AD (search for this): chapter 10
ly disappeared leaving it bright copper. This agrees with the report of Mr. Baldwin which was at 19.4 below the surface of the pond. By the recent building of the Cradock dam the level of the lower lake has been reduced (and consequently its area, slightly), and as the tides no longer come, the water is no longer salted. That the work of building this dam, with its waste weir, conduits and gate-house was substantially performed is evident even to the casual observer. Though disused since 1897 it is well cared for, and the new lake thus created is kept at the normal height. Just here we digress a little from our subject, to quote from Mr. Brooks' History of 1855:— The lands on each side are slightly elevated, and in future times will doubtless be filled with country seats. Today sees something of fulfilment of his prophecy. Writing over sixty years ago he did not foresee the electric light or railway on the farther side, nor yet the broad parkway on the other, or the swift
June 1st (search for this): chapter 10
his point was found difficult, as a centrifugal pump discharging four hundred and fifty gallons per minute failed to keep the excavation dry. A year and a week elapsed ere the work was complete. The demand of the men in May, 1863, seems to have been acceded to, as we find that on April 9, 1864, another strike occurred, and that ten days later the men returned at the same wage as before, $1.50 per day. On May 2, 1864, their pay was raised to $1.65, and even this did not conciliate, for on June 1 another strike occurred. The laborers then got notice that the permanent men would get $1.66 and the transients $1.50 per day. The dam was finished on June 17, 1864, just eighty-nine years after Bunker hill day, and the pond began to fill. Water was not the only thing to rise, as we note that on July 1 the laborers' pay was increased to $1.80 per day, and no strike is mentioned. These were the days of the Civil War, when the high cost of living was equally apparent with present-day experi
November, 1862 AD (search for this): chapter 10
he chimney's base. The square base was twenty feet high, capped with stone, and into this was built the iron smoke flue leading from the boilers. The tapering shaft with its angular buttresses rose to the height of one hundred feet, and the whole was tasteful in design. Nature's force of gravity brought the Mystic water to this station. From this an iron force-main extended up the hill slope to a point midway the northeasterly side of the distributing reservoir on the hill-top. In November, 1862, three hundred and fifty men were employed, many of them in excavating for this main. Just above North street a ledge of soft rock was struck. Meanwhile the work was progressing on the reservoir, which had been begun two months before, as appears by the following:— On September 25 the first ground was informally broken. About 2.30 P. M. a plough opened the first furrow on Walnut hill. This was purely informal, but Mr. Grant, the division engineer, by the desire of the few presen
September 25th (search for this): chapter 10
of gravity brought the Mystic water to this station. From this an iron force-main extended up the hill slope to a point midway the northeasterly side of the distributing reservoir on the hill-top. In November, 1862, three hundred and fifty men were employed, many of them in excavating for this main. Just above North street a ledge of soft rock was struck. Meanwhile the work was progressing on the reservoir, which had been begun two months before, as appears by the following:— On September 25 the first ground was informally broken. About 2.30 P. M. a plough opened the first furrow on Walnut hill. This was purely informal, but Mr. Grant, the division engineer, by the desire of the few present, guided the plough. Afterwards the site of the reservoir was ploughed around three times that day. The ground for the water-works was formally broken on Saturday, September 27, at the site of the reservoir. At 3 P. M. the members of the City Government and invited guests came upon the
November, 1864 AD (search for this): chapter 10
e recall reading in the daily print in after years, of a laborer in some excavation beneath a certain schoolhouse, that had inadvertently been built above it, striking his pickaxe into this later main and of his surprise at the copious flow of water therefrom. The artificial banks of the reservoir were stepped into interval spaces of from twenty to fifty feet, to avoid seepage, and inner slopes faced with rock and surmounted with a granite coping. The reservoir was completed in early November, 1864. At that time the neighboring buildings of Tufts college numbered but three. Beginning with the erection of West hall in 1871 their number has increased with the expansion of the college work, and gradually the hill slopes have been built upon until the suburban cities of Somerville and Medford have crowded closely upon the once distrusted earthwork that for a half century has proved its stability and faithful construction. From the promenade of over a third of a mile around its top a
November 5th, 1864 AD (search for this): chapter 10
the once distrusted earthwork that for a half century has proved its stability and faithful construction. From the promenade of over a third of a mile around its top a magnificent view of the surrounding country may be had and is well worth the time and effort of any one. It lies entirely within the bounds of Medford, though the angular line of the Somerville boundary is very near, and within recent years closely built upon. We quote again from the record before alluded to:— On November 5, 1864, the water had risen in the lake 3 1/2 feet. On the same day the pumping engines were started slowly, at first pumping air only. A few leaks were discovered and the engines were stopped. On the 10th at 6.30 P. M. they were again started and water was first pumped into the northerly division of the reservoir. On the 11th the concreting of the southerly division was completed, and on the 15th the last stone of the coping was laid. On the 14th the engines pumped steadily all day from
July 18th, 1864 AD (search for this): chapter 10
at the City Hall. The writer well remembers his first visit to the pumping station in June, 1870, and the walk over the decaying aqueduct of the canal, that still spanned the river. It was the show place of the vicinity, and a record book was kept for the visitors to sign. The two duplex pumping engines, resplendent in their polished steel and brass, were encased in equally polished walnut, and one was steadily at work day and night. Mr. Born and Mr. Hines arrived from Brooklyn on July 18, 1864, to erect them, and the former remained as engineer during the entire use of the works. He showed us about the station and explained the working of the plant, which a few years later was enlarged to double its earlier capacity and size. Still later it was again enlarged by building an extension of the engine room and the installation of a rotary engine and pump, also an electric lighting plant. This latter was something unknown but a few years before, when the works were built. We li
June 2nd, 1863 AD (search for this): chapter 10
old Middlesex canal, discontinued ten years before, was laid under tribute, as the puddle of its old embankments near by, made up fifty years earlier, consisting of one-eighth clay mixed with sand and gravel, was used in this work. The granite for the overfall had been quarried at Chelmsford, as had been the stone for the canal's aqueducts. At this stage of the work labor troubles were evident, as one hundred and thirty men struck for twenty-five cents addition to the daily wage. On June 2, 1863, Albert Whiting took charge of the masonry construction. His experience on the dry docks at Norfolk and Charlestown, and at Fort Independence, qualified him for this important work. On the tenth of June the northeast corner-stone of the dam was laid, but we find no record of any formal ceremony, other than the placing of a small vial containing the names of Charlestown's mayor, water commission, engineers and contractor in the lewis hole of the lower stone. In sealing the vial, a new c
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