History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

Street, near ^Yoodland Avenue. Land was pur-
use ; the great pumpiug-engine was in operation,
the Wabau Hill reservoir was one third full, and
the hydrants supplied with water along forty-eight
miles of street mains. The capacity of the reser-
voir is about fifteen million gallons. Tiie area of
the bottom of the reservoir is 91,525 square feet;
and the area of water surface, when the reservoir
is full, is 126,000 square feet. The gate-house
was built in the last half of October, 1876. Wa-
ter was first pumped into the reservoir October 30,
1876. In November, 1877, the report of the
water commissioners stated that water-pipes had
been laid in the streets of the city to the extent of
fifty-one and a half miles. Most of the pipes were
furnished by the Warren Foundry, Phillipsburg,
N. J. The first service-pipes were laid in October,
1876. In Woodward Street the Newton
water-pipe passes over the Cochituate aqueduct.
Both the conduits of the Boston water-works,
— that from Lake Cochituate and that from the
XBII'TUX
Kcho Bridge.
251
Sudbury River, — pass through Newton from west
chased in Needham, between Kenrick's Bridge and to east. The former is about eighteen miles in
Needhaui Avenue, and near the latter, for a filter- length, and enters Newton a short distance below
ing basin. On the occasion of the inspection of the village of Upper Falls. Ground was broken
the water-works by tlie city government, Novem- for this aqueduct August 20, 1846, and water
ber lo, 1876, the filter-basin, which is situated in was introduced into the city of Boston with im-
Needham, fifty feet distant from the river, was in poshig ceremonies October 25, 1S4-8. Tlie act of
legislature empowering the city of Boston to en-
gage in this enterprise was a])proved by the governor,'
George N. Briggs, March 30,184-6. The
water is carried over Charles River by three iron
])ipes properly supported and secured against the
frost. The most interesting feature of the work
in Newton is a tunnel, executed through porphyritic
rock of extreme hardness, on the Harback prop-
erty, a few rods east of Waverley Avenue. This
tunnel is 3,410 feet in length; in its construc-
tion two or more shafts were sunk to a depth
of eighty-four feet to the bottom of the tuiuiel.
Several specimens of copper ore were found by the
workmen in the process of excavation.
Chestnut Hill Reservoir was constructed on
land formerly a part of the town of Newton, and
constituting a portion of the Lawrence farm, previously
Deacon Nathan Pettee's, and before him
occupied by Deacon Thomas Hovey. In April,
1865, the water board of the city of Boston was