TELEPHONE SERVICE. In the matter of applications for telephone service where there are no available facilities to furnish such service. Memorandum. A number of cases have come to the attention of the Telephone and Telegraph Department of the Commission of applicants for telephone service being unable to secure the same owing to the lack of spare facilities available for use in the particular sections in which such service is desired. In cases where the reports of the inspectors of the Telephone Department of the Commission confirmed the report of the telephone company, the Commission, on the recommendation of the Chief of its Telephone Department, has suggested to the company that it notify the nearest special line or two-party line subscriber that it will be necessary to add other subscribers to the line in order to accommodate parties applying for service. The telephone companies have construed the declaration of the government concerning new construction as prohibiting any extension during the period of the war except on emergency orders, and the Commission has endeavored to co-operate with the telephone companies along this line. The suggestion of the Commission that companies add other subscribers to any special or two-party line, where service cannot be furnished without building new plant, with a corresponding change of rate, has been accepted by the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, and all such cases will be referred to the Telephone Department of the Commission. BRIDGES RAILROAD AND RAILWAY. Petition of the City Council of the city of Boston relative to the alteration of bridge at the crossing of Beech street, now Belgrade avenue, and the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad in the West Roxbury district of the city of Boston. It appearing, after public notice and hearing all parties interested, that Beech street, now Belgrade avenue, in the West Roxbury district of the city of Boston, is a public way which crosses the tracks of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad by an overhead bridge, and that it is necessary for the security and convenience of the public that an alteration be made in said bridge, which does not involve the abolition of a crossing at grade, for the purpose of rebuilding the bridge and making certain structural changes for the purpose of widening, strengthening and improving it, it is Ordered, That the said bridge passing over Beech street, now Belgrade avenue, in the city of Boston, be altered and rebuilt in the manner and within the limits hereinafter described: 1. The present superstructure, consisting of wooden and iron stringers, resting on masonry abutments and supporting a wooden floor system, shall be entirely removed. 2. The present abutments shall be rebuilt and relocated with a clearance between them of not less than 31 feet. 3. A new superstructure shall be constructed consisting of steel beams encased in concrete. A space shall be left under each sidewalk for the placing of pipes and conduits. A clear height of 18 feet shall be established from the top of the rails of the railroad to the under side of the bridge. 4. The clear roadway between curb lines of the bridge shall be 40 feet paved with granite blocks. There shall be two sidewalks, each with a clear width of not less than 9 feet, paved with artificial stone. Suitable railings shall be placed on the outside of the sidewalks. 5. Approaches to the bridge shall be raised and reconstructed to correspond with the new grade of the bridge surface. 6. Provision shall be made for the laying of two car tracks upon the bridge. 7. The work is to be executed substantially in accordance with a plan marked "Belgrade Avenue Bridge, E. F. Murphy, Commissioner of Public Works," dated Nov. 8, 1917, which is signed by, and filed with the records of, this Commission and made a part of this decision. 8. The bridge shall be designed in accordance with the specifications for bridges carrying electric railways adopted by the Massachusetts Public Service Commission, revised March, 1915. FREDERICK J. MACLEOD, JOSEPH B. EASTMAN, MAY 16, 1918. [P. S. C. 1960] Commissioners. Petition of the City Council of Boston relative to the alteration of the Norfolk street bridge, passing over the tracks of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company in the Dorchester district of the city of Boston. It appearing, after public notice and hearing all parties interested, that Norfolk street in the city of Boston is a public way which crosses the tracks of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad by an overhead bridge, and that it is necessary for the security and convenience of the public that an alteration be made in said bridge which does not involve the abolition of a crossing at grade, for the purpose of altering the bridge and making certain structural changes for the purpose of widening and improving it, it is Ordered, That the said bridge, passing over said tracks at Norfolk street in the Dorchester district of the city of Boston, be altered and rebuilt in the manner and within the limits hereinafter described: 1. The present superstructure, consisting of three through trusses resting on masonry abutments and supporting the floor system, is to be moved northeasterly approximately 13 feet along the abutments. 2. The easterly abutment is to remain substantially unchanged except so far as is necessary to adapt it to the new location of the superstructure. The parapet on the easterly approach shall remain substantially unchanged except for such slight changes as are necessary to adapt it to the altered grade of the street. The westerly abutment shall be lengthened on the northerly end to receive the truss in its new location and a retaining wall shall be built from the abutment in a southwesterly direction to retain the fill. The remainder of the abutment shall be sub stantially unchanged except for slight changes in placing stones to receive the shoes of the trusses. 3. The clear distance between abutments shall not be diminished. 4. The existing brackets outside of the outer trusses of the superstructure shall be lengthened out to provide a sidewalk on each side of the bridge outside of the outer trusses with a clear width of approximately 5 feet 9 inches. 5. The existing wooden floor shall be entirely removed and rebuilt providing two roadways each 19 feet 3 inches between curbs. 6. There shall be places provided for pipes and conduits underneath the sidewalks. 7. The present clear height of about 16 feet 3 inches from the top of the rails to the under side of the bridge is not to be diminished. 8. The grades of the roadways and sidewalks on the approaches are to remain substantially unchanged. 9. The work is to be executed substantially in accordance with plan marked "City of Boston, Public Works Department, Bridge and Ferry Division, Norfolk Street Bridge (North), over New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, Midland Division, Proposed Reconstruction," dated July 19, 1918, and signed by T. F. Sullivan, Commissioner of Public Works, which is signed by, and filed with the records of, this Commission and is made a part of this decision. FREDERICK J. MACLEOD, EVERETT E. STONE, AUGUST 7, 1918. [P. S. C. 2150] Commissioners. Petition of the Directors of the Boston and Maine Railroad relative to the maintenance and repair of bridge at Grattan street in the city of Chicopee. This petition is brought under chapter 552 of the Acts of 1908, which provides, in part, that whenever, in the opinion of the directors of a corporation owning or operating a railroad, a bridge at the crossing of a public way and such railroad is in need of maintenance or repair, they may apply to the Board of Railroad Commissioners, now the Public Service Commission, "who shall, after public notice, hear all persons interested, and, if they decide that the work of maintenance or repair is necessary, shall prescribe the manner in and the limits within which it shall be done, and shall forthwith certify their decision to the parties." In this case a highway known as Grattan street, in the city of Chicopee, crosses the tracks of the Connecticut River Rail road (Boston and Maine Railroad, lessee) by an overhead bridge. The Holyoke Street Railway Company also has a location and tracks upon said bridge. The petitioners allege that this bridge is and has been for some time in need of maintenance and repair, and that it is a menace to the traveling public, not only upon the highway but upon the railroad. They ask that the Commission decide that the work of maintenance and repair is necessary and prescribe the manner in and the limits within which it shall be done. Since the hearing, however, the street railway company has strengthened the part of the structure which carries its tracks, including a temporary support between the tracks of the railroad, and the city has taken similar action, so that the bridge, in the opinion of our engineer, is safe. The railroad company is not willing to allow the temporary support to remain indefinitely upon the right of way in its present position, but does not wish to take steps to compel the city to renew the superstructure under present conditions. Under these circumstances, the Commission will place the case on file, with the understanding that, when conditions become more normal, if steps are not taken to strengthen the structure without the encroachment in the space between the tracks, the Commission, upon request of the railroad company, will make a finding, prescribing the manner in and the limits within which the work of repair or maintenance shall be done. For the Commission, ALLAN BROOKS, AUGUST 22, 1918. [P. S. C. 1768] Assistant Secretary. Application of the Bay State Street Railway Company relative to restrictions for operation of cars upon Slade's Ferry bridge over Taunton Great River in Fall River and Somerset. Ordered, That orders of the Commission dated September 22, 1915 (P. S. C. 1097), and October 9, 1916 (P. S. C. 1532), relative to approval of plan for strengthening Slade's Ferry bridge in Fall River and Somerset, and approval of regulations for operation of cars upon said bridge, respectively, be modified by substituting for the restrictions and modifications thereof contained in said orders, the following: - |