city at too low grade; thereby sewage and storm water do not run to the overflow. The surface water should be provided for, the topography of the land determining where the overflow should run, not always safe to be let into the main sewer. Examination in the minutest detail should be made of every part of our sewage system. The districts near Wellington avenue should have attention; health in many places near it is in peril. It would be the true policy to determine an enlargement of the city's drainage and place it before the people, asking for the needed appropriation by bonds payable in thirty or even fifty years at a low rate of interest.

Work during the year has been done on Channing avenue, a small portion of Gibb's avenue, East Bowery street, a portion of Chastelleux avenue, Webster and Friendship streets, a portion of Beech street, Ocean avenue, Kay street from Mann avenue to Howard avenue, Second, North, Third and Freebody streets. The main sewer has been extended up Lawrence avenue; pipe sewers have been laid in Dean avenue, Edward and Bridge streets. The street commissioner will recommend that the Wellington avenue overflow be built; that Coasters Harbor quarry be abandoned; that a new quarry of better material be purchased or leased; that new curbs be laid in Kay street, Bellevue avenue and Washington square, and that Long wharf and the pavement in South Thames street be put in order.

PARKS.

The parks of our city are an elevating, helpful and healthy influence; they have been kept in excellent order during the year. I am grateful that my recommendation concerning Morton Park was regarded. With its development that section of our city, which has long deserved and needed a park, will be provided with an enduring evidence of the generosity of our former beloved townsman, Vice-President Morton. I renew my recommendation of last year, that the area of land at the junction of Thames and Farewell streets be purchased, to be called the Ellery Park, in honor of that patriot, William Ellery, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, our Congressman and the Chief Justice of our State. I recommend that asphalt, stone or granitoid walks be placed in Touro Park. Of Fort Greene, I would make that area a park where the citizens may look upon the delightful entrance to our harbor, risking the very remote probability of the War Department ever reclaiming it. The outlay for grading, strengthening the walks and for seats will not probably exceed $1,200. There are funds held in trust by the city from which money may be drawn for the adornment of our parks.

PROVIDENCE COUNTY.

BURRILLVILLE.

1. Nothing new for the promotion of public health contemplated by the town authorities.

2. No water service for general use. Private parties talk of introducing water for general use.

3. No sewerage.

7. During the past year a physician was appointed to vaccinate school chil

dren, and perhaps one hundred children were inoculated.

8. Undertakers quite promptly have sent in their returns of death.

A. MOWRY, Town Clerk.

CRANSTON.

1. No work for the promotion of public health by the town authorities during the year.

2. Some extension of water service, but do not know how much.

6.

Health Officers, Dr. F. W. Bradbury, John Bigbee, Town Sergeant.

7. No gratuitous vaccination provided during the past year.

D. D. WATERMAN, Town Clerk.

CUMBERLAND.

1. Nothing new for the promotion of public health has been contemplated by the town authorities.

2. For extension of water service for general use, in southwestern part of town, see Pawtucket Water Works Report.

3. No public sewers.

4. No new ordinances have been passed in abatement of nuisances or for any sanitary purpose.

5. No legal board of health beside the town council.

6. Health Officer, Dr. L. F. C. Garvin.

7. Gratuitous vaccination has not been provided during the past year.

8. Undertakers have promptly sent in their returns of death.

P. F. KINION, Town Clerk.

EAST PROVIDENCE.

1. No new work for the promotion of public health contemplated by the town authorities.

2. See note appended,* also Report Pawtucket Water Commissioners.

DR. C. H. FISHER,-Dear Sir: Yours received. On July 1st, 1889, there had been 557 services put in, probably there have been 25 put in since. I have no means of knowing accurately until the time of making up our annual report, about the first of July.

Very truly yours,

ALFRED GRISWOLD, Supt.

3. Cannot give the aggregate length of sewers, or what proportion of the population have drainage connection with them.

4. No new ordinances for sanitary purposes. See Report 1888,

5. Board of health, the town council.

6. Health Officer, Mason B. Wood.

7. Gratuitous vaccination has been provided during the past year for the public school children.

8. Undertakers have promptly sent in their returns of death.

T. A. SWEETLAND, Town Clerk.

FOSTER.

1. No work for the promotion of public health contemplated by the town authorities during the year.

2. Have no water service for general use.

3. No public sewerage.

4. No new ordinances in abatement of nuisances or for any sanitary purpose.

5. Board of health, the town council.

6. Health Officer, Henry Arnold, M. D.

7. Gratuitous vaccination was provided a few years since, but not the past year.

8. Undertakers have promptly sent in their returns of death.

E. D. LYON, Town Clerk.

GLOCESTER.

1. Nothing new for the promotion of public health.

2. No water service for general use.

3. No public sewers.

4. There have been no new ordinances passed by the town council.

5. Board of health, the town council.

6. Health Officer, George A. Lee.

7. Only a few cases of vaccination known during the past year.

8. Undertakers have promptly sent in their returns of death.

C. W. FARNUM, Town Clerk.

JOHNSTON.

1. No work for the promotion of public health except free vaccination. 2. By extension of water service for general use, the proportion of the population, by estimation, supplied with the same at the end of the year was prob ably three-fourths of that in Olneyville and vicinity.

3. No public sewerage.

4. No new ordinances in abatement of nuisances. The town has a contract with A. E. Field & Son for the removal of swill and garbage from the compact part of the town until June 1st, 1890.

5. Board of Health, Thomas C. Lawton, M. D., Charles A. Barnard, M. D., Frank A. Payan, M. D., Martin Mann.

6. Health Officers, as above.

7. Gratuitous vaccination has been ordered, but not yet completed.

8. So far as I know, undertakers have promptly sent in their returns of death. W. F. KING, Town Clerk.

LINCOLN.

2. Considerable extension of water service for general use. Cannot state what proportion of the population was supplied with the same at the end of the year.

3. About one mile of sewers constructed.

7. Gratuitous vaccination was provided during the past year. No return yet of number.

8. Undertakers have promptly sent in their returns of death.

NORTH PROVIDENCE.

E. B. SMITH, Town Clerk.

1. Nothing unusual for the promotion of public health contemplated by the town authorities.

2.

Reservoir completed on Fruit Hill. Water introduced in Lymansville. 3. No public sewerage.

Nothing new in abatement of nuisances or for any sanitary purpose.

4.

6.

7.

8.

Health Officer, Sanford E. Kinnecom.

No gratuitous vaccination provided during the past year.

Undertakers have sent in their returns of death with fair promptness.

T. H. ANGELL, Town Clerk.

NORTH SMITHFIELD.

1. No particular work for the promotion of public health by the town authorities.

2. No public water service for general use.

Water was introduced into a

portion of the village of Forestdale by private parties, and corporations have given increased sanitary attention to villages.

3. No public sewers.

4. Ordinances in abatement of nuisances not changed.

5. Board of health, the town council.

6. Health Officer, Joshua Wardle.

7. No gratuitous vaccination was provided during the past year.

8. No undertakers located in town.

BYRON A. ANDREWS, Town Clerk.

PAWTUCKET.

1. Ordinances in relation to public health quite fairly enforced.

2. By extension of water service the proportion of the population now supplied, probably about two-thirds, (17,000). See Report of Water Commissioners

and Superintendent of Water Works, appended.

3. See Report of Board of Sewer Commissioners, appended.

5. The Board of Aldermen,

6. Health Officer, George H. Stanley, M. D.

7. Vaccination was provided.

8. Undertakers have promptly sent in their returns.

EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT OF THE SEWER COMMISSIONERS.

The survey of the Moshassuck river water shed is nearly finished. We are now able to outline a system of sewerage for that district.

The question of disposal of the sewage was very fully discussed in our report of 1897, page 17 to 26, inclusive. We can add but little to what was then written, further than the experiments made by the Massachusetts State Board of Health, at the Experimental Station at Lawrence, in filtering sewage, as described in their report of 1889, proves conclusively that intermittent downward filtration, which may or may not be combined with broadcast irrigation, is the only practical method of sewage disposal where sewage cannot be turned into very large bodies of water.

*

We again report there are "but two ways for the city of Pawtucket to dispose of its sewage. One to pump the sewage on to Seekonk Plains and care for it with that of the Blackstone river sewers by filtration. The other will be by an arrangement with the city of Providence whereby they will take the sewage at the city line and care for it with their own sewage at Field's Point."

Although favoring filtration, to hasten work and have more than one way by which to dispose of the sewage, we recommended in our reply to the Committee as follows:

"We would recommend that authority be obtained from the General Assembly at its next session, to acquire by purchase or otherwise, the right of way to

*Report 1887, page 17.

† Page 6.