XXIV. SANITARY SURVEY OF LAWRENCE. BY THE COMMISSION.

[The following article relating to Lawrence, and the next relating to Attleborough, are inserted to illustrate a mode by which a sanitary survey of a town may be made, as recommended, pages 166 and 358.]

1. Natural and Atmospheric Condition of the Town.

Lawrence was projected as a manufacturing town, in 1844, and incorporated April 17, 1847. It is 26 miles from Boston, 20 from Salem, 24 from Newburyport, and 29 from Manchester, N. H. Its latitude is 42° 42′ 57.67", and its longitude 71° 09′ 05.84", west of Greenwich. It contains 4,374 square acres, 344 of which is covered with water. 1,980 acres of the land on the south side of the Merrimack River was taken from Andover, and 2,050, on the north side, from Methuen.

The general character of the soil is a dry, sandy alluvial, resting on a rocky base, at a greater or less depth from the surface. Clay gravel prevails in the northerly parts of the town. On the south side of the river it is generally level, and also in the central parts on the north side. The top of the dam across the Merrimack is 45 feet above tide water. In the populous part of the town, the foot of Lawrence street is the lowest elevation, being 4 feet above the crest of the dam, and 37 feet below the highest elevation of the streets. Two hills, one on the easterly and the other on the westerly borders of the town, rise to the height of about 140 feet above the dam.

There are three streams of water-the Merrimack, near the centre; the Spicket, on the north; and the Shawsheen, forming, in its sluggish course, the easterly boundary of the town, on the south side of the Merrimack. The first two are rapid, but neither is subject to overflow its banks. The Merrimack, in its natural passage through the town, has a rapid here, known as Bodwell's Falls, which in some places falls 4 or more feet in a 300 feet passage. In a medium current, about 5,000 cubic feet of water passes per second, and it sometimes rises to 60,000 per second, thus affording a water-power here nearly or quite equal to that of Lowell. Lake Winnepisiogee, in New Hampshire, containing about 120 square miles, the principal source of the Merrimack River, has been purchased by the owners of the water power in this and the other manufacturing towns above, to make the flow of water at all seasons equal to the general average. The Spicket falls 40 feet over a succession of dams, and discharges about 100 cubic feet per second. The Shawsheen has very little perceptible fall in this town.

The town seems to be free from natural sources of malaria; though meteorological and other similar observations have not been made for a sufficient time, nor with sufficient accuracy, to determine, with much exactness, the true natural character of the locality, nor to ascertain whether any atmospheric peculiarity or sanitary impurity exists.

2. Artificial and Local Condition of the Town.

The lands now comprised within the township, previous to 1844 were used principally for agricultural purposes, and contained, in cluding the Methuen pauper establishment, less than 100 inhabitants In that year an association was formed, consisting of Messrs. Samuel Lawrence, John Nesmith, Thomas Hopkinson, Josiah G. Abbott, of

Lowell, and Daniel Saunders, of Andover, by the name of the "Water Power Association," for the purpose of purchasing lands and creating a water power on Merrimack River, in Andover and Methuen. They selected the site and projected this as a manufacturing town; and pur chased about three-fourths of the land comprised within the present limits of the township.

The same individuals obtained an act of incorporation by the name of the "Essex Company," dated March 20, 1845. The stock of this company was taken up and the company organized in April, 1845, at which time Hon. Abbott Lawrence was chosen President; Messrs. Patrick T. Jackson, William Sturgis, Nathan Appleton, John A. Low• ell, and Ignatius Sargent, Directors; and Charles S. Storrow, Esq., Principal Agent and Chief Engineer. To this company all the lands purchased by the "Association" were conveyed.

Before commencing the enterprise, a careful survey was made and a general plan formed, under the direction of the chief engineer, for using the water power, for the location and construction of the dam, for the canal and the mills, and for the streets and public squares of the town. In the spring of 1846, the services of Capt. Charles H. Bigelow, formerly of the U. S. Engineers, were also obtained for the company, and under his immediate direction the works upon the dam and canal were successfully carried forward to their completion, in accordance with the original designs.

The results of the surveys were laid down upon a map, an outline of which is presented, accompanying this sketch. The streets are from 50 to 80 feet in width, and generally 200 feet apart. The building lots are 93 feet deep from the street, leaving a back passage-way of 14 feet in width between the two tiers of lots.

The elevation of the crossing of each street, above a given level, is stated in the plan, showing the grading proposed to be made by the Essex Company, as a guide to builders; and the streets were so drawn as to admit of surface drainage and under-ground sewerage. A large common sewer, the interior of which is 6 feet high and 3 feet wide, admitting a man to walk erect, was constructed of brick laid in cement and of stone masonry, and passes under and 4 feet below the bed of the canal, near the foot of Lawrence street, into the Merrimack river. It is in a natural ravine, of gradual descent, with a constant stream of water passing through it, keeping it at all times sweet and clean. There are two other great sewers in other parts of the town, built of brick and stone, each 4 feet in diameter, passing under the canal. These sewers lead from Haverhill street, (the one most elevated,) southerly, into the Merrimack. Others lead northerly, into the Spicket, and a very effective drainage and sewerage are by these means afforded. The town has appropriated $5,000, this year, for the construction of collateral sewers.

The main common or public square, near the centre of the town, comprises 18 acres, and was the gift of the Essex Company. The other lands were divided into lots and numbered, a plan of which was drawn on different sheets, and bound in a volume, on a scale sufficiently large to admit inserting in each lot the name of the original purchaser, and the successive owners to which it may be transferred for several years. A part of the lots designed for private use

were first offered for sale at auction, by the Essex Company, April 28th, 1846. Restrictions were imposed upon the use of some of these lands. On Haverhill street no lot can have upon it more than one house and the necessary out-buildings, for twenty years; and no house can be occupied by more than one family at the same time. On Essex street, brick or stone buildings only, three stories high, with slate or metallic roofs, can be erected. It is to be regretted that restrictions could not have been laid upon all the lands, as they might have prevented some inconveniences and sanitary evils. Many of the streets, public squares, and other inclosures, about the town and near the mills, are planted with ornamental trees and shrubbery. The frame of the first dwelling-house was raised September 12th, 1845; since that time many substantial buildings, brick and wood, and others of less permanent character, have been erected. A part of the town, above the dam, on the south side of the river, known as "Dublin," in a dry and elevated situation, has been discreetly appropriated for "shantees," for the accommodation of Irish laborers and their families. The number of private dwelling-houses, including 90 Irish shantees, and exclusive of the boarding-houses of the Bay State and Atlantic Corporations, was 335, in February, 1847; and 849, in 1849. Of 335 tenements, 12 were at that time occupied partly for stores; 96, including the half of the shantees, contained from 2 to 9 persons each; and the remainder, 227, from 10 to 74 each. In 1850, according to the assessors' return to the State, for the decennial valuation, there were 828 dwelling-houses; and according to the United States census, 1,081 tenements.

Water for domestic use is at present obtained from wells; it is considered good for drinking, though rather hard for many purposes. Cast iron pipes, connected with force-pumps at the mills, and with the water of the canal, for use in case of fire, are laid in part of the streets, and are to be extended to others and to reservoirs upon the top of the adjacent hills. An aqueduct company was incorporated May 10, 1848, to bring water into the town; but no definite measures have as yet been matured under its sanction.

The public buildings erected, prior to January, 1850, were-9 houses, for the accommodation of the primary and mixed schools, 2 for the grammar schools, and 1 for the high school; 6 churches, and a Town Hall. In all the public buildings the most approved modern. sanitary plans for warming and ventilating have been adopted.

The High School-house is a substantial brick edifice, situated on Haverhill street, fronting on the northerly side of the common. It is large and elevated, and amply provided with the most approved, convenient interior fixtures and furniture, and with necessary out-buildings; and with room for exercise and recreation. It cost about $15,000. Land is reserved in the neighborhood for the erection of additional buildings when needed.

The Town Hall is a brick edifice of great architectural beauty, 121 feet 2 inches in length, 64 feet 2 inches in breadth, and 55 feet in height. It fronts on the southerly side of the common, and was erected in 1849, at a cost of about $40,000. It contains a large hall for the accommodation of the people in general town meeting, rooms for the selectmen, and the various town officers, or for the mayor, aldermen,

...non council, when a city government shall be established, and or the town and county courts.

These two buildings are unnecessarily large for the accommodation of the present inhabitants of the town, but are constructed partly with a view to its prospective growth.

Several different companies have been incorporated in this town, for manufacturing purposes. The four principal ones that have commenced operations, are the "Essex Company," incorporated March 20, 1845, with a capital of $1,500,000; the "Bay State Mills," incorporated February 2, 1846, with a capital of $2,000,000; the "Atlantic Cotton Mills," incorporated February 3, 1846, with a capital of $2,000,000; and the Lawrence Gas Company, with a capital of $100,000. These companies together had expended, prior to July, 1850, about $5,000,000. The "Union Mills” and the "Pacific Mills,” each with a capital of $1,000,000; and the "Bleaching and Dyeing Company," with a capital of $500,000, have been incorporated, but have not yet commenced operations.

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The Essex Company,-the owners of the water power and principal owners of the town,-have erected the dam, canal, and machine shop. They dispose of the water power to other companies on certain conditions, which are specified with great care and minuteness in the printed proposals for their sale. They define a "Mill Power" to be thirty cubic feet of water per second, when the head and fall is twenty-five feet," which is to be graduated to a less or greater quantity as the head and fall shall be greater or less than twenty-five feet. According to this principle, a fall of 20 feet would require 371 cubic feet, and a fall of 10 feet would require 80 cubic feet, per second. A similar principle has been adopted at Lowell. A mill power is considered equal to about 60 or 70 horse power. Among other conditions of sale, the water power and mill sites are to "be held, used, and improved, for mills or buildings appurtenant thereto, or for such dwelling-houses, boarding-houses, sheds, and other out-houses, as shall be required and actually used for the accommodation of the agents, clerks, overseers, machinists, watchmen, or operatives, employed in such mills, and not appropriated to any other purpose whatever." And "the grantees are not to use any building for, or to set up or continue any laboratory, powder mill, furnace, or forge, nor any chemical, or other works whatever, which may be so noxious or dangerous from fire or otherwise, as to impair, injure or endanger the life, safety or reasonable comfort of any person." And "no grantee shall, without license from the grantors, to be given and revoked at their pleasure, (which license is not to be given but with the consent of the mill owners next on each side adjoining,) keep or permit to be kept, any tavern or public house of entertainment, nor any livery stable, nor sell nor permit to be sold, any spirituous liquors of any kind, in any shop, store or building, upon the granted premises." These excellent stipulations are accompanied with suitable penalties and forfeitures in case of non-fulfilment. They have an important sanitary bearing.

The excavation for the foundation of the dam was commenced August 1, 1845; the first stone was laid September 19, following; and it was completed in 1848. The foundation is embedded in the solid rock, and bolted to it with iron. The structure is of solid masonry