1872-04-09 Superintendent Folsom to President Bradlee, 1831.033.002A

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Mount Auburn Cemetery.

C.W. FOLSOM, SUPERINTENDENT.

SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, (P. O.) Mount Auburn, Mass., Apr 9, 1872

John T. Bradlee, Esq,

Chairman Com. on Grounds,

Dear Sir,

1. I have some fears of Halcyon Lake being a dry Lake occasionally in the future, if no other source of supply is provided than now exists. I always had imagined it might be was fed by springs, until the drying up of the water so entirely this winter seemed to show that it is fed only by surface water.

We could lay a pipe & buy water from Cambridge water works to feed it, but that would be Expensive.

2. We are also liable

to be, (and generally have been in July & August,) short of water to feed on fountains in the "well" at the Engine House. That is fed mostly by the general drain which passes from M^cDonald's Estate under Mt Auburn Street just west of the Gate and so on, past the "Lawn" under^{& along} Fountain Ave, into Auburn Lake, & [so?] into the "well", & overflows into Charles River.

In a day time that dries up; & last summer we took & paid for water at the Gate from Cambridge water works, & turned it into the drain there, to run down & feed the well; which it did, but with

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Mount Auburn Cemetery.

SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, (P. O.) Mount Auburn, Mass., ...................., 187 .

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some loss from leakage on so long a journey. (I think we bought about $40.~ worth of water last season for that particular use, but have not [?] [memo?] at hand.) {We could have {no more fountains without a greater supply of water, either by purchase, or by the means hereafter suggested.

3. We have also been troubled along our sidewalk on Mt. Auburn Street east of the gate, (in front of & parallel with Garden Ave.,) with a rush of water in the spring & in storms, which comes from^^the estate of John C. Gray, crosses on greenhouse grounds, and finds but an im-

perfect outlet in the gutters of Mt Auburn St, shallow as they are, and level & sunke ken as is that street.

The culvert under Coolidge avenue, (at its intersection with Mr. Auburn St.) is set too high, and the lower & east end of Garden Ave, has often been more or less flooded by the same cause. In very severe storms the water entirely covers the sidewalk & intermediate [surface?], making Mt. Auburn St & Garden Ave [parts?] of one pond.

I have called the attention of the City authorities of Cambridge to the defective drainage, and they leave responded courteously; but say with truth there is not

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Mount Auburn Cemetery.

SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, (P. O.) Mount Auburn, Mass., ................, 187 .

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much that they can do, as the street cannot be deepened, nor can it be raised without raising our fence, even if they could afford that great expense.

4. I would suggest to the Committee that they allow me to treat with the Supt of Streets in Cambridge, and obtain permission to tap the gutter at south side of Mt. Auburn St, opposite our lower greenhouse, and carry the water in a stone drain, down Sycamore Ave. & Halcyon Ave.