It will be observed, that from February to July, the height of water in the Beacon Hill Reservoir was greater in 1854 than in 1853. This was owing to the separation of the high from the low service, for the better supply of the higher parts of the City.

Statement of the Length of different Sizes of Pipes laid, and of the Number of Stopcocks put in, to Jan. 1, 1855.

Totals.

Length of pipe laid,

Number of stopcocks put in,

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1,958

564,915 ft. or 106miles

19,355 32,290 5,773 24,127 7,237 70,810 314,982 90,341 and 5235 ft.

If to the above aggregate length of pipes be added the length of the hydrant branches and bends, that is, about 19,360 feet, or 3 2-3 miles, the whole length of pipes, 4 inches and upwards in diameter, laid down in and for all parts of the City of Boston, will be 110 2-3 miles, very nearly.

Statement of the Location, Size, and Number of Feet of Distributing Pipes laid in the Year 1854.

Service Pipes.

The whole number of service pipes put in up to the present time is 17,999; of which 659 were laid during 1854.

The following is a statement of the leaks that occurred and were repaired during 1854.

Of the leaks that occurred in pipes 4 inches and upwards in diameter, 6 were caused by flaws or defects (3 in the pipes and 3 in the stopcocks) not discovered in the proving press, 9 by settling of earth, 2 by frost, 2 by the Gas Company's workmen (drilling into the pipe by mistake), 1 by the Boston and New York Central Railroad Company's workmen (blowing up the pipe in blasting earth), and 54 by loosening of lead in the joints. Total 78, or one in every 1.37 miles.

Of the leaks that occurred in the service and 2-inch pipes,

122 were caused by flaws or defects (69 in the pipes, 17 in the stopcocks, and 36 in the connections), 4 by loosening of the joints, 3 by rats gnawing lead pipes, 11 by tenants, 6 by digging for sewers, 8 by being struck by picks, 1 by workmen boxing a store, and 101 mostly by settling of earth. Total, 256, or 1 to every 70 service pipes, nearly.

The table includes 17 service pipes that were opened to take out fish, and 1 to take out a frog; 4 to remove rust, and 2 to replace the gasket.

But one instance occurred of having to repair a joint in any pipe 4 inches and upwards in diameter, laid since 1850; and that was in Troy Street, where the pipe is supposed to have been drawn out by the settling of an old wharf, on which it was laid.

Stopcocks.

These are all believed to be in good order, except one or two, which it would have been very inconvenient to repair, and which are very seldom used.

The decay in the old wooden boxes around the stopcocks is very extensive, and there is probably not one of them now that would, if taken out, be fit to put back again. Still, many of them, if not disturbed, may answer very well for a year or two longer. Those that were taken out the past year (13) were replaced by new ones made of Burnettized lumber, and all the new stopcocks that were established for the first time (17) were covered by boxes of the same material.