Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-02-19
Report of the Raitsead Commits

II The rport Of the Railroad Co,nmis-
sionersto TIE Gove,nof states that the
i Aasioscogsin, bangor, oldtown and
Milford, Portland, Sace & PORTSMOUTH.
Great Falls & Conway Cthrce~ miles in
Maine) Boston & Maine, Portland &
\ Rochester, Maine Central and Portland &
kennebec roads are in good condition
( Ofthe Portland sS Oxford Central Buck
field branch) road the Commissioners say :
1.-The history of this road suggests the
4 inquiry whether railroad chartered by
1 the Legislature, and built in part by the
4 aid OF the communities through which it
masses. should be liable TO be suddenly
\ stopped at the pleasure of the stock
holders, without notice Of liabilityw
The chief point of interest in the report
is the presentstation of the ease of the
Grand Trunk, or the portion of it in this
State which is known rs the Atlantic g.
4 st. Lawrence road. We do not get from
Il clear idea of the present status Of the
legal proceedings which were instituted
last fall, but we learn what the condition
of the road is from rs accurate state
ment as the Commissioners are able to
make after careful, conscientious aud of
repeated examinations We quote:
EiChty-two miles of this road is in
Maine. August ), 1866, it was leased to
| the Grant Trunk road of Canada for 500
years The Commissioners say: The
| Grand Trunk has grown TO be one of the
great arteries of the State, through which
a volume of travel and traffic flows every
day of the year. that in amount quite
fultilS the prophecies of its enthusiastic
( projectors, and makes it OF public con
ceynment that it be kept always in n
healthy condition. The magnitude of its
/ business may be somewhat inferred from
! the fact that twenty trains a day pass over
it from Danville Junctionto Portland, and
+ that from Nov. /. 1867, To Nov. /, 1868,
I ~, l69 cars passed over the same portion
OF il. and 6a01 engines. But this great
amount OF business has WON out the
road |, now requires ballasting all the
way from Danvillc Junction 10 Portland.
and in other places and 10 be relaid
largely with new and better rails. The
severity of the winter of 1865 and the
heavy traffic over il, severely affected the
road The iron that has been laid down
for few years has proved to be of an
inferior quality, SO that when We went
over the road in early spring We found It
much out OF repair.
Aiicr reciting the results of their vari
Gus examinations subsequent 20 the first,
and the order given in August to the
company as 10 repairs and the rate of
speed, the Commissioners state that after
hearing upon apeiition for an injunction.
before Judge Tapley, on the 2Sd of
October, the court issued an order re-
quiring certain repairs 10 be made on or
before January lst. 1859, Ia the satisfac-
tion of che Commissioners, and the speed
Of passenger trains 10 bc reduced 20 not
exceeding - miles per hour. The Court
also ordered that the ease stand continued
for further hearing until the January term
unless complaint was sooner made that
there was unreasonable neglect or refusal
IN comply with the requirements Of the
order
OF 6rrtherproccedings the Commission
ers say
We at once proceeded 10 designate the
places where the speed oi passenger trains
shall not exceed IL miles per hour. and
certain other places where II should be
reduced 70 six miles per hour, and gave
notice accordingly 10 the managing di-
rector OF the Grand Trunk On the 18th
and 18th of November we again went
over the road Mr. Cor>cr had been oy or
II alone some DAYS bcforr We found
that 800 tons nf new rails had been laid in
the Maine portion of the road. many new
>lccEcrs had been put down. the force of
men under the Road Master increased
and thc road improved We have again
been over the road About 475 tons OF
new rails have been laid since our last ex-
animation, and some other repairs made.
But the rails have become i'm other places
badly worn. and the road is not in The
condition the large amount of business
upon II requires, nor such ~ IN some
portions OF il the safety OF travellers
demands except ut the reduced rate al
speed oUicred by us in pursuance Of the
decree of court The management ofthe
road ha, issued instructions not 10 exceed
the speed stated, IN designated places. and
engine drivers are required 10 conform 10
such orders, and never 20 make up time
by increasing speed These instructions
imply good faith on the part of the III
rectors al the road, and ii always observed
may insure safety. And il may be fur
tEcr said that the bridges are all fine struc-
lures with stone abuimcntS. and spans OF
sound and large timbers or iron girdcrs
- bridges strong a. wood and iron, and
the best masonry can make them. There
can be none better. But the road re-
quireS. rs we have said before, 10 be large
" rclaid and ballasted for its own interest
aud pre-, eryation. as We think, as we'll as
for Che public safety and convenience
And the trains upon II are so many and
so heavy that new rails will be necessary
in MANY places. and from time 10 time
during the winter, besides all the repairs
that can Le made to the old iron, in order
to enable il to continue its business.
The Commissioners closed by referring
10 the situation of Maine as requiring an
extensive railroad system, through its
border State. Lying between the Cana
das and the maritime provinces and on
the natural route of the great commercial
thoroughfare around the world. Maine
must have railroads adequate to the re-
quirements of her situation. We quote
Our British neighbors propose to build
for government purposes an inter-colonial
railway through the SHOWS to the north
of US, and for like reasOns we NAV con-