The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-12-08

The committee OF the City Council and the
Citizens Committee ON the subject of establish.
ing Union Passenger Depot on the border OF
the sack Bay, held an adjourned meeting at
the Aldermen's Room yesterday forenoon. In
the interval between the first and the adjourned
meetings invitations had been extended to the
directors and managers of the several railroads
centering in Portland, to be present and join in
the conference. At the meeting yesterday the
railroads were represented as follows: Grand
Trunk, by Charles e. Barrett, ESQ.,; Portland,
Saco and Portsmouth by President Lothrop
c. E. Barrett, John B. Brown and Superintend-
ent Francis Chase; the Maine Central
by President Rice, George L. Ward, Da-
RUS Alden and H. n Jose; the Portland and
Ogdensburg by President Anderson, John E.
Donnell, H. N. Jose and John b. Brown, the
Boston and Maine by John E. Bickford, and
the Portland and Rochester by Treasurer Wes-
colt. The committees were full represented.
Mayor Kingsbury presided.
| Moses Gould being called on by the chair
| man briefly referred to the action of the citi-
zens meeting held in Sept. and offered map
| of Portland with circles drawn upon it, center
ing at City Hall, and radii relatively of one-quar-
| ter, ehalf, three fourths and mile. The
| first circle takes in the Portland and Rochester
| depot, the second strikes the Grand Trunk sta
| ton, the third embraces within its limit the
Portland, Saco and Portsmouth depot, wuile
| the mile circle falls beyond the Gas Works.
| He urged the establishment of central passen-
| ger depot at some point on the margin of Back
Bay, ON the line of the marginal way as a
| measure of general public convenience. Here
| is great basin of over 700 acres, large por-
| ton of which might be occupied for railroad
| purposes; and submitted series of measure
| ments to show that by the adoption of a site
| Cd fton I..@1x III
| the different roads entering Portland, from the
| city line to the foot of Myrtle street would be
| materially reduced. The present depots are re-
moved from the centre of population, and in
| the prospective growth of the city will always
! be incOnvenient of access.
Nathan Cleaves remarked that this was an
| opportune time for the consideration of the
| question of a Union Passenger Depot. The
| present depot accommodations are far removed
from the centre of population; they are not suf-
| fcient for the present business Only two of
the present depot buildings are in decent condi-
ton. Two new ones are yet to be built for the
Portland q Ogdensburg and Boston q Maine
roads Cape Elizabeth is rapidly growing in
importance and the great outlet of travel from
that town into Portland is obstructed by a net
work of tracks, which in the increase of rail-
roads must be multiplied. 1t appears reasona-
BILE, therefore, that the site for railroad depots
should be on Back Cove. The city cannot
trench further upon the harbor. The growth of
the city must be the northerly side, and
the border of the town of Deering will soon be
thickly populated. Back Cove is central, is
unoccupied, and land can be had at very low
rate. He did not place SO much Importance as
many do upon the connection of the railroads
with the steamers. The construction of rail-
roads east will lessen steamboat travel If
Back Cove is selected as a railroad centre the
steamers will be forced to remove their landings
east of Munjoy, where there is plenty of water.
The city has already put the marginal way I'M
der contract and when it is completed private
ont ~ci,, ctr,
Mr.. Cleaves submitted the memorial to the city
government by the citizens of Portland last
September.
Mr.. George w. Woodman said the location
of the depotS on the the Back Bay was only a
question of time. If Portland experiences the
growth that we ought to expect from the null
tiplcation of railroads, the railroads will be
driven from the front side. That part of the
city is already crowded, and will be more so in
time. Besides, the high bluffs at each end of the
city preclude entrance to the city only by skirt
ing them, and it is a choice between the front
and back sides of the city. He urged also
that the question of cost should enter into the
question of location.
Mr.. James L. Farmer discussed the questions
OF costand convenience relatively, and in respect
to the subject of steamboat connections he said
if the railroads go to the back side of the city
the steamers will follow. The best water in
Portland harbor lies in the broad way east of
Munjoy, and is more accessible from the ocean
than the front, as it carries 30 feet at mean low
tide. Depot buildings on Back Bay will be
more accessible than the present locations ever
can be.
Mr.. Lothrop said that he was entirely unac-
quainted with the proposition only as it had
been developed in the discussion The p. S. &
7. road has land sufficient for its own purposes.
A removal to the back side OF the city would
involve the construction of a new bridge across
Fore river, change of location of track and
the purchase of new grounds. The ques
ton OF outlay is to be considered. He admit
ted the danger and inconvenience of the tracks
at Portland bridge. He would like to ask
what propositions were to be made by the
friends OF the scheme. Does it depend upon
the cooperation of the roads? How is it pro-
posed to carry us around to the back side? If
all the roads now in operation had their term-
hi a do zen miles out of the city the proposed
plan would no doubt be excellent Had the
measure been proposed twenty-five or thirty
years ago, it must have been accepted without
question. What inducements are offered for us
the expense to be met
Reference had been made to central depots in
Chicago. The roads occupying these depots
were harmonious in interest. The roads con-
vergng in Portland had rival interests HAIR
mony Of feeling must precede harmony of &C.
ton. He would inquire what measures would
be proposed to get all the roads to the back side
OF the city.
MI. Gould replied that the Union Railway
Company, proposed to give all the roads an
equal right over their line.
Judge Rice, President of the Maine Central
road, said he had always favored union pas
senger depot, and had once drawn a bill for a
charter OF a company which should construct
and MAINTAIN one In this city, That bill, he
was sorry to say, had met with the most deter
mined opposition from men OF Portland. They
had opposed him to the bitter end, and, though
the bill passed the Legislature, it was SO man
gled as to be useless. He was glad to see men
who opposed this scheme now in favor OF it.
The next question is, where Shall it be located?
Ii Back Cove is the best place let it be located
there. Let property owners then come forward
with some proposition, so plainly for the advan-
t Tag Oh tne railroad companies that they cannot
ran 70 aGopt II. what Inducements can you
nola OUT tor the Name central sai road to remove
In thelT depoI TO q Back cove! fltteen long years
the 1ortland q hennepec depot was there, and
invite US to stay there? We were compelled
and NV Eo amt Nc ' TO 90 hac W. nanno
afford to abandon our territory unless some in
ducement is offered. We paid largely for it
anu aross we nase az b riGen as we nteu w. N