The Portland daily press., 1872-01-15

The road bed OF tne Olu portion is IN nne COnul-
ion; 500 tons of rails and Al, 900 sleepers being
iut in during the past season. All the bridges
between Waterville and Bangor are now in good
condition except that at Kendall's Mills and
,he one in Clinton. Both have been repaired,
out the bridge at KendalPs Mills being 1000 feet
ong, and high and ON a trunk line, should be
first class structure, regardless of cost. The
bridges between Waterville and Danville are in
a safe condition, though arches should be put
into the Lewiston and Winthrop bridges In
relation to the accident Aug. 9th, caused by the
breaking down of the bridge at Bangor the
Commissioners say that learning early that
heavier trains were to be run on the road than
We're ever intended when it was built, they re-
commended the rebuilding of several bridges.
This recommendation was not promptly needed.
In reference to the Bangor bridge, the Commits
sioners show that notice was given July 18th in
writing. The Commissioners say:
AS some question has arisen in regard to the
notice of 18th July, before alluded to- it may
not be improper to state, in justice to others
than the Commissioners, that Judge Rice, Pres
ident of the road requested that notices requir-
ing repairs should be sent to him as well as to
the Superintendent, in order, as he stated, that
he might know that they were attended to-
Letters therefore, of the 18th of July, were adj
dressed both to Mr.. Noyes and Judge Rice, and
both were left at the office of the Assistant SUI
periutendent, Mr.. Lincoln, at Augusta. Judge
Rice received his letter ON the 18th of July; and
the copy left at the office at the same time for
Mr.. Noyes, he stated, that he did not receive
until the Oath of July; but he was mistaken in
this matter, for Mr.. Colby, the bridge Superin-
tendent on the p. & X. road, received a letter
from him containing extracts from this notice
of the 18th of July, under date of July Goth.
1t is due to the Assistant Superintendent Of
flee at Augusta to make this statement, because
it has been censured for not forwarding the no.
tice to Mr.. Noyes earlier.
The Commissioners say that the track of the
Portland & Kennebec section of the road is in
better condition than ever before. About HOO
tons of new rails have been laid ON this and the
Somerset and Kennebec section with $4,000
sleepers and other renewals. The bridges gen
orally are in good condition, though the Com
missioners have notified the management that
the bridge across the Kennebec at Waterville
should be strengthed by arches not because it
showed signs of weakness, but from its age-17
years-and its increased use. The Commission
ers add =
In reference to the repairs upon the "consoli-
dated" roads the past season, perhaps it would
not be very far from the fact to say, that upon
the track and bridges enough had been done to
make good the wear and tear and not much
more.
The bonded and scrip Indebtedness of ''con-
solidated" roads is S., 154,70
The other tributaries of the Maine Central,
the Dexter road and the Belfast road are report
ed in good condition. The latter is advised not
to extend further into Piscatquis The Belfast
road cost $S50,000, its bonded debt $1,000 it's
liability beyond is ON its stock.
Portsmouth, Great Falls C. Conacay Railroad
This road has an extra length of a miles in
this State. 1t is under the management of the
Eastern r. r. Co. and is in a good condition,
the bridge over Great Works river being tenn
porarily strengthed until the new one Is put in
place.
The st. Croia and Penobscot Railroad.-This is
the road from Calais to Princeton under new
name. Early in the year the road particularly
the bridges across the st. Croix, were unsafe,
but these have since been put in safe condi-
ton. The bonded debt of the road is 1921, 200.
with a sinking fund of $1S9OO at the close of
1870 Its earnings in 1870 were $S3, 1859, and
its running expenses $47, S9S.64. The business
is increasing each year.
Knos and Lincoln Road.-The road was op-
ened Nov. 9th. This is the most costly road in
the State having three and half miles of pile
and truss bridging; five bridges have drawers
and there were 120, 900 yards of rock cutting.
The road-bed needs much grading to make it
first-class. The company make their own cars
The bonded liability at present is $2O2e,OOO.
R011OOr nd Po;J
the season the road has been extended eight
miles to Guilford Though the road was slight
ed i'll its first building, the company have kept
it in condition of safety and are using every
means at its control to make it first-class. The
liability of the company is $4,000 mostly to
Bangor.
Portland and Ogdensbarg Railroad-Work
on this road was begun Sept Z, 1862 and it was
opened to Conway, N. H., early in August, 1871
The road is well made and the iron excellent
The capital stock of the corporation is $1,137,-
900. In an early examination of the bridges, the
Commissioners found too much DETECTION in the
truss, but this the company promptly remedied.
The Commissioners publish statement of
the work on the Western Division of this road
as made in October, which has been published
in the PRESS. They add that this road when
completed will make a very direct route to the
heart of the great West. The Commission, af-
ter hearing, has ordered the erection and
maintenance of depot at Baldwin.
atlantic and 81. Laurence Rrihoad This
road has been practically merged in the Grand
Trunk by 999 years lease. In Maine there are
eighty-two miles, The company has well kept
sf, f,.f
is now equal in this respect to the average of
other lines in the State, and its bridges are bet
ter In this State eleven miles of rails have
been laid, and 43, 800 new ties 1t is stated,
however, that on the Portland division there
are still remaining too many defective sleepers
and too much worn and Illuminated iron. The
Commissioners add: If the safety of travellers
does not require more gravel on the track the
economy of maintenance certainly does" The
Grand Trunk on its provincial sections has used
steel rails with gratifying results. The officers
have made prompt repairs when requested
LEGISLATION FOR GREATER SAFETY.
In view of the rapid increase of railroad travel
as the casualties that have occurred in this
State the past season, the Commissioners de-
vote some space to railroad legislation for great
er safety. They complain of lack of power in
the Commissioners and claim that the Legis-
lature of the State has a right to legislate di-
rectly upon railroad Corporations to secure
transportation that shall be ''safe and conven-
lent" that it may as well prohibit too small
culverts too small rails, too weak bridges, as to
regulate any other affairs of the citizen to pro-
tect the public. 1t has power to enforce its
mandates by withdrawing the rights to charter
ed immunities or confscating receipts for the
repair of roads. They call attention to another
cause of accidents not occasioned by the COM
panies, but from want of proper oversight by
managers and inattention of employees. 1t is
that there are laws for the punishment of this
class of Offences but after the excitement of the
hour is over, after the first cry of revenge for
the punishment of the offenders caused by the
horror of the slaughter, the public relents and
the officers of the law do not proceed to punish
offenders, justifying it on the ground that the
carelessness that caused the accident was not
intended In view of this it is asked: ''Of what
avail then is legislation?''
ACCIDENTS.
The Commissioners devote considerable part
of their report to accidents,-and largely to
the accident at Bangor, caused by the break
ingidown of the bridge, August 9th. The report
of the examination of the Commissioners made
directly after the accident has already been
published and needs no further notice.
The facts relative to the other accidents on
the Maine Central are no fuller than have al
DIV haa pt,b1 Ion. H., e