The Portland daily press., 1872-01-06
Cape Elizabeth, Jan. 4th, 1872. c. E. S.
The Railroad Crossings ON Commercial
Street. ----- - -

The following article from the Transcript, is
copied as the request of several of our subscrib-
ers:
The railroad crossings on Commercial street,
in front of Cape Elizabeth Bridge, are still al
lowed to continue, through the intervention OF
the Courts if we understand the matter,-and
against the remonstrances of the entire pOpu-
lation of Cape Elizabeth, and the many thou
sands of our own citizens, who for business or
pleasure, have occasion to pass the bridge.
And now we are to have this nuisance aug
mented by the additional tracks of the Boston
and Maine Extension!
Among the many hair breadth escapes from
death at this point, which are frequently oc-
curing we have heard of none more narrow
than that which occurred recently, wherein
one of our well-known citizens was interested.
He was riding alone in wagon, and just as
train was passing arrived in front of the bridge.
1t continued see-sawng to and fro several
times, the whistles shrieking and the steam
fixing, until his horse became almost unman-
ageable. At last the faithful sentinel, who stood
at his post, to warn of the danger, dropped his
flag, and away went the horse, to dash imme-
diately in front of another train that was COM
ing the other way! Seeing at glance that 1t
was easier to pass this train than to rein in his
horse, before it reached him, the gentleman
struck the horse with the whip, and passed it
barely within yard of the engine! If he had
been killed, of course there would have been
the usual plea that the fagman was at his post,
and all necessary precautions were observer ny
the railroad officials.
In Justice to the fagman it should be stated
that he subsequently explained that he was
employed to look after the trains of the Port
| land, Saco & Portsmouth railroad, and that
| his train concealed from him the one going in
| the opposite direction, which was ON the Port
| land & Kennebec track. He further stated
| the Portland g. Kennebec trains often back
! doWn over the crossing SO that he cannot hear
| them s....-t ~
II 10 +;r,o For ovor1, vral- d;snosad citizap to
| put the question emphatically to our City Gov
| eminent, to the authorities of Cape Elizabeth,
| to the County Commissioners-how long snail
| this objectionable nuisance be suffered to con-
| tinue? We have no doubt that the governing
| authorities of the city and of the Cape have
| right to bar up the railroad tracks on either
side if necessary for the safety of the bridge
travel and should do it unless the nuisance is
| otherwise removed. The newspapers are in
part responsible for its continuance; they have
not represented its Nervousness in the strong
| light it deserves. Let any one of the editors
| stand at the foot of Bracket street when the
| trains are busiest passing and he will have a
| realizing sense of the imminent danger of life
| and limb which those who are obliged to cross
| the Cape Elizabeth bridge are subjected to, any
| day.
Many people in preference to mourning this
risk, make detour of three miles around by
| Vaughan's Bridge to get to or from the Cape;
and we know of q gentleman in our commu-
nifty, who, while in Boston, last fall, learning
that members of his family were to join a
pleasure party to the Cape, wrote specially en-
Joining upon them not on any account to go
by the way of Cape Elizabeth bridge How
long are the thirty or forty thousand citizens of
Portland and Cape Elizabeth, who are init
mately connected in business relations, ETC.,
willing to put up with such restrictions?
If no better plan can be devised let public
meeting be called and the most energetic and
determined measures concerted to remedy the
evil.