The Portland daily press., 1889-01-11
BRIEF JoTTINcs.

probably sail at o'clock this morning for
Liverpool, via Halifax
1t was bright, with strong cold westerly
gale yesterday, after the fierce but brief
southeastern of the day previous.
Captain DOW was elected trustee of the
Relief Association of the Portland Fire De-
partment last evening.
W. w. Andrus, who played with the Port
land Base Ball Club in 1887 will play in But
falo next season.
The Unitarian "Women's Auxiliary, will
meet this afternoon at O'Clock, in
their rooms No. 6l13 Congress street..
we nave received from e. G. Harrington
the published proceedings of the 22nd an
nual convention of the Y. M. C. A. of Maine.
The rudder of the steamer Vancouver
broke on her voyage to Portland. and It will
nave 10 De repaired before she can sail again.
Inc Maine Genital railroad have just COM
pleted at their shop in Waterville, new
second-class passenger car, No. "A.
The life saving station reported three
master yesterday afternoon flying signal
for tug, which gave rise to the report that
she was flying signal of distress.
Inc bright light seen last Sunday night in
the direction of Saccarappa, came from the
burning OF the old Harmon homestead on
Beach Ridge, Scarboro.
Judge Ii. G. Peabody will lecture before
the Students Law Club this evening on the
subject Insolvency" After the lecture the
Judge will preside at the first mock trial of
the season.
The Portland Fraternity wants few back
numbers of Harper's Monthly to complete
their library set of the years 1860 to 1866 in
elusive. Any person having these will con
fer favor by leaving them at the rooms No
IA Free street, or send address and the jani-
tor will call for them.
The gale yesterday morning blew off a
large ornament from the front of the
Swedenborgian church. 1t is reported that
| 1t twisted the cupola of the new Ottawa
House. A big elm on State street was split
| in halves.
In order that the members of the Women's
Christian Temperance Union may attend the
funeral OF their late vice president. Mrs. j.
b. Donne II, the usual Friday meeting will be
postponed till $50 o'clock Monday afternoon.
A very large number attended the union
meeting in Y. NJ. c. A. Hall yesterday af-
ternoon. The meeting was one of unusual
interest The meeting today, at p. M, will
be led by Rev. A. L. Dunn. All the churches
In the city are cordially invited to partici-
| pate in these meetings.
Four petitions are being generally circu-
lated by tie w. C. T. u, asking that Sunday
work In the mails be discontinued; that
dealers be forbidden to sell tobacco to minors
under Is years; that the age of consent be
raised to Is years, and that women be al
lowed to vote in the municipal elections.
Car Heating and Grade Crossings.
In accordance with instructions from the
last legislature the Railroad Commissioners
made an examination into the several i'm
proved modes of lighting and heating cars,
report of which was included in the annual
repor OF the Commissioner for 1887. In that
report the Commissioners suggest the pas
sage OF law similar to that of the State of
Massachusetts,, requiring that mo passagen-
ger car on any railroad shall be lighted by
naphtha, nor By an Illuminating oil or fluid
made in part by naphtha, or which will ig
mite at temperature of less than 300 de-
grees.' While no serious accident has oc-
Cured during the past year in consequence
of the methods generally used for heating
and lighting cars, the same danger from this
source still exits as formerly. and no mate
rial change has been made in the methods
mentioned in the report of 1888. Some of
the Weather corporations have adopted
methods of steam heating; but others yet
use wood and coal stoves which are source
of danger in case of railroad accidents, that
many persons may be roasted alive. Hence
the Commissioners recommend and urge
such legislation as will compel all railroad
corporations, within reasonable time, "to
and lighting passenger cars"
The growing dangers attending the multi
plicity of grade crossings in and near our
populous cities and large villages, lead the
Commissioners to say:
'In view of the fact that grade crossings
are rapidly multiplying in the State by the
laying out of highways and farm roads over
railroads. and in the belief that there should
be some specific and comprehensive over
sight for such an important matter, we
would suggest such an amendment to sec
ton q of chapter $40 of the Laws of Maine,
1880, as would prevent q highway, farm-road
or street from being laid across railroad
without the written consent of the railroad
commissioners, who should be empowered to
fix the manner and condition of such cross
ing, and to apportion the expense thereof
equitably, and to compel the making safe
any existing grade crossing which may be
reported or represented as especially blind
and dangerous; even to requiring the con-
struction of an oyer-bridge or an under-pass
in the place thereof