Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-11-21
By ELECTRICITY.
n ls9lsll, slRdinR nd Ha1sua
EleetFie RlilFsad
The Line, Eqaipms0t ana Aansgsmeni
a. Described By the Journal Rspss.
suntativo.

The most important local enterprise ever
undertaken far the promotion and develop
ment Of business in the CeEtral kennebec
valley has been the inception and construc-
ton Of the Augusta, Halioveif and Gasii-
nR electric hallway.
Ths charter for the road vas granted By
the legislature of 1889 and the Augusta,
HsllossIl and Gardner Railroad Company
vas Immediately organized under the fol-
lowing ofscial management: Hon. J. Man
chester Haynes, Augusta. president; Hon.
Geo. e. Maeombef, Augusts, treasurer; Col.
H G. Staples of Augusta. Hoo O. ID.
Baker of Augusta. DR.. John +. Hill Of An
austa, Hon. s A. Nye Of Fairfield, Amos
+. Gerald of Fairfield, 4. C. Allen Of
Augusta, E. P. Shaw Of Newburyport,
Mass, and w. B. Ferguson of Boston,
Mass, directors.
The capita! stock Of the company vas
axed at eloo, eco ard was rapidly placed
anong the scores of men who saw in the
proposed route one Of the finest invest
menss for earitsl. In October . second
block of 900 Of stock vas issued and
found an immediate market The pushing of
the enterprise was left with Nessrs. Staples,
Gerald and Mscomber, and to these gentle
men is due the speedy construction of the
line. In many places where it seemed that
the enterprise must resui, in failure, so
strong was the opposition, these men have
Iahored nj yht and day to overcome pref udice,
ignorance and every other possible obstruc-
ton and by their own personal efforts have
triumphed and placed an enterprise in work
ing order which all classes of society can
patronize and which has become even IN
ii. short life well nigh Indispensable to bus
iness and social intercourse between the
three cities.
The Lime.
The contract for the construction Of the
line was swar3ed to Messrs. Shaw Fer
grson of the board of directors and it wss
decided to put in the overhead system OF
the Thomson Houston Company. The
grading was commenced early in the spring
Of 1890 and on April Goth the first rail was
laid at the bottom Of Gas House Hill in
Augusta. From this point the line was
pushed down State street to Halloweli where
il passed through the business ytreet and on
to Gardiner by the county road until 1t ter
inmates in Depot square, having trsversed
as fine bit of country as can be found in
Maine, the busy kennsbec river being ever
in sight from the car windows. The Gar
diner terminus was reached with the rail on
Saturday, July 10th. The work Of putting
in the overhead construction was commenced
Immediately and followed the track layers
as fast as possible. The first wire was 10
the air May 30ih and 10 seven weeks it WAS
strung to Gardiner. At the same time a
contract for power was made with the Oak
land Mfg. Company Of Gardiner and the
station was being erected. Several days
were occupied in putting on the finishing
touches and on Wednesday, July %. Supt.
Day turned on the power and started the
frs, car from the house. Two days
were occupied in testing the cars and on
Saturday, July 26, they were run on sched-
ule time and fares were taken. The popu-
lari,y and success of the road was immediate.
Crowds filled the cars at every trip, and
thousands tried the electrics daily. The
open ears with seating capacity Of fifty
Often carried three times thas plumber on a
single trip. In the first ninety three days
of operation upwards of 260, 900 people
we're carried between the three cities. The
immense traffic called for additional power
and another 80 II z. generator was added.
On Fridsy, July % the company COM
menced laying its rail in Augusta from the
foot of Gas House Hill through Bond and
Water streets to the public building. Here
it stopped for a few weeks, occasional trips
being made upon it until it was demon
strated that the line must be pushed up
Rhnes Hill and down Grove street to the
main line on State street. This connection
was completed and the cars running over it
the first of November. Sidings were placed
at Winthrop street and below the State
House, Augusta, at the cotton factory in
Hsllowell, at Rich's in Farmingdale aud in
Depot Square, Gardiner. Another will be
placed at Granite Hall and spur track
will be laid to the Edwards Company's mill
in Augusta.
The grades on the line are quite numer-
Gus and steep. The Gas House Hill grade
is the shaypest on the line. The hill is 800
feet long and for eco feet it is 10 per
cent. grade, ii. e. 10 feet TO the 1907 for
200 feet 10 Ia per cent. grade. One hun
dred feet Of the Rhiues Hill grade is 8 l-2
per cent. on curve the radius Of which is
l05. At Brett's gully the north grade is
10 per cent. and the south grade l-2 per
cent. At Loudon Hill there is 500 foot
trestle, 10 feet above the street level, with
the grade from 8 ga to 10 per cent AT
Lynn's grade the trestie is $50 feet long,
the grade per cent. At Richs there is Il
100 foot trestle. The other grades are
plenty in number but of minor Importance.
In the construction of the road the fol
lowing have been used: IA miles 40 Id. T.
rail; two miles Johnston rail 90
and feed wire; 2s9 poles; 43l
ears; ~ feeder ears; 62 single yokes; 40
double yokes; % strain insulators; 10
straight line insulasors; 227 brackets. The
90 feed wire runs from the station in Gar
diner to the middle of Rhines Hill in
Augusta. from the station in Gardiner TO
the trolley wire at Bridge street in Gardi-
ner and from the wire mill in Hallowell to
the trolley wire in Haliowell. The 0 feed
wire runs from Coughlin's curve in Augusta
to the middle of Rhines hill and from the
junction Of State and Grove streets to the
equity jail. The ground wire runs the
entire length of the line and from the
line up Cobbosseecontee stream to the
power station in Gardiner. 1t is con
nected with the centre of each rail and the
whole system forms complete ground
connection. The company hiss paved the
line at turnouts, street crossings and
through Water street in Hallowell and a
portion of Maine street in Gardiner
and has gravelled and ditched the
entire line. The frogs at the rail
road crossings al the Hallowell steam
mill were manufactured by Gay & Parsons,
machinists, Augusta and those at the
Rhines Hill crossing by Tina Goodell,
Salem, Mass. Both are complete and well
made. In connection i. is not OUT of plac.
to mention the contractors, Messrs. Sha~
G Ferguson. E. p. Shaw, the senior men,
Der 10 President of the Newburyport Mfg.
Co., company which turns out some of
the finest street care in the U1iied States.
all of which are noted for their thorough
construction. w. B.. Ferguson was for.
merly Of the Naumkeag road in Salem,
but is now one of the principal men in the
railway department of the Thomson Hous-
ton Company and known all over the couB-
try as skiilful constructor and equipper
of TIL system railroads. Beth men have
enviable regulations for honesty, business
integrity and enterprise and in their work on
this railroad have proved themselves pos
sessed of these qualities to marked degree.
E-ns~r,.nt