The Republican journal., 1896-03-26
The Upper Bridge Case.

forenoon on petition asking them to cause
the city to put in proper repair and open for
travel the Upper bridge, so-called, which
was carried away in the freshet of March
1st. The petitioners represented that the
municipal officers of Belfast, after due no
tice, neglect to repair said bridge. They
asked the Commissioners to act under the
law and oblige the city to put it in proper
condition for travel.
At the hearing the case of the petitioners
was ably presented by Prof j. G. Written,
who gave facts, figures and arguments fully
covering the ground. Testimony for the
petitioners was given by Capt. Geo. T. Os-
born, Capt. Collins McCarty, Messrs. Fl. E.
Kaler, V. FL. Pattershall and Hazael Nc
Keen. The petitioners showed that the
bridge was a portion of county highway,
established in the year 1901, and kept up
continuously with the exception of few
years prior to 1869 From the time it was
established to 1857 it was a toll bridge, but
it was closed to travel that year as being in
a dangerous condition. In 1866 it was en-
tirely carried away during freshet. In
January 1864 the Legislature passed an act
authorizing the building of a free bridge,
but the act was negatived in April the same
year. A petition was then presented to the
City Government to rebuild the bridge, but
this was refused. The aid of the County
Commissioners was then invoked, which
tribunal laid out the bridge as prayed for.
From this decision the city appealed and
the appeal was sustained, on the ground
that the Commissioners have no authority
to lay out road over tide-water. The au-
thority to build was afterwards granted by
the Legislature and the bridge was built at
a cost of $3.50. 1t was opened to the pub
lie June II, 1869, and has been in constant
use since, with the exception of intervals of
few days for necessary repairs.
The bridge was 375 feet long, and a Sec
ton is gone from the centre 1863 feet long,
including the draw. The eastern end is a
stone and cob-work abutment $50 feet long,
and is not damaged. 1t is, however, low,
and if the bridge is replaced it will be nee
essary to grade it up from 2 to 3 feet. The
western end is of pile work, and is in good
condition for about 60 feet.
The petitioners claim that, not only are
the people of the immediate vicinity bene-
fitted, but there is large amount of travel
over that bridge from Waldo, Swanville,
Monroe and North Searsport, especially
when the lower bridge is bare of snow or
the roads are muddy. Comparing distances
it was shown that from the Upper Bridge
settlement to the Post Office the distance is
nearly mile shorter by this bridge than
over the other bridge by way of the Rob-
binstown road that from the Kaler neigh
borhood it is nearer by more than a mile than
by way Of Citypoint; from Alonzo Holmes
house it is slightly nearer than by way of
C!typoint, and that even from Masons Mills
the travel is divided at some seasons the
heavy teams coming over the Upper Bridge
The Robbinstown road, which is nearly a
mile long, is not suitable to accommodate
the travel Of this road, and to put it in CON
dition would be very expensive. AT the
northerly end, half mile of il is very mar
row, and much of it SO low that the high
tides on the new and full moons flow over
it, sometimes to depth of > feet. The road
is built along the side of rocky cliff on one
side, with Il sea wall on the other, and the
work of widening and grading up would be
very expensive. The southerly end of the
road is also narrow, and is built over series
of short sharp hills in a sticky, heavy clay.
1t will not only be expensive to put in pas
sable shape for the increased travel, but
will be hard road for travel in all except
the best seasons of the year. 1t has but
little travel except when one or the ot!ier of
the bridges Is impossible.
The city was represented by Mayor Han
son and Aldermen Welch, Mayo, Kiigore
and Shute. Mr.. Hanson argued in behalf of
the city, that, while the interests of the peo-
pie in the neighborhood ought to be consid-
cred, the interests of the city as whole
We're of more Importance. The people of
the neighborhood are not to be deprived of
their chance to get to the city, it means SIM
ply short increase of the distance. Mr.
Hanson stated that practical road builder
had offered to put the Robbinstown road in
good condition to accommodate the increas-
ed travel, by widening and raising the
northerly end, and widening and grading
the southerly part for $500. Other road
builders, however, say that the work cannot
be properly done for three times that
amount. Alderman Kilgore asked oues-
tlons IN relation to the distances by the Vari-
Gus roads, with answers as stated above.
The Commissioners, after full and patient
hearing OF all the evidence, reserved their
decision, which was announced Tuesday
They ordered that the city of Belfast open
the bridge and have the same ready for
travel hy Nav at