Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-01-05

/
The returns show that, on June 30,
1895, there was $3.50 miles of street
railway in operation. and on June 30,
1896. 1910 rniles-an increase of 1921
miles. This additional mileage has
been made by the construction Of the
Bangor, Orono & Old Town Rail-
way Observation-Disclosures. 13 40
Bangor Street Railway. extension. i.i5
Norway Paris Hallway. ........... 2.13
Portland & Cape Elizabeth Rail-
| way ......................... 975
Portland Railroad. extensions. 3.72
Rockland. Thomaston & Camden
Street Railway increase. ........ 156
Somerset Traction Railway $50
Total ........................... 81 y
The total numbers of passengers
| carried by street railroads for the
years ending June 30, 1895, and 1896,
| are 9,143,3T and 123O2, 1926 respectively.
Since June 50 the Patten and Sher-
| man r.. r., SCI miles long, has been
opened to public travel. making the
total mileage of steam railroads on
November 80, 1885, 1726.O2 miles.
Within the same time the Somerset
Traction (electric) has extended it's
track from Hayden Brook to Madison.
a distance of six miles, the Brunswick
and TOpSham Electric railway. about
three and onefourth miles long. has
been constructed. and the Bangor
Street Railway has extended its line
1000 feet on the Hampden road and
800 feet on Railroad street. making the
| total street railroad mileageon Novem-
Der 80 1896, about 14O69 miles, all of
which is operated by electricity except
ing the Fryeburg Horse r. r.
On the Bangor & Aroostook r. r. the
Ashland branch was opened to busi-
| ness, Jan. l, 1886, extending from Ash
| land junction in Oakfield through
Smyrna, Masardis and other places to
| Ashland and is wholly in the county
of Aroostook. With the large lumber
| mill now being built at Ashland. and
| the other industries along the line.th
prospect is that this branch will fur
nish large amount of business for
| the railroad.
The Patten 4 Sherman II. r., eX-
| tending from Patten Junction in the
town of Sherman in Aroostook county,
| to Patten in the county of Penobscot,
was opened to public travel on Sep
tember l. The road is well located and
constructed.the rail weighiRssS6 pounds
per yard with a good suppls<tR ties and
| ballast.
There are no bridges on the line of
this railroad. The culverts which are
of wood. are constructed in a substan-
| tial manner.
The Rumford Falls & Rangeley Lakes
r. r., opened in August, 1896. as far
as Houghton's has been completed to
Bemis on the shore of Lake Mooseluc-
| maguntic. one of the Rangeley lakes.
The railroad is practically an extension
Co. The station at Bemis is very
neat and convenient structure.
The Portland & Rumford Falls rail-
way is having a branch track from
Canton to Otis Falls, on the Farming
ton branch of the NJ. c. r. r. Freight
is being carried as far as Peterson's,
where large pulp mill is being erected.
The road will soon be completed.
The location of the Washington
County r. r. has been completed from
the Mount Desert branch of the NJ. G..
r. r., through Cherryfield, Machias
and other towns to Calais and East
port. Some grading has been done and
work has been suspended for the win
ter.
The Brunswick & Topsham Street
Electric r. r. between the towns of
Brunswick and Topsham, is well built,
and affords a very pretty ride. The
company proposes handling freight.
The Somerset Traction, extending
from Skowhegan to Madison, was COM
menced last year and completed during
the past season. 1t is well built in all
respects. and graded with view of
hauling standard freight cars.
The report includes description OF
the physical condition of the steam and
street railroads. -t
Regarding accidents on steam rail-
roads in Maine, the report states:
The accidents to passengers during
the past year ending June 30. 1896. were
four killed and II injured. as against
two killed and II injured in 1885.
Three of the fatal accidents We're
caused by the derailment of train
upon the Canadian Pacific railway. at
Holeb. during high freshet, which
overflowed and undermined the track.
The other loss life was from careless
ness at station. OF the II passengers
injured, 10 were from causes attribut-
able to their own carelessness. There
for it can be safely said that only three
passengers were killed and that by an
unusual accident, and one other in
jured. by causes beyond their control.
There were six employees killed and 81
injured, as against nine killed and 50
injured in 1895. Three of the fatal
accidents and 81 of the injuries were to
trainmen and from coupling and sun-
coupling cars and engines.
There were eight killed and IA in
jured while trespassing upon railroads,
as against Is killed and eight injured in
1895, being five less killed, and six more
injured than in 1895. OF those not tres
passing there were IA injured, as
against II killed and II injured in 1895.
being II less killed and three less, in
jured The total accidents to all per-
sons were IS killed and 100 injured. as
against 35 killed and Il injured, being
II less Killed and 80 more injured.
Thirty four We're injured while c9upl-
ing or uncoupling: falling from trains
and engines seven, and 20 from other