The Portland daily press., 1900-10-13
Boston and Maine And City We're
RemOlStFantS.
Petitioners Represented
By @. F. Libby.
Evidence and Arguments Made
In the Case.

Yesterday. occurred the hearing on the
petition to widen the draws Of the
Vaughan S AMI Eastern Railroad bridges
before Major Roessler, 7. S. engineers,
who is IN charge Of this district. This
petition was signed Dy men interested in
shipping who claim that these draws are
now too narrow and Improperly placed
and are an impediment to navigation and
there appeared as remOnstrants against
the granting Of this petition counsel rep
resenting the Boston and Maine railroad
and the city Of Portland.
There were present in the Office of the
United States engineer yesterday fore
noon when the hearing commenced Geo.
P. Wescott, Judge Symonds and other
members of the firm of Symonds, Snow
and Cook, counsel for the Boston and
Maine, Commissioner Of Public Works
FernaId and City Solicitor Strout repre-
senting the interests Of the city OF Port
land Charles +. Libby representing the
petitioners and several other gentlemen
who were called as witnesses during the
hearing.
After the reading Of the formal order
authorizing the hearing and the petition
on which this order was based the hear
ing was begun. The signers OF the petit
ton in question were J. S. WinsloW &
Co, who handle a greater part of the
shipping which comes to Portland, Capt.
Tenney OF the Portland Tow Boat COM
pany, whose tugs do most of the towing
for the vessels which pass through the
draws Of these bridges, Randall q nc
AIlister, through whom much of the coal
which comes to Portland is shipped, and
several others.
The cOmplainants and petitioners first
put in their side Of the case and the TAX
ing OF tneir testimony occupied nearly all
Of the forenoon. Among others who were
examined tor the petitioners was Oakley
G. Curtis OF the firm OF Randall & Nc
AlIister. He testified in substance that
the growth and progress made In the con
structlon Of ships which are now engaged
in the coatsW1se coal business demanded
larger draws and better facilities than
are now afforded by Vaughan's and the
Eastern Railroad bridges. He told Of
several accidents which had occurred at
these bridges because of their poor con-
struction and narrowness of the draws
and said that in the interests of shipping
the draws should be made larger. Mr.
Curtis then went on in answer to ques-
tiOn by counsel to tell how vessels which
were too large to pass through the upper
bridges to the vacant coal docks above
Naughan's and the Eastern Railroad
bridges had to walt in the lower harbor
until the railroad coal pockets just above
Portland bridge were vacated and that
because Of this delay he had been forced
TO pay demurrage. If the upper bridges
had been equipped with larger draws it
would not have been necessary to have
Ocoasione1 this delay to the vessels as in
the instances which he gave the upper
docks were free for use. His testimony
as to the increase in the size of ships now
being constructed in answer to thu de-
mands OF the ooastwiss business was very
Interesting. On cross examination many
points were brought out as to specific
eases which had come under the observa-
lion OF the witness, but in substance his
testimony on this matter remained un-
shaken.