Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-21
ELEcTRICS TO AUGUSTA.
Read Asks for Location of Tracks on
Ticonic Bridge and In City.

A special meeting of the aldermen,
| acting as municipal officers, was held,
! last evening. to consider the petition of
| the Augusta & WaterVille Electric
Road for a location of its tracks on the
| Ticonic bridge and some of the streets
| of the city. The petition was present
| ed by Thomas j. Lynch of Augusta,
F, attorney for the road, which stripped
of IT'S legal form asks that tracks may
he laid from the boundary between
Waterville and Winslow across the Ii
| cCnic bridge, to Bridge street, to Lock-
| wood, to Front, to Common, to the
easterly lire of Main. 1t will be readily
recognized that this is coming into the
city by the back way and stopping on
the Common or City hall park.
In presenting the petition Mr.. Lynch
explained that the project had been
conceived several years ago by the
gentlemen now interested but it had
| been abandoned then on account of the
great distance and of the expense of
building. Now, however, after some
| experience in building other roads and
since Waterville and Augusta had
grown it was believed that it could be
| made to pay. He explained that as
there are several good sized villages
near Waterville and on this end of the
proposed line. Waterville might ex-
pect to get more benefit from it per-
laps than Augusta.
The length of the road will be about
II miles and it is expected that it can
be in operation IN is months perhaps.
The mana cement of the Waterville &
Fairfield Road had been interviewed
in regard to the matter and had eX
pressed no objection to it. ,
Alderman Vaughn then moved that the
petition be accepted and the motion was
| carried. Mayor Blaisdell read an order
signed by Alderman Learned, granting
the locations asked for in the petition.
Alderman Learned moved that this DC
laid on the table for the present in or
Ger to give any who wishes chance TO
express an opinion.
G. +. johnson, representing the Water
vile e. Fairfield Railway Il Light Co,
lection to the granting of the locations
| and that it would be entirely satisfacto-
ry.
DIR. f. c. Thayer, being present as d
spectator, was then called upon and eX-
pressed himself as being strongly in IA
vor of granting the petition.
Some doubt being expressed as to the
bridge being capable of carrying the cars,
their usual custom they had employed an
expert engineer. Mr.. Jones of Lewiston.
who had had much experience in cleo
trio road building. to examine the bridge
thoroughly. His opinion was that it was
sufficiently strong for the purpose. Later
other experts would be put on and their
recommendations as to any repairs OF
strengthening that might be needed would
be carried out by the company.
Mr.. Lynch thought that the bridge was
practically the same width as the one at
In ma no tnu 10
wider over all, but the difference is in
the walks and not the roadways which
he thought were about the same width.
He thought one of the two walks now on
the bridge could be abandoned and but
one left for use. He had noticed that
the one on the south side seemed to be
used more than the other, so that the one
on the north side might be removed and
the space thus obtained be devoted 10 the
road.
Alderman Learned said that he did not
think that anyone wanted to place any
obstacle in the way of any electric road
or any other for that matter that wished
to come into the city. but he thought that
It was = matter that would require more
| time. There were several things that
should be looked up and especially in
regard to the bridge. So he would move
| that the matter be laid on the table until
| the next regular meeting.
Alderman Learned moved that the
| board adjourn until Saturday evening,
Nov. Y. and the motion was carried. So
the matter will rest until that time. when
| il Is probable that it will be definitely
settled and beyond question favorabiy.
| There were but few citizens present at
| the meeting. last evening. but this was
doubtless not so much on account of a
| lack of interest as a lack of knowledge
| that the meeting was to be held as ii
| was not announced until couple of days
J ago. But the fact is familiar that plans
had been made for building road from
! here to Augusta and that the locations
/ in the city were to be asked for. There
! seems to be no objection to granting me
! locations, the only question being the
| ability OF the bridge to carry the road.
I OF course more or less is being heard
4 about the danger to teams in having ar
electric car track on a narrow bridge
out so many times in so many different
places in the State that an objection O,
this kind does not have much force.