The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1903-03-19
More About Bridges.

The selectmen have made a contract
with W. Fl. Keepers & Son of Ports
mouth, N. 81. to build a steel concrete
bridge across the Wesserrunset river
near S. F. Stewards on the road to
Canaan as authorized by vote of the
town at the March meeting for the sum
OF 81 700. The span is to be 70 feet
with 16 feet solid masonry at each end.
The bridge will have a roadway 20ft.
wide and the center of the span is to be
Is feet from the water and walls % feet
high. One advantage of this bridge is
that 1t requires no planking or painting
and will never need repairs. A bridge
across the kenduskeag river in Bangor
of the same construction as this propos-
ed bridge is reported by the Bangor
Commercial to have withstood tremen6-
Gus freshet pressure, and in other places
they bear an excellent reputation for
strength and durability. There are not
many of them in Maine and none in
this county that we are aware of.
So much for the Wesserrunset bridge
but the affairs of the Kennebec street
bridge, voted by the town, do not go
along with like facility.
The selectmen had got well along with
contract with w. H. Keepers & Son
for "Three Hinge Braced Archn steel
bridge 260 feet long having a % feet
roadway, 6 feet side walk, with four
foot rail. This bridge has all the trusses
underneath the roadway and the advis-
cry committee appointed at the town
meeting and the selectmen were much
pleased with this style of steel structure,
believing it to be much preferable to the
overhead truss for the place where this
bridge is planned to cross the river.
AT this iuncture the following petition
was placed in the hands of the selectmen
To the selectmen of the town of Show
hogan, you are hereby respectfully re-
quested to call meeting of the legal
voters of the town OF Skowhegan and to
insert in the warrant therefore, the fol-
lowing articles, viz:
To see II the town will vote to recon
slider the vote whereby it voted to build
bridge across the Kennebec river at or
near the foot of Kennebec street.
To see if the town will vote to rescind
the vote whereby it voted to build a
bridge across the Kennebec river at or
near the foot of Kennebec street.
B. F. Baker, Warren futile,
S. w. Gould, Daniel Lewis,
l.. w. Weston, Fred Towle.
E. D. Packard, c. w. Day,
John Robinson, A. II. Jewett,
j. p, Merrill, j. w. Steward,
f. A. Nolin, Geo. S. Webb,
Geo. Weymouth, d. B. Locke,
A. l. Weston, w. 3. Steward,
Nor is this all. A legal obstacle is
raised against the building of the Kenne-
bee bridge. The town has street laid
to the bank of the river on the north
side, but on the south side of the river
it has no control of the land. 1t is held
that the town has no legal right to build
the south end of this bridge upon land
owned by private parties and that pub
lie way must be laid out to the river for
this purpose and be accepted by the
town, at meeting called by the select
men by warrant containing an article
for this purpose. The legal steps in the
process are, a petition by nrmber of
citizens, the laying out of the way by
the seectmen upon survey with metes
and bonds given, the report of this sur
vey to the town and acceptance of the
way by vote of the town at a meeting
duly called and held. This process will
probably require several weeks.