Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-28
GRADE CROSSING.
City Council Held Joint Meeting
Regarding 1t.
committee to Confer With Railroad
Companies Appointed.
Both Railroads Represented at Monday
Nights Meeting.


with the Rines hill crossing. at the
Joint meeting of both branches of the
CITY council, was 7.30 O'Clock, it was
lnuch past that hour when they finally
sot together. Monday night. 1t was
eAdctly i.53 O'Clock, when Mayor Rob-
er'soh thumped the table of the pres
ioent OF the common council, the meet
ing being held in the room of the lower
BOARD, and called the melting to order.
At the request of the mayor, City Clerk
harrington read the order passed at the
regular meeting, last week, for the
JOINT convention. Mayor Robertson
then said that the members of the city
council would be pleased to hear from
any cltlzen or representative of either
lie Name Central or the Augusta, Win
tnrop q Gardiner Railway in regard to
the subject matter before the meeting
Setn M. Carter of Lewiston, was re-
quested to address the meeting, he be-
ing there in the interests of the Maine
Central
lie SAID that he had simply come to
Augusta to be present at the meeting
on the request of General Manager
Evans OF the road, who was unable to
attend. He really knew nothing of the
facts which had led up to the present
meeting. 1t hardly seemed the place
Tor him to say anything until he had
heard the views of others, who under
stood the situation. Of course, the
Maine Central knew that the crossing
at the foot of RineS hill was a danger
Gus one and was anxious to get rid of
1.-THE road was anxious to get rid of
all dangerous grade crossings If it
could be done at a reasonable expense
the road would be glad to do it,
The narrow escape from a serious ac-
cldent on the crossing, last winter, had
called the dangers of it very sharply
to mind. Chief Engineer Dunn of the
road had made surveys and secured
data for the purpose of making plans
and estimates of the cost of eliminat-
ing the crossing, but a serious surgical
operation this spring had prevented
him from completing the work. There
had been two propositions advanced for
eliminating the crossing, viz: To carry
the electric railroad over the tracks of
the steam railroad on a trestle and
leave the highway as it now is, or to
carry both electric road and highway
over the Maine Central by means of a
viaduct or by tunneling the hill. To
him it seemed that it would be more
satisfactory to all concerned to have
the grade crossing entirely done away
with.
George e. Macomber, president of the
A., w. & G. Ry., said that the COM
pany which he represented felt that
something ought to be done in the mat
ter. as soon as it could be decided what
was the best to do.
At the annual meeting Of his road
there was a committee appointed to
confer with President LuciuS futile of
the Maine Central in regard to doing
away with the crossing, but they had
been unable. from variety of causes,
to meet Mr.. Tuttle. 1t had been their
hope that the committee could meet the
LEARN what the companys plans were
and so bring the matter to a head as
quickly as possible.
The Electric Road was willing to do
it's part 1t had not much money still
it was willing to assist in eliminating
the grade crossing. If the expense was
going to be anything like what it had
been estimated, it was going to be a
serious matter, unless the city would
assume a portion of the cost. If Au-
gusta was. anxious to eliminate the
grade crossing, it would have to help
do the work. He would like to know
how the members of the council felt
on the subject. He had felt that as a
last resort the Electric Road could
cross the tracks of the Maine Cen
trail by a trestle, but thought that if
the grade crossing could be entirely
done away with it would be a good
thing for the city. the property in the
street and the people generally and that
the city should pay it's part.
| The proper thing to do was for the