Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-17
Needed For Handling the
Heavy Freight Traffic,
Discontinuance otSeavey Street
Is Still Undecided.
Many lnconvenien By Conditions
at Upper Crossing.

Some weeks ago there came before
the city government /; request on the
part of the Maine Central Railroad
for the ,liscontinuancc of the lower
section of Scavey street. This rcQucst
was given some consideration at the
time and a hearing was held upon the
subject The matter was left in the
hands of one of the regular committees
of the city government and it was then
supposed that Il report would be forth
coming. None has as yet been made
There arc two reasons why action
favorable to the request should be tax
en- In the first place, it will give to
the Maine Central Railroad Il much
larger yard room than it now has ana
this is something which the Maine Cen
trail must have if the freight tit1'c
| is to continue to increase as it has IN
| the last few years 1t is doubtful even
| if the railroad company would have
| sufficient room in which to handle its
| freight provided the street Is dl;c"n-
| tinu"d and it obtains possession of
| considerable strip of territory border
| ing its; present yard space. There has
been an enormous increase i'll the num-
Der of cars which have to be handled
in the yard during the past few years.
TO handle these to the best possible
advantage, q half dozen more tracks
would be required, and these tracks
should be something more than mere
| SidinES.
But tho dGcontinuancc of Il part of
| Scavcy street and the additional land
| which the Maine Central might then
! acquire would give sufficient additional
i track room for the time being. THIS
! is what the railroad company wants,
! and its request from the city govern
! mcnt should receive prompt consider
| alton.
Tho second and perhaps more impor-
| tant reason why the request should be
| favorably considered is that by giving
the company more track room in the
| upper yard, there would he less shift
ing across the upper railroad crossing.
! This is a most important feature of
! the whole matter. and one which shout!
! influence the city government to
prompt action.
| TO thosc whose duties do not take
| them to the upper section of the city
| this second reason may not strongly
appeal but it will find Il ready response
| from all who patroniZ" the Watcrvillc
| and Fairfield cars or who have occa-
sion to cross the upper railroad track.
Hour after hour long lines of freight
cas- are hauled back and forth over
this track and pedestrians are obliged
! to wait patiently on one side or the
other of the track until the way is
opened while cars are held up for
many consecutive minutes to the con-
scqucnt loss of time and the possible
missing of trains and other important
| engagements. The crossing tenders
do all in their power to keep the tracks
clear. but it is impossible The long
trains of 80 40 and 80 cars must be
made up somewhere, and if there Is
not room in the yards the work must
be done in the very streets of the city.
1t is understood that the railroad
company realizes fully the importance
of keeping the track open to the pub
lie and for this reason they have asked
that tho lower section of Scavcy street
be discontinued that they might make
plans for the enlargement of their
yards. 1t is also understood that a
railroad official recently informed Il
citizen that nothing would be done and
nothing could be done until the city
government acted one way or the other
|
the company to over urge the matter
but favorable action of the city gov
eminent is necessary before any re-
lief can be had from congestion OF
traffic at the upper railroad crossing.
So far as is known very few peo-
pie are opposed the closing of the
street. and these have admitted that the
street was used only for getting the
drift wood from the river. Just why
no action therefore is taken in the
matter is what is puzzling many poo
pie, and they have been importuninl
the Journal man to find out. He ha
stated their reasons as best he can
Public attention has been called t.
the matter several times. The mex
g step might be personal interview Will
, members Of the committee by thos
, who have become tired Of counting
t freight cars and watching their wheel
2 go round.