Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-23
Petition from Boston and
Maine Railroad.
Asks Modification Of Signals
al south Berwick Crossing.
Portland and Brunswick Street
Railway Files Annual Report.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council
Friday, Sept. Is, At 10 A. M.


Friday, Sept. Is, at 10 A. N,
Announcement was made TUESDAY, at
the office of the Board of Railroad
Commissioners Of the receipt of a pe
tition from the Boston and Maine
Railroad asking a modification of the
signals at crossing of the company's
track by the track of the Berwick.
Eliot and York Street Railway, in the
town of South Berwick A hearing on
the petition will be assigned later.
The petition represents that whereas
in pursuance of a petition of the Ber
wick, Eliot and York Street Railway
dated Nov. rs. 1902. praying to have
determined the manner and condition.;
of construction and maintenance of the
crossing by said street railway by the
present petitioners railroad in the town
of South berwick. the commissioners
on Jan. %, 1908. made decree grant
ing the prayer of the street railway, in
which the following conditions were
required: at said crossing there shall
be signal mast with red ball to be
used by day and a red light to be used
by night. Said mast and signal shall
be in charge of a signal tender en-
poyed by and under the direction Of
the Boston and Maine Railroad. Said
signal tender shall invariably put I'D
the red ball or red light before any
electric car crosses. whether a train is
due or not. and shall keep it up until
the crossing Is clear. And no electric
car shall cross the tracks of said B,s-
ton and Maine r. r. until such ball or
light is displayed at mast head. The
whole expense of erecting and main
tanning sail mast and signals shall! be
borne by said Berwick. Eliot and York
St Railway Co, and the said Berwick,
Eliot and York ST. Ry. Co. shall pay
one half of the expense of employing
said signal tender"
The petition further states that
whereas it is believed that because of
the Typography of the land adjacent to
said crossing and the curvature of the
tracks near by, the said conditions so
far as relates to the erection of the
mast and ball is concerned would
rrove inadequate and more or less i'm
practicable. and that the installation Of
interlocking semaphore signals, one
1900 feet southerly and one 400 feet
northelly of the crossing connected
with derailing switch. would afford
both steam and street roads and the
travelling public better security, the
modification of the signals is asked
for.
The Board of Railroad Commission
ers has issued two certificates of
safety one of which. dated Sept Is.
certifes that that part of the Lewiston
Augusta & Waterville Street Railway.
from the bridge across the Cobbossee-
contee stream, in Gardiner. to Sabat-
tus village, a distance of about 1913 |
miles. is 50 constructed as to be safe
for public travel. The other cert'fl-
cate is that the changed location of the |
track of the Somerset Railway around
Mars Bog is so constructed as to be
safe for public travel.
According to the annual report or
the Portland & Brunswick street Kali
way. which was filed at the office OF
the State board of railroad commits
sioncrs Tuesday the gross earnings
from operation during the past year
were 37.61212 against s37.9471G for the
preceding year, "A decrease of $275,O4:
operating expenses. $35.960S7 against
s29,24777 for the preceding year. an
increase of SC. 1911; net earnings from
operation. STILES against sS.OO9.39 Tor
the preceding year. a decrease OF
ss.29S14; net deficit, $1O.S23.2s; deficit
at the close of the year. s5.5573l; pas
senger car earnings, $37. 23O.56
Olher items in the report are as 1oi-
lows: Maintenance of way and struc-
lures. $1.Sl4.3?; maintenance OF electric
line. s1.05S72: maintenance of buildings
and fixtures. $357OO: maintenance OF
electric plant. $203.25: maintenance OF
cars. s. sos Sc: maintenance of electric
equipment of cars. $3.619N; power
plant wages $2.319.12; fuel for power
81 $50 So: lubricants and waste LOT
power plant, $2l5.46: hired power, w.
S4Ol9 wages of conductors, $29o".o9'
wages of motormen. s2.966.2S; car ser
vice supplies, s1.777.4O: removal of snow
and ice. sos Go; salaries of general Oh
ficers. 81, 1866: advertising ana at
fractions. $23375: miscellaneous gen,
eral expenses. SAIL 81: rent of land anu
buildings. s343.03: incurance' Sl'olo.8 49,
total length of main track, 16.4o miles,
passenger car mileage. 234. 400; passeh-
ger car hours, 1850; fare passengers
carried. 7sS,7S3; car earnings per Cal
hour. 2.371; operating expenses per car
hour. s2,434; operating expenses ana
taxes per car hour, $2.542; operating
expenses per cent. of gross earnings,
$40 per cent; operating expenses anu
taxes per cent of gross earnings, Se'eV
per cent; average number OF en-
ployes. including officials, during tue