Ellsworth American., 1908-03-25

fruit and shade trees, and would be a
menace to life. He thought that for a
reasonab BILE sum the power company could
secure right OF way over private property,
back from the highway on the eastern
side, where it would run almost entirely
through pasture land, and with few il any
wood lots to interfere. lie said, speaking
for himself, that he would rather give the
right OF way over his property han to be
paid literally for fruit trees that would be
damaged II the line was run along the
highway.
4 remonstrance signed by twenty seven
residents OF Grant street was also pre-
sented.
George B. Stuart raised questions of law
as to whether the present board had power
to act on that part of the petition which
had been denied by the previous board,
which was that part along Grant street,
Main street and Water street, to the store
Of Walter j. Clark. He thought it would
be necessary for the board to give the re-
quired two weeks notice by publication
or personal service on property owners.
Henry NJ. Hall, for Ellsworth Power
Supply Co.. which is petitioning for the
right to construct the line, said he
believed the notice given was sufficient,
and at all events the company was ready
to assume the risk.
As to Grant street, Mr.. Hall said he had
consulted with several property-owners
along that street and he felt satisfied that
it would be possible to secure right of
way over private property from the power
house to point in Water street near the
old Hall steam mill, and that therefore
the company would withdraw all that
part OF the petition, except the necessary
right to cross Main street, and would
ask simply for the right along Water
street and the Bayside road from the Hall
steam mill to the Trenton line.
To bring the matter before the board for
discussion, Aid. Estey moved that the
board grant the right to erect the line ON
the Bayside road to the Trenton line.
Aid. Stock bridge thought the city
should know how the line was to be con-
structed, what material was to be used,
height of poles, size of wire, etc.
Chief Engineer Leonard of the power
company said the line would be built as
substantially as possible. Heavy cedar
poles would be used, fifty feet high
through the thickly settled portions of
the street and forty feet high elsewhere.
The wire is of copper, about one-quarter
of an inch in diameter, and the insulators
used were subject to a test of $1,000 volts,
though only $1,000 volts would be trans
mitted over them. The wires would be
netted where they crossed highways or
other wires.
Mr. Hall called attention of the board to
the powers granted it by the statutes to
QlEtct tne COuslEuCtloH VI thO iihSs w
order changes il necessary, even to the ex-
tent of having the line removed entirely
from the highway after the permit was
granted. He said the company preferred
to go over private right OF way ii 1t could
be obtained. In fact, in the town OF Tren-
ton, where the right over the highway had
been granted for the same line, the COM
pany had afterward secured private right
OF way for nearly the entire distance
through that town.
Other discussions followed as to possible
danger from the wires, the danger to fire.
men in case of fire, ETC., all OF which has
been threshed out at the hearing on the
power line to Bangor, fully reported in
THE AMERICAN at the time. Mr.. Leon
ard read the letter from G. E. Parsons,
chief engineer Of the Hudson River Elec-
tric Power Co., as to experience with
high tension lines in other parts of the
country. The letter was printed in full
in The AMERICAN March 4.
Aid. Stock bridge thought action on the
matter should be deferred little longer
to give any other remonstrants opportu-
nifty to be heard. 1t was finally deferred
to Friday evening, March q.
HIGH SCHOOL PROPOSITION.
Mayor Simonton made an interesting
proposition for the building OF new
high school building, the need OF which,
he said, everyone recognized: He sug-
gested an appropriation TINS year Vi
{2,OOO-$1 900 OF this to be applied to IN
terest on the money it would be necessary
to borrow, and 1000 to sinking fund.
He had studied the situation somewhat,
and believed the city could AFFORD to issue
$25, 900 in bonds for new high schooi
building, which must come some time,
and as well now as any time. He asked
the members of the board to give the mat
ter thorough confederation, and the mat
ter could be brought up for discussion
later.
s. Milton Beckwith presented petition
for q sidewalk on Hancock street from
near the house of George F. Haskell 70
Dean street, and along Dean street to the
house OF James Smith, and another Tor
sidewalk ON upper Main street from the
John Malone house to the house OF MRS.
Nancy Calnane. The petitions were re-
ferred to the committee on streets.
Voted, That all bills AGAINST the city ior
labor performed or material furnished must
be approved by the officers and committee OF