Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-08
Rines Hill.


lens which has taxed the skill OF the
street department in this city for many
years has been the maintenance of the
roadway up Rines Hill, over which,
through the necessities of our pecu-
liar physical location, the larger part
the heavy teaming from Water street
tn the residential section must pass In
Years gone by this problem was met by
carting in gravel from season to season
which washed away with the heavy
rains and required constant renewing
In fact, the task of keeping this hill in
hopeless as the stone rolling labors of
ancient SiSyphus. There was absolute
ly no end to it, nor was there any par
ticuIar time when results We're likely to
be found entirely satisfactory. TO Sc
cure some approach to permanency, an
effort was made several years ago to
secure 4 satisfactory condition of af-
fairs on this hill by the employment Of
crushed rock cemented by tar nux,
coating sufficiently thin to give horses
q footing in working up and down the
incline. In some ways this was
great improvement over anything that
had preceded it. Certainly it remained
in place, which was something that had
never occurred before. 1t was, how
ever difficult piece Of roadway at all
times fos horses to secure good fot-
hold upon. Last spring this road was
thoroughly repaired and heavier coat
ing of stone and tar f!ux applied to it.
Tho result was a very smooth and neat
promise the results desired. In actual
use. however, this roadway has failed
to meet expectations. 1t is the general
verdict that it is almost impossible,
even now, for horses to secure a good
fOothold upon II and scarcely day goes
by out that some horse does not STUN
BILE and fail upon it. To such an ex-
tent is this true that many people who
own teams are now using other and
sleeper hills in preference 10 Rines
Hill, because they regard them as safer
for their horses. A day or two since, d
heavy team of horses weighing 800
pounds was hauling a load of coal up
this hill. when one of them STUN
bled and fell upon his side with the re-
SUIT that he was dragged in that posi-
ton down tn" hill nearly to the rail-
road track by the weight of the load
If this hill is 50 difficult to team upon
the result later on in the colder weather
when it becomes coated with snow and
ice? The problem is q real and iln-
mediate one. If any one doubts it, let
him consull the public carriage drivers,
he truclNnen and citizens who own pri-
vote teams, and see what the consensus
of their opinion is concerning tn" safe
ty of Rines Hill at the present time
for general traffic and travel.
We admit that it is easier to point
out defects of this kind than it is to
suggest remedies, which at best are
problems to be worked out by practical
engineers. 1t would seem, however,
that some way might be found to give
horses better footing on Rines Hill
than is possible under existing condi-
tons. And While we are speaking of
the RineS Hill matter we would express
the hope that Legislative action may be
secured the coming winter which viii
rffectua'ly do away with the exceeding
~ unsafe grade crossing at the foot OF
this hill which has been officially de-
Clared by the board of railroad commits
SinnerS to he the most dangerous one
in the state of Maine and which every
interest Of our city demands should he
done away with at the earliest practi-
G.. Bile moment