Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-17
Grade Crossings in Augusta.

There will be hearing before the
Railroad Committee at 2.3O o'clock this
afternoon on the question OF abolishing
the Rines Hill crossing. AS this is a
question in which all our citizens are
interested there will doubtless be a
large attendance.
No community of it's size in the
state of Maine is so unfortunately
situated as regards grade crossings as
is the city of Augusta. 1t is impos
sible to go from its business street to
it's principal residential section without
crossing railroad track with the ex-
ception of the exceedingly steep gas
house hill at the north end of State
street-a route at once round about
and impractical.
The easiest and most used route
from Water street to the West side
residential section is up Rines Hill
which is constantly in use. The cross
ing at the foot of this hill has been
officially pronounced by the State
Board of Railroad commissioners to be
the most dangerous in Maine At the
time this verdict was passed the cleo
trio road was then only local service
between Augusta and Gardiner. To-
between Watervile and Lewiston, with
the result that the former dangers
have been many times increased. For
years our citizens have lived in daily
apprehension Of horrible disaster at
this point which on several occasions
has been very narrowly averted. An
electric car was once hit by Il train
and thrown from the track at this
point. Fortunately the engineer was
able to bring his train to Il standstill
before any of the passengers on the
electric car-which was largely filled
with women and chdren-were killed
or injured. 1t was an exceedingly
close call. The details of this acct
dent We're carefully investigated by the
Board of Railroad Commissioners. and
are a matter of record in their Office.
The question is How long are the
people Of this city, and the thousands
who travel back and forth between
Watervillc and Lewiston to be SUBJ
jected to this constant and horrible
menace? Is it not high time that some
practical measure of relief is afforded
them? The writer has twice slid down
the hill and across the railroad track
when slippery rail made il impossible
for the mOtorman to control his car.
ed with women and children. Other
citizens have had the same experience.
Some six or seven years ago Mr.. Geo.
f. Evans, at that time the General
Manager of the Maine Central Rail
road came to Augusta and made q
careful examination of Rines hill, in
company with the writer making care
full note of the city valuations of
property in that vicinity. AS he re-
turned from this inspection he re-
marked. at is a common saying that
corporations have no souls, but / have
laid awake many times in the night
and worried about this crossing" He
added that the Maine Central railroad
stood ready to do it's fair part in re-
moving this danger.
What was n source Of worry to Mr..
Evans mas long been Il source of worry
to the people of this and other cities
VINO patronize the electric road. There
is absolutely no excuse for this dan
Serous grade crossing. In the plain in
terest of the public safety it should be
abolished,
Some idea of the large extent of the
travel UP and down this hill may be
had from the results of a careful rec
ord recently kept between the hours
of 5 O'Clock A. NJ. and II o'clock p. NJ.
under the direction of Mayor Plaisted.
During that period the following
amount of travel occurred at this
crossing:
Maine Central trains and shifting
locomotive, 90: electric cars. including
Hoyt's express car. III; teams, 1912;
foot passengers. Apo.
1t is only gust to say that the day
upon which this record was made was
a stormy one. Had it been fair the
travel would, doubtless, have been
much larger.
The situation is one that speaks for
itself, and certainly calls for action.