Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-31
The Rines Hill Crossing.

general congested condition of railroad
traffic in Augusta, when the growth of
| business leads the Maine Central to
take up this question upon broad and
permanent basis. One of these is to
| cross the river on a new double track
bridge at point below Rines Hill and
carry the whole traffic of the road to
| the East side of the River. The other
| and strengthen ana widen out the pres
ent bridge to enable it to carry two
tracks Both of these are million dol
lar projects 1t is not likely that either
plan will be adopted for a number of
years to come inasmuch as the Maine
Central has large amount of work to
do before it will in the natural course
Of events be in position to take up
either of these immense projects. When
they are finally settled they will be
settled by the Maine Central railroad
with reference to the needs of its traf-
fic. The Rines Hill matter will have
absolutely no bearing upon the final de-
termination of either of these great
projects. The sum to be invested is
too small to have any determining eff
feet upon the permanent policy of the
road. If it determines when in
years to come 1t finally gets to the
gu estion, that its general service de-
mands the crossing of the river, the fact
that it has invested some years before
doing away with a crossing at Rines
Hill will have about as much influence
upon the matter as a last years alma
mac The Maine Central has many
times abandoned much larger invest
mcnts than this in the improvement of
it's service, and will not hesitate to do
so again, when the growth and needs
Of its traffic may require it. In the
case Of the Rines Hill crossing which
from railroad standpoint, is not 4
large matter at best, and where the
State assumes fourth of the whole
expense, the Maine Central may we'll
| feel even after two or three years, that
it has received back all of the compar-
atively small sum invested there, in in
surancc.
The Attorney for the Maine Cen
trail made it very clear, in the
recent hearing before the railroad
| committee, that the road was
net in position to undertake either Of
the great million dollar projects at this
time. He said that plans for both were
berg worked out by the engineers of
the road but had not been completed.
In 4 work Of such magnitude a corpor-
alton moves slowly. 1t is often mat
ter Of a decade between the beginning
of the plans, and the final completion
| of the work 1t was evident at the
hearing that the railroad did not want
to be forced in matter of such mag
nitude. and furthermore it was evident
position on the part of the Legislature
to force it. 1t was conceded that these
great and far reaching problems We're
problems of the future. The Maine
Central did not want to be put to any
| expenditure that would bear upon its
| final decision. 1t wanted to be perfect
ly free when the time came to adopt
either of the two great plans that
| seemed on the whole to be for the per-
while making no conceament of the
fact that the consideration of these
great problems was a matter of
the future, tine Maine Central Rail-
road very frankly admitted that
the Rincs Hill crossing with it's ever
present dangers, ard it's immense travel
as shown by the figures submitted
by Mayor Plaistcd--was a very present
and a very serious problem. They were
willing to 80 something and do il at
once to remedy this situation.
The result was the bill which was re-
| ported unanimously by the Railroad
| committee. passed without opposition
in the Legislature and signed by Gov
ernor Fernald This bill carries State
appropriation of S25. 900 which is now
| ready to be expended for the welfare
| of our city and it,, people. AS result
| of this generous assistance of the State,
| the expense to be apportioned among
the other intcrests-the railroads and
| the city-is neither large nor burden
some for any one of them. This is alb
solutely the only proposition that is to
come before the voters of Augusta. 1t
is this or nothing. If the bill is rejected
| bv our citizens the chances are small
that the State will ever again make
an appropriation fer this purpose. If
| that should be the outcome of the spec
ial election. the grade crossing prob
| lem ir Augusta will drop out of sight,