Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-09-24


together Friday evening at the City
building to act upon a matter which
interested the different power compa-
MES in the New England Telephone
Co. and many manufacturers. That
was the moving of a wooden building
from the Head of the Falls to the
SherWin hill.
The building is owned by DR.. c. G.
(Rancourt and it appears that a few
days ago DR.. Rancourt notified the &C
ing mayor of his intentions and asked
for a permit. Mayor Cary interviewed
the members of the municipal officers
and granted the permit. He also before
so doing notified the different power
companies, under whose wires they
would have to travel. Mayor Cary then
gave the owner of the house the per-
nit.
But the different power companies
did not realize the seriousness Of the
undertaking or they would have OBJ
jected to the permit under the condi-
tions 1t is the intention of the house
mover to cross the Maine Central
tracks on East Temple street, go down
Front to Bridge street and down Water
street to Sherwin. They Immediately
went to work and prepared for the
moving.
Repre- sentatives of the New England
Co., the Waterville & Fairfield
Power Co. and the MessalOnskee as
we'll as the Western Union began to
look the ground over. At the junction
of Front and Temple street there Is
net work of wires, which carry power
and light in all directions. They found
that they could not possibly go under
the wires without cutting them. Many
of the wires carry high voltage, when
would mean that many manufacturing
establishments would have to shut
down until the house had passed oe-
meath. 1t might take One-half a day
or a, whole day., They began to look
intottfe matteYand1 finally decided that
| it would cost considerable, besides cut
ting out. the motive power from many
places, which was as detrimental as
the expense of cutting the wires.
The city solicitor was notife1ld, VINO
in turn notified Mayor Cary OF the re-
quest of the companies. Mayor cary
had issued the permit and saw httie
way out of the matter. therefore, lie
decided to call together the municlpai
officers for advice. He also notineo all
nerscns interested in the matter to ap-
near at the meeting with the idea OF
ERECTING some sort of compromise.
large number of the citizens re-
snonded. including representatives
from the various companies and own
ers and managers of the business
,,aces which would be affected by cut
ting the wires.
The meeting was called at O'Clock
and Mayor Cary Immediately explain
cd the situation, claiming that he had
Granted the permit under the above
conditions.
n TT. Niles Of Lewiston, representing
the New England Telephone Co, tooh
the position that the route might oe
changed. 1t will be necessary for the
comnany to open many trunk lines ana
cables besides interrupting many
n,aces of business. He suggested tax
ing the roof off. At present the mousse
stands 26 feet and inches.
+ Patterson, manager of the wa
terv;,le & Fairfield Railway & LlSht
Co. stated that his position was ABOUT
the same. He said that the company
had helped to move about every mousse
during the past Is years. by having d
crew of linemen constantly in attend
ance to help with the wires he
brought I'D the matter of shutting
down industries and the loss of pro-
duct and thought that the matter
might be handled with regulation. He
spoke against the moving of wooden
buildings through the fire limits anu
thought that the same ordinance
should be as effective. The house VIII
be taken through the thickest or the
company's wires. 1t will cut Off the
grist MILL interfere with the main line
on Lockwood street on which Is locat-
ed the power house. and necessitate the
cutting of the trolley curb on the L.
A. & w. Road. He didn't think that
the taking off of the roof would help
him to any great extent as the wires
would have to- be handled just the
same. "t&I Coi'a1gt tar,.. -.-.. s.,. .
Walter s. rWyman, manager of the
Central Maine Power Co.. stated tfat
it would not interfere so seriously with
them as did the moving of the Hayden
house. Their wires in that vicinity
are not so many as the other COM
panies
DR.. c. G. Rancourt, the owner of
the house, stated that he had expend-
ed considerable money on the house
so that it could be moved. He thought
that cutting of the roof would mean a
great expense. He valued the house
at $780, .xa.
Eugene W. Crawford of the Water
vile & Fairfield Co. read list of in
dustries that would be effected by cut
ting the wires, as follows: Water
vile Savings Bank. Waterville Iron
Works, Hathaway shirt factory. Elm
wood hotel laundry, G. S. Flood & Co.
s. A & A. B. Green, Moves Stove Co.
Merrill Runnels & Mayo upper plant,
Maine Central plumbing shop, Maine
Central turntable. Maine Central shop
transfer table, A. o. Lombard machine
shop. Albert Jewell & Sons in Fair
field, Hume & Newhall Co. and the
Turner Center Creamery In all $50
horsepower would be lost. The main
line from the power house runs UP
Front street on the east side
To cut and replace these wires could
not be done in less than a day. AS
for lighting the town Of Shawmut,
Benton, Fairfield, and all north Of
Temple street would be affected. Mr..
Nvoy f<xrI e,k,A 81