Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-24
| $50
AUGUSTA LOCALS.
FIRE station.
Bridge Street Lot Chos-
en- After Long Debate.
Speeches and Letters t0r Both
Sites Heard Spirited Detais.
Council nisagrses, but Finally Con-
ours With Alderman.-Tie Vote.

>
evening, at the special meeting OF tho
city governpent as the site for the
proposed new central fire station. The
decision was not arrived al until aft
er debate. somewhat spirited at
times, lasting OYER two nou9s, in which
arguments both for the slte finally Sc
lected and for the Rines Hill site had
been made by those interested in both
I@sites. Besides members OF the city
government remarks were made By
several citizens, while letters were
] read from other citizens and a petit
S ton was. read from members of the
fire department. When The matter of
voting upon the sites finally came up
4fderniaa Holmes order to purchase
the property at the top Of Rines hill
for the site was rejected by the up
per hoard and accepted by the lower
board, president Ward of the common
council voting In favor of the passage
and thereby breaking a tie. One menu
Der of s;he common council who had
| been present but had gone home, was
sent Tor and upon his return the lower
Board Voted to redede from it's former
vote, and aancHr with, the upper bourd.
Then Alderman Beck introduced ul4e
c,4ier 10 purchase the Titeomb prop
erty at cost not to exceed S500p and
ii was passed { To l by the aldermen
and unanimously- by 9 the . common
council on the motion of Councilman
fTrask, "a heretofore ardent supporter
of the Rines hill site.
All Of the aldermen were present,
except Skehan, when the board of
nayor and aldermen was called to or
der and eight of tie common council.
To witness the proceedings and Incl
dentally to take part if called upon.
We're nearly 80 citizens. A joint con-
vention was at once called and both
boards got together to consider the
question of the site for the new fire
station. Mayor Moves stated the rea-
son for the meeting and said that
any one would be free to speak on the
subject.
As a starter he had petition read
which had been signed by Chief John
A. Buckley and 81 members of the fire
department requesting the selection of
the bridge street site. The prinei-
pal reason given in the petition for
the site was the run through Water
street if the Rines hall site was chos-
en-. They also favored the Titcomb
property because the Board OF Under
writer's favored that part of the city.
Alderman CARL read letter from
George e. Macomber which stated that
he favored the Rines hill site giving as
one reason that the grade of Rines hill
was less than that of Bridge street art
the present time and would be les
sened when the new Maine Central
station is completed. The location also
gives easier access to Water street
where much of tie taxable property
|, of the city is located. The letter sug-
gestoc moving the hose house on
Grove street to the northern end Of
Water street
Chief Buckley then took the DOR and
defended the Bridge street location. He
said that the old fire building had
been in its present place for nearly
Ice years and no complaints had never
been made as To its location He then
gave DIT some length the statistics re-
garding the alarms and calls to fires
which the department has answered
in the year passed, nearly all of
which appeared in the Journal, Mon
day morning He then read n letter
| "tlSh lit iiftN Niiltci1 ~ Dplli7 the NEW
England and National Board of IN
derwriters, stating conditions as they
now exist in the city and asking for
replies. The reply from the New Eng
land Board WAS TO the effect that as
the Nationalil,oard had more iirisdic-
ton what they said shouldrbe given
preference tfhe reply from the Ma
tionah Board stated that the present
location of the fire station was better
in that it is more central and the
runs down the hills are easier than
they would be from Rines hill
Speaking for the men of the de-
partment the chief said that they all
favored the Bridge street location as
they dc not like the idea of the run
through Water street. He said, also,
that the principal manufacturers fav-
or the present location Getting down
to the members of the joint stand
ing fire committee, Chief Buckley
said that he considered that it had
been unfair, that he was not able TO
attend meetings and that he and
others should be given a hearing and
that the chief and members of the
department should be listened to
thought the affair would hsve been
settled long ago if the committee had
been made up differently and not so
many from one ward.
During the course of Chief Buck
leys remarks the statement was made
that the department could make the
run down Bridge street from three
to five minutes shorter than they
could down Rines hill. Councilman
Tracy asked what would be done il
g freight train should happen to be
On the Bridge street crossing Chief
Buekley's reply was that in rs years
the department. had never been de-
| layed Now things are even better
| than they were as there is cross
ing tender there night and day. III
there should be an accident II would
only be firemen aud not your wife
and children, or mine. who would be
| injured" said Mr.. Buckley An ar
| gument had been previously advanced
thats the. proximity of the schoolhouse
| to the fire station was against the
sRridge street lot and Chief Buckley
offset this by calling attention to a
| fire in a school building, where many