Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-10-01

| during the day and evening, one or
more cars would be occupying each
OF the tracks and would often times
lie stationary for several minutes on.
posite or nearly opposite eacn
other on the tracks. The
street at this point is somewhat marrow
and with cars occupying both tracks
at the same time, If an automobis
CHANGED to stop near the curbing op.
posite one of the cars, there was
| hardly rom for another vehicle 10
pass and If it did not attempt to pass
the passengers going to or from the
cars or otherwise using the highway
at this point were placed in posi-.
lions OF peril. And II was believe:
that this dangerous and annoying sit.
uation would be relieved If there was
| but one car on one track, thus do,
ing away with the possibility Of this
sort OF congestion and danger Car
from Lewiston bound toward Water
Vile and cars from Waterville bouni
toward Lewiston met and passed hour
| ~ on this double track Upon one q
the tracks a the same time. the car TO-
Winthrop would be standing and som,
! tiihCS ollC VI l1IOIt SpbCIdl cars
| this point. The logical solution seem.
ed to be requiring the passing of thu
Lewiston and Waterville bound cars
! at some point other than Water
street and prior to the hearing ii was
! supposed that the only way TO bring
this about was to cause one Of the
tracks to be removed.
The day before the hearing, the
| Superintendent of the Lewiston, Au.
gusta and Waterville Street Railway
put into effect new schedule under
hich the Lewiston and Watervllie
bound cars would cross at what is
known as the car barn" some half
mile west Of Water street, so that
| SO far as those cars were concerned,
there never would be a time when both
| os the tracks would be in use at
the same time. The schedule further
| provided for the operation of the Win
| throp car so that this latter would not
at any time be on either of the
tracks WREN the other was in use.
| And when this new schedule was ex-
planned to the citizens of Augusta who
were present at the hearing. they were
unanimous in stating that there was
| no longer any reason why either OF
! the tracks should be removed Each
asserted that except for the conges.
| ton, there was a necessity and use
for the double tracks on Water street
and their presence in view Of the
fact that but one was to be used at
| time would in no way Inconvenience
or endanger any person using the
track.
II Is therefore not only proper but
necessary to dismiss the petition.
While the manner in which the
street railway will use the street at
this point under its new schedule Is
perhaps not directly involved lin the
pending petition, one or two matters
were discussed somewhat informally
at the hearing and perhaps Should
receive some attention. Under the
new schedule, the Lewiston bound cars
leave ten minutes before the hour
instead OF upon the hour as tormeriy
and some merchants suggested that
many OF their clerks took the car .,
noon or at six o'clock and this chang
in the schedule would make it nee.
essary for such clerks to stop work
at least fifteen minutes earlier than
tne ordinary closing time This mat.
ter was called to the attention of the
superintendent of the street railvay
ana he stated to the interested par.
ties that he would make an effor
to re-arrange the schedule so as 10 az.
ccmplish the same result so far as
the use OF the tracks was concerned
ana at the same time do away witt
the above objection. We Recommend
that the street railway officials give
careful attention to this matter.
IT was also suggested shat the freizh.
traff1c carried on by the street railvay
on this principal business street con.
stituted a menace and danger to oc.
cupants Of the highway ana that ths
railway ought to be particularly care
full In hauling loaded cars or train'
down Rines' hill; ought to perform
its freight service at times when the
traffic upor Water street was not a.
its heaviest: ought to give attention
to the. suggestion that a considerabl' i
portion Of the freight business could
be done in the night: ought generals
tc re-arrarge its freight schedules %
as to minimize the dangers and incon-
veniences incident thereto il such
freight traffic. was carried on durins
the hours when the ordinary street
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