Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-07-25

cidents will be reduced to a mini
mum.
I'VE have not. however, stopped
with the placinE Of these signs. The
legislature. at our request. enacted A
law authorizing US TO provide protec-
tion beyond that heretofore required
or authorized Under The provisions
of this new law towns are required.
when SC directed to do by this COM
mission, to cut and trim trees and
bushes so that a traveller may see up
and down the track 300 leet during
all the time he is approaching from
a distance $50 feet from the crossing.
Of course the number of places where
this condition could be created was
limited, and so the law had to pro-
vide a different method for protecting
crossings rot in this class! hence It
was ~rovided that additional gate or
flag protection could be ordered, au-
tomato signals installed. snow fences
removed, banks cut down. and trees.
bushes and other obstructions on
private land eliminated. The central
idea of the law --as that all danger
Gus crossings should be protected
during the next four years.
Acting under this law the commits
.on held five public hearings at Port
land, Waterville, Bangor. Machias
and Presque Isle, which -ere largely
! attended by interested citizens whose
suggestions and advice we're very
| helpful After these hearings,
| member of the commission, accom-
panied by Inspector E. E. Parkman
! personally visited each one of the
more than 1900 crossings in order
| that the kind of protection needed
! and the time when the same should
be given might be fully understood.
This took three weeks time, but it
gave US more information than any
words of description could have pro-
duced We found many crossings
which required neither clearing nor
protection, because of the unobstruct-
ed view. AS to those now having flag
or gate protection part of the time
we felt that if protection was neces-
J sary during the passage Of some train
it was necessary during the passage
Of all trains. and while we could not
make thi. an absolute requirement at
all such crossings we have extended
the hours of protection at a large
number.
In many cases where it was not
practicable to extend the hours dur
ing which gates should be operated
W. have ordered automatic signals
substituted for gates or flag OF
course these signals work all the time
and the protection afforded is posi-
tive Owing to the noise of the ring
ing bell they cannot be used in the
residential portions of towns; but we
hope that a new type. having wig
Wac" visible by day or night, now
being tried out, will be found usahle
and if so these can be installed anyt
where.
Distributed over the four years Of
f917-1920, the protection We have or
dered may he classified as follows:
Crossings cleared of trees and
b;shes
New gates or fagmen ordered.
Extension Of hours of protection
Automatic signals ordered.
Trees and bushes removed by rail
road
Snow fences, hanks and other oh
structions removed.
IF. after these crossing; are pro-
tected by all these warning signs.
gates. fagmen and automatic signals,
and still others are cleared Of trees.
bushes. banks and fences At
great expense to the towns, the state
and the railroads-travelers Ike. p on
'being injured and killed, it would
seem as though the fault was entire
ly that Of the travellers. The state
will have done all it can"