Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-09-16
recommendations Public Util.
.,. !, Regarding the Augusta Bridge

| , 1919 " t1iitlee COM
mission acting on the feoues. Of
Mayor Willis Z. Swift o, August.
'ha' an investigation Of the safety ia
travel OF the bridge crossing the Ken.
heoec river at the city be made. las
AFTER two hearings and Investigation.
and reports by the Commission.
bridge expert engineer, made the fol.
lowing ruling or recommendations:
In the matter Of the safety Of N.
bridge across the kennebee river =.
augusta. c'eaves, Chairman; skeI.
ton, commissioner. Appearances. M.
{. sawtelle for the City Of AUGUSTA:
Andrews 4 Nelson for the Lewiston.
Augusta & WaterviIIe Street Rail.
way.
Inc municipal officers of the CITY
OF Augusta have indicated to this
commission an apprehension that the
highway bridge across the Kennebec
river in the city Of Augusta was he.
ing rendered unsafe for the uses to
which 1t was being put, and in ac
cordance with the provisions of the
statute we notified the city of An
gusta and the Lewiston, Augusta &,
Waterville Street Railway, an cleo
trlc company using this bridge in its
transportation Of persons and prom
erty, to attend a hearing at the Of
flee of the commission in Augusta on
April 9, 1918, at which time and
place the above named parties APP
pearcd and were represented as above
indicated.
rms nearing was preliminary
one, the mayor frankly informing the
commission that no particular en-
glneering study had been made Of the
bridge, but that various people had
expressed belief that the bridge
was unsafe and had suggested hat
an investigation be made. Mr.. Swift
stated that the bridge was built some
80 years ago and was and has con-
tinued to be sufficient to accommo-
date highway traffic. but that some
years ago the electric railroad was
granted a right Of way across the
bridge and has since been using it in
it's transportation business. At the
beginning of such use only light,
four wheeled cars were employed,
but. of course. with the growth in the
amount Of railroad traffic and the in
crease in the necessities of trans
portation of both persons and prop
erty the weight of cars and their
loads has materially increased The
bridge was somewhat strengthened
under the railway two or three years
ago and the general superintendent
of the railway expressed a belief that
IT was sufficient to stand the strain
Of the uses to which it is now being
put, at the same time stating that if
investigation should show that too
great stress was being placed upon
the structure, the railway, of course,
desired the same to Immediately
cease or be reduced. 1t being appar-
ent that no conclusion could be
reached without an engineering study
Of the bridge, we instructed our
bridge engineer, Mr.. William NJ.
Black, to make a careful investiga-
ton and report to us. This he did.
and upon July %, 1918. filed his re-
port with us. July goth we served a
Augusta. and upon the Street Rail-
way, and fixed Tuesday, Aug. 90,
1918. as the time for further hear
ing. Upon the later date we again
met the parties and went over the
matter somewhat carefully.
Mr.. Black, in his original report.
stated that according to his investi-
CATION and belief the bridge is of in
sufficient strength to carry the loads
being put upon it by the combined
highway and street railway traffic
and advised that the continued use
OF the bridge by the street railway
be permitted only on condition that
certain limits be placed upon the
loads to be carried and certain
changes in the manner in which the
structure was being used+by both the
city and the street railway. Among
other recommendations was that the
maximum strain permitted on the
bridge should consist of one motor
car without load. weighing 20 IONS.
and one freight car, which, with load.
weighs 90 tons, the load to be equally
distributed On eight wheels. Mr.
SWeeny. for the electric railway, eX-
plained that while he did not find
fault with the limit placed upon the
combined weight Of motor and loaded
car. he felt that there should pc
change with reference thereto, for
The reason that one of the motors
commonly used weighs more than 20
tons. We therefore requested our
engineer to again go over the matter
and see if a different distribution of
the load borne by the bridge during
the time that the motor and loaded
car was being hauled could be made.
We now have before us his final re-
port, and the case is ready for deci-
.;o,, R,,4 NO do not feel that We