Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-13

W Pa OSSitthG dt1tS1El III Vases III
court would have taken the position
which l now am in. But having en-
barked on this enterprise. not real
ling how formidable the opposition
was when / laid the matter on the
table wish TO see the thing through
TO the end. and as there are some
things on my mind Of which ! wish
10 unburden il. and in order that
may keep within my parliamentary
rights, it seems necessary TO me to
move that this resolve be indefinite
ly postponed.
The LEGISLATURE OF 1911, chose
commission to investigate the oues-
ton Of an interstate highway or free
bridge between Portsmouth. Y. H..
and ki,tery. Maine. The LEGISLATURE
of New Hampshire. in 1917. passed
similar resolve. This commission on
the part Of Maine was made up Of
the highway commission % Maine.
The report Of this joint commits
sion is to be found in Senate Docu-
rnent i54. and as it contains the gist
OF the whole subject matter under
discussion shall quote quite extern
sivelv from this document.
This commission me, in Ports
mouth on October 10. 1917. and pro-
ceeded to organize by the choice OF
a president and secretary. Our own
Paul D. Sargent. Of the State high
way commission ct Maine. was
chosen the secretary OF this joint
commission.
The commission first proceeded to
fani,iar;ze themselves with the his
tory of the present oll-bridee be-
tween Portsmouth, y. H.. and Kit
rery. Maine. and they aSce-tained
that this had been 4 tol.-h-idge for
9. wears: that = was chartered first
by the state CT New Hampshire il
1919. next ~ the state OF Massachu-
sets in 1922. then by the State Of
Maine. in 1921. o. soon after Maine
became a State. /, has been operated
eve.- since tha. t'rle by the Proprie-
tors o. the Portsmouth Bridge.
In iS4I The Eastern Railroad in
New Hampshire acquired the owner
ship Of its capital stock and OF the
bridge. and operated il for about
twenty wears for the tracks OF their
railroad. and as = highway, man
tanning i. and collecting tolls FOR al
passengers and traffic over II for all
purposes. except by the railroad
trains
Ahou, 1880 the Boston & Maine
Railroad absorbed the Eastern Rail-
read in New Hampshire. and sue
cee,ied 70 the ownership. use and con-
troll Of the Portsmouth bridge. and
has since used j, as a railroad bridge,
and a toll bridge for passengers and
traffic.
1t is the only bridge connecting
New Hampshire ana Maine a. this
point. and for all the lower reach OF
me Pisca;aiDa- The only other
means Of communication here be-
tween New Hampshire and Maine is
b. boat, regular or chance. plying be-
tween Portsmouth and the navy yard.
or by ferry run by thu Atlantic
Shore Line.
This bridge is in Two sections. or
divisions and extends from Ports
mouth 10 Nob,e's Island. 80 feet,
thence over the main channel to Kit
terry. 1850 feet, making the whole
length 2l50 feet by 40 feet in width
1T is an ordinary open, rallied
wooden bridge. on piles. having
draw. and originally cost s.",9ao in
days when such CONSTRUCTORS we're
much less expensive than row.
Then they go or TO state in re.a-
ton % the charter of this bridge tha;
it seems that ,he charter IS perpetual!
and cannot ne amended by the Legis-
lature Of Maine. Indeed the Boston
/, Maine Railroad Company consider
il a very valuable franchise and gave
the commission 20 understand that
they would have TO buy this fran
chise in order t. erect bridge be-
tween the points covered by :he char
ter They made investigation OF
ether possible sites which were not
covered b. the railroad charter held
II! the Boston & Maine Railroad.
TIE ore which 10 them seemed tsas-
lille from the point % view OF the
nav: yard and also from the poin!
If view of'tne commission 20 be en-
tirely independent of the railrc ad
company was locati commencing
O. ID! NCi .iciA al - t.-A--') >..'
crossing the southern end OF Badgers
Island. and thenco 10 he Maine shore
20 connec. with New A-mory street
in kittery. Their report states:
This location leaves the New
Hampshire shore short distance
from the business center Of the city
Of Portsmouth. and is me most direct
line between Portsmouth and the
navy yard in kit-ery upon which it is
possible and practical TO construct
bridge. A considerable portion of the
business Of Portsmouth comes from
the navy yard Practically ninety
per cen. Of the employees Of the yard
live in the city OF Portsmouth AID
large amount Of government supplies
are handled between Portsmouth and
the navy yard"
a bridge al this location will ac-
commodate." so this report says, the
interstate traffic between Maine and
New Hampshire better than any 9TH
er possible site viewed by the ecm-
mission
Al this meeting the question Of the
cost Of this bridge was taken up. and
although they did not go into am
extensive engineering study of the
subject matter Vet the repor; Of this
commission was that they thought it
would cost something les than three
millions Of dollars. This is 10 be
found on page 8. Senate bill la.
These estimates were made in the
summer Of 1918 They Also further