Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-26
Protection Ordered for
NJ. c. Crossing at Fairfield

\ decision has been rendered by
the Public Utilities Commission Or
dering the Maine Central Railroad to
install an automatic bell upon the
automatic signal at Crossing SS2S.
which is As miles east of Fairfield
Station, on or before Dec. 1. 1921.
The decision of the commissioners
is as follows:
."On Oct. 5, 1921, this commission
received a petition signed by moro
than 10 citizens Of the town Of Fair
hold and vicinity, requesting that
bell or gong be installed on the auto
,matic signal at Western Avenue
street Crossing. so called, in the town
of Fairfield, and also requesting that
the Nig-wac and lights of said
signal be dropped so that they Will
! not be hidden from the view of auto
mobilists approaching this crossing
from the cast.
BY General and Supplemental Or
dors, the Public Utilities Commission
has from time to time provided for
the protection of certain grade eros :;
lncS within the State of Maine. This
commissions general order No. 1e4t
dated Oct. 9, 1917, read in part as fol .
lows:
"CC) In tho year \. \. 1919.
"At crossing sS.c8. which is a.
miles cast Of Fairfield Station, in
stall automatic signals Of the silent
| type unless other wise ordered" Tho
time for installing this signal was
extended until tho year 1920 by Sup
Elemental Order No. 6. dated Feb. H..
! 1913 and an automatic signal OF the
silent type was installed at said
crossing pursuant to said order.
| "On receipt of tho above mentioned
! petition the commissions order of
oct. ., 1917, was opened for fur
Their action with reference to the
! above named crossing, and a public
| hearing on such re-opcned order MA :
ordered to be held at the Fairfield
| Opera House at Fairfield on Oct. Is.
1921, ut 10 o'clock in the forenoon.
At this time and place a public haa :
ing was held. notice was proved to
! have been given as ordered
Prior to this hearing the commits
sion viewed the promises and then
/ listened to the evidence which was
presented. IT appeared to be the
unanimous concenSus of opinion. ac-
| cordng to the evidence presented at
/ the hearing, that bell ought to be
installed on the automatic signal at
J this crossing. There was no obicc
! ton to the installation of sucn a
bell either on the part of the railroad
1 company. or by any one who APP
peared at tho hearing.
The silent type of signal was
originally ordered to he installed at
this crossing on the assumption that
a bell at this point would prooariy
constitute nuisance to many Of the
people who live in the immediate VI
cinity of the crossing. It is evident,
Of course. that an automatic bell at
tached to such q signal does ir fact
afford some additional protection 10
the public. 1t appears from the state
ments made by many OF the citizens
Of Fairfield. at the time OF the hear
ing, and from the evidence taken at
the hearing. that there is no objec-
ton to the installa ton of such bell
We shall provide in this order that a
bell be installed as requested in the
petition.
Some evidence. was given at the
hearing tending to show that the
wig-wag and lights upon this par
/ ticular signal We're not sufficiently
/ visible TO an automobilist approach
/ ing tho crossing. but other witnesses
/ testified that they had no difficulty in
| seeing the wig-wag and lights in ap-
/ preaching this crossing. The view of
! the crossing, which the commission
itself made seems to indicate that
the wig-wag and lights are in fact
visible to an automobilist approaching
the crossing. We believe with the
additional warning that the bell viii
afford at this crossing that the pro-
lection at this point will be reason
ably accurate In view of the fact
that the wig-wag and lights. as now
installed upon this signal are at the
standard height adopted by the com
pany. and after considerable study
Of the whole matter. we do not deem
it advisable at the present time to re-
auire any change in this signal IN
this respect"