Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-31
CITIZENS Give THEIR VIEWS ON
FAIRFIELD WlNSL0W RAILROAD
CROSSINGS BEFORE P. U. COMM,

more trouble with the local autoists
than those from out of the State.
LAS citizen of Fairfield in the
performance of an important and
dangerous duty don't you believe
that the town of Fairfield should pro-
tect you?" asked Mr.. Batchford.
II believe that if an officer should
be put on the crossing Part of the
time it would put fear into peo-
pie" was the reply.
George Shorey was the next wit
ness and he declared that many peo-
pie drove cars across the crossing
at so or 60 miles an hour. II prob
ably go across 80 miles an hour my
self" he said, causing much laughter
in the room. He spoke of the fact
that two trains sometimes cross at
this crossing, making it dangerous
because an auto was liable to shoot
across after the first train had gone
by and be struck by another train
coming the other way.
The Fairfield side of the case came
to a close at this point, and Perley
n. Watson, superintendent of bridges
and buildings for the Maine Central
railroad, was the first witness for the
railroad.
Mr.. Watson said that highway
crossing gates came under his jur-
isdiction and that it would take five
gates for the Fairfield crossing, two
on each side of the track on Main
street and one on Kicker street,
which runs into Main at the crossing.
He said the distance between the
gates on Main street would have to
be PA feet and six inches. The
street is so narrow on the Waterville
side that with the down grade con-
gestion would result. The railroad
the job practically all the time.
There is hardly day in the year
when railroad gates are not broken
in the State by autos. He estimated
the cost Of installation of these gates
at $4,000 with one man to operate
them. He said the railroad practi-
cally always collected for broken
gates.
Joseph NJ. Vigue, general yard
master at Waterville was the final
witness for the Maine Central He
stated that from A. NJ. to P. M.
on Oct. 2S. $40 pedestrian and 35 As
motor vehicles had been counted go
ing across this railroad crossing. He
said it cost about 50 a day to hire
men to act as flagmen on the cross
Ing. ne Sdlu ulu uOL DtllcVS
crossed this crossing More than once
a week.
The case was continued due to the
fact that the Fairfield and Water
Vile Street Railway Co., did not
have representatives at the hearing.
The WinsIow Hearing
The Winslow hearing opened at
100 in the afternoon and for two
hours evidence was brought in by
both sides. George A. Chamberlain
aided by several citizens presented
the case for the town of .Winslow.
Mr.. Chamberlain declared that the
crossings were on a trunk railroad
line and there was a lot of travel
over both the highways and the rail-
road. He said the Sand Hill part of
Winslow is large settlement and
people cannot go to Waterville with
out going across the Sand Hill cross
ing. The Winslow policeman is sta
toned there evenings until after the
10 o'clock Pullman goes through to
protect the people coming home from
the moving pictures. Mr.. Batchford
asked Mr.. Chamberlain if he had
ever thought of automatic signals
solving the problem and Mr.. Cham
berlain replied that he did not believe
cient. but that people do obey the
fiagman's signal.
George w. Patterson said he lives
the fourth house from the brick yard
crossing and works at Walter Tobey's
lumber yard which is next to the
crossing. He has seen as many as
$50 cars pass the crossing in an hour
He said he thought a flagman was
needed "a hours of the day in the
summer and up to midnight in the
winter.
Russell w. Weeks said that lot of
tourists go right straight through
Winslow up Benton avenue to Ban
gor going across the Sand Hill cross
ing.
II. L. Simpson corroborated Mr..
Weeks testimony and said that he
had tried to enforce the speed law
on the crossings, speaking to the
chief of police several times. Mr..
Simpson brought forth much laughter
when he said he had mentioned to
Chief Reynolds that he would like to
fill the new lookup and the new gar
age as we'll.
w. T. Reynolds, chief of police of
Wlnslow was the next witness. Last
Saturday night he counted 70 pedes-
going across Sand Hill crossing from
to 7.20 P. M. He said that the
brick yard crossing was a bad one on
account Of the angle Of the crossing
with the road. He has helped pull out
five autos who have got caught in the
railroad tracks and left the road. Mr..
Reynolds suggested that the railroad
be moved to the other side of the
road doing away with the brick yard
crossing.
Percy NJ Cramm. who lives in the
Hollingsworth district. agreed with
Mr.. Reynolds idea Of changing the
railroad and suggested that the cross
ing ought to be farther away from
the hill. He said the automatic signal
was not feasible for the Sand Hill
crossing on account Of the sharp
agles.
James L. Dean said he thought the