Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-11
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Mr.. Fay said that he was somewhat
| familiar with the situation at Bath
and that considering that the width
of the river at Bath is twice the
width at Richmond, if only four
borings were made to bed rock,
these four borings were not, in his
| opinion, a sufficient basis to esti-
/ mate the cost of any bridge at that
| point, to say nothing about estimat-
| ing above or below that point.
Firms Proposal to Build Brirge
Beardsley Lawrence, representa-
| tive of +. Stewart e Sons Company
! of Newton. Mass. who made the
bids which had been asked for by
the Richmond Chamber of Com
merce. said that his firm had made
a careful estimate of the costs and
| had made proposal to build the
| Highway bridge at Richmond FOR
| 500 900 and the combination rail-
road and highway bride for 1,04O,
! 600.
j. w. Randlcttc Of Richmond
J. w. Randlette of Richmond as
serted that the density of traffic to
| be served by the Richmond bridge
would be greater than that served
| by the Bath bridge
I Mr.. Randlette said that the Rich
! mond bridge project is fathered by
| the Richmond Chamber of Commerce
| and that no private interests are in
| terested in the proposition. He said
| that the idea of a bridge at Rich
mond is not new, that it was agi-
| tated when he was a boy. and that
in the last so years the Maine Gen.
trail Railroad has made no less than
three or four surveys and that the
plans are on file in the Maine Gen.
trail Railroad office at Portland. He
asserted that in 1921. Luther E. Mad
| docks Of Boothbay Harbor came to
the Richmond Chamber of Commerce
and urged them to renew their actiE-
tiles. Mr.. MaddOcks had made in
vestigat tons at Richmond and at
Bath and was satisfied that Rich
mond was the place for the bridge
to relieve Lincoln and Knox counties
of the heavy traffic.
1t was pointed out by Mr.. Rand
lette that Richmond is asking only
for a highway bridge and that the
railroad combination bridge provi-
sion was put In the bill not at Rich
monds option. but by the request OF
officials of the Maine Central Rail-
road. Referring to the branch line
that the Maine Central would be OBJ
liged to build to connect with a
bridge located between Richmond
and Dresden he said that he under
stood that the railroad figured it
could build this branch from Wis
casset to Dresden cheaper than it
could rebuild it's ferryboat.
II. E. Houdlette of Richmond told
of the cost of the approaches. stat
ing that options for the approaches
had been submitted at a cost OF
$3.50. Mr.. Houdlette is chairman
of the bridge committee of the Rich
mond Chamber of Commerce.
In answer to a question by Sena-
tor Smith. Mr.. Randlette asserted
that the Maine Central Railroad has
made no proposition 20 the Richmond
Chamber Of Commerce regarding
rentals.
Senator Carlton interjected the
statement that the Maine Central
Railroad had made definite offer
relating to the Bath location.
Major Chas. Day Of Richmond
Major Charles Day of Richmond
declared it would be his idea to build
two bridges and disregard the Maine
Central Railroad. He stated that the
highway brluSe dL bdlII CpuIu DC
built for 81 $50, 600, and the highway
bridge at Richmond for $4,000
this total being about 100000 un-
der the cost providing that Combina-
ton bridges were to be built.
Let the Maine Central r. r. take
So ,OOO. 900 and do what they want
to with it." he said Il don't feel the
State of Maine can put in $2.000,000
to accommodate the Maine Central
Railroad"
Or. n. L. stilphen Of Richmond
DIR. II. l.. Stilphen of Richmond
declared that Richmond is not offer
ing this project as n substitute for
the Bath bridge, but as good bust
ness proposition He said that ne
could secure 25 men who would
guarantee that the bridge would pay
5 percent and that the men would be
willing to pay $1,000 apiece if the
bridge did not pay five percent.
He declared that it is poor business
to tie up with the railroads today for
there is no future for the small rail-
roads: that under these conditions,
the railroads will have to cut out the
side lines as the Boston and Maine
is already doing. and that one of the
lines that probably would be cut out
is the Rockland branch. THE where
would your contract be-" he asked.
Dresden Man Speaks
Shepard Dorr of Dresden told Of
the difficulties that Dresden farmers
have to encounter in order to market
their products at Richmond.
l.. II. Roberts. president OF the
Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
said that It had been shown that the
Richmond bridge location Is best fin
ancially and geographically.
Mrs. Laura Stilphen of Richmond
asserted that Richmond is asking for
a bridge TO replace an obsolete ferry
and she referred TO the accident at
the ferry two years ago i'll showing