Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-02-21

England OF similar advantage ihpt the Erie ca
nal was 10 the state Of New York, and make |
Boston 10 commerce second 10 the city OF New !
Y ork, as well as be Of great Importance TO the
u niied States MS military communication |
through Now England into the Northern and |
Western lakes,
In the years 1878 Lieut. Macomb was
ordered by Col Albert TO survey another route
applied for from Kennebcc river, in the state
of Maine, by Androscoggin river and river Lu-
noble into Lake Champlain, across Vermont
and New Hampshire, north of the proposed
railway route. Not being satisfied with the
route, he returned in the fall Of 1928 TO have
me show him the summit levels OF the route
across the state, surveyed by Clinton, aso of
the routes 10 be surveyed from Montpelier, by
Wells and Waits rivers, 10 Connecticut river.
He gave Wells river tho preference for a canal
and Waits river the preference for a railway,
on the examination of both.
Macomb expected to return in the spring to
make tho survey from Montpelier by Wells
river TO Connecticut river and finish the sur
vey no had commenced in New Hampshire,
from Havorhl by Bakers river TO Merrmack
river and 10 Winnipiseoge lake. as plan Of
canal route could then be made from Boston to
Burlington, and water communication from
Portsmouth and Dover, through Winnipiseo-
ge, to unite with the canal route at Plymouth,
N. II, He also stated that if canal should
be opened he had no doubt that Government
would tako a good share of the stock, it was
considered great object at the War Depart
ment to have a canal communication from the
Navy Yard at CharleStown into lake Cham
plain. He also stated that he had no doubt
but that the cost government was at in trans
hitting munitions of war into the lake, in the
loc afnnlA hnp tni Lo
In the summer of lSE1-3O, Capt ID Gra-
ham was sent, with three engineers under bis
command, instead of Lieut.. Macomb, to make
and complete the surveys az aforesaid through
Vermont and New Hampshire nd was cal
led on again, as an assistant and civil engineer,
both on the part OF N. Hampshire s. Vermont
10 make the surveys through both states, and
complete the survey begun by Macomb in '26,
aud finished by Graham in ls29-30.
| will here observe that it is an universal
practice throughout the United States, TO have
the states on the route furnish the u 8 en- gin
GERS with an assistant, who is well acquainted
with the topography OF the country thro' which
the surveys arc to be made. I wish further 10
observe that, from the former surveys made by
the U 8 engineers in 1925-26-27-2S and '29,
on the different routes through New England
this was thought 10 be the best and most feas.
able route, at the war department, for canal
or water communication from lake Champlan
10 the sea; otherwise the department would
not have sent capt Graham, one Of the best en-
gineers in the service, again, in 1880, TO make
and complete the SURVEYS. This route must in
general prove best for the railway, with the ex
ception OF Waits river instead of Wells river.
From the successful experiments repeatedly
made, in this country and Europe, during the
seven years then last past, by having locomot-
i've engines run on iron rails, il was thought by
tho public that railways were great improve
ment on canals; and in October, 1880, con-
vention was called at Montpelier, for the pur-
pose Of taking into consideration the proposed
railway from Boston 10 Ogdensburgh, in lieu Of
the canal At that convention a commit &c
was chosento examine and report to the public
the practicability of route, which report was
made and published, and was favorable 10 the
enterprise. The committee reported the prac-
| ticabity Of two routes between Montpelier &.
Concord the one by White river in Vermont
J and by Masonry & Blackwater in N II, which
shall call The south route; the other is by w ats
! river in Vermont and Bakers and Merrimack
rivers in N II, which shall call The north route
The committee found. by estimating the sever
al distances on both routes, the North route to
be q few miles the nearest, but gave no prefer
| ence, s. recommended the survey of both routes.
| On the snppostion, however, that both rout es
are equal as respects n direct communication
between Montpelier and Concord, there are
some considerations favorable to the north route
that ought to be thought Of in locating a rail-
way, viz: by laying the railway on the north
route in n II, you connect a water commune
cation from the valley Of Bakers river through
Squam and Wnnipiseoge lakes to Portsmouth,
in the eastern part of N II, s. by railway thro'
the whole of the state of Maine, uniting with
the railway at Plymouth, n II. on the eastern
side Of the White Mountains and by laying
| out the railway by Waits river, on the north
| route in Vermont, you convene the whole val
ley of Connecticut river, while by laying the
! railway on the south route you only convene
the inhabitants below the mouth OF w hte rv'
! err, as the distance from White river up the
valley Of the Connecticut to the mouth Of w ait.
river is ri miles, thence on the north route II
Montpelier so miles, making the whole dist
ance 81 mles--the same that it is called iron
the mouth of w hite river 10 Montpelier on tn,
south route. You also obge the nhabitants
north OF Waits river to 60 81 miles instead o
80 to get to Montpelier by the railway. This
is in addition 10 the great obstruction TO a rail
way into the state of Maine, which must com,
into The valley Of the Connecticut north o
| Waits river.
Here will observe that railway is now il
contemplation through the whole valley Of tn,
Connectcut--and as the railway from said val
ley 10 Ogdensburgh will enable the inhabitant
Of the whole valley to pass through Waits ant
Onion rivers into the western LIKES, the road
thus located must be Of great benefit TO eacl
other. will further state that railway is nov
laid out, and great part OF it completed, from
Boston west to the valley oil the Connecticut
which must prove benefit to the route up tn
river and lhro' Vermont into the lakes. | will
also observe that a railway is now complete,
from Providence, |. 10 Boston, which viii
enable the inhabitants of Rhode Island TO pas
lhro' Boston 10 Ogdensburgh; also a ralwa
from Boston 10 Lowell is made and completed
a H. Ia, a.