Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-01-06
THE FTTCHBURG RAIL ROAD.


ing of the citizens interested in the Fitch
burg Railroad, at the Town Hall on Thurs
day evening. 1t was addressed by VIM
Sawyer, Esq, Of this town, Mr.. Croker o
Fitchburg, and Dr. Adams of Waltham. Al
exceedingly good spirit seemed to animate
all present DR.. Adams gave an account 0
the number of teams that passed through
Waltham in one week, ending Decembe
IL. The result was 262 teams, drawn b.
097 horses. Allowing each horse to draw
one ton this would give an aggregate o
097 tons per, week, or 81 44 tons pc
annum; or more than the whole number o
tons claimed by the committee in the
statistics. This result shows that there mus
be large freight over the road, especially
when we consider that there are about a:
many teams come by the way of Concord as
by the way of Watham, and that the week
in which the account was taken, was by no
means an average one, there being one
stormy day at least, and one or two others
when the travelling was very bad. Ii is TO be
hoped that our citizens will lend this enter
prise helping hand, as it is very important
that the work should progress at once. LII
borers are out of employment, and the price
of every thing is at the lowest rate, so that
the work can now he done twenty-five per
cent. cheaper than in more prosperous times.
A Committee was appointed to obtain Sub
scriptions, and it is to be hoped that no one
will withhold his aid to this enterprise, which
will benefit every class directly or indirect
ly."
We copy the foregoing account of the
meeting recently held at Charlestown, on
the subject Of the Fltchburg Railroad, from
the Bunker Hill Aurora-and the reading
Of the proceedings of this meeting recalls to
our mind the intention we held, some time
since, of saying few words in favor of this
enterprise. From a careful perusaI of the
Report of the Committee of Directors of the
Fitchburg Railroad Company, OH the Sta
tistics and Prospects Ct the contemplated
Road, published few months since, we are
induced to believe that this Road will pay
handsome interest on the amount of mon
ey required for its construction, besides be-
ing great public convenience.
The following extracts from the Report,
will elucidate the advantages to be antici-
pated from the Road.
As long since as 1925, when the first sur
vey was made for an improved communion
ton between Boston and the West, the line
indicated by the current of traffic, by the
eye of the engin err and by the great facili-
ties Of the route, was the line of Waltham,
\ 4
thence towards the Connecticut and Lake
Champlain and the line now adopted by
the Fitchburg Railroad was then presented
TO the Legislature, by Col. Baldwin, as pos
sessing superior advantages and facilities for
a canal, and public opinion was, for con-
siderable time, turned in this direction as
the most feasible route for canal from Bos-
ton to the interior.
Upon the introduction of Railroads, pub
lie opinion still chung to this line, and a
charter, with most liberal privileges, was
granted for the Franklin railway, occupy
ing the same line but the wealth concen-
trated at Lowell, and the powerful influence
Of Worcester and Springfield, diverted the
course of the lines established from their
natural channel to the North and the West,
leaving this route entirely unoccupied and
thrown comparatively into the shade
Strange as it may seem, it becomes therefore
the duty of your Committee to point out a
new the advantages aud resources of this
contemplated railway
The line commences at deep water in
Chariestown, at point about as near the
centre of Boston as the other Railroad de-
pots, and with the additional advantages of
communicating, by continuous rails, with
wbarves where vessels of the largest class
may discharge their freight into the cars.
From Charestown, the use of the
Charlestown Branch is offered for five miles
to its present termination near Fresh Pond
at the rent of $500 dollars per annum. BY
union of the lines, in efiecting which the
Charlestown Branch is deeply interested
the very onerous expenses Of an approach to
the city, to which all our important lines
have been subjected, are entirely avoided.
From Fresh Pond, the route follows the
valley Of Beaver Brook to the busy and
growing town of Watham; thence by the
valley of Stoney Brook to Concord thence
by the towns of Acton, Groton, Shirley, and
Leominster to Fitchburg. When extended,
as it eventually must be, it is expected to
pass through Ashburnham, and Winchen-
don to Connecticut river at some point be-
tween Deer6eld and Bellows Falls. The
line over the summit above Fitchburg, fol-
lows the valley of the Nashua, and easily
surmounts the height of ground with gra-
dent not exceeding fifty feet to the mile.
BUSINESS or THE LINE.-By glance at
the map of New England, it will be observed
that the proposed railway combines two i'm
portant routes, both of which are now
thronged by stages and teams, particularly
the latter.
One of these routes is by way of Water
town, Waltharh, Stow, Bolton, and Lancas-