Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-07-19
For the Eastern Times.
Somerset Railroad.

i
improved on Saturday last by about six hundred
persons. The day was beautiful, and admira-
bly, suited to the occasion. The morning train
i from Portland and Bath arrived at Augusta
about ten o'clock, and left Immediately, hav-
ing received large accessions of s'stockhold-
ers'' from that place and Hallowell. 1t con-
sisted of nine or ten cars, drawn by Sands
mile-a-minute-engine, the ''Topsham," hand
somely decorated with flags, evergreens and
an extra label, ssSoMERsET RAILROAD" An
item here in relation TO this engine, which is
a new machine of excellent sbottom." From
Waterville to Kendall's Mills, the line of the
Somerset road is very straight, and not great
distance from the river. Outside, is the line
OF the Penobscot and Kennebec road, some ten
rods westerly, running for most of the dis
lance exactly parallel. The trains on both
roads leaving once day, Kendall's Mills for
Waterville at the same time, the temptation
for racing on these three miles of parallel road.
is Immense" The ct, Boutelle," on the
Penobscot road, one Of the abroad guage'
crack machines, had been for some time in the
habit of trimming ahead" when the engineer
and fireman would throw out significant glanc-
es, End now and then ga line," towards the
"Topsham,'' which the engineer of the latter
construed to mean "you can't come it," But
Sands orders were peremptory, ''no racing. I"
After bearing these vexatious boasts for some
time, the engineer of the "Topsham" got his
"dander" up, and deliberately concluded to
put stop to it once for all. So one day, on
starting, the "Boutelle" about two cars length
ahead, on the first half mile, the usual intima-
tions to come on If you can, were thrown out
The engineer of the "Topsham" eased on
little more steam-in' another moment, little
more steam-in another moment he s.let her
drive" and Just as the "Boutelle'' was pass
ing the last mile post, the "Topsham'' was
laundering into Watervile at the rate of sirty
miles an hour "a gain Of three-quarters of a
mile in three. Our stdown-east' railroad en-
gineers are very careful men, and this rate of
speed would not have been resorted to if the
circumstances had not absolutely demanded
it. They are great connoisseurs as to the
comparative merits of new machines. In a
machine-shop conversation between them some
days after the above occurrence, some one
asked the engineer of the "Boutelle'' what he
thought of that new engine on the river road,
the "Topsham." "Blast her," said he, "Fve
seen enough of her." Pardon me for this d.
gression.
This was the engine hooked on to the train
of stockholders. The first object OF attention
after leaving Augusta, is the railroad bridge,
solidity. The railroad track is at prodi-
gious elevation above the surface of the water,
and as the summit OF the bridge is planked
down from the track, falling off like the roof
of a house, the operation of crossing is very
much, in the minds of nervous people, like
running the gauntlet of ridge-pole. The
stockholders, however, were well acquainted
with timber, and were not frightened. From
the eastern side of the river 10 Waterville, we
hesitate not to say that there is not a railroad
in New England that presents richer scenery
than this. Generally, the banks of the river
are abrupt, rising in some places near hun
dred feet in other places falling of gradual
ly, and presenting fields of the richest lands
in Maine. Vassalboro on the east, and Sidney
on the west, it is well known are among the
richest farming towns in the State. Friend
Lang's farm comes down TO the waters edge,
and the railroad passes Though it. | caugh:
sight of the abroad brimmed" hat and noted the
hronzed, round, honest-looking face under it.
In answer TO some questions, | understood
''Friend" Lang TO say that he had not COM
menced haying, otherwise than to NOV down
whiteweed wherever he found it in field or
pasture, as he did not allo,C it to go to seed on
his farm. That is an idea of practical impor-
lance to farmers, and give it for their benefit.
The Kennebec river, above Augusta, con-
tracts 10 about half the width of the river be-
low. The disaster to the dam at1Augusta has
reduced the water level, SO that navigation by
stern-wheel steamers is very difficult or who'll
ly impracticable. For distanceeof four or
five miles above the dam, the mark of the
water level on the shores before the disaster,
is clearly traceable, some six or ten feet above
the present level. A dimination of water is
perceptible quite up to Waterville bay. This
is beautiful sheet of water, with the pictur-
esque village of Waterville on one side, the
village of Winslow on the other, with its fine
farms, and the water of the Ticonic Falls
tumbling down above. At Winslow superior
depot accommodations are in progress. The
mouth of the Sebasticook, which enters the
Kennebec at Winslow, is full of cedar sleep,
ers, which are 10 supercede the humbug SKY
anized" hemlock longitudinal iimbers on the
X. & P. road. We did not stop to count them
After passing the bridge across the Sebasti-
cook, we came Immediately upon the railroad
bridge ''back again. across the Kennebec
This is noble structure, running obliquely W
the river at about the same angle from east ,tC
west, as the bridge at Augusta from west t.
east. The timbers of this bridge are heavy
and the whole structure gives evidence of grea
strength. Tumbling and boiling below, are
the waters of the Ticonic Falls. The depo
in Wateryille is so near the bridge, that wheI