The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-04-16
THE PR ES
Tuesday Morning. April l6, 1857.
par,,nud ~ Ogdensbufg Railroad.


Portland ~ Ogdensburg RaiirSah.
This proposed road, to connect our city with |
the great West by a new, Independent and
shorter route,-one having the least rail ana |
the most water carriage, and therefore INC
cheapest,-we are constrained TO beheVe' "
more importance to the future grown 'H
business prosperity of Portland than "'s
ronta hitherto brourbt 10 the attention VI o"'
o;t;zons yo do not propose in this arucie u
discuss the question OF way am or 40 |
which its construction IS W DC - --..,.., |
urge its claims upon the atteh''o,' III
ers. but we simply design " oo'"rs -,
snace in stating the gehef'i 0'"''. u WY i''',
and some facts importahe 'o d "eh-oohs"eieo
estimate of the claims this enterprise has up
81, tba neople of this locality. Our statements
ORC male on the authority of Mr. Linsley, the
Enoneer who is now surveying the route
through New Hampshire, Mr.. Fairbanks OF
st. Johnsbury, VT, and ex-Gov. Smith of the
same State, who is the managing man and con
trolling spirit of the Vermont Central road.
Leaving Portland by the Portland & Roches-
ter road, this proposed line would strike OIL at
Gorham or Buxton and, following the general
Hiram, North Conway, n. H., and, sun ioiT
lowing the Saco, directly through inc cr'"
ford "Notch" in the White MOUNTAINS, 'nen''
down the valley of the AmmonoosuoA sum
six or seven miles where 1t wouid pass a"
To the head waters of the johns 'hei' io'
low that river to its junction Win tne ooh-
nact;cut at Dalton In the passage from the
.,o,nonoosuck to the Johns river there Is no
snmmit. nothing requiring heavy grade.
C,o.s;no the Connecticut at Dalton it would
,oos Inv Miles Pont in Vermont, to the valley
Of Moose river, and follow this river to st.
.Johnsbury thence through Danville and Cab
OF to Montpelier where junction would be
formed with the Vermont Central road which
goes to Burlington on Lake Champlain, and to
Rouse's Point at the North end OF the Lake,
connecting at the latter point with the Ogdens-
burg road. .H.- ..-.f
By this route it is from Portland to Mont
pelier 16O miles, while from the latter place to
Boston by the present connections is 210 miles.
making 30 miles advantage in favor of this
city From St. Johnsbury to Portland by the
proposed route is lis miles, while to Boston
the distance is 2O4 miles, The road would pass
within twelve miles of Franconia, and through
the great uncut timber regions of the Granite
State. Hr Ear|9i-la
On the whole line the maximum grade
would not be over sixty feet to the mile, posi-
bly, not over fifty, while on the Rutland road
the maximum grade is sixty, and on the West
ern (Mass) road it is eighty-six feet to the
mile f ~ sall
The road would pass directly by the Craw-
80. - Enaf ~,
depth and less than one thousand feet in
length, and apparently mostly Of earth.
At st. Johnsbury, which is eighty nine
miles nearer Portland than Boston, the road
would cross the Connect cut and Passumpsic
River road, which runs up to the line through
a fertile country, forty-five miles north of the
place of intersection. .ar.cF ..iN
There is reason to believe that this whole
road can be built for an average of S25, 900 per
mile and that it can be leased to the Yer
mont Central road for six per cent. on the en-
tire cost, that road furnishing all the equip
ments. aerm
The section from Montpelier to the Connec-
ticut River is now being pushed and its con-
struction is assured. 1t is believed if Port
land will provide for the construction to the
State line-a remarkably favorable route for
road-that the section in New Hampshire can
be provided for through parties who will take
the stock as a safe and profitable investment
Steamers now lay down freight on the
wharves at Burlington, without breaking
bulk, which have been loaded at Chicago and
other lake ports. True, these are the small
class ofvessels; but all freight admits Of speedy
water transportation from the West to Bur
lington, and though to do this transhipment
may be required, the expense is very much
less than by an all rail route. AT 0gdensburg
direct connection would be had with the larg-
est craft that navigate the lakes. 1890
To show what amount of business comes over
the Vermont Central we need only state that
no other road leading to Boston from the West,
begins to transport SO much western produce
over it as this. 1t stands number one, while
the Rutland and Fitchburg roads stand next,
owing to their having a partial advantage of
the cheap water carriage which this road shares
so largely. The Worcester and Western roads
gigantic as they are-rank number three in
supplying Boston with the products of the
West. nrt T4. 10
With saving of fifty miles from Montpel-
Ter in reaching good shipping port, and over
a road leased to the one having SO controlling
an influence as the Vermont Central, it is not
difficult to see that Portland would soon be-
come the great port ofentry and shipment for
the vast regions on and beyond the great lakes
But this article is long enough, and we stop
here, simply remarking that by the proposed
route we are at all points vastly nearer Port
land than Boston, and in harmony with roads
that are not absorbed and controlled by the in
terests of that city. 80 s..5 &. .-@ -,l-f