The Portland daily press., 1867-04-25
r Fl r 2 r e S s
Thursday Morning, Aplilf5 l86.
.sl.e sAar.e., rse.,,e 70 ,:,e ,ye.t.


by The construction of the Portland & OSdens-
bdrg Railroad, opening a direct connection
with Ogdensburg on the st. Lawrence, Port
land would enjoy connection with Inc '" est
shorter in The aggregate than by any othef
route which combines both land and water
TRANSPORTATION. and the rail portion OF the route
being shorter and the water portion longer |
than nv any other, the expense of transporta- |
ton must be less than by any other route be-
tween the Lake ports and this city. From
Montpelier to Portland is fifty miles less than
ftomlthe same point to Boston This would give
to our city geographical advantage not easily
overcome. a-
Ii has been said, however, by those who a1e
opposed to or have no faith in the proposed
road, that, if built, while it would answer a
very good purpose for summer, or during the
season of open navigation of the lakes, for
winter route it would be comparatively worth
less. Tbs objection is susceptible OF sevefai
answers, and upon it we propose to state a ie"
facts. ... ..I .....a
l. 1t does not follow, because Lake haVlga
ton Closes that winter transportation uein''
no benefit from such Navigation. Duiihs 'no
season of open navigation the gram nour anu
other pon-perishable products oil the west are
sent forward by water craft much FASTER thah
the railroads can take them, SO that large ac-
onmulatiops of such products are found ON
bond when the ice closes the lake ports. This
accumulation or surplus is stored in elevators
and warehouses, at Ogdensburg, Cape Vincent,
Oswego, Rochester and other ports of Lake
Ontario and the st. Lawrence, awaiting for
nj of hasa
largely to the fleet that navigates the lakes.
These vessels make it point to come home for
winter, and they invariably come home full
thus gorging the warehouses and all places
available for storage. An elevator at Ogdens-
burg is now being constructed at a cost of
$780, GOO, to accommodate just such a surplus
as We have spoken OF. The railroad companies
have their warehouses, the different lines of
of vessels have theirs, private individuals also
have theirs, SO that the &C combinations for such
storage are very extensive, and all these com
bine to make vast reservoir upon which the
railroads draw for freight long after the sup
plies cease TO come forward by water. 1t takes
a long time, often, to work down this accumu-
lation, which gives winter business to the roads
aud ich,-having had the benefit of cheap
age without making the expense of transporta-
ton larger than by any all-.al route with
freedom from storage.
2. A road depending upon a connection at
Schenectady with the New York Central for
its winter supply of freight, has no assurance
OF receiving a single pound at the very time
when all other sources OF supply are cut off;
and for this reason the n. Y. Centrali is run in
the interest of New York city, and when the
canals are closed the order goes forth from
headquarters to the operators of the road, not
to take pound of freight for Boston or any
other point east, until all the freight bound to
New York is first provided for; and the amount
of this freight being amply sufficient to ex-
haust the capacity of the entire rolling stock
of the road, of course an effectual check is put
upon all merchandise bound east This is pre-
cisely the evil under which Boston has groan-
ed, and the aid to the Hartford and Erie road
is designed to remedy it by opening new
route, entirely independent of the N. Y Cen
trail. The facts here stated are sufficient to
show that road having connection with an
all-rail route to the West is not thereby as
sured of winter freight business.
3. 1t may not be known to some of our
readers-and yet such is the fact-that the
construction of the Portland & Ogdensburgh
road, opening direct connection by rail with
Rowse's Point would with other connections
already made or sure TO be made-give
shorter all-rail route from the West than any
other either now made or in contemplation
We show this fact by the following figures,
which represent miles:
From Portland to Rowse's Point III 230
!" Rowse's Point to Pottsiam Junction. a5
's Potsuam junction 70 Gswego, III
+" Oswego to Rochester, A~-a 80
From Portland TO Rochester, 479
This is the length OF an all-ral route from
this city, via Conway, the White Mountain
"Notch,' st. Johnsbury and Montpelier to
Rochester, n. Y. The 80 miles between Os-
wego and Rochester is not yet open, but will
be available for use by the time it can possibly
be needed Thisis the shortest route from this
city to Rochester. The next shortest route
would be that proposed by the friends of the
Portland and Rochester road The figures
for this route are as follows: |
From por land to White River Junction, $50
IS White River junction to Rutland, 50
:" Kutiind TO schenectady, s..-a IS
+" Schenectady to hochester,' 212
From Portland 10 Rochester, -a 512
This route contemplates the completion of the
p R. road to Rochester, N. H., the filing OF
the gap from Alton Bay to franklin, and the
construc ion of road from White River juno
ton to Rutland. a.
To reach Rochester, n. Y, from this city via
Boston, involves the following distances: ST.,
From Pc tland to Boston, 112
' Boston to Rochester, a41 tu E4srE s29 !
~. r. TO
From Portland to Rochester, e. lgg5. H1
Thus it viii be seen that, with the proposed
roads completed and all gaps filled, the dis
tance from this city to Rochester, N Y
where the different all-rail routes would unite
in One,-is 62 miles less than by way of Boston,
and 80 miles less than by the route contem-
plated by the completion and connections of
the Portland & Rochester road. ~ 5ili" fllt
Foreign News. +,A .'- ---