The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-02-02

PORTLAND {
Saturday Morning, February 3, 1867.
Steam Communication with m. w..,.

Saturday Morning, February Q, 1867.
Steam Communication with the Wes,.
4 The necessity Of through route to the West
competing with the Grand Trunk, and tbe de-
STABILITY of road or roads which shall restore
to us the trade ofnorthern Vermont and New
! Hampshire, are freely acknowledged. Anv
undertaking which promises to secure these
results is sure of favorable consideration.
The enterprise which can most promptly and
cheaply give us these advantages will be taken
up and completed with the utmost alacrity
and unanimity. What is needed just at this
time is information. What are the distances
and grades by the different routes proposeda
What will be the comparative cost of construc-
tion? Which viii furnish the most numerous
and advantageous connections We purpose 10
do our part towards answering these questions.
Such information as can be obtained from
time to time, we shall lay before our readers,
and as beginning We propose to give the dis
tances by the various routes as far as they can
be ascertained, first proceeding to recite some
Of the steps which have already been taken to
secure the connection with Montpelier and
Ogdensburg. - .,''','.'' -. 80. ,-,.G'.t G -.
A charter was obtained in November last
from the State Of Vermont, granting the plivi-
lege Of building railroad from Montpelier TO
St. Johnsbury, with branch from Marshfield
to Wells river, % miles, the whole distance to
st. Johnsbury and Wells river being between
81 and 80 miles, about one mile in favor of the
latter place. u i. -. NJ, ,,,,-, IL
1t vas the intention of parties in Portland
favoring the connection to obtain the renewal
of an old charter for railroad from Montpe-
her to " ellsriver, which had been thoroughly
surveyed, and an arrangement was made to
that effect; but the fire at Portland caused the
individuals in charge of the trust to believe
that nothing would be done with the charter
for the present year. They consequently deter
red giving notice Of the intended application
to the Legislature for its renewal. An ar
rangement was made however with the parties
interested in the st. Johnsbury railroad to in
sert clause giving them the privilege of
building branch road to Wells river: but so
favorably was the connection with Portland
looked upon, by the Legislature of Vermont
that provision was incorporated in the act,
that the grant should not interfere with the re-
newal of the old charter from Montpelier to
Wells river, :, rosg sdf peaata ..g III 'ai
/, I Ata meeting Of the citizens Of Portland
called at the Exchange reading room on the
14th of January, in relation to more direct
connection with Ogdensburg, resolutions were
passed affirming its necessity, and our repre-
sentatives in the Legislature were requested to
obtain charter therefor. -. s,T, ~.
10, At this meeting, no route was designated,
but q gentleman Of st. Johnsbury present,
gayeeit as his opinion, that shorter route
could be found by way of ST. Johnsbury and
Dalton, than by existing railroads even with
the gap of IL or IA miles between Lake city
and Alton bay completed by the extension
OF the Dover and Winnepisiogee railroad. 1t
does not appear however that any survey, or
even reccnnisance has ever been made of the
proposed route. eds 81 aaIfsL VivhH 3sIl 'J2
. St. Johnsbury stands upon the Passumpsic
just that distance farther from Portlan by
any existing or possible railroad route thither.
Dalton lies east from st. Johnsbury and
about midway between the Passumpsic and
Grand Trunk railroads. The face of the
country between st. Johnsbury and Dalton is
billy and rough, which renders the location
Of railroad both circuitous and expensive, as
it would be necessary to cross the streams in
stead Of following the valleys. Persons ae-
uuainted wiEh6f thar partsof New hAmpshlrss
are of the opinion that the two places could
not be connected with less than 40 miles of
railroad. Dalton is situated southwest of
Gorham, N. H., and 25 miles distant there
from. f,ai -.fra,s .,r. firIl Ga,
az Now if we add the Fl miles which st
Johnsbury lies distant north of Wells river.
to the 40 miles between st. Johnsbury and
Dalton, which makes so miles, and deduct it
from that portion of the Boston, Concord and
Montreal railroad now operated towards Port
land, we shall find ourselves at point between
Weir's and Lake village, three miles from
the latter place. W-3e frfd ss
This point is 16 miles west of Alton Bay
and Is miles from Sanbornton on the Boston,
Concord and Montreal Railroad, (which place
may hereafter be referred to,) and should
stand equi-distant with Dalton from Portland,
lall other considerations being equal,) to bring
the st. Johnsbury and Dalton route into COM
petition with the Portland and Rochester
road. .Af1ulo3 II
The several routes stand thus:
Dalton to Gorham, % miles. =
Gorham by Grand Trunk, 81
Dalton to Portland, ie4L' 1 116 I"
Dalton by the Peabody river and
through the Saco Valley to Sa- Fl