The Portland daily press., 1875-08-09
the best possible tribute to the skill and eff
cheney of Mr. An ierson and his assistants.
THE WORK OF CONSTRUCTION
A Review of the Work up 10 the Present

On the morning of the sixth day of Septem-
Der, 1862 under the contract with Fuller q
Harding and Tenant, Hogan q Gray, the first
shovel full of dirt was thrown from the line
of the road, two years and half after the pas
sage of the act of Incorporation. The portion
of the road then under contract was arranged
in four divisions. The first extended to Seba-
go Lake and was under the charge of S. L.
Stephenson as resident engineer; its length
was 16 miles. The second division extended
from Sebago Lake to Half Moon Pond in Bald
win, under the charge of Thomas E. beverley.
The third division extended from Half Moon
Pond to Hiram Bridge, and was under the
charge of George Wadsworth. The fourth ex-
tended from Hiram Bridge to Fryeburg, under
the charge Of Mr.. Charles J. Noyes. At the
opening of 1870 eight miles of the first division
had been graded and were ready for the super
structure. The second was fairly opened at
every point where winter work could be done.
On the third the work was progressing at thir-
ty different points, and on the fourth there
were twenty pits opened and all in active oper-
ation On all four divisions there was a force
of 800 men at work.
On the 18th day of September, 1870, passen-
ger cars were run over the road, and on the
10Th of the same month it was opened to pas
senger and freight traffice. On the 18th day of
November the road was opened TO Steep Falls
in Standish and on the Goth day of December
to West Baldwin, SO miles from Portland, and
the grading and masonry on the remaining six
teen miles, between Baldwin and Fryeburg
village were completed. After consultation it
was decided to stop work for the year at Bald
win and the necessary terminal structures were
put up. At the close of this year the engineer
reported the completion of the road to West
Baldwin, 80 miles from Portland, with the
requisite sdings, stations, freight houses, en-
gine-stables, wood sheds, turntables, and water
tanks; and the complete construction of the
road-bed to Fryeburg, 40 miles out, in entire
readiness for the rails'' with the exception of
several bridges. With the opening of the
spring in 1871, work was vigorously recon-
mended on the fourth division-from West
Baldwin to Fryebug, and on the fifth division
from FryebuIg to North Conway, and trains
commenced running to the latter point before
the close of the summer of that year. The
road-bed, superstructure and bridges were all
first-class, the two important of the latter being
of iron. In the accomplishment of this work
tracks were laid and crosstrees were partially
imbedded in ballast, at an average rate exceed
ing threequarters of mile per day, and dur
ing the last six days there were laid something
more than six miles of track-a rapidly of
execution believed to be without precedent in
New England. On the third day of August
the road was opened for traffic TO North Con-
way.
Work Jagged little on the sixth division in
the first part of the year 1872, owing to strn-
gency in the finances of the company, but after
the vote of the city to loan its credit to the
amount of $1,3OO,0OO work recommended in
earnest on the 10th of August and was prose-
cuted vigorously to the close of the year.
Some seven miles were graded above North
Conway at the close of the year, both abut-
ments at the east branch os the Saco and those
at the Ellis river were erected and most of the
culverts upon the division constructed On the
9Th of August 1875 the road was opened for
regular travel to point eleven and one quarter
miles above North Conwaw, and at the close of
the year the engineer reported the grading and
masonry between Upper Bartlett and the Mt.
Crawford House nearly completed. On the 31st
day of August, 1874, the road was opened to
Bemis station, and at the close of the year the
track was laid to Frankenstein Cliff, three
miles beyond During the present year work
has been pushed with great vigor, and Satur-
day the booming of cannon in the Wiley Notch
announced that the work of construction
through the Notch was completed, The road
extends 81 miles from Portland, and but gap
of twenty miles remains to be built by which to
connect with the Vermont division.
The road bed and the bridges are built in
first class manner. The more important of the
latter are of iron, all of Improved patterns on
Pratt's patent, made by Clarke. Reeves & Co.
of Philadelphia. The largest of the others are
of Howe's patent, while those of spans between
80 and so feet are of the form known as the
canal truss or Queen Post bridge. The wooden
structures were very thoroughly built by Mr.
James S. Libby of this city. The trestle work
over Artists brook is the work of Mr. Elliott
Wescott of this city.
Commodious station and freight houses have
been erected in the various towns through
which the road passes, either by the company
or by The citizens of the towns. At Steep Falls
Hon. Tobias lord erected large and elegant
depot and freight house; at Baldwin Mr.. Rich
ard Chase and the citizens purchased land
and erected depot. In Portland in 1870, the
company purchased an area of land for bust
ness purposes, with frontage of $50 feet on
West CONNER cal street, giving water front
of the same width, with depth of water suf-
| ficient to float ship of 1000 tons.