The Portland daily press., 1875-03-13
Winter Resorts.
THREE DAYS AMONG THE WHITE
MOUNTAINS.
The Mountain RaiIway-The winter CAM
paign IA success-Thc outiook-Ynciden's

DaISn u success-Inc OutiOVAA~AS
etc.
OF all seasons of the year, March is about
the last month one would select in when 10
make trip to the White Mountains. Such
March, too, as this following winter which,
has no parallel in the record of severity save III
the memory of the very Oldest inhabltant; Dut az
80 remote a period that he will not trlne Win
his conscience to such an extent as to name
that other dreadful winter as cold as 1919.
There have been so many dreadful stories told
of the wintry storms of that famous region, so
many shuddering tales of hapless travellers
who. blinded with sheets of snow and benum-
bed with piercing winds, have sunk down 10
death, that the ordinary person who has noun
ing of the Alpine youth with the banner Win
the Excelsior device in his make up, would ma
turally hesitate about encountering Its perlls'
But having expressed wish to make an early
trip over the work on Notch division OF the
Portland & Ogdensburg in the presence OF 1onn
f. Anderson Esq, Chief Engineer, he kinuiy
Invited PRESS representative to go over the
line with him the present week, which ne hao
set apart for his regular inspection OF the work
an invitation which we mostly eagerly ac-
cepted. From Hiram, Mr.. Anderson was ac-
companied by well known New England en-
gineer Mr.. Wadsworth, native OF tnat
town but now residing in Everett Mass.
THE COMPLETED AINE.
AS is we'll known the track is laid to FRANK
enstein Cliff, the first bold mountain into
whose side the road runs, and which rises
almost perpendicular at the very roadside,
distance of 700 feet. Trains have run thls
winter to Bemis's station, better known as the
Old Crawford House. Frankenstein is nearly
three miles nearer the Notch and about 81
miles from Portland. The track as far as the
trains run is noticeably smooth, and is said to
be kept in excellent condition. A construction
train is at work during the winter strengthen
ing that portion of the line between North
Conway and Bemis. From Bemis to Frank
enstein, the line reaches grade Of 116 feet to
the mile. In distance of eight miles there
are are seven having this grade. This may be
considered a ''little steep" but the observer
standing at any point and looking up this
grade can hardly be made to believe that the
line is creeping up the mountain side at that
rate The Baltimore & Ohio, one of the most
famous freight roads of the country, has IL
miles in one stretch, with grade ranging
from ITO feet to 100 feet per mile, and aver
aging 116 feet for the whole distance. Under
very unfavorable conditions, the COmpany's
locomotive Carrigain hauled 200 tons up the
part of this grade over which the track is laid,
without difficulty. The scenery, as one rides
up the line from North Conway, with the semi
circle of mountains in the distance, is on so
grand a scale as to absorb the attention of the
most matter-of-fact individual. As, however,
the train nears the Everlasting hills" above
Upper Bartlett, and the observer has an oppor-
tunity to stand upon platform car as it was
our privilege, the scene approaches the limit
of the sublime and awful in nature. In stage
coach days, when at a snaiPs pace, the travel
er wound around the mountains, the effect was
simply grand in repose; but to be whirled along
by the iron horse-now, to all appearance,
about to dash into the foot of yonder cliff, now
whirng about its base almost so near as to
touch it, now be sees tie cliff behind him ap-
parently closing up the path while the circle OF
mountains seem to hem in the train-the
whole becomes rapidly moving panorama of
the bodest scenery in New England, so varied
and SO majestic as to battle description by the
matter-of fact journalist Indeed, it is very
doubtful if the Imagination of the poet would
be equal to the task.
THE CONNECTING LINK. ~
For the purpose of description, we will con-
slider that portion of the whole line of the road
now under construction as the connecting link,
not because it connects the Portland and Yer
mont divisions, but because, when completed,
it will connect the Portland Division with the
White Mountain branch of the Boston, Con-
cord q Montreal Railroad which has its ter
minus at the Fabyan House. This link ex-
tends from Frankenstein Cliff to the Fabyan
House and is ten miles in length. The six
miles from Frankenstein to the Crawford
House just beyond the "Notch" is the
hardest of the work on the line-the portion
which great many good men have
long declared to be impossible. Nevertheless,
Mr. Anderson and his able assistant, Thomas
E. Poverty Esq. have surveyed line along the
mountain sides and since August from three
to five hundred men have been hewing road
way through the hills and filling up and bridg-
ing the deep gulches, until now, at date, the
fact of feasible line is go nearly demonstrated
entirely practical. would be to pronounce ones
self fool or, well, an ass. Indeed, so easy
will this line appear when completed aud the
trains are sweeping about the mountain TANKS,
that the same men who wouldn't give mo-
ment's credence to the opinion of the eminent
engineer, Mr.. Latrobe, as to the entire FEAST
bility of the route. will then be saying that any
fellow could have located the line. So men
change.
The completed road ends abruptly at the
wide, deep chasm at Frankenstein cliff. Here
500 feet trestle bridge is required, the top of
which when completed, will be about 80 feet
above the stream which pours itself down
the hill side. in the rainy seasons. This
bridge will be of iron. The masonry is
completed, the bridge contracted for and built
and awaits spring and the completion of the
cut at the further side. 1t was first intended
to build the bridge Of wood but Chief Engineer
Anderson found that an iron structure could
be obtained for that place nearly thousand
dollars less than wood, of Buffalo company
The point of the line under construction which is
the key of the situation so far as the early COM
pletion of the work is concerned, is that imme-
uldtCiy lOhoWibS WIS ot'N5V' ~ ~ euO uaSC VI
Frankenstein and was a granite cut of 5000
yards. At this point 1900 yards still block the
way but Mr. Anderson has given orders to
have the force doubled, and Mr.. Fuller, the
contractor, who has personal supervision at
that point, has promised that the work shall he
finished by May LIST. Near this point, are
few small cuts not entirely completed but a
resolute and large party are at work there.
From FrankensteIn to the Crawford House,
a distance of six miles, and, as we have before
stated, the hardest of the work, we walked
over and back with Mr.. Andersons party.
The great part OF the distance is graded. The
masonry is nearly all completed and all the
long cuts completed or in an advanced state
All along the line, wherever there is ledge, par
ties may be seen at work and the frequent
reports of the explosions reverberating
among the mountains indicate that the
work is being pressed. The other special
point of resistance is the extensive cuts at
the Notch, the smaller in the ''gate-
way and the larger this side. The
latter in the beginning measured 1900
yards. In a feeble way, work was begun there
quite long time since but was only under
taken with energy last August. Mr.. Hard
;no IF tho CONTRACTING irm hoe oo,ar,I .unor