The Portland daily press., 1876-01-19

dIOuilu Tile UdSe VI MOuuG OdrrlSdlu, anu
furnish this road vast amount Of freight.
To meet this increase of business there
should BIZ large addition to the rolling
stock of the company, and your directors
hope that some way will be provided by
the stockholders to meet these require
ments. The line from Cambridge to Bur-
lington, which will open communication to
your road for the important business of
Lake Champlain concentrating at that
point, is already in so advanced a condi-
ton as to insure its completion in season
for part, if not the most, of the ensuing
summers travel through from Lake Cham
plain to the mountains. The importance
of this connection, by bringing our city
into business relations with the city of
Burlington, cannot be Overestimated.
Although not originally contemplated, the
success of this project must now be con-
sidered one of the greatest achievements of
your enterprise, which is so full of promise
to the future prosperity of our city.
In behalf and by order of the Board of
Directors,
SAMUEL J. ANDERSON, President.
ENGINEERS REPORT.
From the report of Mr.. John Il. Anderson,
the chief engineer. we CLEAN the following
facts:
The bed and track of the road, in operation
through the past year, from Portland to Bemis
Station-7S miles, have been maintai ned in
good order. About 125 tons of new rails and
some 1000 cross-ties have been put down for re-
newal between Portland and North Conway,
and sufficient gravel to keep the proper sur
face of the track has been carried on. Although
gate, was put upon the road-bed for this pur-
pose, much larger amount is needed to fully
restore the banks to their original grade lines
and compensate for the general settlement and
wash.
At Portland an additional siding was made
and considerable lift Of the track by ballast
between the freight station and the basin
bridge
The pile bridge along Fore river flats were
disturbed by ice, and additional bands of piles
were put in, with some new stringers and
braces. When this bridge was built, the design
was to fill in solid embankment by the trains
within year or two, and the erection was
cheaper one and less substantial than it would
have been if intended for permanent bridge.
l respectfully recommend that this filling be
done.
At Little Falls, South Windham, "a spur track
about one-quarter of mile long, has been
built to very important mill lately erected by
the Sebago Wood Board Company. This spur
track was located with reference to its future
extension across Presumpscot river upon the
stone dam at this place, whenever other mills
shall be established on the Gorham side.
At West Baldwin an additional tank has
been erected and new pipes laid to insure full
supply of water there at all times.
Between Hiram and Brownfield, near Mr..
Daniel Pierce's, a siding has been made for a
lumber business growing up thereabout.
AT Brownfield Station a convenient freight
house 40 #. by IS ft.) has been erected, which
obyiates the necessity for the long detention Of
cars, heretofore unavoidable, at this important
depot for the freight of several towns in that
vicinity.
Between Brownfeld and Fryeburg, near the
highway crossing siding has bean made for
the timber pulp wood and fire wood of the
Little Saco River Valley.
At Fryeburg a siding has been made to the
stave mill lately put in operation there by
Messrs. Nutter, Kimball & Co.
Near Centre Conway long cuvert, in the
heavy bank washed out by the great rise of the
Saco River, has been relaid in cement and the
embankment, that was replaced by trestles,
nearly restored.
At North Conway the half mile of low track
between the station and the point where the
work Of Messrs. Fuller & Harding commenced
has been lifted from one to three feet and
brought TO good surface.
At the Garland ridge in Bartlett siding has
been made to the new mill lately erected there
by Mr.. Lucy.
From North Conway to Bemis Station near
i
road has been built.
A side track has been laid into gravel. pit
near MOOr's brook, back of the Wiley house; a
long one at the Crawford station; another into
gravel pit on the Northe IN slope of the
mountain; and another at the Fabyan station.
The first bridge above Bemis Station was in
place over Davis brook at the date of my last
annual report. The next one, a Howe truss.
ffty-eight feet long, was nearly framed ready
for erection over Bemis brook at that date.
This was put up early in the past year.
An iron trestle bridge of four hundred nine
feet height, of iron, resting upon piers and
benches of granite, has been erected over the
ravine near by Frankenstein Cliff.
A Howe truss, eighty-fve feet long, has
been erected over Cow brook. Also similar
bridge, of seventy-fve feet length, over Moor's
brook, on the mountain side, back of the Will
ley House.
At Wiley brook, where the railroad track
passes from the side of Wiley Mountain to
that of Mt. Willard, an iron deck bridge, of one
hundred and forty feet spar, has been built
over the deepest part of the ravine, (S5 it. be
low grade) and wooden trestles, about fifty feet
high, supporting one hundred and fifty feet
length of iron grders, to cover the rest of the
hollow.
On the east side of Mt. Willard, within a
quarter of mile of the Notch cut, the track is
carried over a succession of creviceS in the crag
ged cliff on iron grders resting at either enc
upon stone abutments, with two intermediate
supporting piers of stone, one of them being
complete, the other but partially built up in
stone and supplemented by two wooden tres
ties.
Across the ravne that makes into the Dis
NAL Pool, there is a wood trestle of some fifty
feet in height, but now partially filled in with
loose rock and earth.
The buildings erected during che past year
are as follows, viz: At Fabyan's an engine
AnI,I 11,
ticket station and platform. The turn-table
placed temporarily in the main track at Bemis
and there used for about one year, was moved
to convenient site near Fabyan's and perma
nently located with the proper track and sid.
lngs.
At Crawford's small but convenient station
with waiting and baggage rooms and plat
form, which is of insufficient length for tn
proper economy of train-time, and would rec.
ommend that the length of the platforms at al
the stations, especially the principal ones, b.
increased. Between Bemis and Crawford sta
tions there have been erected four comfortable
dwellings, for the section men, placed beside
| the roadway, and three of them at such point
| as will enable the occupants not only to com
mand clear views of the track along the side o
mountains, but to signal each other from hous
| to house, in any contingency that may requir
| it; each house being in sight Of at least on
| other. The first one is located about two mile
| from the beginning of the mountain grade; tn
next one is near the Cow Brook water station
the third is on the side of Wiley Mountain
| about one-third of mile along the railroad
north of the Wiley House; and the fourth
at the turn of Mount Willard, about half mil
below the Gate of the Notch The house nea
| the Cow Brook water station, commands a full
| view of the track for half a mile below-(east
and three miles above (north) its site. FroI
the house at the salient curve of Mount Wi
lard there is a general view of the railroad lin
along the mountain side for nearly four milel
The other two houses have more limited rang
of view, but are equally convenient to th
track. The men living in these houses ar
never absent from their posts of duty day
night, but are available at all hours, for an
emergency, as we'll as for their daily routine.
| A stone dam laid in full cement from tn
ledge up, was built across never falling moul
tain stream to form reservoir for the Co
Brook Water Station, ten miles distant frol
the Bartlett wood and water station. A wool
shed also was erected, and, as this was abol
midway OF the mountain grade, level of 6(
feet in length had been here interposed whe
the line was located. 1t proves to be just tt
right place for most conveniently taking woo
and water in operating the freight and passe
| ger trains over the grade.
The grading, masonry and bridges upon th
four miles from the Notch summit northwest
Fabyan's being finished in June, track layil
was begun at the latter point. The iron f
this purpose had been sent round by the Graz
l.