The Portland daily press., 1876-01-19
CONSULTING ENGINEERS STATEMENT.
No. CONWAY, N. H.,
August 18th, 1876.

Sundry accounts, 2l2,372 70
CONSULTING ENGINEERS STATEMENT.
No. CONWAY, N. H.,
August 18th, 1876.
GEN. SAMUEL J. ANDERSON,
Dear Sir-As the company over which you
preside favored me, some four years ago,
with request for my professional advice in
regard to the location of their road through
the Crawford Notch of the White Mountains,
permit me to express the pleasure with which
I have recently passed over it upon the eel
ebration of its opening through that renowned
pass. My recommendation that a certain lin
it of grade should not be exceeded in the ap-
proach to the Gate of the Notch Ito which
you have now added another entrance side by
side with the one formed by nature, yet with
out interfering with the latter) was founded
as my report shows, upon considerations bear
ing upon the economy of motive power, and
upon the popular reputation of the line for
safety, in view of the competition with other
roads. advised this, without knowing what
expense in preparing the bed of the road
might be involved in the adoption of such a
grade, which 1 supposed might be quite
heavy compared with one of much increased
steepness in the immediate approach to the
summit. am gratifed, therefore, in finding
that, for most of the distance for seven or
eight miles embraced in the maximum grade,
the cost of graduation has been very mod
crate, and that even on the more difficult por-
tons contiguous to the Notch, it has not been
excessive. At the same time the curvature
has been easier than anticipated. The ma
terial of the excavations has also proved bet
ter than was expected, consisting chiefly of
coarse granite sand, with boulders of the
same rock, not retentive of water, and hence
Eftla 6ispoead RI s1idcss Tho cida o,,tt;p oJro
generally so made as to leave space on the
upper side to hold such loose material as may
fall, and also for drainage of water from the
slopes. The solid rock cuts are also of good
width and slope, and the embankments most.
ly well settled and supported upon the nat
ural surface.
The Frankenstein trestle, when fully COM
pleted and stiffened by the additional braces
and ties now being inserted will prove, I
think, safe and substantial structure, light
as is its appearance.
The iron bridge over the Wiley brook ap-
pears well planned and put together, and the
timber trestle connected with it will answer
the purpose for some years to come, but
should ultimately be succeeded by another
span of iron, which, 1 think, will be better
than an embankment upon so steep a slope.
In short, see no reason to doubt that the
road-bed upon this difficult section of the
line will be permanent and easily keptin re-
pair, if properly watched and attended for
some time to come, under the direction of the
chief and resident engineer, under whose care
it was built, and who. by judicious applica-
ton of professional skill, will be able to i'm
prove the alignment at points where the
original location could not be made upon the
natural surface in its rough state as perfectly
| as upon the graded road-bed. There will al
so be some additional retaining wall to be
| built, and what has been already erected i'm
| proved, as the effect of frosts and rains upon
| the cuttings and entertainments may show the
| necessity of, from time to time.
Upon the western slope from the Crawford
| to the Fabyan house, the line has been cheap
| ly built, and will be readily kept up, the
| material being almost wholly of the granite
| sand met with on the eastern side.
| In regard to the effect upon the future of
| your work, of the connection now made with
the system of railways in the Connecticut
| river valley. and beyond it to the northern
and western termini of your road, and thence
| to the remote west, I need offer no other
remark than that 1t must inevitably
ensure its success as one of the
great thorough fares of the country, and as
raising Portland to the rank of one of the
chief maritime cities of the United States.
| I am very respectfully yours,
| BENZ. H. LATRoBE,
| Consulting Engineer.
The new articles of agreement entered into
between the Eastern Division and the Vermont
Division we're read. AS they had been approx
| ed at previous meeting no action was neces-
sary.
| By the terms of this contract, now first
made public, the Portland and Ogdensburg
railroad company of Maine, and the Essex
County, the Montpelier and st. Johnsbury,
the Lamoille Valley, and the Lamoille Valley
Junction railroad companies of Vermont
having previously agreed to issue joint bonds
for $4,000 a mile upon their whole line Of
railway, agree to commit the management Of
the entire line to board of eleven managers
The Portland and Ogdensburg railroad COM
pany of Maine is entitled to six managers
who shall be residents of the city of Port.
land; the Essex County railroad company to
one; the Montpelier and st. Johnsbury rail
road company one; the Lamoille Valley rail-
road company two; and the Montreal Cham.
bly, and Sorel railroad company of Canada
one. The operation and maintenance of thu
consolidated road is committed to the boare
of managers, and the duties of the board
when not in session are to be per-
formed by its president. Of tn
net earnings of the entire line there shall
be paid over annually on the second day o
january, to each company, its just share
which it is agreed, shall be such proportion
of the net earnings as the gross earnings
each road shall bear to the gross earnings O.
the entire line, under and subject to the term
OF the agreement of February %, 1874, will
the Eastern railroad, first deducting tn
amount due from each road, as interest upon
the bonds issued by such road and its pro
portion of the interest due on the joint bond
issued under the joint consolidated mortgage
| which amounts, SO deducted shall be ap