Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-12-12


Henry, the attorney of the road, G
III. Ellis, chief engineer, and w. g
Henry made tour Of inspection O
the road Saturday, accompanied by
representatives Of the Free Press an
Post and Tribune. The party left
Detroit Friday night by the 11:S(
train on the Mackinac Division o.
the Michigan Central, General Super
intendent c. c. Brown having placed
his private car at the disposal of the
party. After breakfasting at West
Bay City, they proceeded to Alger,
the junction with the Detroit, Bay
City & Alpena, situated about three,
quarters of q mile beyond Wells. Al
Bay City they were joined by Milo
Eastman, superintendent of the road
and a number of newspaper men and
citizens of Bay City and Saginaw. A
box and fiat car carried the party
from Alger to the Rifle River, two
and one-half miles distant, where a
transfer was made to the regular train
in waiting across the river. The day
coach of the road was sent up Friday,
but had not yet been put upon the
narrow gauge tracks. 1t will be
ready next week and will be used to
carry passengers at this end of the
line until the bridge across the Rife
is completed. j. M. Eastman, an old
newspaper man of the Saginaw Val
ley, now Master of Transportation of
this road, Joined the party here and
formed valuable aid to the newspa-
per fraternity, being an encyclopedia
of information concerning the region
through which the road passes. Din
ner was taken at Au Sable, and the
return trip commenced, the special
train reaching Bay City in time to
attach the private car on the regular
train, reaching Detroit at
1918 o'clock Saturday night. A trip
from Detroit to Au Sable and return
within twenty-four hours is an achieve
ment in strong contrast with the
previous order of things, when it took
twelve hours to reach that point from
Bay City, staging from Standish. The
people of Tawas and Oscoda turned
)ut EN- masse to witness the arrival of
he first passenger train to their town.
The event was a great one to them
md came unheralded, as the managers
If the enterprise had not planned this
rip until Friday, the day of the start.
A large crowd from these towns,
however, took a ride to Rifle River
With the inspection party, the train
icing run back afterwards ready for
ocular trips which commence Mon
lay.
The line of the Detroit, Bay City
Alpena, now completed from Alger
o Au Sable, is forty-seven and a half
niles in length besides twelve miles of
and seven miles of siding.
t has a gauge of three feet two inches,
he same as the old Prescott logging
Dad 1.-THE Tawas q Bay County which
'as utilized for part Of the distance.
The gauge of the old road was de-
by the first engine used on
!, which was first bought and the
Dad then fitted TO its tracks. This
ngine has now been dismounted, and
) boiler will be utilized to run Spite
river. The entire road has been
uilt, and that part of the old Prescott
ne which is utilized, entirely over
auled since June, yet the road-bed is
, excellent condition. 1t was finished
s the construction proceeded, so that
very mile built should be in condi-
on for use, if the work was stopped
any point by cold weather. The
rack will remain in good condition
ntil the ground thaws in the spring,
hen it is anticipated that nothing
lrther will be needed except to give
surface, which will be done by
'ction gangs. A good test of the
ondition of the road is ride over
in the cars which are used, which
re standard size, placed OH narrow
-ucks. Though wide, the cars rock
ut little.
The present equipment of the road
insists of four engines, two logging,
ne passenger and one mogul, COM
nation baggage, express and mail
ar, smoker, day coach, sleeper,
,ur box cars, forty-nine standard fiat
ars and 160 small four-wheeled log
ing cars. There are coming next
eek another engine, four box cars
nd sixteen flats, all eight-foot decks
y thirty-four feet long.
Alger, the southwestern terminus of
lie line, is forty miles from Bay City.
here is yet no city to be seen. Side (
'acks are being put in, and the Cen.
al road will erect a turn-table and ,
vo-story passenger house, with accom- s
'odations for meals, and will move
s tank and other station fittings
ON Wells. The stations, counting {
ON AIger, with the distances, be- {