The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-11-22

We have lately received with the com
pliments of Hon. William Atkinson Of
North Arson, the published report of a
reconnaissance of Northwestern Maine
made by II. A. Haucox, civil engineer in
the interest of the Carrabasset and Cana
dian Railway Company, for the purpose
of determining the most practical route
To connect he Canadian Pacific CXtensi' n
through northwestern Maine With the
railway system OF the south and the deep
sea harbors of the coast. Engineer Han
cox says:
NV instructions were to the effect that
WAS 10 make a careful and thorough
reconnaissance of the tarrabasset aud
Dead river valleys To the International
boundary, thence along the east shore OF
Megantic Lake to the foot Of the LAKE
and an intersection with the Canadian
Pacific in that vicinity. also to explore
the kennrhcc valley to the confluence OF
the kcnnebcc and Dead rivers, and the
Intervening country to the Moose River
valley AMI junction with the Canadian
Pacific thrrcabouts; and submit for your
consideration true and impartial report
of their relative merits n railway routes
He treats briefly the general principles
of railroad location, typographical fea.
lures of the proposed routes the physical
/ geography of northwestern Maine, it,
I geological characteristics, also OF the
rivers, streams, lakes, valleys, hills, wa
F ter sheds confguration of surface, etc.
/ The problem is to find the most feasible
route from Moose River valley through
which the Canadian Pacific road IS built
/ through the hilly country south of it to
connect with the great railroad system
/ that centers in Portland and Boston.
MIR. Hancox says;
Nearly every valley that by any stretch
of the Imagination could reasonably be
/ presented As feasiablc route has had
/ its advocates and opponents among those
/ local residents whose pecuniar interests
would be affected by their adoption or
/ rejection. The merits and dement's of
/ each have been discussed aud rediscnss-
ed aud their salient points criticised by
/ those who had "A superficial knowledge of
/ the conditions most favorable for rail
/
| ing opinions the general public conferred
upon two routes that held "a preponder-
anre of advantages over all others. One
/ was to follow the valley of the Kenne-
( bee northward to The Forks, thence up
I the Salmon or Cold stream, climb over
/ the watershed and descend into the
/ Moose river valley and connect with the
/ Canadian Pacific at Moose river. The
lther way was to follow the Carrabas-el
aud Dead river valleys to the Chain OF
/ Lakes, thence across the Iiathern bog ant
down the spider river valley to LAX,
| Megantic and junctionswith the c. Z. X
on the east shore of the lake.
As both routes unite at the confluenc,
OF the Carrabasset> and kennebec rivers
near North Arson, this place was made
the starting point of investigation. En-
tcring the Kennebec valley az this poin
and running north forty. seven degrees
west, most remarkable depression o
country extends through the mountain
Gus range from the kennebec river t.
Lake Megantc. This depression is
series OF contiguous valley, which holt
the bed of the Carrabasset and Dead riv
ers, the Chain of Lakes, llathon bog
Crosby, Horseshoe, Mud and Arnol
ponds, and Spider lake and river; all o
which by their number and arrangement
demonstrate the consecutiveness of thi
waterway route.
The report gives in detail the difllcu
ties to be surmounted in the Propose
route which are regarded as only such a
are usually found in building railroads
For leaving the Carrabasset river vale
and reaching that of upper Dead Rive
three routes are given, each said to b
practicable with uniform grade of 42,j
feet per mile and in no instance to eA
coed 60 feet per mile.
The approximate local and total dis
tances from North Arson to the Cana
dian Pacific Hallway are given as TO
lows;