Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-13
MAINE DISPATCHES.
Along the Roadbsd Of the Kennebee Cen.
tRd Railroad.
4 Journal Reporters Tramp Through
Cuts and Disgings Along the Route.
[ Special to the kennebec Journal. I

Special to the kennebec Journal
GAKDISKR. Dec. 1.-THE Journal scribe
recently had bit Of an insight
into railway construction when, in
company with T. J. O'Neil. of the firm Of
T. J. NJ. O'Nel who have the contract to
build the sub grade Of the Kennebec Central
Railroad, he made = trip over the line on
foot.
Gardiner has always taken Al active inter
est in her road to Togus ever since the idea
,as first mentioned. although many there
were who considered its building practical
impossibility. Should they now take
pede strian tour along the line which runs up
the picturesque Worromatogus valley they
would not only come to the conclusion that
IT was fea-ibe to build such road. but that
1t WAS also comparatively inexpensive job.
As we plod down along Water street In
Randolph on our way to the western ter
minus of the road, We pass the location on
The right where it is proposed to build the
Randolph depot. The spot 10 just north Of
the Stevens ice houses and has excellent
frontage so that . wharf could be built,
tracks run down TO the waters edge, aud the
government supplies transferred directly
from vessel to cars.
On the immediate left - We stand looking
at the site Is the comparatively smooth road
bed of the KenDebec Central Railroad. Per-
hAps the fret thing to arrest the attention
after the eye has glanced up the road are the
almost innumersble number Of stakes sppar
emily driven here and there and every ywhere
to the inexperienced but in reality the record
Of the psinstaking arduous lab0rs Of the en-
gineers who have started out this road through
the wild land and who by these whitened
tablets have left their instructions which are
to enable the contractor to do his work cor
rectly.
There are three sets of these stakes
first. slope stakes, which locate the terminus
of the bank or side slope; second. centre
stakes, which locate the exact centre Of the
rosd bed and third the grade stakes, which
indicate the amount Of cut and Gil necessary.
The engineer, - he goes over the road. puts
in his grade stake and with chalk or pencil
marks +. 1O.4 or r. 8 ~ the case may be,
and hen the contractor with his crew arrives
here are the instructions which tell him to
fll 8 2 feet or 10. 4 feet - indicated. 1t may
thus readily be seen that while the contractor
has much to do in the making of the road
bed its correctness depends upon the pro-
fessionai skill of the chief engineer in .
great measure. These instructions must be
followed to the letter, and the deviation OF
one or two inches rectihed. In addition to
these stakes are those which bear the num-
Der of the stations" ~ they are called
These stakes are 100 feet apart. and by them
H. to. rtai maj
of the work or the location OF any particular
cut or Hll indicated by the working plans.
Aswe proceeded up the line the scribe
realized the advantage of having ~ compan-
ion one we'll acquainted with railroad bed
making. Mr.. O'Neil in company with his
br other has been engaged in contract work OF
this kind for nesrly twenty yesrs having ouiit
portions of the Canadian Pacific. Portland
4 Ogdebsburg, Portland 4 Rochester, knoI
& Lincoln and other roads commencing their
business of road building on the KNOX 4 Lin
coin. They are thoroughly acquainted with
every detail of the business and when com
p,etion comes and heavily loaded excursion
traius awake the echoes Of Worromatogus
valley the passengers may rest secure that
the road has been thoroughly built.
IL vas decidedly sticky travelling, ~ the
weather Of the past few weeks has been M
favorable and the ave mile tramp was not
without its struggles With siipPery clay
banks, treacherous swanps and ICY srooSs'
over which the line 10 built.
A sharp curve after you leave the carnage
road in Randolph initiates you directly into
q narrow ravine, in the bed OF vhicn 'ne
line runs. The Togus brook. stream about
,;x feet wide with crooks sufficient to tie .
.pake in a bow knot, meanders back and
forth across the line and necessitates the
iayius Of box culverts Of planks, tile cui.
verts and stone culverts of all shapes and
,izes. In many cases the direction OF the
fickle stream has been wisely deviated into
new channels and the bed Alled In with soiid
earth.
Several small cuts are encountered In the
FRA, part Of the line before it reaches ~ and
40 where the road crosses the equity road
near the old slaughter house. FROM shia
point for nearly two miles the road passes
through the roughess part Of the entire line.
The yailey was quite thickly wooded and the
scrubbins up crews were obliged to fell
t,ees. clear up and burn brush and other re-
fuse and clear away patches aoundantiy
covered with small boulders in order tnat
the crew of diggers might work to oe''er
advantage.
Borrowing pits are frequently necessary
and several cuts varying from 2? to III fees
In depth we're encountered, the eatsh Iemo'eu
being happily used near at hand In ninns IN
low places A large part OF the crew. ~nicn
NOW numbers ll5 men. were engaged On
,hs.e cuts and fills when the scribe visited
,h, .esce and the progress made even With
-besIb.rrows was astonishing. Horses and
..dumps" are used ordinarily. but the sticky
hsd ~ the road 10 treacheroue ID
vet weather and the horses are taken On un-
iii the cold tiehteus it up. The men are un-
dey competent fore men at every point nov.
ever. and turn out . credisable smount OF
~ork. considering the disadvantages unoer
which they labor. -. .
n has been necessary to build corduroy
,o.ds Al soue psrts Of the work, and advsn-
20 h.. been taken of all surroundings
vhicb would aid in the roAd bsiidins; a
| ,;,,ie ,hIs side Of the Birmingham road, 20
called. come blasting Of large boutders VII
have to be made, but there 10 not foo< OF
ledge ON the ~hole line. From this pesnt.
an he line, the bed has . grade OF sooes
| lSs feet 70 the mile. but from sIns ps'
| hack to RaDdolph it 10 compafssavey
| A. Ststiop los, The Bifminahan roea'
vork Of the O'Neii's 10 dropped and tne seo
contractors, the Mavor Bros OF New ntuas
wick, take the work On the ien % W.
line, lust a. il crosses the cefnaee l0so
9OO feet side track will be placed. and nee'
| l;ttle local station to BE- called "bifm'nenan
station, will be erected. 1roo this ssnco
for some little distance, the road runs neaf'y
an a level with The Surrounding country and
he he'd has been built from earth dug froe
trenches ct the side.
Al Station II tbs line runs aefoes !ne 10y,
lpn's rcaA asA hsFs assin y aAohsf psece 3.
! Via land, svaDpe. iafgs 9ess eno
m.tiarialhef sn uSly pesos - nasa.. -
ensioo lSS, Aavoe BIOS. eeemac - ~ !.