Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-08-07
VESSELS ON WHEEL s.
Inc Chignecto Marine Railway to Rival
Captain Eads' Project.

v-So.10 oIN WHEELS.
The Chignecto Marine Railway to Rival
Captain Eads' Project
Across the narrow neck of land COM
Meeting the maritime provinces of New
brunswick and Nova Scotia a work is
now being constructed which, if sue
cess, VIII cause Eiffel to look to his
laureis If he expects to establish the
claim he has made for his tower as
being the eighth wonder of the world.
This marvel of modern engineering
IS the Chignecto and Marine or Ship
railway, a work which in prospectus
has been before the people of this
country for tho last fifteen Or twenty
years. Grit and Tory have alike boot
ed and advocated the scheme, as they
happened to be in or out of power. No.
body believed that the idea would ever
be successfully carried out, but all
scotfers were silenced by the arrival at
Amherst in September last of the con-
tractors. Messrs. Dawson, Symmes and
Usher. These gentlemen at once began
to push the work in a business-like
manner, and will this summer find en-
plOyment for about five thousand men.
Dawson II Co. are we'll and favorably
known in Canada and the United States
as wealthy and successful contractors,
one of their last operations being the
construction OF the Poughkeepsie
bridge.
The promoter Of the scheme is H. G.
T. ketchum. whose pluck has at last
brought its own reward. Mr.. Ketchum
will very probably be l1nighted if his
railway proves a success.
The little isthmus across which the
line is being constructed from the Bay
of Fundy to Northumberland straits,
a distance Of seventeen and one-half
miles, is historic ground. Here, with
IN q stones throw, are the old forts of
Beausejaur (now, Fort Cumberland)
and Fort Lawrence. Here, in days gone
by, Vergaur, with his regulars and
Acadians, his habitans and Indians,
struggled for colonial supremacy with
Moncton and his brave New England
ers, with Lawrence and his British
troops. Here the loyal New England
States generously poured out their
blood and gold in an effort to add one
more jewel to the British crown.
The contractors are under agree
ment to complete the work in two
years from September, 1888, and also
to operate it for one year after its COM
pletion. 1t will be built in the strong
est possible manner. enabling it to
carry the largest vessel or steamer,
with cargo. The car or ship cradle
will run on four lines of steel rails,
each rail weighing about one hundred
and ten pounds. No wood will be
used; all bridges and culverts are to
be built of hewn stone. At either term
mus there will be two large docks, an
outer one. 500 feet long by 800 feet
wide, forming receiving basin. and
an inner dock, $50 feet long by 800
feet wide. These docks will be faced
with hewn stone and have water
depth of sixty feet. The inner basin
will be fitted with an adjustable plat
form, operated by hydraulic pressure.
for the purpose of raising and lower
ing vessels in transit
A ship or steamer making the over
land passage is first hoated into the in
ner basin, and the platform supporting
the car or ship cradle sunk to the re-
quired depth. The ship is then foated
until she rests securely on the cradle
Hydraulic pressure is applied and the
platform raised until the rails on which
the cradle rest are On q plane with
those of the main line. when power
full engine is coupled on and away
''sails'' the ship past Beausejaur and
Cumberland, over swamps and boys,
through forests of spruce and pine,
until after sailing over some seventeen
miles of dry land she is launched into
the waters of the Bay of Fundy or the
Gulf Of St. Lawrence, as the case may
be. Vessels taking advantage of this
short cut will save some hundreds Of
miles OF dangerous passage around the
rock-bound coast of Nova Scotia. Es-
pecially will it be boon to the Glou-
cester fishermen bound to the Labra-
dor coast, the Bay Chalcuc or other
points north and east.
MIR. Ketchum has some millions of
English capital at his back, and the
line will certainly be built and operat-
ed-always provided Mr.. Frye and Mr..
Butterworth don't scoop the whole bus
mess. Canada is young, but she is
coming, and she will have the first
practical marine railway in the world.
Amherst IN. S. Cor. N. Y. World.
h;rro+;ope If tha Su<ordfche