The Portland daily press., 1895-07-20


Work Progressing Fast.
There was a general air of business
about the works of the Potland & Cape
Elizabeth Railroad yesterday afternoon.
The most signal achievement yesterday
was the raising of the great smoke stack
at the power house This stack is ninety
feet tall and is four feet and nine inches
in diameter. 1t is made of iron and weighs
nearly six TONS Mr. John McKewen
began yesterday morning with a crew of
about ten men and huge derrick, The
great pipe was taken near the middle and
lifted and tipped into place. By night
it was well established on it's foundation.
The work on the power house is well ad-
vanced. The walls are up, the iron roof
girders are up, and the roof will be on
and slated by the last of next week.
Meanwhile track laying has progressed
with great rapidity. From Willard to the
bridge by the power house a distance of
two miles and a half, the single track is
all laid From the bridge towards Rigby
in the other direction the rails are laid
for mile and three quarters towards
Pleasantdale. 1t is expected that in ten
days the four miles between the bridge
and Cash's Corner will be covered. Track
laying is progressing at the rate of about
1900 feet day. From Cash's Corner the
distance to Rigby is short. There seems
to be no reason why the line should not
be.in running order. to Rigby Park by the
time of the New England Fair, the last
of August, so far as difficulties at that
end are concerned.
But there is difficulty at Portland
Bridge. The question of widening is still
| before the County Commissioners, and
the railroad people do not feel like cross
ing and completing ssthe line to Middle
street in Portland before sthis decision is
rendered. 1t is understood thai the
County Commissioners are considerably
troubled by the question of their powers
in this matter.
Yeterday afternoon there was hearing
before the selectmen of Cape Elizabeth on
the subject of granting. to the railroad
permission to erect poles and wires along
it's track. There were present the full
board of selectmen, J. A. S. Dyer, chair
man, Willis Strout and Andrew ]. Cash.
There were also present Capt. A. D.
Boyd representing the railroad, Prof.
Chase, Marcus A. Hanna, John Parrot.
Captain Boyd presented map of the line
of the road and the places where the poles
are set. No one appeared in opposition,
and the location of the poles was ap-
proved.
| AS matter of fact the poles are gener-
ally already set along the line where the
track is laid.
| An interesting portion of the proceed
ings was speech by Prot. Chase, who
asserted the primary rights of Cape Eliza
beth people to as many rights as other
people have. Prof Chase went back to
the days of old Purpooduck, when Port
land was the smaller place. But since
those days of scalping- knife antiquity,
things have changed. Portland has
waxed great, while in twenty years Cape
Elizabeth has grown only little over
300 Deering has also Waxed. Cape
Elizabeth has waxed only little because
there has been discrimination in the mat
ter of electric roads. This road is de-
manded to increase the population Of
Cape Elizabeth, to give Portland people
access to the cemeteries in Cape Elizabeth
and for various other sufficient reasons.
Prof Chase thought Cape Elizabeth
should be awake on these points. Here
come people who will put this road in
without the expenditure of any Cape
Elizabeth elbow grease The road should
be welcomed, gloriously welcomed.
The new road costs about $500 mile,
Capt Boyd says.
The engines are here, SO also is the large
electrical generator and the trolley wire.
The road is not to run directly from
Pleasantdale to Cash's Corner, but at
Pleasantdale will turn straight down Lin
coin street to Ligonia, and there will
turn short about and go directly to Cash s
Corner along the Saco road Thus the
road will pass before both Forest City and
Calvary Cemeteries.
Nearly 200 men are at work pushing
the work along.