The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-22
NEW FREIGHT YARDS.
Improvements by Grand Trunk al
East Deering.
Yards Have Over Eleven Miles of Track
and Capacity of 1900 Cars-Work at
the Stock Yards.


and Capacity of 1900 Cars-Worls at
the Stock Yards.
Eleven and one-half miles of freight
tracks, holding 1900 cars, is the extent of
the new yard of the Grand Trunk rail-
road now nearing completion in East
Deering. In few days now the big
yard will be completed and the railroad
will be in q position to handle the im-
mense business which the English steam
ers bring to this port.
For years the Grand Trunks business
has been on the increase and the officials
here have been greatly hampered IN tnc
narrow limits and small capacity OF its
yard. The officials have tried various ex-
pedients to extend the capacity of its
freight yard, but it was not until the
land near the East Deering stock yards
was purchased and fitted up as yard
that the problem Of handling the large
business was solved in any manner salts
the Grand Trunk has two yards, one near
the passenger depot extending out to-
wards the bridge around the base OF the
Munjoy Hill and past Fish Foint, and
the other yard, the new one. about mile
and half from the passenger depot and
steamer docks. -
The new yard begins just above We
randall street, where the Yarmouth road
crosses the Grand Trunk tracks. Its
northerly end is at the stock yards, $500
feet from the commencement OF the yard.
The yard is 25 tracks across, the longest
track being 2400 feet and the shortest
about 1900 feet. At the Verandah street
entrance the yard branches out from the
main line, which at this place is a double
track and this is the only entrance to the
yard. 1t was the original intention to
make the yard much longer than it now
ia, bnt this was prevented By the failure
of the Grand Trunk officials to secure q
proper deed of the land near the northern
terminus of the yard, and when the deed
finally was secured it was too late to
grade the land and lay the tracks for the
present season. This extension will prob
ably be constructed as soon as it is re-
quired.
The work of grading this land for the
yard was commenced July SGD and was
were smoothed down and the hollows
filed in, making perfectly level track
of land for the laying of the tracks On
September 2Sth the work of putting In
the tracks commenced. This required 20
miles of iron rails, So. 600 sleepers and
hundreds of car loads of gravel for bal
lasting the tracks. Some so men have
been engaged in this work since Septem-
ber SSth, under she direction of Roadmas-
ter d. MdCoo, who has supervised every
portion OF the work. MIR. MoCoo is a ST.
Louis man. but has been employed by the
Grand Trunk in various capacities since
Manager Hays took charge of the road.
He is q typical Westerner, long of limb
and with broad shoulders, and is most
courteous gentleman. The Grand Trunk
officials here say that MIR. McCoo Is Q
hustler and is thoroughly familiar with
all branches of road construction. Ger
tainly the work that has been accom-
e. =. IlAnr
ing goes to show that he is capable OF
handling this line of work we'll, and the
yard he has built at this place will un-
doubtedly prove satisfactory to the Grand
Trunk officials in every particular.
Recently 20 additional men have been
added to Mr.. MeCoo's working force and
with these he expects to be able to COM
plete the yard by Saturday night All
of the ballast used in this yard is hauled
ON fiat cars from Mechanic Falls and
about 100 cars of gravel are dumped in
the yard every day. This gravel is load
ed by a steam shovel at the gravel pits at
Mechanic Falls, and on the arrival of
up the track to the point where the gravel
is needed and then scraped of them by
a big plow which Is hauled along on top
of the cars by long rope attached to the
engine.
As fast as the tracks are finished in the
new yaFQ tney are at once utle0 up Wlbu
cars loaded with grain and steamer
freight. Yesterday afternoon there were
60 cars In the yard and 81 on the stock
yard siding loaded with grain. besides
$50 CT more cars of grain in the lower
yard. The big elevator is full to over
flowing with grain, containing about $780,
900 bushels, while the smaller elevator is
also filed. Then there are hundreds of
more cars loaded with grain on the way
here besides any number of cars with
steamer freight.
In the stock yards the workmen are
busy preparing for the arrival of cattle.
the first consignment being expected here
on Saturday. One of the yards has been
roofsd over and paved and in every de-
tail the big enclosures are now ready for
the cattle. The cattle shipment from
Portland will not be much larger this
season than in former ssasons, because
1t is reported that the prices are not high
enough in the English markets at present
to warrant the American shippers send
ing many cattle across the pond.
ACCIDENT TO BERWICK MAN.
Arthur r. Huksey Caurht in Sha fling and