The Republican journal., 1905-03-16
THE SEAPORT R. R.

Wharf Building and Grading Amid Snow
and Ice.
1t is practically settled that the main line
of the Northern Maine Seaport railroad
will cross the tracks of the Maine Central
in Hermon by an overhead bridge or tres
tie % feet above the Maine Central road
bed, and that the new road will have direct
connection with the Maine Central at this
point by means of a spur track. At a re-
cent meeting in Augusta the representa-
tives of the Maine Central opposed grade
crossing because of the danger to traffic of
such connection. The railroad commits
sioners were of the opinion that connec-
ton with the Maine Central at this point
was necessary to the proper handling of the
freight on the new road and for the good of
the State, but thought the main line of the
road should cross either over or under the
established grade of the Maine Central, and,
therefore, the trains on the new road will
shoot over the Maine Central tracks and
cars will be transferred from one road to
the other, probably, through yard which
will sooner or later be established at that
point.
Frankfort is already the scene of railroad
activities. Shanties have been built at
three or four different places along the line
of the Northern Seaport K. r. through that
town and already the Italians, construction
gangs and construction bosses, have begun
to gather. These shanties are all of good
size, being as a rule from sixty to eighty
feet long and from twenty-five to thirty
feet wide. New recruits are coming in
daily, and in short time blasting will be-
gin Tor the grading operations. Crews have
been put along the line of the road to
swamp out the road as surveyed to get
strip of road through Frankfort will be the
most difficult proposition on the road and
Mr.. HOughton of the b. & A., who was in
town recently adjusting claims, said that
work would begin at once, and that there
would be 200 men to the mile through the
town till late next fall. 1t has been diff
cult thing to secure accommodations for the
advanced guard of the railroad men, en-
giDeers and transit men, and the places in
town where accommodations are to be
found are now full to the roof
Work has been going on for several weeks
at the Stockton terminal of the new road
assuming something Of the form they will
have when the work of wharf building has
been completed. This work has been pur-
sued under anything but favorable condi-
tiOns, but Contractor Spellman now has the
wharves in such condition that the pile
drivers, which have been set up on the
thick ice OF the harbOr and thus forced to
work at a disadvantage can now be set on
the wharf. There is a shortage Of spiles at
Stockton and three carloads of logs pur-
chased from the Great Northern Paper Co.
have been sent to BuckspOrt and rolled into
the river. These logs will be doomed by
Patrick Corners Of Bangor and tOwed to
Stockton as soon as the ice in the harbOr
has broken up sufficiently to allow this to
be done.
Back of the wharves at Cape Jellison a
large force of Italians is at work under the
direction Of Mitchell & johnson, one of the
firms Of sub-cOntractOrs for the grading on
the new road. This crew will grade the
land in the rear Of the wharves so that
tracks can be laid to them as soon as pos
sible after the wharves are completed. A.
E. Trites, who has the contract for the
grading of the road, has another crew of
Italians at work at Lagrange and it will not
be very long before iron is being laid An
other crew in charge of Joseph 7. Mullen
| is at work on the right of way in West Ban
gor. These crews are being continually
augmented by fresh arrivals and in another
month it is expected that there will be from
1900 to 1000 men at work on the construc-
tiOn of the road. Camps are being built for
the accommodation of these men and the
dirt will fly in earnest as soon as the snow
has isappeared along the right of way.