The Republican journal., 1911-02-02
Railroad Talk at Augusta.
Hostility to B. & A. Projects Not so Keen
as Heretofore. Allagash to be Built

Hostility to B. & A. Projects Not so Keen
as Heretofore. Allagash to be Built
The sentiment of the legislature this
winter is not nearly as hostile to the
Bangor & Aroostook as it was in 1909.
says the Augusta correspondent of the
Bangor Commercial Many people feel
that the pendulum may have swung too
tar then and there now appears to be
reactlon-not only in the case of the
Bangor & Aroostook but as regards other
corporations as we'll 1t is known, for
instance, that some of the street railway
companies have determined to invest no
more money in the State until things
clear up bit and the future outlook for
hostile corporation legislation looks less
dubious.
q am as much opposed to predatory
wealth as the next man." said one mem
Der of the house to the Commercial rep
resentative Wednesday, ''but l believe
that corporation batting, like most other
things, can be carried to excess
1t is recognized that, after all, the
Bangor & Aroostook has been a potent
factor in the development of northern
Maine and that that section of the State
would be far less prosperous and thickly
settled today had the road never been
built through the initiative and untiring
persistence of President Franklin W.
Cram.
HAS CHARTER FOR ALLAGASH LINE.
The Bangor & Aroostook already has
received from the State charter for
the construction of the Allagash branch
in 1903. 1t will run from West Sebois on
the main line through to st. Francis on
| the st. John river. The distance is 157
miles and it will be built next summer
without any tax rebate whatever being
asked of the State. The railroad com
missioners have fixed upon February
LIST as the date flor ahearing on the
petition asking for a location.
1t will be an expensive joc to build the
new road through the tangled wilderness
of northern Maine, but vast amount of
valuable cumberland which has hitherto
been inaccessible will be opened up. Ac-
cording to the plans filed by Moses Bur-
pee, the chief engineer of the road, the
Allagash branch will cost S7,774, 555 to
construct. This gives some idea of the
magnitude of the work which the Bangor
| & Aroostook has undertaken.
1t is planned that the new section shall
be built, as have all portions of the B. &
A. system, save the Greenville branch,
which was originally the old Bangor &
Piscataquis, by an issue of bonds and not
by the sale of stock. While it is not
definitely stated here who will under
write the bonds. it is understood that
they have already been placed Brown
Bros. & CO., of New York subscribed to
the original B. & A. bonds land the COM
pany has ample financial backing to go
ahead with the work of construction as
soon as possible after the location of the
road has received the approval of the
railroad commissioners. This would mean
that dirt would fly by early spring.
That the Bangor and Aroostook has
been able to finance road through 157
miles of northern Maine wilderness,
without an existing city or town on its
entire length and without the aid of a
tax rebate from the legislature, shows
the confidence which out of the State
capital has in the undeveloped resources
of northern and eastern Maine.
The sum which will be spent on the
construction of the road by no means
represents the entire amount which will
be invested. 1t is estimated that at least
an equal amount will be spent in the de-
velopment of the new territory and that
within few years over $40, 600, 900 will
have been dumped into this section Of
the State.
ENORMOUS POWER SITES.
According to the plans of Chief Engi.
neer Burpee, the new branch is to leave
the main line of the Bangor e. Aroostook
at West Seboeis and to run directly
through the heavily timbered region tc
the northward. 1t will tap the West
Branch of the Penobscot at the foot OF
Chesuncook lake and then strike across
country to the Allagash, which river il
will follow to St. Francis
Almost from the time this new line
leaves West Sebois until it reaches Ches.
uncook, it is within easy access of the
West Branch of the Penobscot and the
enormous undeveloped water powers
which are there. That many of these
will be developed, and that ambitious
manufacturing enterprises will be locat-
ed there in the near future, is the belief
of the railroad management. Mills will
be very easily reached at any point by
spur tracks which will provide adequate
transportation facilities.
There are large number of valuable
water powers between Chesuncook and
| ASOI I'll L WI lanes. Ollc VI CIlc LARGEST VI
these is at the foot of Ripogenous lake
at the head of Ripogenous gorges. The
power capable of being developed here is
almost limitless. The river runs through
the gorge for about two miles and the
sides are from so to 200 feet in height.
According to the estimate of the engi-
neers, fall of 200 feet can be obtained
here. A dam could easily be built which
would create one huge lake of what is
now Ripogenous and Chesuncook. This
would make stupendous storage basin
as we'll as give enormous water power
development.
But this is by no means the only large
power site which the new road will open
up. Others are located at Sourdnahunk,
Ambajejus Falls, at Namhankata and on
the stream which flows out of Rainbow
lake. The last mentioned site is fully
! the equal Of that at Baskehegan Falls.