Year: 1875

In our recent notice of the Eastern Railroad.
reference was made to the heavy expenditures
incurred by the road on account OF ENLARGED
room and facilities for handliug freight. II ia
understood that about two million dollars were
laid out in buying the new grounds at Charles
town, including some sixty acres of flats and
nine tha aens;.s, acres of upland This is one Of
of the company for extraordinary Dur.
poses, and the one that has, perhaps more
than any other, excited comment and criticism.
The fact of the case is, however, that the prop
erty lay in such shape as to ownership that TO
get possession of any, or at least any thing like
IN adequate amount, it was necessary to buy
all that was bought. 1t is only a little time
since the grounds at East Boston were sup
posed to be ample beyond all possible demands
OF the business of the road. Yet they are and
were entirely outgTOwn. The experience of other
railroads has been similar to this Where one has
bought TOO much station room, a score have
had to lament buying too little. The signs are,
that the Eastern road, in the comparatively
near future, will find its provision not at all
eXtravagant. Already nine hundred cars,
freight and passenger, enter and leave its Bos-
tou stations daily. These, as well as the teams
for moving goods require great deal of room.
The population of the cities and towns trav-
ersed by the main line of the road betwixt
Boston and Portland is now 10000. Several
of the municipalities after a long period of
comparative industrial stagnatioD, have en-
tered upon prosperous career of manufac.ur-
ing activity and growth. The fact that the road
carried over six million passengers last year,
or more than any other in the state, is proof
OF the rapid socetary circulation established
along the line of the road. In the same year
the road took and left at Boston alone 422.00
tons OF merchandise, which represents trade
OF sixty or seventy million dollars. The man
ayers are confident that this showing will be
decidedly exceeded year by year. Their pur-
pose has been to make provision accordingly.


The road now has accommodations for hand
fuAs .I.N
lty and convenience. For the coarser goods
that need no housing an extensive system of
tracks has already been laid, and is extending.
OF course there is room for indefinite expan-
sion in this direction. The grounds are so shap-
ed that freight bouses of great length can be
erected as needed. The one just completed is
nearly a fourth of mile long, with ample
space for teams on one side aud the Iail.tracks
on the other. The width Of the building is but
thirty feet, and this represents, accordingly, the
distance goods have to be moved between cart
and car


The building which is of brick, with slated
roof, is divided into seven compartments by
brick partitions and iron doors. Halls sprink-
ling tube work runs its entire length and can
thoroughly wet down any section of the whole
interior at moments notice. The structure
is thus strictly fire-Droof. The floors are raised
to convenient height for moving goods be-
tween ear and dray. As result of these ar
raUgements the expense of handling merchan'



that may challenge comparison from any quar-
ter. 1t may be added that the site is conven-
lent of access, being within less than mile of
the State House.


The old freight grounds of this road at East
Boston, embracing nearly twenty acres, extend
into tide water by wharf about thousand
feet long, OF which four hundred feet are solid
fill. The present depth of water alongside is
eighteen feet at extreme low tide. Fifty feet
beyond the end of the wharf is the main chan
no with dent In Of StxtV feet Nv cOmDar-
atively small amount of dredging, the largest
steamers afloat can beiput close beside the rail-
tracks, on both sides of the wharf and at the
end. The old freight station, the sOhd brick
walls of which are still standing, can be at
small cost converted into a frst-cass bonded
warehouse. The company, by alliance with
the Portland 81 Ogdensburg Railroad, have
provided. as is well known, for an independent
route to Montreal. Their very superior advan-
tages for transhipment of exports and imports
at East Boston will enable them, as they be-


ieve, to attract trans ocean trade via this port.
1t is thought also that in so far as the Grand
Trunk Railway may find it advantageous TO
make transfer betwixt rail and water at Bos-
ton, the site unsurpassed for the purpose is at
the docks named.


The Improvements above referred to, notably
those at Charestown, are of interest to our own
people, but have special Importance to the COM
munities East, in Maine, New Hampshire, and
to some extent in the maritime provinces. The
business betwixt this city and Maine, in par
ticular, is already large. AS that great State
becomes developed, it cannot fail to become
very large. The manufactures of Maine al
ready sum nearly one hundred million dollars
per year, A general movement for the more
active prosecution of diversified industries is
making in all directions in the State Boston
is deeply concerned to continue the set OF the
trade of Maine this way, aud to hold it against
attractions elsewhere. The strongest security
for success in this effort will be by cutting
down time and cost betwixt her markets and
our warehouses to the lowest figure possible.
This in turn is to be effected by enarging and
perfecting facilities for communicate IN. In
this direction the Eastern Railroad has done,
as we believe a wise work for itself, and
work of marked Importance for Boston.-BoS-
ton Advertiser.