Year: 1870

what came to be very familarly known,
as the North and South lines through
Highgate. ~ t.a ~


When the snow left, Mr.. Rust, who
had meanwhile taken charge of this Di-
vision as Resident Engineer, was instruct
ed to make thorough re-survey of both
lines, to make such changes as would tend
to reduce the cost of either, and to esti-
mate as carefully as possible the quanti-
ties Of each class Of work upon both routes.


This was done and the estimates pre-
sented to you at your meeting in High
gate, in May. And in regard to these
estimates | am happy to say that do
not entertain doubt of their substantial
correctness. | am satisfied thai nothing
but the actual cross-sections, made for con.
struction, could give the quantities with
more accuracy.


The quantities given upon the two routes,
it only remained to multiply these by
contract prices to arrive at the cost OF
each line. When this was done, it was
found that the first cost of building the
longer line was, in round numbers, some
thirty-six thousand dollars ($36000) less
than the other, and it was adopted.


1t is to be borne in mind that this esti
mate of first cost is based upon the hypo
thesis that both lines stand alike as to fa
cility of construction, that probably the
same difficulties or the reverse would be
encountered upon each, and that the char
acter of the material to be moved is the
same upon both. Such is not the fact
The North line for large part Of the
distance is upon high table removed
from the river, and for two miles or more
upon the top of the watershed-the wate,
draining from it South into the Missisquo
river and North into Canada. 1t is most
ly embankment, much of it Is thrown uT
from side bitches. Consequently there
are comparatively few culvcrts and they
are small and safe The South line oil
the contrary is much nearer the edge Of
this table, where it suddenly breaks off OIL
to the low intervales which border the
river, and where also it is frequently cut
through by deep ravines. This Of course
involves much heavier cutting and filling
more and larger culverts, and also unsafe,
from the weight of embankment upon
them. This only shows why the work or
the short line happens to exceed so much
that upon the longer.


But much more important consider
Atiou is the difference in the character Of
the material TO be expected upon these
routes, and the strong probability that a
road-bed made from the grade line which
was drawn upon the profile of the South
line (and from which grade line the guam
titles were calculated) would very much
exceed in cost any estimate based upon
the cuts and fills as then given. In Or
der to make this ineligible some details
of our own experience thus far, must be
given. 1t had been found that this table
land spoken of above, though sand upon
the surface became quicksand wherever a
cut was made fifteen feet in depth. And
in some places much less cutting than this
was sufficient to reach it. During the
winter we had opened a cut only six feet
it in depth, worked upon it till it was
found useless to work longer, and no Soon
er had we left, than it filed up again to
within two feet of the surface This was
an exceptional case, perhaps due in part
to swamp in the vicinity. But all ot
the cuts for mile or more aoea Of the
disputed lines oere of this character, at
varying depths within the above limits,
yet it was not until after much work was
done, a considerable length of heavy en-
bankment made, and some culverts also,
that the true character Of this table was
suspected although an Engineer of any
observation could not have failed in find
ing abundant indications of it, in going
over the "river road" from Swanton ~
Highgate Falls in early spring .


The deep cut through the (" Hempyard, y
so called, might seem to be an exception
to the statement made in the first part OF
the above paragraph, but II is not so in
fact. The Hsmpyard is dry gravel
knoll, independent Of, and deposited upon
this table, and it is simply narrow spur
of this which we cut through at that
point, and after emerging from this cut
we are actually upon the surface OF the
table proper.


I need hardly say that 1t Is next to Inn
possible to make any reliable estimate Of
the cost of removing quicksand Engin.
eers prefer to contend with almost any
thing else. And so, inasmuch as it could
be avoided, we decided to raise our grade
line and run over it. 1t then became o