vi >^ % d^ W ^^ % 6> cw 0% / ^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.! ^^ m '^ m 1.25 m 20 1= 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corpordtion /!/ 4 A ■is, \ 7^ 4> \ m % .V ^^^ ^v^ <^\ # 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) P72-H303 V' C? signifio "A SUIVRE", ie symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, platds, charts, etc., may ba filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams iiiuctrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film^s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque ^o document ost trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seui ciichd, il est filmd A partir de {'angle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants iliustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 UM ■■IPI NORTH SHORE RAILWAY. HISTORICAL REVIEW 1 OF THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD ■1*1 BY THE ENGINEER IN CHIEF APRIL 6th, 1875. I', I, V [lift Hi fill m if m ^ I - 1400 1 INDEX TO SUBJECTS. ■■■■■■aBaBaaaaaanBaaBBi - ■ . Y^ . Page. The cliaracter or class of Railway, originally con- templated by the Goveinment.....! 3 Views of the Government Engineer respectino- the proper Stan dard for Railway (j AVliat all parties have agreed to do, and have done about it _\ . . 73 A careful synopsis of the Government Standard... 80 Remarks, Explanatory and Interrogatory.. 86 Further views of Mr. Walter Shanly, upon Rail- way Standards 99 Remarks in conclusion 102 I! I i 1 jl I f I mi t'' NORTH SHORE RAILWA.Y. JIISTOHICAL REVIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD BY xnE , i'A "< ENGINEER IN CHIEF. OFFICE OF THE ENGINEER IN CHIEF, Quebec, A2)ril Gtli, 1875. Inasmuch as the Provincial Government, through its Engineer, has decided that some of the work ah'eady executed upon the Main Line, between the City of Quebec and the St. Maurice River, is not in accordance with the requirements of a Jirst class Railway ; and also, that the plans lieretofore contemplated and in part executed for some of the mechanical structures, are not such as will secure that degree of strength and stability which is considered necessary for a first class Railway, such as is contemplated by the charter of the Com|)any, and the subsequent Acts of the ProviiiCial Parliament. HISTOIIICAL REVIEW OF And inasmudi as the Government, through its Engi- neer, has undertaken to indicate, at various times, and in various reports, during the ])ast few montlis, the Exact Standard of Excellence at which the Railway and its various appurtenances must arrive, before tlie Railway Com])any will be entitled to receive the Go- vernment aid upon which it so largely depends for the prosecution of the enterprise, I have considered the matter of sufficient importance to justify me in placing before the Board of Directors at the present time, a full statement of the rise and progress of the Govern- ment Standard up to its present stage of developement, in order that the Board may be prepared to meet any future emergency which may be entailed upon the Railway Company by the action either of the Provin- cial Government or the Contractor. In order that the matter may be fully understood in all its details, I will proceed to give : First. — Such extracts from the different Acts of the Government as may be regarded indicative of the cha- racter or class of Railway to be constructed. Second. — The views w^hicli have been entertained and promulgated by the Government Engineer from time to time through five successive stages of developement, respecting the proper standard for the work. Third. — What all parties have agreed to do, and have done about it. Fourth. — A careful synopsis of the Government Standard. Fifth. — Remarks, explanatory and interrogatory. Sixth. — Further views of Mr. Walter Shanly upon Railway Standards. Seventh. — Remarks in conclusion. '.-'■-'i^- 1 THE CHARACTER OR CLASS OF RAILWAY ORIGINALLY CONTEMPLATED BY THE GOVERNMENT. ;y- , The act of December 24tli 1870, granting lands by the Government in aid of tlie road ; provides that these lands shall be so granted when : " The said railway shall have been completed and put in operation to the entire satisfaction of the Lieutenant Governor in Coun- " The Quebec Eailway Aid Act of 1874," provides that the subsidy or loan of one million two hundred and forty-eight thousand, s^x hundred and thirty-four dollars, shall be granted upot: die condition that : " The Main Line of said Eailway shall be a first class roady and shall have been accepted as such by the Lieu- tenant-Governor in Council, on the report of the pro- vincial railway board." The same act also provides that : *' Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this act, it shall be lawful for the Lieutenant-Gover- nor in Council, on satisfactory proof that the Montreal Northern Colonization Railway Company, or the North Shore Railway Company, have made complete financial arrangements, or entered into contracts in good faith, for the construction of their respective lines of road, and that the work thereon is in active progress, to advance, from time to time unto either or both of such railway HISTORICAL REVIEW OF ■comjanies, out ot* the grant or Iomu, to wliich thoy would be cutitlod under this net, a sum having sueli proportion to the total amount of the grant authorized herein, as (he progress oj tho work, and the securit v taken by the Companies, for tlie completion thereof, may tlien seem to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council to justify." The following order in Executive Council was pas- sed on June 27, 1874. "1. That the Government should iasue to the said Kailway Com{)any the bonds of the Province for one third of the casU valuta of the work done on the said Hallway as the work progresses, the otlier two thirds to be paid by the bonds or stock certificates of the Corpo- ration of Quebec, and the bonds of the said Railway Company in equal proportions. 2. The amount of such cash value of the work, to be ascertained by the certificate of a Railway Enyineer to be appointed by the Government. 3. The above mentioned advances to b( made in pro- portion of one-third, to the extent of $5Gv),000, provid- ed the Government continues to be satisfied with tlie progress of the w^ork, and afterwards to be continued in the proportion wdiich will then be determined upon." Referring to the foregoing conditions upon which the aid of the Provincial Government is granted to the road, it is important to observe that the only references to the character or class of the road, are contained in the act of December 24th 1870, granting lands: and in the " Quebec Railway Aid Act of 1874 " grauiing a money subsidy, in aid of the road. And thai each of these acts clearly indicates that no question will be raised upon that subject until after the road shall have been completed, and presented as such to the Liev :nant Governor in Council. . THE UOVEIINMENT «TANI)AU1). 5 It should further ho observed that the oidv condi- tions contained, either in t\n\ " Railway Aid Act, '■ or in the order in Council of June 27th 1(S74, respectin<^ the ratio in whicli the Government aid shall he advan- ced to the Hail way Conipjuiy, are made to depend en- tirely upon the ''progress of the work ;^' and the ^^ cask value of the work done upon the said Ila'dicaij as ike work progresses.'" And that nothin<;' whatever is said, or even remotely referred to, re.-ipecting the details con- necteTe2:ate of un- questionable items in the estimate of $207, 1G5 00, Mr. Lignt closes this branch of his investigation with the fbliowinir remarks'! . i , .. ,- : ■ : ,; " These five items, not being engineering questions it remains to decide what proportion should be now al- lowed, li i& certain that Railways not built upon strict- ly cash principles, cannot he constructed tclthout some preliminary expenses of this kind. The question arises, are they excessive? The engineering has been lar<]i;ely augmented by the length of time the account has been running. It should be remembered, however, that be- ddes work in progress, the line to Montreal has been located. Still, there is not at the present time, work to show bO lai'ge an expenditure to have been necessary." " The items. Right of Way, Expenses of Railway Company, and Ccneral Supervision of AYork, are mo- derate, and reflect much credit on the economical, ma- nagement of the North Shore Railway." #: 4:5 THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 9 " The estimate to the 1st November 1874 is $42(),254 at cash rates, supposing the whoie allowed ; bat inas- much as the whole contingent fund, $o8,426 is partly composed of the $14,534 refused by the Chicago Con- tracting Company, and the balance consisting of their own expenses, and the expenses of others in Europe, which so far has been of little use, the Government may be disposed to object to the item, more especially as the drawback retained by the contract is but 10 per cent upon the last month's work only ; and not as is usual, on the whole work." ' - ' - ■ - . . " The same remark applies to the expenses of the Railway Company." . ,_ . ■ "' "When the works are finished, the Government will doubtless pay the full subsidy, and the Company be reimbursed for all their outlay. These items at this time, do not seem to come within my sphere to report on ; the works not shoiving these expenditures.^^ * .■ ii The Government Engineer does not attempt to ex- plain why he considered it proper to devote the first half of his report entirely to matters which were not embraced in his instructions ; and in relation to wliieh he says ; do not seem to come within my sphere to report on." Neither does he furnish anv valid rea- sons why the Government should refuse to pay its just proportion of an expenditure Avhich he admits : " forms equally portions of the general expense of constructing a Railway." Also, that " It is certain that Hail ways nut built upon strictly cash j)rinciples, cannot be constructed without some preliminary expen- ses of this kind." The inference is quite clear, however, from his re- port, that the Government Engineer is of the opinion that the amount, $14,534.00, " which was refused by the Chicago Contracting Compau}," should be deductcl 10 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF from the item of " Contingent Expenses." And also that the amount, $19,303.28, which was incurred for Engineering expenses in 1871, for which there is in liis opinion " nothing to show," although it was subse- quently assumed and paid by the Chicago Contracting Company, should be deducted from the item of " En- gineering." These two deductions would amount to $38,837.28, which being deducted from $426,254.96, the amount in cash values of the estimate up to November 1st 1874, would leave $392,417.68, of which the one third, pay- able by the Government, would amount to $130,805.89. If one might be permitted to judge from the language of the '* Order in Council," which refers to " the certi- ficate of a Railway Engineer " resj^ecting " the amount of such cash value of the work, &c.," it would certainly appear that tbe labors of the Government Engineer might very properly have terminated at this point in his report, after having affixed his " certificate " to something like the foregoing statement. And, judging from the nature of the instructions from the Honorable the Commissioner of Public Works, it would also ap- pear that the matters treated of up to the present point in his report, in the terse language of Mr. Light " do not seem to come within my sphere to report on." But without attempting to explain these apparent inconsistencies, the Government Engineer devotes the remainder of his report almost entirely to the matters especially referred to in the instructions from the Hon- orable the Commissioner of Public Works, as follows : " I now proceed to touch upon the second part of your instructions, viz : whether the works are well done, substantial and permanent in character, and if they are in accordance with the specifications, and progressing in a satisfactory manner. THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 11 It is proposed to answer the second query first. The works generally are well done, with some exceptions afterwards mentioned and in accordance with the speci- fications and progressing in a satisfactory manner. . '' - ' ' The clearing and grubbing is nearly finished, with the exception of some brush and logs, which in the hurry to keep in advance of the grading has in several places been thrown on to the sides of the road. Some 9 miles of fencing is in position but it is not yet perfect in its structure. Roundly, half of the grading or thereabout, such as it is, between Quebec and Three-Rivers is completed. The foundations of several important b^-idges are laid, and others in progress to enable the Contractor to com- mence the masonry early next spring. The masonry in several of these foundations had been covered up for the winter, so that I could not judge accurately of their character ; but a pier and an unfinished abutment on the west side of Jacques-Cartier River, so far as could be judged from the outside, shewed good v/orkmanship, and is built of e cellent limestone. Btone delivered for several other structures is of the same durable character. The question whether the works are substantial and permanent in character in all respects can be answered in the affirmative with two exceptions, viz : the earth works constituting the road-bed are insufficient although in accordance with the profiles. , The bridges are to be of wood, the latter also are agreeable to contract, and the plans prepared for them are generally arranged for good work. The alignment is good, and will generally admit a high ru,ie of speed. I i> 12 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF 1 i ■ 1 ; 1^ The {nnli/f.atloTi- of the gradients is generally all that can be desire i, but they are laid too low. The '* forma- tion level " or top of road-b(3d is frequently beiietith the surface in shallow cuttings from one to three feet Jeep, which a gradient on a higher level would entirely pass over, the above occurring in an exceedingly easy and smo(^th country. This is particularly noticeable between the 30th and 40th miles from Quebec, where the line is in cutting for a considerable portion of the distance. The " formation level " or top of road-bed is inten- ded to be ] foot, 10 inches below rail level, and from an average of measurements beginning at the racecourse near Quebec, it ranges from 11 to 12 and lo feet wide to about half way to Three-Rivers, from which point west it is generally 15 feet Avide. Thp cuttings at the same level average from 17 to 18 feet wide, including the ditches where finished. In a considerable number of these cuttings, the sub- contractors to save hauling the earth into embankment or from having none to haul it into ; have wasted the material on the sides of the cuttings, thus virtually increasing their depths. These cuttings will be lound })erfect snow traps if this waste earth is not removed, vf For a first class railroad of 4 feet 8h inches gauge, the embankment at " formation level " should not be less than 17 ^'eei wide, and in this climate, the cuttings should not be less than 24 feet. Apart from the question of the minimum rridth that will just support a properly ballasted track vith train upon it, wdiere human life is at stake, a slif;ht margin for safety is generally allowed in additional width of road-bed lo resist the wear and tear of time, and prevent trains from rolling over the sides of enbankments when they run off the track, as they frequently do on the best constructed Railways. THE GOVEllNMENT STANDARD. 13 The " formation level " between here and Three Ri- vers should generally also be raised up bodily from one to three feet throughout its entire length, with the ex- ception of the river crossings, and at live or six poinds where cuttings of medium depth occur. It is perhaps superfluous to discuss I re what is ge- nerally known to Railway men conver. mt with this climate, that in a country subject to a heavy snow fall like the region between Quebec and Montreal, a rail- way laid well above the natural surface of the ground upon enbankment, will rarely be impeded with snow and ice, while where cuttings are made, unless especially protected with snow sheds and fences, they will drift in exposed places. -- ""' There are some districts where cuttings must of course be made to overcome irregularities of surface, but in ■ the portion of country between Quebec and Three Ri- vers there are only five or six cuttings of any magni- tude, w^ortliy of the name, and these are composed of sand ; here the grade necessarily passes bencMth the surface, but a large proportion of the smaller cuttings may be passed over at a moderate cost. As a rule, cuttings in this climate should be avoided as much as possible ; and where they must be made, they should be wide enough to admit thorough drainage to jjrevent the accumidation of ice over the rails, the most fruitful source of danger ; this is especially neces- sary on first class lines intended mainly for passenger traflic. The length of the North Shore Railway is 158,2 miles. The cash estimate of the Engineer in Chief is $4,066,660.00 or nearly |26,0(X).00 per mile. Of this $2,112.00 per mile only is appropriated to forming the road-bed, the foundation of the whole, exclusive of ma- sonry and bridging, or about 8 per cent of the average cost per mile. 14 HISTORICAL REVIEW OP Tlie value of this grading I would propose to double, certainly 50 per cent at least, should be added to the quantities of earth work. In the Miramichi district of the Intercolonial Rail- way, the easiest part of the road, the average cost of grading alone was $10,000.00 per mile, or about 25 per cent of the total average cost per mile of the road. In the European and North American Railway and other first class lines of the Maritime Provinces, a very similar amount per mile was spent upon the grading, and the result shows the wisdom of the policy, as those roads are worked w^ith marked regularity, and the wear and tear is trifling, in fact less than other railways in America similarly situated, especially in regard to the snow difficulty. The appropriation in the Schedule for track, on the other hand is $7,878,00 per mile, and the rolling stock $2,720.00 per mile, being good and sufficient prices ; it should however be borne in mind that both are very perishable, and the wear and tear upon them is greatly lessened by the perfection of the road-bed ; it is safe to say that each will last 25 per cent longer on a good than a bad road-bed. From the exceedingly easy nature of the country traversed by the North Shore Railway, a first class road-bed can be obtained for $4,000 per mile, or about 16 per cent of the entire average cost, or less than half what the same would cost in the Maritime Provinces ; under those favorable circumstances nothing but a first class grading should be made on a line connecting two such important Cities as Quebec and Montreal, where it is essential that communication should be kept open every day in the year. Should it be impracticable to make further appro- priations to meet this additional expense, it would be THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 15 better to make corresponding reductions in the appro- priations for buildings and rolling stock ; these items can be increased at any time when the traffic requires ; but an indifferent road-bed, with track and fixtures com- pleted on it, is almost incurable. With regard to the wooden bridges required by the specifications, though good of their kind, they likewise are perishable, besides being very liable to be destroyed by fire. For ther'^ reasons it is desirable they should be of iron. The bridge openings it is probable can be reduced in width on the portion of the line passed over; if so, the shorter iron spans will cost but little more than the proposed length of wooden superstructure. The ma- sonry and earth works however would be increased, but this would be on the side of safety and ultimate econo- my. Iron bridges as a rule have been adopted in the Do- minion, on first class lines ; and wherever from motives of economy, wood has been used, it has been found a constant expense and regret to all concerned, that iron had not been used at first. The Contractor of course cannot be expected to make radical changes without compensation. Should they however be made, the additional cost will be found inconsiderable, compared with the benefits derived. Even with these additions, the North Shore Railway will be made, fully 25 per cent cheaper, than any line of the same class in the Dominion ; and there will be none capable of being worked with greater safety, eco- nomy and despatch ; and so far as construction is con- cerned, it will then be, in every respect, a first class Railway." fi IG lirSTOKICAL REVIEVV OF ! i 1 The following letter from tlie Ilononible the Com- missioner of the Provincial Board of Works, to the l^rerfident of the Railway Company, enclosing a portion of the foregoing extract, calls the attention of the Com- pany to the defects alluded to in Mr. Light's report, Jind gives a very clear intimation that if ihese defects are remedied, it will result in " Making the North Sliore Kail way what it ought to be, a true first class road.** (Translation) To Col. W. Rhodes, - ' ■ -^ President North Shore Railway Company. SlE, I have the honor of transmitting you with the present an extract from ihe Report of an inspection made by Mr. Light, the engineer chosen by the Committee of Railroads, of the Executive Council of this Province, to examine the works in course of construction on the line of the North Sliore Railway, and of the materials to be employed for the construction of this road. In transmiting you this extract, I deem it necessary to draw vour attention to certain defects which Mr. Light thought necessary to point out to the govern- ment in the works in cour.se of construction between Quebec and Three Rivers. The earth w^orks or embankments which serve for the Road Bed, are in his opinion insufficient. More- over the formation level or top of road-bed is not suffi- ciently raised, and is below the level of the land, in cuttings not exceeding one to three feet in depth. This remark apphes especially to the section situated between the 30th and 40th miles from Quebec, where the line crosses smooth land, and where however a continual cut- ting for a considerable distance was deemed practicable. THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 1 And {IS Mr. Light remarks, that a road built iiponsucli a low level cannot but be subject to many obstructions during winter, caused by the accumulation of snow and ice on the track, and he suggests to raise the surface of the road or road-bed from one to three feet through its entire length between Quebec and Three Rivers, except the river crossings, and at five or six points where the cuttings are of minor importance. The reasons he ad- vances in support of this suggestion will of themselves attract (recommend) your attention. '» At many points on the line the sub-contractors, after having made the excavations, instead of employing for • the road-bed the earth which they had taken cut, wast- ed it along the line, thus adding unnecessarily to the depth of the cuttings. Of course this waste should be removed. From Quebec half way to Three Rivers, the width of the formation level or top of road-bed is on an aver- age of 11 to 12 feet and 13 feet, and from this last point it assumes an uniform width of 15 feet. As ^'ou shall see by the following extract, Mr. Light openly expres- ses in his report the opinion that, for a first class rail- way, with a gauge of 4 feet 8* inches, the embankment of road-bed should not be less than 17 feet wide at sum- mit, and with our winters, the cuttings should not be less than 24 feet wide. This opinion like the preceding one is very strongly stated, and should be taken into serious consideration. ' According to the calculations of the Chief Engineer of the Company, the total cost of the road will be $26,000 per mile ; and on that he appropriates only the sum of $2,11 '2 per mile for road-bed, which is the base of all the work (not including bridges and masonry) ; that is to say, about 8 per cent only of the total cost of each mile. This appears altogether insufficient to Mr. Light ; and he recommends tiie employment of at least ic 18 HIST0RICA7. REVIEW OF i 1^ ^ $4,000 per mile on the work of embankment, in order to make it first class work, while observing that in the Maritime Provinces, under less favorable conditions in truth as to the inequality of the land, double that amount is employed in the road bed. I draw your entire attention, and that of the Direc- tors of the Company, to the several questions raised in this Report, in order to arrive at making the North Shore Railway what it ought to be, a true first class road, and I would be happy to learn, as soon as it is possible, what are the Company's intentions in reference to this matter. I have the honor to be, Your obedient servant. ' 1';,* ! / ^f (Signed) y^u, P. GARNEAU, ' Com. of A. & B. of W. Pi Quebec, 5th January, 1875. '; ,r iM \' Upon being furnished with copies of the above letter from the Honorable the Commissioner of the Board of Works, together with the extract from Mr. Light's Report, therein referred to, the Engineer in Chief pre- pared the following Review of the report of the Government Engineer, which was submitted to the Board of Directors, on the 14th January 1875. THE GOVEUNMENT STANDARD. ft Review by the Chief Engineer of an Extract from a Report made by the Government Engineer upon the character of the Road, under date of N vember 25, 1871. r-'n'!-^jn- >* ' Mr. Secretary, OFFICE OF TUE ENGINEER IN CHIEF, Quebec, January 14tli, 1874. u I have this moment received from you, a certified copy of a Kesohition adopted by the Board of Directors at a meeting held this morning, as follows : , " Resolved, — That the extracts from Mr. Light's report placed before the Board, by the Hon. the Commissioner of Public Works, be referred to the Engineer in Chief of the Company, with request to make known to the Directors at their next meeting to-morrow, his opinion on the value of the remarks contained in these extracts." I had previously been favored, informally, with a copy of this extract, together with an Intimation from the President, that I would probably be called upon by the Board, to express an opinion upon the subject ; and I had therefore taken measures to obtain such reliable information as might be useful in forming such opinion, and placing it in proper form before the Board of Di- rectors. Having had a somew^hat extended experience in ope- rating Railways, during the winter months, in the United States, particularly through the heart of the Bocky Mountains, during the construction of the Union Pacific Railway ; and having located the line, arranged the grades, and prepared the specifications and plans for this Railway with particular reference to avoiding diffi- culties from this source, so far as it could be done under i i'-* mi I 20 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF r; ^'hl ill I i the present contract, and with the available means of the Company, I thought it desirable, first, to ascertain from some reliable and practical source, whether my own theory upon this question, as based upon the ex- perience above referred to, could be relied upon, as app]^ ing to this climate, and to the circumstances con- nected with this particular road. I therefore addressed a letter upon this subject, to Mr. A. L. Smith, of this City, whom I knew to be a very reliable man, as well as a practical Locomotive Engi- neer, who had had a large experience in meeting and overcoming snow difficulties upon the \rorst roads in North Western New York ; and I also knew him to be entirely familar with the climate and snow-fall of the country traversed by this road, as well as with the cha- racteristics of the road, so far as they could be affected by this question. I also requested Mr. Smith, to confer with the Locomotive Engineers running upon that por- tion of the Grand Trunk Kailway, between River du Loup and Richmond, and to ascertain whether their experiences coincided with his ow^n. The following are copies of my letter to Mr. Smith and his reply thereto : n CB.IFA' ENGINEEE TO Mr. A. L. SMITH. OFFICE OF THE ENGINEER IN CHIEF, Quebec, January 9th, 1875. Dear Sib, As you have had a large experience as Locomotive Engineer, in running upon railroads that are obstruc- ted by snow during the winter months ; and as you are quite familiar with the country, climate and snow-fall THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD, 21' between Quebec and Three Kivers, and also with the location of the line and arrangement of grades for this road between these points ; I would thank you to give me your views as to the practicability of keeping the road when completed, open for business during the winter months. I will also thank you to state whether on a level plain, and through an open country, where the embankment is taken from the sides, you would consider it essential that the top of the rail should be more than two feet above the natural surface of the ground, in order to avoid serious obstructions from snow. Please state generally the result of your experience, observation, and inquiry w^ith reference to snow obstruc- tions; as to when, and under what circumstances, they are most likely to occur, and the most effective plan tor avoiding them. I would also like your views as to the best width of road-bed, at the bate of the cross-tie, having reference to the items of drainage, obstructions from snow, and the safety of the passage of trains over the road. Also, with reference to couiparative safety in case of accidents. Yours truly, S. SEYMOUR, A. L. Smith, Esq., Chief Engineer. Quebec. I MEMOEANDUM FURNISHED Mr. Smith. 1st. What height above the natural surface of ground is it safe to put the track, so that an engine will run ( 22 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF ! ii ii through with on ordinary * pilot," and clear the track of snow. 2nd. What depth of cutting (if filled with snow) will an engine go through with an ordinary " snow plough" without getting " stalled." 3rd. What direction does the wind blow when it drifts the snow the worst ; and will " snow fences " prevent the snow from drifting on the track. Mr. a. L. smith TO THE CHIEF ENGINEER. Jv,: Quebec, January 12th, 18/5, . V ''y1 General Seymofr, ' ],N,f. .-tJ-;..:: vr-:;- ^ .:. North Shore Railway Company. 'I' Sir, /f#:-H ^nin*w Tn answer to your favor of the 9th instant, reques- ting me to state my views as to the practicability of keep- ing the North Shore Railway open for business during the winter mouths ; and in answer to your various que- ries, I beg to .'eply, that where the line of road runs through only small cuttings, fences of from six to eight feet in height generally serve as a sufficient protec- tion to keep the track comparatively clear of snow. Where the cuttings are of greater depth and in ex- posed situations, it will be necessary to erect fences from six to twelve feet high. In answer to your question as to " whether on a level plain and through an open country, Avhere the embankment is taken from the sides, it would be essential that the top of the rail should be more than two feet above the na- tural surface of the ground, m order to avoid serious obstructions from snow." I consider that the elevation of THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 23 1 two feet is perfectly safe, and that no greater heiglit is ne- cessary ; because in all my previous experiences, on both American and Canadian Railways, I have never- seen an engine or train stalled when on a level plain or open country, simply from the fact that the snow in such places only falls its natural depth ; and it is only in cut- tings where the large and obstructive snow drifts accu- mulate. From the many consultations and conversations that I have had with the practical men of the Grand Trunk and several other Railways, which run through a country precisely similar in climate and charncter, to the one between Quebec nnd Three Rivers, I find that their opinions coincide with my own, namely, that the elevation I have already mentioned renders the running of trains and communication perfectly feasible, because the average snow fall in this country is hardly ever more than three feet. Any schemes for the elevation of the rail track above the ordinary snow level, would not only entail enormous expense, but would be quite unnecessary, because any snow plough of the usual dimensions could, without difficulty, throw aside the accumulation of snow when not deeper than btated above. In answer to the first question, I am of the opinion, as mentioned in the first part of my letter, that a track constructed two feet above natural formation level would meet all the requirements of the case, and afford a clear and uninterrupted passage for engines, provided with such winter pilots, similar to those in use on all North American Lines of Road, during the winiv^r months. Question No. 2. — What depth of cutting (if filled with snow) will a Locomotive go through with a snow plough (ordinarily) without getting " stalled ?" In answering this I presume that ordinary snow-storms are intended ; and I believe that in cuttings of three or four hundred feet in length, the Locomotive could make its way through from four to five feet thick of drift, which height is very rarely exceeded. It sometimes happens that the j| . i n 24 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF lif m wind catches up sand as well as vsnow ; and this, when mixed, forms a conglomerate mass that can only be re- moved by manual appliances, but this is unusual. Question No. 3. — What direction does the wind blow when it drifts the worst, and will snow fences prevent the snow from drifting on the tracks ? I consider that the wind by which snow drifts attain their greatest volume is the North- AVest wind, but there are frequently severe storms from the North-East and East ; these winds that come from a Northern district naturally bring with them a good deal of snow. Fencing will, I believe, effi- ciently serve all purposes for the protection of the track, although it occasionally happens, when excessive and protracted snow storms take place, that the fencing gets *.lled up on both sides, and then the rails gets blocked in spite of all preventative schemes. Two years ago, I went over nearly every inch of the ground between this City and Port-Neuf, and graded between stations 282 and 530, and do not think it would be possible to improve the grades with a view of avoiding the drifting of snow. Between Pont Rouge and Port-Neuf there are a good many heavy cuttings and embankments which it would be impossible to avoid, so hilly is the country in this district, and in these places, special precautions will have 10 be taken in the winter season. Although I do not think that snow sheds, such as are in use in some of the mountainous districts, where the cuttings are of extra- ordinary height are at all necessary, the difficulty being met with fences of an extra height. M}^ experience on Railways has bbcn essentially and throughly practical, whether as regards the running of Locomotives, or the construction and maintenance of ror :l, more especially in locations where the snow question has always invol" ved serious considerations ; and I must conclude this letter by expressing my firm conviction that the line of Railway you are constructing between this City and Three Riveis, can be very easily and economically pro- THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 25 tocted against all snow drifts and other obstacles pecu- liar to a Norlliern winter ; and that this is in a great meaf-ure accounted for, by the line of route and location of the road being so carefully chosen. ,, .. .„ With respect to your last question asking for my views regarding the proper width of the road-bed at the base of the cross-ties, having reference to the items of drainage, obstruction from snow, and the safety of the passage of trains over the road ; also with reference to the comparative safety in case of accidents. I am of opinion that the bed of the road at the base of the cross- ties should not exceed 10 feet, from the fact that it gives quick drainage and does not permit of soakage ; for a 4 ft. 8J inch, gauge, the bed should be made very full and round in the centre. In a climate such as this, the last remark is peculiarly applicable, because the snow, when thrown from a bed such as mentioned, is inclined to settle away from the track. It has been my experience to find such beds a success, especially in the Spring and Fall. If this bed is any more dangerous to run trains over than wide beds are, it is something that I am quite unaware of, and I give for a reason that upon wide beds the soakage is so much greater that the ties become loosened from their proper bearings, a fact which is dreaded by all engine drivers. Upon the nar- row bed nothing of the kind ever occurs. I would, under all circumstances, prefer the 10 feet bed for safety, convenience and economy. */';>- *i i/ ■ < .m (.(fj ■l\H,r v:^,- .^i>- iU:T I am, Sir, ,^nuiM:r m. Yours faithfully. .;« yj'^ • "■'K'iO"''' f ; • '• ' :>: Uovemment Standard No. 2. I • ■^'* '^^-Ji^n Without having mad*' any fuTtlier examination of the character of the works re.lerred to in his first Report, the Government Engineer submitted another report to the Honorable the Chief Commissioner of Public Works, under date of 12th January 1875, of which the following is a copy ; from which it will be observed thpt he recommends a much higher standard for the con^' i action of the Road than the one contem- plated in hi first report ; and also that he condemns nearly all of the work done upon the road which, in his first report, is characterized as being " substantial and permanent in oil respects " ; and in relation to the items of which he says : " They may therefore be disviissed from fui'ther discussion. They admit of no doubt of the propriety of the Government paying their proportion. They amount to $201,396.00.^*^ Tin: GOVERNMENT 8TANDA11D. 33 ' . . *,i . Quebec, 12tli January, 187o. The Honble. P. Garneau, " Chief Commissioner of* Public Works, &c. Sia, ■>^. ;!.•;,■ ■r.:'-\ ■ -I?',* In accordance with your letter of this date, I here- » with send yop the substance of a Report prepared bome time ago at the s})ecial request of yourself and the Hon. Mr. Church, " that I would state categorically my reasons for considering the North Shore Railway not first class." In this Report I recapitulate, certain objections to the work, which althougli, not all stated in my first Official Report, have been mentioned to your- self and other Members of the Government, as well as to the President of the Company. First, as most important. — The road-bed between Quebec and Three-Rivers is laid entirely too low and narrow, to be continuously and economically worked in this climate. Second. — The culverts or water passages through the embankments are built upon imperfect plans. The masonry extending but 2 feet below a surface exposed to frost. The rough hammered side and end wails of these structures, being founded on a paving of rough stone averaging a foot thick (which extends over the whole base of the structure including the waterway) instead of being sunk from two to three feet below the level of this paving, as is usually done where perma- nent work is intended. Paving laid, as in this instance, without apron walls at each end, extending some depth below it, is liable to be undermined, and thus destroy the superstructure. Frost in this climate penetrates from 3 to 4 feet, and upheaves walls on earth founda '■#' **>H,; •.; I ,■■:! ; M H TWffS :i ij i 34 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF tions not sunk below its influences. Culverts therefore not thus founded, unless with a continuous stream flowing through them, yre liable to fail. Third. — The masonry in the bridging although, apparently good of its kind, is generally too small, the piers especially. Those intendeti to carry spans of 100 leet are but 5 feet thick, or fifty per cent too thin to bear the great vibration caused by trains running at high velocities, over these large spans. The only pier as yet completed, viz : that on the west side of the Jacques-Cartier River, de.'^igned to carry two spans or 300 feet of superstructure is but 4 feet, 6 inches thick at under side of coping. This pier is founded on rock, which from its want of elasticity, like the stone sleepers on the old Railways, will augment the shattering effect of passing trains, that wfU surely wreck it, sooner or later ; especially as there are no through stone (with the exception of the coping) passing from side to side, in the body of the work ; and the cementing matter used in its construction is very weak. The usual thickness of piers, in similar situations, on well con- structed works is not less than 7 feet thick. Fourth. — The proposed plan of founding piers on soft bottoms, in the deep waters of the larger Rivers, which ill some instances are 25 feet deep at low water, although economical, I consider hazardous. The mode proposed is to build the masonry on a platform placed upon piles driven in 3 feet squares, and cut off 4 feet under low tide level. These piles being enclosed within a crib of round logs, notched, and bolted toge- ther, laid partly open, and filled with loose stone. Should the surrounding crib settle, or a jam of ice, or logs break the enclo-ure, contingencies very probable, the pier would be destroyed. Fifth. — The superstructure of many of these bridges, especially from Quebec to Portneuf, is much longer m 18 fe THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 35 than tlie water-way of these streams require. This, while greatly reducing the permanent items of earth work and masonry, involves expensive periodical renewals, that would otherwise be avoided. The same objection applies to the trestle-work on which a portion of the Railway is to be laid. .. ^.; Sixth. — The cement and sand being used at Portneuf bridge, the only place I found masonry in progress, were very indifferent. The latter indeed quite unfit for the work, as I pointed out to the Resident Engineer. These remarks are outside of the question as to whe- ther steel rails are, or are not, at the present day, part of the equipment of first class E,ailw::«ys. They would have been noted in my first ofncial report, but it was preferred to mention some of them verbally, rather than raise so many objections, on a first inspection of the work. h>iO: •;;. Upon being furnished with a copy of the above report, the Engineer in Chief immediately prepared the following Review of the same, which was submitted to the Board of Directors on Jan. 2Gi;h 1875. •lia I have the honor to be, ' r''--!'rL^ : ■ r _ Sir, ■ . - ■ .:: '■:^ ■v; ■• ■" . •' , Your obedif^nt servant, ,• ■■ '-d: '-'>*■ :\'' (Signed) A. L. LIGHT, i ' M. Ins. C. E. - .^Hi'X.' ... 36 HlSTOlilCAL IIEVIEW OF m ii i 9 -';''t,/ 14 '■::(i'-<-r -?*",-?^v^^ ;'ViJ.i ■ n^-.ii: Review by the Chief Engineer, of a Report made by the Govern- ment Engineer upon the character of the road, under date ofJanuaryl2, 1875. ^^'v <-.- . ,_! ..;■■»„ =^i » « - '^H.i'-^:-'t''i'f.: ■;■'■, ;''vVr " ■ t. OFFICE OP THE ENGINEER IN CHIEF,, Quebec, Jai uary 26, 1875. Mr. President, •-■:•>. •m '4- I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt, on Saturday, the 2;3rd instant, of a copy of a further Report made by the Government Engineer, ujwn the character of this Koad, in which is mentioned several objections to the manner in which it is being construccy. addi- tion to those refened to in the extract from his original Report, dated November 2r5, 1874, to which by order of the Board, I had tlie honor to submit a reply on the 14th instant. At the time of preparing the above reply, it was represented to the Board of Directors, and to myself personally, by the Honorable the Commissioner of Pub- lic Works for the Province of Quebec, that the extract from the Report of the Government Engineer therein referred to, and then before the Board, contained ^ "J the objections made by the Government Engineer <• the character of the work, and to the plans of raechan cal structures uj)on this Road ; and upon that repre- sentation I was directed by the Board to make, and did make, the review of this extract, dated January 14th, 1875. Upon an examination of tlije extract, I also found that it contained the following statement : "Ther, 'es- tion whether the works are substantial and perm.jr nt in character in all respects, can be answered in the ajfir- THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 37 mative with two exceptions, viz: the eartli-works con- stituting the Koad-bed are insufficient, aUhough in accordance with the profiles," — and : " The inclination of the gradients is generally all that can be desired, but they are laid ^00 /oi^." ''" Inasmuch as this statement of the Government Enjji- neer fully confirmed the statement made to myself, and to the Board of Directors by the Honorable Commis- sioner of Fub'ic Works, I proceeded at once, and in good faith, to make such remarks upon tlie objections raised by the Government Engineer, and contained in that extract, as the facts in the case clearly seemed to justify. But it subsequently appears, that by some extraordi- nary oversight, the Government Engineer neglected to mention, in his first report, several far more serious objec- tions, both to the character of the work, and to the plans which had been adopted, than any which had occurred to him during the preparation of that report ; which, from its date, November 2oth, 1874, was written imme- diately after his personal inspection of the work ; and while every detail thereof must have been fresh in his memory. Therefore, on the l?th January, 1875, more than six weeks after the date of his first re})ort, he submitted to the Honorable Commissioner of Public Works, anotlu r report, which contains five additional " reasons for considering the North Shore Railway not first class 'J, ^^ It is quite noticeable, that this last report of the Government Engineer, is dated two days previously to the respective dates upon which the Honorable Com- missioner of Public W^orks made the statement to the Board and myself, above referred to ; and also, to the date of my review of the extract from his first report, and its presentation to the Board of Directors. it will be noticed also, that in this last report of the I i r : ^1 ' 38 : HISTOEICAL REVIEW OF 1' ."■ f I Ir.i \ I'' Government Engineer, he states that it was written in consequence of a request contained in a letter received by him on the 12th January, from the Hon. Commis- sioner of Public Works. '' ■ By some unaccountable delay, this second report of the Government Engineer, did not reach the office of the Kailway Company until the 22nd inst. ; and it was not placed in my banc > for examination until the evening of the following day, Saturday. Leaving the Hon. Commissioner of Public Works, and his Engineer, to reconcile this most extraordinary con' 'oion in dates ; and waiving for the present, all per- sonal '-ideraticns, I will proceed, as briefly as possi- ble, to I /iew, in the order named by the Government Engineer, his, " rea^on'^ for consideri? / the North Shore Kailway not first class/' as stated in his last report. " First. — As most important, the Road-bed between Quebec and Three Rivers is laid entirely too low and narrow, to be continuously and economically worked in this climate." Reply. — The fallacy of this objection, which is merely a repetition from his first report, is fully shown in my for- mer reply ; and therefore will not be noticed further here, except to remark in passing, that the fact of his stating that it IS the most important objection, is of itself, suffi- cient evidence to my own mind, that he is not entirely familiar with the subject upon which he is writing. It is a self-evident proposition, that the Boad-bed can be increased, both in wddth and height, if necessary, with perhaps greater facility and less expense, after the road shall have been fully completed and in operation, than it can now be done. While it is equally self-evi- dent, that 7iot one of the remaining five objections, can ever be rectified after the road is completed. THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. ;^9 I will also quote the following extracts from a lett^M- which I had the honor to submit to the President of the Company upon this subject, dated June 5, 187o, as show- ing the views which I then entertained, and still enter- tain, upon the subject of the width of earlli-works. ? 'i: " The question as to the proper width of earth-works upon a Railway, is one upon which Engineers never have, and probably will never fully agree All will admit, however, that the chief requirements of a road- bed, whether it be upou an embankment, in an e?::nava- tion, upon a structure of masonry, or upon a bridge superstructure, are, that it affords a safe and reliable foundation for the permanent wa}^ or track of the rail- way, and an unobstructed passage for the trains. And, that in earth-works these conditions should be attained with a due regard to drainage and the stability of the Slopes. (( My own experience and observation have satisfi^:?d me that a width of twelve feet at the grade line, upon embankments, of moderate height, and composed of good material, is quite ample for the foundation required to support the ties, eight feet in length, which sustain all the weight of the engine and train a? it passes ; and that any greater width is not only surplusage, but actually injurious to the proper drainage and stabillity of the track. And I know that many first-class roads, in the United States, have been, and are now being built upon this plan ; and that in some cases the width has been reduced to eleven feet. " There was another important consideration, however, which had very great weight in my own mind, not only in the location of the line, and in the establishment of the gradients ; but also, in regulating the widths, at formation level, of excavations and embankments, which was, the liability of serious obstruction from snow. And in my opinion this should be a paramount consideration i 1 :?■ i ''I ill m m M T 40 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF : i 1 • v| .' M li upon a Railway located in this portion of Canada, which must be operated from four to five months in each year, with a large boi^y of snow upon the ground. *^ There can be no doubt that the track and roadway can be cleared of this snow with much greater facility, upon a narrow, than it could upon a wider road-bed.'' It may not be improper also to quote the opinion of the eminent Engineering House in London, England, " Sir Charles Fox Quebec, January 23rd, 1875. Geh^l. S. Seymour, ' Chief Engineer. Dear Sir, As requested, I now give details of the which the culverts constructed on the 1st manner in Residency so THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 41 far liave been built. The foundation pits were dug three feet below bed of stream, under the main body of cul- verts, and four feet under the end walls ; then a flagging coii ..e of large flat stones, from a foot to eighteen inches thick, well bedded, laid in the bottom. The walls then built on this flagging course, the end walls being star- ted a foot lower, sometimes at both ends, and sometimes only the lower end, a foot of good souad paving stones is put in between the walls and extends some distance beyond the ends of the cul vets. -■..«.. The walls are built 2f. Gin. thick in all culverts not exceeding 8f. vertical opening ; when higher, they are proportionably increased in thickness. The covering is of good sound stones, over-lapping the walls at least half their thickness. ,- <.'a' ■ '■■iiy'i The coping has been put on only one or two as yet. The above relates to culverts built dry, of which there are seven nearly completed, and one about one-third finished. ^ . , . , , . , r ,,,, , , Of culverts in cement there is but one built, all but coping, a very substantial structure, a 7f. by 5ft. box, walls 3f. 6 inches thick on a solid stone foundation, this is laid throughout in cement, is in a deep ravine, on a skew. , v> , The streams where the above mentioned dry box culverts are built, are quite small and almost dr}^ in sum- mer, an apron wall can always be put down at the outlet of any of these structures, if found necessary to prevent scouring after the next spring freshet. j^ I consider 3 feet to be quite ample depth to put foun- dations down for small culverts in this part of the country, where the early falls, prevent the frost from penetrating to that depth. f . I' ■ I mm. t If 42 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF ■ 'I m 111 i: ■i ■ Herewith I send plans of each kind of culvert as de- signed similar to those on the Intercolonial Railway. Yours truly, (Signed) JOHN LINDSAY, ' Resid't Engineer. I have constructed innumerable works of this kind upon the same plans during the last thirty years, in every variety of climate ; and I challenge any one to point out a single structure that has ever failed in any particular. " Third. — The masonry in the Bridging, although apparently good of its kind, is generally too small, the piers especially. Those intended to carry a span of 160 feet, are but 5 feet thick, or fifty per cent too thin to bear the great vibration caused by the trains running at high velocities, over the large spans. The only pier . as yet completed, viz, that on the west side of the Jac- . ques Cartier River, designed for two spans, or 300 feet of superstructure, is but 4 feet 6 inches thick at under side of coping. This pier is founded on rock, which from its want of elasticity, like the stone sleepers on the old railways, will augment the shattering effects of pas- , sing trains, that will surely wreck it sooner or later ; especially as there are no through stone (with the ex- ception of the coping), passing from side to side in the body of the work ; and the cementing matter used in its construction is very weak. The usual thickness of piers, in similar situations, on well constructed works, is not less than seven feet thick ?" 'Reply. — I have taken the pains to copy this objec- tion entire, for the purpose of noticing the inaccuracy of many of the statements which it contains ; as well as tlie fallacy of the conclusions at which it arrives. THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 43 Is^ As to inaccuracies. — The piers which are " inten- ded to carry 160 feet spans of bridge suberstructure." are not " but 5 feet thick." I admit that they were ori- ginally drawn to 5 feet upon the plans : but, contrary to my own judgment, I changed the plans at the Portneuf and St, Maurice Rivers, from 5 to 6 feet in thickness, some weeks prior to the date of the Government Engi- neer's last report, upon the representation of a mem- ber of the Government, that the Engineer had advised it; and also, from an intimation from the Contractor, through his Engineer, that he preferred it. I would have been most happy to have informed the Government Engineer of the change, if he had given me an opportunity of doing so. The lengthof bridge superstructure resting on the pier at the Jacques-Cartier River, is not " 300 feet," as im- plied by the Government Engineer, unless he can de- monstrate that a connecting pier between two spans, sustains the weight of both trusses throughout their entire length. The cementing matter is not " very weak " as stated by the Government Engineer. On the contrary, I know from frequent tests applied to it personally, during its construction, that it is exceedingly strong and adhesive. The following letters from the Resident and Assis- tant Engineers, are also offered in evidence. - ,u, Quebec, January 2nd, 1875. .*"';.• Genl. 8. Seymour, -;,, Chief Engineer, ;;r '^ Dear Sir, ^ ^ . In reply to your communication, requesting informa- tion relative to the Hydraulic Cement used in the ■-',■• i WT 44 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF fl 'i H structures upon my Residency, I beg leave to say, that the cements used are those known as " Gauvreau's Ce- ment," and the " Island of Orleans Company's Cement." The ibrmer was extensively used on the Intercolonial Railway on the first 100 miles, the latter was also used to some extent, and wherever used, were subjected to severe tests. All cement used on the 1st Residency of the North Shore Railway was tested frequently by ray- self, my Assistants and Inspectors, and the conclusion come to, was that it was perfectly reliable at li sand to 1 cement, which proportions were consequently adopted, altho' much of it wculd have stood 2 sand to 1 cement. Its subsequent appearance shows good adhesive qua- lities, as very little wash has taken place, and it has set perfectly solid and strong. . .- I enclose a certificate from Mr. Temple, Assistant Engineer on 2nd Sub-division, and will endeavor to procure others from the late Inspectors of masonry, as soon as I can find their addresses. Yours truly, (Signed,) JOHN LINDSAY, Resident Engineer. Quebec, 2nd January, 1875. ^ Joim Lindsay, Esq., Resident Engineer, N. S. Railway, Quebec* Dear Sir, The cement mortar used in the Pier and abutmf^nt for the Jacqnes Cartier Bridge was from the Island of ^rl THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 45 Orleans Company, and was mixed in the proportioud of 1-i sand to 1 cement. t; ,^ It was tested by yourself at the commencement of operations, and I had the specimen at my boarding- house, for some time. It set perfectly hard. The masonry set firm, and the joints of the Pier look solid with no appearance of wash. ., .;, :'i r- ■ t'tl) ' ■ '' : -^jn-vvn: -V 'J ' ' 'i ,i.i^ , \>^" -'i '^•;VU.'r^..; ,:■■ ;m*'^^; K/ j(. ; . S'(f ' '' i('i i . . '■•.' > n'Hvn 'yli. (Si I remain, Yours truly. .i! (■; (■•■'■ I -. r E. B. TEMPLE, ' Assistant Enirineer. W If tlie Government Engineer desires to contest this point farther, and in a practical way, I will agree to have the pier taken down to any extent he chouses, if he will agree to pay the expense of rebuilding it, in case his statement is not confirmed. " The usual thickness of piers in similar situations on well constructed Roads," is less than 7 feet, instead of " not less than 7 feet " as stated by the Government Engineer. There are several bridges now standing in perfect condition, upon the Erie Railway, which I constructed more than twenty years ago, in much more exposed situations, and of much longer spans, than the Jacques Cartier bridge, where the piers are less than seven feet thick under the coping. If the Government Engineer desires to contest this point, in a practical way, I will iflgree to send any reliable man that he may name, to measure the thickness of the piers (in similar situations) under the bridges of as many of the first-class Railways M |!, M WT 46 HISTORICAL REVIEW OP t i \-f. ! I si in tlie United States as we may agree upon ; provided he will pay the expenses, in ease liis statement is not confirmed. , . 2nd. As to fallacies. — The Jacques Cartier pier, of which the Government Engineer makes an example, is the tliinnest one upon the road, and contains 103i superficial feet of bearing surface under the coping. According to the usual methods of computation, and allowances for safety, it will sustain 5,692 tons of use- ful load. The greatest weight that can ever come upon it, including the weight of the bridge superstructure, and assuming the bridge to be loaded with locomotive engines throughout its entire lengtli, is 238 tons ; which' shows that the pier is capable of sustaining with per- fect safety^ 24 times any weight that can ever come upon it. With reference to the " gr'eat vibration caused by trains running at high velocities over these large spans," upon which the Government Engineer ns to base his entire argument, I will remark, that txc^us are never allowed to run at ** high velocities " over structures of this kind ; not however as a means of avoiding the great danger of which he speaks ; but as a means of safety from accidents, either to the train, or to the superstructure of the bridge while the train is passing. The Jacques Cartier Bridge is c6mposed of two trus- ses extending from massive abutments upon either bank, and resting in the center, or nearly so, upon the pier in question. I would therefore be pleased to see the questions demonstrated, either practically or scientific cally, by the Government Engineer : 1st, As to how much vibratory motion this pier will endure with safety ; and 2nd, as to how mucli it can ever be made to vibrate from its normal position, by the passage of trains over it at the " highest velocities " that he would authorize, if he were operating the road. THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 47 I muintalii that masonry, if well constnicteil, of ojood materials, can never be atfected injuriously, from iWia cause, under a wooden bridge superstructure. There is a liability, however, to a lateral strain U|)on the masonry which supports an iron superstructure, caused by the contraction and expansion of the metal ; wliich is effectually guarded against by placing roUers under the ends of the trusses. ;/ i'.. I would therefore suggest to the Government Engi- neer, that his objection may be obviated, either in tliis . manner, or perhaps by placing a thick bed of India Rubber or Gutta Percha upo^" the present bearing sur- face of the masonry, at very much less exp'^nse to the Contractor, than by increasing the thickness of the pier to seven feet. I maintain also, that thi?i masonry is quite sure to be of much greater relative strength than thick masonry, for the re; on that it can always be much more firmly bound together ; I also maintain, that it is the duty of the Engineer to keep his plans within the lowesL limits _^ ' of entire safety ; ms well on account of economy in construction, as the permanency and stability of the work. The masonry in question, although not composed en- tirely of " through stone," is so thoroughly bound together by the inter-lncking or over-lapping of the different courses, that I consider it to be quite equal, both in horizontal and vertical strength, to what it would be if constructed of" through stone." The objection raised by the Government Engineer to the rock foundation which underlies this pier, is so - - novel in its character ; and is sprung upon me so unex- pectedly, at this late day, that I shall not even attempt to answer it. It would of course be superfluous for me to offer the m- n i-p . I I i 1 48 IIISTOKICAL REVIEW OF J. Government Engineer any assistance in tlie scientific solution of tlie problems heretofore* referred to, with reference to vibratory motion, and its v ^feets either upon the particular pier under consideration, or upon masonry of this kind generally ; but I will venture to refer him to a case which affords a very satisfactory 2iractical solution of the problem. It will probably be admitted that the Railway Suspension Bridge at Niagara Falls, affords as good an example of extreme exposure to the influences of vibratory motion, as any other that can be named. ■ t This Bridge is composed of a single span of 821 J feet in length, measured from center to center of piers. There are two square stone piers at each end of the bridge, each one of which supports one-fourth of the entire superstructure, and also of any load, or tensile strain that can ever come upon it. These piers are each founded upon solid rock ; and are each 78 i feet high, above the bottom of the Bridge ; and they are each eight Jeet square at the top. j. ; .( ■■ - This Bridge has been in constant use since 1858, or during the past twenty years, and, so far as I am informed, it is now as perfect in all its parts, as it was when the first locomotive engine, and train of cars pas- sed over it. ;■■.>■'■ ; :i From the above data we are enabled to deduce the following mathematical expressions : 8x8x4= 256 ; therefore, if 250 feet of bearing surface will successfully sus^^iin the weight of the Ni.»gara Kailway Suspension Bridge of 821 i feet span, and all the weight that comes upon it, together with the " augmented shattering effect of passing trains'' due to the fact of its being a flexible suspension, instead of a rigid truss bridge, how long Avill the Jacques-Cartier pier, with 103-^ feet of bearing surface, and having 158^ feet in length of truss bridge to sustain, successfully til! the same requirements. THE govt: IINMENT STANDARD. 49 I will leave the Government Engineer to solve the problem, and to profit by the result, as I have neither time nor inclination to follow thi;* branch of the subject further. " Fourth. — The proposed plan of founding piers on soft bottoms in the deep waters of the large rivers, which in some instances are 25 feet deep at low water, although economical, I consider hazardous, c^c." Reply. — The Government Engineer has, in the objection above stated, for the first time raised a question which I consider at all reasonable or debatable ; and I shall therv^Tore endeavor to answer it as fully as possible. The Specifications provide that : " Whenever solid rock is not found, the foundations will consist, either of paving, concrete, piling, or plat- forms of timber and plank, as the Engineer may direct. — The whole to be protected by sheet piling, ri[)-rap, crib-work, or cofferdams w4ien necessary ; and executed in the most thorough and substantial manner." When the Chicago Contracting Company made the first proposition, and negotiated the present contract for constructing the road, the parties, all of whom were practical railway men, were particular to inquire res- pecting the kind of sub-structure that would be requi- red for the masonry of the bridges over the m my large streams, which the profiles then exhibited to them, showed were to be crossed by the Railway ; and I informed them ih-it, so ff r as I could then judge, from a somewdiat supprficial examination of these streams, the Inundations would be of the same character as those which I had previously adoi)ted for a Railway bridge of a mile in length, across the Potomac River, at Washing- ton, U. 8. ; which, as they very well knew, were com- posed of piles, driven in 30 feet water, and protected by cribs filled with stone ; and had then stood the severe ^U; III iililijt 'mr\- 50 HISTORICAL EEVIEW OF 1 &i; .'■ tests of liigli floods and ice-jams of tlif: Potomac River, during a period often years. ., > Vv ^ If the above assurance had not been made by me, I do not think that the contract would have been closed upon its present terms ; although the specifications, as quoted above, which I afterwards prepared, were fully approved by the Chicago Contracting Company, and were allowed to form part of the contract. I am not aware that the present Contractor, when he assumed the contract about one year ago, had any knowledge of the above facts. And I do not even know whether they will be regarded, by any one but myself, as having a material bearing upon the present question. I will freely admit that the plans objected to by the Government Engineer, are to a certain extent an inno- vation upon the old stereotyped plans in use for such purposes ; and thereforf;, that they are liable to the severest criticisms from a peculiar class of the Enginee- ring profession, who never like to depart from old customs. I have therefore taken great pains to satisfy myself fully as to their safety, as well as their adapta- bility to the purposes for which they are intended, upon this road. And I have also taken suggestions from several practical Contractors, as well as from many sound practical Engineers, with reference to such chan- ges in my original plans, as would tend to increase their safety, and facilitate their construction. I have tlierefore come to regard the perfected plana as being entirely unobjectionable, provided the specifi- cations and directions of the Engineer and Inspector are adhered to in every particular by the Contractor, during their construction. I had the honor of addressing a communication to the President and Directors, on the 16th July, 1874, in which the following paragraph occurs : THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 51 *' To illustrate this principle, I will refer briefly to but a single instance of the many which must necessa- rily occur during the progress of the work. " The plans which I have designed for the sub- structure, or foundations in deep water, required for the masonry in the bridges which are to span several of the large Rivers, which the line of Railway crosses, are peculiarly my own ; and are much cheaper than the ordinary stereotyped plans in use for such purposes. But in order to render them perfectly safe and perma- nent, the greatest care and attention must be exercised in carrying out every detail of the plan, in the execu- tion of the work. If the power to see that this is done, through the agency of Engineers and Inspectors of my own selection, and in whom I have the most entire confidence, is taken from me, I hold that I can not justly be held responsible for the success of the plan. The failure to drive one single pile to the required depth, or to place one pingle bolt in the right position, might endanger the safety of the entire structure, which, although it might stand until after the Railway Com- pany had accepted the road from the Contractor, would be liable t^ be jndei'iiiined, and destroyed during the very ne freshet that might occur." It is quite ovi'lent to my mind, huwever, that the Government Engine^ i', judging from his remjirk that " should the surroandiiig crib stttle, the pier would be destroyed," does not understand, « dior the theory of the plan, or its practical adatation. I take the liberty of quoting the following extract from a Report recently made t< the City Council of Quebec, by Mr. Charles Bai'' ge, City Engineer, as showing his opinion of these toundations : " Persons unacquainted with Bridge building on a mud bottom, may not have confidence in this system of iiiii A- -., 1 .,!. |! S 52 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF if 11 n ) : ill ^i founding piers of stone masonry on what they may consider sucli a perishable material as wood ; but it is well known that wood, which is altogether and at all times completely under water, is imperishable, logs having been recovered from under water in Europe, which \^ 3re known to be more than 800 years old, in a perfect state of preservation. Again, as to solidity and stability, I may say that hundreds of the most impor- tant and heaviest works in Europe and the United (States of America are founded, in some cases, on wooden piles, driven into the bed of Rivers, Estuaries, &c., &c., as is now being done at Batiscan and Ste. Annes." The following extract, from my letter to the President of June 5th, 1873, before referred to, will show the opinion of " Sir Charles Fox and Sons " upon the same subject : " We have examined the details of the River Bridges, and having been informed by General Seymour, as to the nature of the foundations, and the extent and power of the ice-drifts in the several Rivers, we are satisfied with the designs, and consider them well adapted to their purpose." I am not at all sensitive upon the question of these foun- dations ; and if the Board shall conclude, upon a full investigation of the subject, that any other plan, which shall come within the requirements of the general spe- cifications attached to the contract, is preferable, I see no reason why such plan should not row be adopted for all the rivers, except the St. Anne's, where the work upon the present plan has advanced to such an extent that it could probably not be changed, without incurring a claim for damages, on the part of the contractor. *' Fifth. — The sujierstructure of many of these bridges, especially from Quebec to Portneuf, is nmch longer than the water way of the ytrejuus require," &c. Also, " the THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 5\^ fame objection applies to trestle work, on which a por- tion of the railway is to be laid." Replu. — The spans of the bridges above referred to, except the Aux Pommes, Lachevrotiere and Champlain, which are still under advisement, have been decided upon, after a careful study, and personal observation of the streams and their sources, tluring a period of four consecutive vears. Whereas, the Government Engineer has never to my knowledge, passed through the country but once ; and then over a considerable portion of the distance, between Quebec and Pont Rouge, in a driving snow stortti ; and on the following day, the remainder of the distance to Portneuf, when the ground was covered ivith snow. * In some cases, it has been found necessarv to bridge the slopes of the adjoining banks, as well as the streams, ia order to obtain secure foundations ; but in no case would I consider it safe, to reduce the clear opening re- quired for the passage of the water. In cases of this kind, I have always acted upon the two principles : 1st. That we have never yet experienced the high' est floods ; and, 2nd. " That, when in doubt, the decision should al- ways be upon the side of safety." The entire question of Trestle work is still in abeyance. Sixth. — The eetnent and sand being used at Portneuf Bridge — were very indifferent — the latter indeed, quite unfit for the work, as I pointed out to the Resident Engineer." Reply. — The above objection being the last in the series ; and also, as appears from his report, the only one which the Government Engineer " pointed out to the Resident Engineer " who accompanied h.... over the line on his tour of inspection, I will only state in reply, .K'.,l\ 54 mSTOlilCAL REVIEW OF ■M 1^ m that the Inppector of the work, Mr. A. Trepanier, whoyo especial duty it was to pay the closest attention to all important matters cf this kind ; and whose later experi- ence in such matters has been upon the Intercolonial Railway, shall, if within call, be invited at once to fur- nish a full and satisfactory reply to the objection raised by the Governme.it Engineer. Having thus noticed and answered all of the objections made by the Government Engineer, I will conclude what I have now to say, with the following remarks : 1st. In considering this whole subject, so far as any decision is to be influenced by the rough and unfinished condition of the work, at the time of its inspection by the Government Engineer, it should be borne in mind, that the contract, being for a " lump sum," as it is called, the Contractor cannot consistently be required to per- form any particular portion of his work, at any specified time ; provided the entire work is completed in the man- ner and within the time specified in the contract ; and, therefore, the Engineer can only endeavor to see, that when the work is done, it is properly done. 2nd. If the requirements of the Government, through their present Engineer, respecting the changes that must be made in the present specifications, grades, earth- works, masonry, foundations, &c., including the location of the line within and near the City of Quebec, which he has still more recently recommented, are insisted upon, I do not hesitate to si'y, that either the Eailway Company, or the Contractor, or both, as may be decided hereafter, may as well provide immediately for, from a half million, to a million dollars, over and above what has been heretofore anticipated, in order to meet these requirements. 3rd. Hiiving now been connected with this Road du- ring the past four years ; and having, during that period, devoted my entire time, and the best energies of my body and mind : 1st, In an effort to induce respon- THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 55 sible parties to undertake its construction, upon such terms and conditions as the Company were prepared to offer : 2d. Jn an effort to place these parties, by the negotiation of their securities, in a condition to com- mence and carry on the work ; and, 'dd. In an effort to have the work proi)erly constructed when it commenced, it may very well be imagined with what feelings I regard the present condition of things, as affecting the final success of the enterprise. 4th. Having devoted a somewhat long and varied professional life, to the construction and management of some of the most difficult and important public works upon the American Continent ; among which may be named the Erie, and the Union Pacific Railways ; and having constructed upon the former, the Portage Bridge, of 234 feet in height ; and upon the latter, the Dale Creek Bridge of 134 feet ; all of which are now standing evidences, either of my possessing or not possessing the amount of professional skill required to construct the North Shore Railway upon proper principles ; I think it should be regarded as quite improbable, that I would willingly consent to risk my professional reputation, which is my only dejiendence in life, either by the con- struction of this important work upon defective plans ; or by failing to do my whole duty to the Railway Com- pany, which has honored me with its confidence. It would also seem to be equally improbable that, after having filled the most important Engineering po- sitions in the General and State Governments of the United States, I should, at this late day in my profes- sional life, require to be taught the first principles of my profession. . i .... ,. r- ...^ . ^^ Respectfully submitted, • S.SEYMOUR, - i^ - r Y :_ Chief Engineer, To THE President and Directors. , ^1 ;S ■ t'- I'i I ;!: Il^ 56 HISTOKICAL REVIEW OF Mf .:M* ; ■ iM i 1;:; r ! Si*. * Government Standard No. 3. ^^i'. r. 7 •. ■ ■ !Ui Sometime subsequent to the date of Mr. Light's gecotid report, he was requested, in conjunction with Mr. Bailhiirge, the Engineer appointed to inspect the works by the Corporation of Quebec, by a special Committee of the Board of Directors having the matter in charge, to indicate in precise terms the standard to which the road must be made to conform ; " to render it acceptable to the Government and the Corporation as a first class Railway ^ The following is a copy of their joint report upon the subject : Quebec, 9th March, 1875. A. H. Verret, Esq., Sec'y. of the North Shore Kailway Co. Sir, -' ^' In accordance with a resolution passed on the 3rd inst., at a meeting of the special Committee of the North Shore Hallway, wherein Messrs. Baillairge and Light were requested to come to a mutual understanding and make known, with the least possible delay, what modi- fications are necessary to be made in the specifications and in the plans of the Road, to render it acceptable to the Government and the Corporation, as a first class Railway, taking into consideration, hoAvever, the resources at the disposal of the Company, for the construction of their Road. Messrs. Baillairge and Light beg to report on the above as follows : First. — That the road-bed (or base of ballast) be THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 57 raised more or less, equivalent to an average of at least one foot throughout its entire lengtli. Second. — That the cuttings he increased from 18 to 24 feet in width, to admit of thorough diainage. Third. — That although Messrs. Fleming and Liglrt are decidedly of opinion that a width of 17 feet at " formation " or base of ballast level, woukl ensure more permanency, safety, and ultimate economy. Yet taking the present resources of the Company into con- sideration, we are prepared to recommend, that a width of 15 feet, as now arranged for the Montreal Northern Colonization Kail way, be adopted as the width at " formation level " on the North Shore Kailwav. It being understood that the road-bed shall be so made that it will retain the full width of 15 leet, after it haj thoroughly shrunk and consolidated. • The undersigned are induced to recommend this reduction in width of road-bed, because these embank- ments can be iv'idened hereafter if desired, without interfering materially, with the general plan of the Railway, whenever the resources of the Company will admit of the increase being made. Fourth. — That a foot of ballast be placed under the sleepers, as well as carried up to the level of their upper surface, as shown in the diagram attached. The width of the ballast being 10 feet at the level of top of sleeper, and 14 feet 6 inches at the base, or at formation level. Fifth. — That the top width of piers, sha^l in no case be less than from 5 to 7 feet, for spans of from 80 to 160 feet, and that these piers be constructed of first class masonry. Mr. Light being of opinion that the specifications for masonry, in use on the Montreal Northern Colonization Railway, from their freedom from ambiguity, be adopted on the North Shore Railway. i i. .. . . . m ^ 58 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF 'I ? (( (( Sixth. — That the foundation for piers in deep water, eiiall be so altered and strengthened, to the approval of the undersigned as to ensure tliat safety and stability which they do not now possess. This modification we believe being within the scope of the contract. As regards the second resolution : " That Messrs. " Baillairge and Light be also requested to please make " known to this committee, the modifications which might be considered as extras, if however there are any, or are not provided for in the contract ; what " the probable cost would be, and what items of the " contract they would recommend to be retrenched to " meet all such modifications." That in the event of the Committee being unable to arrive at a satisfactory solution of these questions, we would respectfully suggest that they be referred to Mr. Fleming, who has already gone into this matter, and made certain recommendations. Should the Committee so desire, we shall have no objection to join in such reference. ' With regar(^ to what items of the contract may be retrenched to meet extras that may be determined on, if any. The Committee will doubtless take into conside- ration, as already suggested in our previous reports, to what extent the stations, machine shops, and rolling stock may be reduced, including perhaps, with the con- currence of the Government and Corporation, the extension to deep water. ' . " ' " V Ai;i s i i , • - AVe have the honor to be, ' Sir, • f ' ''*':>■' ' Where, or at what points must the road-bed be raised more, and at what points less than is indicated upon the present profiles ? Upon what bases must the average be couiputed, which will hereafter be considered by the Government and City Inspector as " equivalent to an average of at least one foot." . ■- ■ t Does the term " throughout its entire length " refer to the entire length of the nuiin line and [)iles branch — or to the entire length of the main line — or to the entire length of any particular portion of the main line. 2. WIDTH OF CUTTINGS. They say : " that the cuttings must be increased from 18 to 24 feet in w^idth to admit of thorough drainage." To comply with this specification understandingly, will require answers to the following questions : What are the w^idths of the cuttings as now design- ed ? :: ..-■■^■. :i - ■ .^-J ■.,/:-^-;:;-^-- :-.---;r'----^ THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 01 At what points are these cuttings to be increased ? 1*0 what extent between the extreme liniits of 18 and 24 feet, must each particnhir cutting be increased beyond the width now designed, in order " to admit of thorough drainage." 3. WIDTH OF ROAD-UED. They say : " that a width of 15 feet, as now arranged for the Montreal Northern Colonization Railway, must be adopted as the width at formation level," after be- coming " thoroughly shrunk and consolidated." The following questions arise with reference to this specification : What is the " arrangement for the Northern Colo- nization Railway " ? Will the Engineer be precluded from increasing the width beyond the limit of 15 feet, in cases where, in his opinion, the nature of material, or height of bank may require it ? Will the Engineer be precluded from raising tht " formation level " to the base of the cross-tie ; and reducing its width to 12 feet, in cases where the native material is such as to require no ballast? 4. BALLAST. They say : " A foot of ballast to be placed under the sleepers, as well as carried up to the level of their upper surfaces, as shown on the diagram attached. The width of the ballast being 10 feet at the level of top of sleeper ; and 14 feet 6 inches at the base, or formation level." ,^ The following questions arise with reference to this specification. 1-,-,;- '••ji[ J "i «. 62 HISTORICAL EEVIEW OF i Doe'=^ it not reAuce the top-width of the completed road-bed, al "CclZ full grade line to a less width than 12 feet, as required by the existing contract and specifica- tions ? Is this ballast to be added to the top of the original road-bed, when the native material is as good as any ballast that can be procured within a reasonable di.-;- tance ? ^ Is not the quantity of ballawt required per mile, more than is required upon the Montreal Northern Coloni- zation Kailway ? Must the out-line of the road-bed and ballast, when fully completed, be made to conform in all respects and in all cases^ to " the diagram attached " ? 5. HMENSIONS AND CHARACTER OF BRIDGE MASONRY. Tlio}^ Ray that : " The top width of piers shall in no case be less than from 5 to 7 feet, for spans of from 80 to 1(J0 feet, and constructed of first class masonrv." The masonry specifications of the Montreal Northern Coloniz^.r'on Railway, are also referred to, as furnishing a proper standard for the masonry. The following questions are very important as con- nected with this specification : The Jacques-Cartier pier having already been com- pleted with a less width, under the coping, than the above minimum, " What is to be done about it ? " The piers for the Port-Neuf bridge having already been commenced upon a basis which admits of a top width of (i feet, under coping, what is to })e done about them ? Will the present plans for these piers fill the requirements of the specifications ? And if not, what changes are to be made ? ■; ;t!; nr^h •, THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 63 m ■ Referring to the plans already designed for the diffe- rent hridges upon the entire main line, where the pier masonry has not yet been commenced : " What specific width between the limits above named, w^ill he required for each particular pier ? Does the bridge-pier masonry, already constructed, come up to the required standard, for first class masonry f And if not, must it be taken down and rebuilt, and all future work constructed in strict accordance with the letter of the standard referred to, including the provi- sion for using lime mortar instead oi hydraulic cement f 6. FOUNDATIONS IN DEEP WATER. They say : " Foundations for piers in deep water shall be so altered and strengthened to the approval of the undersigned, as to insure that safety and stability which they do not now possess. This modification, we believe, being within the scope of the contract." The following very important (questions suggest them- selves with reference to this specification. In what respect are the present plans and specifica- tions so far defective, as to endanger the " safety and stability " of the work ? What " alterations and strengthenings " shall be made in the present plans at each particular locality, that they >vill meet "the approval of the undersigned?" Must the work already executed under the existing plans and specifications be thrown away, and new work and materials be substituted therefor ? Will the materials already procured and delivered, be available for the " approved " plans ; or must other material be substituted therefoi ? . ■ •fi; 1*1 'I If ■ r);» j! n\ m w 64 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF Does the ex pression : " this modification ive believe being within the scope of the contract, ' either decide or imply that " tlie undersigned " believe that none of the pre- viously named modifications ftre " within the scope of the contract ? " Believing that the foregoing suggestions are of vital importance to the interests of the Railway Comi)any, at the present time, wirli reference to saving a very large and useless expenditure, on the part of the Con- tractor, or the Company, as the case may be, they are, Respectfully submitted, by S. SEYMOUR, Chief Engineer. Upon receiving the foregoing communication, the Committee at once passed a Resohition inviting the Go- vernment and City Engineers, together with the Con- tractor and the Engineer in Chief, to hold a conference with the Special Committee on the mo^'ning of Marcli 12th 1875, the result of which, as re J ted in the fol- lowing " memorandum " may be regarded as : Government Standard No. 4. MEMORANDUM. On Friday morning, March 12, 1875, the special committee hehl a meeting at which Messrs. McGreevy, Light, Baillargc and Seymour were present by invita- tion, under a Resolution moved the previous day by His Worship the Mayor of Quebec, and adopted by the Committee. , . ., THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 65 The Mayor, by consent of the Chairman Hon. J. J. Koss, took the initiative in the proceedings, and stated, that inasmuch as the Chief Engineer had, on the pre- vious day, submitted some " Remarks " upon the *' Standard " established for the road by the Govern- ment and City Engineers, in a joint communication dated 0th March 1875, in which remarks it was shown that a good deal of vagueness existed in many of the details connected with said standard, he, the Mayor, had con- ceived the idea, that by bringing all the parties toge- ther before the committee, it would be quite possible, as he knew all parties considered it very desirable, that these details should be fuUv harmonized, so that there could be no possible misunderstanding hereafter. After these general remarks, the Mayor called the attention of Mr. Light to the vaguenCvSs of his standard respecting the height of the grade line, noting several points to which attention had been called by the Chief En^;ineeri Mr. Light repHed that he intended to have the increased height of one foot apply to the entire Main Line between Quebec and Montreal ; that he had cal- culated the additional quantity of material in earth- works that this increased height would involve, and that he proposed to distribute this increased quantity where it should be most needed, in some places consi- derably more, and in other places perhaps less than one foot, but one foot should be the average. Upon being asked wheilier he had seen the profiles of the present located line west of Three Jlivers, he answered, No ! that he had applied for them ^n Montreal, but that the Resident Engineer informed him that the Chief En- gineer had given special orders that no one should see them. The Mayor then requested the Chief Engineer to produce the profiles of the entire Main Line as now i% M i'i i« I i!'. i! IN m P J li- I T CG HISTORICAL REVIEW OF located, which upon being clone, the Government and City Engineers were requested to indicate upon them such an arrangement of grades as they should insist upon to meet the requirements of their standard. These gentlemen however declined to examine the profdes, but said that " the road must be gone over profiles in hand, to determine height of road." Upon being asked by the Chief Engineer wliether they would be good enough, at the same time to indicate the proper width of the dif- ferent cuttings, they said they would. With reference to the w^idth of embankments, upon being further questioned by the Mayor and Chief En- gineer, they said that the width at sub-grade, or forma- tion level, might exceed 15 feet in some cases where the material w^as bad, &c. And that it might be reduced to 12 feet, where the material was so good as to require no ballast. With reference to ballast, upon being shown a dia- gram prepared by the Chief Engineer, which contem- plated 2000 c. yds. per mile, they condemned it empha- tically, and insisted that the diagram which accompanied their report of the 9th, which they said contemplates 2,500 c. yds. per mile, should be adhered to in every particular. With reference to the Jacques-Cartler pier, already built, Mr. Light said that it must come down, that it was much too small, that the cement w^as worthless, that there could not be more than 150 or 200 c. yds. in the pier ; and that it could be taken down and properly rebuilt for $8.00 per c. yd. Also that in rebuilding, it nmst be made " 7 feet thick at top under coping, coping to be taken off or not allowed to project ; batter 1 in 24, to be laid in Portland hydraulic cement, 2 of sharp clean sand, and 1 in cement, in face of work ; 3 of sand and 1 of cement, in the backing." THK GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 67 With reference to the Portneuf Piers, now partly constructed (to a height of 8 feet, and 10 ft. 5 in. in thickness at top), upon being askeany will admit of this increase being made. Fourth. — That a foot of ballast be placed under the sleepers, as well as carried up to the level of their upper surfaces, as shown in the diagram attached. The width of the ballast being 10 feet at the level of top of sleeper, aud 14 feet 6 inches at the base, or at Formation level. Fifth. — That the top width of piers shall in no case be less than from 5 to 7 feet for spans from 80 to 160 feet ; 5 feet for s[)ans of 80 ; 6 feet for spans of 120 ; 7 feet for spans of IGO ; and proportionately for interme- diate spans, which of course will necessitate the rebuild- ing of the pier at the Jacques Cartier Bridge, in con- formity with this suggestion, or the erection of an addi- tional j^ier. The additional thickness required at the piers of the Bridge at Portneuf, of which foundations are already in place, can be obtained by altering the batter thereof. That these piers be constructed of 1st class masonry. Mr. Light being of oi)inion that the specifications for masonry in use on the Montreal North- ill y v m 72 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF eni Colonization Railway, from tlieir freedom from ambiguity, be ado})ted on the North Shore Kail way ; and that Portland Hydraulic cement be used in all tirst class masonry, in the proportion of 2 of sand to 1 of cement in face work, and 3 of sand to 1 of cement in the Lacking and hearting. Sixth. — That the foundations for piers in deep water shall be so altered and strengthened, to the ap]>roval of the undersigned, as to ensure that safety and stability which, in their opinion, they do not now possess, this modification (clause No. 0) we are of opinion is clearly within the scope of the contract. We have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servants, (bigned,) CHS. BAILLAIRGE, A. L. LIGHT. •atf^S:^— --^;st{»8>o III. WHAT ALL PARTIES HAVE AGREED TO DO, AND HAVE DONE ABOUT IT. lU The Special Committee, after having received the above final report from the Government and City En- gineers, submitted to the Board of Directors on the 13th March, a report in relation thereto from which the following is an extract : " These gentlemen, after having taken cognizance of the above mentioned resolutions, submitted the annexed report as embodying all modifications of specification required by the Government and Corporation, to ensure a first class road, according to the views entertained by these Engineers. Your Committee therefore recommend your Board to adopt these modifications, or alterations in the speci- fications, as forming part of the contract. As to the question whether those modifications are provided for by the contract, in the sense that the Con- tractor is bound to execute them without exacting an indemnity, your Committee do not deem it advisable to give their opinion, but recommend that should the Contractor claim that these modifications are extras, this question be submitted to ai titration, with the un- derstanding that the decision of the arbitrator or arbi- trators, will bind the Contractor and Company." *t II -»'■] -■f> 74 IIISTOUK'AL RKVIEW OF On th(3 ir>tli ^rarcli 187r>, tlie Enginoor m Cliicr »sul)inittt'(l to tliii Piosidc'iit of the ('umpuny, the foUovv- ing {*<)niiMuni('atioM in)()ii the suhject let'erred to in tlie foregoing extract IVoiii the report of* the JSpecial Com- mittee : OFFICE OF THE ENQINEER IN CHIEF, Quebec, March loth, 1875. Mr. President The Provincial Government and the City of Quebec having, through their respective Engineers, decided upon some changes in the present grades, plans, and mode of construction adopted and in part executed upon the Road, all of which, if insisted upon, must necessa- rily involve a considei'able increase in the cost of construction ; and the question having arisen as to whether the v;hole or any portion of this increased expenditure is covered and provided for under the existing contract, I would respectfully submit that, from the nature of the case, it will necessarily be cpiite impossible to arrive at any just and equitable conclu- sions upon this subject, for some time to come. The following are the reasons : 1st. The changes that are to be made, are as yet only determined in a very vague and indefinite manner ; those in relation to the height of grade and width of cuttings having been left to be determined by " passing over the whole line profile in hand " etc., which must necessarily occupy considerable time, even in case it can be done at all, understandingly, while the snow is upon the ground. 2nd. After these changes shall have been fully determined upon, and well understood, it will necessa- rily be the work of considerable time to ascertain, with any degree of precision, their effect upon the final cost THE UOVEUiNMENT 8TANDAKD. 75 of the work as coinpaivd with imy data, infitrmtition, or un(U'i'8tainiiM*jj that may hercat'icr cither be au;rtH*(l upon by the Railway Company and the Contractor, or decided upon by arbitration, or in the Courts, astlie cas^e may be, as haviniz; fbrmcd the h'^itiniatc basiis of the existing original and su})[)lemental contracts. ord. In determining upon tliis basis for the contract, a good deal of time will necessarily be occu})ied in an investigation of all the facts, correspondence, and otiier evidences relating thereto, from the time of the com- mencement of the negotiations which eventually led to the final consummation of the contract, until the pre- sent time. - , 4th. After a full and satisfactory determination of the basis of the existing contract, and the consequent decision as to whether it covers the whole or any j)ortion of the increased expenses involved in the recent elevation of the Government Standard, it will necessarilv be the work of considerable time to compute the precise pro- portion of these increased expenditures, if any such should be determined upon, which should be borne by the Railway Company and the contractor respectively. f5th. If, in deciding upon the basis of the existing contract, it shall be determined that the location of the line, the arrangement of the grades, the requirements as to the width of earth works, the plans and detailed specifxL'ations for foundations, masonry, tS:c.,or the sche- dule of quantities, as they existed at any particular date or period of time, must be regarded as represent- ing the outside limit of tluMvork to be executed, and expenditures to be made by the Contractor, in order to fully complete and equip a first class railway in accor- dance with the terms of the contract, then it becomes quite evident that no just comparison can be instituted between these different elements, as they existed at that particular date or period of time, and the same elements I) 'ii! ! i !'! ir . HI8T011ICAL RKVIEW OF iis they iTuiHt necessarily exist at the final completion of the contract, until the entire work npon the main line lias heeii completed as a first class railway, " and shall liave been accepted as snch by tlie Lieutenant-Gover- nor in Council, on the report of the Provincial Kail- way Board." . Otli. .Even should the Schedules f quantities and relative contract values, which have bjen prepared by the Chief En"iitoer from time to time, as a basis for progress estimates, be taken as a guide in the determi- nation of the basis for the existing contract, I do not consider it at all certain, that, when the main line of the road shall have been fully completed to the accep- tation of the Government and the City, the aggregate values of the final quantities and amounts of the different items or classes of expenditure, will be found to exceed those which were based upon the line as located, grades as arranged, and plans as anticipated in 1872 and 187o, as they were then fully understood and approved of, both by the Kuilway Company and the Contractors ; and wkicli forms substantially the basis of the present revised Schedule; which Schedule, as Mr. Fleeming very justly remarks " was prepared under the contract for the purpose of enabling the engineer to arrive at a just and equitable basis for monthly estimates and pay- ments ; and so far as I can judge, /or that purpose onlyy Should the character of the foundations in deep water be radically changed, however, as now contem- j^lated by the Government Engineer, that particular item will of course be materially increased above the value riamed in any former schedule, although it has already been determined by the Government and City Engineers that this increase or modification " u clearly wii/iin the scope of the contract. ^^ 7tli. I have already expressed an opinion, which has been fully concurred in by Messrs. Fleming and Shan- THE GOVERNMENT STANDAllD. / / ly, to tlie effect that the Contractor should be indemni- fied for any loss, either in work, materiuLs, or expendi- ture which he has already, or may hereafter sustain, by reason of changes made, either in the location of the line, the arrangement of the grades, or in the plans of structures, in cases where lie may have entered upon the work in good faith, and it is afterwards found that the whole or any portion of his expenditure is lost or thrown away. It would appear, at the first glance, that this item at least, could be determined upon and settled at once ; and 1 have no doubt whatever that it can be determined much sooner than the more important questions, pre- viously a'luded to; and consequently that some plan for its adjustment may with propt'iety be agreed upon at the present time. But when it is considered that the Government and City Engineers have not yet deter- mined upon tlie height to which the grade shall be raised at different points upon the line , nor tlie width to which the different cuttings shall be excavated ; nor the nature of their proposed modifications in the plans for foundations in deep water ; nor the precise treat- ment which sliall be administered to the sick Jacques Cartier Pier. And when it is further (considered, that the Contractor may, and if he consults his own interests undoubtedly will, postpone the bringing of the earth- works which he has already constructed, either up or out to the required standard, as the case may )k', until after the track shall have been laid upon the present graded surface, when it can be df*ne with much greater facility and economy than at pr<^»ent, i^t be^^omea quite evident that a final settlement of even this small item of difference, cannot be arrived at underslaudingly, for at least some months to come. In view of the foregoing facts and considerations, it would seem that the only course which the Railway Company can consistently pursue at the |)resent mu- t ■8 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF merit, is to give to the Government and the City, some satisfactory assurance that llie work will be made to oonlbrm in all respects, to the required standard ; and also to give to the Contractor some satisfactory assu- rance or guarantee, that any extra expenditure which may be required of him, over and above such as is clearly provided for in the existing contract, in order to make the work conform to the required standard, will be properly adjusted as soon as the same can be intelligently ascertained and acted upon. m Respectfully submitted, S. SEYMOUR, Chief Engineer. Col. Wm. Rhodes, IVest. N. S. R. Co. The foregoing communication was read before the Board of Directors, at a special meeting held March loth 1875, after which the Board adopted the report of the special Conmiittee, and transmitted a copy thereof to the contractor for his approval. On the 17th Man^h 1875, the contractor addressed a letter to the ISesidont of the Railway Company, from which the follow big is an extract : " t agree to llm Behohillon passed by the Directors of said Company on thecially from Quebec to Portneuf, is much longer than the water-way of these streams require." Gth. " Th^ cem nt and s;ind being u.-^d at Portneuf Bridge, the only place I jund masonry in progress, were very indifferent. The latter indeed qifite unfit for the work, as I pointed out to the Tlesident En- gineer." Standard No. 3. ■1 i V-'; This Standard prorides : 1st. " That the road-bed (or bpse of ballast) be raised more or teas, equif^aleat to an average of at least one toot throughout i* ire length." 2nd. '' That (he cuttings be increased from 18 to 24 feet in width." HISTORICAL KEVIEW OF Old. " That a width of 15 feet, as now arranged for the Montreal Northern Colonization llttiiway, be adop- ted as the wi(hh at f agnation level, on the Nortli Shore Railway ; it being nndei stood that the I'oad-bed shall be so made, that it will retain the full width of 15 feet, after it has thoroughlv shrunk and consolidated." 4th. " That a foot of ballast be ])la('ed under the sleepers, as well as carried up to the level of thcii- upper surface, as shown in the diagram attached. The width of the ballast being 10 feet at the level of top of slee- pers ; and 14 feet inches at the base, or formation level." 5th. " That the top width of piers shall in no case be less than fi'om 5 to 7 feet for spans of from SO to 160 feet; and that these piers be constructed of 1st class masonry. Mr. Light being of opinion that the ^pe^'ifications for masonry in use on the Montreal Nor- thern Colonization Railwav, from their Imubm from ambiguity, be adopted on the North Shore Railway." Oth. " That the foundations for piers in deep water shall be so alterod and strengthened, to the approval of the undersigned, as to insure that safety and stability wdiich they do not now possess. This modification we believe being within the scope of the contract." Standard No. 4. ■ This Standard provides for the same additional lieight of road-bed as Standard No. o. It admits that the Government Engineer had not seen the present profiles west of Three Rivers, (one half of the road.) It declines to indicate the proper gi-ade height upon th(^ profiles submitted by the Chief Engineer, but de- cides that " the road must be gone over, prolUes in hand, to determine height of road, ttc." ' '< i THE GOVERNMENT STANDAKD. 83 It decides that the width of embaiikraents at sub- grade, or formation level, may exceed lo feet in some cases, and that it may be reduced to 12 feet in other cases. It insists that the ballast diagram shall be adhered to in every particular, and that 2,500 cubic yards shall be the quantity of ballast per mile. It insists that " the Jacques Cartier Pier must come down,^' and be re-built " 7 feet thick at the top under It su";2;ests no method of obviatinir the diffi- '»» copnig. culty of this pier being founded on solid rock. It permits the ft)undation masonry in the Port-neuf piers, to remain undisturbed, but the batter must be changed so as to bring the piers to a width of 7 feet at top. It provides for the thickness of all bridge piers, without regard to their height, or the total length of the bridge, as follows : " 5 feet for spans of 80 feet ; f) feet for spans of 120 feet ; 7 feet for spans of 100 feet : and proportionately for intermediate spans." It insists that the coping upon bridge masonry shall not be allowed to project ; that the batter of the face walls shall be 1 in 24 ; that the masonrv shall all be laid in Portland hydraulic cement, 2 of sharp clean sand to 1 in cement, in face of w^ork ; and o of sand to 1 of cement in the backing ; that the masonry specifi- cations in use upon the '* Montreal Northern Coloniza- tion Raihvay " shall be adhered to in every particular, and that lime mortar must not be used under any cir- cumstances whatever. It insists that the plans and specifications for founda- tions in deep w^ater are " hazardous," and cites to a bridge near Montreal as an evidence of this fact ; but it requires time to determine upon, and submit a proper Standard for this class of work. ,^" i V'i i II I 84 HISTORICAL KEVJEW OF Standard No. 5. 1!? IS h TJii.s Standard provides for the same additional height of road-bed as Standards No. 3 and 4 ; but " suggests, that the whole line be }>assed over, profile in hand, and the points where the raising should be made, be indi- cated on that profile." It re-iterates " that the cuttings be increased from 18 to ^^4 feet in width, to admit of thorough drainage/' It limits the width of road-way at formation level, to 15 feet, but allows it " to be raised or left one foot higher, and reduced to 12 feet at under side of sleeper, w^here the native material issulHciently good to be used as ballast." It adheres to the diagram for ballasting referred to in "Standards No. o and 4." It re-iterates the width of masonry in Bridge piers as specified in " Standard No. 4," with the following additional remark ; " which of course will necessitate the rebuilding of the pier at Jacques Cartier Bridge in conformity with this sug- gestion ; or the erection of an additional pier." It also re-iterates the conditions embodied in " Standard No. 4," respecting the Port-neuf bridge. Also as to the use of the " Montreal Northern Colonization Bail way Speci- fications for masonry, Portland Cement, proportions of sand, &c. ; but no allusion is made, either to the batter of the face walls, or the objections to projecting copings. The 'condition respecting the foundations in deep water is as follows : " Sixth. That the foundations for piers in deep water shall be so altered and strengthened, to the approval of the undersigned, as to ensure that safety and stability which in tlieir opinion^ they do not now possess, this THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 85 mollification {clause No. 6) tve are of opinion is clearly within the scope of the contract." The above sentences in italics will be found to differ someAvhat from the language used in " Standard No. 3/' It will be also observed that no alhision is made to the future preparation and submission of plans for this class of work " by the undersigned, " as contemplated in " standard No. 4." 9 Before leaving this branch of the subject, it may be expected, particularly by Railvmy experts, that atten- tion will be called to the remarkable degree of clear- ness, consistency, and freedom from that " ambif/uiti/ " which is so proverbially f Ual to all ^V*'^ class railway enterprises, w^iich has thus far been displayed in the erection of the " Government Standard." It is believed however, that these most important cha- racteristics will have fully impressed themselves upon the mind of the reader, as he has followed, step by step, the different stages of progress towards that state of perfec- tion, which the standard will have reached, after the Government Engineer shall have passed over the line, " profile in hand " and established the proper heights of the grade line ; and also indicated such changes in the plans for foundations in deep water; '* as will ensure that safety and stability which they do not now possess." Si w if • 1. :*^ '^k''*55-.-2:j!»\^ii« REMARKS EXPLANATORY AND INTERROGATORY, In order that no misapprehension need be entertained respecting eitlier the principal characteristics of the Go- vernment Standard ; its entire freedom from anihiyuity ; or its effect upon tlie phms and mode of construction provided for, and being in good faith carried out, under the existing contract and specifications, it is proposed to submit the following explanatory remarks and inter- rogations upon that subject : 1st. The width of earth-works, at sub-grade or forma- tion-level, as contemplated by the specifications, and already in part constructed, is siihstantiaUy the mm" as that provided for in " Government Sttmdards No. o, 4 and 5." 2nd. The top-rail-grade'l'ine, as arranged by the Chief Engineer upon the profiles of the entire main line, as revised in 1874, is two fed and ovei\ above the natural surface of the ground, for 75 per cent of the distance, (one half of the road) between Quebec and Three-Kivers, and it is three fet and over, above the natural surface of the ground, for 00 per cent of the distance, (one half of the road) between Quebec and Montreal. 3rd. In a report to the Eailway Company, dated March 4th, 187o, the Chief Engineer recommends : " that the top-rail grade line be so arranged as to secure an elevation of a^ least three feet above the natu»-al sur- Tin: (iOVERNMEXT STANDARD. 87 iac-e of the «;r()mi(i, in mII eases wliei'(f tliis elevation is not neccHHarih/ (vMitrollcd by ntdxintum iirade;?, minuinnn curves, unncouhihlc euttiiii;s, hrid^jje elevations, and bridiije approaelics. Also by a due rei»;ard to dan«5erou.s or objeetional)l(^ undulations in the grade." An inspection of the present prollles will show, that the above condition may be complied with, by elevating the present grade line, not more tiian in average of one foot, over a less distance than 20 per cent of the entire length of the Alain Line. 4th. A recent critical inspection of the line between Quebec and Three Kivers, made with particular refe- rence to an estimate of the probable future anow ohstruc- tlonx, as based upon an observation of the almos-t unprecedented (le])tli of snow during the past winter, shows conclusively that the pi'esent arrangement of the grades, is almost entirely unobjectionable, and that the increased height as recommended by the Chief Engi- neer, will Ini/ond a qaedion, effectually meet and over- come all ''tliculties and delays from that source. 5th. The diagram for hallasting, referred to in "Standards No. o, 4 and o," shows the ballast to be 18 inches thick ; 10 feet wide at top, on a plane, level with the top of the cross-tie ; and 14^ feet wide at the base, or plane of " formation level." Any good practical supervisor of track will occupy the first month or two of the time of his men, in remo- ving the superfluous material from the end of the ties, and throwing it over the hank. After which he will give the ballast a slope from the top center of the tie, to the end oi' its base ; and thence to its outer angle or finish, in order to facilitate drainage, and clearing the track of snow. All this suridus material is therefore only so nmch waste, or unnecessary expense. The con- tract says : '' nothing supertiuoui^ will be required." IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT.3) t 1.0 I.I Ui M |||Z2 4 II II 2.0 lU 1-25 III 1.4 lii! 1.8 1.6 P> ^f^ ^W- dF^-. % 'fj, Hiotogiaphic Sciences Corporation 4^ <^ "% V ^<^j ;# 23 WEST MAIN STREET W!:BSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ■ 88 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF ; L' i\ If 4 The schedule estimates of the Chief Engineer, provide for 2,000 cubic yards per mile of ballasting, over a distance of 125 miles, of the main line, the entire length of which is 1571 miles. 6th. With reference to bridge piers, Mr. Walter Shanly says : " I should say that six feet will be ample width for the top of the piers ; and with such stone as I have seen come from Deschambault, for instance, I would not fear to build and guarantee them on a width Qi five feet across the coping. ^^ The " Jacques- Cartier pier,'' about which so much has been written and said, \^ five feet and one inch across the coping ; and is com- posed of stone quite equal if not superior to the Des- chambault ; and it has been demonstrated that it will sustain twenty-four times the weight that can ever come upon it ; and that, relatively speaking, it is more than tvjice as strong as the piers of the Niagara Suspension Bridge ; yet " Government Standard No. 4 " says : " it must come down and be rebuilt with a thickness of 7 feet under coping." And Government " Standard No. 5 " savs : " it must come down, or an additional pier must be erected ; " whereas, the contract says : " nothing superfluous will be required.'' 7th. Government Standards No. 4 and 5 say, that the thickness of bridge piers must be " 5 feet for 80 feel: spans ; 6 feet for 120 feet spans ; 7 feet for 160 feet spans, and proportionately for intermediate spans " ; by which rule of propo^'tion the Jacques- Cartier pier would be only 6 feet, 10 inches thick ; and the Port-neuf River piers would be only 5 feet, lOi inches, thick. Whereas the plans for the Port-neuf piers are now 6 feet thick at top, and in part constructed, yet Govern- ment Standard No. 4, says : that, both these, and the Jacques Cartier piers " must be 7 feet thick at top under coping." Which of thae directions must be complied with f THE -GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 89 8th. " Government Standard No. 4 " says, that the coping upon bridge piers must not project over the face of the work, lest the weight of the bridge truss, as it rests upon the edge of the coping, will tip it up, and shatter the masonry underneath. Whereas, the weight of a truss-bridge is never allowed to bear upon the edge of the coping ; but it always rests upon a ^vall- plate of timber y setting back at least as far as the front line of the face of the pier. Where then is the danger ? 9th. " Government Standards No. 4 and 5," sav, tlmt " the specifications for masonry in use upon the Mon- treal Northern Colonization Railway, must be adopted for the North Shore Railway." Whereas the present detailed specificatioiis for masonry upon the North Shore Railway, refer to the specifications for the " In- tercolonial Railway," as a guide with reference to the general character of this class of work in the more im- portant structures upon this road. These specifications are almost identyml with those in use upon the ** North- ern Colonization," except that they do not allow for the use of lime mortar, which " Government Standard No. 4 " entirely condemns, while it directs unqualifiedly that the work be done under the specifications in which its use is allowed. Which of these directions must be com- vlied with f 10th. " Government Siantlard No. says : <( The Contractor of course cannot be expected to make radical changes, without compensation, " Whereas, Govern- ment Standard No. 5, referring to a modification in the plans for deep ivater foundations, says : " this modifi- cation (clause No. 6), we are .of opinion, is clearly ivithin the scope of the contract.'' Is it to be inferred from this, that the proposed modifications, or changes in these plans, will be only nominal, and not radical f 11th. It is quite true, as stated by the Government Engineer, in " Standard No. 4," that the Chief Engineer DO HISTORICAL REVIEW OF had given special orders to the Resident ]]]ngineer, that HO one should be allowed to examine the profiles of the line between Three Rivers and Montreal, which were then in the Montreal Office. The profiles referred to, were in an unfinished state, having only a pencil grade line upon them, as arranged by the Resident Engineer, for the purpose of copying upon the land maps, which were then in ^'reparation in the Montreal Office. Besides, the Chief Engineer wac of the opinion, that it would be quite as well to settle the questions that the Government Engineer had raiKsed, respecting the line between (Juebec and Three Rivers, before opening up a new field for his criticisms, upon the line west of Three Rivers ; particularly as his instructions from the Government confined his investigations to " the quan- tity and character of work done, and materials furnish- ed ; " and he had already reported to the Government that he had " made a careful inspection of that part of the North Shore Railway between Quebec and Three Rivers, this being as far as any works are in 'progress^ &cr The profiles of the entire main line, as revised in 1874, with the grade line as established by ^he Chief Engineer, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, have been in the Chief Engineer's Office in Quebec, during the entire period of the Government Engineer's connection with the road ; and the Chief Engineer wou.a have been most happy to have looked them over with the Government Engineer, at any time that suited his convenience, with a view of comparing notes, making explanations, &c., &c. ; but, unfortuna- tely, it has never yet happened to suit his convenience. 12th. If an opportunity of this kind had been affor- ded, the Government Engineer would have learned, THE GOVEKNMENT STANDARD. 91 among other things, that over a large portion of the distance " betv/een the 30th and 40ih miles from Que- bec, "where the line is cutting for a considerable portion of the distance, " (as stated in Standard No. 1, also in Commissioner's letter) the grade line was drawn from one to two feet lower, upon the profiles, than the work had been actually laid out and in part constructed upon the ground, owing to the failure on the ])art of the Resident and Assistant Engineers, to rectify an error in the levels, upon the profiles, which had been recti- fied upon the grouiid. 13th. It is quite noticeable that tlie very serious objections which w^ere raised in Standard No. 2, to " the culverts or ivater ivays ", also to the unnecessary length of bridge superstructures a?id trestle-ivork, are not noticed or provided for in subsequent standards. Is it therefore to be inferred that these objections are withdrawn ? 14th. Neither is there anything said in any of the Standards about Wooden Cattle guards ; or the quality of timber admissible for cross-ties and fencing. Did all these escape the vigilant eye of the Govern- ment Engineer ; or has he still another " Standard" in reserve to cover these important matters ? ,15th. The following extract from the Chief Engi- neer's " Report on the situation ", dated March 4th, 1875, will show that the Government Engineer cannot refrain from calling the attention of the Government, in a derogatory manner, to the affairs of this road, upon every occasion that presents itself. " In another report (of which I have not the date, but probably written about the same time) upon the " Montreal Northern Colonization Railway," the same ■^ 92 UISTOKICAL REVIEW OF Government Engineer, in speaking of the Engineering Expenses upo?i tiiat road says : " This compares favorably with similiar expenses on the North Shore Railway, where these three items to date amount to about $180,000, while the value of the work done is but $220,000, the Engineering being about 80 per cent on. the actual outlay for work doneJ^ i\ ^Vs I have had the honor of laying before the Board full replies to the multiplied objections raised by the Government Engineer to the class of work upon this road, under date of January 9th, and January 26th 1875, it will be supererogatory to repeat them here ; but as I have had no previous opportunity of noticing the extraordinary statement respecting this road, which he has voln»iteered to make in a report upon aa entirely different road, I will merely remark, that a reference to the " Statement of Engineering expenses upon the Main Line up to December 1st 1874," hereto annexed, and marked " Af)pendix No. 4," will show that his statement has 7io foundation in fact." The " Statement '' above referred to, shows that the Engineering Expenses up to Dec. 1th 1874, were 28i per cent of the total expenditure ; and that the Enginee- ring ex[)enses, chargeable to construction proper, up to the same date, were 9 per cent of the total expenditure on account of construction ; and that upon the comple- tion of the road, they will not exceed 6i percent of the entire expenditure. It also shows that the Engineering Expenses incurred in 1871, and 1873, amounting to $43,705.28, were practically thrown away, on account of the failure of the County subscriptions; and the delay of the Contractors in going forward with the work. Is it altogether just, that the success of this great work should be jeopardized by gross mis-statenaents of -1 ^^ THE GOVERN>rENT STANDARD. 93 this nature, made and promul<>:ated under the .s:iri(;tion, and by the authority oi' the Picviucial Government? And is not the fact that such inis-representations have been made, by the present Government Engineer, (juite sufficient to destroy all conlidence in his statements respecting any other matter connected with this road ? 16th. Referring to the ^ive aiid take policy, suggested by the Government Engineer, in " Stancfard No. 1," for adjusting differences, or settling (jeneral averages with the Contractor, in compensation for radical chan- ges, &c., if a precedent were wanting for such a course, it will be found in a similar policy which was pursued for a time, upon the " Intercolonial Railway " as shown by the following extracts from the published " Report of the select standing Committee on puhkc accounts, m reference to section 16, Intercolonial Railway," printed by order of the Dominion Parliament in 1874. (See pages 22 and 23.) I Mr. A. L. Light being under examination. " 139. You are engaged on the Intercolonial Rail- way ? — I amJ^ " 140. In what capacity ? — 1 am District Engineer ^ " 141. What distance is embraced In your District ? — 8ix sections. It is what is called the Miramichi Dis- trict, includi'yg the Miramichi bridges. " 142. What are your duties Mr. Light, as District Engineer ? — To take a general supervision of, and be responsible for the works, under the Chief Engineer. 1 have to see that the orders of the Chief Engineer and the speciflcatimis generally, are carried out ; to see that the works are performed in the proper manner, and in accordance with the specifications." m h 94 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF " 143. Whni number of inile.s have you in this dis- trict ? A little over 120 miles. "144. How many miles are there in section IG? About 182 J thinkr " 151. AVho determined the phms of the construc- tion of this section ? Well, I am> responsible for all the plans of this district, of course really responsible to 3Ir. Fleming. I generally first arranged it myself and then submitted it to Mr. Fleming for his approval, and he made such alterations as ho pleased." (( 155. Have you heard Mr. Fitzgerald's statement in reference to the striking: out ol structures and brid- ges ? 1 have." ** 156. Do you know how far that statement is correct ? / should think in the main it was coreect. Culverts have been struck out of that work, and although I am not prepared to say that his statement urns exactly cor- rect ; yet I think in the main it was so." " 157. Were any of these culverts returned as com- pleted? There were a few that were so returned. I am not prepared to say how many ; but they were the smallest kind ot structures, not exceeding two feet." " 158. Then the whole 34 were not so returned ? No ; I think the number was five or six." " 159. Do you know whether payments were made to some of the contractors in the same manner as if these works had been done? I cannot tell you that. Payments are made through the office of the Commission- ners. I pay nothing." " 160. Does not the Schedule of prices, as applied to quantities, pass through your hands ? Yes, I believe there was some such return in the early stage of the work." THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 95 161. Ras there Wii any equivalent work done of any other kind in lieu oftliese culverts struck out ? / think there was ; there was a very considerahte amount of ditching done, much more than ivoiUd be necexmrj/, had all the culverts been constructed according to the original contract." (See page 33 of sai^e Keport.) 3Ir. Light cross- examined by 3Ir. Jlills. " 285. Were you aware that Mr. Buck reported the striking out of these 34 culverts ? Mt officially ^ " 286. Do you know whether the striking out of the 36 culverts was reported to the Chief Engineer ? 1 do not, Sir." " 287. When you say there were 28 struck out, by whom were they struck out? By myself. I mean by direction of the Chief Engineer. I mean 2ve consulted together." ,. *' 288. Did you act on Mr. Buck's report ? No, I 7iever looked upon them as fixed, until I got the Chief JEngineers approval." " 289. Upon what information did you proceed ? / examined the work and acted on my oivn personal iii for- mation, and such information as I was able to procure from other's." " 290. Have you gone over this line often ? Yes, I went over the line two or three times a year perhaps. I am not sure that I went over the work every year during the progress of the ivork. It is possible that I did not." (See page 34 of same report.) " 322. Was there any time for two years together 96 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF you were not over this road ? I cannot tell you, I should think not, cDc." (See pnge 37 of same report.) Mr. Sand ford Fleming, Chief Engineer ^ being examined, " 350. What was the class of Engineers appointed, who were entrusted with the supervision of the work ? First : The Did r let Engineers who were all appointed with my approval. Second : Division Engineers, Third : Assistant Division Eiigineers." " 360. Wliat was the principal duties of District En- gineers ? They were to have the supervision of every thing dofie in each District, and receive instructions from me tvith regard to Engineering matters, and see that they were carried out^ (See pages 38 and 39 of same report.) 3Ir. Fleming still under examination. w-Am " 398. Mr. Buck was on this road for a number pf months ? He was there part of the time." " 399. By whose authority ? By authority of the Commissioners." " 400. Did he report to you the progress of the esti- mates ? Yes, through 3Ir. Light. ^* " 401. Did you act upon his report ? Certainly.^* " 402. Were payments made upon Mr. Buck's re- port ? Yes, on the quantities returned by Mr, Buck as executed." " 403. Are you aware Mr. Buck returned a number of culverts as executed that were not done ? / learned m THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 97 tl- las ler to my stirprise he had done so. Tlie ivhole 7nasonry re- turned which was not executed was 200 or 8(K) yards^ " 404. Of tlio 54 culverts marked on tlie profile, how many were dispensed v Uli in constructing tliis section ? / cannot at present say, but will look it up^ " 405. Was the error committed hy Mr. Buck, co' - rectod as soon as discovered ? Yes. It is due to Mr. Buck that I should explain the reason why it was done. Mr. Buck riyhtly or ivrongly dispensed ivith one or more culverts, by substituting ditching or other work. He thought when the ditching ivas substituted, that he ought to return the culverts as executed ; and did 50." " 406. Did he make any return of tlie number of yards of ditching done in lieu of the construction of culverts ? JVo. " 407. Do you think the ditching cost anything like the sum the Contractors saved by it ? I think riot.'' (See page 79 of same report.) Extract from Statement of J. W. Fitzerahl, Esq., En- gineer in charge of Section IG. .. " The ditching which Mr. Light magnifies as having been done, in lieu of the masonry thrown out, is very trifling ; and a portion of it has been done with a view of effecting a still further reduction in the remaining culverts. Every yard of this work, and all other work, however, is included in the monthly estimates, and is paid for like other earth- work. The masonry struck off is paid for beside." The above quotations are given here, not for the purpose of doing injustice to, or of casting reflections upon any of the parties to the controversy, which was li U8 IirSTOKlCAL REVIEW OF the cause of tho investigation ; but merely as showing the j)rece(lents established by the Dominion Standard for first class Railivays, not only with reference to the ])ro|)er treatment of contractors ; but also with refe- rence to the remarkalle degree of industry, perspicuity, and knowledge of the work entrusted to them, which were exhibited on the part of some of tlie Engineers, who were revelling in Government Pastures, while occupying high positions upon that important national work. ^ Reference is respectfully made to the entire report, in order to show the reliance to be placed upon the statements of the different parties connected with the transaction ; and also the remarkable degree of disci- pline, system and economy , which are practised upon the Gover7iment works of the Country. '=^a«*=5v52--:2^5=55;4g^C3 \ik'-/r"> VI. FURTHER VIEWS OF MR. WALTER SHANLY, UPON E '. i RAILWAY STANDARDS. I desire in this place to call attention to the follow- ing extract from a letter just received from Mr. Walter Shanley, under date of " Boston, March 24, 1875," which, although its place, had it been received earlier, would more properly have been in my recent '* Heporl upon the situation," to which it refers ; yet I consider the views therein advanced to be so appropriate to the discussion of " Standards for first class railways " o-eue- rally ; and also, that Mr. Shanly is so fully entitfed to the confidence of both the Kailway Company and the Government, that anything he may soy upon the sub- ject will, I trust, not be considered as entirely out of place here. Mr. Waller Shanley to General Seymour : (Extract.) " I very much regret that I had not more time to give to the questions you referred to me. I was so situated at the moment that I had to answer vou immediately, or postpone doing so indefinitely. I should have liked to enlarge somewhat, on what I will call the absurdity of Engineers, whose financial experiences have been wholly in Government pastures, deciding that hence- forward all our railways must be turned out from the shop finished to a nicety ; complete and " first class " 100 HISTORICAL EEVIEW OF T -.ff-'M p. I:-. in every particular. If that is to be the " law," the day of railway building in Canada, save and except of " Government lines " is pretty well over. Engineers who propound that doctrine, do not understand the needs of a young country (and the North Shore coun- try is yet young in its ability to construct railways), and do not know what admirable useful pioneers, the kind of roads they are so glib to condemn, have been on this Continent. The great " first class " lines of to-day, the B. and 0., the N. Y. C, the Pennsylvania, the Boston and Albany, and others in the same category, have all *' risen from the ranks " so to speak, and have come to be what they now are, through the vast growth and progress of the country, which they themselves, in their earlier and humbler existence as second, third or fourth class roads, or what you will in the way of clas- sification, have been mainly instrumental in bringing about. I do sincerely hope you have, by this time^ got mat- ters so arranged that you will be able speedily to show us along the North Shore, just such a railway as your contract and specifications contemplate. Its contruction will supply a great need in the Province of Quebec ; and that you are able, as I trust it will be proved you are able, to give the country a road as good in the very tirst stages of its exi?^ence, as it is designed to be, is, or will be, a marked evidence of the growing prosperity of Canada ; for when the line was first talked about, 20 years ago o^ more, we would have been only too well crntent to have obtained one of very far inferior cha- racteristics to those which you purpose giving it now. The Engineers v^ho speak contemptuously of narrow embankments, wooden bridges, and iron rails, would doubtless condemn as utterly unfit for use, were they to see them now, some of the roads that you and I have helped to build in the olden time ; and which, for all their " shaky character " did quite as important service THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 101 in their day and way, as their aristocratic descendants are doing now. I have built as good raihs ay work as any man in America, and as bad ; and I am not sure that I do not look back on the latter with quite as much satisfaction as on the former ; because in getting the rails down anyhoWy through a new and poor country, I felt that I was laying the way for such broad changes and impro- vements as, in the contrast with what had been before, one might well be proud of aiding to bring about. It was a hard, but not a bad school for Engineers, tending greatly to brighten their financial wits, where they let their contracts first, and then had to consider how to make one dollar do the work of two, or of tliree just as likely, as " estimate time " came around from month to month. ' • ♦« Mr. Walter Shanly is too well known throughout the whole of Canada, and tlie United States, to require any endorsement at my hands ; and therefore. I do not envy the position of any narrow minded and impracticable Engineer, whose history and practise, us connected with this or any other great public enterprise, b- ings him within the circle to which Mr. Shanly alludes, in his well timed and scathing remarks. It will be sufficient for me to say in this place, that it will be a most auspicious day for this Road, Avhen it shall have fully recovered from the blow, which has so recently been dealt to it, by Engineers of tins class ; who, although they may plead in excuse, tha^. they have been instigated and encouraged by persons high in authority, both in the Government, and in the Rail- way Company, should nevertheless not complain if they are held to a personal responsibility for the results of their professional acts and opinions. VIL KEMAKKS m CONCLUSION. Entertaining, as I do, a very high regard for the Provincial Government, and every one of its members ; and admitting, as I do, its power to exercise full control over the subsidy, or aid, which it has so liberally granted to this Company, without which the construc- tion of the railway would never have been undertaken ; and appreciating, as I do, the power which it can ex- eicise, and the responsibility which it assumes, not only directly, as it i& now doing, but also through the agency, of the Board of Directors, (in which, in conjunctio): with the City, it has a majority of members) over the Standard f or class of railway to be constructed, as well as over the payments that are to be made therefor from time to time, as the work progresses ; and believing, as I do, that all the objections that have been raised by the Government, through its Engineer, to the manner in which the work has been, is being, and is to be con- structed, have been fully answered by this and previous Reports from this ofEce ; and feeling, as I do, a strong and earnest desire to co-operate to the fullest extent, in any measures, or line of policy that shall secure the early completion of the railway, upon the basis which was fully understood and agreed upon by all parties, when the work, of construction was commenced ; I trust that 1 may be pardoned for submitting the following re- marks in conclusion : 1st. That, so far as it is possible to form an intelli- THE GOVERNMENT STANDARD. 103 gent opinion reBpecting the various requirements of the Government Standard, it is not apparent tliat they will have a tendency to materially improve the real charac- ter and intrinsic value of the work, over and above the Standard which was being carried out in good faith by all parties, before the advent of the present Govern- ment Engineer ; while it is very apparent that, if all the Government conditions are insisted upon, they will entail upon the Railway Company, and the Contractor, a very large and superfluous expenditure, which they are not at present prepared to meet. 2nd. That, as stated, in the Chief Engineer's " Report upon the situation^' dated March 4th, 1875 : " When it is considered, that by the terms of the act of 1870, granting lands in aid of the Company, the Government has power to withhold these valuable tim- ber lands, now amounting to 1,140,875 acres, until : " The said Railway shall have been completed and put in operation to the entire satisfaction of the Lieutenant- Governor in Council,'' it is difficult to see what better security the Government could hold, for the faithful performance of all obligations imposed upon and assu- med Iby the Railway Company." " And even had Government no such security, it is ma- nifest from the reports, correspondence, &c., referred to herein and appended hereto, that the work being done, and for which the contract and specifications provide, are such as will meet the requirement that the road shall be first class.'' " The height of grades, a difficulty of easy solution, being perhaps the only one objected to by the Govern- ment Engineer, which is not fully and satisfactorily answered thereby." 3rd. That unless the Government, and the Railway Company, adopt to some extent, the line of policy so 104 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF clearly indicated, and forcibly endorsed in the above letter from Mr. Walter Shanly ; and also in liis pre- vious letter, which was appended to the report above referre 1 to ; instead of being guided by a policy which dates back to where Mr. 8hanly says he stood " a quarter of a century ago " / and the inspirations for which have come entirely from " Engineers whose financial experiences have been wholly in Government pastures J ^ it is very much to be feared, that a great and important public improvement will still be allowed, (as it has been during the past twenty years), to lan- guish out a feeble existence, and finally to die under its treatment, beyond the hope of any future resurrec- tion. 4th. That unless the Government, the City of Que- bec, and the Board of Directors, require the Contractor to proceed promptly with his work, in such a manner as to comply fully with the terms of his contract ; and at the same time secure to him the prompt payment of his progress estimates as he earns them, and as they are clearly provided for in the contract, it is very much to be feared ihai, even if Mr. Shanly's policy were to be adopted, the present generation will be allowed to pass away, without witnessing the full realization of their long cherished hopes, respecting the final completion of the North Shore Railway. All of which is most respectfully submitted, for the consideration of the Provincial Government, the City Council of Quebec, and the Eailway Company. SILAS SEYMOUR, Engineer in Chief of the North Shore Railway.