^5^1^, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) / / ./ 1.0 I.I « 1^ 12.0 Bi2ilii4l!4 ^?^ '/ PhotogFaphic Sciences Corporatfon 23 VmST MAIN STIHT WIISTIt.N.Y. USM (71«)l7a-4S03 ^ % ^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/iCIVlH Collection de microfiches. CannMan Imtttuu for HIMorical MIcroraproductlons / InatMut canailian d* microrapfoductlom hlnoftquaa '^ TMhnlc«l Mi4 BIbllograpMe NotM/NotM tMhniquw •! MMioflrapliiquM Th* InttKut* hM attsmptMl to obtain tho boat orlflinal eofiy avaHaMa for fHming. Foaturaa of thia eopv wrtiich may ba MbHoorapMeaNy unlqua. which may altar any of tha Imagaa in tha raproduetion. or «vhleh may slgnifleantly changa tha uaual mathod of filming, ara chackad balow. n n D Colourad eovars/ Couvartura 5 V. Y. Earth Excavation in Cuts, @ 1 20, 6,53 1 00 4,384,000 Brick in Tunmd, («) $8 00, in Wall 35.072 00 603,000 Brick in Thorough Cuts 4,221 00 24,762 C. Ft. of Coping Stone. @ $1 00 ^Pfoot, 24,762 00 5,080 feet of Iron Railing, @ $1 92 |(?foot, 9,753 00 For Engineering and Contingencies, 8,595 00 Total, $ 94,543 85 Three miles of Railway, 100,000 00 Total Amount, $853,475 00 Sinco submitting the above OHtitnate, and a Plan aiul Profile of the wurk, to the Mayor, tho Plan ami Protilo have been roluioj to a sniull scale, which, together with a Map shuwing tho lines of Ilailway Ix-twcon Now York and Chicago, in connection with the lines through Canada, m-oompanj this, and which, I have no doubt, will convey to your minds a correct idea of tho whole scheme, and its great importance and neccHsity. A description of the proposed connecting link is unnecessary, as you will see it distinctly shown on the Map by the red line. The Niagara tunnel will bo of suflScient width for a single track Railway and tho free passage of carriages. Its position is also distinctly marked out on tho Plan, and you will see by tho Profile that tho descent from both sides to tho level grade near tho centre is only 76 feet per mile, which, for so short a distance, is compara- tively light. On tho Western Railway, from Albany to Boston, there is one grade of 80 feet per mile, for a distance of 12 miles, and there are still heavier gnidos on other lines. To enable you to draw a comparison between tho magnitude of this and other works of a similar character, I will hero state some facts, taken from the report, dated March, 1852, referred to in my letter to His Honor tho Mayor : " The proposed tunnel under the Niagara presents nothing very formid- able, when compared with the magnitude and proportions of other tunnels in different parts of the world. All the difficulties which formerly belonged to that class of works, have been fully overcome, and the practical experienco of the present day renders such a work not only feasible, but in no way difficult. "When we enumerate some of the tunnels constructed on tho various railroad projects iu Europe, it may be said few of them pass under a river — but even examples of this kind are not wanting. The Tliames Tunnel is, of course, well known to be a work which abounded with difficulties, in every way calculated to oppose all the skill and energy of its bold projectors ; but this work, with all the obstacles which had to bo overcome, is now a stand- ing monument of the age we live in. On tho Lyons and St. Etieno Rail- road, there are several tunnels, one of which is over a mile in Ic.jth, nnd another, which passes under the bed of a river, is upward of half a mile long. To speak of tunneling in England, it would be difficult to know where to begin. The country, in every direction, is pierced with them. ♦♦The Kilsby Tunnel, on the London and Birmingham Railway, is over a mile and a half in length, and one thousand three hundred and fifty feet of the distance is through a quicksand, which required to be pumped dry. The u it ^n pumps brought up two thousand gallons of water per minute, and wera worked during a period of nine months. " The Box Tunnel, on the Great Western Railway, tl rough Oolite Rock, is one and three quarter miles in length. *' There are eight tunnels on the Manchester and Leeds Railway, in a dis- tance of sixty miles, one of these, at the summit, being one mile and five eighths in length. '* On the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad, there are three tunnels; one of them is six thousand six hundred feet long. " On the Edinburgh and Glasgow, there are five tunnels in the short dis- tance of forty-six miles. *' On the London and Dover line, there are several tunnels. The Abboi Cliff Tunnel is six thousand six hundred and nine feet long; and between Manchester and Huddersfield, there is a tunnel through Blackstone edge, three miles in length. " Tunneling is no new thing in this country, and is becoming more and more extensive. "The tunnel, on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, ia three thousand one hundred and eighteen feet long. "The place selected for a tunnel under the Niagara, is the shortest crossing between Fort Erie and the American side. The river flows over a bed of solid stratified rock, and is 24 feet deep at the proposed site. These are facts eminently favorable to the process of tunneling, avoiding heavy expen- ses of deep excavations and heavy grades to and from the tunnel." From the above statement of facta, it will be seen that other works have been executed of greater magnitude than this, and if the friends of the pro- ject remain firm and steady to their purpose, thd work can soon be accom- plished. An engineer, in the service of the Sardinian Government, has ofiwed to undertake to pierce a tunnel through the Alps, 6^ miles in length, without any opening from above. Contrast a work like this with the work in quea- tion, and the magnitude of the undertaking appears to diminish, wd as the future growth and prosperity of Buffalo, I might almost say, her rise or downfall, depends upon the success of this scheme, all parties will, I trwt> however divided on other subjects, be united on this. To unite Canada and the United States, by means of such a work, is a noble undertaking, and will be highly approveu of by all tha inteUigent of both countries. To prevent lots or disappointrntot to parties who may beeome atook- holders, the work should be put under contract to responsible contractors, who will give a sufficient guarantee that it will be done for a fixed sum. This would give confidence to the subscribers, and the stock would be read- ily taken. Since submitting the estimate of the proposed work to His Honor tho Mayor, I have heard some doubts expressed whether the estimated amount will be sufficient to cover the entire cost. Such doubts, however, I think, can easily be removed, and I will here state that the tunnel of the Credo, on the Lyons and Geneva line of Railway, 2^ miles in length, has been let to a company at $16.00 per lineal foot less than the estimated cost of tho tunnel proper under the Niagara, which is equal to $61,500 on the whole length of the Niagara Tunnel. The projected line through Canada, as shown on the Map, now called the Great Southern, was formerly known as the Niagara and Detroit Rivera Railway. This line was projected, a number of yean 9go> by prominent men in Canada, and surveyed by Elisha Johnscri, Esq., but the charter expired. A charter, however, has again been obtained for part of the distance, but, I believe, it is the intention of its present promoters to make the eastern terminus at the Suspension Bridge. As this is a project in con- nection with the tuQuel, in which you are all doeply interested, I herewith submit ihe following brief Report and an estimate made during the last session of Parliament, at the request of the Hon. W. H. Merritt. REPORT. Hon. W. H. Mirritt. In accordance with your instructions I have ascertained the distance from Amherstburgh to Simcoe, and estimated the cost of that portion of the North Shore Railway •which lays between these two places. As this con- stitutes the Western Division of the Niagara and Detroit Rivers Railway, as contemplated several years ago, and as you are already in possession of reports on the Eastern Division, made by myself and other engineers, I will only at present report on this part of the line, and, before entering upon the details of the survey, will lay before your notice some general observations on the tract of country which would be benefited by a Railway on or near the lino surveyed. You are already familiar with the position of the entire line from the Ni- agara River to the Detroit River, as originally contemplated by yourself and other leading gentlemen in the province, a portion of which is now occupied by the Brantford Railway, viz., that laying between Fort Erie and Dunnvillc. In referring to the reports above mentioned, with a view of estimating tlie cost of construction, you will recollect that work done at the present day will cost more thar^ tho same description of work done at the time said reports were made. Amherstburgh is the western terminus of the proposed lino, and Gibral- ter, opposite that port, is the best terminus for tho Michigan Southern lino in connection with it. Tho width of tho river between Amherstburgh and Gibraltor is five and a half miles, and tho distance from Gibralter to Mon- roe is ninoteen miles. The average depth of water, where a ferry boat would cross, is seven feet, and tho greatest depth is ten feet, except tho main channel, which is eighteen feet. A bridge could easily be built here, at a moderate uxpcuso, by driving piles. cl t] 11 From Aniherstburgh to a point di."* * about fifty-five miles, the .-ountry is remarkable for the extraordinary > itica whi^h it presont.s for tho con- struction of a railway. By reference to tho map, it will bo seen tliat it em- braces tho peninsula lying between Lake St. Clair, tho Detroit River, and Lake Erie. In this distance, there will, in no case, bo more than t^n foot excavation, which occurs only in one narrow ridge. With this exception, tho maximum cutting will not exceed five feet. For a distance of about seven rules from Amherstburgh, tho ground pre- sents a gently undulating surface: the soil a light clayey loam, with (X'ca- sional indications of gravel. From this point to the east side of the Tilbury Marshes near tho mouth of the Thames, tho country is almost entirely free from undulations, and, with the exception of a few clearings, is covered with a heavy growth of forest. Tho soil is a clay of moderate tenacity, based on a stiff subsoil, which retards the absorption of the spring and fall waters, which, as far as could be ascertained, are sometimes about two feet deep on tho level during the freshets. It will bo necessary to raise the grade line three or four feet above tho level of tho present surface, by tho earth taken from tho side ditches, so as to place tho track above all danger of being overflowed. These inundations will almost entirely cease when tho country ia cleared, as tho settlers would have to construct drains to take oft' tho sur- face water. The removal of the forest growth would also, by preventing large accumulations of snow during winter, and by allowing rapid evajK>ra- tion at other seasons, further tend to tho same results. It is seldom that a growth of timber of such size and of so valuable vari- eties is mot. Tho white and red oak grow hero in great abundance, and of uncommon size ; as also the black walnut, tulip tree or white-wood, button- wood, white ash, chesnut, hickory, elm, and other varieties of timber. Thence, for a distance of twenty -five miles, tho face of the country presents features dift'ering, in some respects, from tho preceding. Tho ground is slightly undulating, and interspersed with ash swamps, which, however, offer no difliculties, as tho bottom is perfectly sound, tho stiffness of tho soil above retaining the surface water. The agricultural character of tho land is excellent; yet, for want of proper channels of communication, it remains almost in a stato of nature. A por- tion of tho township of Oxford, in particular, presents some of tho finest lands in Canada West; the timber is mostly beech, maple, oak, chesnut, and white-wood. Tho country, for the next twelve miles, is generally swampy, and intersected with numerous small ridges. Ninety-four miles from Amherstburgh, tho dividing ridge between tho waters emptying into iii 8? i' 13 the ThamoB and thoao running southerly to Lake Erie, is creased with a gnulo, for about one and three quarter nailes, of twenty-seven feet to the mile. From this last mentioned point to St. Thomas, the face of the coun- try is broken by creeks, running to the lake. St. Thomas is a flourishing town, forming a mart for the produce of tho very fertile and highly cultivated country constituting the Talbot settle- ment. Near this place, the contemplated line is intersected by that of the London and Port Stanley Road. Kettle Creek, which passes through St. Thomas, allords numerous mill sites, and there can be no doubt that wheat, flour, and other agricultural produce, would be transported in vast quantities over the road from this section of the country. The distance from St; Thomas to Simcoe is forty-five miles, and the summit, between Lake St. Clair and the Niagara river, is found about half way between these two places. To surmount this, a grade of thirty feet to the mile will be re- quired for about a mile on each side, which is the heaviest grade on the line. Between St. Thomas and Simcoe, three streams are crossed, the Cat- fish, Otter, and Big Creeks. The average width of the valleys is about one thousand feet By a line run more to the northward, passing near Ot- tcrvillo, the Catfish would be crossed at a point where the banks are low, and its waters might be passed through a six feet culvert. The Otter would present banks of not more than twe.-^ty feet in height, and might be crossed with a common trestle bridge. Big Creek would offer still less difficulties, the l>)inks being very low and the stream insignificant. The estimate, how- ever, is made on the line surveyed, subject to the modification above men- tioned. Having thiB given some account of the different portions of the country traversed by tTae line, I beg, before submitting the estimate, to offer a few general remarks on the whole line of country crossed by the proposed road. In the first place, there is a largo extent of uncultivated land, abounding in resources, and awaiting development. Secondly. There is a cultivated tract, second to none in Canada, settled by men whose energies have ac- complished much in overcoming the disadvantages under which they still, to some extent, labor. Numerous flourishing towns and villages are so situated as to receive great benefit from this line. Steam mills are Iteing everywhere erected, and the streams above named abound in water privileges. In short, it is impos- sible to p.'ns over this section of the province without being impressed with feelings of admiration at the extent of its reeources, and of regret at their not being duly developed. tb a tli« COUD- )f tbo scttlc- of the gh St. wheat, iQtities om Sti iko St. 396 two 1 bere- on tlio Ibo Cat- is about near Ot- i are low, ter would )o croBSod lifficulties, late, bow- bove mon- lie country •ffer a few wsed road, abounding I cultivated !8 bave ac- li tbcy Btill, } to receive erected, and , it is impoa- nressod with grct at their 18 Having now presented you with the foregoing brief statement of ftwtn, setting forth not only the feasibility but importance of the proprsod rail* Wu/, I beg, in conclusion, to subjoin the following table of grades and esti- mate of costs : TABLE OF GRADES. niLM. rnn. Level, 35 50 Nearly level, leM than 5 feet per mile 2*2 40 Under lOfeet 40 10 From 10 feet to 15 feet per mile, 2fi 70 " 15 " 20 " " 12 00 " 20 " 25 " " 9 20 " 25 " 30 " " 7 50 From Detroit River to Simcoe, 154 00 ESTIMATE OF COST. Right of Way, including Depot Groundfl, ^ 75.000 00 Fencing. .J 9H,500 00 Clearing and Grubbing 75,000 00 2.250,000 yards of Earth- Work, (g 15 cents, 337,500 00 Bridges, Culverta, Cattle-Ouarda and Road-Crossings, 175,000 00 Superstructure, including 6 miles of Side-Track, 1,280,000 00 Ballasting 125,000 00 Station-Houses, Workshops and Machinery 84,000 00 Add 10 lucent, for Engineering and Contingencies, 225,000 00 Rolling Stock, 425,000 00 $2,900,000 00 The above estimate is sufficiently liberal to cover the entire cost of a first class railway, including rolling stock, to consist of twenty locomotives, twenty first class passenger cars, one hundred freight, and a sufiicient number of platform, gravel, and hand cars. Add to this, say $600,000 to build and equip the extension from Simcoe to Dunnville, and you will see that 13,500,000 is the capital required. Most respectfully, Your obedient servant, William Wallace, Engineer. You will see by the map referred to, that if the Great Southern and Qoderich lines were completed, that portion of the distance from Dunnvillo to Fort Erie would form a grand avenue to the mouth of the proposed tunnel, and thence to the depots of the New York and Boston lines in your city. That these lines will be completed may be looked upon as a fixed fact, as it is quite evident that the general prosperity of the country demands them. ¥ 14 If tho Great Southern in not built by a new company, it is very likely that it will be by the Great Western. Collisions are already more frequent on Lake Erie (the channel of communication marked out by nature) than on any singlo track Railway, and tho time is not far distant when there will bo more than two single lines between the Niagara and Detroit Rivers, and the question is, will the main terminus be at tho Stupension Bridge or jOufalo? No other company can work the Brantford Railway with so much advan- tage to themselves, or benefit to Buffalo, as the Great Western ; and I would not bo surprised to see this line fall into their hands. Should this be tho case, the traffic between tho east and the west would immediately upon tho completion of the proposed work, take its own legitimate course , and Buffalo would, for all coming time, maintain her true position. Most respectfully, Your obedient servant, WILLIAM WALLACK k- HIT*