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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 g: C A iN A D A WEST GREAT WESTERN RAIL WAY. ehartereli 65 ^ct of S^arHamettt CAPITAL STOCK £1,500,000 Cj. £125,000 RESERVED FOR CANADA. iS)0[^l©T©[^^ SIR ALLAN N. MACNAB, President Wm. M. SHAW, JOHN 0. HATT, L. LAWRASON, JAMES B. EWART, PETER CARROLL, GEORGE S. TIFFANY. JASPER T. GILKISON, Secretary HAMILTON : G. P. BULL, GAZETTE OFFICE- t\ ft ie c< J" ni 01 ol a( M>ininy ufacturing interests, which at once guarantees a H','!,/ Ill"' large way traffic. i^'*' The Company was first chartered in 1834, and , in 1837 the Government was so satisfied of its utility ,n,.nr '" as a Provincial Work, that it authorized the loan of '^ooo'loi) £200,000 to assist in its construction ; but the un- fortunate political events that soon after occurred, cimrt.-r prevented the Company taking active steps in the bu- >'^""" ^''* siness, and the Charter at length became null, un- till renewed under its present form by the last vScs- c;,,^^.,,^, I sion of Parliament. In 1836, a Survey of the route mi 'i' from Hamilton to the Detroit River was made by Mr. Elisha Johnson, a Civil Engineer ot eminence in his ])rofession, who made a most satisfactory re- port of the result of his investigation. This report established the fact beyond dispute, that the route selected for the road presents a most favourable sur- ^^i.j,,],,,. face, anil that it can be constructed at as small an?nn's c^ti- outlay as any road in North America, of an equal"'"" extent His estimate was for a single narrow track, with a flat rail, and did not include the cost of land, locomotives, cars, station-houses, &c., and was, therefore, considered very low; but the Board are of opinion it would be adviseable, in consideration of the amount of business it would command, to construct the road in a more substantial and durable manner, and with this view have instituted enqui- mi simws ries into the cost of other Rail roads on this Conti- estimate . nent, and procured an estimate, (which is given in the Apendix,) from Mr. Wm. M. Shaw, C. E. based upon Mr. Johnson's Survey, which justifies them in putting down the cost of the road, including every expense, at .£4,322 per mile — makingfor the whole smk distJ^nce of 245 miles, .£1,059,022, Halifax Cy. Capita! 6 I? > 1 TIk! Capital Stock ol* the Couipany is limite*! by Its Charter to .t'1,500,000 I lalilax Currency; but it will not be m^cessary to proture more than i)l, 000,000 Ste^linl,^ ec^ual to tl,l II, 11 1 Halifax Cy. to be taken in Stock, as this sum will, in all pro- '^'sl't ^'' bability, be more than suHicient to meet every ex- ly i.roc i.r- pcusc of constructiofi — the right of way can be had "' at very little expense, as in most instances the pro- prietors of the land will give it without charge. The timber required in its construction is also to be procured at a small cost, as it is abundant in the neighbourhood of the entire route. Knnneeis '^ '^^ Board havc not thought it necessary, on ac- reiiort not count of its grcat length, to re-publish the Engineers rciHibiish- j^pp^pi^ . ^i^j^ therefore, have determined merely to embody in this, such matters of fact as may bear more particularly on the eligibility and practica- bility of the work. The competition for the trade and travelling be- tween the Western States, including the Valley of the Mississippi and the seaboard at the East, is now ■^'^^Jj""^ vigorously contended for by different channels. — of oom-*^ Thus to the eastward of the Niagara Frontier, arc the Erie Canal, extending thro' the State of New York, 360 miles between the Cities of Albany, on the North River, and Buffalo at the eastern extre- mity of Lake Erie, and head of the Niagara River. The Syracuse and Oswego Canal, between the towns of that name of 35 miles in length, and ter- minating at Oswego on Lake Ontario. The line of Rail Road between Boston and Buffalo, 560 miles in length, and running from Albany to Buffalo nearly parallel with the Erie Canal. In addition to these channels, which are finished and in full opera- tion, there are others in different stages of progress, all having for their object the Western travel, and amongst which we may mention the New Yo.-k and Erie Rail Road, leading from the City of New York to Lake Erie, with a terminus at Buffalo, a rniiiiica- lion. distance of 460 miles. A Rail Uoad from New York to Albany, 145 miles. A Rail Road J""'^"''"' from Syracuse to Oswego, parallel to thegres".'' ' Canal between these points. A Rail Road from the City of Rochester to Lewiston, situated 7 miles below the Falls of Niagara, 75 miles in length. All of these lines of communications have their West- ern termini, either on Lake Ontario, the Niagara River or the foot of Lake Erie, and the principal source from whence all of them derive their profit is the Western traffic, which is accordngly regarded as of much greater importance than the way business. It may therefore be truly said that those thoroughfares converge upon the Canadian ^^nthT^^ peninsula, and that consequently by making a Rail Canada Road from the Niagara to the Detroit Rivers and p"""'^"'«' passing thro' the town of Hamilton at the head of the navigation of Lake Ontario it would afford a Direct most favourable and direct route, and one which 1°"'® 'f> during the summer would promote the navigation of the great lakes, and at all seasons of the year afford an uninterrupted intercourse by land. The following table shewing the amount of travel on the line of road between Albany and Buffalo for year 1844 is extracted from the official returns made by the several companies to the legislature of the State of New York. Name OF Rail Road. Through Passengers. Way Passengers. Mohawk and Hudsr^, 132,685 Uttica and Schenectady, 101,215 Syracuse and Uttica^ 82,038 .Auburn and Syracuse, 80,538 Avhurn and Rochester, 50,512 Tonawanda, from Roches- ) gf, qgo ter to Attica. ) -?- * .Itiica and Buffalo, 64',64'6 Lockport, J^iagara Falls, Lewiston to but amount to many thousands. The number of passengers who arrive at leave Buffalo during the summer months, average none 60,634. 39,708 9,716 70,857 26,570 9,303 Buffalo, no returns, Amounf. and ^^ Buffalo. s dize. 1000 dailf/f while tlie extent of travel (»n Lake Erie may be estimated from the Report ol' the President of the Board of Internal huprovement of the State of Miehififan, for 1844, by which it appears that an avera|?e of 20,000 passena^ers per month arrive at Detroit by Steamboats, during five months of Arrivals the year, making a total of 100,000 passengers ''"^'"' without taking into account those who travel by Propellers and Sailing vessels, and who are known to be numerous. 10,000 Tons of Freight per month is the amount stated by the same autho- rity, to arrive in Steamers. Leaving therefore the unascertained travel and traffic out of the question, we may, from the above data, form an approximate estimate of the amount of foreign travel which will pass over the Oreat Western Railway. /At present the passage between Buffalo and Detroit is perform- ed by first class Steamers in 36 hours ; but by the Rail road it might be accomplished in 1 2 or 1 4 hours. Considering, therefore, the great saving of time, as well as the increased comfort and safety l)y Rail De" ^^y» *^^ Board are of opinion that out of the 1 00,000 who pass up Lake Erie in the season, it may safely be assumed that two-thirds would travel by Rail road ; this at 3 cents per mile, which is a lower rate than is usual, would amount to within a fraction of =£500 per mile ; from w hich, deducting .£200 for running expenses, will leave a profit of JC300 per mile, which would be about 7 per cent upon the cost Profits ^^ construction, allowing the road to cost £4,300 fro!n for- per milc ; tliis does not take into account the travel eigntrave jy^^ ^j^^ Wcstcm to the Eastcm States, the Provincial travelling, or the transport of Pro- vincial and American freight ; nor does it take into account the annual increase of this trade and travel which must be very considerable ; and the Board beg to draw attention to the fact, that for at least half the year, navigation may be said, (for all useful purposes,) to be closed on the Canadian Lakes, by Length of passage from Buf- falo to troit. •I by i!u' frosts aiul storms incidental fo that portion of the year, anil fortliat period the proposed Rail road would be without a eonipetitor, forniinjj; a eontinu- . ^'«y'ff'*- ous line between Boston and St. Joseph, at all times j the year of the year, and eompletely ehan«j;e the season of travellinia; to one uninterrupted stream from one year's end to the other. At present peoph? are obliged to travel during the season of navii^ation, and the eommercial busi- ness of the eountry is neeessarily confined to the same period, traders must procure their winter supplies of <(oods at the seaboard in September, to last them until the following May or June, and emi- Poopk- grants can seldom arrive at their destination in the I',.^,lvei"ir west in sufficient time to prepare the ground for asi'"""ei summer crop, this road will enable the one class to do their business equally well at all seasons and afford the other an opportunity of taking the full ,i,;i„n ^bu- advantage of the summer months. **'""" The Board would also remark that this railway will receive a willing support from the American public, (as will be seen by documents here publish- ed) by whom it is regarded as the only line which can effectually promote their intercom- munications, and as it will pass through the town of Hamilton and the centre of tlie Province, it will admit hereafter of an extension down the north ,^^.| shore of Lake Ontario to Toronto, and even to the wiii re- rity of Montreal, but at the same time they consider r[|.'J°"'^"p." that, in order to make a railway profitable in Cana- pon da West at present, it must be laid down so as to connect with American railways, and form an un- interrupted line of communication throughout the contfnueS year, and that the Great Western Railway is and 'o ^^J""- can be the only one which can effect this desirable '^^ object. The navigation of Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron, as has been stated >are rendered dangerous or altogether impracticable for one half the year and subjr^ct to cold winds and storms during two of the 10 months of navigation, rendering- it exceedingly un- conmfor table to passengers, so that it may be safely stated that it is only from the middle of May to the middle of Sept. that the travellers willingly, even now, seek this mode of transport, any rail road there- fore,which has either terminus upon these waters, or which solely depends on business derived over them — will prove far less profitable to Stockholders, and of less advantage to the Province, as it would fail to enlist the support and favor of the American travel, InTakT ^vhich can only be Lad by adopting the most diract i-nprofita- routc, ccmsisteiit with Provincial interests^ between ^''^ their own established lines of internal communication. The Company's Charter is of the most favorable description, and may be inspected with the Books for the Subscription of Stock, it being prefixed to them. It is also decided that no more Stock shall be called in than will suffice for the construc- ^ tion of the Road, viz., .£1,000,000 Sterhng, and the £125,000, Halifax Currency, reserved for Canada, In offering so large a portion of the Capital Stock in the British Market, and United States, the Board liavebeen careful not to overstate the statistics of the probable business of the Koad, and leave to the Sub- scribers of Stock the responsibility of judging of Stock of- the unascertained sources of profits, that is to say, Br?t?8han(i of thosc sourccs of which the Board have been una- Ameri- blc to procurc official returns. The Board, howe- ''^"' ver, do not hesitate to declare their opinion, Directors fouudcd ou cxteusive cnquirics, that the Stock of the opinion of proposed road, will, when completed, equal in ^u,"k value any Rail Road Stock in America. All which is respectfully submitted by C'liaricr VMII. I 'IN. r, ALLAN N. MACNAB \V. "M.SHAW. lOHN O. HATT. L. LAWRASON, JAMES B. EWART P. CARROLL. GKORGK S. TIFFANY DlRKCTOK^ A P P E ID I X . ESTIMATE of the amount requited to construct the Great Western Rail Road, from Fort Erie to Windsor, vrith a heavy Rail and single ire :k, allowance being made for turnouts, a distance of 24<^ viiles 3S^ chains, as deduced from the survey of Mr. Johnson. FROM HAMILTON TO CHATHAM, 142 M. 72 CHS. 1,777,090 C. yds. Excavation , 1,631,180 C. yds. embankment ; 53,000 C. yds. rock excavation ; 170 Box Culverts 2 Culverts , 4 Do. I 1 Do. at Fairchild's Creek ' 2 Do do 4 Do do 1 Bridge across River Thames I 1 Do middle branch do i 1 Do across Cedar Creek i 1 Bridge across Thames at London I 1 Do Dingsman's Creek ', Grubbing, clearing and off-take drains, per mile The country between Chatham & Windsor, 47 miles 304 chs., being very regular, I estimate this Sec. as follows : — Grading, bridging, &C.47 miles 30^ chs. Hamilton to Fort Erie, 55 miles 16 chs. For 7 miles " 20 do « 5 do « 15 do " « do 30^ chains j Draw Bridge acro«s the Welland Canal I Land damages, say 245 miles | 24600 tons iron ai delivered on line ; Laying 246 miles track, including timber, &c. for superstructure Depots, stations, work shops, &c. locomotives and cars, the number of which will depend upon the business of the Road, say 12 Locomotives 30 Passenger Cars 35 Freight and sand Cars Superintendence and contingencies, 10 per cent. £. s. D. £. s. ] D. 6^ 48129 10 5 71 50492 15 3.ii 8281 5 15 Oi 2550 200 01 400 250 1000 I 450 375 750 450 1800 2000 1200 500 2500 500 200 28580 1300 61595 12 3000 21000 2000 40000 2500 12500 1800 27000 800 u 3000 1 30 7350 ; 15 10 381300 ! 750 184500 2500 30000 i 550 16500 150 5250 ■ • ■ 960929 2 5 96092 18 3 i C 1059022 8 Ihimltim. JuJij 26. IRI.'). W. M. SHAW, C. E.