^l MONTEEAL NORTHERN COLONIZATION RAILWAY. ^» • . ' % < • • • • • • I • • ( • • ' * . • • • • • Report of the Chief Engineer, Mr. Legge, on the Otta^^^a Valley Extension, vs, Mr. Mackenzie's Air Line. OFFICE OF CHIEF ENGINEER. \ Montreal Northern Colonizition Ballw«y, I MoNTBBAL, 24th September, 1874 j 8iB,— The rather snrprlelDg Btatements re- cently made by theHonorabli Premier of the Dominion, In the Intervlt w with the depnta- tion from the Connties of Ottawa and Pon- tlac, to the effect that a direct line from the month of French River, in the general direc- tion of Pembroke or Renfrew, wonid BPcnre A better ronte for a railway, than even if it passed over a Prairie conntry ; that for ail purposes it wonld prove the shorteft and most economical line which conld be foncd ; that there wan no Increase in the snmmit level to be surmounted by this rente over that via the Matawan and Lake NiplsBing, de- mand some notice. I ihall, therefore, with yonr permission, devote a short time to the consideration of the Honorable Minister's remarks, and in ('oing so, no more minutely into the subject than was done in the letter I had the honor of addressing to yon in re- lation to this matter, on the 18ih insr. As an introduction to the criticism, your attention is drawn to the following impor- tant point : In an Act passed by the Domi- nion Legislature, 35 Vie , chap. 71, respect- ing the Canadian Pacific Boilwny, the eastern terminus is fixed " on or near " the touth-eastern end of Lake Xipissmg. The ■nbseqaent Act of 1874, while difloring ■lightly in phraseology, is eHbslantlally the same — It enacts as follows: — "A railway, to be called t'-j Cana- '■ dian Pacific Railway, bhall be made from " some point near to, and south of. Like «« Nipiising, to &c.. &c,&c." Until further legislation shall have abrogated that now ezisiing, and permit this termiaal point being elsewhere establiebed, I fancy it will not be in the power of mere Miulsterial or Execntive action to effect such change. So long as the present Acts are in force, there- fore, and there are no physical obntacles to prevent the location of tht> line at the south-eastern end of Nipissing, the rail must form a junction with the waters of that lake, or if found impracticable by reason of engineering considerations to effect this nnion, then the nearest practicable ronte mnst be adopted, to comply with the oondi- tlons "on or near," of the Aot It will be in general recollection that this Eastern Terminns '■ on or near the southeastern end of Lake Nipissing" for the Pacific Railway, was arrived at in Parliament, after a lengthened discnssion, as a compromise by all parties, of difficult and delicate questirns between the Provinces of Ontario and Que- bec. From and to this point, various lines of railways conld pass through the two Pro- vince s, making use of the main line from there westerly to the Pacific Ocean. A personal examination of this region hai satisfied me that for a great distance south, east and west, from the onpposed terminus of the Pacific line, the conntry is extrem ly favourable tor rail approach to the lake. This is also substantiated by the Qenlogical surveys made uoder the charge of Sir Wiliiam Logan. On map or sheet No. 10, attached to book of chaits, for the years 186S and 1856, we find marked in the neighbor- hood of the outlet of South River, the fol- lowing note:— <' Extensive flat coantry on both sides of river." I have travelled some forty miles south of the lake, and from there westerly to Lake Huron, and can affirm that there is no difficalty in approaching or leav- ing the southeastern end of Lake Nipisi irg in either direction, east, west or south. Why then should the Honorable Premier, who it is understood has no personal know- ledge of the locality, insist on ignoring that solemn compact, an Act of Parlia- ment, and move the Eastern TerminoB of the Pacific Railway about twenty.five miles directly south, to a point on the air line from month of French River to Renfrew, the nearest place for rail connection on the west? An answer to this question, no doubt, will be, because this route is the shortest distance between present rail connection with the Ottawa Valley at Renfrew, and a good harbor on Lake Huron, at the same time heading in the,proper direction for Banit Ste. Marie, a locality ultimately to be reached with our Canadian Rail- way system. To this it may be re- joined: yes, on the map ench ap- pears to be the case. The distance from month of French River to Renfrew in a di- rect line, la about 205 miles. nfrxf^t^C* To tJili «dd, lay li per e«nt for ourva- lure lOi " Total distance to coDRtriint ai6i " Add dlNtancn from Renfrew to Ot- tawa via Canada Ceuiral 70 •• Total (llntauce from moutb of French River to Utlawa 28^ii '• Tbe eHilmate apnrnxlmnle illiiHDce n-om Ottawa vlH M. N V. H to Mainwxn, th^iioH via I Hkn ^IplH- ■ing to mouth (if frenih U v«r. 297 ■• SbowlBg onlyaBavlDg luiuunlnt; dlgtacce, ■8 measared ou tbe map, of llj mlloa Id tavor of the HoDorabiu Pr«ml<tain< d In the general direc- tion of thin air line, will cost fully as much per mile, if not more, than the one we are now surveying along tht< valley of the Ora- wa, while in pointofcnrvatureand gradients it will be much Inferior. Having dwelt thus far on the general questions of comparative lengths, and other engineering consideratiouH, it may be well to consider brltfl/ thefiuaocial question of ways and means for construction . As- suming the relative cost of each line per mile to be equal, and tliat the Dominion Oovemment have U famish the money to an extent equal to the line having the leMt mileage to build. Assuming also that It be fully decided by that Government to adopt the air line from mouth of French River to Renfrew, without having received any aseitttance from the Province of Ontario, or even promise of such ; or from the municipality of Renfrew, at the eastern end of the line, it is doubtful, in the event of the Dominion Oovernment having committed Itself to such an extent, if the Province of Ontario, or the municipality re- ferred to, would contiibute ; the first, for the reasons given on page 18, of Report 3l8t March last, and tho second from the fact, that It was sure of the road, owing to the heavy stake held in it by the Dominion Government. The financial basis, under the foregoing conditions, would probably be something like the following, to any Company Incorporated to build the mbudized Bectlon. Total distance to oe buHt trom mcutta of Frencli River to Keufrew,U16i mlleti ai fSOi^OO Dedunt dtstance ti be imllt enllr«.ly by I'omlnlon (jlovf>rn- mem, 70^ miles at. ^30,000 Distance subsidized by O o in 1 ni n n, 100 miles at. $10,000 TotHl amount of amIs- tanoe from l)om>n- loa Oovfrnraent. . Balano-' t ) be raised on Uomiiauy's tsonds. $8,4S7,600 2.nR,000 1,000,000 8,U5,C0O $3,84^,600 It was demonstrated in thj late report al- ready alluded to, that no capitalist would in- vest money in a railway like the one In question, or even the M. N. C. R. passing through a rough and uninhabited country, with but little local trafiSc during the sum- mer montbf, and idle for six months of the year, while the navigation of Lake Huron is interrupted, without the bonds were guaran- teed by Government. It may therefore be fairly assumed that the Dominion Govern- ment would require to pay interest on the entire cost, until sach tim>i as the extension of the line could be effected from the month of Fren ;h River to Bault Ste. Marie, anl • junction effected with the great American lines to the west. Under this view of the case, a yearly exponditui-e, for interest on l>onds, irrespective of working expenses, wonld be required at say six per cent, of $387,460. Taking the M. N. 0. B. extension from Aylmer via Matawan to mouth of French River : • a Total dliiuuio*, lay 2B0i milM,at »80,()00 |8,71ft,(»0 Deduct Dominion grant name AM h« fore $3,lUkOW Lanii KTHnl Inun Croviii' a or C{\ibec. alrf given from A Timer to rtxit of Deep Klver, lil.lKIO afo-eN per mile fur »'> lulle* ; 9riO,- KM acres at *»»7 %'i per Rore :. I,9<0,a)ii Foattao County grant given 16*) (NX) 6,186,0(0 Balance tn Ih) rnl»c