^l
MONTEEAL
NORTHERN COLONIZATION
RAILWAY.
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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<<t'8 uore fttvor-
■bl0 line, as claimed ThiH dlffurencn ia more
apparent tbau r«il, m will be seen when the
qa«8tion is examined from another and pre-
eminently goveriiiDg point of view.
On page 16 of the Report nddrHSsed ta yon,
under date of tbe 3)Bt March InHt, wbilo re-
ferring to the snmmit luvel to hn Hurmonnted
by the Parry 8onnd line, in pRaning from tbe
waters cf the Ottawa 'o those of Lake Uaron,
the following nmtrk occnrs -. " What the
■' height of this water crest above tbe
" Ottawa is, I do not know, bat it must bo
" many hnnareds of feet, over which to ele-
'■ rate the traiBc. Heavy grades oa a line
" are equivalent to increased length for baul-
" »^e ot traffic. In other words, of two rival
" lines between the same points, onn possess-
" ing heavy grades bat diminished length
" and cost, the latter one may prove the pre-
" ferable one for adoption, when the fotnre
" cost of haulage is considered ''
The general principle ennncia'ed in tbe
above, it is presumed, no engineer or rail-
way manager will deny. We will now seek
to apply it to thti case before us, but in neces-
■arily an approximate manner, as no instru-
mental Burveys have yet been made on either
line to ascertain tbe "npi^ and downs " of the
intermediate grades, as they approach fiom
the waters of Lake Huron and tbe Ottawa,
respectively, to the dividing crest or summit
level to be passtd.
I am aware the Honorable Premier is
under the Impression there <8 no difference
of elevation where the twj lines cross, from
Information no doubt derived from other,
and In his opinion, competent authorities.
I will venture, however, to cite authoriiles
of noquestiouee ability.
In the InstrumHutal surveys for the Ottawa
and Lake Huton Canal navigation, made by
Messrs. Bhanly & Olarke, we find summit
level between the two before named
watera, existing at Trout Lake, on
the line of proposed canal navigation,
and in the Immediate neighborhood of Lake
Nlpisi-ing, to be about 655 feet above tide
wp.tar.
e'rom the carefully prepare J charts and
maps of Sir William Logan, years 1853 and
1866, we find *■ Bunt Island Lake" ud
" Otter Lake " the soBrces respectively of
tbe Mnskoka Biver flowing into Lake Huron
on the west, and of the Putewahwah, dis-
charging into the Ottawa River, on the east,
to be each 1,406,85 feet above tide water.
These two Lakes are within a short dis-
tance of each other, and lie on the Honorable
Premier's air line between tbe month of
French River and Renfrew. The banks of
tinrroundlng country over which the road
will pass, are ootslderably elevated above the
water level in tbonu lakes ; while that along
the south Shore of Klpisning, near Trout
Lake, Is but a few feet. Taking, however,
the surfaces of the two snmmit waters, Trout
and Otter Lakes, to be within the limits of
safety, wo find a difference of level of 760.85
feet against tbe line advocated by the Honor-
able Premier, and over which extra height
^ne enormons traffic to flow over the Pacific
Railway, for all time, would require to be ele-
vated. In engineering practice it is nenally
assumed for traffic banlagu purposes, that
twenty feet in vertical height are equal to
one mile ot level grade. On this ai-sump-
tion, therefore, the extra height, say 751 feet,
will be equivalent to about 37 J miles of ad-
ditional road, which, added to the already
ascertained distance on the map, will make
the Honorable Premier's line measure for
traffic working purposes 322} miles,
or 26| miles longer than Its rival,
tbe Northern Colonization, from Ot-
awa City via the Matawau and Lake
Nipisslng to the same point at month of
French River, These results will be rather
embarrassing to the advocates of tbe Ontario
eir line, but cannot be set aside. My strong
impression is that the final conclusions
would be still more striking were there an
opportunity of comparing the merits of the
rival lines, after having subjected both to
instrumental surveys. We would then be
able to compare minutaly the entire question
of grades, curvature, measured length of
lines, cost of constrnctioD, amonnt of enbsi-
dles to be received from the local govern-
ments of Ontario and Quebec, with municipal
aid, if any, and then strike a btlance in favor
of one or othor of tbe competing routes. Aa
stated in the Report of Slst March, page 21 :
" The Dominion Oovercment will then be in
" a position to jadgo understandingly, and to
" act in the Jaest Interests of the entire
" people."
As yon are aware, since the date of that re-
port, insrumental surveys have been started
and are now In progress through the Province
of Quebec, between Aylmer and tbe mouth
of the Matawan, to be completed, it is hoped,
by the end of the present month. I may
here state that Mr. B[arke,on bis return from
a thorough exploration oi the entire route,
reported that ■< It would be difficult to find in
■' any part of Canada a line equal to at least
" ninety-five per cent, of the entire distance
" of that passed over for chetpnesi of oon-
" strnoiion, easy gradei and cnrratare ; that
" the balance of five per onnt., or say 8}
" miles, of exceptionally diflicolt oonatroc-
" tloo, wonld not bring np the entire cost to
'• an average rate "
Since that date, be reports that <• the In-
" Btrnmental aorveys bavb revealed an
" even better roatu than anticipated " It
was never claimed that a railway conld be
obtained throoKb thin eection af Canada at a
cheaper rate than if passed over Prairie land.
On the other hand, it wao generally conaid-
ered that the pbyalcal difficnlties tu the way
were Inanperable — that It wonld be mere
folly to attempt, or even consider the pro-
ject. The report of 31st March last, that
snch a work was practicable at the compara-
tively moderate rate of $30,000 per mile,
has, I am glad to say, been so far confirmed,
and these fignres may now be taken with
considerable confidence, at« reliable, but no
donbt ezcteding considerably the cost of the
same line. If it onssed over a Prairie country,
as the Honorable Premier claims the air line
from Renfrew to the mouth of the French
Biver, does in effect.
As before stated, no donbt the First Min-
ister is fnlly convinced of the trntb of this
assertion, or a gentleman occnpylng his dls-
tlngnished position, and poHseaaiDK his high
character for veracity and honesty of pnrpose,
wonld scaicely have made the statement
before so large* body of his iellowciticens.
It may be remarked that probably but few
engineers in Canada have a more intimate
acquaintance with a considerable portion of
the country passed over by this air line, than
Is possessed by the writer, and when he states
that In all his wanderings and explorations
during the past twenty years, from the Sault
Bte. Marie, along the north shore of
Lake Huron, French Klver,MaHkoka Country,
and through to the Ottawa district, the
first vestige of Prairie land, or anything
bearing a resemblance thereto, wac never
seen, he only claims to tell the truth May
not the Hon. Premier have been misled in
the second source of information, like that
from wheuce he derived knotvlfcd)<e as to the
summit levels already alluded to 7
My own impression is that any route
which may be oi>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<H(l> 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<l on
Com pany'a ituuda
•}i,S60,(K)U
The yearly interuRt on thli Hiim at 6 per
cent will amonnt to $213,000, or a Bavlng if
$174 450, over the OntHilo Hue.
The avowed policy of tba Qm bee Legig.
latnre baa been to ^rant a land subsidy, for
each mile in, length, tbia main trank line
will pasH through the Province At the
time of the lait grant It wan assamed by
almoat every pemoD, that the foot of Deep
River moBt necensarlly be the termination
ot the Railway, In bo far as the Province ot
Quebec was concerned, and hence the grant
terminated at that point. It having now
been aecertaloed toat the Matawan can be
reached through tbin Province, an additional
distance of at least 80 miles, we may fairly
assume that a coirespondlng land subsidy of
800,000 acres will be given for that sectli n ;
or at the same rate as before, representint;
$1,600,000, which, deducted from thu fore-
going balance of $3,550,000, will
leave only $1,950,000 to be pro-
vided by Issue of Oompauy's bonds.
This amount at a slmllai rata of
interest, 6 per cent , will entail a yearly
charge on the Dominion Oovernment of
$117,000, irrespective of working expenses,
or an annual saving In Interest to that Gov-
ernment, over the air line through Ontario of
$270,460
The foregoing result Is of course predicated
on the assumption that Ontario contribute
nothing, In constquence of tbi^ Dominlun
Government retuxlug to entertain the project
of a Quebec road, or even coDtribnting u cent
to an examination, for the purpose of ascer-
taining or verifying the quality of the line
claimed to exist in that Province. In adopt-
ing this con slusion and committing Itself
nnreservedly to the Ontario line, without
having first obtained any distinct legisla-
tive co-operation from that Province, it will
not be surprising if the latier follow the
genera) ptactice of not caring to pay, even
in part, for an article thrust upon her, and
thought, justly or unjustly, to be inimical to
the interest of mauy of her people, in the
front section, especially if called on to assist
in payment. My strong impression is that
in the event of the Dominion Government
building the first section of 70 or 80 miles,
and incurring an expenditure of several mil-
lion dollars thereby, she will be loft in the
Inich by Ontario, and eventually bei forced
to lapplement that ram by nearly fovr and
one-balf miilioni additional, to effect an
eastern connection at Renfrew. The ezpen-
dltnre of this large lam by the Dominion, in
the Province of Ontario, in fnrnlahlag her
with a second Trunk Line, to open
np her aninhablted territory, if not
called on to specially oontribnto as a Pro-
vince, will no doubt be regarded with much
favour by many oi her people— bat can it b«
looked at in the same light by the tax-payert
of Quebec, and other Provinces, who will
have to contribute largely, without receiving
any direct benefit.
This last gtlevance will be augmented by
any future extension of the line from the
mouth of French River in the diiection of
the Hault 8te. Marie. It has in the previoot
report been demonstrated that a payit g
traffic cannot be looked for nntil this juno-
(iou is effected with the American lines.
The length of additional extension from
French River westerly, with a suitable allow-
ance for curvature, will be in tho neighbor-
hood of 196 miles, and estimating it at a
similar cost, will probably require, with pro-
portion for bridge at Sault Ste. Marie, about
$6,000,000.
We find, from the foregoing, a total ex-
pendlture before the line can be considered
complete, of nearly $12,500,000 by the Do-
minion Government, in the construction of
410 miles of railway through the Province of
Ontario, on which may emphatically be
termed a Provincial work.
That this will be acoeeded to by the Pro-
vince of Quebec, or even by the Maritime
ones, is doubtful, and makes the wisdom of
the Honorable Premier, in forcing the adop-
tion of this Ontario line, pur« and simple,
rather questionable- Some additional delay,
with a slight comparative txpenditure in
making instrumental surveys over both
routes, and a knowledge of the assistance to
bH given by each local governmnent directly
icterested, will be an act of prudence.
On the other hand, to hastily assume a
route for adoption, based on the slight know-
ledge acquired during a hurried preliminary
exploration, when such momentous interests
are involved, will certainly bring to mind
the trite and well-remembered expression of
" going it blind."
The whole, nevertheless, lespectfully sub-
mitted for the information and consideration
of the President and Directors.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obdt. servant,
OHARLBS LEOGE,
Engineer-in-Chief,
M. N. 0. B.
E. Lef. de Bellefeuille, Esq.,
Secretary-Treasurer M. N. 0. B,,
Montreal.