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 1 
 
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 6 
 
REPORT 
 
 or 
 
 A RECONNOISANCE 
 
 ROUTE FOR A RAILROAD 
 
 FROM 
 
 PORTLAND TO MONTREAL 
 
 BY JAMES HALL, Civil Engineer. 
 
 PORTLAND: 
 PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE CITY COUNC! 
 
 M.DCCC.XLir. 
 
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 REPORT 
 
 To the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Portland. 
 
 Gentlemen :— Having been honored by you, on the 
 21st October last, with the appointment to make a recon- 
 noisance to ascertain the practicability of a railroad route 
 from this city to the Canada Line, to connect with a route 
 from the Boundary to Montreal ; in which project our cit- 
 izens generally have expressed such a lively interest, as 
 promotive of the permanent prosperity not only of this 
 city, but of our whole State, I without any loss of time 
 commenced the examination, on the 23d of the same 
 month. The season had already too far advanced to 
 make a minute examination of the whole distance, before 
 winter should set in, and as it was desirable that as much 
 information as possible should be obtained before the as- 
 sembling of the Legislature, that, if the project was feasi- 
 ble, a charter might be obtained, and other preliminary 
 steps taken, so as to insure the earliest possible success of 
 the enterprise, in accordance with your suggestions, and 
 those of other gentlemen interested, I proceeded at once 
 to the interior to examine the more difficult parts of the 
 route, through the forests, among the highlands, trusting 
 to the general information I had already acquired of the 
 intermediate distance and such as I could cursorily obtain. 
 
REPORT, 
 
 for a description of this part of the route. With this plan 
 ill view, I proceeded to Andovcr — and before leaving that 
 place, secured the services of John M. Wilson, Esq. of 
 Township No. 5, Second Range, a practical Surveyor, and 
 best acquainted of any in that region, with the route from 
 Anuover to Magalloway river and the lakes to the boundary, 
 which your instructions indicated as the one to which my 
 special attention should be first directed. The other route 
 by Dixville Notch to Colebrook and Canaan, and thence 
 to Compton and Sherbrooke, in Canada, I left for examin- 
 ation on my return. As the result has proved I now 
 regret that my first attention had not been given to this 
 route, that I might have had more time to devote to it. 
 
 Soon after leaving the settlements it commenced storm- 
 ing ; rains and snows prevailing for most of the time 
 during my examination ; and in passing over the route 
 from Andover to the head waters of the Magalloway, and 
 across the boundary to the first settlements on the Canada 
 side, seventeen days were diligently spent in the wilder- 
 ness, with the snow for most of the distance fifteen inches 
 deep, and our progress along the streams, obstructed by a 
 low growth of fir, spruce, and cedar, which grows very 
 dense, and was heavily loaded down with snow, which 
 added much to the difliculties we had to encounter ; and 
 all combined, prevented me from obtaining so full and 
 satisfactory a view of the surrounding region as could 
 have been desired. 
 
 In describing the country traversed, little need be said, 
 as to that part which lies between this ci*v and the An- 
 droscoggin River, at Rumford. Beyond that point, to the 
 North and West, the whole region presents a bold and 
 
RE POUT. 
 
 5 
 
 rugged aspect. Higli mountaina and swelling hills, deep 
 vallies, lakes, and ponds, with livors and brooks running 
 in every direction, as they wind their courses to their out- 
 lets, form the entire face of the country, presenting at first 
 sight an impassable barrier against the construction of 
 even the common highway, and much moro so to that of 
 a railroad track. The whole country north of Andover, 
 on the Magallov^ay route to the boundary, is yet a wilder- 
 ness, and no settlements are found after passnig the boun- 
 dary line, within thirty miles of it, on the Canada side. 
 On the Western route, on the contrary, by the Dixville 
 Notch, scattered settlomeuts, and a travelled road near the 
 route, are to be found for most of the distance to Cole- 
 brook, and onward to the Canada line, and inhabitants are 
 constantly settling in that region, and opening and im- 
 proving the country. 
 
 You will at once perceive, from the foregoing statement, 
 that the short space of time, which the season has permit- 
 ted me to devote to this reconnoisancc, and the many dil- 
 ficulties I have had to encounter from the inclemency of 
 the weather, must necessarily have prevented me from 
 making such a thorough examination, as could be entirely 
 satisliictory to myself, yet I have spared no efforts to ac- 
 complish all that circumstances would admit. 
 
 One route, of which I thought very favorably, leaves 
 Portland in the direction of North Yarmouth, crosses the 
 outlet of Back Cove, near Tukey's Bridge, on a pile 
 bridge about half a mile long ; thence passes over a neck 
 of land, forming Martin's Point, to the outlet of Presump- 
 scot River, where a pile bridge will be required, extendmg 
 half a mile in length ; it then passes over favorable ground 
 
 =. 
 

 
 II El' OUT. 
 
 to the valley of Mill or Muscle Brook, and up that valley 
 to Unxton's Corner. Or, in crossing Prcsnmpscot River, 
 the lino may be carried farther west, in a more direct 
 course, by making a pile bridge, a distance of about two 
 miles, and then entering the same valley, and following it 
 as l)efore mentioned. 
 
 From Buxton's Corner, the route inclines more north- 
 erly, over favorable ground, passing Avest of the upper 
 village of North Yarmouth, and east of Walnut Hill 
 mcoting-housc, to the valley of Royal's River, which it 
 folloAVS up to a summit dividing the waters of that river 
 from those that emjity into the Little Androscoggin. It 
 then pursues the course of a range of ponds, over favora- 
 ble ground, passing near Poland Corner, to the outlet of 
 the Hogan Ponds, near the Little Androscoggin. It then 
 takes the valley of the Little Androscoggin, and follows it 
 almut twenty-four miles, to Bryant's Pond, near Bacon's 
 Hill summit. From this pond, the route folloAVs down 
 the valley of a brook to Concord River, and over favorable 
 grounds bordering this river, and along the meadows of 
 the Androscoggin, to Rumford Point, at the junction of 
 the Androscoggin and Ellis Rivers, the distance is about 
 nine miles. A bridge about 450 feet long will be required 
 to cross the Androscoggin, at the north side of Ellis River. 
 The route then follows up the valley of Ellis River, cros- 
 sing it occasionally to shorten the distance, or to avoid 
 uneven grounds, to Andovcr, which is ten miles from 
 Rumford. 
 
 The whole distance from Portland to Andover, is com- 
 puted at seventy-two miles, and the most of this distance 
 may be considered as unusuallv favorable for the location 
 
REPORT. ' 
 
 of a railroad. The gradations will bo easy, exceptin- at 
 one point, namely, at Bacon's Hill summit, where, howev- 
 er, the rise will not exceed sixty feet per mile, and that for 
 one mile only ; and the curves will in no place be less than 
 one thousand feet radius, and generally will far exceed 
 that length. 
 
 f 
 
 NORTHERN ROUTE. 
 
 From Andover, which I designated at the commence- 
 ment of the Northern or Magallowat Route, to the 
 outlet of Richardsons' Lake, called the Narrows, I was not 
 able to examine personally, owing to the necessity of get- 
 ting our provisions and baggage to that place before the 
 waters were closed with ice, but I gained very satisfactory 
 information in regard to that part of the route, from men 
 long familiar with it. And this distance was also travers- 
 ed by Col. Long, in his reconnoisance in the summer of 
 1835, and I shall adopt his description of it, somewhat 
 
 abridged. 
 
 Leaving Andover, the route passes up along the main 
 west branch of Ellis River, crossing two of its tributaries, 
 and on the westerly slopes of Boggy Brook, to the easterly 
 slope of Round Hill, and then on the slope of this hill, 
 until it enters the valley of Black Brook, which it pursues 
 quite to its source, in the vicinity of Lake Wclakenneba- 
 cook, a distance of ten miles. The first two miles of this 
 distance are over uneven ground, requiring much cutting 
 and filling, together with two considerable bridges, the 
 grades rising to forty or fifty feet per mile. The next five 
 
8 KHl'ORT. 
 
 miles of lliis distance nn- ovor rugged and steo]t side hills, 
 rcf|iiiring mnch deep cutting Jind heavy side walling, the 
 grades being not less thnu sixty feet ])er mile. The re- 
 nin in ing three miles, to the Inke, is on flat swampy land. 
 
 The ionl(! then traverses tho uortlicrly shore of the lake, 
 cither upon fl s or Ptee}) hill sides, to the outlet of Rich- 
 ardson's Lake, called the Narrows, about six miles. At 
 this ])oint, my route leaves Col. Long's, and crossing the 
 TS'nrrows, follo\rs along the Westerly shore of the Lake to 
 its northwestern source, about seven miles, and then in- 
 clines more westerly over a rise of land connected with 
 the east side of Aziscooiw Mountain, to the Magalloway 
 River, about three miles. The route then follows up the 
 MagalloAvay to its source, which is within three-fourths of 
 a mile of the boundary lino on the Highlands, a distance 
 of thirty-five miles. 
 
 Fourteen miles up this river is Lake Pamachena, three 
 miles in length and one in breadth, and through which 
 this river flows. The first ten miles of this distance of 
 the route, must follow the valley of this river, with very 
 slight grades, occasionally crossing the river by bridges, to 
 shorten the distance and avoid projecting points and une- 
 ven ground, and with embankments and some walling 
 along its banks, to prevent tho overflowing of the road in 
 freshets. For the remaining four miles it must follow 
 along the slopes of the hills, to overcome the rise of the 
 Lake, with heavy embankments and side walling, and 
 rock excavation. The grades for the first two miles will 
 be from twenty-five to fifty feet per mile, and the last two 
 miles at sixty feet per mile. 
 
 From the outlet of Pamachena Lake, the route passes 
 
ui'.roirr. 
 
 9 
 
 on the rastorn shore, iiiul coiitimios up the stream to the 
 Ea5;t Branch of the river, a distance of nine miles; thenco 
 to the West Branch, five miles, over uneven ground; and 
 in no place the gradations need exceed forty feet per mile. 
 
 From the outlet of the West Hranch, the route passes 
 up the valley of the Middle Branch ; the first three miles 
 re(iuiring heavy cmhankuKnits, side walling, and some rock 
 excavation ; and the grades must he about ninety-three 
 feet per mile. Thence succeeds two miles of level, by a 
 range of ponds ; thence one mile with a rise of one hun- 
 dred feet, which may be overcome by a grade of fifty feet 
 per mile, by commencing back one mile, and keeping on 
 the slope of the hills adjoining the ponds, from this to 
 the boundary is o)ie mile and three-fourths. A part of the 
 distance embraces the shore of a pond, which is the source 
 of the Magallaway, and the last three-fourths of a mile 
 rises one hundred and thirty fe( I, which must be overcome 
 by kee])ing along the slopes of the liills, and dividing the 
 grade ecpially for the whole distance ; which will, in that 
 case, be about seventy-five feet per mile. 
 
 From the boundary, the route passes down the valley of 
 Salmon River, a distance of forty miles, passing Victoria 
 to the river St. Francis, and thence by the river St. Fran- 
 cis to Sherbrooke — distance about thirty-five miles. 
 
 WESTERN ROUTE. 
 
 From Andover, the Western Route passes up the val- 
 ley of Sawyer's Brook to a summit, ten miles, dividing 
 the waters of this stream and Dead Cambridge Stream, 
 which empties into Lake Umbagog. For the most of this 
 
 B 
 
10 
 
 u s: V o K T 
 
 distance the grades will vary from fifty to eighty feet per 
 mile, with heavy embar.kments, side walling and some 
 rock' excavations. On this mnnmt, a deep cut will bo 
 necessary, and a heavy embankment, and side walling, for 
 a distance of a nulc from it, along the northerly side of C 
 Pond, to descend to the ilats, which extend along Dead 
 Cambridge Stream, -initc to the lalce shore, distmice seven 
 miles; and passing Now Hampshire lino a little before 
 reaching the Tiako. 
 
 The route then crosses iho Lake, at the Narrows, whore 
 the water is shoal and iavorablc for the erection of a 
 bridge, which will be half a mile long. 
 
 From the lake, uie route passes ovov flat land along 
 the valley of the Androscoggin, and crosses it, at a dis- 
 tance of about three and a half miles, where a bridge of 
 two hundred fe(^t will be required ; thence up the valley 
 of Clear Stream, nine miles, <iuitc to DixviUe Notch. 
 From O Poi.d to the Notch, distance twenty-one miles, 
 the ground is favorable, and in no place the s^-^^f^cs will 
 exceed thirty feet jjer mile, with gentle curves. At Dix- 
 viUe Notch tlunv is a rise of two Imndied feet in a distance 
 of three-fourths of a nnle. on the easterly side, and a fall 
 of one hundred feet in a distance of one-fourth of a mile, 
 descending on the westerly side : from thence the fall is 
 one hundred and fifty feet, in a distance o( one and a half 
 nules. to the vallev of the :dohawk River, which the route 
 : pursues down-vard. nine and a lialf miles, to the Onnnivli- 
 ! cut River, nt (jolel^rov.k. cT-sm- it im (^annnn. ^'l.. and 
 \ followin- up I.ea-h Sircpm 1^. Ihr .blll^ iiinvillel, =>r n.-nn- 
 dar'- !in(> nf Cnnada : distance- from Colchrook nine ;nid a 
 half miles. The -nmnnt at rhxvilie Notch must l.e ])assud 
 
R E V O 15 T , 
 
 11 ' 
 
 by a tunnol fifteen liuiidi-cd feet in length,, with the com- 
 non highway directly over it, and the dcsocnt in each 
 direction mnst be overcome by extending heavy embank- 
 ments, and side walling, to the Hats, so that the grades 
 shall not exceed eighty or ninety feet per mile. The re- 
 maining distance to the boundary is favorable for the con- 
 strnctior of a railroad. 
 
 From the boundary there vnll be no serious difficulty in 
 passing the Kighlands at Hereford, hi Canada, by passing 
 up the valley of Leach Stream, and along a range of 
 ponds on neariy (he yanio level, the waters of a part of 
 which fall into Leaeli Stream, vvaI a part into Mooes Riv- 
 er, which runs mto the St. Francis, in a very direct course 
 to Sherbrooke. 
 
 It is supposed that a route may be found, passing up 
 the valley of the West P.ranch of Leach Stream, to Wallis 
 or Bradford Pond, and from thence to the Ooaticook River 
 down to the St. Francis. That part of the route, along 
 the CoaticooK' River, I passed over on my return, accom- 
 panied by P>f:n,tam.n Pomuov, Esq. of Compton, and other 
 gentlemen interested in the enterprise, and I found no se- 
 rious obstacles to the construction of a railroad. 
 
 A route has been spoken favorably of, passing north of 
 DixviUe Notch, following up the North Branch of Clear 
 Streom, and thence down the North Branch of the Mo- 
 hawk, or from the sunmiit in the direction of Canaan. 
 Another route has been suggested, from Norway Village 
 to the Androscoggin, at Bethel, and thence up Bear River 
 to the summit, and thence down Swift Cambridge Stream 
 to Lake Umbagog, where it would intersect the line I 
 have described as the Western Route. 
 
12 
 
 RE POUT, 
 
 These, however, I have had no time to examine ; and 
 should the enterprise be undertaken, further examinations 
 AV.ll of course he made, and some of the most difficult 
 points on each route, should be tested with instruments, 
 previous to commencing a line of survey. 
 
 Sufficient, however, has been accomplished by this re- 
 connoisance to satisfy me of the entire feasibility of con- 
 structing a railroad to the boundary, and thence to Mon- 
 treal ; and that with less difficulties than have been en- 
 countered on other roads in our country of equal extent. 
 And I do not hesitate to say, according to my judgment 
 and experience, that no railroad in this country has yet 
 been constructed, of a length equal to the dist.mce from 
 Montreal to Portland, where, taking one part of the route 
 with another, the laying of the land is so favorable, the 
 obstacles and difficulties to be surmounted are so few, and 
 so easy to be overcome, and the facilities and means of 
 construction so cheap and near at hand, as is the case, in 
 these respects, of the route for a railroad from Portland to 
 Montreal. No engineer can pass over the distance with- 
 out being struck with the favorable conformation of the 
 face of the earth, and courses of the streams— with the 
 passes among and through hills, and across mountain ran- 
 ges, which nature has prepared beforehand, ready for the 
 industry and enterprise of man to complete the work. 
 Only two serious obstacles are to be found in the wliole 
 distance. These, on careful examination, will prove to be 
 less serious than they appear and would bo naturally sup- 
 posed. The rock, for instance, in the Dixville Notch, is 
 of a kind easily displaced and removed, and is needed for 
 
REPORT. 
 
 13 
 
 the embankments on the eastern and western sides of the 
 
 mountain range. 
 
 It is obvious to every one that, other things being equal, 
 the nearest and most direct route between the two termmi 
 would be the best. From want of the necessary mforma- 
 tion, to be derived only from careful exploration by prac- 
 tical engineers, it is impossible to determine at the present 
 time which route would, in fact, be the best. Before that 
 quesnon is finally settled, it would be good economy, as 
 well as good policy, to so far examine each and eve-y 
 practicable route, as may be necessary to act understand- 
 inc^ly, on a full view of all the facts, and with reference to 
 the best interest of the country. The route mentioned by 
 me from Portland to Andover, and thence by the Western 
 Route to Montreal, extends in the whole a distance of 
 some three or four miles short of t^vo hundred and fifty. 
 
 I cannot conclude this Report, without expressing the 
 obligations 1 feel myself under to many gentlemen whom 
 I met on the route, who expressed a deep and lively inter- 
 est in the contemplated work, and who voluntarily aided 
 and assisted me, by accompanying me in many cases, and 
 communicating to me such information as their better 
 knowledge of the features of the country, in their imme- 
 diate vicinity, enabled tlicui to furnish. 
 I am, very respectfully. 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 JAMES HALL, Civ. Eng. 
 
 PouTLAND, Dec. 2, ISll. 
 
SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT. 
 
 To the Maijor (tiul Mdcrmen- 
 
 Gentlemen— I received, on the 4tli inst., a communica- 
 tion from the Committee of Correspondence!, rcincsting 
 me, in a Supplemental Repoil to your IJoard, to state at 
 what sum I have estimated the prohablc exi.ensc of a rail- 
 road in the direction suggested by me in my Report, from 
 Portland to the Canada line, near Leach's Stream, taking 
 every thing into consideration, and placing the amount at 
 such a sum, as, from my knowledge of the ground, and of 
 the obstacles to be surmounted, and from my practical ac- 
 quaintance, I judge would cover the whole expenditure, in- 
 cluding the right of way, depots, engines, cars, workshops 
 and other usual appendages necessary for the convenient 
 operation of such a road. They also rc<iuest me to state 
 my views in regard to the heavy snows in the region 
 through which a railrond from Montreal to Portland must 
 pass r and whether they wo-dd or not interpose serious 
 obstacles to the regular and successful operation and use 
 of such a road, in the season of our long winters. 
 
 With respect to this latter subject of imiuiry, I made it 
 a particular ])oint to inform myself in regard to it. I find 
 that falls of snow are freiiuent in tlial region— that the 
 (piantity of snow on the ,r<unid in the winter season 
 varies from two t.) tlmM.^ feel ni depth; but very seldom 
 
 
SUPPf.EMHNTAI. IIEPOIIT. 
 
 15 
 
 equals three feet. The snows arc light and dry, unac- 
 companied by rain, or sleet, or moisture. It is the damp, 
 heavy snows, sleet, and frozen rain, which create so much 
 difficulty, and const-nite so serious an obstacle to the ope- 
 rations of a railroad. A light, dry snow, of any depth 
 that is known to fall in any one storm, is easily removed 
 by the snow-plough now in use. On the seaboard, and 
 further south, the snow and olcet hi their season are occa- 
 sionally serious obstacles ; but the further you go north, 
 and the further vou recede from the sealiourd, the drier 
 and lighter the snow, and the less the dinkulty in rcmov- 
 in-v It from the track. As n precaution, however, wher- 
 ever there arc considerable falls of snow, the road bed 
 should be elevated more than where the falls of snow arc 
 inconsiderable. This precaution I consider as an import- 
 ant one, in two points of view : 1st, it renders it more 
 easy to keep the track clear of snow ; 2d, it saves a good 
 deal of expense in keeping the road in repair. My answer 
 to the latter enquiry is, thercf.n-c, that T do not consider 
 that the snow would interpose a serious obstacle to the 
 regular and succossful operation and nse of a railroad to 
 Montreal, in tlic wiiUcr season. 
 
 ft xvill not. of coui-s.', bo expected of me that I should 
 1,,,, a1>l.- 10 make any thini:' like a raim/afioH of the whole 
 exp.md.tnre necessary lo constru.'t and put such a road m 
 successful operation, l)ased npon careful surveys and actual 
 admeasurements. With a view, however, to an estimate 
 or the expense, I made such observations and UKiuiries, as 
 I'passed alon-j over the .-.uUe, as circumstances would ad- 
 mit. !>etvvo."U till. i>Uvv and Aiulover, I am (juite lamiliar 
 with the ronte. With these explanations m regard to the 
 
 
16 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT. 
 
 means I have had of forming a judgment, I submit to you 
 the following estimate, the amount of which, I fully be- 
 lieve, will be found to cover the whole expense : 
 For grading the road, bridges, masonry for abutments, 
 culverts and cattle guards, and for fencing, &c. &c. 
 
 . $896,000 
 
 . . 42,000 
 
 . . 100,000 
 
 . . 120,000 
 
 . . 100,000 
 
 11,258,000 
 
 For railing, including superstructure and laying 
 
 down the same, 124 mil. •, at .'^8,500 per mile, 1,054,000 
 
 For depots, engines, cars, &c. &c. including 
 
 .^ . ... 188,000 
 contingencies, J 
 
 Total amount, ^^500£00 
 
 Respectfully, your obedient servant, 
 
 JAMJ^.S HA.LL, Civil Engineer. 
 
 Portland, Dec. 7, 1841. 
 
 For 112 miles, at .«5S,000 per mile, 
 u 3 " " 14,000 " " 
 « 5 « " 20,000 " " 
 u 4 u n 30,000 " " 
 '< Tunnel at Dixville Notch,