The Intercolonial : a historical sketch of the inception, location, construction and completion of the lines of railway uniting the inland and Atlantic provinces of the Dominion. --

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\NTERCO .JON/At

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THE

IN TERCO LO N IAL.

A HISTORICAL SKETCH

01' THE

iNCEPTION, LOCATION, CONSTRUCTION AND COMPLETION OF
THE LINE 01<' RAILWAY UNITING TIlE

INLAND AND ATLANTIC PROVINCES

01' THB

DOMINION,

WITH MAPS AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS.

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F
l':NOINJtHU.-l1f-t
U].K]f OB TIlE NCWFtiUNDLA:ND. INTEIU,"'OLONIAL A:ND CAlfAlJl..l.1f r..l.CIFJU UAILWAY8.

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"ì ,"

By SANDFOHD FLEl\IING, C. E.,

58230
IDlnntrt
[ :
DA WSO N BROTH ERS, PU BL ISH ER S,
LONDON. SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & CO.
1876.

I .

Entered according to Act of Parliament in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six,
by SANDFORD FLEMING, in the office of the Minister of Agriculture and Statistics at Ottaw&.

THE HONOURABLE ALEXANDER MACKENZIE,

MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND PREMIER OF CANADA.

SIR,

As the Intercolonial
ailway is now in a position to be opened for
traffic, it is my duty, as Chief Engineer, to submit a final Report on its
condition.

A Report such as the usual course prescribes, would necessarily
be professional and technical, and would be confined to a description of
the results which have been effected, and a statement of the cost at
which these have been attained.
But the Intercolonial Railway is national in its objects and charac-
ter, and to my mind it calls for more extended consideration. As
the head of the Department of Public Works, and as the Minister who
has directed the conoluding operations on the Railway, you have been
good enough to acquiesce in the view, that a barren relation of figures
and detail would be insufficient and unsatisfactory.
I have therefore felt it incumbent upon me to depart from the
course generally followed on such occasions.
I have endeavoured. in the following pages, to give the early his-

ü

DEDICATION.

tory of the Railway, and to trace the causes which prevented the
adoption of a direct route, and in this connection I have been led to
review the negotiation::> which ended in the establi::;hment of the Maine
Boundm'y, I have endeavoured to describe the frequent fruitless
attempts which were subsequently made to obtain the means of con-
structing the line, and the considerations which led to the adoption of
the present route. In cases where the location is open to criticism, I
have given a narrative of the events which enforced its determination,
I have stated the principles which governed the construction of the
Railway, and I have described several of the most important stnlCtures;
at the same time I have briefly set forth the character of the country
tln'ough which the Railway passes.

Although it may be said that the present volume includes much
beyond the sphere of my official duties, I venture to hope that the course
pursued by me will meet with your approval, and I trust that you will
believe that I have striven honestly, to place on record what has passed
under my own notice, and what I have gathered from official documents
and from public records.

Tlùrteen years have passed sinee my first appointment as Chief
Enginecr,-a duty assigned to me by the Imperial and Provincial Gov-
ernments at the commencement of the Survey. At that period a long
tract of wilderness separated the Maritime from the Inland Provinces.
The Railway, which now connects them, I may venture to assert, will
rank second to none on this Continent. In the embellishment of its
structures it may be surpassed by the lines of the old world, but in the
cs!'entials of a Railway, it will, when entirely eompleted, have no supe-
rior.

Somc further expenditure is still uece
l:'ary, but the Uailway il:' in

DEDICATION.

üi

a condition to be opened for traffic throughout its entire length, there

fore my official relations with the work may now terminate.
In placing this volume before you, I feel that I am performing the
last act of duty, in the office I have long held, and that I am separating
myself ñ'om a work, to the prosecution of which, with many friends and
fellow-labourers, I have devoted for many years the best energies of my
life. A connection of this kind is not broken without an effort; hut
any personal considerations must disappear in view of the completion
of a work, which realizes the national aspirations of half a century, by
bringing within a few hours, the old fortress of Halifax and the older
Citadel of Quebec, and which must form an important section of the
Railway, destined, ere long, to extend from East to West through the
entire Dominion.

I am, Sir,
Your Obedient Servant,
SANDFORD FLEl\UNG.

OTTAWA, 1st July, 1876.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

EARLY HISTORY.

1832 TO 1842.

PA.GE
Early Suggestions of a Railway System for Canada-Henry Fairbairn's
Extraordinary foresight-An Intercolonial Railway first projected-Explor-
ation of the Route--Smith and Hatheway's Report--The project meets the
approbation of the Lower Canada Legislature--Opinions of Captain Yule,
R. E.-St. John's Press advocates the Scheme--Deputation to England-
Imperial Government grant .f:l0,OOO--Survey commenced under Captain
Yule, R. E.-Engineering Character of Route favourable--Western traffic to
be competed for-Opinions of the New York Press on the" Great Project JJ
-Cupidity of the peorle of the United States-Interference of the State of
Maine--Suspension of the Survey-Lord Durham-The Kcmpt Road.. 5

CHAPTER II.

THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

1783 TO 1842.

Final settlement of the Boundary Line disastrous to the Railway-Treaty
of Paris of 1783-Disputed interpretations of that Treaty-Subsequent
Treaty of 1794-The Commission under it--St. Croix River namf'.d in the
Treaty-Doubtful location of the" Highlands JJ of the Treaty-The due
North Line--Verification of Boundary of old Nova Scotia by Ancient Let-
ters-Patent--Featherstonhaugh and Mudge on Original Grant-Treaty of
Ghent in 1814-Blunders of the Commissioners-Arbitration of the King of

vi

CONTENTS.

PAG_
the Netherlands-Award rejected by the United States-President Andrew
Jackson on the question-His reasonable proposals declined by the English
Government-New Survey organized by both Countries-State of Maine
overtly breaks International Law-Lord Ashburton's l\iission to 'Vashing-
ton-Daniel Webster-The Boundary Line adopted prejudicial to Canada 19

CHAPTER III.

EARL Y HISTORY CONTINUED.

1842 TO 1852.

l\lilitary lWad Surveyed-Railway Mania of 1845 brings out the Halifax
and Quebec Scheme--Sir Richard Broun advocates it-The various Routes
-Government of New Brunswick favours the route by Annapolis-St. An-
drews anù Quebec Railway revived-Lord Ashburton takes Stock in it-
Ashburton Treaty Kills the Scheme - Halifax and Quebec routes to be
Surveyed-Captain Pipon and l\fr. Henderson appointed-Major Robin-
Bon's Report recommending Bay Chaleur Route--Mr. Wilkinson objects-
Construction of the Railway urged as a relief for the Famine in Ireland-
Major Carmichael-Smyth's views-Railway Conference at Portland-Nova
Scotia sends Mr. Howe to England-British Government objects to the
Scheme--Imperial Proposals-Negotiations upset-Deputation to Eng-
land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 40

CHAPTER IV.

HISTORY CONTINUED.

1852 TO 1862.

The Provinc<,s builrl Railways on their own Rcsource!\-Another unsuc-
cessful app<'al to the Home Government-Civil War in the United States-
Provinces again appeal-Resolutions of Quebec in 1861-Effect of the
"Trent Affair "-Provinces ask for modified assistance-Failure of Negotia-
tions ..."..,.... _ , , . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . _ , . . . . . . . , . , . . . . . . . . . . . , , . .. 55

,

CONT.I<;'sTS.

VB

CHAPTER V.

HISTORY CONTINUED.

1862 TO 1867.

PAG.
State of Railway Extension in 1862-New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
make fresh efforts-Survey determined on-l\Ir. Sandford Fleming appointed
-l\Ir. Fleming's Report--Advantages of Bay Chaleur Route-Newfound-
land Railway-Political dead-lock in Canada-l\Iovement towards Confeder-
ation-l\lembers of Canadian IRgislature invited to Maritime Provinces-
Convention at Charlottetown-The Quebec Convention-Resolutions re-
specting Intercolonial Railway-General festivities-Act of Confederation-
Act guaranteeing Interest on Railway Loan ...... _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. 64

CHAPTER VI.
1867 TO 1876.

LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION.

Effects of the Ashhurton Treaty on the Location of the Line--Railways
previous to Confederation-Commencement of Location Survey-Rival
Routes through New Brunswick-Military Considerations-Rival Routes in
Nova Scotia-Line Recommended-Controversy respecting the Route--Ac-
tion in Nova Scotia-The Controversy carried to Ottawa-Final adoption
of the Combination Line--Appointment of Commissioners-The Contract
System-Tenùers Received-The Bridge Controversy-The Engineer ad-
vocates Iron-The Commissioners insist on Wood-Iron finally adopted-
The Eastern Extension Controversy-Line from :Moncton to Amherst
adopted-Location between Miramichi and l\Ioncton-Construction proceeds
under the Commissioners-Completion of Line under Department of Public
Worb ...., - . . _ . . . _ _ . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ...,.. _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 77

· CHAPTER VII.

THE ENGINEERING CHARACTER OF THE LINE.
Principles of Construction-Climatic effects of Frost and Thaw on the
Works-Action on Road-Bed-Thorough drainage--Clearing the Line--
Natural Snow-fences-Bridges-'Vhpn Bridges should be nsed-Precautions
in building bridges and culverts-Cuttings and their 'Vidth-Ballast-Iron

viii

CONTENTS.

PAGB
and Steel rails-Station buildings-Water supply-Principles of Construc-
tion concurred in-The" Rail System" or Superstructure-Bessemer Steel
Rails-Jfish and Scabbard Joints-Cross-ties-Ballasting-The Substructure
-Cuttings aud Embankments-Drainage-Precaution against frost-Em-
bankments preferable to open bridges-Measurement of Streams-Standard
designs-Box Culverts-Arch Culverts-Open Culverts-Pipe Culverts-
Tunnels-Inclined Culverts-Bridges and Viaducts-Bridge Superstruc-
ture ,....................................,..,......................... 108

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ST. LAWRENCE DISTRICT.

General Features of the Line-Greatest Altitude-Geographical Divis-
ions-The Four Districts-The Engineering Staff-The St. Låwrcnce Dis-
trict-General De
ription-Crossing the Height of Land-Geology of the
District-The River Systems-Division A, Contract No.1-Division B, Con-
tract No.2-Division C, Contract No.5-Division D, Contract No. 8--Di-
vision E, Contract No. 13-Division F, Contract No. 14.... ............. _ 139

CHAPTER IX.

THE RESTIGOUCHE DISTRICT.

General Direction-Metapedia Valley-Geology of the District-The
Restigouche Bridge-Artificial Foundation-Climatiç Forces-Ice Jam-
Shoves-Freshets-Division G, Contract No. 17-Division H, Contract No.
IS-Division I, Contract No. 19-Division K, Contract No.3-Division L,
Contract No.6-Division M, Contract No.9-Division N, Contract No. 15,
Tete-a-gauche Bridge-Nepissiguit Bridge ............................... 156

CHAPTER X.

THE MIRAMICHI DISTRICT.

Features of the District-Extensive Carboniferous basin-Division 0,
Contract No. 16-Division P, Contract No. lO-Division Q, Contract No.
20-l\Iiramichi River Crossing-Deepwater Branch-Division R, Contract
No. 21-Division S, Contract No. 22-Division T, Contract No. 23 ....... 175

CONTENTS.

ix

CHAPTER XI.

THE MIRJUlICHI BRIDGES.

PAGB
Location of the Two Bridges-Original Design-Borings-Great Depth
of Bed-rock Discovered-Engineering Opinions-Original Design adhered
to-The South West Bridge--The North Abutment-General Description
of Pier Foundations-Pier E.-Pier F.-Pier G.-Pier H.-Pier I.-South
Abutment-The North West Bridge--Borings-Pressure Experiments-
Modified Plan of Foundations-The South Abutment-The North Abutment
-The Caissons for Piers-Pier X.-Difficulties met with-Pier D.-Pier
C.-Pier B.-Pier A.-Concrete-l\Iasonry-Plant-Contractors-Engi-
neers-Completion _........ _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 187

CHAPTER XII.

THE NOVA SCOTIA DISTRICT.

Length and Sub-Division-General Description-The Cobequid Moun-
tains-Geological Features-Springhill Coal-field-The Iron l\Iines-Divi-
sion U. old line--Division V. Eastern Extension-Division W. Contract
No. 11. Division X. Contract No.4-Division Y. Contract No.7-Division
Z. Contract No. 12 ..................................................... 220

CHAPTER XIII.

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

Scope of the V olume,-General Statements-Opening of Sections-
Gross quantities of Work-Average quantities per mile--Total Expenditure
-Review of the Boundary Question-Diplomacy of the United States-
Sacrifice of British Interests-The Lesson Taught-General Observations-
The Railway and the Dominion-Historical Events-Suggestive Associa-
tions-Men identified with the Railway-A Coincidence--Opening of the
Line ................................................................... 232

APPENDIX.
Table of Gross quantities of principal kinds of Work .........,........ 241
Table shewing Average quantities of Excavation and Masonry per mile 242
The short Ocean Passage _ _ _ _ _ .., _,................ ............. 243
The Engineering Staff ..,. _ _. ,. '..,....... ,...,. .,....,. ,- - - -. - , 251

LIST OF PLATES.

No. I AGE.
1. General Map, . . . . . . . . . 106
2. Skeleton Map, showing drainage basins, . 34
3. R
duced general Map, with projected lines, 68
4. Skeleton Map, showing direct line, 78
5A. Great Clay Cutting at Trois Pis toles, ] 44
5. Trois Pistoles Bridge, . 146
6. Bridge at Hic, . ] 48
7. Rimonski Bridge, ]50
8. Grand Metis Bridge, ]52
9. Amqui Bridge, . . ];')4-
]0. River Metapedia-Railway on opposite hank, ].36
] 1. Causapseal Bridge-1st crossing River 1\[etapedia, 1.:;8
12. River l\Ietapedia-1\IiII Stream Bridge in progress, in the dilStanee,. ](jQ
]3. Pier-Mill Stream Bridge, 3d-crossing River l\Ietapedia, in winter,. ]6:2
] 4. Restigouehe Bridge, Location Plan, . ] f)4
15. Pier-Restigouche Bridge, winter view, . ] 66
] ß. Rcstigouehe Bridge-from the New Brunswick side. Frontispiece
17. Restigouche Bridge-Plan and elevation, with section of river, ]66
18. Restigouche Bridge-Foundation and Masonry of Piers, 166
19. Tunnel at Morrisey's Rock, ]61;
20. New Mills ßridge, ] 70
21. Tête à Gauche Bridge, 172
22. Nipissiguit Bridge, 174
23. Bridge at Red Pine Brook-masonry in progress, 178
24. Barnaby River Tunnel, . ] 8:2
25. General IJlan of Miramichi Bridges, . 188

6, Southwest l\Iiramichi-Section of River-Plan and elevation of
Bridge,
" Drawing of Piers,
2K'c .C South Abutment.
29." " North Abutment,
30." " View of Bridge, .
31. Northwest l\Iiramichi-Section of River-Plan and elevation of
Bridge,
Piers, Founùations, &c" .
View of 'V orks in progress,
Pier of BrIdge,

27.

"

32.
33.
34.
35.
:,W,
:
7.

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SackviIle Bridge,
l\Iissifluash Briùge,
River Phillip Bridg{', .
Vi:uluct acros
FolJy HiveI' V:lllc,}',

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190
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1
16
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200
202
2]6
218
224
226
228
230

INTERCOLONIAL RAILvVAY.

CHAPTER I.

EARLY mSTORY, 1832 TO 1842.

Early suggestions of a Railway System for Canoda,-Henry Fairbairn's Extraordinary
foresight,-An Intercolonial Railway first projected.-Exploration of the Route,-Sruith
and Hatheway's Report.-The project meets the approbation of the Lower Canada
Legislature.-Opinions of Captain Yule, R. E.-St, John's press advocates the scheme,-
Deputatiou to England-Imperial Government grants ÆIO,OOO-Survey Commenced
under Captaiu Yule, R. E.-Engineering character of Route fa vourable.- Western Traffic
to be competed for.-Opinions of the New York Press on the" Great Project."-Cupidity
of the people of the United States,-Interference of the State of J!.Iaine.-Suspension of
the Survey.-Lord Durham.-The Kempt Road.

THE project of an Intercolonial Railway, to connect the Maritime
Provinces with the Canadas, early occupied public attention. Few
arc aware that among the first consequences of the stimulus given to
progress, throughout the world, by the creation of the Railway system.
we must assign a prominent position to the consideration of a scheme
for connecting Halifax with St. John, and the Bay of Fundy with the
St. Lawrence.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway. of which the fiftieth
anniverRary was celebrated last autumn, had been but a few years
in operation, when British North America became awakened to the
necessity of establishing the Railway system within her territory as a
relief to the di:mbility under which she was labouring. Although the

'l'HE INTERCOLONIAL.

influence it was destined to exercise upon the world was at that time
but imperfectly understood by the mass of men, some minds foresaw the
power which it possessed to develope the resources of a country. They
were but few, and it was only by slow degrees that the generation which
witnessed its introduction appreciated the revolution it would accom-
plish.
Extraordinary as it may seem, a wrIter who may be classed with
t
e few far-seeing men who lived two generations ago, turned his views
across the Atlantic and suggested the construction of Railways in
British America as a means of promoting her progress.
The Stockton and Darlington line, the first in the series of Eng-
lish passenger Railways, indeed, thc first of the kind in any part of the
world, was opened on the 27th September, 1825. In the United Service
Journal of 1832, 1\11'. Henry Fairbairn,.the writer in question, published
the first notice, so far as known, of a project for applying the Railway
system to Canada. He says: "I propose, first to form a Rail way for
" wagons, from Quebec to the Harbour of St, Andrews upon the Bay of
"Fundy, a work which will convey the whole trade of the St. Law-
" renee, in a single day, to the Atlantic waters. Thus the timber, pro-
" visions, ashes, and other exports of the Provincés may be brought to
" the Atlantic, not only with more speed, regularity and security, than
"by the river St. Lawrence, but with the grand additionål advantage
" of a navigation open at all seasons of the year; the harbour of St.
" Andrews being capacious, deep, and never closed in the winter season,
" whilst the St. Lawrence is unnavigable from ice, from the month of
"November to May. Another great line of railway may be formed from
"Halifax, through Nova Scotia to St. John's, in the Province of New
" Brunswick, and thence into the United States, joining the railways
" which are fast spreading through that country, and which will soon
"reach from New York to Boston and through the whole New England
"States. This railway will not only bring to the Atlantic the lumber,
"provisions, metal, and other exports of the provinces, but from the
"situation of the harùour of Halifax, it will doubtless command the

EARLY mSTORY.

7

" whole stream of passengers, mails, and light articles of commerce pass-
"ing into the British possessions and to the United States and every
" part of the continent of America.
" Indeed, if the difficulties and expense of constructing these works
"in our North American Colonies were tenfold greater, an imperative
"necessity would exist for their adoption, if it is desired by the Govern-
"ment of this country, to maintain an equality of commercial advan-
"tages with the neighbouring United States. For the splendid
"advantages of the railway system are well understood in that country,
" where great navigable rivers are about to be superseded by railways
" of vast magnitude, reaching over hundreds of miles. Indeed, in no
"country, will the results of the railway system be so extensive as in
"the United States, for it will assimilate their only disadvantage, in-
"land distance from the sea; and it will effect the work of centuries to
"connect, consolidate, and strengthen that giant territory, lying beneath
"all climates and spreading over a quarter of the globe. If then we
"would contend with these advantages, in our North American Prov-
"inces, it is only by similar works, that we can bring to the Atlantic,
" the agricultural exports of the Colonies, and secure the stream of
" emigration, which otherwise, with the facility of inland transportation,
"will be rapidly dive
ted to the Western regions of the United
" States."
These words were penned forty-four years ago and they are worthy
of preservation, not only for the correctness of view expressed and for
the enunciation of a policy which has been entirely carried out, but for
the modern language and tone in which the writer clothed his argu-
ment. The mind which, in those days, could judge what railways would
effect, and could foreshadow what has taken half a century to accom-
plish, must have been of no ordinary kind, and, on the completion of the
Intercolonial Railway it seems a fitting time to remember Henry Fair-
bairn and mention his name with honour.
St. Andrews, on the Bay of Fundy, was then an important centre of
I.n..iness in New Brunswick, and the mention of the part assigned

8

THE I:NTEltCOL01:oiIAL.

to that locality In this scheme at once attracted public attention
there. The commercial importance of the undertaking was immediatel)'
recognized and its active population lost no time in putting into practi-
cal form the policy which Mr. Fairbairn had pointed out for it to fol-
low; a meeting was called on the 5th October, 1835, at which resolu-
tions advocating the line of Railway were unanimously carried.
More than ordinary interest is attached to these proceedings as they
may be held to be the first step taken towards the consummation of the
project. The resolutions enunciated the necessity of a Railway from
Canada to the nearest winter port in New Brunswick, viz., St. Andrews,
the national importance of the project, and the prospect that it would be
remunerative. The resolutions further set forth that an association
be formed to promote the bMilding of a Railway. The association was
at once organized and an executive committee appointed..
A dcputation was also named to wait upon Sir Archibald Campbell,
then Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, to demonstrate the advan-
tages which must result from the scheme and to solicit his assistance.
The Lieutenant-Governor expressed his appreciation of the zeal and
enterprise which suggested a project so well calculated to prove bene-
ficial, commercially and in every other respect; and promised to sup-
port the project. The association appointed 1\1r. George H. Smith and
Mr. E. R. Hatheway to explore the territory; so that the feasibility of
the undertaking could be ascertained, and the character of the difficul-
ties in the way made known. These gentlemen reported in January,
1836. The route followed hy them was in part that which the present
New Brunswick & Canada Railway has taken from :St. Andrews north-
ward to Woodstock, thence it proceeded np the valley of the river St.
John as far as the point called Mars Hill, about 120 miles from St. An-

· Ron. Jas_ Al1anshaw, Chairman.
Thomas Wyer, Esq,. Deputy Chairman,
Harris Hatch. )
John Wilson. I
.James Rnit. J Committee of Mpnagement.
881111\('1 Frye,
J. McMaster,
Adam Jack Secretary and Treasu

EARLY HIRTORY_

9

drews, and then turned nearly 'Vestward towards Quebec, ending on
the height of land hehycen the watcr::; of the river Bt. John and the
St. Lawrence. The exploration wa::; not continued farther than this
height of land, owing to an examination having heen prcviously made
through the district lying hetween it and the city of Quebec, by Cap-
tain Yule of the Royal Engineers. The latter exploration had been
carried on under the authority of Lord Aylmer, Governor-General of
Canada. The report of 1\Ie
sr
. Smith and Hathevay declared that no
obstructions had been met to impede the formation of the Railway. that
a great portion of the lands were fit for settlement, and no burnt tracts
hatl been found. The work was pronounced hy the explorers to be less
difficult than was expected. During the progress of the survey, the
association appealed to public opinion, and a verdict waR pronounced
unmistakably in its favor. In this state of affairs it became advisable
to communicate with Lower Canada; accordingl)' in December, 1835, a
deputation proceeded to Quebec, to bring the matter under the notice
of the Government. Resolutions favorable to the undertaking were
adopted in the same month by both Houses of the Legislature. The
resolutions of the Legislative Council bear date 19th December. They
are highly laudatory of the project, and promise the pa::;sing of a law
authorizing the construction of the Railway, recommending at the same
time the work to the consideration of the Imperial authorities.-
Similar Resolutions were adopted by the House of Assembly the
ensuing week.
The inhabitants of Quebec and Montreal equally expressed sym-
pathy in the undertaking. The Boards of Trade of both cities joined the
association, and special committees were appointed to act in concert
with the deputation.

· That a railroad between the p01't of 8t, Andrews, in the Bay of Fundy, which is open
at all scasons of the year, Rnd the port of Quebec, would greatly diminish the disadvant-lge
unde1' which t1\is province lahour
from the
ve1'ity of its climate and the consequent inter-
ruption ()f the navi
ation of the Rh-er 8t Lawrence, T1ult the opening of such communi-
cation between the points before mentioneil wouM promote the settlement of the country,
ltI'ently facilitate the intercourse between these provinces an,l the C'nitell Kingdom, extend
thrj interch'lO
c of commo(litics between the British possc.gions in America, increase the

10

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

In compliance with the wish of the deputation, Captain Yule, R. E.,
who }md made the exploratory survey between Quebec and the height
of land, placed on record the expression of his opinion, that the scheme
was beyond the ordinary limits of commercial speculation; that it was
even Romething more than inter-provincial in its character; that it
included the greater object of reducing the time necessary to Vass
bctwcen Europe and America.
In St. John, New Brunswick, a deep interest was felt in theschemc,
and, although a degree of rivalry existed between that place and St.
Andrcws, the press of St. John gave its support to the project.-
In January, 1836, a deputation proceeded to England, carrying with
them a petition to the King, and remained there engaged in negotiation
with thè Imperial Government until the following June.
During March, resolutions similar to those passed by the Legislature
of Lower CaI
ada were carried in the House of Assembly, Nova Scotia;
and in the same month a bill passed the Legislature of New Brunswick,

demand for British manufactures, and be the means of affording additional employment to
British shipping. That for the foregoing reasons it is highly expedient to promote and
facilitate the views of the Saint Andrews and Quebec Uailroad Company Association, and
that so soon as the Legislature of the province of New Brunswick shall have passed an Act
to establish a railroad between Saint Andrews and the province line, every facility ought to
be given to the enactment of a law of a similar nature upon conilitiotls as favourable as way
have been granted to any railroad company within this province.
That an humble address be presented to His Excellency, the Governor-in.Chief, prlLying
that His Excellency will be pleased to transmit the above Resolutions to the Secretary of
State for the Colonial Department, as the opinion of the LegisllLtive Council, upon the sub.
ject to which it has reference; and praying also t!1at His Excellency will be pleased to reo
commend the subject to the favourable consideration of lIis MajesJy's Government, if Ilis
Excellency shall think fit to do so."
· We most sincerely hope that this grand projection may rêceive the favourable con-
sideration of the King and his government. The great importance of connecting these two
ports by railroad will at once be seen, when we remind our readers that Quebec is bound in
icy fetters for about six months in the year, while at the same time New Brunswick would
receive an additional impulse by St. Andrews being the port of exit for the productions of
Csmada. We certlLinly think that our neighbours of St. Andrews ILre entitled to grent credit
for the persevering mann('r in which they have, for a number of months past, directed their
attention to the sllhject, both in having visited Quehec and causing a survey of the contem-
plated line of road to be made, and that, too, at their own expense. It is true, they ha,o
much to gaiu if it should go into successful operation; but at the same time, we must feel
the heneflts to be derived from it, for our interests are so intimately blended, that whatever
affect> the one must also hc felt hy the otl1er."-81. .fohn'.. ('oll/i,r, P""''''lry 25, l
Sr..

E\HLY HISTORY.

11

incorporating the" St. Andrews and Quebec Railroad Company," for
the constr-uction of a line from St. Andrews, New lirunswick, to Lower
Canada.
Lord Glenelg was then Secretary of State for the Colonies, and it
was to him the several resolutions of the Provincial Legislature, and
the reports of what had then been done, were submitted. On the
jth
of April an estimate of the cost of construction, and of the probable
traffic, was also laid before him. The cost of the work was estimated at

-!,oOO,OOO, and the revenue to be derived at e;ûoû,OOO, apart from the
carriagc of mails.-
The deputation urged the importance of an immediate survey on a
more comprehcnsive scale than that of the previous explorations, and
suggested that a sum not exceeùing æl0,OOO be expended in an explora-
tion thruugh the wilderness country, an expenditure which would save
thousands in the end; and as the service cuuld not be completed in one
season, that it should be commenced withuut delay. The deputation
further proposed, as the means for raising the necessary capital, that
the sum of æ2.jO,OOO should be given as 11. bonus or special grant to the

· Estimate of cost of comtruction.
Grading 250 miles at $5,000 per
mile (currency).."... ....,...J;. 312,500
Making the road "n<l J!uttin
down
rails for a single tr:Lck, with turn-
outs, ere" at $7,000 per mile.. .. 437,;;00

Whole estimate'. cost.. ...... ..J:. 750,000
The association thou!!ht it safe to
allow for contingencies, in ad.
dition thereto.. .. .. . . " . . . .. .. -I:: 2ÚO,OOO

Total.. .. .. .. , . _. ... _ .. .. . , , ,.l:I,OOO,OOO
Of, in sterling JIIoncy...,.,.,..J:. &s8,889

I "'ports to Qllcbfoc.

'Vest India prOflu('e.......... _...,.:l 5,000
EurllJ!ean mnnur'L<'tures an,l merchan-
.Iisc.. .... _ . _ . . . . .. ..,......... 10,000
]..t<;:"'Ien
('r
, avpr:J!!in!! l!í p('r .1n.\P. 2f10

Iays, at liO shilli,;!!" ellch. _ . . -. . _ . _ 15,r.OO
M..cellaneou. artie1es. equal to 50,000
harrels at Ii shillings each, , ,
Elni
rant8t say a _ . .

12.r.oO
5,000

Amount of imports..... ..... _. _.. OH,I00

Exports from Quebec.
Flour and provisions, say 110,000 har-
rds, at 3 shillings per harreL _ .. . ,.l:1ß,1iOO
'Vheat, barley, oats, etc,...... _.. _ _ to,OOH
Staves, ashes and miscellaneous nr-
ticles.. . . .. . . .. .. .. .. . .. _ ... 1O,OO()
Passengers, as IJer contra.. . . 15,1;00

Amount from exports.... .. ., .. . . E;;:!,I00

To and from ti,e Ù,tcr",editltc couI/try.
100,000 tons deals, timhf'r. hOllrd
,
HIllI planb, at 7s. 6,1. per tfln. . _ . -I:: 37,WO
Shin
les, st,u'cs, sllwlo[(s, sCllntlin!!,
and other dimension Inmhf'r __... 7.;
")
Pro,.i!'lions, f!OOtl
. pas
cn
ers; i. ('.,
settlers find operators. . . . . , . . . , . . 6,:JIIO

Total. . . . . . . . .

.... .. _ L fJl,::OO

Prohllble income, _ _ _ .... _. _. El;,l.;110
Equal in sterling money to.... _. _ ..l:134,r.r.r.

Allowllnce for carrying fIlllils nn,l other
it{.ms not in('hulc.1

12

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

company on the principle established in the province fur the construc-
tion of roads and internal improvements; that a further sum of
.t500,OOO be invested in the stock of the company, the ùividclllb tu
forlll a part of the casual revenues; the remaining æ250,OOO to be
obtained in stock in the Canadas and New Brunswick.
On the 5th
Iay, 1836, the deputation addressed a letter to Sir
George Grey, then Gnder-::;ecretary of State, acknowledging the receipt
of his letter of the 4th inst., which COIl veyed to them the gratifying informa-
tion that their application for a !Sum of money not exceeding æ10,OOO,
to he expendc9. in the exploration and survey of the proposed line of
Hailway from St. Andrews to Quebec, had been granted; and that the
other propositions submitted hy them would receive the attention of
GovernIllent so soon as the result of the survey should be known. The
deputation concluded their letter with an expression of thanks to
Lord Glenelg.
The day after the arrival, from England, of the deputation at St.
Andrews, 10th June, 1836, resolutions were passed at a public meeting
to the effect-" that the munificent donation of ælO,OOO by His Majcsty,
.. for the purpose of carrying into effect an exploration of the line for a
" Railroad from St. Andrews to Quebec, affords an additional proof of
"His l\lajesty's solicitude for the prosperity of his British North Ameri-
.. can Colonies, and is hailed by the members of the Association as an
"earnest of the ultimate completion of the work." Sir Archilmld
Campbell was also thanked for the countcnance and encouragement,
he had given tu the work.
The survey was entrusted to Captain Yule, who had a high repu-
tation in the ROJal Engineel's for practical knowledge and profe
sional
ability, and upon thc 24th July, 1836, that officer commenced the work
at Point Levi!S.
The object was to ascertain whether the country was suitable for
railway construction; also, to obtain !Such data as time would permit,
in order to form an opiniun as to the most eligible lino. The scope
of the cxamination was not eonfincd to the project of connccting St.

EARLY HISTORY.

13

Andrews and Quebec. It wa:> t.'xtended to the wider question as to
the bcncfits whfch the work would confcr on the whole country. The
survey followed the valley of the Etchemin Hiver to Etehemin Lakc,
which had been previously examined by Captain Yule, and recommended
for the route of the Levis and Kennebec Railway. From Lake Etehe-
min, the line of exploration was as straight as possible towards :\lars
lIill, and then direct to St. Andrews.
Between the upper part of the River St. John, nearest the Lake
Etchemin and :\lars Hill, several short lines werc explored. (Tntil that
pcriod, the country from cast to west, was unknown. The only reports
made of its character had heen ginn by hunters who had passed in
canoes along the St. John, the Allagash, or the Restook, and the gen-
eral belief was that it was generally level; at least, without great in-
equalities.
In the exploration made by Captain Yule not a single feature,
stream, lake nor mountain could be identified until the Restook was
rcached. There was neither lllap nor laud-mark to a::;sist the exploring
party.
The survey showed se,'eral level tracts; but at other points the
route was occa!Sionally turned to the right or left by high hill!S and
ridges. On the portion of thc line between
lars I Ell amI St. Andrews,
no important obstacles were founù. The route, as a ,
hole, was found
to be remarkably free from such obstacles as might have been looked
for in a large tract., of which part ,,,as believe.! to partake of a highland
character; while there wt're few abrupt rocky ridges to lead to a
deviation of the route from a direct course. But four large rivers, and a
few broad and deep ravines were met. One unusual cause of expense
was to be looked for, viz., the difficulty of obtaining supplies. The
distance was -estimated at 300 miles, allli the cost of the line at one
I
million pounds.
The scheme was favourably received by the Governor-General and
by the great hody of the people.
It was O'enerallv looked upon as promi,ÜlIg extraordinaryadvan-
b " .

.

14

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

tages, and as a project which would give an impetus, never before ex-
perienced, to the prosperity of the country. On all sides it was held that
every effort should be made to obtain an unintelTupted communication
with the seahoard.
:\Ioreove:', the project was thought to be the commencement of a sys-
tem of internal improvements to extend to the Far \Vest, which had
only to bc put in operation to create an immense traffic and greatly to aùd
to the wealth of the provinces. It was argued that this consideration
should be kept prominently in view. The value of the export trade
from the \Vest, \Va
inferred from the rivalry between New York
and Pennsylvania in their endeavour to control it.
The people of the United States, moreover, appeared clearly to un-
derstand the advantages which would result to the British Prov-
inces from the undertaking. Illustrations of the spirit in which the
project was reviewed, can be found in the press of New York of that
date.. These furnish an early indication that it was this project
which suggested to parties in the United States the policy of claim-
ing a portion of New Brunswick as a part of Maine, so that the pro-
posed line .could not be followed.
At that time the entire country through which Captain Y ulc pros-
ecuted the surveys was held to be wholly within British territory.

." A GREAT PROJECT,-The plan which the Canadians and the New Brunswick peopl..,
under the auspices of the British Government, have projected, of a railroad from Qucbec to
St. Andrews, in New Brunswick, or the City of St. John, so as to make, as it is said, St, An.
drews a whwf and the Bay of Fundy a /lUrbour for the St. Lawrence, is one of the most mag-
nificent that has yet been projected upon this continent, and calculate,l to in vol ve, ultimately,
the most important political consequences, The idea was stolen from the Maine Legislature (!)
where the project originally started; but Great Britain, with that sagacity amI foresight
that distinguish all her political movements, has taken it up an.1 aelopted it, anel is likply,
for want of sufficient enterprise in the Maine Le
islature, not only to rob that State of the
honour and the profit, but even of the territory oyer which it is absolutely necessary to con.
struct the road: hence, undoubtedly, the reason wh
. Sir Charles Vaughan, in his ('orr,,"-
ponden('e with our Government, relative to th(' North EAstern honnclary, II.fl('r the startin!! of
the project, r('fnoed ('ven to fll.ll ha('k upon the ,,,vard of the J\:inl! of Holland, :IS to the
dividing line hplwpen Maine and the British Provinces. though he was very wi1\in!! to fidopt
that line immprli:ltply after the award. The object of the British GovprnnlPnt now is 10
spcnre enough of this disllUted country to wake a railroad upon, between the B3Y of Fnmly
:11,,1 Qllehe(

EARLY HISTORY.

1.

It was in 1837 that the Government of the United States made objec-
tion to the mute proposed, and Canada was then in rebellion. ". ere
the troubles of that date too tempting an opportunity to be neglected?
Had that outbreak not taken place, would the claim ever have been ad-
vanced ?
It is true that in the treaty of 1783 the boundary was very
vaguely described; but it was capable of arrangement. Unfortunately
however, Canada, then weak, at war with herself, without cohesion,
shaken by political difEcultie8, oft'eTed herself a \villillg prey to a strong
and ambitious neighbour.
If the loss has been hers, the fault has, to no small extent, been hers
also. The facts are now the history of the past, and there are few inci-
dents of modern times which more plainly tell their lesson. Let us only
hope that the lesson is not to be read in vain, and that those who follow
us will profit by its teaching and will not again, by disunion and polit-
ical discord, court spoliation, or dismemberment. The promoters of the
Railway were, for the first time, made aware of the action of the Cnited
States Government, through the deputation of the association then in
England. Upon their application for an interview with Lord Glenelg,
the deputation received a despatch from Sir George Grey,. Under-Sec-
retary of State, to the effect, that as the Government of the State

.. This project we have called magnificent, not only on account of the undertaking itself,
but on account of its high and weighty consequences. It enables the British Government
to send all her troops, munitions of war, etc., with all possible speed, from that important
naval position, Halifax, where the British Government is now fitting up one of the strongest
fortifications in the world, to Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, the Lakes, and all along our
northern and north-western territories, In five or six days, soldiers can be taken from the
great military and naval depot at Halifax and put upon the 8t. Lawrence from Quebec to
Ontario. The difficult and dangerous navigation of the 81. Lawrence is thus avoided, The
British will also thus have a port where their produce can be sent to and from the 'Vest
IniliE'
, Military and commercial ailv.mtages prompt the British Government to expen,l
M,OOO,OOO. for with the harbour of Halifax, as it is near EuropE', a cordon of British bayonets
can bemailetosurrounilusintheshortestpossibletime.anil the proilllce of the Canadas,
now seE'king 1\ mart in New York in American ships, can thus be turned to St. Andrews or
Rt. .John in British bottoms, But rE'ly upon it, there is no question with a foreign power
now so vasth- invol-ing the future destinies of this cOUlltry, 11.5 the disputed boundary line
with F.n!!lnml"
· 3d Jul)', 1837.

')

Hi

THE IXTERCOLO:-<IAL.

of Maine had protested again
t the prosecution of the undertaking, on
the ground that it involved an infringement of certain stipulation8 re-
specting the un8ettled hofmdary question, the Governor-Gencral of Can-
ada and the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brun:nvick had bcen instructed
to prevcnt further proceedings until mea8urc::; had bçen taken to remove
thc objeetion8 of tltp Statc of l\Iaillf'.
In pursuance of thi8 interference, on the 24th of the same montI],
the secreta,ry of the aS80ciation received a communication from
Sir John Harvey, Fredericton, to the f'ffect that he had received
the commands of His :Majesty's Uovel'llment, in consequence of a
reprcsentation from that of the United States, peremptorily to prohibit
any furthcr proceedings for the construction of a railroad between St.
Andrews and Quehec until the points in dispute 8hould be settlf'd.
Captain Yule also wrote to the association on the sudden turn of affairs,
adding a few wor<ls of sympathy and hope, and the proceedings of the
association were ahruptly closed.
An attempt was madc in 1838 to revive the project, but the bound-
ary question had thtn a8sumed grave importance, and nothing could he
done.
The difficulties with Maine, which followed the sudden and unex-
pected suspension of the Railway survey, and the troubles connected
with the rehellion in both Canadas, pointed to the fact that if Northern
America was to rcmain British America, there must be a speedier con-
nection between hcr and the Mother Country, and that in winter there
must be a modc of approach to the Canad..1.s other than the frozen St.
Lawrence. The fin;t indication that light had dawned in the Colonial
office upon this subject, is found in a despatch from Lord Glenelg to
ir
John Harvey,-to thc effect that the Imperial Government had resolvf'd to
adverti::;e for tenders for carrying the mails hetween England and Halifax
by steam instead of sailing vessels; and that the Imperial postma.c;ter-
Gf'neral had turned his attention to the necessity of increased expedi-
tion in the carriage of mails by land.
· 24th Oct.. 1838.

EARLY HISTORY.

17

In a despatch dated 4th May, 18:39, Lord Normanby informed Sir
John Harvey that a contract had been entered into for a semi-monthly
mail by steamships between Liverpool and Halifax, and the improvement
of the mail roads was again earnestly pressed on the Colonial Govern-
ments.
It was, doubtless, the knowledge of the views of the Imperial
Government, which led Lord Durham in his celebrated report to allude
to the future of British America.
Some explanation has always been sought for his expressions at
this date. - The words, it is true, are not many, but viewed in the light of
our present knowledge they are pregnant with meaning. He says: "The
"completion of any satisfactory communication between Halifax and
" Quebec, would ill fact produce. relations between these Provinces
"that would render a general union absolutely necessary." He was
indeed more of a prophet than was believed for many years. In theory,
the rail way was undoubtedly the pivot of the Dominion, in fact, the
railway owes it::! existence to the Dominion. In February, 183!),
a body of armed men from the State of Maine attempted to take pos-
session of the disputed territory. The organization of a force to repel
the invasion must have established the necessity of a military road
through the length and breadth of British America. These various
difficulties led to a report from the post-office authorities at Quebec,-
in which the road then used for carrying mails between Quebec and
Fredericton is described as passing through the territory in dispute, and
stating that in giving up this route there was but one other choice, "the
neglected road partially opened hy Sir James Kempt," between Metis
on the Lower St. Lawrence and the River Restigouche.
The ad vantage of the
Ietis road, since known as the Kempt road,
at that time was, that it passed through undi;puted territory. From a
military point of view it cllmmended itRclf to the Government on the
ground that troops and supplies could he hrought by water from Halifax
up the Restigouche to within 300 miles of Quebec, at periods '" hen

· JanulU}', ls:m.

18

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

the St. Lawrence is not practicable. An exploration and survey of a
road from the Restigouchc to the St. Lawrence was therefore made ill
the summer?f 1839, and in the following year an appropriation was
voted by the Imperial Parliament for the completion of this communica-
tion between Lower Canada and New Brunswick. It retained the name
of its first projector, Sir James Kempt; for many years previous to
1839 it had fallen into disuse, and had almost become forgotten, but
the dark and complicated aspect of affairs again brought it to notice,
and led to its restoration.

. Quoted by Lord Normanby in despatch, May, 1839.

CHAPTER II.

TIIE BOUNDARY QUESTION, 1783 to 1842.

Final settlement of the Boundary Line disastrous to the Rail way ,-Treaty of Paris of 178.'3.-
Disputed interpretations of that Treaty.-Subsequent Treaty of 1794.- The Commission
under it-St. Croix River named in the Treat)..-Doubtful Location of the" Highlands ,.
of the Treaty.-The due North Line.-Verification of boundary of old Nova Scotia by
ancient Letters Patent-Featherstonhaugh and Mudge on original Grant.-Treaty of
Ghent in 1814.-Blunders of the Commissioners.-Arbitration of the King ohhe Nether
lands.-Award rejected by the United States.-President Andrew J'll'kson on the QIIC
-
tion,-llis reasonable proposals dpclinl)d by the English Government.-A new survey
organized by both Countries.-State of Maine overtly breaks International Law.-Lord
Ashburton's Mission to Washington,-Daniel Webster,-The Boundary Line adopted
prpjudicial to ('anada.

The Maine Boundary question, alluded to in the last chapter, was
settled by Treaty in August, 18-12; Lord Ashburton representing Great
Britain, and the celebrated Daniel Webster the United States. It ct,ded
to the United States much of New Brunswick Territory, including all
that portion west of the River St. John through which Captain Yule
had made the Railway survey in 1837. Thus its effect was almost
to sever the geographical connection between the maritime Provinces
anù the Canadas.
One immediate consequence of this diplomatic sacrifice was the
indefinite postponement of the Railway; and when a quarter of a
century later, the period came for the construction of a line, the deter-
mination of its course was rendered a matter of the greatest possible
difficulty.
It will be neeessary to revert to the treaty of Paris of Septemher,
1783. in order fully to understand this now almost forgotten difficulty.
which at one timp threatened seriou:> complications.

20

THE INTERCOLO
IAL,

Tt was set forth, that in order: "to forget all past misunderstand-
"ings and differences that have unhappily interrupted the good co1'1'es-
"pondence and friendship which they mutually wish to restore, and to
"establish such a beneficial and satisfactory intercourse between the
"two countries, upon the ground of reciprocal advantages and mutual
" convenience, as may promote and secure to both perpetual peace and
" harmony," .. .. .. .. "Article I. His Britannic Majesty acknowl-
"edges the said United States, viz. New Hamp
hire, &c." .. .. ..
" Article II. And that all disputes which might arise in future on the sub-
"ject of the boundaries of the said United States may be prevented, it is
" hereby agreed and declared, that the following are and shall be their
"boundaries, viz.-from the Northwest angle of Nova Scotia, viz. that
"angle which is formed by a line drawn due north, from the source of
" St. Croix river to the highlands, along the said highlands which di vide
"those rivers that empty themselves into the St. Lawrence, from those
"which fall into the Atlantic Ocean; to the Northwesternmost head of
"Connecticut River; thence down along the middle of that river to
"the forty-fifth degree of North latitude; from thence on a line due
"West on that latitude, until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraf}uy ;
" thence along the middle of the said river into Lake Ontario; .. ..
".. .. .. East, by a line to be drawn along the middle of the River
"St. Croix, from its mouth in the Bay of Fundy, to its source; and
"from its source directly North to the aforesaid highlands which divide
.. the rivers which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, from those which fall
"into the river St. Lawrence; comprehending all islands within
" twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States and
" lying between lines to be drawn due East from the points where the
.. aforesaid boundaries between Nova Scotia on
he one part, and East
" Florida on the other, shall respectively touch the Bay of Fundy, and
" the Atlantic Ocean; excepting such lands as now are, or heretofore
"have been, within the limits of the said province of Nova Scotia."
There is every reason to believe that this description so far as it
rclates to the Maim' houndary was sufficiently definite and intelligible

THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

21

to the framers of the Treaty, and that its me,ming was distinctly un-
derstood by them. Indeed tRere is nothing that the writer has seen
which suggests that any doubt was felt at that time regarding it. Only
a few years elapsed, however, when it was seen that the provisions of
the Treaty contained the elements of dispute. It is not to he wondered
at, therefore, when half a century had passed over, and another genera-
tion had to interpret them, that doubts were started hy the new men
who were then seeking political distinction. The old question assumed
an entircly new form. Fresh claims were propounded. Difficulties,
before unknown, were created; and the lloundmy, notwithstanding re-
peated attempts at settlement, could not be defined to the satisfaction
of both parties to the Treaty.
In 178-1, immediately after the conclusion of the Treaty, a part of
the ancient Province of Nova Scotia was converted into the Province
of Ncw Brunswick. English settlements were made at 8t. Andrews,
and on the river Sehuodic, helieved to be the St. Croix of the Treaty.
But even at this early period, some of the citizens of the United States
were advancing the claim that the Magaguadavic was the true St. Croix.
Other difficulties having occurred, a new treaty, called" The Treaty of
Amity Commerce and Navigation," was made in 179-1.
In the fifth article of this treaty after setting forth that doubts had
ariscn, as to what river was truly intended by the name of
t. Croix, it
provided that the questiun should be referred to the final decision of COIll-
.
missioners, to be appointed as follows, viz: "One Commissioner shall
" be namcd by His Majesty, and one by the Presidcn t of the U llited States
" hy and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and the said
"two commissioners shall agree on the choice of a third; or if they can-
" not so agree, they shall each propose one person, and of the two names so
" proposed, one shall be drawn by lot in the presence of the two original
" commissioners; and the three commissioners so appointed shall be
"swurn impartially to examine and decide the said question according
" to such evidcnce as shall respectively be laid before thcm. · · · ·
" The sai(l commissioners shall, by a declaratiun under their hands and

22

THE l
TEltCOLO
IAL,

" scals, decide what river is the river St. Croix intended by the Treaty
".. .. .. .. .. and :>hall particularize the latitude and longitude of
.. it8 muuth and of it8 80urce, .. .. .. .. and both parties agree to
.. consider such decision as final and conclu::;ive, 80 that the same shall
"never thereafter be called into question, or made tbe subject of di8pute
" 01' difference between them:'
Thesc instruction8 are sufficiently simple and explicit, and acting
upon them negotiations were commenced in 17!)6. By common agree-
ment of the two nominated cummissioners, a judge of the SuprpnlC
Court of :K cw York, a man whose character stuod high fOl" talents and
integrity, was appointed the third commissioncr and umpire. Thruugh-
out the negotiations which continued until the autumn of 1798, it was
strcnuously in8i8ted upon, un the part of the United States, that the
Magaguadavic was the true St. Croix. This view was not accepted by
the Dritish commissioner. The rcsult was that the third Cummissioner
dccided tlmL the British claim was fully estahlishcd to the ri H
i"
Schoodic as thc true Hiver 81. Croix of thc Treaty of 1 j8
. The rin-l'
has two branches, unc flowing from the 'Vest, the other frum the Non h.
Of tllese two In'anches, the western had heen 80mctime8 calle!l the
Sehoodic, but the northern had been invariahly called the ChiputnaC-
cook. The commissioncrs recognized the \\ estern branch as the main
stream. The source of the wcstcrn branch of the ::O;choodic or true
t.
Croix, is -6ome 50 miles di8tant from the 80urce of the ca:"te1'l1 bralH'lI
or Chiputnaticook; the interval hetwccn the meridians of longit nde
of these two points is aLout 70 statute miles. Noh\ithstanding thi,

decision that the westcrn branch, the so called river Schoodic, \\as thc
river St. Croix of the Treaty of 1783, the conuui8sioners Ill'opospd and
ùecided that the Chiputnaticook, or eastern branch, 8huuld fOrIn the
line of boundary; and in conformity with this deci8ioll they erected a
boundary monument at its source. For what cause, or on what prin-
ciplc they arrived at this view i8 unintelligihle. The duty of the com-
missioners was in reality limited to the determination of the geugraphical
pll
ition of the river St. Croix, dl.:clared, hy tLe Treaty of 17
3, to he

THE ßOl'
U.\.RY QL'ESTION.

23

the boundary of the t\\ (I cuuntrili5' In deciding that any other river
shoulJ be the boundary tIll,') entirely ovcr:>tel'ped their duty. It was
indeed generally acknowledged that the commissioners had exceeded
thcir powers, and in 1798 a.n explanatory article was added to the
treaty of 1794, releasing the commÏ:;sionel's from their obligations to
define the ri,vcr St. Croix, and declaring that the decisions to which
they had come :,;hould be permanently binding on England and the
United States.
The establishment of the boundary at the source of the Chiputna-
ticook in place of that of the true St. Croix, was the first false step in
these unfortunate negotiatiuns. From this fatal error arose all the
subsequent difficulties. which emharra:<se(} the consideration of the
question, and lùtimately led to a settlemcnt disastrous to the interest....
of Canada. It was also unfOltunate th,tt :;teps were not taken to de-
fine the entire boundary between the true starting-point un the St.
Cruix, and the :mcceedillg gu"crning point. Had thi" coursc been
pursued, the true meaning and intcnt of the description given in the
Treaty would have bCl>n appdrelIt. Even had the labour:; ùf the COlll-
mbsioners been extended to ei:>tablish the bound..try from their 0\\ II
starting-point, consideralJle light wouhl have been thrown upon the
subject. In all probability they would have discovered the mi,;take the.\
had made, and as just andreasonahle men, would ha"c been lell to recti-
fy it. They contcnted themselves, hnwever, in creating a starting-point
not de
igncd by the Treaty, aud here their ol'erations ceased. The main
boundary still remained undefincd. Had the urdinary principle:> which
are followed in laying down the lines of a property, been applied, much
confusion would llitve becn avoided, and a houndary line traced, the
substantial fairness of which would have been beyond impeachment.
Thirty-fi\ e year" afterwards, the Government of the 'Lnited StaÌl
clearly enunciated the principles to he fullowed, through the Sl'cl'eh\l \
of State, tbe Hunorahle Edward Living:,tone. " Boundaries of tra.
., anù countries, where tbe region through wh:ch the line is to l'a
"
., unexplored, are frequentl,v de
i
llate.I 1,y natl1ral nhjpct
, the rl't'Li
e

24

THE I
TEItCOLONIAL.

"situation of which is not known, hut which arc supposed to bc in
" the direction of a particular point of the compass-where the natural
"olJject is found in the designated direction, no question can arisc.-
"'\Vhcre the course will not touch the natural Loul1l1ary, the rule

. universally adopted is, not to consider the boundary as one impos8ible
" to be traced; but to preserve the natural boundary, and to reach it
" by the nearest direct course. Thus if after more accurate surveys
"shall have been made, it 8hould be found that the north cour8e from
" the head of the St. Croix should not reach thc highlal1l18 which answer
"the description of those de8ignatcd in the Treaty of 1 j83; then a
"direct line from the head of the St. Croix, whatever may be its direc-
" tioD, to such highland8, ought to be adopted, and the line would
"still be conformable to the Treaty." On this principle the fir8t cffort
was to discover the higlùands which corresponded with th08e descrihed
in the Treaty, and to take the point in those highland8 nearest to the
due north line. It would then have been in strict accordance with the
Treaty, to draw a direct line to that point from the other known fixed
natural point, the source of the St. Croix, without regard to the pre-
cise course named in the Treaty.
A due north linc from the true river St. Croix crosses, ht. A
height of land, separating the waters flowing into the Atlantic from
those flowing into the Bay of Fundy: 2d. A height ofland scparating
the waters flowing into thc Bay of Fundy from the waters flowing into
the Bay Chaleur: 3d. A height of land scparating the waters flowing
into the Bay Chaleurfrom those flowing into the Estuary ofthe St. Law-
rence. A due north line from the Chiputnaticook, the assumed river St.
Croix, crosses, 1st. A height of land separating waters flowing into the
Hay of Fundy on the one side from waters on the other side flowing into
the river St. John, and finally into the Bay of Fundy: 2d. A height
of land separating waters flowing into the Bay of Fundy from waters
flowing into the Bay Chaleur: 3d. A height of land separating
waters flowing into the Bay Chalcur from waters flowing into the
Estuary of the St. Lawrence. It is obvious that not one of the heights

THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

25

of land on either north line, strictly agrees with the highlands
described in the Treaty, viz :_0' highland:> which divide rivers that
empty themsehes into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall
into the Atlantic Ocean." Such are to be found, however, at the
dividing ridge between the sources of the Penobscot and the Chaudière.

\.t the sources of these rivers is to be found that point in the high-
lands nearest to the north line of the Treaty; accordingly such point
pre:>ents itself as the natural object described in the Treaty of 1 ï
:3.
Between :.meh point and the other known point, the source of the river
St. Croix, a direct line drawn would have indicated the true boundary.
To the west of the dividing ridge, between the Penobscot and the
Chaudière, tho course of the highlands was ea:;ily defined to the Con-
nccticut River, and thence along the 45th parallel of latitude to the
westward; on this point there was no great diffcrence of opinion.
It must never be lost sight of that in the Treaty description, the
boundary is set forth as commencing at the Northwest angle of Nova
Scotia, at the northern end of the direct line from the river St. Croix.
It is, therefore, a matter of historical interest to examine how far the line
drawn from the river St. Croix to the dividing ridge, at the source of
the Chaudière, coincides with the boundary of thc old province of Kova

cotia.
The first grant of Nova Scotia is containcd in letters patcnt to
\Yilliam Alexander, Earl of Sterling, from King James 1st, in 1ü21, alllI
confirmed by Charles 1st, in 1625.
The description of Nova Scotia, given in these letters patent, is as
follows :-" Omnes et singulas terms continentis, ac insulas situatas et
" jacentes in Americâ intra caput seu promontorium communi tel' Gap
"de Sable appellat. Jacen. prope latitudinem quadraginta trium
" graduum autoo circa ab equinootiali lineâ, versus Septentrionem, a
"quo promontorio versus littus maris tendon ad occident em ad statio-
"nem Sanctæ )Iariæ navium vulgo S(wctmarcix BIIY. Et deinceps,
"versus Septentrioncm pOl' directam lineam introitum sive ostium
"magnæ illius stationis navium trajicien, quæ excurrit in terre orien-

2G

THE ll"rEltCoLU
I.-\L.

"talem plagam inter regiolles Suriquorum et Etcheminorum vu1go
"Sul'irj1lOil5 et Efr.JI(,JJlinf'.
ad fluvium vulgo nomine .8w/f'tæ
.. (Jrzu:is appellat. Et ad scaturiginem remotissimam sive fontem
.. ex occidelltali parte ejusdem qui se primum predicto fIuvio im_
"mescet. Unde per imaginariam direct am Linpam quæ pergere per
.. terram seu currere vt'rsus Septentrionem concipietur ad proximam
"navium
tationcm, t1 U\ i um vel Scaturigillem in magno thn io de
.. Canada I:;CSC exoneralltem. Et ab eo pergendo versus orieutem per
"maris oris littomles ejusdem 11uvii de Canada ad fluvium stationelll
"navium portum aut littus COl1l111uniter nomine de Gathepe vel Gaspee
" Dotum et appclhLtum."

Translation of the text.
"All amI siu
ular the lau<ls of the Continent, and Islands, situated and lying in
"America, within the hend or proll1ontory commonly called Cape Saùle, lying near the
"north latitude of forty-three degrees, or thereabouts, frum tll(' cq uinoctial line; from
"which promontory, towards (or along) the shore of the sea stretching to the west, to the
"ships' station of St. !\Iary, commonly called St. Mary's Bay; and thence, towards the
"north, by a. direct line crossing over the entrance or mouth of that great ships' station
"which extends iulallli into the eash,rn tract of country ùetwcen the regions of the Suriqui
" al\ll Etclwmines, ('ommonh' Suriquois allli Etc!\{'mins. to the river cOllimonly called IIY the
" name of St, Croix; ana to the most remote ""uree 01' spring, from the "estern part of the
"same. which first mingle. itself with the .aid river; whem'e, hy au imaginary direct line
" which might be conceived to proecc,l through the country. or to run towards the nurth, to the
.. nea
stships' station, ri,'er, ur spring, emptyiug itself in the great river of Canada; and
.. thence, ùy proceeding towar<ls the East by the Gulf shores of the same' river of Canada;
.. to the river, ships' station, port, or shore, commonly known and called ùy the nallle of
.. Gathepc or Gaspee."
The explanations of Messr!'. Featherstonbaugh and Mudge, on the
text of the original grant, establish that the original houndary linc of Nova
Scotia. from the mouth of the St. Croix to the source of the Chaudière,
was the boundary liue designed hy the framers of the Treaty of 1jí-<:t In
reality, the text of the Treaty is a repetition of the grant of 1(j
1, and it
could scarcely have been more precise, except with regard to the cour:;e
of the imaginal'y'straight line l,etweell the two natural objects, the
source of the River St. Croix amI the particular point in the highland::,.
The original grant runs :-" An imaginary direct line, which might be
., conceived (eoncipictur) to procecd through the cJuntry or to run to-
" wat'lh; the north .,

'fHg HOl"SDAltY Qt:'ESTI02\.

27

A slight al'parLlIl'P from tllis language wa;; admitted into the Treaty,
proha1ly \\ ith a Üew to a1lJl'e\ iate the description, ana hence the ùis-
crcpaney. \\T e have ane north. instcad of towards the north in a ùirect
or straight line. Othc1'\\ isl' the two descriptions llaYC one anLl the sa1l10
mea.ning. The ('ommis!:'illlwl's of the two (
oveTnmpnts, howpver, de-
cidcd on the point at the source uf the Chiputnatieook as the starting-
point; and they determinl'ù that this rin'l' shouhl hereafter be consid-
l'red the
t. Cl'oix-the Sanche Crucis of the Xonl. ::5eotia grant, whieh
it undoubtedly was not.
The nc-x:t step takl'n to C'ffect a settlf'fllpnt of the boundary was in
1::-;1-1, and the course dcterminedon is full v set forth in thc fifth Article
. .
of the Treaty of Ghcnt, '\iz:-
" "Thcreas neither tlULt poillt of the hi
hlanils lying due north from
"thc !'OUl'!'C of the river St. C'roi-x:, ùe!:>ignatcil in tllf' formcr Treaty of
,. Peaee hetween the two Powers as tILe North-west angle of Nuva
" :--;eutia.llor the northwesternmost head of the COlllleetieut Uivl.r,havc) et
"heen ascerta.ined; and whereas that part of the houlldary line IJetween
" the doiuillions of the two powel s. \\ hich ('xtcmls frum the sourcp (Jf
"the river St. Croix directly north to the ah(Jve mentioncLl
orth-we'it
"angle of Kova Scotia, thence along the
aid higlùallùs whieh ùÏ\'idc
"those rivers that empty thcmselves intu the river St. Lawrence from
"those which fall into the .\tlantic ()I'caJl. to the nurthwcstcrnmost hcail
"of the Connecticut Hin'r. Iht'nccdown along the middle of that rivcr to
"the -1;)th dcgree of Korth latitude, thenee hyaline due west in said
'"latitude, until it strikes the river Iroquuis or Cataraqui. has not Jet
"been surveyed; it is agrcCll. that for tht'
;c several purposes, two Com-
"missioncls !Shall be appointed, !Sworn. and authoriz
d to act cxactly in
"the manner ùirectpd with respcct to those mentiuncd in the next prc-
" ceding .\rticle, unless otherwise
pecifietl in the present article. The
":;;aid C'mnmis",iom-rs shall mect at
t, AlHlrews. in the Province of
"Ncw Brunswick. and shall have powl'r to adjourn to such other place
" or places as tllC'Y shall think fit. The said Commissioners shall have
.. l'()\Vpr to aSl:I'rtain alltl,ll't "1'1I1inc thp poiuts ahove mentionctl, ill eon-

28

THE INTERCOLONIAl,.

" formity with the provisions of the said Treaty of Peace of 1783 ; and
"shall cause the boundary aforesaid, from the source of the HiveI' St.
"Croix to the River Iroquois or Cataraqui, to be surveyed alld mm'ked
"according to the said provisions; the said Commissioners shall make
" a map of the said boundary, and annex to it a declaration under their
"hands and seals certifying it to be the true map of the said boun-
"dary, and particularizing the latitude and longitude of the North-
"wcst angle of Kova Scotia, of the north-westernmost head of the Con-
"nccticut River, amI of such other points of the said boundary as
"they may deem proper. And 1)oth partics agree to consider such
"map and dcclaration as finally and conclusively fixing the said
"Loundary. And in the event of the two Commissioners differing,
"or both or either of them refusing, declining, or wilfully omitting
"to act, such rcports, declarations, or statements shall be made by
"them, or either of them, and such reference to a friendly Sovereign
"or State shall be madc, in all respects as in the latter part of the
"fourth Article is contained, and in as full a manner as if thc sallle
" was herein repeated."
Had these Commissioners commenced at the source of the truc St.
Croix, that is to say, the main or wcstcrn branch, and then extended a
line due north, they would have reach cd highlands, at no great dis-
tance, where the waters flowing into the Atlantic take thcir l'Íse. But
the Commissioners began their labours at the point of commencemcnt
erroneously established by their predecessors at the source of thc Chi-
putnaticook. Starting from this point, on a course due north, thcy
passed through the opening in the highlands through which the River
St. John finds a passage. The Commissioners in con3equcnce found the
wording of the Treaty in no way in accordance with the physical fea-
hues of the country. The line run, not striking highlands, hut passing
through them at the opening through which the St. John flows, they
cncountercd a wille intermediate expanse, and finally struck a second
range of highlanLls at a point where the rivcr ::\Ictis takes its rise. nut
the lattcr highlanLls divi<leLl thc waters flowing into the Bay Chaleur,

TIlE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

2!)

from those flowing into the estuary of the St. Lawrence, alllI cOlùd not
po::;sibly be considered the highland::; of the Treaty of 1783.
The Commissioners, under the Treaty of Ghent could not arrive at
any decision. A::; a last l'esource, under its proyisions, the que::;tion was
referred by common consent to the King of the Netherland::; for arbitra-
ment, anù the duty wa::; accepteLl by that monarch. The subject was
fully submitteLl to the arbitrator by the repre::;entatives of both Govern-
ments, "ith documentary evidence, and all that could throw light upon
the case. It is believed, however, that the fact, that the western branch
of the St. Croix had been set aside for the eastern branch, was not
hrought prominently forward. It may have been incidentally men-
tioned, but it was not adduced as a link in the evidence to explain
much that was otherwise inexplicable. The boundary had in fact been
dedared to be settled in 1798, as far as the monument at the head
of the Chiputnaticook could estaLlish it, and although the selcction
of that stream was admitted to be a departure from the Treaty of
1783, it was held that this settlement precluded the reopening of tho
question.
The award of the King of the Netherlands was delivered at the
Hague on the 10th of January, 1831. It was to the effect that the evi-
Llence submitted, anù the vague aIllI indefinite stipulations of the Treaty
of 1783 did not permit an adjudication of either of the lines claimed by
the respective Governments. The opinion was further expressed, that
the original description of the boundarie::; of the British Provinces did
not afford any ba:,;i::; for a decision; that the instructions of Congress,
when the Treaty of ] 7
j wa::; being negotiated, placed t.he north-west
angle of Kova Scotia at the ::;ource of the River St. John; that accord-
ing to Mitchell's map, (a docnment extant when the Treaty of 1783 wa::;
made and submitted in evidence,) the latitude of that angle was as far
north as the banks of the St. Lawrence; that according to the boun-
dary of the Government of Quebec. it ought to be sought for at the
highlands dividing the rivers which empty themselve::; into the River
St. Lawrence from tIlOse which fall into the sea; eonsP'luently, that the

:-:!o

THE IXTERCOLO
L\L.

north-west angle of Nova Scotia was uuknown III 178:3, unascertained
by the Trcaty of (
hent, anLl f'till remaining to llc fOUllfL
The arbitrator was abo of opinion that the rivers falling into the
Bay Chaleur and into the Bay of FUIllly could not he consiLlcred,
according to the meaning of the Treaty, as rivers flowing into the At-
lautic; and spccifieally that the rivers St. John and Hestigollche cannot
bc lookerl upon as answcring to the latter description.
It was furthcr advanced that the term ., highlaJH1s" applies not only to
a hilly or elevated country, but also to land which, not nceessari1y
hilly. divides waters flowing in oppositf' direction,,; "that the verb
"divide appears to requirc the contigujty of the ohjects to he divided;"
and that, therefore. no highlands answering tIll' 11escription of the
Treaty of 178:1 occurred in a due north linc from the source of the
RiYer St. Croix.
Therefore, finding himscH unahlf' to adjlll1gc eithf'r of the line", the
Arbitrator conccived it expc(licnt to suggest a. linc of houndary.
The Government of Great Britain announced to the Government of the
United States their willingness to acqui(>s('c in any boundary prop08eLl
by the King of the :Kethedunds. The Scnatc of thl' l'nited States rf'-
jeeted the award, and invitcd the President to enter anew into nego-
tiations with the British ({ovcrnment UpOIl the whole question of the
bounclary.
'X t'gotiations were accordingly renewf'd, and a long diplomatic
corresronrlence ensued. The Executive of the rnited States by no
means helLl it to be impracticable to determine the boundary in-
tended hy the Treaty of 17:-3. The President, General .Jackson, ex-
1'r1'8sl-',1 him"l'lf !,;Ìnpen-'ly anxiolls to haw' the que
tion amicahlyad-
justed during his term of o1'6('c. I II' direct!-'d a propo"al to he madf'
and repeate(l at various timf's, 'whieh secmed to open a way calculated
to bring ahout a satisfactory
olution. The proposal of the Pr('
idpJIt is
fully cxplained in a note sent to the Dnke of \Vellington, from \Vash-
ington. ·

<< April 28th, H
:;;;. Uun, .Juhn For>) th, Sl-'Crl'(ar) or State, \\'a.hington, to Sir C. H. Vaughan.

nor
DARV QrESTION.

31

.. fly the Treaty of 1 ï:-;
. the boundary between the dominions of
.. the two government
"as to be a line drawn from tht' sourcp of the
.. St. Croix. directly north, to the highlands which divide the rivers
" "hich fall into the Atlantic Ocean from thosf' which fall into the
.. River f::t. Lawrence, the point at which the Iluc north line was to
., cut the higWamls. was also designated as the northwest angle of Nova
.. Scotia; thence along the said highlands to the northwesternmost
" head of the Connecticut River. etc. The ascertainment of the true
" northwest II;ngle of Nova Scotia, or the nesignation of the highlands
.. referred to. lms been the principal difficulty by "hich the settlement
" of the bounrlary ha.'3 been so long retarded: and it "as tlH' suppose,l
." impracticahility of satisfactorily accomplishing that a
('ertainmf'nt or
.. designation \\hich prevented the :uljustment hy the .\I'hitrator. The
"r;nited States have alway'" contenderl, tha,t thp point. to which they
.. han uniformly claim",l, is upon certain highlands north of the river
.. St. .John, which answers, in (,I.'ery respect. the deseription given in
.. the Treaty. and is the true northwest angle of Xova Scotia: a claim
,. which is not intendeLl to be abanLloned 01' weakened by anything the
.. Pre",ident has authorized to he propo:.c,l or said upon the subject. If
.. the highlands now referred to, do in truth, answer the Lle,wription, no
,. doubt conld be reasonably f'ntertaincd of the justice of our claim, a,>
" there would he a perfect concurrence in the course prescribed, and
.. the natural object designated by the Treaty; but on the part of Great
.. Britain it has been strenuousl:v contendeLl. that no highlands, answer-
.. ing the description in the Treaty, could be foulld nurthwarLl of the
.. river St. John, upon a line running directly north; and it has, there-
.. fore, been insi
ted that the due north line "hall be deemed to ter-
.. minate to the southward of that river, and at a place called Mars
.. Hill. The President is ad"ised, that it is a rule in practical survey-
.. ing. which prm,ailell in this C"ountry before the revolution, amI ha;:;
.. since heen. and still i::; considered obligatory. that when there i::; found
.. in the location of the premises described in a deed or any other instl'u-
"mellt. a ,1i"'a
rcement in the cllllr....e of a
il..en lilli', antI the hearin
of

32

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

" a natural ohject called for, as its termination, the given course must
" he made to yielLl to the given object, and the line closed at the object,
"in a direction corresponding, as nearly as practicable, to the course
"prcscribed; upon the principle that the natural ohject furnishes evi-
"dence of the true intention of the parties, which may be relied upon
"with more safety than the course, errors in which constantly occur,
"from the imperfections in the instruments used, or the want of knowl-
"edge of those in whose hands they may have been placed. He has
" thought that this rule might be rightfully and properly applied to the .
"matter now in contl"Oversy, and is willing to agree, that if, upon a
"thorough examination, it shall appear to those appointed by the par-
" ties to make it, that His :Majesty's Government is correct in its assump-
"tion, that the higlùands hitherto claimed by the United States, as
"those designated by the Treaty, do not answer that descril)tion, but
"that those highlands are to be found to the west of the due north
" line; that the boundary line should be closed according to the cstab-
"lished rule in practical surveying. \Vhether there are highlands to
" be found in a northwesterly course from the source of the St. Croix,
"answering' better to the description given in the Treaty of 17R3, than
"those heretofore claimed by the United States, and so clearly idcnti-
" fied as to remove all reasonable douht, remains to be ascertained. K 0
',' inquiry into this fact, with a view to apply it to the respective and
" conflicting pretensions of the parties, has hitherto been made. It was
" under these circumstances, and with such impressions, that 1\11'. Liv-
"ingstone was authorized to propose to Sir Charles R. Vaughan, for
"the consideration of his Government, that a new commission should
"be appointed, consisting of an equal numbcr of comi:llissioners, with
"an umpire, selected by some fricndly sovereign, from among the most
"skilful men in Europe, to decide on all points in which they might
"disagree; or a commission entirely composeLl of scicntific Europeans,
"sclected by a fricIHlIy sovercign, to be attend ell in the survcy and
" cxamination of the country, hy agents appointed by the parties. The
"adoption of this cour..e woull1, it \Va::; urged, havc thc hcncfit of strict

THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

33

"impartiality in the ('ommi
sioners' local knowledge and high profes-
h giollal skill, "hich, though heretofore separately called into action,
" have never before been combined for the solution of the question:'
"In consequence of a wish expressed by Sir Charles R. Vaughan
" to be more fully advised of the views of the President, upon the subject
"of this proposition. he was furnished with a diagram, by which the
"manner in which it was intended the line should be run, in the event
"of highlands being discovered better answering the Llescription of the
"Treaty, than those claimeLl by the Cnited f'tate", was pointed out
" distinctly; while to relieve His Majesty's Government from all ap-
"prehension of a mOl'e extended claim of territory on our part, l\Ir.
"Livingstone was authorized to disclaim and did disclaim. all pretensions
"on the part of the "Cnited States, to the territory East of the line,
"which had been previously run dircctly north from the source of the
" St. Croix. - - -
" The President sincerely believes th,Lt the new proccss of investi-
"gation. proposed by him, might under the control of the principle of
h practical surveying developed, lead to a settlement of this agitating
"question, which, as it would be legally and fairly made according to
., a long established and well known rule, prevalent equally among the
" citizens of the United States and the subjects of his Britannic .:\Iajesty :
" ought to be, and he confidently trusted would be, satisfactory to all
" parties."
The new principle of settlement, on the basis of the Treaty of 1783,
embraced in the above extract, was made and urged by the Government
of the United States for fully two years.-
Five dt'''patehes were written on the suhject urging the fair. the
honourable. allll at the same time the practical solution of the question
as recommended by President .Jackson. They were forwarded to Lord
l'alll1cr
ton. .\ sixth dated ,April 2Hth, lH:1t" from 1\11" Forsyth was

..\pril 30th antI :\[ay 28th, 1833, from Mr. LÌ\';n
.t()nc to Sir C. R. Vau
han. .June fith,
IS;;3, anilIlbrch 11th and 21st. 183J, frow Ilk :\lcL,lIIc. Secrctary of State, to Sir C. H.
\?:II1
han.

3

34

THE INTERCOLONIAL,

despatcllf'd to the Duke of Wellington. The proposition made uy the
United States was not entertained, but a counter proposal was sub-
mitted by the Imperial Government, urging the expediency of agreeing
upon a conventional boundary; a proceeding which would have neces-
sitated a new treaty, amending the Treaty of 1783.
The United States Government had no authority to make a treaty
without the concurrence of the Senate; moreover, it was even a question
whether the treaty could be made without first obtaining the consent of
the States, contiguous to the boundary. But the President had the
constitutional authority to establish the line described in the Treaty of
178R, and in order to effect a speedy adjustment of a perplexing ques-
tion, he felt justified in submitting the principle of settlement baseLl on
expediency and equity. At this day it is difficult to comprehend tho
reasons which induced the Imperial Government to reject the proposal
of President Jackson; a mode of 8ettlement frequently repeated, alId
which was presented on grounds supported by argument and sustained by
practice. The proposal of the PresiLlent removed all Llifficulty in the MLY
of a speedy and satisfactory solution. The boundary, as far as the heaLl
of the minor branch of the St. Croix, had been agreed upon by 1I0th
nations; and a monument had been erected as a fixed point of departure.
It was now proposed and urged by the United States, to discard the
due north line, to seek west of the due north line the undisputed
.. highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the
"river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean,"
to find the point in the .. water shed" of these highlands nearest to
the due north line, and to trace a direct course from it to the mOlllUllent
already established. If this principle had been adopt ell, a straight lino
would have been drawIl from the monument at the heaLl of the Chil'ut-
natieook, to a point which could have been establÜ;hed with prccision,
in the" water shed" of the highlands which separate the sources of
the f'haudière from those of the Penohscot; hew heing the lIIost I'a:-;t-
m'ly poiut in the only highlal\lls agrceing beyond Ilispllte witll the
tre,lty. This poiut is found a little to th(' north amI \\ o:<t of the

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THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

35

intersection of the 70th meridian west longitude aml the 46th parallel
of north latituùe.
An examination of the map of the country. Plate Xo. 2, on
which are depicted the water-shed", of the different drainage ba
ins,
will at once satisfy the reader that no other point could possibly be
chosen. The water-shed which divides" those rhers that empty them-
selves into the 'river St. Lawrence from those which fall into the
Atlantic Ocean," cannot be mistaken or disputed. The most eastcrly
extremity of that water-shed is undoubtedly where the drainage basin
of the Day of Fundy begins. Here three water-sheds converge;
namely, the watcr-shed between the river :-it. Lawrence and the
Atlantic drainage systcms; the water-shed betwcen the river St.
Lawrence and Ray of Fundy basins; and the water-shed betwcen the
Day of Fundy and the
\tlantic drainage systems. The point of
convergence of thl'se three water-sheds is the only point that could
have been seleetcd as the natural object sought for, had the prol)osal
of President Jackson been acquiesccd in.
That the proposal fcll to the ground, must be attributcd entirely to
the fact that the Imperial Govcrnmcnt declincd to concur in it, UlIlcss
cumbercd with conditions which a President of the United Statcs had
no power to acccpt.
Occasional letters passed between the two Governments respecting
a houndary to he establishcd by con
ention, but no progress was made
towards settlement. Indeed, little was done beyond an exchange of
diplomatic correspondcnce, until the survey for the railway from St.
Andrews to Quebec attracted attention. Representations were then
made hy.the Statc of Maine to the Fcderal Government, to have the
survey stopped. The following year, on the Government of the rnited
States asking the concurrence of the Statc of Maine to enter into a treaty
for a f'OInentional boundary line, the Hou;;e of Reprcsentative;; passed
t'l'''fllutions. affirming the inexpeùiency of entering into the negotiations,

· 23.1 IIl.lrch, 183G. "Resoh'ed, that it is nut expedient to give the assent uf this
. Stale tu ti,l' 1..."lcral (;u\ crnlllcnt tu treat with that of Great Britain, fur R cunvcnliunal

36

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

and insisting on the line establish cd by the Treaty of liS:], and asking
for the erection of fortifications to defend it.
In July, lti:]!), Colonel :Mudge and )11'. Featherstonhaugh were ap-
pointed by the Imperial Govcrnment to survey the dis}Juted territory,
amI to cxamine the several lines of boundary and the different ranges
of highlands.
In April, 18-10, they reported that there was a defined range of
highlands lying betwcen the sources of the rivers ChaUllière and Du
Loup flowing northward, and the Androscoggin and Kennebec flow-
ing southward. and that it continucd along the head watcrs of the
Penobscot, which it divided from the waters of the St. John. Thcse
highlands wcre describcd as being capallle of heing traced across the
river St. John and towards the hcad of the lby Chaleur; they also
rcportl>d that the
'ì:J highlands complied with the spil'Ít of the Treaty of
1jH
-that 110 other highlands in the COUll try to the north were found
to allswcr the dcscription; and that, to meet the want of such height of
lallll, fictitious mountain ranges had been inserted in maps of some
Smnyors of the Unitcd States. The Govcrnment of the Lnited Statcs,
on their sidc, directcd a sUlTey to be made of the duc north line, as far
as the head of thc l'Íver Metis on the high ground overlooking the St.
Lawrence. In the mean time, an armed force from )[aine entered upon
allll took posscssion of the disputcd lands on the river St. John, and
in the neighhourhood of the old established British settlement at )Iada-
waska. They constructed forts and roa.ds; thcir surveyors laid off lots
of land, and sales wcre made WitJl dceds regularly drawn up :-a.ll under
the authority of the State of )lainc, and in direct contravention of the
mutual agrccmcnts made by the L'nited States neneml Government with
the Imperial Government. Conflicts occurred uetween the settlers and
the intruders; on one night the marauders uurned down three home-

"Iinc fur our northeastern bOIlI1t]ary, hut tlll1t tins Statc will insist on thc linc cstahlished
.. by the Treaty of 178;),"
" Resol..e,l, that the Maritime fmntier anti thc extcnsi ve interior position of this State are
" in >\ defcnceless ami e'<pose,1 positiun, .LIlt! we nAy with cunthlcllce thlLt the Ft'.leml GUH,rn,
" Illcnt will eausc suiL'Lhle furtific,Ltions tu he erectcll tur thc defcnee of the same."

THE nOUXD.\RY Qt"ESTIOY.

37

steads, destroying property of the value of $2.300. Mr. FairfieM, who
gave the name to the Fort on the Aroostook, was elected (;overnor a
second time, by an immense majority, for the avowed purpose of taking
possession of the disputed territory in accordance with his e,<pressell
determination. It was believed in the United States, that one chief
motive with England was to preserve a direct mail route and military
road between Halifax and Quebec, and it was equally a chief motive
with many in the United States to stop that communication. The ques-
tion became more and more perplexing. A voluminous correspondence
passed bet.ween the Imperial Goyernment, the Government of the
United States, thc Government of the State of Maine, and that of the
Province of New Brunswick. but no progress was made towards a set-
tlement; and so matters continued until 1842, when Lord Ashburtoll,
under instructions from the Earl of .Aberdeen, proceeded to 'V ashing-
ton as plenipotentiary charged with full powers to negotiate and settlc
all matters in discussion between the United States and Great Britain.
Daniel 'Vebster was the Secretary of State, and he at once com-
menced negotiations with Lord Ashburton for a conventional boundary.-
Mr. Webster received the advice and assistance of four commission-
ers from the State of Maine. The result was the conclusion of the
Ashburton Treaty.t Thc first article declared :-" That the line of
"boundary shall be as follows :-Beginning at the monunwnt at the
"source of the river St. Croix, as designated and agreed to by thc
" Commi::,sioners under thc 5th Article of the Treaty of 17
4, - · · ·
"thence north, following the exploring line run and marked by the
" Surveyors of the two Governments in the years 1817 and 181R, · ·
"to its intersection with the river St. .John, and to the middle of the
" channel thereof; thence up the miòdle of the main channel of the said
"river St. John to the mouth of the river St. Francis; thence up thc
" middle of the channel of the said river St. Francis and of the Lakes
"through which it flows, to the outlet of the Lakc Pohcnagamook;
"thence southwesterly in a straight line to a point on the northwest

· 17th .June, 1842

t Signed at WashingtCln, !)th AUJ:rust. 1842

38

TIlE INTEIWOWNIAL.

"branch of the river St. John, which point shall be tcn milcs distant
" from the main branch of the St. J olm, in a straight line and in the
" nearc::;t dircction; but if the said point shall he found to be less than
" seven miles from the nearest point of the summit or crest of the high-
" lands that divide thosc rivers which empty themselves into the river
,,::;t. Lawrcnce, from those which fall into the river St. John, then the
"said point shall be made to recede down the said northwest llranch of
"the river St. John, to a point seven miles, in a straight line, from the
"said summit or ercst; thence in a straight linc, in a cour::;e about
"south, eight degrces west, to the point where the parallel of latitude
"of 4Go 25' north, intersects the southwest branch of the St. John;
.. thence southerly by the said braneh to the source thereof in the high-
" lana:; at the l\1etjarmette Portage; thence down along the saíd high-
" lanùs which divide the waters which empty themselves into the river
"St. Lawrence, from those whieh fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the
"head of lIall's Stream; thence down the middle of said strcam, till
.. the line thus run intersects the old line of boundary surveyed and
"marked by Valentine and Collins previously to the year 1774, as the
" -!:ïth degree of north latitude, and which has been known and under-
.. stoo(l to be the line of actual division between the Statcs of New York
.. and Vermont on one side, and the British Province of Canada on the
" other; and from said point of intersection west along the said divid-
"ing line, as heretofore known and understood, to the Iroquois or St.
" Lawrence River." The Treaty farther declared the river St. John to
be as free and open, from its source to its mouth in the Day of Fundy,
to the inltahitants of the State of :Maine, as to the inhabitants of the
Province of New Brunswick.
This ended the dispute. On the one hand, the United States acc<,pt-
cò about five thousand square miles less territory than had been
claimcd for her on the plea that the 1ine of boundary should extcnd on
the due north line from the river St. Croix to the source of the river
Metis on the crest of the dividing ridge between the river Restigouehe
and the lower St. Lawrence. It was argued that thcse were the high-

THE BOUNDARY QUESTION.

39

lalllis described in the treaty of 1783, as separating the waters falling
into the Atlantic from the waters emptying into the river St. Law-
rence :-a claim utterly untenable, as the highlands at the source of
the :Metis only separate waters falling into the Bay Chaleur from those
flowing into the St. Lawrence, where it ceased to be a river; the St.
Lawrence at that point being an estuary of the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
scarcely less in width than Lake Ontario, and wider than the English
Channel between Dover and Calais. On the othCl' hand, the Imperial
Government yielded an equal area of the territory which she had
al ways persistently claimed, embracing the country watered by the
river St. John, through which Captain Yule had made the survey for
the railway between Quebec and St. Andrews, a country reported to
be remarkably favourable for the construction of the projected Truuk
line of Railway.
In reviewing the whole negotiations, it is evident that the first
blunder on the part of those representing Great Britain, was made
in 17
7, in accepting as the bounùary, the minor branch of the rivcr
St. Croix (the Chiputnaticook) instead of the main river; and by
an addendum to the Treaty of 1794, declaring it the boundary
as far as the monument, which had been erected at its source. Haù
the main river St. Croix been adhered to, as the Trcaty of 1783
unquestionably intended, the true principles of settlement, those in
fact which President Jackson so frequently urged for adoption, would
inevitably have carried the line of boundary more than a hundred miles
south of its present position, and would have preserved for the Domin-
ion of Canada a territory measuring some eleven thousand square miles,
equalling the combined areas of the states of Massachusetts and Con-
necticut; and which, from its geographical position, could not fail to be
of the utmost value to the Dominion. When the location of the Inter-
colonial Railway is considered, the prejudicial effect of the Ashburton
Treaty will be more generally understood.

CHAPTER III.

EARLY HISTORY CONTINUED

1842 TO 1852.

Military Road Suryeycd.-Railway Mania of 184;j brings out the Halifax and Quebec
scheme. - Sir Uichard Broun advocates it. - The various routes, - Government
of New Brunswick favours the route by Anuapolis, - St. Andrews aud Queuec
Railway revived,-Lord Ashuurton takes stuck in it.-Ashuurton treaty killed the
scheme,-Halifax and Queuec routes to be surveJed.-Captain Pipon and Mr,
Henderson aI'Pointed.-Major Robinson's report recommending Bay Chaleur route.-
Mr. 'Vilkinson objects,-Construction of railway urged as a relief for the famine in
Ireland, - Major Carmichael-Smyth's views -Railway conference at Portland,-
Nova Scoti.. sl'IHls Mr. Howe to England,-British Government objects to scheme.-
Imperial proposals,-Negotiations upset.-Deputation to England,

THE settlement of the Boundary question did not lessen the ncceS-
sity for a military road; indeed some line of communication for military
purposes was the more necessary, as the new Boundary interposed a
wedge uf forcign territory which threatened to sever all connection be-
tween the Maritime Provinces and Quebec.
Accurdingly, not long after the conclusion of the Treaty, thc Im-
perial Government directed a survey of a military road to be UllIler-
taken, having in view the connection of the Provinces, at a distance as
remote as practicable from the frontier. This survey was made by CoL
Holloway of the Royal Engineers, aided by Sir James Alexander, then
a Captain in the 14th Regiment. The latter was well and favourahly
known, acquainted with Canadian life, and strongly sympathizing ,\'ith
Canadian interests.
The route explored crossed the interior of Kew Brunswick from
the bend of the river Pctitcoùiac, by Boicstown. Grand Falls, the
nurth of Lake Tenúscouata and H.ivièrc du Loup to Qucbec. It was

E.\.ltLY IW;TOrt\'" C()
TI
UED.

41

reported that lines of fortification were to be constructed to protect
the road, and that a military post was to be established at the GraUlI
Falls.
The survey was made in 1K-!-!. The reports sct forth that in tr:n'-
ersing the highlands, the most difficult grades would not exceed 1 in
1.); that thc:-:e could be reduced hyoblique and prolonged circuits;
that the bridging of streams would be attended with but little diffi-
culty as the main rivcrs, St. Juhn and
liramichi, were avoided j that
the projected road would traverse a fertile, uuc1caredcountry, where there
were abundant materials of wood and stone; and that the engincers
pstimated the cost at .t:2.ïOO per mile for a macadamized roall, amI
.t-!.iO per mile fur a plank road subject to repairs in 5 years and
rencwal in 10 ycars. Thc total length of the road was estimated at
500 miles.
The year 18-15 will be long memorable as that of the great railway
mania in the United Kingdom. During this period many old projects
were revived and many new ones started. Among the former ,,,as that
of the St. .Andrews and Quebec Railway, apparently recalled to life by
the proposal of a new scheme, the Halifax and Quebec Railway, the pros-
pectus of which had been issued in England.
At that time Sir Richard Broun was engaged in taking steps fur
the formation of a Colonization Company, under unusually favo\ll'-
able circumstances. The design was to combine the influence of all
partics, on both sides of the Atlantic, who were intercsted in. or othcr-
"ise favourable to the revival of the rights of the Baronetage of Scot-
land amI Xova Scotia. He was also engaged in schemes for connectin:
Grcat Britain with Japan, China and the East Indies, by mcans of :t
continuous line of steam navigation and railwfl
-s through British
Kurth America. At this juncture he reccived a lettcr from a ::\11'.
'Villi am Bridges, suggesting that a railway to unite the waters of till'
Atlantic and the St. Lawrencc would be bencfieial to the Xorth An1l'1':-
can Provinces, allli requesting his aid. It \\as rc;ulily promised, as the
1'I'lIjeet so entircly a
rel'tl with his own theories.

-12

TIlE INTEUCOWNIAL.

Sir nichanl Broun accordingly took an active part in the advance-
ment of the scheme of the Halifax and Qucùec Railway, and advocated
it for years. In July, 18-1':>, he forwarded to the Governors of New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia a memorial from the Provisional Board
praying for certain facilities and advantages on the plea that the pro-
posed railway would supersede the necessity for the projected militmy
road, and tha,t it would furnish facilities for the systematic plantation
and settlement of the whole frontier territOlY of British North America.
The memorial was accompanied by a letter from l\lr. Bridges, asking
t hat the prayer of the memorialists should be recommended to the Home
Government; and the memorial was forwarded.
Several routes were projected. One followed the line of the pro-
posed militalY road from Halifax, by Truro, the Bend of the Petieodiac,
Boiestown, Grand Falls and Temiseouata Lake. Another, joining the
ahove line at Truro and starting from Canso. Another, starting from
Halifax, crossing the Bay of Funùy between Annapolis and St. John,
and then proceeding to Fredericton and Boiestown ; and another, taking
the last mentioned route to Fredericton, and proceeding up along the
west side of the river St. John to Grand Falls.
The Governor of New Brunswick, in a despatch to the Home Gov-
ernment, stated, that having conferred with the Executive Council and
several influential persons in Fredericton and St. John, there appeared
to him a general disposition to co-operate with the nail way Association,
particularly if the Association would declare its intention of adopting
the route from Halifax, by Annapolis, St. John and Fredericton.
These lu.oposals and negotiations revived the project of the St. An-
drews and Quebec Hailway, dormant since 1837. A meeting was helù on
the 8th October, 1
-15, at which a delegate was appointed to wait upon the
Colonial Secretmy and present a communication from t.he Association,
in furtherance of the general interests of the undertaking. On the 24th
of the same munth, a f'pecial meeting of the Chamher of Commerce of
St. .J ohn was held, when two delegates from
t. Andrews were heard
on behalf of the S1. Andrews Railway, and resolutiuns were passed,

Joal
LY HISTOI
ï COSTISL"ED.

43

thankiug the deputation for the information they had gIven, assuring
them that the most eligible lines for the general good would neces-
sarily command the must attention and cow:;ideration, l't
garùless oflocal
interests.
In November following, the Chamber of Commerce of St. John
held another meeting and presenteù a report to the Governor, consiùer-
ing only the two routes from Halifax and giving their decided prefer-
ence to that passing by .Annapolis, St. John and Fredericton.
On the other hand, the people of St. Andrews continued their e'--
crtions in hchalf of their own project. Subscription lists were opened,
the capital asked for bcing æ750,OOO in shares of æ
3 each.
On the 23th November, 18-16, a general meeting of the Stock-
holders ,,,as held, when a board of local directors was elected. Several
shares were taken in England, and a London board was appointpd, of
\\ hich )11'. William Bridges, formerly of the Halifax and Quebec Rail-
,\ ay, became Secretary. Lord Ashburton was a member of this boarù,
and he courteously expressefl his symlJathy with the project. '"
The settlement of the boundary question had placed St. Andrews
at a great disadvantage. It could no longer obtain a direct connection
with Quebec, without crossing territory which now formed part of the
State of l\Iaine. Thus the confident hope which the people of St.
Andrews had formed with respect to their town becoming the ocean
terminus of a great Intercolonial Railway, had passed away. It is
true that a joint stock company, under the name of the St. Andrews
and Canada Uailway Co. after many struggles and difficulties sue-

PICCADILLY, 25th June, 1847.

.

C'S[B,
.. In reply to your note, I be
to eay that I will take \\ith pleasure a sl1lall interest
.. of (!500) five hundred pounds in the St. Allllrews and Woodstock Railway Company, I
.. ILII1 geting too ol,l for any extensive venture!! of this or any otber kind, but I feel so strong-
"Iy interested in the settling of your tine Colony, that I ILII1 tempted to take this trifling in-
.. vestment in a useful undertaking connected with it,"
.. I congratulate you on having Lord Fitzwilliam to place his name at the head of your
" London subscribers. You could not pos5ibly appear before the public more ad vantageoU5-
"ly than you are."
To Captain UOIllNSON. R. N.

44

TJIR INTERCOLONIAL.

ceeJed in constructing a railway as far as 'Woodstock. a distance of 94
miles; hut the Company has not been able to extend its works beyond
that point.
In the mean time, the Halifax amI Quehec scheme was experiencing
many difficulties. The prospectus puhlished in England had given the
names of several men of 8tanding and influence in Kova Scotia as con-
nected with it. Several of these gentlemen repudiated the connection,
stating that they never had Leen consulted and that their names had
bcen used without their sanction. This proceeding de8troyed confi-
dence in the association. Nevertheless Lord Falkland, the Govcmur,
looked upon the scheme as both practicable and de8irable, and declared
that he should deeply lamtmt its heing abandoned, either for want of effort
to determine its feasibility, or from its having been undertakcn by
individuals without the influence to effect its completion. In view
of the importance of the project, alike to the Mother Country
and to the Colonies, he applied to the Home Government to send
out competent
Iilitary or Civil Engineers to make an accurate sur-
vey, by which the practicability of the scheme could be detcrmined
and the best route established. He also set before the Home authori-
ties that, as the mother country would obtain direct Railway communi-
cation with Quebec, the object proposed by the military road, it
was hoped that the British Government would contribute towards the
railway, some portion of the money which would otherwise have becn
expended on the military road.
,Mr. Gladstone, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, replied
to this despatch and approached with caution the qnestion of granting
any aid to the undertaking; but in April, 1846, instructions werc issucli
to the Royal Engineers to make the survey asked for.
Puhlic attention was much turned to the project by the speeeJlCs
and writings of many prominent ml'n who Iliscusscd it. The }Joints
gcnerally consillered were, the cffect that the railway would have on the
commerce of the country, on the settlement of wild Janas, and on the
union of tIll' }l1"I-I\- inees into one community, the more intimate eonncction

EARLY HISTORY CONTINUED.

.Li

which could be estahlishell with the mother country ann the greatf'r
general security in case of war. On the last point, Co!. Holloway,
who had cunducted the survey for the military road expressed himself
strongly in favour of the Railway.-
Sir John Harvey in his opening address to the House of Legisl,t-
ture of Nova Scotia in January, 18-17, recommended to their continued
attention this railway, which he said was not second to any project
whieh hall ever engaged the notice of any Colonial Legislature in any
part of the British Dominions, and which would :-" constitute the
.. most important link in that great line of communication, which lUay
" bc destined at no remote period to connect the Atlantic with t
l'}
" Pacific Ocean, and to conduct to a British seaport, from those into
.. which it is now forced, that vast stream of trade, not of our own \\" est-
.. ern possessions alone, but of the rich and extensive wheat and grain
" growing districts ')f all Central
\llleriea."
Resolutions were pas.;ell II:. the Parliaments of the three
Provinces, in :Nova Scotia on 4th

al'ch, Xe\V Brunswick 011 the
a
April, and Canada on the
'ìth
Iay, 13--1:G, setting forth the necessity
fur the survey, and binding the several Provinces to make good the
expense, each within its own limits.
Accordingly instructions for the survey were issued on the 11th
June, 1846, by Mr. Gladstone, to Captain Pipon amI Lieutenant Hen-
derson of the Royal Engineers.
These instructions gave general directions for the linc of survey:
-viL. From Halifax to some port in the Bay of FUllllj-, whence hy
steamer connection would he made with St. John; starling again from
St. .Tohn the line would proceell to Fl'l'derictún amI along' the valley
of the river St. John to the Grand Falls; thence by the E.Lst side of

. 4th :\r.Lf. 18:::0,
" I know that the British Govermll('IlL is strongly indined for a military rOall, and if I
" see no objection 011 fnrther inquif} I wonld gladly recommeml a. railway instead of the
" ordinary turnpike roal\. I believe the Go'"erIllnent is impressell with the importance of .,
.. railway from Qneltec to Halifax in a political pOlllt of ,'iew, allll I am of opinion th:Lt it is
"hig-hly dC'sirah1c, if not .Lhsolntely l'>,<entia1, for the mililar} ,ldence of Ill(' Uritish Allleri'
.. can Provinces."

4(ì

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

Lake Temiscouata to the mouth of the river du Loup, and thence by
the south bank of the river St. Lawrence to Quebec.
A second line was projected from Halifax to the bend of the
Petitcodiac, thence as straight to the Grand Falls as would be consistent
with the best mechanical selection of the line, and from thence as be-
fore described to the St. Lawrence
A third line was projected from Halifax to the oend of the Petitco-
diac, and thence keeping to the northwest by Newcastle and the Bay
Chaleur, or its vicinity, to the St. Lawrence.
The survey was carried on by Capt. Pipon and :Mr. Henaerson-
until 28th October, 18-16, when Capt. Pipon, in an attempt to save the
life of a boy in his party, was ùrowned in the river Rcstigouche. The
whole duty then devolved upon 1\Ir. Henderson, until the summer of
1847, when :\Iajor Robinson of the Royal Engineers was appointeù to
take the place of Captain Pipon.
On the 1st May, 18-17, Mr. Henderson made a preliminary report
as far as the survey had then proceeded. He objected to the first route
on four grounds. 1st, on account of the break in through communica-
tion, owing to the necessity of crossing the Bay of Fundy, 40 miles
wide; 2d, from the probability that private enterprise would open
up that section of the province; 3d, because in his opinion it was
" evidently the object of the trunk line to benefit as much as possible
" the mass of the Provinces," and 4th, because of very steep grades and
heavy works to be found on that route.
On the second route he gave the preference to a line starting from
Dartmouth, on the east side of Halifax harbour, because from that place,
as a terminus, the railway would be five miles shorter than from Ha1ifax.
The Cohequid.l\lountains were well explored, allll the pass lJY Folly
Lake pointed out. The survey by that time had reached the head waters
of the river Rcsti
ouche, and showNI that there would be difficulty and
expense ill cl'ossilJg' the rivcr Tolli(}lll'. a hraneh of the St. JohlJ, alltl that

'" I\'uw C,,1. Ikmlcr80n

EARLY HISTORY CONTINUED,

47

the construction of a railway by the line ",hid, had previously been
selected for a military road" as impracticable.
On the third route he endeavoured to find a line that would prevent
the necessity of folJowing the sea-shore along thc Bay Chaleur, but it was
not possible to find one. By the valley of the Kepissiguit, a practicable
line was" out of the question," the hills becoming mountains separated
by deep ravines, and at last" the mountains at the heads of the Tobique,
1\Iiramichi, etc., rise in wild confusion." He himself explored the
greater portion ot the wilderness, in which lie the heads of the Tobique,
Nepissiguit and Upsalquiteh. On the whole he was forced to give his
preference to the coast line by the Day ('haleur.
Major Uobiuson made the final rep9rt of the survey uudcr date of
:ast August, lR!8.
The route recommended was from Halifax to Truro, passing over
the Coùe(luid :\Iountains, thence by the Gulf shore to the river ,l\Iira-
michi, which would be erosse<l at the head of tide. thence proceeding by
the Kipissiguit River to the Hay Chaleur, and along the eoast to
the mouth of the Metapedia, proceeding up the valley of the l\Ietapcdia
to the vicinity of the f;t. Lawrence, thence along the St. Lawrence to
the Rivière du Loup and Point Levis.
The estimate for this line, for G3,3 miles, from Halifax to Quebec,
was set down by
[ajor Robinson at æ7000 sterling per mile, or in round
numbers ÆS,OOO,OOO sterling, and it was strongly recommended that the
railway, at whatever time it might be commenced, should be properly amI
efficiently constructed.
TJ
e route recommended would, in .l\Iajor Robinson's opinion, secure
the greatest immcrliate amount of remuneration for the expenditure. and
the development in the highest degree of the commerce and fisheries of
New Brunswick. The greatest facilities for construction wcre afforded,
at many points, hy its proximity to the sea, and, from the same cause,
the least apl'l'ehellsion of interruption of traflic IIY climatic inJlll-
cnces. Its ],(,lIlotI"III'SS frolU lli(' United
latl's frolilicr sCI'IIl'(,d it fl'om
aHa..!\: ill ('asp of hostilities \\ ith till' ('HitI'd :-;tat"s. alltl tli,' g'l':ull's

48

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

would be easy on account of its passing through the least elevated
country.
Major Robinson also urged, as additional reasons for the adoption
of his route, and the speedy construction of the road :-
That by embarking and disembarking at Halifax, the danger and
inconvenience from the navigation of the Gulf of St. Lawrence would
be avoided,
That the mails to and from Canada would pass over territoryexclu-
sively British, and yet be received at 1\Iontreal as soon as they could
be received at Doston.
That from a political and military point of view the proposed rail-
way had become a work of necessity.
And that, if it should ever become necessary or advisahle to unite all
the British Korth American Provinces under one Legislative Govern-
ment, the means to the end, the first step to its accomrlishment, would
be the construction of the Halifax and Quebcc Rail way.
In a letter of an earlier date he made mention of the difficulties
attending the survey, and he spoke of the dangers and hardships whieh
those engaged in the survey had experienced..
Soon after the appearance of Major Robinson's report, Mr. 'Wilkin-
son, of the Crown Laml,; ()ffice in Fredericton, who had been in charge
of one of the surveying parties, published a pamphlet ol,jecting to Major
Robinson's recommendation of the Bay Chaleur route and his condem-
nation of the shorter and direct route through the centre of Kew
Brunswick. Mr. "Ïlkinson contended that sufficient examination IHHI
not been made to establish the best line through the central district ( f
New Drunswick, and that more explorations were desirahle.

. lIe writes that one of his chief surveyors and draughtsmcn, Mr, Grant, "in some burnt
"land, having left the line for IL short time to make a sketch from some rising grollnd, eouM
" not again find the track, and after being lost for five days without a morsel of fooll, W:IS
" founllon the morniug of the sixth day lying exhausted, and at the last cxtrelllit), hy some
"Iumherllleu passiug most I'rClvielentially "1' thé stre:ml to which he hnll \\nnelel"ed, allel
" when uuahle to nunc fartl",r he had laiel ,Iown on the top of the hank for two days. This
"solitary hoat was, in all prohahility, the onl) oue passing that way for a twelvemonth
"to
"th,'r. Mr. Grant's han.ls allll feet wcre frnst,hittcn. an,1 though this IUlppenecl\':lrly
" in 1\'1)\clllher, he h:ls not )\.t (17lh He!:., 1
lï) full
reg:liul'lllhl' 11>1' 01 1111'111."

EARLY HISTORY CO
TI
TED.

49

:\Iajor Robinson replied that large parties had been employed for two
seasons on the central route, that officers of the Royal Engineers had
explored the district for the military road, that he had made use of their
reports. and that all information showed the improbability of discover-
ing in that direction a practicable route for a railway. This discussion
was continued until 18.j2.
In the mean time, a problem of more than usual difficulty occupied
public attention :-colonization from Ireland, in consequence of the
famine of 18-17. It was contended that the Imperial Government
should direct a systematized emigration to the British Colonies, with
the certainty b
obtaining employment for the emig-rant on his arrival.
The arguments mainly took the form of the scheme advocated by Sir
Richard Broun. that colonization should he considered in connection
with Railway construction. One gentleman,
Ir. Buchanan, in a letter
dated 12th February, 18-n, to Lord Elgin, advocated the employment
of 2.),000 men on the Halifax and Quebec rail way; to each of whom
should be given 50 acres of land along the line of the railway, besides
cert<,1.Ïn wages.-
Lord Grey, himself, favoured the grant of money to railways, instead
of paying any direct subsidy to emigratio:l, on the principle that emi-
gration would follow the commencement of the railway. lIe consid-
ered that the hardships and difficulties, attendant on the new life
of the emigrant, were to no small extent caused by want of combination,
and by the absence of division of employment ;-and in order that colo-
nization might be best promoted, Parliamentary appropriations were
required for carrying out desirable improvements, such as railways and
canals, or other public works.
On the part of the local Governments, no effort was spared to in-
duce the Home Government to intervene.
On the
lst )1arch, 1t)-l!), au act wa", passed by the Legislature of

· Such a roa!! he said, "as a great antl national \\ork, is Il,lmitte,l bye\'cry one con-
"m'cte!! with the colony, to be of the first an!! llU>" .-- 1 , . -, ...1,_., the
" Colony, Lut to the :\Iuther Country."

4

GO

THE I
TEr.COLO
IAL.

tI

Xova Scotia, authorizing the transfer to the Imperial authorities of
Crown Lands, ten miles wiùe, on each siùe of the line of the proposed
railway, and pledging the House to the payment of æ::w,ooo sterling,
for interest on capital to carryon the work.
The Home Government, however, replied that the demands on the
Imperial Treasury were, at that time, too manifold and too pressing to
admit of any measure being submitted to Parliament for the aid
required.
The project accordingly remained stationary; as the united resources
of the three Provinces, unaided, were inadequate to carryon the work.
But the question in no way passed out of view. It was discussed in
the press. Several pamphlets appeared in its alhocacy, among the lat-
ter a brochure hy l\Iajor Carmichael-Smyth, appeared in the winter of
1
-t9, earnestly setting forth the advantages of employing the people
and capital of Great Britain in her own Colonies. This writer advo-
cated the application of the surpluslaoourof the United Kingdom, to the
construction, not only of an Intercolonial communication, but of an
Imperial line of railway from Halifax to the Pacific coast.
The importance of a railway connection between Halifax and the
C"nited States system of Raih"ays, was fully recognized in the United
States, and an effort was early made to effect it. In July, 1850, a con-
yention was called to meet at Portland, for the purpo
e of considering
a series of propositions for the construction of a rail way from Portland,
through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to Halifax. Hepresentatives
from the several British Provinces were invited to attend. At the
meeting of this convention, the representatives of United States inter-
ests pledged themselves to construct their part of the railway through
the
tate of i\Iaine. Further, capitalists who were present professed
their readiness to complete the whole railway through the British
Provinces, provided Acts of Incorporation, with liberal grants of money
and land, were gi "en.
The representatives of the TIritish Provinces, however, determined
that they would construct the railway through their own territory with

EARLY HISTORY COXTIX'LED.

51

their 0" n resources. But as the rate of interest on loans would be re-
duced by an Imperial guarantee, another appeal" as made to the Home
Government to guarantee the interest on the cost of its con::;truction;
the revenue of the Provinces being J!ledgeù to the Briti"h Government
as security.
The people of Nova Scotia were especially interested in the com-
pletion of this railway connection with Halifax, their capital. :\Ir.
Howe, then premier, accordingly proceeded, as a delegate to England,
to press their cause on the Home Goyernment. He was so far success-
ful, that he received a letter, 10th
Iarch, 1S;)1, from the Colonial
5ecretary, to the effect that the Government had determined to recom-
mend to Parliament that the guarantee should be granted, or that
the money bhoulù be advanceù from the Briti::;h Treasury. on certain
conditions.
This letter made mention" of the strong sense entertained by the
" British Government of the extreme importance, not only to the Colo-
" nies directly interested, but to the Empire at large, of pÍ'O\iding for
" the construction of a railway, by which a line of communication may
" be established, on British territory, between the Provinces of Kova
" Scotia, Kew Bruns'\\ick, and Canada."
:Mr. Howe's mission" as to advocate the claims of Nova Scotia, in
regard to the railway projected from Halifax to S1. John, to meet a
railway through the State of :Maine from Portland. But the letter of the
" Colonial Secretary stateù that the British Government would not feel
justified in asking Parliament to pledge the credit of England for any
object which was not pf importance to the Empire as a whole. As they
did not consider that the r
ilway advocated by Mr. Howe answered this
description, in order to obtain the Imperial guarantee it was essential that
satisfactory arrangements should be made with Canada and K ew Bruns-
wick, by which the construction of a railway, passing wholly through
British territory from Halifax to Quebec or :Montreal, shoulù be pro-
vided for.
Moreover, in order that arrangements might be effected, thc Im-

52

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

perial Government proposed to recommend to Parliament that Canada
and New Brunswick should receive equal assistance. It was also
determincd, that the cost should bc provided for by loans raised
by the Provinces, with the Imperial guarantee; that the line recom-
mended by :Major Robinson, need not be followed, if a shorter and
better line should be found, but that any deviation should be subject
to the approval of the Imperial Government; that the loans to
be raised in the several provinces should be a first charge upon the
Provincial revenue, after payments on account of the civil lists ; and
also, that taxes should be imposed sufficient to provide for the pa) ment
of interest and sinking fund.
It was also stated, that the British Government would "hy no
"means object to its forming part of the plan which may be determined
" upon, that it should include a provision for establishing a communi-
"cation between the projected Railway and the Railways of the Lnited
" States."
At the same time (14th
Iarch, 18,')1), Earl Grey, Secretary of State
for the Colonies, wrote to the Earl of Elgin, Governor General of Can-
ada, that lIer )Iajesty's Government had long earnestly desired to see
the Railway constructed, as they considered it calculated greatly to
advance the commercial and political interests both of the British Prov-
inces in Korth America and of the Mother Country; and that they
regarded the work as of so much importance to the whole Empire as to
justify them in recommending to I
arlia
lent that Imperial assistance
shouM IJe given. Earl Grey concluded by suggesting that a deputation
from the Executive Councils of Xova Scotia and Kew Brunswick,
should meet Lord Elgin and his Council, for the purpose of coming to
some agreement on the different matters to be considered in connec-
tion with the Railway; whieh agreement, after being approved by the
Legislatures of the several Provinces, might be submitted for the sanc-
tion of the Imperial Parliament.
The suggested conference was held at Toronto, and a satisfactory
arrang-cment attained. The Parliamcnt of Canada, bcing then in ses-

..

EARLY HISTORY COXTD<UED.

53

sion, proceeded without delay to the required legislation. The Assem-
blies of the
laritime Provinces wcre call cd expressly for the purpose,
but before the Legislature of New Brunswick could meet, a despatch
was received from London conveying the intelligence that, although the
British Govermnent had no objection to the project including a proviso
for establishing a communication with the Rail ways of the United States,
the cost of such a communication could not be included in the
guarantee.
Mr. Howe had understood that the guarantee would cover the cost
of the Railway advocatcd by him in London, namely, from Halifax, by
Truro and St. John, to join the Railways from Portland in the Cnited
States, a.s well as of the main line to Quebec and Montreal. As this
Railway (the European and North American Railway) was considered
to be of very great importance to K ew ßrunl'.wick, and as th
Legisla-
ture of that Province had already pledged the public credit to the ex-
tent of oC300,OOO sterling for that line a.nd the St. Andrews and Quebec
Railway, it was not considered expedient to accept the terms ofi'ered if
that line was not included in the guarantee.
The conference therefore came to an end; but the delegates before
separating expressed their determination not to abandon the hope of ob-
taining the desired aid from the Imperial G-ovel'llment. Accordingly
Sir Francis Hincks,
lr. E. B. Chandlcr and
lr. Howe proceeded to
London and pressed their views on the Government of which Lord
Derby was then the head.
Although the various despatches show that the Imperial Govern-
ment, under different administrations, always held that the proposed
Rail way from Halifax to Quebec would be of benefit to the Mother
Country, the terms conceded to
Ir. Howe by the letter of the 10th
l\Iarch, 1851, required that the Railway should be constructed at the
CORt of the Provinces; and that thc Provinces should tax themselves
sufficiently to secure the ::\Iother Country from loss by the guarantee
of interest. The aRsistance offered by the Imperial Goyernment was
limited to the guarantee of a loan, by which the yearly interest would

54

THE INTERCOLO}'lAL.

be reduced. It therefore followed, that the deputation should consider
what would be most advantageous to the Provinces. They urged that
Major Robinson recommended this route principally on military consid-
erations. treating revenue as of secondary importance, as his line avoided
the populous di:,;triets of New Brunswick; that, on account of the settle-
ment of recent difficulties with the United
tates, military considera-
tions neeù no longer assume such prominence, and no special necessity
continued for keeping the railway far oft from the frontier of the
United
tates; consequently, that the proposed line should pass by
St. John and up the valley of the river St. John, as that route
promi:,;ed the greatest commercial advantages. It was further argued,
that as the whole cost of construction would be horne hy the Prov-
inces, the Colonial Legislatures could scarcely be expected to sanc-
tion a line with the primary view of consulting military or Imperial in-
terests.
Lord Derby acknowledged the force of the argumC'nts, and admitted
the importance of a Railway through British territory, connecting the
Provinces. He however declined to extend aid on the terms uroposeù.

CHAPTER IV.

mSTORY CONTIXUED.

185
TO 18ü2.

The pro"inres build raihvavs on their own resources.-Another unsuccessful appeal to the
Home Govemment.-Civil" ar in Cnited States.-Provinces again appeal.-Resolutions of
Quebec in 1861.-Effect of "the Trent affair."-Provinces ask for modifie:l assistance,
-Failure of negotiations.

No further communications on the subject appear to have passed
between the several Governments, from 185
to 1S':>I, with the excep-
tion of a statement furnished by the Imperial authorities in April, 1836,
showing that the surveys had cost oC1-!,l:i03.1 j .10 sterling, with a re-
quest to the three Provinces to repay the balance 0\\ ing by them,
.f:1-!49.17A sterling.
The three Provinces, however, without any unity of plan, but each
acting indep
ndently, determined each with its own resources to pro-
ceed with the construction of railways.
The Intercolonial system accordingly was commenced at different
points, on no defined plan, and on no assured certainty when the full
system would be completed.
In 18.:;2, Canada incorporated the Grand Trunk Railway Company
with the Provincial guarantee of $12,000 per mile, for the construction
of the line from f.:arnia to Trois Pistoles, 1':;3 miles east of Quebec.
The section to St. Thomas, 41 miles, was finished in 1855, to River du
Loup, about 120 miles from Quebec, in 1
60. The line was not con-
tinued to Trois Pistoles as originally intended, and River du Loup ac-
cordingly became the tenninus of the Grand Trunk Railway.
In
eptember, 1852, New Brunswick entered into a contract with
Messrs. Peto, Betts, Jackson and Brassey, for the construction of the

56

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

railway from the western side of the Province, easterly to the boundary
line between New Brunswick and Kova
cotia. By September, 18.')3, tIle
surveys were so far completed that the first sod was turned on the 1-1th
of that month, Construction was immediately commenced, and was
prosecuted until 18.::J-1. But the financial crisis, consequent upon the
('rimean war, brought the operations to a close.
In 18;J(i, the contractors retired from the work, and the portions of
the line 01} which their operations had been carried on, lying chiefly
between )Ionctoll and Shediac, were tral1sferred to the Provincial
Government. Operations were at once undertaken by the Government.
The railway was opened for traffic in l
(jO, between St. ,John and
Shediac, a distance of 108 miles,
In the spring of 18,')-1, Nova Scotia passed the Railway Act, au-
thorizing a Provincial loan. The first sod was turned at Richmond,
near Halifax, on the 13th June, 18.')-1. The railway was opened for
public traffic to Truro, (il miles, on the l.)th December, 1838.
Thus between Quebec and Halifax, 2RR miles of rail way were indepen-
dently built by the three Provinces, without aid from the Imperial Govern-
ment. In .June, 18.::Jï, negotiations were resumed, and a deputation left
Canada in July, to submit to the Imperial Government the poJitiealcou.-
siderations which suggested that aid should be granted to the enterprise.
The Imperial executive, however, declined to apply to Parliament for
the aid asked for, on the ground that the resources uf the Empire were
already severely taxed.
The following year. pursuant to mutual agreement, each Province
sent an address to the Queen, setting forth that each Legislature was
prepared to aid the railway to the full extent of the resources of the
country, and that they would regard no sacrifice too great to promote
its construction.
On -the 1st
fay, 18.38, the Legislature of Nova Scotia addressed
Her :MajestÝ, to the effect that this entprprise. of more than colonial
importance, had been pressed upon the consideration of Hpr ::\Tajesty's
Government for many years, that the benefits to be derived were ac-

.fÜSÁ'lJRY COXTIXL"ED.

vi

knowledged, but that, ag the accomplishment was beyond their un-
aided resources, the result must depend on the assistance which would
bc given it.
In the same year the Legislature of Canada, passecl a series of reso-
lutions - setting forth, that the national importance of the scheme
called for the interference of the Government, that during the months
of winter, intercourse between the Provinces could only be carried on
through the L nited States; that in time of war, the difficulty of access
to the ocean would be seriously felt; and arguing that the railway,
while extending facility of communication from Province to Province,
was necessary for Imperial interests, and would form an important
section of a highway which would ultimately extend across British
America from thc Atlantic to the Pacific.
Each Province also sent delegates to London again, to press upon
the Imperial Government the object so earnestly desired; but only to
meet with another denial, the negative being clothed in the official

.1. That the construction of an Intercolonial Railway, comrecting the Provinceø of Xew
Brunswick, amI
o\'a Scotia with C.uHlda, has long been regarded as a matter of national
concern, amI ought earnestly to be pressed on the consideration of the Imperial Govern-
ment,
2. That during se,'eral months of the year, intercourse between the United Kingdom and
Canada, can only be carriell on through the territory of the United States of America, and
that such dependence on anll exclusive relations with a foreign country cannot, even in time
of peace, but exercise an important amI unwholesome influence on the status of Canat!a, as a
portion of the Empire, anll may tent! to establish elsewhere that id
ntity of interest, which
ought to exist het\\een the l\lother Countr.r and ber Cðlonies.
3. That while the House implicitly relies on the repeated assurance of the Imperial
Government, that the strength of the Empire would be put forth to sccure this Province
again
t external aggression, it is convincell that such strength cannot be sufficiently exerted
during a large portion of the year, from the absence of sufficient means of communication;
and that should the amicable relations which at prpsent so happily exist hetwecn Great
Britain and the l
nited States be ever disturbell, the difficulty of access to the Ocean Iluring
the winter months might seriousl:; endanger the safety of the Pro' incl'.
4. That in view of the spee,ly opening up of the territories now occupiell by thp Hudson
Bay Company, and of the Ilevclopment anll settlement of the vast regions between Canada
anll the Pacific Ocean, it is esseutial to the interests of the Empire at large, that a highway
exteniJing frnm tlJe Atlantic Ocean weshvRrd should exist, which should at once place the
\\ hole British pos<c.<ions in AmericR, within the rearly access amI easy protection of Great
Britain, whilst, by the facilities for internRI communicRtion thus Rfforder1, the prosperity of
tho.c grl
at dependencies would be promoted, their strength consolillaterl and aùlled to the
strength of the ,Empire, and their permanent union with the Mother Countr)" secured.
8

58

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

phraseology which the practised pen of the Colonial Office can so well
use. 'Vhile those who were advocating the project saw that in the
future the federation of British North America must follow, the
Colonial Office considered that the opportune moment had not
arrived; that national expenditure must yield to national resources;
and however important the benefits which the Intercolonial Railway
would confer, objects of interest to Great Britain yet more urgent had
presented them
elves, and that the project must yield to the necessity
of not unduly increasing the public burthens.
In 18G1 the civil war was raging in the United States. Again
the necessity of the railway became so evident that it could not
be ignored; and it was felt that under the pressure of events another
appeal should be made for Imperial assistance. An address was pre-
sented to the Queen in April, repeating the arguments so frequently and
so unsuccessfully advanced. But there was the same reply, that it was
not possible to encourage expectation of assistance. The provinces,
however, still adhered to their determination in no way to abandon the
enterprise, and in October, 1861, a despatch was sent to the Imperial
Government, conveying the Resolutions agreed to by fifteen délegates
from the several Provinces, met in council at Quebec.
These resolutions were to the effect that the Governmcnt of the
Provinces should renew the offers of October, 18.")8, to the Imperial
Government, to aid in the construction of a railway to connect Halifax
with Quebec, and that a delegation from each Province should proceed
to England, with the object of pressing the project upon the Home
Government. At the same time that the Provinces should endeavour
to procure the separate provincial legislation nece
sary to carry out
the project, and that the route should be decided by the Imperial Gov-
ernment.
The delegates · proceeded to England and, while tl->ey were engaged
in submitting their propositions to the Colonial Secretary, news of

-Hon, P. :\1. Vankonghnet for Canada, Hon. Joseph Howe for Nova Scotia,and Hon.
S. L. Tilley for New Brunswick.

HISTORY CONTINUED.

59

what is known as "the Trent affair," reached England. This event
placed the enterprise in such a light before the BIitish public, that the
success of their application seemed assured.
The delegates themselves put forward their case with great force,
stating that the late startling events rendered their representations almost
superfluous. The war against which they had desired security was
now imminent. Their frontier was unprotected, and exposed to the con-
centration of hostile troops at the termini of seven railways of the Lnited
States. A hundred thousand men, they said, could be sent across the
frontier with more ease than a single battery of artillery could be trans-
ported from England, or a single barrel of flour carried to the sea-board.
In their present position, if cut off by war from the United
tates and
by the winter ice from Canada, the :\lar!time Provinces would have to
depend upon Europe for their breadstuffs. The delegates added, that, if
the facts which had occurred, and the dangers which were apprehended
did not successfully plead their cause, all that they could advance would
only be a needless intrusion on the patience of the Government.
The terms which the delegates at this time proposed were different
from those previously submitted. The estimate for the railway, re-
quired to be constructed, was æ3,000,000 Sterling, and the delegates pro-
posed that in order to meet the yearly interest on this sum at four per
cent., the provinces would raise yearly æ60,000, if the Imperial Govern-
ment would raise the other æ60,000 yearly; in consideration of which,
mails, troops, and munitions of war on Imperial account, were to be
carried free. This proposal the Imperial Government declined to ac-
cept, but renewed the offer of Lord Grey, of the 10th l\Iarch, 183!.
On the 10th ::\Iarch, 1862, delegates from all the provinces met again
in Quebec to consider the renewed proposal of the Imperial Government;
and they came to the resol ution to accept the proposal of the Imperial
guarantee of interest on the loans to be made.
Influenced by the conviction of the paramount importance of the
railway as forming an essential link in a line through British territory,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the Provinces resolved themselves to

60

THE IYTERCOLOYIAL.

assume the liahilities nece
sary to it
construction. Delegates were ac-
cordinglyappointed to proceed to England. to arrange the terms on
which loans could he made, and the extent of the security to be given,
as well as the amounts to be allowed for the transport of troops and
maib, and indeed generally to determine the best mode of commencing the
enterpri
e. Several interviews took place between the members of the
Home Government and the deìegates. The rate of interest, the terms
of re-payment, and the question of the priority of the Imperial obliga-
tion over the other debts of the provinces, were all severally discussed,
likewise the establishment of a sinking fund, which the delegates did
not favour. The delegates from Kew Brunswick and Nova Scotia did
not recognize that serious difficulty was involved in this last condition,
and therefore to meet their legi
lative duties, they left London he fore the
termination of the negotiations, The delegate
from Canada, however,
had formed strong objections to the establishment of a sinking fund;
they therefore prepared a memorandum dated December 23nl, 18G2, on
this point, setting forth, that the conditions proposed by the delegates,
and detailed in a paper submitted, t would enable the Colonies to borrow
the ]
equisite funds at the low rate of 3! per cent., and would render
the Imperial guarantee a real act of assistance: one which \Vould be

. lIon. 'v. p. Hnwl:m.l
1\I1 Hon, J. B, Sicotte for Canada; Hon. Joseph Howe for Nova
Scotia, an<l lInn. S. L. Tilley for '\ew Brunswick.

t

CO
DITIOXS PROPOSED BY TIlE DELEGATES.

"1. TllRt the loan shall be f,)r .1:3,000,000 Sterling,
"2, That the liabilities of each Colony shall be appor'ioned as follows :-
Æl,250,000 for Canada.
8i,j,000 for Ncw Brunswick.
8i5,OOO for Nova Scotia.
"3, That the debentures shall he'lr interest at the rate of 3i per cent.
"4. That the intprest shall be pai<l half yearly in London, on the 1st day of May; and
the 1st <lay of Novemher,
"5, That the loan shall be repaicl in four instalments,
Æ 250,000 in 10 years.
500.000 in 20 years,
1,000,000 in 30 )'ears.
1,250,000 in 40 .)'car8,

HISTORY COSTIYUED.

61

accepted ac; an equivalent to a contribution by the Imperial Govern-
ment to the ulldertaki:lg. The memorandum further set forth that the
resources of the provinces were in themselves an ample security against
any loss falling on the Imperial exchequer.
This memorandum was forwarded to the Colonial Office, but no
farther interview consequent upon it was held. Their colleagues hav-
ing left for X ova Scotia amI X ew Brunswick, the Canadian delegates
themselves returned to their own Province.

"6. That the net profits of the road shall be applied towards the extinction of the loan.
.. 7. That the loan shall be the first charge upon the revenue of each Colony, after the
existing debts and charges.
"8, That the Imperial Government shall have the right to select one of the Engineers
appointed to make the surveys for the location of the linc.
"9. That the selection of the line sluill rest with the Imperial Government,
"10. If it is conclU!led that the work is to be constructed by a joint Commission, it
"shall be constitutell in the following proportions: Canalla shall appoint two of the Commis-
"sioners, Kew Brunswick and Nova Scotia each one. These four shall name a fifth before
" entering upon tbe discharge of their duties.
"Such portions of the railways now owned by the ßovernments of Nova Scotia, and
" New Brunswick which may be requirell to form part of the Intercolonial roall, will be
" worked under the above Commission.
"12, All net gain or loss resulting from the working and keeping in repair of any
.. portion of the roads constructed by No'va Scotia and
e\V Brunswick and to be usell as a
"part of tbe Intercolonial road, shall be received and borne by these Provinces respecti\"ely;
"anll the surplus, if any, after the payment of interest, shall go in abatement of interest on the
"whole line between Halifax and Rivière du Loup,
"13. That the rates shall be uniform over each respective portion of the road,
"U. Tbat Crown Lands required for tbe Railway or Stations shall be provillell by
each Province,"

62

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

CONDITIONS PROPOSED ON THE PART OF THE DIPERIAL GOVERX),IENT.
"1. That Bills shall be immediately submitted to the Legislatures of Cana,1:L, Nova.
Scotia, an<1 New Brunswick, authorizing the respective Governments to borrow L3,000,000,
under the guarantee of the British Government, in the following proportions :-five-twelfths
Canada, three and one-half twelfths, Nova I3cotia, an<1 three an<1 one-half twelfths, New
Brunswick,
"2, But no such loan to be contracted on behalf of anyone Colony, until corresponding
powers have been given to the Governments of the other two Colonies concerne<1, nor unless
the Imperial G01'ernment shall guarantee payment of interest on such loan until repaid.
"3. The money to be applie<1 to the completion of a railway connecting Halifax with
Quebec, on a line to be approve<.l by the Imperial Government,
cc 4. The interest to be a first charge on the consolidate,l revenue funds of the different
provinces, after the civil list and the interest of existing <1ebts, and as regards Canada, after
the rest of the six charges enumerated in the 6 an<1 {) Vie" cap. 118, and 3 and 4 Vic., cap, 35
(Acts of Union.)
"ó. The debentures to be in series as follows, viz.:

L 250,000 to be payable 10 years after contracting loau.
600,000 20
1,000,000 30
1,250,000 40

"In the event of these debentures, or any of them, not being redeemed by the {'olonies
at the period when they fall due, the amount unpaid shall become a charge on their respect-
ive revenues, next after the loan, until paid. The principal to be repaid as follows:-
1st, Decade (say 18G3 to 1872, inclusive), L2;)0,000 in redemption of the 1st series, at
or before the close of the 1st decade from the contracting of the loan.
"2n<1, Deca<1e (say 1873 to 1882, inclusÍ\'e.) A sinking fund of L40,000, to be remitted
annually; being an amount adequate, if invcstCll "t 5 per "ent. compound interest, to provide
L500,000, at the en<1 of the Deca<1e: the sum to be remitted annually, to be invested in the
names of Trustees in Colonial Securities of any of the three l>r()\'inces, prior to, or forming
part of the loan now to be raise<1, or in such other colouial Securities as Her Majesty's Gov-
ernment shall direct, anl1 the then Colonial Government apprO\'e.
3rd, Decade (say 1883 to 1892, inclusive). A sinking fund of ;;(80,000, to be remitted
annually; being an amouut adequate, if invested at õ per cent. compound interest, to pro-
vide L1,000,000 at the end of the decade: the amount, when remitte<1, to be investe<1, as in
the case of the sinking fund for the preceding decade.
"4th, Decade (say 1893 to 1002, inclusive). A sinking fund of L100,000, to be re-
mitted annuall).; being an amount adequate, if invested at õ per cent, compound interest, to
provide
n,250,OOO, bein(! the balance of the loan, at the end of the decade. This amount,
when remitted, to be invested as in the preceding decade.
" Should the sinking fund of any decade produce a surplus, it will go to the credit of the
next decade. And in the last decade the sinking fun<1 "ill be remitted or reduced accord-
ingly,
"It i
, of course, understood, thRt the assent of the Treasury to these arrangements,
presupposes adequate proof of tl,e sufficiency of the Colonial revenues to meet the charges
intended to be imposed upon them.
"6, The eonotruction of the railway to he conducted hy five commissioners, Two to
be nppointed I>y C'anada, one by Nova Scotia, and one by New Brunswick. These four to
choose the remaining commissioner.

HISTORY CO
TIN'GED.

63

.. i. The preliminary surveys to be effected at the expense of the Colonies, by three
engineers, or other officers nominated, two by the commissioners, and one by the Home
Government.
I, 8. Fitting provision to be made for carriage of troops, etc.
"9, Parliament not to be asked for thi9 guarantee until the line and surveys shall have
been submitted to and approved of by Her Majesty's Government, and until it shall ha\'e
been shown, to the satisfllction of Her
lajesty's Government, that the line can be con-
structed without further application for all Imperial guarantee."

Canada.

Pirst
Decade

CANADA, 1'EW BR1:SSWICK, AND NOVA SCOTIA INTERCOLONIAL RAILWAY LoAN.

I Fourlh
Decade.

To pay annually for interest.. .... . . .. .. L ;;0,000
At the end of the fir.;t ten years, a princi.
pal sum or.......................... lO-!,;;S3}1'
And after the first ten ) ears a sinking
fund per annum.. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . ,. ....."...'

Per annum .... . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AmI at the end of the first ten years a
principal sum of......................
New B. unsu'iC:C

60,000

10-!,583}1'

To pay annually for interest.. ..' . . ... . . 35,000
At the end of the first ten years a princi-
pal sum of.. .... .. .. .... .. .. . . .. ... , . i2,'jOS}1'
And after the first ten years a sinking
fund per annum,.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. .., - - . . . . . .

SFco7ld
Decade.

Third
Decude,

L
O,1333}1'

41.666%

62,500

32,083}1' 26,250 14,583}1'

.. .. . .. .. .. .... ....... ... ...... . . .

3,),O\JO

Per annum............................
And at the emi of the first tcn years a
principal sum of .. . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . .. . .
Nora Scolia.
To pay annually for int
rest. . .. .. . . . . . . 35,000
At the end of the first ten years a princi-
pal sum of. . . . . . , . _ , . . . . . . , , , . . , . . , , , i2,i08}1'
After the first ten years a sinking fund
per annum,. . . . . . . . . .... ............ ..........,

'j2,70S}1'

Per annum..... .. .. .. .... ..... . .. .... . .
And at the end of the first ten )< ears a
principal sl1m of . . . . . . , , , . . . , . , . . . . ,

35,000

'j2.708 }1'

L 45,1j33}1' L 3.,500

........ .. .....-.....

16.666%

33,333 }1'

62,.)()()

'j0,833 }1'

ll,666'$) 23,333}1' 29,166%
43,750 4:1 5S3}1' 43,.50

........... ............ .. .........

32,083}1' \ 26,250
.. "1 ;,;,J"

. . . .
.
:

J . .

:

14,583 }1'

29,166%

43,,50

CHAPTER V.

mSTORY CONTINUED.

1862-1867.

State of railway extension in 18G2-New Brunswick and Nova Scotia make fresh efiorts-
Surycy detennined on-
[r. Sandford Fleming appointed-Mr, Fleming's report-Ad-
vantages of the Bay Chaleur route-Newfoundlaod railway-Political dead-lock in
Canada-Movement towards Confederation-Members of Canadian Legislature Ïl1\"ited
to lIIaritime Provinces-Com"ention at Charlottetown-The Quebec Convention-Reso-
lution rcspecting Intercolonial Railway-General festivities-Act of Confederation-Act
guaranteeing interest on Railway loan.

..

At the close of the decade ending 1862, the Railway system had
been extencleù through a considerable portion of British
\merica.
The Grand Trunk Railway was in operation from Sarnia, at the foot of
Lake Huron, to Rivière du Loup a hundred and twenty miles from
Quebec towards Halifax; a distance in all of 71:;0 miles. A Railway
had been constructed from St. John to Shediac in New Brunswick one
hundred and cight miles in length. Halifax had been similarly con-
nected with Truro in Kova Scotia, by a line sixty miles in leugth;
and towards the close of 18(i
a well directed effort had been made
to establish the conditions on which the Imperial Government would
assist in the completion of the line yet to be constructed. Although
this attcmpt did not succeed, the hope was still entertained that the
difficultics cxperienced could eventually be removcd, if a spirit of con-
cession and good feeling actuated all who were conducting the negotia-
tions.
The action of the Canadian delegates with regard to the sinking
fund, lell to some disappointmcnt in the Maritime Provinces. The con-
ditions had been fully dis
nsspd in repeated conferences, and changes

HISTORY CONTThlJED.

65

had been introduced to meet the objections that had from time to time
been offered. It was considered, therefore, that possibly the Imperial
Government might have been induced to modify the oùjectiolli:; which
it had advanced, if met by argument and conciliation.
The Secretary of State for the Colonies ill a despatch to the Gov-
ernor-General of Canada. January 17, 18t53, stated that he certainly had
been under the impression that, with the exceptiolL of the estaùlishing
of a sinking fund, all the difficulties had heen rcmoved by explanation
or concession; that the objections to a sinking fund had been to a grcat
extent removed; and that he thought some of thc grounds set forth in
the mcmorandum of the Canadian delegates \\olùd hardly have he en
achallced if the ohjectors had thought it ad visaule to asccrtain by
further couference the intentions of IIer )Iajesty's Government.
The Legislatures of Kew Brunswick amI Kova
cotia in no way
remitted their efforts, they still put forth their old energy and con-
tinued that unflinching support and determination, which had gone
so far towards attaining success. On the return of the delegates, hills
were passed authorizing loans for the construction of the railway. The
votes were carried with the expectation that the Government of Canada.
would take the same course. But it was held in that Province that
the failure of the negotiations left matters precisely where they had'
been, aIllI that there was no mill for legi;;lation inlli:imuch as no defined
policy had bcen determined.
On the
.jth Fehruary. lRô:3. an Order in Council was passed hy the
Canadi,Lll Executive; it expressed concurrence in the action taken by
their dclegates and suggested a course of action which in their view
would, more speedily than any other, arrive at a practical and definite
settlement.
In the recent negotiations in London, the Home Government had
insisted that the Imperial Parliament should not be lli:iked to guarantee
the loan of 1:3,OUU,OOO, until the surveys had been made, the linc suh-
mitted to and approved by Her :\Iajesty's Government, and until it had
beeu satisfactorily shown that the railway could be put in operation
5

66

THE I
TERCOLONIAL.

without further application for an Imperial guarantee. It was further
a:;ked that the survey should be carried on by three engineers, one of
whom was to be appointed by the Home Government.
.AccordinglJT the Canadian Government considered that a reliable
survey and estimate should precede any further negotiations with
respect to ways and means.

\ sum was therefore placed in thc estimates for that purpo!';e and
It was arranged that the duty should be performed by a commission of
three Engineers, one appointed by the Province of Canada, one jointly
by K ova Scotia and New Brunswick, and the third by the Imperial
Goyernment.
In pursuance of this arrangement the Government of Canacla passed
an order in Council on the 2
nd
\.ugust, 18G3, appointing 1\11'. Sand-
ford Fleming to co-operate with the nominees of the Imp
rial Govern-
ment and the Lower Provinces. .
This appointment was communicated to the Governments interested,
with the reqnest that such action should be taken as would enable :\Ir.
Fleming with his colleagues to commence the survey without ..lelay.
Mr. Fleming was however nominated by Xova Scotia and Ncw Bruns-
wick, and the Duke of K ewcastle, then Colonial Secretary, likewise
appointed him on behalf of the Imperial Government..
In making the selection of :\11'. Sandford Fleming as the represent-
ative of the Impeyial Government while he at the same time wa!': acting
for the British American Provinces, it was felt that the Duke had

· The appointment was mal1e by Despatch dated October 17, 1863, to the Governor
General-The Duke says ;-" the character of Mr. Sandford Fleming whom, in your l1e8-
" patoh No. 81, you mention as having been nominated by the Government of CalUllla to under-
"take the preliminary suney of the line of Intercolonial Railway, is 80 unexceptionable; and
"the selection of him by the Government of Nova Scotia and Xew Brunswick is such a
" further convincing proof of his qualification for the office of Engineer for the line, that I am
"qnite ready to availm.rself of his services as the represcntatÍ\'e of the Imperial GO\ernlllent.
"Your Lordship will accordingly be pleased to appoint Mr. Fleming at once to the situation.
"It is agreeable to me to feel that by selecting IIlr. Flcming as the ('ombined representative
"of IIer :\Iajesty's Government and of the
"rth Americ'LII Provinces specially interested in
" this important subject, IIIl1ch delay has been avoided, and that the wish{os of your Govern-
"ment for the immediate ('ommen('emcnt of the slIrn'y JMVC, as far as this appointment is
., concerned, been complied with."

HISTORY COXT1Nl"ED.

67

rightly appreciated the importance of avoiding the delay and incoIl-
venience invariably attendant on divided re:>ponsiLility.
III the meantime a di:>cussioll had arisen betwecn the Government::;
of Xcw Bmnswick and Canada,-respecting a mi:mnderstanding which
had occurred in the previous year. Xew Brunswick was willing to enter
on the survey, but asked Canada to pledge itself to certain conditions
regarding it. Canada. on the other hand, considered that negotiations
should only commence when tile survey was completed.
.
The Government of Xova Scotia regarded the proposed survey as
indispem;ahle and expre8sed its regret that any que8tioll had been
raised at that time as to the extent to which the Government would
ultimately be bound by it.
lt does not appear that there was an}" actual settlement of the mis-
understanding. But on the
Oth Fehruary, 1813-1, the difficulty was for
the time got rid of by a despatch from the Governor G-eneral to the
effect :-that. in order to avoid delay, Canada had decidel! to under-
take the survey on its o\Vn responsibility and at its sole expense; but
that it would be for N 0\ a Scotia. and l' ew Brunswick to consider, in
event of the survey proving useful, if they would deem it right to pay
their proportion of the cost.
On the 5th
[arch, 186-1, the Engineer left Quebec for River du
Loup, the terminus of the Grand Trunk Railway, to commence a recon-
naissance of the country and to arrange for forwarùing the supplies
necessary to the prosecution of the work. These operations had to be
undertaken, in a country destitute of roads. on snow::;hoes and on dog-
sleds. Nevertheless. on the opening of spring, a large staff of assistants
were at work at various points between River du Loup anl! Truro.
The survey was divided into two sections, one extending south-
ea"terly from the railway in operation hetween St. .ToilIl aIllI Slil'dial',
to Truro, the then terminus of the Nova Scotia Hailwa:,": the other ex-
tending northwesterly from the St. John and Shediac Railway to River
du Loup.
ill the fonnel. division a range of high lands, kno\\ n 308 the Cobe-

68

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

quid Mountains, had to be crossed. On the latter division for about
200 miles southeasterly from River du Loup, a broken, elevated country,
covered by a dense forest, without settlements or roads, intervened.
It is in this division tha
the Tohique. the Notre Dame, the Shik
Shok, and other minor ranges of hi6'hlands, are met. Before the
close of 1864 the country between Hiver du Loup and Truro had been
well explored, and more than one practicable line established.
The report of the survey was made on the 9th February, 186,'), set-
ting forth the routes surveyed, and such projected lines as seemed
worthy of notice. It specially dealt with the means of meeting ob-
stacles of a physical or climatic nature, and pointed out how difficulties
of a serious character might he overcome. The quality of the land, and
its fitness for cultivation and settlement, were reporteù upon; and ap-
proximate estimates of quantities of the work to be performed were
attached. The comparative values of the various routes in a commer-
cial point of view were aho reported on.
In all fifteen different lines and comhinations of lines, projected III
various directions through the country, were compared.-

. Table of Comparative Distance,ç fmm RÙ'er du Lr/flp to St. Jolm and lIalifax.

I
IXo. of line.1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

ROUTES.

Frontier
Routes.

Cl'ntral
Routes.

Bay Chaleur I
Routes.

13
14
15

II

27
45
00

81', .1011:'01. TO 1I.-\J.lF.-\
.
I Hailway Xot I .

ot Total. Total.
Built Built. Built.
292 319 II 184 401 I ;J8;)
30;) 3;)0 202 414 jfij'
301 301 1;)7 410 I 5Ul
.
I ,
326 326 1;)7 4:;;) I :)!J2
3:'8 328 137 I 4:17 .)\) l

(:} 380 120 4;:;2 .:Jí:!
449 426 80 4;)8 :):18
307 3H 120 416 :):16
313 300 I 80 422 :)02
326 122 61 4:1;) 4!J6

23 3GO 120 4:;2 :):)2
3::!9 40(j 80 4:18 518

TO

Haih"av
Built'

00
00
37
77
37
77
96
37

7
i
I '

06 3!J0

1_-'
I
2l II '
47:}
486

4!)(j
4:->6
499

ßl6
5-17
560

120
61
61

..;

/'

:J

.

-1-1 1
ii,
.
.
; .
c

"" .
:; L
?( .,;"
...

ID
....;:I.!.:::>:

c c.....,
.....
C::O

A.. I- "'0
o...J 01-

a::
o

o
g:c5
110
rJJU W

a:
:::JI-
oz
",-

j,

-:

...:J

..
a

,
3r
I

,.

,
(,

ö
U
e. q I .fi
I :;

. j -!;;
ð
_J. .,;

'"

..
< .&>
v .fi
oJ
ö

.c
..

,
c

HISTORY CONTINUED.

69

These lines were grouped under three distinct heads, and designated
"Frontier," " Central," and "Bay Chaleur" routes.
The .. Fruntier" ruutel$ were thr4o'e ill llumùer, and embraced the
lines which closely approached, in SOllle rart of their course, the ÙOUll-
dary of the United States.
"The "Bay Uhaleur" routes were also three in number, and in-
cluded those lines which in their course touched the shore of the Bay
Chaleur.
The '<UentraZ" routes embraced all those lines projected though the

The following deductions OIa)' be drawn :-
Line
Yo. 8 is the shortest ,Frontier Houte tu St. John; its total length is 301 miles, the
whole of which is )et to be built, By this line the total distance to Halifax ÎB 667 miles, of
which 157 miles are constructed, leaving 410 miles yet to be made.
Line No.4 is the shortest Central Route 10 :Sl. Jul...: its total length is 326 miles, the
whole of which has to be madf'. By this line the distance to Halifax is 59'2 miles, of which
157 miles are built, leaving 435 miles to be constructe'!.
Line No. 13 is the shortest Bay Chaleur Route tn St. John; its totallengtb is 424 miles,
of which 37 miles are constructed, leaving 3
7 miles to be made. By this line the total dis-
tanL'e to Halifax is 616 miles, of which 120 miles are already made, leaving 496 miles to be
built.
Lille No, 3 is the .hortest Frontier Route to Halifax as well as to St. John, the distances
are already gÏ\'en.
Line No, 10 is the shortest Central Ronte to Halifax; the total distance by it is 496 miles,
of which 61 miles are built, leaving to be built 436 miles.
The total dist..mce to St. John by line No. 10 is 422 miles, of which 96 miles are built,
leaving to be constructed 826 miles,
Lir
No, 14 is the shortest Ba,y Chaleur Route to Halifax; its total length is ó47
miles, of which 61 miles are constructed, leaving 486 miles to be made. By this line
the total distance to St. John ÎJI 473 miles, of which 96 miles are built, leaving 377
miles yet to be constructed
The shortest of all the lines to St. John is No, 8, Frontier Route.
The shortest of all the lines to Halifax is No. 10, Central Route.
Line No.3 requires the constrnction of 25 miles less than No. 10, to connect River
du Loup with both St. John and Halifax: but the total i1i.tance to Halifax by line No.
3, is 71 miles greater than by line No. 10. whilst the total distance to St. John by line No,
10 is 121 miles greß
r than hy line No.8.
The shortest route from Ri\"er d Loup to the Atlantic Sea Board, on British terri-
tory is by line No. 1 10 St. A..rTr
II'S.
The total <li
tan('e to St. A..rTmrs h, tnis line is eetimated at 277 miles, of which 67 miles
are constructei1_ 'f'avin
onlv 210 mile- to he huilt,
The total distance to St. .fohn hy line No 1 is 319 miles, of which 292 miles require
to be ma<le.
The total distance to Balifax by line No.1 ÎB 585 miles, of which 401 miles require to
be built.

70

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

interior of the country, at some distance from the frontier on the one
hand, and from the Bay Chaleur on the other.
"'hile in each Case the general engineering features of the line:;, and
the nature of the country through which they were projected were set
forth, the fact was prominently put forward that there was little prospect
of any considerable amount of" local traffic" by any route, and that no
profitable return could be looked for from that source for many years.
It was likewise shown that no great proportion of "through freight,"
could, under ordinary circumstances be profitably carried over the pro-
posed railway. It was argued that, during- ,the season of navigation,
freights could be more cheaply taken by water; and in winter, unless the
'Cnited States placed restrictions on Canadian traffic, freight now passed
in bond, would continue to follow the shorter routes to the Atlantic.
On the other hand by opening up an outlet through British territory
the effect would be that shorter lines through the United States would
be kept under control. Accorclingly, even when in no way used for
freight, by the influence it would exercise On the customs' regulations,
and the railway interests of the enited States, the new line would
directly benefit the agricultural and commercial interests of the "\Vest-
ern Provinces.
It was claimed that a line touching the Bay Chaleur possessed spe-
cial advantages in the matter of passenger traffic. Previous tll the sur-
ve)., the extension of the Lnited States lines by the Atlantic coast to
Halifax had been advocated with the view of reducing the time taken
in the ocean passage, by shortening its length. Powerful influences
had been enlisted to complete the coast line to Halifax. It was consid-
ered probable that, on the completion of this connection, most of the
passenger traffic, not only from the Pnited States, hut also from the
Province of Canada, west of
rontreal, would seek Halifax tIlrough
the rnited States, instead of passing over the Intercolonial via River
du Loup.
The Bay Chaleur, however, is not only nearly a hundred and fifty

mSTORY CONTINUED.

71

miles nearer than Halifax to Liverpool, but at the same time it Ii:> two
hundreù anù sixty-six miles nearer :\lontreal than Halifax is. ( ;oni:>e-
quently the selection of a port on the Bay Chaleur for ocean i:>teamers
would shorten the whole dii:>tance between )Iuntreal anù Liverpool
fully four hundreù miles. Even between Liverpool anù K ew York one
huwh'cd and sixty milei:> woulù bc saveù by commencing the ocean pas-
sage at the Bay Chalcur.
The Intercolonial Railway accordingly presents an important route
for ocean, mail, and passenger traffic, to Canada, the \V cstel'll
tates,
and to a hu'
'e pOl,tion of the Central States.
These fiLets pointeù to a linc by thc Bay Chaleur as preferable to
the Cenlral or the Frontier lines.
It "as suggei:>teù that this line might exercise important influence on
Newfoundland. The consiùeration of the shorte
lines between Amer-
ica a1ll1 Europe with reference more particularly to the conveyance of
pasi:>engers and i1lails, pointed to the extension of the railway system
across N ewfoundlallll. '" The theory wa..; aù vanceù that there already ex-
isted, or that in all probability there wuulù soon be, sufficient traffic to
sustain a daily line of ocean steam!"rs across till' Atlantic. The iùea of
incllldin;; X ewfoundlanù in the i:>chcme of inter-eommunication anù mak-
ing a rail way there, a continuation, a:; it were, of the Intercolonial line,
with the prospect of :he Islanù becoming part uf the Feùeral uniun
may have appeareù to he vi.Ûonary. But neverthelcss somc advance
has been maùe in that direction. In the ten yeari:> which have since
elapsed, Newfoundlanù has IJecn awakeneù by the spirit of progress,
anù she more thoroughly uIHlcrstanùs the im}!ortance of her geographi-
cal position. Last year, the intcrior of the Island, scarcely beforo
trodden by the white man, and full of natural resources, was pasi:>ed
over by a large staff of engineers sent by her Government to examine
the practicability of a railway from the extrcme east to the extreme
west. Another decade may recorù rei:>ults such ai:> the chronicl6r of

. See Appendix.

72

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

to-day gives to the world of what has been effected by the Dominion in
the last ten years,
The rl'port contained estimates of the probable cost of the Interco-
lonial Railway, which however, were necossarily imperfect, as they were
based on the limited examination. The line surveyed through the
interior of the country, was estimated at an average of $-16,000 per mile,
or
20,633,500, for a total distance of 438 miles, the length of new
rail way to be constructed.
Only a portion of the line since adopted by the Bay Chaleur, had
then been tested by instrumental survey, but upon the data obtained,
applied as an average, to the whole distance between River du Loup
and 'Iruro, the total cost was roughly estimated at *10,833,21-1. It was
stated thitt it was possible that a less sum might suffice, but that until
more elaborate surveys established the exact character of the work, the
line could not safely be estimated under the co.;t of twenty million dollars.
\\Thile the survey was in progress in the year 1864, important move-
ments were made towards the establishment of the Dominion.
The Governments of Kova Scotia, Kew Brunswick, amI Prince Ed-
ward Island, were authorized by their respective Legislatures to enter
into negotiations for the union of the Maritime Provinces; and a con-
vention was appointed to meet in the month of September, at Char-
lottetown, Prince Edward Island.
In Canada, after a long contest, to a great extent the result of sec-
tional jealousies between the Eastern amI "\Vestern Provinces, it seemed
as if parties had assumed such an attitude that the continuance of Gov-
ermneut by a Parliamentary majority had become an impossibility.
In \\" estern Canada, it was maintained that that province, being the
most populous, was unfairly represented in the Legislature. Eastern
Canada, on the other kand, had held that no change could be made in the
Union Act, which assigned equal representation to both provinces.
To remedy the dissatisfaction, an attempt had for some years been made
to govern by double majorities, in itself an unwieldy and impracticable
arrangement.

HISTORY CONTLNUED.

73

This is not the place, however, to dii:>cUSS the political events which
led to confederation. It ii:> enough to remark that there seemed to be no
extrication from difficulties which threatened to become chronic, ex-
cept in the adoption uf some meai:>ure which woulù unite in a whole
the several provinces of British America, so that more national interests
and a wider field woulù caUi:>e merely sectional interests to be of
secondary importance. It was felt by both parties that the time had
arriveù when decided steps should be taken. After much deliberation,
it wai:> determined with the general aSi:>ent of the supporters uf the
government anù of the opposition, to unite in one effurt to secure the
confederation of the Canadas with the :\laritime Pro, inces.
On the prorogation" of the Legislature in June, a fusion of parties
took place, and a new government was announced, with the avowed
policy of consummating the confeùeration of the British
orth Ameri-
can Provinces.
EiJ.!:ht of the members of the new executive were accordingly de-
puted to the convention of the :\laritime Provinces., appointed tu as:,;em-
ble at Charlottetown. The movement in Canada exercised great influ-
ence upon the events which followed. It had long been felt that from
geographi
al position, and from dii:>tinct political organization. there had
been but limited bUi:>iness relations, and an almost to
al absence of social
intercourse, between the various provinces, which it was now pro-
posed politically to unite into one great nationality. Accorùingly,
the inhabitants of St. Juhu and Halifax coni:>idered it desirable to
form the acquaintance of the political leaders of the provinces pro-
posing to enter into alliance with them.
On the prorogation of the Canadian Legislature, the members of
both Houses were tendered the public and private hm;pitalitici:> of the
cities of St. John and Halifax. The invitations were immediately
accepted.
During the summer the visit was paiù. A steamer with some
three hunùred representative men from all parts of Canada, from the
banks of the St. Lawrence, from the Ottawa, from Central Canada,

74

THE IXTERCOLONIAL.

from Toronto and ih; populous ncighbourhood and from the shores of
the upper lakes, landed in the Lower Provinces, where a series of ban-
quet!:> followed one on the other, whcre private hospitality "as pro-
fusely offered and where abundant opportunities were created for the
crowd of vi!:>itors to know the people, the industries and the resources
of the :\laritime Provinces, which were now visited for the first time, by
nearly all tho!:>e present.
The time-honoured custom of the British race, of inaugurating a
great undertaking by festivities and hospitalities, ushered in the birth
of the Dominion. The hanq ueting "hich commenced in the cities
washed by the waves of the ocean, was repeated before many months
throughout Canada; and the citie::; by the St. Lawrence and hy the lakes
gavc back the echo of the cheers which had so lately been heard at the
seaboard.
()n the 8th Septemher, the memorable meeting took place at Char-
lottetown, where rel're::;entativc::; of Canada, New Brunswick, Kova
Scotia, and Princc Edward I::;land were drawn together; but the larger
question of a fedpral union of all the Provinces completely over::;hadow-
ed thc more limited question of a union of the :\Iaritime Provinces
for which the convention had been called.
After the adjournment of the convention meetings were held at
IIalif:n: and St. John. The question, huwever, had really bcen settled at
Charlottetown; but the u::;ual banquets followed, the customary speeches
WeI'e madc, and the SlÜ)ject ,va::; at each place thoroughly di!:>cussed.
In October 18fì-1, with the sanction of the Imperial Government, a
conven tion of delcgates from all the Province!:>, including K ewfound-
land, was held at Quehec; a series of 72 resolutions was adopted, by
which it wa::; proposed to unite Ea::;tern and \\Testern Canada with New
Brunswick, Nova
cotia, and Prince Edward hland. At the same
time, provi::;ion was made for the admi::;sion öf the Territories then oc-
cupied by the Hudson ßay Company, together with British Columbia
and Newfoundland.
These resolutions formed the basi!:> of the articles of Confederation

HISTORY CO:XTLXUED.

75

subsequently incorporated in an Imperial act. The 68th resolution
specially bears upon the subject of this volume; it was therein deter-
mined that "the general Government shall secure, without delay, the
"completion ofthe Intercolonial Railway from River du Loup. through
"Xew Bruuswick. to ï'ruro in Xova Scotia."
"TilllÏn a period of five months, a series of important events hap-
pened with startling rapidity; events which culminated in a scheme
that not only providerl for the construction of the Rail way which effort;
exteuding over a quarter of a century had failed to secure, but that
con:,:.olidated in one government Provinces scattered over half a conti-
nent, which had remained I:>eparate from the first daYI:> of their exist-
ence under Britil:>h rule.
The resolutions of the Quebee convention, having received the a
)-
probation of the Imperial Government, were submitted to the Provin-
eial Legi:,:.latures and sanctioned:
By the Province of Canada, on 10th 1Iarch, 186.).
By the Province of Non!. Scotia. on 18th April, 186G.
By the Province of New Brunswick, on 6th
\.pril, 1SGG.
The Provincial Legislatures also addressed Her ::\Iajesty the
Queen, praying that a measure might be submitted to the Imperi.Ü
Parli,lment to provide for the union of the whole of British X"rth

\.meric,l, The Governor General
with deputations from the govern-
ments of the sm"cral Pro\.inees. proceeded to England to arrange with
the Imperial Authoritie" the preliminary steps. These deputation3
met iri conference on the 4th December, 18GG, ill London.
.\. distinct provision for an Imperial guarantee of 1::3.000,000 ster-
ling for the Intercolonial Railway. formed the substantial distinction
between the rel:>olutions agreed upon at Quebec, and those
u"mitted
to the Imperial Government at London. Her 1tljesty's ::\Iinisters suh-
miUed a Bill to the Imperial Parliament, desl
mltell the" British Xorth
America .\et of IHlÌï:' creatin
the Dominion of ('anacIa. The Dill re-
ceived the royal s;tnction on the 29th 1Iarch, l
lìï, and became, on the
1st July, 1867, the Constitution of Canada.

76

THE INTERCOLO
IAL.

On the 12th April, 1867, the Imperial Parliament passed a secund
bill in the interest of Canada, entitled: " An Act for authorizing a
guarantee of interest on a loan to be raiseù by Canada, towards the
construction of a railway connecting Quebec and H:alifax." Under
this Bill the funds, to the extent of æ3,OOO,OOO sterling, for the con-
struction of the Intercolonial Railway, were provided.

CHAPTER VI.

1867 TO 1876.

LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION.

Effect of the Ashburton Treaty on the Location of the Line.-Railways preTious to Con-
feileratinn,-Commencement of Location SUr\'ey,-Rival Routes through New Bruns-
wick.-:\Iilitary Consi<lerations.-Rival Route" in Nova Scotia-Line Recommended.-
Contro'l'ersy respecting the Route,-Action in No,-a ScotÏ:1.-The controversy l"arrieil
to Ottawa.-Final ailoption of the Combination Line.-Appointment of Cnmmi""ionerø.-
The Contract S.rstem.-Ten<lers Received.-The Bridge ControverB) ,-The Engineer
advocates Iron.-The Commissioners insist on Wood.-Iron finally adopted,-The East-
ern Extension Controversy,-Line from Moncton to Amherst adopteil,-Location
bl'tween IIliramichi and Moncton.-Construction proceeds under the Commissioners.-
Completion of Line uniler Department of Public Works.

THE location of the line being necessarily confined to British terri-
tory, it was forced to make a considerable detour, to avoid entering the
State of :\Iaine. Had no national considerations presented themselves, or
had the boundary been laid down accorùing to the Treaty of 1783, or even
in accordance with the settlement proposed, and, to some extent, pressed
by the Lnited States some years prior to the Ashburton Treaty, there
would have been no difficulty in securing a direct, eligible route.
The Railway would, in this case, in all probability, have followed
the general course of the route surveyed by Captain Yule, in 18
ï, for
the St. Andrews and Quebec Railway, as far as the neighhourhood of
the river St. John, but with such modifications and improvements as
further surveys might have suggested. Owing to certain political
influences Captain Yule was bound by his instructions to pass to the
north of ðIars Hill. Thus his line was deflected out of the direct course
to the seahoard; and it is highly probable that untrammelled he would
have followed a shorter route. It is evident, from an inspection of the map,
and from the natural features of the country, that lines of railway might
.77

78

THE INTERCOLO:SIAL.

have been projected, so as to bring :\Iontreal within 380 miles of St.
Andrews, 415 miles of St. John, and 6':;0 miles of Halifax; and that the
distance from Quebec to St. Andrews need not have exceeded :!':;O miles;
Gi miles les!:> than to Portland. Fredericton, the seat of local govern-
ment, would have been on the main line to Halifax, and distant from
1\Iontreal ahout 3iO miles; and these lines, moreover, would have heen
wholly within the limits of.the Dominion had the international boundary
been traced according to the true spirit and intent of the Treaty of
1i83.
The di!:>tance between :Montreal and Halifax might thus have been
lessened nearly 200 miles. St. Andrews would have taken the place
of Portland as the winter terminus of the Grand Trunk Railway, and
would have commanded, together with St. John, a traffic now cut off
from both places, and centred at a foreign port.
The direct route would have bruught the Springhill coal fields
of Nova Scotia some 200 miles nearer to Montreal than by the present
line of the Intercolonial, amI would have renderell it possible to trans-
port coal by rail at a comparatively moderate cost.
If, unrler
mch circumstances, an Intercolonial line to connect the
citie!:> of the :\Iaritime Provinces with those of the St. LawrenceJuul been
coustructed, the lmilding of 2.;0 miles of railway representing an ex-
penditure of B;10,000,OOO would have been unneces!:>ary. Great a!:> this
saving would have been, the economy in working it and in maintenance
would have been more important. The direct line would also have at-
tracted certain branches of traffic which by the longer route must either
be carried at a loss or be repelled. These considerations render the differ-
ence in favour of the direct line incalculable, and cause the more regret
that the treaty made by Lord Ashburton, which ceded British ter-
ritory equal in size to two of the smaller States of the Union, rendered
such a direct line through BritiJ:>h territory forever impoF-sible. Al-
though it is too late to recti(y tl1Ïs almost fatal error, it is important in
a history of the Intercolonial Rail way to recount all the steps by which
so costly a consequence ha!:> been forced upon the Dominion.

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0

LOCATIOY AXD COKSTRGCTION.

79

It has already been mentioned that previous to Confederation in
lSGï, the separate Provinces had commenced, within their own limits,
systems of railways demanded hy their own requirements. In Canada
proper a milway had heen built from the river St. Clair, at the e).treme
". e,.:t. through Toronto, )Iontreal, and Quebec, to rh'er du LOllp. In
X 0\ a Scotia, the line from Halifax to Truro had been completed;
and in Xew Brunswick, St. John hat! heen conuected with f'hediac
upon the (ìlllf of
;t. Lawrence. These important but distinct sections
it became the first duty of the Dominion Government to connect by
the most 3(h-antageow; route possible throug-h British territory.
The Briti:::h Xorth Amel'ica Act, uniting thc Provinces 1I1 one
Dominion, came into force on the 1st of J uly, U
fì'j. One of thp.
tipu-
lations wa
that the Railway
hould be commenced within six months,
and be finished within four years.
A week hall not elapsed after the date of union when the Engineer-
ill-Chipf receind instructions from the )linister of Public ,,- orks to
proceed with the surveys necessary to establish the location,
The
eason of lRlìï was occupied in ascertaining the best position
for the Hailway hetween Truro and Amherst, and, in Fehruary of the
folIo\\ ing year, plans and profiles of a route from Truro to the houndary
between Xoya
cotia and Sew Brunswick were submitted to the
Government fur approvaL
In ] '.;fj8, the suryeys were continued on the whole line, and a large
engineering staff was employed in examining the country bet\\ een
1\ ova Scotia and river du Loup. A controversy arose hetween the ad-
vocates of different routes through X ew Brunswick. The press teemed
with articles on tlw suhject, and the contest was carried into the Legis-
lature and Prh-y Council of the Dominion. The chief contest was be-
tween a
orthern or Ba.y Chaleur route, a Central route and a Frontier
route hy the yalleyof the river
t. .John, "hich for a great length,
wouM be close to the boundary bet" een XI"'" Brunswick and the
tate
of )Iaine. The advocates of the Frontier route set militar:," considera-
tions altogether aside. The
' contended that since the day of .Major Roh-

80

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

inson, who first recommended the Northern route, the revolution in naval
armaments 11<1(1 placed the two line::; on an equality; that treaties had
opened the Gulf of St. Lawrence to all nations; that there were no
groumh; for anticipating difficultics with the United Sta
es, as their inter-
ests were all on the side of peace; that, shouM any disturbing element
arise, it would be settled by the pen, amI not by the sword; and that,
if the Railway should he constructed as a military road. it WOl11<1 hc in
danger wh'wever placerl, and would, from that point of view, invite
attack, while, if regarded as a commercial enterprise, its peaceful mis-
sion would be its protection. They further argued that a yast amount of
public money would be saved by the adoption of the .FlOntier route.
Owing to the lenJth of line in operatio:\ which couM be available, a
much less }/!ngth of new railway wonM he l'equired; 5.) miles of rail-
way, alreatly constrncted and in operation, being purchasable at a low
price, They farther argued that, thc vaHey of the river St. .John heing
well settled, there would he a considerable revenue from the ordinary
trade of the district; and that there would also be a large lumber
trade from Aroostook, in Maine, as well as from the New Brunswick
counties.
It was, however, asserted on the other side, that on the Northern
line there were many large lumber establishmeuts, some of which would
turn out more sawn lumber than all the mills between Fredericton and
the source of the St. John, including those iu the Aroostook couutry;
that such a line would certainly henefit and develop Aroostook; but
what was wanted was a railway to develop the resources of Canada;
and that the population per mile on the Northern route was much
larger than that on the Frontier route, even including the population of
Aroostook, which amouuted to about one-half {If the total number
named.
The advocates of the Northern rou.te also claimed that the estimates
of the Frontier line were placed at too low a figure, as the Rail ways
offered for sale were sunk in debt, and were in snch a bad condition as
to require extensive repairs; and they contended that the Frontier line,

LOCATIOX AND COXSTRl7CTION.

81

III its entirety through to Truro, would be more costly by
l,OOO,OO,O
than the Northern line. They also showed by the long-continued
negotiations, that neither the Provincial nor British Governments ever
lost sight of the necessity of consulting military cOIJSiderations; and
that one of the latest Colonial Recretaries had said emphatically that
no line which did not secure the advantages of a safe military road
would ever receive the countenance of the British Government.
The contest which was most persevered in was however he tween
the Cf'Iltral aud Northern routes; the Central being mainly advocated
III the interest of the city of St. John.
The safety of the Railway from attack in time of war continued
to occupy a prominent place in these discussions. It was a
sertcd
that the Northern route, rccommellded by Major Robinson because
"passing at the greatest distance from the United States, and possessing
"in thc hig-hest degree the advantage of security frum attack in <::ase of
"hostilities," was, in reality, greatly exposell to attack, a". at se\ cral
points, it was close to the sea; and that op('rations could be 1I10re
successfully carriell on against it than against the Central route, "hich,
at all points was at least 30 miles distant frolU the .\merican fwntier.
It was held that this distance was sufficient to make the Railway ::;afe,
or at least as safe as a consillerable portion of the Granll Trunk Hail-
way westward
from river du Loui>; amI that it would be so regarded
by the British Government.
On the other side. it was denie<<l that the Northern line was open
to attack, as only vessels of light draught could enter the waters which
it touc
ed; and that an enemy's fleet could not enter the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, except at the ri"k of bcing cut off from support and supplies;
". hereas, an attack could be much more re
lllily made on th,. Central
route, St. .John city awl river being comparatively near American har-
bours. Bcsillcs, the long vulnerahle portion of the Central line would
not he so defcnsible as thc portion of the Grand Trunk Railway lying
nearest the .American frontier. because, in the latter case, there was an
intervening range of mountain!; impracticable for the passage of troops
6

82

THE I
TEr.COLO
TAL.

and heavy artillery; while in the formcr. the line passing into thc valley
of thc St. .John, the river woultl afforcl really means of attack.
As in the case of the Frontier route, an argument" as advanced
in favour of the Central route on account of the less length of railway
required. But to maintain this argument it was stated that no rail-
\va,\-s on the route ,,-ould have to be purchased, because the companies
owniu6' them ,,'ould willingly grant running powers ovcr such as were
constructed. On the other side it was shown that the project was not in
accon1.mce with the designs of the British Government, as evidenccd by
their proposec1 guarantee being for ;';3.000,000, wit
l the condition that
tlU' Dominion Government would raise a further æl,OOO,OOO, whilst the
estimate of the cost on the Central route was less than the ;';8.000.000.
It was accordingly argued that a çontinuous line of railway was con-
templated, and not a connection with railways in operation. A forcible
ohjection was made to the Central route, that one of the railways pro.
posed as a connection was owned or controlled by citizens of the TTllitcrl
States. Offers to carry troops in case of need were made to meet this
argument. But it was evident !'uch offers could not he cnfol'cell: on
the declaration of war the railway companies could readily "ith-
draw all their rolling stock within the Lnited States frontier. and
leave the railway useless to the Dominion though available to the
enemy.

()me stress was lairl on the amount of through frcigl1t which
would follow the Central route to St. John as a shipping port. It was,
howe\ er, contended that through freight from Montreal would take the
line ofthe Grand Trunk Railway to Portland. and not a route 300 miles
longer ny river du Loup to St. .John. Also, it was contendc<1 that, in the
matter of breadstuffs and provisions, the United States was the natu-
ral market for St. John. Trade returns !'howed that. while restrictions
were laid upon trade between the British Korth .\merican Provinces
and the Pnited States. the supply of breac1stuffs anrI provisiom: for
St, .Tohn went from Canada: hut when reciprocity pl'p\,tilpd this sup-
ply came from the United States, to the c\:tcnt of i5 per cent. of the

J,OCATION A
D COXSTRUCTION.

83

whole. It was further argued that, if reciprocity should be again es-
tablished, the through freigl]t would prove a nullity.
On the side of the Northern Line. it "US argued that the natural
trade of the populous region tllrough which it would pass l]ad, c\'en
during the existence of the Reciprocity Treaty. been with Canad",; the
imports of flour from the Lnited States never having exceeded between
10 and 15 per cent. of the total impOl'ts, unless under exceptional
circumstances.
It was said that the Central route had nothing in its favour which
the :Northern had not; but that the Xorthern had many special ad\'an-
tages over the Central and every other route. It would undoubtedly
fulfil the national object for which the scheme was first originated,
viz :-the creation of a safe military road not open to sudden assault
either by land or sea. It would pass through much "ell-settled
country, including !;everal important towns and villages; and "ould
traverse many outlets by which lumber is brought from the interior.

\ considerable trade might be looked for in grain. and. eventually. iu
manufactures, from Ontario to the
Iaritillle Provinces; and very prob-
a1Jly return freight at cheap rates would be obtained in coals. minerals
and fish.
The fi::,h trade was held to be of great importance and worthy of
heing fostered as productive of profit. Fish, cured and dried, 'Yas sold
for ahout three cents per pound; if packed in ice and transported to
C.
uebec or Ontario it 'would bring ten cents pf'r pound. As the co::;t of
curi.ngand drying was equal to the cost of carriage, the ten cents per pound
ff)r the frozen fish would afford a larger profit to the fishermen. would
foster this branch of trade, and would speedily develop this class of
railway traffic.
The claims of Prince E(hmrd Island and K e'\\ foundland. were
urged in advocacy of the K orthern route, inasmuch as it "as generally
considered desirahle to consolidate the Dominion by including the,.;e
Islands in Confederation; and it could not be doubted that the Korth-
ern route would he the most acceptable to them, particularly to Kew-

!-4

THE IYTERCOLOXlo\.L.

fOl1ndland, in VieW of the quick trans-Atlantic route hy way of that
hlalHl suggested by the Chief .Engineer in his report of If<û-1.
\Vhile the discu,.;sion proceedetl allll the objections against each
route were being an,.;wered by arguments bm;e(l on commercial tht'ories
of profit; alii I while each particular l'oute, in its turn, was zealously
atlvo('atcd and its merits enlarged upon by its friends, the Chief Eng:-
neeI' avoided all eXpl"ession of opinion as to the line he held to be
preferable; a cour,.;e of action which was made a matter of re-
proach to him hy huth si(leo; in the controversy. Viewing the course
l'Ufsl1pd, he entertains, after t1ie lapse of years, the opinion by which
he was then guided, that it was unnecessary and would have been im-
politic, for him to have taken part, in any way, in the discussion.
"Then
lr. Fleming entered upon the survey in 186-1, his instruc-
tions on this point were very plain. He was not called upon to se-
lect what he held to be the most eligihle line: indeed, as he rea(l his
instructions, he considered it to be his duty to withhold all indications
of preference. IIis own opinions were, however, explicitly aud directly
f'xpre,;sed, wlwn it became his (luty to place them on record. In
)[arch, 18GR, he was requested by the Government to report on the
route he held to be the hest.
Ile replie(l that military considerations as well as the commf'rcial
capabilities of the line lmd to be regarded. \Vith a prospective in-
C'reasing traffic, the rail way would probably become self-sustaining',
hut on the other hand, a line with little traffic, and with no likelihood
of any great increa,.;e, threatene(l to become a permanent bU1'(len.
There appeared to be but little prospect of much local traffic on
any of the 'routes. Agricultural prospects were nowhere extremely
promising; and, except in Nova Scotia, the mineral resources of the
(>ountry, as far as known, appeared of little importance. It" as. in-
(lee(l, difficult to foresee that any great development of purely local
traffic would take place. The most exaggerated estimates of way
Imsine"s, ou any of the routes, for a long time were anticipated
to fall short of the cost of maintenance.

LOCATIO
A
D COXSTRGCTIO
.

8':;

In the matter of through traffic, the fact had to be taken into com;id-
eration that a railway was being constructed to connect St. John Xew
Bruns" ick, with Bangor in
Iaine, and thence ,yith the railway sy
telll"
of Canada and the 'Cnited States. This line would be a formidable
competitor to the Intercolonial Railway, if the latter were built on
either a frontier or central route, while the route by the Bay Chaleur,
and the adoption of a port on that Bay, for ocean
teamers, "ould en-
able the Intercolonial Railway to command a large "hare of the !'a]J-
iùly increasing mail amI p
ssenger traffic between Europe and America,
The Chief Engineer, after examining the arguments aùvanced in
favour of each I"Oute, placed on record his opinif\n, that, beyond u duubt,
the line by the Bay Chaleur was the route to be adopted.
The Imperial authorities never lost sight of the military element which
the railway
hould retain. Un several occasion" the
- clearly intimated
that a northern or Bay Chaleur route was the one which they preferred:
not only
Iajor Robinson, but other military authorities ]Juinted out the
northern route as the proper loeation. The con))lIi,,
ioners appointed
to consider the defence of the Province of Canada reported in 18G:2 that
no time should be lost in opening a road by the valley of the :\Ietapedia
to
Ietis on the S1. Lawrence, and that, for military purpo:"cs. the pref-
erence should be given to the line of Railway by the Day Chaleur.
In If<G-! the Deputy Director of fortification:,. Co!. J ervois, reported
that whilst the Temiscouata route by Grand Falls and Fredericton to
St. John was, on account of its proximity to the .\merican fruntif'r.
liable to be cut off at the commencement of ho"tilities. the route from
Halifax through Kova Scotia and along the Eastern side ofXc\\ Bruns-
wick, caned the :\Ieh\ p edia route, would afford access to Canada dlll'il1

.

war; and that. except at the part where it run" along the
outhel'll
shore of the St. Lawrence, where, owing to the nature and position of
the country in the adjacent part of the States, it is scarcely subject to
attack, the whole line might he held to be at such a distance from
the fmntier that it would not be liaLle to interruption bJ an enemy.
\Vere fmthe)" evidence required of this feeling, it is to be found

86

THE IXTERCOLOXIAL.

in the fact that the Duke of Buckingham sent a despatch to the Gover-
nor General in the spring of 186K. intimating that the Imperial guarantee
would at once be made available provided the Bay Chaleur route was
adopted, and, on receiving notification of the choice of route, the Duke
furwarded a second despatch which fully e
tahlishes that the route by
the Bay Chaleur was held to he the only line \\ hich provides for the
national objects involved in the undertaking..
During the period that the location through New Brunswick was
the matter of daily debate, the course of the line in Nova Scotia was also
discussed, with equal warmth and pertinacity; more especially that por-
tion, some thirty miles in length. in which the mineral districts adjoining
the Cobequid mountains are included. The chief promoter of these
discussions was Mr. John Livesey, who represented the Londonderry
Iron l\Iines, and who for more than four years never ceased to put his
YÌews forward.
From the time of the survey made in 1864, Mr. Livesey continually

'"

DOWNING STREET,
22 July, Uiü8,

(COpy CANADA, No. 155,)
My LoRD.
" I han> received your Lorilship's telegraphic message that the route by the Bay of Cha-
" leur has ueen select
d by the Canadian Government, as the one to connect Truro with
.. RIver du Loup and thus complete the Intercolonial Railway.
" I understand three routes to have been under the consideration of the Governnwnt of
" Canada, namely, one crossing the St. .John ri"er either at 'V oodstock or Fredericton, the
" second in a more central direction tllrun
h Xl'\\' Brunswick, and the third following the line
" selected by Major Robinson in 1848.
" The route crossinj.( the St, John rÏ\er, either at Woollstock or Freilericton, is one to
" which the assent of Her Majesty's Government cou\l1 not have been given. The objec-
" tions on military grounds to any line on the South side of the St. John river are insupera-
,. hie. One of the main adnmta
es sought in g-ranting an Imperial guarantee for constructing
" the railway, would have been defeated, if that line had been selected,
" The remaining lines were the Central line and that following the general course of the
" ronte surveyed by l\Iajor 1l0binson,-and Her
hjesty's Government have learned with
" mnch satisfaction that the latter hns been selected b
' the Cnnadian Government, The
.. communication which this line affords with the Gulf of St. L'''Hence nt various points, alHI
" its remoteness from the American frontier, are conclnsi'e cOllsi,lerntions in its fa,'onr, and
" there can be no donbt that it is the only one which provides for the national objects
" involved in the undhtaking." ·

I have etc" etc.
Signed, BUCKINGHAM & CHANDOS.

To Governor the Rt. Hon. Viscount l\Ionck.

LOCATIO
A:XD CO
STRUCTION.

87

urged, both privately and official1y, the importance of locating the
rail way on a route pas:5Ïng close to the fumaces uf the Iron :\Iines in
which he was interested.
Four different routes between Truro and a point of junction on the
rail \, ay from ?t. John to ::;hediac "ere examined allllrcportl'd on; one
was far to the east, another was far to the west, two" ere central. Dy
combiwing parts of these central routes, t\\O other routes werc com-
pounded. Of the two central routes, one was essentially the same as that
recommendeù by
Iajor Robinson in It-5-lï, Thc other was
imilar to
that advocated by
Ir. Livesey. It ,vas by a comLiliatiun uf the tn u
that the ro
lte called" Line 13" W.1S formed, to cruss the Cobequid Hills
by the pass at Folly Lake and tu descend by the northel'll slope of thc
Hills towards Amherst. It was held that this line would be",t accom-
modate all interests, having primary regard tu gcneÙlI cunvenience.
In It-5fj.), the Government of
ova
eoti,L directed :\11'. Fleming to
report on the best route frum Truro to the boundary of the Province.
In June of that year he recommended that a central route should
be adopted. From commercial considerations, a central route appeared
to him the most important, as it would accomodate the Iron District on
the Cobequid Hange, and open up the Springhill coalfield. He was
accordingly instructed to proceed with the location of the most eligible
line on a central route.
The working season of 18G5 was occupied in surveys. Every pass
across the Cobequid mountains, within the limits of the iron district,
was examined, and every effort was made to secure a practicable line
near the Iron works. Six lines were surveyed, designated by the letters
A, D, a, D, E, F.
The first kept the southern slope of the Cobequid :\Iountains, cross-
ing the FoIl} River and the two branches of the Great Village River,
pa
sing immediately on the South side of the Acadia Iron "T orks. After-
wards it turned northwards, and crossed to the north sIde of the hills by
a gorge, known as Madison.s Brook, and by Isaac's Lake 011 the summit,
686 feet above sea level.

88

THE I
TERCOLOXIAL.

The line B passed clol'e to the Acadia Iron works. thence turning
northwards it followed the Great Village River, on which the works
are situated, to the summit at Sutherland's Lake, where the elevation is
7 -1:; feet above sea level.
Lines C, D, E and F allpasl'ed by Folly Lake, where they attained
the summit level of SUO feet above sea level.
Of these lines, B was the shortest, but had the most objectionable....
grades. F was second in point of length, and had the most favourable
grades. .\ was fourth in point of length, and second in favourablc grades.
Line .\, passing close to the Acadia Iron 'V orks. was advocated by
Mr. Livesey. The Chief Engineer, on the contrary, gaye it as his
opinion that line F \\ as in all respects entitled to the preference,
and that, in view of its engineering features, he would recommend it
for adoption.
The Engineer considerecl that lines
\ and F would equaHy well
accommodate the Springhill coalfield; that though F would not DCCOl1l-
modate the then existing iron works so well as A. it would equally" ell
accommodate any extension of the 'works. and give much better accom-
modation to the traffic of the villages on the Gulf coast. He showed
also, that, although l\Ir. Livesey had in some of his letters endeavoured
to convey the idea that line F" just !5kirts the eastern edge" of the ore
district. a former manager of the works had conveyed the impression
that the ore deposits were equally on (mch side of line F, lind that they
extended over a large area in both directions.
Other evidence of the same import wm,; furnished by a lUap and
pamphlet, issued some years previously in the interest of the iron mines,
which contained reports of several mineralogists and mining engineers.
One of these writers expresscd his opinion that east of the Folly lEver
there were dcposits of ore sufficient to produce from 20,000 to 2-1,000
tons of metal ammally, while the works at that time situated to thc west
of Folly River were only capahle of producing about
OOO tons per
annum. It was, however, possible to e-..::tcnd them so as to produce from
10,000 to 12,000 tons per annum. The mal' accompanying the I)amphlet

LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION.

89

showed the" proposed site of new works," one on the Folly River, and
another on Pine Brook, two miles east of Folly River.
It could not therefore be maintained that the route F, by Folly
Lake, would not extend ample accommodation to the mineral region.
In August, 1865, a contract was entered into between the govern-
menh; of Nova Scotia and New Brun:\wick, on the one side, and the
Intercolonial Contract Company of London, on the other, for the con-
struction of the railway between Truro and Moncton. The Govern-
ment of Nova Scotia, having in
Iay, 1866, received the report ofthe Chief
Engineer, endorsed his views in reference to the Folly Lake route, Line
F, and refused to sanction the construction of this portion of the rail-
way unde! the contract which tIle) had made with the Intercolonial
Contract Company, unle"s the Company adhered to line F.
The members of the Kova Scotia Government were personally on
friendly relations with :\Ir. Livesey. And, as that gentleman took every
opportunity of enforcing his vie" s. the members of the government werè
fully informed of the importance of the iron works, and of the expediency
of selecting a route as favourable to them as the general interests of the
country would permit.
After Confederation the Chief Engineer received instrut:tions from
the Dominion Government to locate the line from Truro to :\loncton.
At this time the Dominion Ministry had :\Ir. Flcming's report of )[ay
18(ì6, approved of by the Nova Scotia Government. The marked fea-
ture of these instructions was that he should adopt the most eligible
line, giving due weight to the cost of construction, cost of future work-
ing and management, and also to genera] interests.
From the above facts it is evident that no course was open to the
Chief Engineer other than to follo\\ the line designated F.
But )[1'. Livesey was not satisfied with this course, and in Reptem-
ber, 1867, he addressed. a letter, enclosing a copy of the correspondence,
to the then l\Iinister of Public 'V orks, anf] in consequence the Chief
Engineer was instructed again to consider the case between the two
routes with regard to:-

90 THE I
TEHCOLO
I.AL.

1::;t. "The local traffic likely to be obtained by these lines re-
t;pectively."

1H1. " The development of natural sources of wealth in the vicinity
" of those lines respectively, 1>y reason of their construction."
In September, 1808, the Chief Engineer accordingly reported on
the rival lines A and F, and slu",-ed that the line .F was preferablc to
A under the considerations of length, cost of construction, grades and
curvcs, and consequently in cost of future workillg and mallagellwnL
Although the line, as located, crossed and passed Hear to valuable de-
posits of iron ore, it did not run sufficiently near to the iron works to
be of full serYice without the construction of a Dranch, some 7 miles
long.
The cost of construction of line F and a branch would he con-
siderahly less than that of line
\, ,\ itllOUt :HIding to A for the extra
cost of working it. 1 t \\'as of importance that the iron works should
hrtye the bellf'fit of railway servicc, amI it \\"as desiraLle that Òe earliest
possilJle tunncction, con:oistent \\ ith general inter!.'sts, should he made
with tl1('m amI the Sprin
hill coal mines. It was considered that line
F and a Il\'aneh to the iron mines \nJl11d a1:,;o e'{tcml a connection with
the coalmillcs,::;o much more favourable for c1u.ap transport than line
A that it would prove to be the most economical ruute for mineral
traflic.
The decision arrived at was ha,.;(.d on a comparison of the lines.
Linc F pas,.;cd oycr a sUlIimit 100 fect lowcr than that crossed by Line
A; it was the Lest, the shortest, and, e\ cn including the 1>ralleh to the
iron mines, the cheapest, amI" as therefore entitle,l to the prcff'rence.
A cOllllJÍuaÜon line was mentiOlH'd as having been traced on new
ground betwecn lines }' and A. It \\ as four miles longer than line F
hut reduced the branch from seven miles to three. In the compari::;on,
the Engineer considered the comLination line second ill point of merit
to line F, and in his opinion line A was the least favourable of the
thrce.
On the other hanù Captaiu Tylcr, Government Inspector of Rail-

LOCATION A
D CO
STRUCTIO
.

m

ways, England, was applied to by Mr. Livesey. and reported in July
Ib68, that in his opinion, taking into account cost of con;;truction,
working over the
;uper-elevations, counter gradients and curves on
steep gradients, line A would still be considered cheaper than line F ;
that the construction of line F instead of line A appeared to him, from
every point of view, to be a great mistake; and that the manufacture of
iron in a cheap form by the use of Springhill coal was of so great im-
portance that' "such an obstruction to the development of such re-
"sources, as the construction of line F when line A is available and les8
"costly, would be nothing less than a general mÌ8fortune to the indus-
" trial interests of the Dominion."
In replying to this letter of Capt. Tyler, the Chief Engineer stated
that he was satisficd that Capt. Tyler, and 1\1r. .Atkinson who had
worked out the calculations for Captain Tyler, "ere not in jJossessioll
of all the information which the survey affol'lled, aud therefore that
their conclusions, based on imperfect data, could scarcely be correct;
and he repeated that without capitalizing' the extra cost of working
line A, this line would cost, in construction alone, about
100,OOO more
than line F with a branch to the iron mines; that line F was the
cheapest to operate, the shortest, and as far as he could judge, tile best
in every respect.
During the months of Septemher and October, 18G8, ::\Ir. Livesey
had test pits sunk in ninf'teen cuttings on line A, which had been as
;umed
in the Chief Engineer's estimates as cither wholly or almost wholly
rock, and he reported that a very large deduction should consequently
be made from the estimated cost of line A. This deduction was at
once made by the Chief Engineer; but nevertheless he saw no reason
to make any material change in the views he had expressed, and he
maintained that although line A had lwen surveyed, tested, revÜ;ed and
improved by repeated trial surveys, it remained substantially as it had
been originally described by him; and that it was his deliberate opin-
ion that. taking the two lint's as they were then repre
ented hy plans
and profiles, line F wa..; capablc of doing, at the same cost of working

92

THE I
TERCOLONIAL.

expcnses, at least ten per cent. more business than Hne A, and that no
improvement could be made in line A that would materially lower the
cost of working, without at the ::;ame time greatly increasing the cost
of construction.
Other parties took part in the discussion, amongst whom were
the lIon. R. 13. Dickey, the lIon. A. \\'. ::\IcLelan, afterwards one of
the Railway Connnis"ioners, ::\11'. -:\1orri::;on, M. P. p, for Colchester, and
Mr. Purdy, ::\1. P. P. for Cumberland.
Kotwithstanding that the Govel'lmient of Nova Scotia had, in
18G6, endor::;ed the views of the Chief Engineer with rcgard to line F,
the Executive Council of Kova
cotia, on 3d Augnst, l
liH, passed a
Minute, which was approved by His Excellency, the Lieut. Governor,
to the effect that, in the interests of the Province, the location of line
A should be adopted in preference to that of line F.
It was stated by one of the gentlemen referred to, in a letter
dated 21st Septemher, 18t
8, that thi::; ::\Iinute of Council, though pas::;ed
on 3d August, was not communicated to the House of ,Assembly until
l;)th Septemher, and that the House of A::;::;embly was indignant at the
action of the Government. Three days afterwards tbe House of As-
sembly pas::;ed a resolution in favour of tbe Folly Lake route, line F.
A fe\\> days after the pas::;ing of this resolution, tbe Chief Engineer,
by request of the Government of Nova Scotia, met the l\Iembers of
Council at Halifax. There were, however, only three members pre::;ent.
After hearing full explanations, they concun:ed in the views of the En-
gineer with respect to the adoption of line F, and freely told him to
state to the Dominion Government thc result of the interview. They
further intimated that they would make a ::\Iinute of Council, expressing
their concurrencc, but that they felt themselves precluded from doing so
by tbe minute which they had previously been induced to pas::;, without
sufficient knowledge of the fact::;.
The controversy was carried to Ottawa. One Nova Scotia gentle-
man, in pres::;ing his view::; on the notice of the Secretary of State for
the Dominion, drew attention to the claim advanced on behalf of the

LOCATlO
A
D CO
STnUCTlON,

93

iron mines with respect to the large capital inve
ted by the company,
and nll't this claim by saying that the people in the villages on the Gulf
coast had invested infinitely more capital in building wharves, clearing
lands, building roads, bridging streams, opening stone quarries, building
ships, working copper mills, and that they were at that time cmploying
more men, developing intercsts of more real and lasting benefit, and
contributing more to the Dominion revenues, than the mining company.
He contended that all this population, which he estimateil at 10,000,
should not be forced to pass over 12 miles more of mountain roads to
get to the railway, because the Mining Company had located their works
on the least eligible route.
The local advocates of both lines, at considerable length, exhaust-
ed every argument in favour of the line which each advocated. Their
argumeuts were based on the populatiou and agricultural products of
the district; allli the c()ntruYers
' branched off in to a discussion re-
specting the distances from certain points to the line of rail way, and
to other unimportant matters of a purely local nature
A line has already bccn refened to, which was designate!l the
" Combination line," from the fact that, by a cross branch from tl1f' one
to thc other, it combincd portions of huth the rival lines, and as it
would thm; unite the local interests, prc\ iousl." in conflict, the comhina-
tion line was favoured by both cuntending parties. This line connected
the eastern portion of lint" A with the "estern portion of line F, the
connection passing within three miles of the iron mines.
On the 4th Kovember, 1
1;
, the Chief Engineer was called upon
for a report. He adhrred to the opinions previously express cd as to
the engineering advantages of line F, but he was prcpared to admit
that the combination line appeared to possess certain commercial
merits. It would accommodate the population on the Gulf coai'.t
equally with line F, it being in fact identical with line F, from Folly
Lake northwards, amI at the same time it would afford greater accom-
modatiun to the iron works.
The combination line, it is true, would be some four miles longer than

94

THE INTERCOLOXIAL.

line F, and would possess an objectionable alignment, but its gradients
would not be less favourable. It was further submitted that, although
the new line proposed was longer, the extra traffic arising- from its
close proximity to the iron works might, in some degree, compensate
for the allditiunal cost of operating the extra length.
By a letter of 6th November, 1
6
, the Government notified the
Chief Engineer that.. the combination line" hall been finally adopted,
and directed him to proceed with the location measurements in accord-
ance with that decision.
Thus the controversy was ended; and hence arose that gigantic
and conspicuous sweep which the railway traveller will observe on the
southern flank of the Cobequid Mountains, where the line describes
nearly half a complete circle. So marked is this feature in the loca-
tion that the popular voice has applied to it the term. " The Grecian
Bend," which, possibly, may be retained so long as the railway endures.
The decision arrived at respecting the location of the line in Nova
. Scotia, and thc adoption of the route by the Day Chaleur, left only
that portion which extends from the river l\Iiramichi to the boundary
of Nova Scotia to be determined. This question was not disposed of
until the following year.
While the location surveys were in progress during lR()8, the Gov-
ernment, in view of commencing the construction of the line, directed
the Chief Engineer to prepare plans and specifications, so that tenders
might be called for.
.
The specifications and conditions of contract were suhmitted to
the Privy CounCil in November, and, with some amendments, were
adopted, and advertisements for tenders were published.
In December of the same year, in compliance with the Statute, 30
Vie. Cap. 13, four Commissioners were appointed to assume the manage--
ment of the Railway.
A. 'Yalsh, Esq., Chairman.
The Hon. E. B. Chandler.
C. J. Brydges, Esq.
\V. F. Coffin, Esq.

LOCATIOS A
D COSSTRrCTION.

95

On 1\1r. Coffin's resignation the Hon. A. 'V. .McLelan was
appointed. Mr. Flcming still rcmaincd the principal executiye of-
ficer.
Undcr the terms of the Statute, the appointment of all officers,
e
cept the Chief Engineer, was left to the Conllni8sionel'::;. They ac-
cordingly engaged a secretary and an accountant, and formally re-ap-
pointed the engineering staff, which, at that time, consisted of three
district engineers, together with residcnt engineers and the necessary
assistants, for each separate surveying party.
The Chief Engineer, with the three district engineers, met the Com-
missioners on the 30th December, 18G
, at St. John, N. n., for the first
time. At this meeting the Commissioners announced their intention to
alter in some essential }Joints the specification and system of contracts
previously determined on. The proposed changes had reference to
the basis on which contracts should be entcred into, and to the
character of the bridges. The Commi
sioners had resolved to make
the bridges of wood, instead of iron as recommended by the Chief
Engineer.
The Government had previously determined to construct the line
in short sections of about 20 miles, and concurred in letting the work
by measurement and price, as a schedule contract, The Commissioners
declared themselves in favour of letting each section at a bulk sum for
the whole, and not bya schedule of prices; and they recommended
this plan to the Government.
The Chief Engineer objected to this principle, but his objections
were not entertained. Accordingly. he felt himself constrained to sub-
mit his views on the subject to the Government. \Yhile, on one
hand, he felt bound to follow the instructions of the Commissioners,
he was also, directly responsible to the Government for any advice he
tendered; and if, on essential points, his yiews differed from those of the
Commissioners, his duty "as to submit the differcnce to the Executive,
and in dcfence of his own reputation, to place }jjs opinions on
record.

Ð6

THE INTERCOLU
lAL

Accordingly, the Chief Engineer addressed the Premier,. setting
forth the important changes proposed by the Commissioner
, which he
held to be unwise and ill-considered; and, on two uccasions foUowin;., t
he submitted at some length his objections to the course proposed, and
asked the interference of the Government with regard to it.
The Commi:<sioners replied t to the first conllnunication; the
second and third remain unanswered.
The controversy formed the subject of returns to Parliament in
18ïO, when the papers were brought duwn and printed. The first com-
munication of the Chief Engineer was not, however, included with
them.
In the memorandum fnrnibhed by the Commissioners, they insisted
that the proper course to be taken was to caU for tenders for the con-
struction of each respective section of the Railway, for a bulk sum,
and to hold the contractor to complete the work f.or the amount of
his tender, without advance of price for increa
e of work, or any re-
duction for diminution of work. rhe Chief Engineer conteIllled that
the knowledge of the work required on any section was insufficient to
admit of letting the work for a bulk smll; that no contractor could
exactly understand the extent of the obligation which he was as:mming;
and that contracts let on this system, as matters then were, would
certainly end unsatisfactorily; and that difficulties would arise to per-
plex the Engineers, the Commissioners, and, finaUy, the (
overnmcnt.
lIe also pointed out that aU contracts should only he let on knm
.n
data, but that if it were deemed ach-is,tble to cummence construction
before the measurements were completed, and the exact quantities
estaUishcd, the principle of measurement and schedule price shouM he
adopted. A contractor would then perfectly understand that he would
only be paid at the prices in his tender for aU the work which he per-
formed, and for that only.

. 2d Januar)', 1869.

t 27th January, 1869; 10th March, 1869-
t 26th January, 1869,

LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION.

97

The opinion of the Chief Engineer was, however, not sustained,
and tender::; were a::;ked on the bulk sum system.
In February and April, 1869, tenders for bridging and grading 161
miles, di \'ided in to seven sections, were received. The following list
will show the great difference of value attached to the work:

Lowest
Tenders.

Highest
Tenders.

Division A. Section No. I, 20 miles..........................$
Ie B. " ., 2 20 " ..........................
K. .. 3' 2-1 , , . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . .
X, .. 4' 26 . . . .. .. ..................
C. .. ó' 26 ....'.....................
L. .. 6' 21 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . ..
Y. or "7: 2-1 . . ., . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . .

175,000
299,000
288,000
29ï,OOO
345,997
237,000
333,600

S 700,000
820,000
936 000
911;;000
1,014,000
63a,l50
1.008,000

Total,

161 miles.

$1,9ï5,597 $6,O
!J,I50

Generally speaking, the lowest tenders were accepted, and the
work was placed under contract.
The tenders varied in the aggregate from less than two millions to
more than six millions, or to the extent of fully 300 per cent., and
showed that the parties who tenderefl, had imperfect ideas of the work
which they offered to perform. It is not ::;urprising, therefore, that, be-
fore the expiration of twelve months, five out of the seven contracts
had to be annulled and relet at a large advance.
The failure of the first contractors to complete their engagements,
established that the proper course had not been followed in the first
instance. An attempt was made to remedy the evil, as far as it could
possibly be done, by furnishing contractors with more complete data,
but no change was made in the prineiþle of letting the work. The
"schedule price" system was not entertained., for it was held that the
Commissioners were committed to the" bulk sum" form of contract,
and that, accordingly, it could not be departed from.
One important point, on which a serious difference of opinion arose,
was in regard to the bridges. In the specification submitted by the
Chief Engineer to the Privy Council, the abutments and piers were
designed to be constructed of the best description of masonry, with
iron superstructure.

7

98

THE INTERCOLONIAL

It appeared to the Chief Engineer that great precautions should be
taken with these structures, in order to have them permanent. Iron
and stone being the most durable materials, their use would remove
risk of accident from fire, and from natural decay. And, although the
first cost might be greater, the permanent structures would avoid the
constant periodical charge for restoration which wooden work would
require. :Moreover, the geographical situation of the line admitted of
the delivery of materials by sea-going vessels, directly on the line at
convenient points j so that the first cost of iron structures would be
reduced to the least possible amount.
The Commissioners entertained the opposite opinion, and decided
that the bridges should be constructed of wood.
The position was one of difficulty.. The Chief Engineer was de-
sirous of avoiding all cause of difference with the Commissioners; but
his deliberate opinion was on record. The ground assumed by him had
not been lightly taken, and the more the subject was considered by
him, the more convinced he felt of the correctness of the principles
of construction which he had advocated. No argument, however,
which he could advance, appeared to have the least weight with the
Commissioners. They had determined to make ccrtain changcs; that
the recommendations of the Chief Engineer should be set aside; and
that iron should not be l
sed, but that timber should take its
place.
In .Tanuary, 186ft, the Chief Engineer maòe his first appeal in the
matter, to the Premier, f'ir John A. :\[acdonald, and he submitted at
length the arguments why iron and not wood should be used. This
letter wa!' referred to the Commissioners in the usual course. It has
never he en replied to; and the arguments aòvanced in that com-
munication remain to this day without refutation. But thc decision of
the Commissioners was bustaine(l. Five of the bridges were, how
ver,
exempted from the principle originally laid down hy the C'onnnis!'ion-
ern; otherwise, the order was given that all the bridges should be built
of wood.

LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION

Ð9

In 1\Iay, 1870, the Chief Engincer recurred to tne question, in a
statement prepared for submission to Parliament. A complete list of
the bridges was given, and it was there set forth that the cost of con-
structing them of iron would be but slightly in excess of building them
of wood, and accordingly he recommended that iron should bc used.
The R'1ilway Commissioners still adhered to the view they had
previou"ly exnressed, for, in a majority report, ::;Ïgnt'd by :ì\Iessrs. Brydges,
Chandler and
J cLelan, they repeated the recommendation that, with
the exception of the five bridges named, wood shoultl be used through-
out the line. This report is dated 3d July. 1\Ir."
alsh, however, the
remaining Commissioner, and Chairman of the Board, 011 the 5th July,
gave his opiniun in favor of iron. The matter was thus again brought
before the Govcrnment, and on the 7th July an Order in Council was
passed, affirming the decision of the majority that wood should be used.
The Chief Engineer took another opportunity of appcaling to the
authorities on the subject. On the
.jth July, he wrote to the Premier,
Sir John A.
Iacdonald, and on the

d August to the Commissioners.
In the latter communication he asked a delay of ten days for some
work in progress, so that the matter could be reconsidered by the
Governmen t.
In September, 1\11'. C. J. Brydges. one of the Commissioners, address-
ed, on his own account, a communication to the Privy Council on the
subject. He argued that the fear of wooden bridges catching fire was
groundless; that, in his expericnce of eighteen years as a Railway)lan-
agel', he had known no instance of a wOullen bridge having been in-
juriously affected through the cause assigned. lIe contended that the
Chief Engineer's calculations of quantities and' cost were erroneous,
that iron bridges woùld cost at least :;;.300,000 more than the slim
named, and that their introduction would probably add
.jOO,OOO to the
cost of the line and would cause delay and confu::-:ion.
:\11'. Fleming replied to the communication. IIc cited two instanccs
of bridges on the Grand Trunk Railway, under the management of :\Ir.
Brydges, having been destroyed by fire but a fcw weeks before the date

100

THE ISTERCOLONIAL.

of 1\1r. Brydges statement. 1\1r. Fleming contended that his estimates
were correct, and challenged examination into their accuracy: and he
further made a final appeal in favor of iron bridges.
After an examination which estahlished that the estimatcs of
the Chief Engineer Were correct,. the Commissioners eventually with-
drew their objections and rccommended that all bridges over GO feet
span should be built of iron. But the Chief Engineer persisted in
his efforts to hav'e every bridge, down to the smallest span-2-l feet-
made of iron, and at last, by an Order in Council, dated 12th
Iay,
1871, authority was given to have them so constructed.
"Tith the exception of three structures built of wood hy direction
of the COll1mis
ioners, against the protest of the Chief Engineer, all the
bridge spans, of whatever width, throughout the line, have the super-
structure of iron.
At the period when the Comm.ssioners were appointed, the line
lJad heen detcrmined from river du Loup to the river Miramichi, and
from the northern boundary of :Kova Rcotia to Truro, but the location
of thc intervening distance of about 120 milcs had not been madc.
It has alrea,ly been mentioned that contracts had been made in
18G,) hetwecn the Ilitercolonial Contract Co. of London, and the Gov-
ernments of Nova Scotia and :K ew Brunswick, for the construction of
the line between Truro and l\Ioncton, with the design that this section
should eventually form part of the Intercolonial Railway. In the
winter of 1806-07 the Intercolonial Contract Co. failed, and assigned
thcir contract to
Icssrs. Clark, Punchard & Co.
By the provisions of the contract between the Company and the
Govcrnment of New Brunswick. it was set forth that the railway should
interscct the St. John and Shediae Railway east of l\Ioncton, and should
pass the village of Dorchester within a specified distance.

. :\11", Fleming's oriJ:(inal estimate of the cost of bril1ges with iron super.
structure, inchulin
masonry, was.. '." . . .. . .,. . . .. . ... . ... . .51,294,607
'Viti. woollen BuperBtrudllre,.....,..........".."...,.........., 1,293,469
The Rctual cost erected, completed, with iron 8uperstructure,.......... 1,2;4,027

LOCATION AND CONSTRUCTION.

101

The British North America Act was passed in :\Iareh and came into
force on the 1st July, 18Gï; and, as it contained provisions for the im-
mediate construction of the Intercolonial Hailway, the Govemment
of Nova Scotia took steps to nullify the contract within the limits of
that Province, no work having been executed. At the same date but
limited action had been taken either by the Company or by their assign-
ees within the Province of New Brunswick. At this stage of affairs the
New Brunswick Government would also have been justified in inter-
vcning. Certainly they should have ascertained how far the proposed
line would have accorded with the general route of which it was ulti-
mately to form a part. In the contract in question, it had becn stipu-
lated, in order to serve some local or passing interest, that the line
should run to the village of Dorchester. It was quite uncertain if this
location would best conform to the main route. Indeed, as it was af-
terwards prO\"ed, the Intercolonial Railway, in order to serve com-
paratively insignificant iuterests, was twisted many miles out of its
proper course.
'V ork to some extent, however, was commenced some time before
1st July, 18G'j, and, on the 8th ofthat mon th,
Ir. C. H. Grant, the agent
of the contractors, wrote to the Provincial Secretary, announcing that
he had arrived at Dorcbester to assume his duties, and that he w

provided with full powers and instructions to carryon the work.
There appears no record of the extent of the work performed be-
fore 1st July, 18137. It is, however, well understood that its value was
unimportant.
In July, 1867, on the fonnation of the first Dominion Government,
intimation was given to the Government of New Brunswick, that the
proposed Eastern Extension Railway, as the short section in question
was then designated, might not be in a proper position to form an
eligible section of the Intercolonial I:ailway, and in October the :\lin-
ister of Public "T orks submitted to the Privy Council a memorandum
to the effect that certain parties, since the 1st July, 1867, had been en-
gaged in constructing a railway between Moncton and Sackville, in

102

THE INTERCOLO
IAI,.

New Brunswick. with a view to its becoming a portion of the J nter-
colonial Railway, and that he was doubtful if the location of the line,
or the character of the work would be such as to justify the nenel'al
Government in adopting it as part of the Intercolonial line ; he, there-
fore, recommended that the Government of New Brunswick should be
notified that the railway could not be adopted, unless it shoulcl he found
suitahle in location and character; and. therefore. that the work" must
be, and continue to be, at the sole cost and risk of the Province."
Cpon this notification, the contractors' agent addressed the
Minister of Public ,V ol'ks in a letter datcd 6th December, lRG7, to
the
ffect that the works in question had bcen commenced early in
June, 18G6, after eight ñlOnths had been spent in surveys, and that by
the 1st July, 18Gï, upmuds of six miles of grading had been formed,
and that at the date of his letter, fourteen miles were completed and all
the material for the permanent way providdl. lIe addcd that the route
taken had been prescribed by the New Brunswick Government and by
the contract, and that it passed through a most populous and most
fertile district. The Provincial Secretary of New Brumnvick also de-
clared that the New Brunswick Government would have cancelled
the contract at the time of Confederation, if it had been practicable to
do so, but that, in reality, the Province was obliged to accept the "it-
nation, with the expectation that the Federal Government would
accept the line and make provision for refunding the suhsidy advanced
by the Province.
The Minister of Public "T orks accordingly instructed the (,hief
Engineer to examine the railway in question, so that the GoveÎ'Iuncnt
could determine whether or not the transfer should be entertailH'd,
Assuming that the point of junction, near )Ioncton, was suitahle, he
was instructed to report whether a better alignment <:ould he procured
between the point of junction and the termination of his location
surveys at the boundary of Nova f'cotia. lIe was also to report the
actual value of the work done and the materials deliverecl.
The examination was made, and the Chief Engineer reported:-

LOCATIO
.AXD cO
:Hm:'ciÎu:;"'.

10-3

that two lines had been found, both of whi(;h passed over 10" PI' sum-
mits, and were in every respect more f,1\"ourable, than the line in que.;-
tion; that one of the direct lines \Hts

I
miles, and the other ".!.ï"t
o
miles long, while the line in process of construction by Dor(;hester was
3ï! miles, or thirty-three per cent. longer than the most direct line.
The value of the work executed and materials delivered was ascer-
tained to be less than
80,OOO, ::,ome of "hich, timber and sleepers,
could be moved.
The Chief Engineer pointed out that a great saving, in first (;ost
even, would result by paying the value of the work d:me on the line
under construction, abandoning it wholly, and adopting a direct line.
He argued that the railway to connect the several Provinces should not
be unnecessarily increased in length, nor its engineering features he
made worse than need be; and that in this case the railway would be
twisted a long distance out of its proper course "ithout sening any
sufficient purpose. The Go\-ernment of X ew Brunswick" as certainly
committed to a contract for work ultimately to be a !Jart of the Inter-
colonial, "hich provided that the line should pass a small village of
local importance. It was discovered that this contract ill\ 01\ ed the
construction of an unnecessary length of raihvay, with hea\'y gradients
and oltjectionaLle curves; that it would practically place
0\ a Scotia
f!'Olll eight to ten miles farther from the remaining portions of X orth

-\Illerica than was necessary. and thus virtually impose a ta'\:. of ,",ome-
thing like one shilling a head, and the same amount per ton, on all pas-
sengers and freight passing over the rail way, fm' all time to come.
It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that the Dominion Govern-
ment were unwilling to accept the unwise contract made by Xew
Brunswick; or that the Engineer of the Dominion should suggest, that
it was a matter of absolute economy. to pay for the value of the work
done and place the railway in its proper position; and thus, at an ex-
pense of less than $SO.OOO, to save the construction and perpetual
maintenan
e of nearly ten miles of linp.
The
'eport of the Chief Engineer being made known, several Sena-

104

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

tors and
[embers of the House of Commons, representing New Druns-
y'ick in the Dominion Parliament, met at Ottawa and addressed a letter
to the Secretary of State, in which they laid great stress on thc fact, that
the Imperial Government had, through the Duke of Newcastle, assured
:Kew Brunswick, by letter dated 19th :\larch, 1864, "that if the Lower
" Provinces shall, at their own expense. commence the construction of
"a railway on a line approved by Her :Majesty's Government, between
"Truro and the Bend, and if subsequently the proposed loan of
" æ3,000,000 shall be raised under the Imperial guarantee, the railway
"between Truro and the Bend, and the works constructed thereon by
"Lower Provinces, shall, as far as Her Majesty's Government is con-
"cerned, be considered to form part of the l'ltilway on which the loan
"of æ 3,000,000 is to be expended. This assurance is given merely for
"the purpose of providing (as far as Her Majesty's Government is con-
"cerned) that New Brunswick and Nova Scotia shall not be prejudiced
"by commencing the railway in an
icipation of a final alTangement."
They. also laid great stress on a subsequent utterance of the Im-
perial Government which affirmed that the Confederation of the Prov-
inces "would not in any way affect or alter the cOlTespondence '" hich
"had already passed between the Imperial Government and thc British
" North American Provinces, on the subject of the Intercolonial Hail-
" way."
It was maintained that, on the strength of these utterances, the
Government of Ne:v Brunswick had proceeded with the construction
of the rail way, and that every precaution had been taken to select
the best line that would correspond with the terms of arrangements
made with the contracting company, which prescribed a circuitous
rou te past the village of Dorchester.
Applications of the same character followed, of which the general
tenor was, that it would be a breach of faith, if the Dominion Govcrn-
ment should construct a rival railway within a few miles of the one
under construction; aIllI an injustice to New Brunswick, not to adopt
tbe latter as a part of the Intercolonial Railway.

LOCATION AND CO
STRUCTIO
.

105

The matter, by order in Council- was accordingly referred to the
Intercolonial Railway Commissioners, to report on the advisability of
adopting the line as a portion of the Intercolonial; farther, to state its
money value to the Dominion, taking into account, in case of purchase,
the prospective loss in the adoption of the line in preference to the
shorter and better route.
The Commissioners recommended that the Dominion Government
should offér to Kew Brunswick, to a8sume the Eastern Extension Rail-
way, when satisfactorily completed, for the gross sum of SS94,OOO, the
K ew Brunswick Government to settle with the contractors; and that
the New Brunswick Government should be notified, that, if this offer
was not accepted ,,,ithin sixty days, the Commissioners should be au-
thorized to proceed with the construction of the direct route.
A l\Iinute of Council was passed in accordance with this recommen-
dation, and a notification of it sent to the Lieutenant Governor of New
Brunswick.
The contractors' agent, having received a copy of this decision from
the Government of New Brunswick, appealed against it, on the ground
that the sum offered for the completed railway was insufficient, and
begged för a farther com;ideration.
The X ew Brunswick Government do not appear to have objected to
the Order in Council, but, in communicating the order to the contractors'
agent, added, that "in any arrangement for the sum to be paid for
" the road, it must be borne in mind, that the amount for which the
"Province of New Brunswick is liable, as well as for subsidy as land
"damages. under the construction contract, is to be deducted, in order
" that the Province may be re-imbursed for any outlay respecting the
" road."

The question remained unsettled until the summer of 1869, when
it was finally agreed that the railway from Painsec to the boundary of
Nova Scotia should be transferred to the Dominion Government for

· 12th March, 1869.

106

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

the sum of $t;94,OOO divided into two portions :-$250,000, to be paid
to the Province, to reimburse it for an outlay of $:372,.')00 in subsidies
aad :;;27,300 in land damages; and >=;644,000, to be paid to the con-
tractors.
Thus the circuitous route by Dorchester was definitely adopteù for
the Intercolonial Railway.
There only remained to be determincd the line between the River
:Miramiehi at the north and :Moncton at the south, to complete the
whole location from Rivcr du Loup to Truro.
The line projected by 1Iajor Robin,,;on in 1RH, crosserl the two
branches of the
Iiralllichi at Imliantuwn, some fourteen miles above
the point which has been since selected, and then took a tolerably
direct course toward Shediac, passing, far up from the sea, the waters
of the Richilmcto and Ductouche.
I n December, 18G8, a number of gentlemen interested in having the
railwa} constructed nearer to Moncton, the" Beud" so frequently
referred to as a point on the routes between Halifax and Quebec, mct,
in compliance with a requisition, at )Ioncton, and passed sevcral Resulu-
tions on the subject, which wcre immediately presented to the Railway
Commissioners.
The Chief Engineer was thereupon instructed to make the neces-
sary surVC)'S of the country southerly from the River Miramichi.
Three line:, were surveyed, one designated the -. Shure line," extend-
ing from the point sele
ted for bridging the Ri,'er
Iiramichi, by
Chatham amI Hichibucto to Painsec Junction.
1\. secOlHlline, designated" The )Iiddle line," extending from the
Rivcr 1[iramichi more directly to Painsec .r unction than the Shore line,
keeping at some distance from Chatham amI other towns on the Gulf
Shore.
A Third line, "The Interior line," proceeding directly to the
nearest point on the existing Railway, west of ;\[oncton.
A comparison of these several lines established. 1st. That the" Shore
line," passed through the bcst settled section of the country; 2nd. That

PlA TE No. 1

&9

6!>

62

--/' ':><...

1

GE
r:RAL MAP
SHEWINC ROUTE OF THE
INTERCOLONIAL RAILWAY

\

'r
\

Sandford Fleming.En
'in-Chief.

"- p 8,. L
ì

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LOCATlOX A
D CO
STRrCTIOX.

107

"the :\Iiddle line" wa<; the most direct to Halifax, being one mile shorter
than the" Interior line" and four miles shortertllan the"
horeline;" 3rd.
That the" Interior line" was the most direct to
t. John, being three
miles shorter than the .. )liddle line" and seventeen miles shorter than
the" Shore line"; 4th. That the" Interior line" was the shortbt to con-
struct. the length of railway to he built being six miles less than the
.. )Iiddle line" and ten miles less than the" Shore line; ., and .jth. That
the" Interior line" "ould be the cheapest to construct, an estimate of
cost being
1í 5,000 less than the <.
liddle line" and SjOO,OOO less than
the" Shore line."
Taking all these facts into consideration the Commissioners report-
ed in fa, our of the ,< Interior line" and the Government accordingly
adopted it.
The entire line having now been established, the work of construc-
tion "as proceeded with, the Commissioners managing and controlling
the e\.penditure until the .rear 1:-\j --1, "hen Parliament passed an Act
OJ Yic. Cap. 1.j) vesting all the powers amI duties of the Conllnissioners
in the ){ini::,ter of Public 'Works.
At the time of the transfer to the department of Puhlic '\Yorks. the
Intercolonial Uailway "as in a fOl'\\oard statc, the portion between
':\{olll'Íon and Truro and between Ri\oi
re du Loup and Trois Pistoles,
in all 153 miles, being open for traffic. Since then the "orks have
been carried on, to their ple:"ent state of completion, directly under thp
control of the Department.

CHAPTER VII.

THE ENGINEERING CHARACTER OF THE LINE.

Principles of Construction-Climatic effects of frost and thaw on the works-Action on
Road bed-Thorough drainage-Clearing the Line-
atural snow fences-Bridge
-
When bridges should be used-Precautions in building bridges and culverts-Cuttings
and their width-B,lUa.t-Iron and Steel Rails-Station buildings-Water supply-
Principles of construction concurred in-The" Rail system," or Superstructure-
Bessemer Steel Rails-Fish and Scabbard Joints-Cross-ties-Ballasting-The
SuLs tructure-Cuttings and Embankments-Drainage-Precautions against frost-Em-
bankments preferable to open bridges-Measurement of streams-Stal1l1arll designs
-Box Culverts-Arch Culverts-Open Culverts-Pipe Culverts-Tunnel_Inclined
Culverts-Bridges Rnd Viaducts-BrhJge superstructure.
A marked feature of the Report of 1865, was the opinion ex-
pres::;ed with regard to the structures and other works throughout
the line, and the geueral eugineeriug features of the Railway, as a
whole.
The geographical positiou of the Railway, and the national cbar-
aéter of the work, equally suggested substantial masonry and iron
bridges; the estimates accordingly provided for structures of tbis class.
The exigencies of climate were also held to be paramount, calling for a
perfect system of drainage, and ballasting, to assure a good and du-
rable road-bed.
Tbe whole character of the Railway was fully considered, and the
views expressed were sustained by snch argument as the necessities of
the case suggested. Much which was then said may now be brought
forward, as setting forth the principles, on which it was proposed that
the Railway should be constructed.
The climate of Canada has a marked effect on railway works. The
frost is very severe; it penetrates the ground, where denuded of snow,
to a depth of from three to four feet, occasionally even to a greater
depth.

lO

CH
\.RACTElt OF THE LI:NE.

109

On the slopes of cuttings and emhankments, the snow not unfre-
qnently is drifted by the wind so as to leave such spots exposed. On
the track itself the deep snow is removerl to admit the passage of trains.
In all such places the frost penetrates the soil to some distance, and if,
owing to the presence of springs, or other causes, water be retained, in-
jurious effects will certainly be experienced from freezing, and the sub-
sequent thaw.
.
Embankments, when newly formed, retain much of the rain of
autumn. During the ensuing winter this moisture is converted into ice,
and when the thaw of spring is felt, the material, to the extent the frost
has penetrated, is frequently reduced to the consistency of paste. The
material has then a tendency to slide and to produce results exactin

considerable outlay to restore the work to its original form.
The first winter, with the ensuing spring thaws, is the most trying
on new embankments. After the end of the third year, orrlinarily
the ditIìculty disappears. It is different with cuttings. In wet soils,
time alone will not give stability. Year after year, on the breaking
up of winter, certain kinds of earth, impregnated with water, become
semi-fluid; in this state they slide and fill up the ditches, sometimes
flowing even over tl
e rails. In such cuttings, when proper precautions
are not taken to carry off the superfluous water, such results are con-
stantly experienced.
The road-bed itself, even when well ballasted, is not free from dis-
turbance, when the subsoil is permitted to retain water within the frost
limit. The rails, consequently, are thrown out of level and alignment,
producing an irregularity eq ually injurious to the rails and to the rolling
stock. 'Wherever the track is in this condition, it is not practicalJle to
maintain the speed of trains, with a due regard to safety.
Such effects are not always confined to cuttings. They are witnes-
sed even on level sections of country, and, in all CIL;;es, are attrihutahle
to the presence of w,tter and the action of frost. There is but one rem-
edy to meet this condition-thorough drainage. Good ditching to some
extent obviates the difficulty, but this remedy is often imperfectly applied.

110

THE IKTEltCOLO::-<IAL.

Any shallow ditch, on a descending grade, will carry the surface
,\atpr to the extent of its O\Hl depth. But this partial result is ill-
suffieient. The ditch must be taken below the line penetrated by the
frost in the road-bed; otherwise thc road-bed will continue to besaturatcd
hy moist ure, and penetrated by frost, with the effcct descrihed. The
:-;uh:-;oil, therefore, must also be kept dry by under drains, carried be-
low frost limit. "'herever this work is effectually done, the slopes of
cuttings and the road-bed, in all circum::;tances, will be kept dry and
solid.
The clearing of the line also requires attention. In forest land the
extcnt cleared ::;hould 1)(' of sufficient width to remove all chance of the
ohstruction of trains, from trees falling across the track, and to reduce the
risk of injury from extensive bush fires. The latter contingency is not
improhable, especially in the 1Iaritime P!'ovinces where resinous forests
prevail. In such cases the flame becomes unmanageable from its mag-
nitude, and, rolling across the track unchecked, it destroys everything
combustible in its way, and at times impedes traffic.
The space thus cleared will, in a few years, admit of the growth
of a belt of evergreens, to act in winter as a natural snow fence.
Should the adjoining lands be cleared of their timber, a snow fence
becomes a necessity, and a thick belt of brush would prove extremely
effecti ve for that purpose.
1\0 portion of railway work is more important than its bridges
"ïJCn a line is carried out by private effort, a circumscribed capital
may compel the adoption of cheap structures. In such cases it is not
the character of the structure, or its economy, which commends itself;
but it is the necessity of the case, which limits its cost.
A railway constructed to meet a national requirement, and situated
like thc Intercolonial, is controlled by no such limitation. It requires
no argumcnt to establish that in such circumstance::; all structures
should he of thc best form suggested by experience, and that the most
durablc material ::;hould bc used. They are then permam;ntly built,
and require no subsequent renewal. The first expense is the one cost

CTIARACTER OF THE LIXE.

111

and in the cnd, the durable "tructure is by far the least co
tl:r.
The"e principles clearly establish what the bridges on the Inter-
colonial line ,.;hould be, structures marked by no unnecessary expense,
suhstantial, massive and permanent.
Some general rules were laid down to determine the mode in
whieh the large streams and the minorri,'ers should be crossed. "'her-
ever practicahle. an arch culvert for the waterway was introrluced
\\ ith superincumhent embankment. Only in cases where the height
of the roadway, above the stream, "ould not admit an arch, was it
considered e
pedient to employ an open structure, and in all open-
ings. except when capable of heing spanued by beams of timber, it was
designed that" rought iron ginlen; should he used.
The si7es of the hridges and culverts were not rcduced to the nar-
rowest limits. It was held of importance, not only to make full pro-
vision for the pa...sage of flood-water, but to keep in view the increased
freshet discharge. to be looked for at a future period when the cultiva-
tion of the land and the removal of th
forest would cause more
rapid surface drainage.
::\lainly to facilitate the removal of snow from the track, it was de-
signed that thc rails should he raised more than ordinarily above the
level of the adjoining surfacc, and that the cuttings should han suffi-
cient width to admit of the snow being cast aside by snow-ploughs. The
quantities of e-..:cavation suhmitted were computed on the basis that the
cuttings should hav'e generally a width of 30 feet at formation level,
with side slopes of one and one-half to one. That average width to be
varied in different localities in proportion to the record of snow-fall.
Ballast is an important element in a railway. 1Iuch of the dura-
bility of the rails. and. indeed, of the rolling stock, depends upon it.
The raih\ ays which do the mo<;t husine"s with the least outlay are, a.,
a rule, found to be the hest halla.;te(l; and the employment of the be"t
ballast ohtainahle, evcn at "omcwhat hi6'h co<;t, was recamnwnded as
true economv.
At the time when thc report of 186.) was made, steel rails were but

112

THE I:NTERCOLONIAL.

little known, and it was then contemplated to use iron rails, weighing,
with the joiut fastenings, 70 Ibs, per lineal yard. It was pointed out
that the iron should be the best mauufactured. There is no economy
in purchasing low-priced, inferior iron. The charges of shipping, trans-
porting, handling, laying track, and other expenditure, are the same,
whatever be the quality of the iron. This point was satisfactorily met,
as steel rails were substituted for iron throughout the whole line.
,Vith the exception of the few localities where towns called for
extended accommodation, it was held that there was no necessity for
much expenditure on station buildings: and it was held to be wholly
unnecessary to spend money through the wilderness portions of the line
on costly buildings.
The water supply for the engines always exacts consideration, and
attention must be directed to provide a frost-proof water service; with-
out it a railway cannot be satisfactorily worked.
A sufficient number of permanent establishments, consisting of
engine stables and work-shops, with suitable machinery, for, the accom-
modation and repair of rolling stock, were recommended to be placed
at central and convenient points, judiciously selected.
The principles laid down received general assent, and it was
recognized that a work of such national importance should be of a high
8tand
tl'd.
The report and the estimates were submitted to the Imperial and
Provinci
tl Governments, and in the negotiations which followed, these
documents, with others of the same import, prepared in Lo
ùon by the
Chief Engineer in 1868, formed, in part, the basis of the arrangements
by which the Imperial guarantee was given.
On the consolidation of the Dominion in 1867, the location was
proceeded with, and it became the duty of the Chief Engineer to pre-
pare designs for the work, and to determine how the accepted prin-
ciples of construction could be best applied.
It is not necessary to enter into the details of the explorations and
surveys, and of the preparation of the working plans, and of the con-

CHARACTER OF THE LINE.

113

duct of the work for the years it has been in progress; but a descrip
tion of the railway as it has been carried out, is indispensable to show
what its engineering character really is.
It is claimed that unfavorable climatic influences have been guarded
against; that the structures are thorough and permanent; and that
with regard to the permanent way, when drainage and ballasting are com-
pleted as designed, the railway may be classed as second to no work
of its kind either on this Continent or in Europe.
A railway of a high standard is in fact a simple problem. It does
not eÀact magnificence of design, or works which astonish by their dis-
play or cost. Architectural monuments have no place on public works
like the one in question, and many well known structures can be re-
garded only as mementos of useless expenditure.
As a theory, the perfect railway consists of two parallel lines of
continuous rails, uniformly sustained by a firm and slightly elastic sup-
port. Bridges and culverts are incidents naturally to be looked for,
but never to be introduced, except where absolutely exacted. It is
the dnty of the Engine
r to design and establish them as cheaply as
he can, having regard to permanency, and not to convert them into
opportunities for display. Taste may even be consulted without any
expenditure beyond that required to secure solidity, and the skill of
the designer should aim at the attainment of effect with the least extent
of adorned material, and strive after the grace of outline to be found
in extreme simplicity.
In the Intercolonial Railway it was held better to aim at the reali-
zation of this principle, than to advocate the introduction of structures
remarkable for their magnitude and ornament, however gratifying to
the personal pride of the designer. .
The Railway proper may indeed be narrowed to two essential
parts.
1. The" rail-system," which may be called "the superstructure."
including rails, cross-ties or sleepers, ballast, and everything placed
above the permanently firm surface, known as formatioq level.

114

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

2. The "sub-structure," which includes all worKJ:! .r
qUlred to bring
the road bed up to "formation level," on which the' rail system is
superimposed.

THE SUPERSTRUCTURE.

The Intercolonial Railway has been laid throughout its length
with Bessemer steel rails, weighing 57 ribs. to the yard. This weight
is nmtrly 20 per cent. lighter than the iron rails originally proposed,
but owing to the character of the material, the steel rails are in reality
stronger and much more durable.
It has been said that to be perfect, a rail tra.ck should be continu-
ous, but such a result is not practicable. Rails are manufactured in
bars, generally not exceeding 30 feet in length, laid end to end and the
continuity is broken where the joints occur.

lQI

These frequent joints con-
stitute one of the defects to be
guarded against. On the In-
tercolonial Railway. two ex-
pedients have been adopted, to
overcome it; one the- ordinary
fish-joint, :Figs. 1 and 2; the
other what is known aR the
Bcabb
trd joint. The former is
a. well-known contrivance for

====>

@

::::

Fig, L

)d1

-
.

!-r
--

- - ;f---
-
-
-!

. , _ _____ _ .----=0 ,._-

/_-

-
Z
r

--3: .
,L

....
-----", >!I:":",
I.

-
-
-

.....

.

-

FIg. I.

CHARACTER OF THE LL"IE.

115

keeping the ends uniform in line and level. The fish-plates lie between
the flange and head of the rail, and are only 2! inches deep. As they
have to endure the strain of passing trains, the rigidity of the joint
is inferior to that of the rail, the latter having a larger sectional area
and a depth of U inches. The ordinary fish-plates do not, therefore,
give perfectly unyielding joints.

__ -- - -- - -==:=11

=

--==-
[-] 0

. __I_

'.

{. ..,,' /"'-i=j?-
J': .

.
!,L
'.::rf It ;I/ a
j
i:! ) \\
\\.'\
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. ,rj";: '. .,,- "
I . t \ x:,

- 'I' " I ,I
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t
)
1, '/. :,'J.:i "
.......\\., '\-.'). ,
',I
ø' ."

: ,'

;- /' ./'

.0

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- -\

. :::
-->-. ..
.. / i.....t;:-;,: -:.. '\. "
,I, /,:.:__ ,.'....... \ ..'
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> ""-;-" . I ."
. I I . I \" '- I.,. I .
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) j '/ -...:....'-'-- 1 '
..
\ 4 ,:.:-::-y , / ' ,
'\
"'< tJ: 1 _/- 1,//(1/

I'i<<.s.

Jl The scabbard-joint,
, Figs. 3. aud 4, ;g mo,:"
.. _
ngId. masmuch as It

-;:;'4.,=t

' h,::-

t=.:::3=
_ =_
,
akes a steel, beam, 3

---=t='.c --==---- : -: ;:;- -

' -
ll1ches deep, mstead of
<
j ..::=-==-::;:
"= i :::=--
...;;
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-

---'__
;; ==- _

:'!, h
ts a greater mass

...,...;;;;
>- .
,- '--r;- '

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-
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-

_E-":' of metal, better distrib-
- - -----
_ ë-.- --, -=-- --=-

_ uted; and IS more
-

--
,--=- ""J simple, having fewer
Fig, f.
parts. The scabbard when properly made of good steel, is undoubtedly
the best splice known for rails, and severe tests go to prove that, of all
fastenings, it makes a joint approaching the most nearly in strength
that of the mid-section of raiL In effect, it renders the rails composing
tbe track. approximately continuous.
The rails are spiked to cross-ties or sleepers, 6 in. thick by R in. on
the facE', laid on an average 2 feet 6 ill. from centre to centre. They
are invariably of the best description of timber procurable in the dis-

... - -

116

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

tricts traversed, and generally consist of Black Spruce, Prince's pine,
Tamarac and Cedar.
A substance, not too rigid, is needed to furnish a bed for the cross.
ties: this is designated ballast. It lies as a cushion on the road-bed,
and gives to the rail system a slight and uniform elasticity. The
quality of the material for ballast is important. Gravel, the material
generally employed. if mixed with clay or light loamy sand that will
hold water, is unsuitable and should not be used. A coating of such
unsuitable material is even injurious, as it simply elevates the road-bed,
and has the effect of narrowing the space for proper ballast. The em-
bankments are 18 feet wide at formation level. If a coating 12 in.
thick be added, the side. slopes being 1! to 1, the width of the hal-
last bed is reduced to 15 feet, and it thus becomes necessary to
wid
n the embankment when proper ballast is laid down. The use
of improper ballast, results in the premature destI
uction of rails and
rolling stock, while the longer life attainable by both on a well bal-
lasted line, establishes the necessity for the use of material of the best
quality.

THE SUB-STRUCTURE.

Everything which goes to form the foundation for the rail-system
may be called the substructure.
When a level tract of country is not intercepted by streams, no
necesflity presents itself for openings through or across the railway.
'Ye then have the most favorable conditions for construction, and it is
neces:mry only to form a light embankment, two or three feet in height,
brought up a trifle above the ordinary level of the snow. the materia.l
bemg taken from two parallel Hide ditches, Fig. 5.

r.------ ...._.1.
--. - .n___

_._'1DI_---",,:
. i

!i :
- ------:'"I'-_.._-------------

-

-.:..' -
; .

i

,,

}'ia:. s.

CHARACTER OF THE LINE.

117

It is rarely that conditions so favorable are met. On the Inter-
colonial Railway they are the exception. Although in limited locali-
ties the line traverses ground approximately flat, the natural drainage
of the country and provision for freshet discharge, generally rendered
openings through the railway indispensable, even in these localities.
The railway passes over several ranges of elevated water-sheds
and numerous subsidiary ridges, separating the river systems which it
crosses. In traversing a long extent of country with a surface so
diversified, cuttings and embankments of all depths and heights are
unavoidable; and nearly every variety of soil and rock is to be met.
'\Vhere embankments are necessary, they ha\"e generally been formed of
a uniform width of 18 feet at formation level, with slopes generally of
1! to 1. In some cases the natural slope which the material has taken
is not in accordance with this proportion. The maximum height of
embankment on the whole line is 110 feet.
The original intention was to form cuttings of more than the
usual width, for the purpose of securing ample drainage, and to afford

-- -----
----------------------------

---------

Fi&, 6-
EXC.AX.A.TIO'i Uf ROCK,

118

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

facility for keeping the track clear of snow. ,Vith a view to avoid
expense, this proposition was not entertained; and genprally the width
is but 22 feet at formation level. There are exceptions, however,
where the width is greater. The side slopes in rock are 0.25 horizon-
tal to 1 perpendicular,asin Fig. 6; in ordinary earth 1! horizontal to 1
perpendicular; but in some wet clay cuttings, slopes of 2 to 1 were
found necessary.
It has been stated
that the frost penetrates
the ground to a great
depth, and as a conse-
quence wherever the soil
is at all wet, the thaw -- --=-- :...
=
disturbs the road-bed
and injuriously affects
the earthworks. Special
care was consequently
directed to drainage. Fig. __
7, illustrates the plan Fig,7.
adopted in the formation of underdrains: they are placed, as a
rule, immediately at the foot of slopes; formed with drain pipes and
the trenches filled with ballast to within a foot of the surface. In
rock cuttings, provision was made for carrying off the water by shallow
trenches on both sides, as shown in figure 6, so as to keep the track
perfectly dry.
Fig. 8 is a cross section of the ordinary cutting, 22 feet wide at
formation level. It shows the underdrains below the f
ost limit, so
that water to a depth of at least four feet will be carried off, and the
road-bed kept dry and free from the effects of frost. "Then such cut-
tings are subjected to the effects of the maximnm snow-faU, as is indi-
cated on the diagram, the operation of the rail way becomes difficult.
A large expenditure, either in removing the snow, or in roofing the
cuttings, may be lookpd for.
- -

df

:...

%
-r-

CHARACTER OF THE LINE

119

.
't ...

, ..----..'..--- ..'
'-_..ø-'
......___......

':1"-
F1<<8.
It is to be regretted that the cuttings were not formed on the
principle shown by Fig. 9. The deep side ditches would have f111fìllt-ul

'........----

F1<<. 8,
the duty of underdrains in keeping the road-bed dry and free from
disturbance by frost, and at the same time would have afforded space
to receive the snow thrown off by the snow plough. The increased
width would have enhanced the cost to a less extent than was
assumed by the opponents of the principle, as the extra width in many
cases would have provided material for embankments, where, the nar-
rower cuttings being insufficient, borrowing pits had to be resorted to.
It is also estimated that cuttings of the larger form referred to, would
have entailed less additional cost than the erection of snow sheds.
Besides, wide cuttings are preferable; as in themselves the snow sheds
being perishable, and from time to time requiring renewal, are always
exposed to destruction by fire.

120

THE INTERCOWNIAL.

Structures for the passage of water, whether of rivers or less im-
portant streams, should never be lightly considered. One of the
leading principles observed, was to create as few bridge openings as
possible. 'Vhenever practicable to pass a stream through a covered
passage in the continuous embankment, that system was followed. The
same principle governed in carrying the line across valleys. It was
held that no viaducts should be introduced; that as an engineering
question, an earthern embankment is preferable. A calculation of the
comparative cost, proved that of the two, under ordinary circumstances,
where the height does not exceed 80 feet, the embankment is the
cheaper, and that in Borne exceptional cases, embankments of a greater
height may be with economy employed.
Open bridges were, therefore, strictly confined. with a single ex-
ception,. to the large river crossings.
So little was known, at this period, of the country through which
the Intercolonial Railway now runs, that it was difficult to establish in
each case the requirements of waterway and the other conditions to be
observed. In settlements, information of some kind may be obtained,
but the country to be traversed was for a great extent a wilderness, and
few data of any kind were known concerning it.
In each case reliable information had to be gathered in order that
the size and character of structure might be determined. A structure
conceived on a scale unnecessarily large calls for a useless expenditure
of money. If too cramped in size, annually during floods it will be ex-
posed to the risk of being carried away. Ultimate destruction is gen-
erally its fate, and when this contingency arises, even if no loss of life
results, the money expended in reconstruction may be held as so much
dead loss. Any miscalculation with regard to the size or character ot
a structure generally results in uncalled-for expense, and it is thcrefore
necessary clearly to determine what the true requirements in each ca:>e
are.

Assistants were accordingly detailed to measure the streams during

-Folly River Viaduct.

CHARACTER OF THE LINE.

121

the periods of maximum discharge; 10 ascertain the sectional area,
velocity and volume, when the freshets from the melted snows were at
their height. This information was tested by repeated observations;
and the number and sectional area of all openings for the passage of
water was determined in accordance with it. To the sectional area
thus ascertained was added a marginal allowance for floods of more than
ordinary occurrence.
The precise character of each individual work next became the sub-
ject of considtration.
It wal:> deemed advisable to reduce the plans to a limited number of
classes; to adopt designs of the simplest type; and to prepare standard
working drawings, which would suit ordinary cases, and which could
readily be adapted to any peculiar necessity. They were as follows:-
1. Box culverts.
2. Arch culverts.
3. Open culverts.
4. Pipe culverts.
5. Tunnels.
6. Inclined culverts.
7. Bridges and viaducts.
:Many of the structures embraced in this classification aTe remark-
able only for their number. N everthelel:>s the description of the rail-
way would he incomplete, without mention of them.

1. Box CULVERTS.

These culverts were designed to carry off runs of water, or for
places where an outlet for surface drainage across the line was necessary.
They ranged from two feet to six feet in width, and from two feet
to nine .feet in height, but the prevailing size was two feet or two feet
six inches in width by four feet high. Fig. 10 is a cross section of the

1 .)"
......

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

commonly occurring size. It was deemed advisable
to adopt four feet as the standard height for the
smaller culverts, so that a man could pass through to
repair or clean them out.
Few culverts have been constructed of less
height than four feet, although occasionally where
was low, culverts two feet six inches square have been

the road-bed
introdu ced.
As some quarries furnished large flat stones, adapted for this char-
acter of work, and other quarries supplied material better fitted for the
arch, it was an object to accommodate the designs to such circum-
stances
Box Culverts, of various sizes ranging up to six feet in width
by nine feet in height, were used when it was advantageous to
do so. Figs. 11 and
12 are cross sections
of medium sized box
culverts, the water-
way of the one three
feet wide, by four feet
six inches high. that
Figs. 13 and 14 indicate

Fig.lO,

Flg.ll.

Fîg.12.

of the other four feet wide by six feet high.

",

'

"'

the proportions of the largest sizes built, the water-way of the one being
five feet by seven feet six inches, and the clear opening of the other

CHARACTER OF THE LINE.

123

being six feet wide by nine feet high. These sections show the manner
in which structures of this class, over three feet in width, had their
walls corbelled, in order to carry the massive covering stones l'equired.
These large box culverts were introduced only when the material
available was unusu- r: _
1

'!1'\J \
ally strong and mass-
.. .... 'P. .,...
iii
i ve. The ends of all' '''\t\l"l''
'' (
cuI verts of this class .-..; (It'
were of a simple de-
sign, as in Fig. 15;
they were usually ------------
placed square to the --------------------------------------
body of the work.
wi,th deep apron walls Fia. u.
to prevent any undermining by the stream or upheaval by frost.

2. ARCH CULVERTS.
The arch culvert was designed for streams requiring a clear width
of water-way from 4 feet to 20 feet and upwards; and when the em-
bankment through which they passed was of sufficient height to admit
the turning of the arch.

--- ---_:_---

-- -- .!_--- - -
=

:
}
:

Fiji. 16.

'Vith Bome modifications
to suit local circumstances,
they were all made after one
type. The lower, or down-
stream end, is shown by Figs.
16 and 17; the former being
an elevation and the latter a
longitudinal section. The up-
stream end is formed with
cross wall to obviate the possi-
bility of the current finding a
passage behind the masonry.

124

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

Fig. 17.
Fig. 18 represents an elevation of the up-stream end of this cul-
vert, and Fig. 19 is a longitudinal section. The parapet walls, indeed
exposed walls in all structures, were directed to be backed with a quan-

F1&' 18.

CHARACTER OF THE LINE.

12.)

tity of sma}] rip-rap or broken stone, as indicated III Fig. 17 and 19, to
prevent injury from frost. Particular attention was paid to the foun-

Fig. II,

dations; in all cases where the natural sub-stratum seemed at all doubt-
ful, artificial foundations were obtained by piles, concrete and other
means.
Drawings were prepared for ten different sizes, with arches from
4 to 20 feet diameter, oross-seotions of which are shown by Fig. 20.
Every horizontal and vertical dimension was proportioned to the size
of the arch. The length only varied aCGord-ing to the height of the
superinoumbent embankment. And to prevent mistakes in setting out
the work in the field, tables of lengths above and below the centre line
were prepared, by which culverts of any size, in any embankment on
the line, could be laid off with accuracy.
Only at one point has an arch of more than 20 feet been introduced;
and special drawings were then prepared. In Fig. 20 are represented

126

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

cross sections, of the various arch culverts up to 20 feet span, which.
have been built on the line.

,_J;_i_

__ ----of-- _ j -Ef!,..
Ln#, ____________

I'll- So

3. OPEN CULVERTS.

As already mentioned, a decided preference was given to covered
structures for the pass:tge of streams; and they were adopted whenever
practicable. There were cases, however, when, owing to the width of
streams, or insufficient height of embankment, a covered passage could
not be obtained. In all such ca!'es the streams had to be spanned by
open structures, which were formed of beams or girders placed on walls
of masonry. Open structures above 20 feet span were termed bridges;
when of less than 20 feet span, they were accounted open or beam cuL
verts. Fig. 21 is a type of the open culvert. It consists essentially of

CHARACTER OF THE LINE.

127

two masonry abutments, proportioned to the height of the embankment,
sufficiently far apart to allow a passage for the stream, and on which

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rests the rail system, supported on beams stretching from abutment to
abutment. In open culverts of small span the beams are !;ingle under
each rail; in the larger spans they are double and set side by side.
The great majority of structures of this class do not exceed 10 feet
span and are invariably in shallow embankments. For reasons given,
the introduction of the large size was studiously avoided; the number
on the line is consequently limited. The figure shows an open culvert
of 20 feet span, in an embankment 20 feet high; this is the largest !;ize.
In cases where the embankment exceeded 20 feet in height, and the
stream required the width, arches of 20 feet span were substituted.
4. PIPE CULVERTS.

In localities where building material could not be obtained without
difficulty, it was found advantageous to employ cast iron pipes or cylin-
ders. These pipes were of cast iron three feet in diameter, with spigot
and faucet joints. Culverts of this class were advantageom;ly intro-
duced on sections of the line near tide-\\ ater, where the iron cylinders
could be brought by sea-going vessel!;. They were quickly and econo-
mically made, the two ends were encased in masonry; the body of the
culvert consisted of a sufficient number of iron pipes to reach across the
embankment, the castings being of different lengths. The pipes were

128

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

bedded and completely enca8ed, to a minimum thickness of nine inch
,
in hydraulic cement concrete.
There can be no question with regard to the durability of this class
of structure. The chemical affinity between cement and iron is such,
that the concrete becomes as hard as stone and will alone be sufficient
to resist the pressure of the embankment and all wear and tear, even
should the iron lining be removed by oxidation: a contingency not to
be looked for, except after a long interval of time. Pipe culverts were
introduced in all situations, but they were found more especially use-
ful in side-hill ground, where structures of the 6th class were called
for. Fig. 22 illustrates the lower portion of a pipe culvert on side-hill.

g
--

Fig. 22.

5. TUNNELS.

'Vhere streams crossed the railway in deep rocky ravines, it was
frequently found preferable, as a matter of convenience and economy
instead of spanning the ravine by a bridge or constructing a culvert, to
pierce one side of the ravine by a tunnel. through which the stream
could be diverted, and to form a solid embankment across the channel

CHARAcrER Ol<' TIlE LI
E.

1 .")('.
_"

of the stream itself. This expeùient \Va" aùopteù, not only in ùeep
ravines, but in other localities. Figs. 23 and
1 show a section and plan

Fig.l!3.
of a tunnel, which was formed at one point on the line under an em-
bankment exceeding 100 feet in height. The whole work, including

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the embankment, was completed at less cost than a bridge, or even a
culvert with the superincumbent pmb.wkmcnt. The one conrlition
necessary, was the presence of rock of sufficient solidity and dura-
bility. They have been used in cases \\ here the rock was of a nature
requiring to he lined with masonry; a8 in the pcrishaLle
alldstones,
along some parts of the Bay of Fundy. In all cases they brought into
playa cheap description of labour in thcir construction, and allowed the
formation of the roadway to be proceedcd with, much 800ncr than

130

THE INTERCOLOXIAL.

would have been possible, had structures of masonry been carried
out.
On side-hill ground, such as occurred in passing over the Cobequid
mountains in Nova Scotia, small tumlels were frequently introduced,
they are shown in Fig. 25.

FIg. 15.

6. INCLINED CULVERTS.

The designs for structures of the 1st and 2d class were applicable
where streams flowed in channels with little fall; but 011 side hills, where
the streams often become swollen torrenh;, it was nece::,sary to adopt
means to prevent the possibility of destruction of the structure.
Ordinary culverts were employed in all ca.ses where the fall of the
stream did not exceed, on an average, one foot in twenty. "Tith stre,tm"
of a greater fall, the structures employed, came under the designation
.. Inclined Culverts," and in all such cases special designs were pre-
pared. Inclined culverts were built of both Box and Arch work:
Fig. 26 shows the mode adopted for arches.
In both cases the walls were regularly 8tcpped, to insure stahility:

CHARACTER OF THE LI
E.

1.31

and precautions were taken to prevent the water of the stream from
finding a way underneath the paving or below the walls.

....

The line of paving was placed considerably lower than the natural
bed of the stream; the whole mai:;onry was laid in cement; and the
walli:; at the upper end were built in such a way as to be impervious to
water.
To increase the security of the work, a concrete wall was formed
underneath and around the hodyof the culvert, midway betwecn the
two ends; and thi::; wall "as made 1>erfectly watcr-tight, acro,:;::; the
ravine in which the culvert was huilt. The footings of walb were full
bedded in cement, and the spaccs underneath the paving and around
the walls were filled with concrete. The paving wa::; all laid in
cement.

lS2

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

Other precautions were taken to render the work secure. In cases
where the walls could not he founded on rock, the lower ends Imd a
deep set apron wall, with wing walls and a secondary front wall also
deep set. Above and around the ,vhole, loose stone filling," rip-rap,"
was placed, to deRden the effects of the 8tream rushing rapidly down the
smooth surface of the culvert. These and other precautions were
adopted as the circumstances of each individual case seemed to dictate,
in order to secure permanence in the work. Fig. 26, represents a longi-
tudinal section of the up-stream portion of a culvert of this class.
Here the wing walls are square to the body of the structure: but at the
down-stream end, the arrangement shown on Fig. 22 "as generally car-
ried out, with such modifications as each case necessitated.
It has already been stated that iron pipe8 were used for inclined
culverts, but they were only introduced to carry off streams l'equiring
lesb than tlll'ee feet water-way. The pipes were cast in short length8,
those for the lower part of the culvert having radiant ends, so that,
when set in place, they would lie in a curve as in Fig. 22. By this
means the water descending through the culvert with great velocity,
would be changed in its direction and discharged horizontally, thus
reducing the tendency to undermine the lower end of the structure.

7. BRIDGES A
D VIADUCTS.

This class includes all structures with clear openings exceeding 20
feet. On the Intercolonial Railway, the spans range from 24 feet,
the minimum, to 200 feet, the maximum.
It has already been stated that a viaduct is not, under ordinary
circumstances, an economical or desirahle structure; alllI that it should
only be introduced where a river of considerable width has to be cross-
ed.
\ccordingly Bridges have been avoided in all cases, where a solid
earthen embankment could be formed. The one exception, at the River
Folly in :Nova Scotia, has already been mentioned.
The number and length of spans, and, to some extent, the form of
the superstructure of a bridge, depend on the width of the river at

CHARACTER OF THE LIXE.

133

flood, the character of the river bed, the formation and movement of
ice, and the quantity of drift timber which may be looked for. It was
not found necessary in any case to have wider openings between the
piers than 200 feet, and although in many instances seyeral openings
occur in the same structure, it was only considered expedient to adopt
spans so great in three bridges. 'Vherever the cost of founding piers
was not excessive, spans not exceeding 100 feet were used; and in
every instance where the character of the river would admit with safety
the employment of spans shorter than 100 feet, they were adopted.
In laying down general principles by which the construction of
the whole of tIte structures on the line was to be governed, engineering
requirements were primarily regarded; but economy in expenditure
was by no means lm;t sight of. It was felt that while the abutments
and piers should be designed to efficiently re
i;;t the peculiar climatic
forces to which they would be exposed. it was equally important to
accomplish the desired object at a minimum cost. A saving of expen-
diture at one point, or on a single structure, might be a matter of no
great consequence, but when multiplied by the number of cases which
occur on such a length of line. the importance of a well-considered
system becomes apparent.
The question is governed by several considerations, the most im-
portant of which is the difference between skilled and unskilled labour,
The Engineer determined that iron should be used instead of wood in
the spans of bridges. on account of its durability, hut he also consid-
ered that there should be as few bridges as possible, for reasons already
suhmitte,l; and from the consideration that the iron work had to be
imported; and. being the product of skilled labour, mure costly than
ordinary earth or stone work executed in the locality. Again. as ma!>on-
ry, is likewise the product of skilled labour and costs for a given quan-
tity. fifty times as much as earthwork, it should in consequence be
useil :"paringly. in fact never introduced where the latter can be sub-
stituted: moreover, it was held that none but the best masonry should
be admitted and that a limited quantity of good masonry could in

134

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

most cases be employed more adv&ntageously than a larger quan-
tity of inferior masonry; that the difference in cost between equal
quantities of both kinds was limited. and no way in comparison to
the greater degree of stability and permanency attained by the use of
masonry of the first quality.
In designing the Piers, their expusure to ice and drift-wood rendered
it necessary to make them massive and of a form which would enable
them to resist any shock. It would be no economy to make them
otherwise. But in the form of the abntments, it was found that
strength, durability, amI the principlm; of economy referred to, could be
COllsulted at one and the same time.
The plan of abutment adopted, consisted simply of a hollow tower

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CHARACTER OF THE LINE.

135

of no greater width than was required for the support of the super-
structure, and built perpendicularly on the four sides. The sections
Figs. 27 and 2
give the form of tower as it has been built; in some
ca:,es with two rectangular cells as in Figs. 27 and
D; in others, the
void was made circular a8 in Figs. 28 and 30; and in both cases the
voids were corbelled or arched at the top to support the ballast and
rail system.

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A comparison between the cost of this form of abutment and the
plan cOll1monl
r carried into eÀecution on Railways previously con-
structed, may be advantageously made.
Abutments have usually been built with wings, necessarily heavy,
in order to resist the pressure of the embankments.
Taking four different designs carried into execution on the Grand
Trunk Railway, with the formation level GO feet high, the quantity of
masonry in each abutment is a8 follows;-

Design No. 1 3230 Cubic Yards.
" 2 2060 "
" 3 2260 "
" 4 2310 "

Giving an average of 2465 cubic yards for each abutment.
As the difference i8 alm08t wholly in the form of abutment, it is

136

THE INTERCOLONIÅL.

not necessary to take into the calculation the intermediate piers,
when a comparison of cost is made.
The two estimates of cost stand thus :-
(1) In the Intercolonial Railway system:-
2180 cubic yards of masonry in the pair of
land piers and towers - - - - - - - - - - - at $13 - - $
8,340
2 sixty fept iron girders erected - - - - - $ 3,834
Less 12000 cubic yards of em-
bankment, saved - - - at 30 cents - - - - - - 3,600 234

$28,574

(2) In the Winged Abutment system:-
4930 cubic yards of masonry - - - - - - at $13 - - - - 64,090

Difference in favour of the new system
:15,516
It will thus be apparent that the saving effected is large; it
amounts indeed to fully fifty per cent. of the cost of both abutments
con:-;tructed on the old plan. The estimate indicates the saving in one
hridge only.
But economy in first cost is not the only or main advantage. It is
well known that winged abutments, even if built sufficiently massive
to resist the thrust of emhankment. are frequently injured and ulti-
mately dc:-;troyed through another agency. If the emhankment be
formed of any material that will hold moisture, the low temperature of
'winter is certain to act injuriously upon it. The moist clay or earth
behind the masonry becomes frozen solid, and in obedience to the
expansive powers of frost, produces an irresistible thrust on the ma-
sonry, which, whatever its strengih, will eventually become fractured
and displaced.
This destructive agent, acting year after year, will sooner or later
render reconstruction a necessity.
This effect can never take place with the bridge abutments of the
Intercolonial Railway. It is impossible for the hollow towers, placed

CHARACTER OF THE LINE.

l:H

in the hearts of the embaukments to he reut asunder, or in any way in-
Jured, either by the thrust of the earth or by frost. The pressure is at
all times external, and beiug nearly uniform from all sides, no destruc-
tive effects can result.
It is not claimed that there is anything remarkable or novel in the
peculiar kiIHl of ahutmellt descriùed; but it is heM that the princi-
ple::; of constructiou observed show a due regard to economy as well
as to engineering requirements and climatic condifons.
Fig. 31 represents an abutment of moderate height before its

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connection with the embankment. It also shows a common form of
pier adopted in cases where the structure is opposed to running i()e.
The supprstructnre of three of the bridges viz. :-at River dl1 Loup,
Is'e Verte and l\[issiguash are of wood. These were erected, under
the protest of the chief engineer, by direction of the Commissioners

138

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

before theIr policy on this question was reversed. All the other
bridges on the line have iron superstructures; three of the latter viz:-
the Restigouche and the two 1\Iiramichi bridges, are" pin connection"
trusses, constructed by a Philadelphia firm, :\Iessrs. Clarke, Reeves &
Co. All the others are "plate" or "lattice" girders erected in place
by an English firm, The Fairbairn Engineering Company.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ST. LAWRENCE DISTRICT.

General Features of the Line-Greatest Altitude-Geographical Divisions-The Four
Districts-The Engineering Staff-The St, Lawrence District-General Descrip-
tion-Crossing the Height of Lalld-Geolog)' of the District-The River Systems-
Division A, Contract
o. I-Division B, Contract No, 2-Division C, Contract No.
5--Division D, CC'atrnct No. S-DÌ\'ision E, Contract No. 13-Dhision F, Contract
No. 14.

The Railway extends for ljR miles in the Province of Quehec.
Crossing into New Brunswick at the river Restigouche, the distance in
that Province is 24H miles. At the river l\Iissiguash it passes into
Nova Scotia, to terminate at Truro, a distance of 80 miles; joining at
that place, the line constructed previous to Confederation hetween
Truro and Halifax.
The greatest altitude I'eached hy the line is in the Province of
Quehec. This is at Lake :\Ialfait, 108 miles from River du Loup,
and 743 feet ahove the sea. Nova Scotia ranks second to Quebec in
respect of altitude, a height of 610 feet above the sea being attained
at Folly Lake, in the Cobequid l\Iountains, 24 miles west of Truro:
while the highest elevation in New Brunswick, 514 feet, is at Barti-
bogue, about mid-way hetween Bathurst and 1\Iiramichi.
At the river Restigouche, the boundary between Quebec and New
Brunswick, and at the river l\lissiguash, the boundary of K ova Scotia,
the railway is but little above tide-water; at the Îormer, less than
40 feet; and at the latter, less than 10 feet. The levels near the extreme
ends of the line-Truro and lEver du Loup--are not high; conse-
quently, the line is divided, geographically, into three,main ridges-one
in each province. The ridges may be described as being 1tiO, 2-:1:0 and

140

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

80 miles broad, rising respectively to 743, 514 and 610 feet above the

sea.

During construction it was found convenient to divide the Line into
four Districts, which were again sub-divided into 2.) Divisions desig-
nated by the letters of the alphabet, beginning with A at River du
Loup and ending with Z next to Truro. The Di
tricts were called the
St. Lawrence, the Restigouche. the
liramichi and the Nova Scotia.
The Restigouche District embraced seven Divisions, each of the
other three embraced six Divisions. The lengths were as follows:

St. Lawrence District,
Restigouche "
Miramichi "
N ova Scotia "

1
0
Miles.
128 "
1171 "
12-H "

Total,

499i

"

These four sections were each placed under a District Engineer
respolI!'ihle directly to the Engineer-in-Chief. Resident Engineers
were appointed to each separate Division. who acted under the
Engineer of the District; and the latter again had their necessary
assistants. The" ork on each Division" as carried on unùer a distinct
contract.
THE ST. LAWltE
CE DISTRICT extends from River du Loup along
the shore of the St. Lawrence as far as Little
Ie.tis, where the line turns
in a southerly dircction to cross the highlands, dividing the waters flow-
ing into the St. Lawrence from those flowing into the Bay Chaleur by
the l\Ietapedia, a tributary of the Restigouche. Its length is 12!)i miles
and it embraces the following Divi::;ions :

Di vision A, Contract No.1. . . . . . 20 miles long
" B, " 2 20 "
" C, " 5 . 26 "
" D, " 8 . 20i .,

THE ST. LA WREXCE DISTRICT.

141

Division E, Contract No. 13 . . .. 20

" F, .. 14 . . .. 22

"

"

Total length,. . . . . . . . 129t miles.

For 90 miles the railway lies within a short distance of the St.
Lawrence, in no place more than three miles from it. An irregular
highland range e
tem1ing, ",ith but very few breaks, f.rom River du
Loup to Gaspé, dictated this location. Attempts were made to find a
location further inland, but the country was rough; consequently. con-
struction would ha\ e been e
pensive and the gradients steep. Along
these first ninety miles the cbuntry is closely settled: bcsides the num-
erous farm-houses which assume the appearance of a continuous strag-
gling village, there are several towns and villages, as River du Loup,
Isle Verte, Trois Pistoles. St. Simon, St. Fabien, Bic, Rimouski, St.
Luce. St. Flavie, and :ì\Ietis.
The most favorable point for crossing the Mountain range occurs
near lIetis. '" here a depre!<sion is found in the summit, 743 feet above
the sea, at a distance, on a straight line from the St Lawrence, of about
20 miles. There is, also, at a distance of 6 miles from the St. Lawrence,
an intermediate summit, 561 feet high, on a ridge overlooking the river.
The country, on this mountain range is rough and rocky, and many
curves are accordingly introduced, the grades being also steep. But,
after descending the Southern slope, the flat country along the shore of
Lake
letapedi
is met, which extends to the end of the District.
There is a considerahle area of good land near Lake )Ietapedia.
It is estimated that a belt ten miles broad, in this quarter, contains
130,000 acres of good farming land.
The rock formation of the St Lawrence District belongs principal-
ly to the Lauzon division of the Quebec group; the geological posi-
tion of which is about the middle of the Silurian System. This group
extends in tbe form of a belt parallel to tbe St Lawrence, terminating
in the Gaspé peninsula.

142

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

The Lauzon division is of considerable breadth, west of River du
Loup, but contracts to a few miles, at Rimouski. Small outliers of the
Sillery sandstone occur in this distance, one of which is met about two
miles below River du Loup, and another extends between Cacouna and
River Isle Verte.
Interstratified with the shales of the Lauzon division, grey sand-
stone and limestone conglomerates occur at Trois Pistoles, Dic and
Grand Metis. The conglomerates are coarse, and consist of a
andy
matrix with pebbles of white quartz and masses of limestone and dio-
rite.
Between Rimouski and Great :Metis the rail way crosses a small
basin of the Sillery limestone.
Near Lake Metapedia conglomerates again occur associated with
shales; along the shore of the Lake, the rocks consist of limestone,
sandstone shales, and diorite, with an occasional trap dyke.
From these various rocks the building material for the heavy ma-
sonry on the district was obtained.
The Riv'ers flowing into the St LawrenCf', although of no great
length, yet rising, as they do, in the neighboring highlands, at times
discharge a great body of water. On all there is enormous water
power from fiI11s and rapids, easily made available, though hitherto but
little used. At River du Loup there are three natural falls, one 100
feet high, and two about 20 feet high, almost quite unused. At the
mouth of the River the water power gained by an artificial fall drives
a large flour mill, and likewise the works of a foundry and machine-
shop.
The District Engineer, until the close of the ,york, was Mr. Samuel
Hazlewood, who assisted in the exploratory survey of 18G4, and the
location survevs of 1868-69.

THE ST. LAWREYCE DISTRICT.

143

DIYISIOX A.

COXTRACT No.1.

This Division, generally, is comparatively level; it traverses the
table-land or terrace between the St. Lawrence and the elevated range
which rises at no great distance from the line. The works are generally
light, consisting of low embankments to raise the road-hed above the
ordinary snow level. There are only two rock cuttings of importance,
and these are near the western end. For four miles the railway passes
over tracts of bog, some low-lying, with peat only a few fcet deep, othe1's
lying higher, with growing peat, 20 or 30 feet deep. Ko difficulty at-
tended the formation of the road-bed, the low embankments being com-
posed of peat taken from side ditches, generally 15 or 20 feet from the
embankments. The matted roots of brushwood and scrub spruce, to-
gether with moss and peaty material, formed embankments sufficiently
tenacious. Although there was a slight sinking in some places, there
was no breaking up of the surface, and the l'Oadway is firm, though
elastic. The
mrface in such cases is covered with a layer of gravelly
sand about six inches thick, as a protection against fire.
The culverts on this section are unimportant, there being only
three over eight feet span, t\\ 0 of which are twelve feet. There are
th1'ee bridges, one with a span of 30 feet over the TenÜscouata road,
one of three spans built over the River du Loup, and the third of two
spans built over the River J sle Verte. That over the Temiscouata road
is close to that ove1' the Du Loup, and may be considered as constitut-
ing parts of one hridge, the western abutment of the river bridge bcing
the eastern abutment of the road bridge. The river bridge is on a
skew, but the eastern abutment of it is on the square. The foundation
is rock, on the hed of the river; and the water being shallow. having
only a depth of a few inches in summer, there was no need of coffer-
dams.
The bridge over the River Isle Verte rests upon a rock foundation;

144

THE INTERCOLO
IAL.

the water, dming the dry season, being so shallow as to occasion no
difficulty in founding the piers.
The piers of the Isle Verte bridge are on the skew, while the abut-
ments are square; thus, each span has a short and a long side, the longer
being 100 feet and thc shorter 8R feet.
All that is worthy of remark concerning the bridges of this Division,
is, that thcy are of wood, and constitute two of the three wooden
bridge::. erectell ulJon the whole line. They were commenced anterior
to the reversal of the Government policy in this respcct, all the other
bridges being of iron.
Both bridges are built upon what is known as the Howe truss
principle.
In these bridges the roadway runs on the top of the girders.
Thcre are few curves; the two longest tangents are each about six
miles.
The grades are easy.
There was abundance of hallast on the Division, but the pits were
of little depth.
The work of construction was executed by )Ie
sr
. George and
James \\T orthington. The contract was entered into in )Iarch, 1
ü9.
The time fOl' completion assigned was 1st Jul}', 1871, but the work
was not entirely finishcd until 1st July, 11;72. In addition to the
amount of the contract, :j;;1
9,700, a further sum of
:3.J,OOO, for extm
works, was paid.
The total length of the Division is 20 miles.
The average excavation was 18,200 cubic yards per mile, and of
masonry 29.,} cubic yards.
The Rcsident Engineer in charge was :Mr. Leonard G. Bell, pre-
viously employed on the Surveys of 1868-69.

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THE ST. LAWREXCE DISTRICT.

145

DIYISION B.

CONTRACT No.2.

This Division, for half its length, lies on land similar to the Coun-
try cros::;ed by the Line on Division A. After passing the village of
Trois Pistoles, it enters the valley of St. Simon, a- wiùe flat ex-
panse bounded On both sides by high ridges of barren rock. Generally
the works are light, but there are large culverts at the village of Trois
Pi::;toles and an expensive bridge over the river of that name, hesides
heavy cuttings and embankments at the approaches. The cutting on the
west side of the river was especially heavy, being at one place 56 feet
deep. All the cuttings in this neighùourhood consisteù of a blue clay of
great tenacity, sometimes containing a !<mall portion of fine dead sand.
The ordinary pick and shovel were wholly inadequate in these eXcava-
tions, spades proving more succes::;ful ; yet, even with them, the work
was tedious. The clay wa::; dug out in small square blocks, and slung
by means of
ingle pronged iron forks, or ::;pikes, into the wagons. It
was so tenacious, that the slinging and the suùsequent dumping scarce-
ly altered the shape of the block::;. 'Vhen acted upon by water and
frost it would, however, ::;lide away in a semi-fluid condition, carrying
evarything with it. On the west side, the cutting is on a side-hill, the
foot of which rests on the shore of the St. Lawrence, while the top reaches
to the flat ground about 200 feet above the river, and having about 8
feet of gravel lying on the surface. At the commencement of opera-
tions, the flow of water from between the gravel and clay, produced
masses of mud which constantly slid down to the bottom of the cut-
ting, seriously retarding the work. Such slips were to some extent
obviated by a deep drain, some distance back, sunk through the bed of
gravel into the underlying clay, thus tapping the superficial springs.
Other difficulties, however, presented them::;elves. At the we::;t end of
this cutting, and under a low embankment, a small culvert had been
buHt on apparently sufficient foundation OIl the side-hill. The culvert
10

146

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

sank somewhat, and then remained many months without any percept-
ible change. It, however, eventually sank so much that it became
necessary to remove it altogether and huild it on another site. In
a few weeks after its recom;truction a landslip occurred, carrying the
culvert together with the embankment and many thousands of yards of
earth, to a distance of several hundred feet, into the river, leaving a
gulf about 200.feet wide. This landslip was doubtless caused by the un-
due presence of water in the ground; and showed the necessity of deep
under-ùrainage. The cuttings in which these difficulties were experi-
enced, extended over a mile on the west side and a mile on the east side
of Trois Pistoles. The west side was the most troublesome. Vertical
shafts, fifty feet apart, and to depths varying from 25 to 30 feet under
formation, were sunk along the uphill side of the railway, and about
15 feet distant from it. From shaft to shaft, tunnels about five feet
diameter, were driven, each with an inclination to points where
lateral off. take tunnels to the side-hill were provided for the diRcharge
of the water collected. In the bottom of the tunnels a
ewer
pipe was placed and the tunnels and vertical shafts were filled
with gravel. These tunnels have been effective in drying aIllI solidi-
fying the ground, more especially that portion immediately under
the Railway. During last summer, a considerable quantity of fluid
mud slipped from the surface of the South slope of the deep cut imme-
diately to the westwarù of the Trois Pistoles River; but though it dis-
placed the rails for a short distance, the road bed and underlying earth
were wholly unmoved.
When the contract was entered into, the Engineer designed that
the slopes of the cuttings should be made 2 to 1; and the width at
formation level 30 feet. During the progress of the work these
designs were over-ruled by the Commissioners, who allowed
the contractors to make the slope at H to 1, the same as for ordi-
nary earth. The action of the weather. however, in continu-
ously causing surface Hlips, has already Lrought the slope to 2
to 1, or even to a flatter slope. The cutting 011 the east side of Trois

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147

Pistoles River was not attended with so much difficulty, not being on a
side-hill, and not having any top bed of gravel draining into the cutting.
Underdrains of an ordinary character, laid on both sides of the road-
bed at a depth of 4 feet below formation level, were here sufficient.
They keep the road-bed in good order; but the sides, from not having
sufficient slope, are constantly slipping. The embankments also gave
trouble owing to the slippery nature ofthe material when wet: but they
now seem to have consolidated. III some parts, the lìlopes have been
covered with gravel with good effect. The western embankment, in
particular, caused anxiety for a time, a portion of it being in the old
channel of the river. At this place the filling as it progressed sank con-
tinually, pushing laterally and upheaving the soft material at the base
of the embankment. The application of cribwork for protecting
the emhankment from the wash of the river, was found beneficiaL
A timber crib, filled with stones, sheeted on the outside, was built
round the project
d base of the embankment; and although the
upheaval within this crib was such as to raise the material 20 feet above
the level, it was retained in position by the protecting work: the latter
remaining uninjured except in one unimportant part.
The total width of tlie Trois Pistoles River, at the point of crossing,
is about 1000 feet: the bridge of 5 spans of 100 feet each, occupies the
eastern half of the channel. The piers and abutments are on rock
found at a little depth. Expensive coffer-dams were 110t necessary, the
site being nearly dry at low water. The abutments are square towers
built according to Fig. 28. The piers, were commenced for a super-
structure of wood, but when the design was changed for one of iron,
less breadth sufficed; and, accordingly, the piers were reduced in size,
so that one portion of the pier appears forming the base of the
supcrincumhent portion as a plinth. The iron work was constrUfted
and erected b y the ".Fairbairn EnO'ineerinO' Com p an y of EnO'laIHI "
b ð 0 ,
who undertook the contract of all spans from 24 to 100 feet. An illus-
tration of this bridge is given in plate No.5.
East of the village there are two 1.:; feet arched culverts, built in

148

THE INTERCOLONIAL,

accordance with the general designs described in a former chapter. They
are in embankments of 30 feet and 44 feet deep.
The line has comparatively few curves, and the tangents are cor-
respol1llingly long. The grades are easy. Those reaching the maximum
of 52 feet per mile, are not of any extent.
The contractors were Messrs. George and James '\Vorthington.
The amount of their contract was <Jt;::!99,OOO. They were, however, paid
about :J!;'iO,OOO more than this sum, partly on account of the dIfficulty
met in the cuttings at Trois Pistoles, and partly on account of extra
work. The cuntract was entered into in March, 1859, and the work
was to be completed on 1st .T uly, 1871; but owing to the difficulties ex-
perienced at Trois Pistoles, it was not finished until the summer of
1873.
The length of the Division is 20 miles. The average quantity of
excavation is -12,800 cubic yards per mile, and of masonry 603 cubic
yards. The resident engineer, during the first two years, was 1\11'. "T.
H. Napier, who had been engaged in the location surveys of 1
68-69.
On his resignation he w
s succeeded by 311'. John R. Macdonnell. l\Ir.
Bell was subsequently placed in charge till April, 1872, when 1\11'. H.
Langton was appointed.

DIVISION C.

CONTRACT No. 5

This Division runs for a few miles through the valley namcd in
thp last Division. Crossing a low ridge, it thence traverses a second
valley until it meets the face of the mountain at the head of Dic Bay.

kirting the face of this mountain, and crossing several spurs of head-
lands forming the eastern side of the Harbour of Bic, it emerges on the
sea shore, which it follows for several mi]e
, keeping on a narrow belt of
flat ground.

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Htl

The Division has heavy work of all kinds, the principal being the
rock cuttings near the village of Bic. The Line has been located along
the precipitous face of the mountain, in one place in front of a perpen-
dicular cliff, part of which had to be removed to make room for the
road-bed. No part of the work was attended with any peculiar difficulty.
As far as Bic village the Line is somewhat curved, but the curves are
for the most part of no great length, and the general direction of the Line
is straight. The heavy work may be said to end at Otty Bay, where the
Line, which left the shore of the St. Lawrence at Trois Pistoles, again
touches it and so continues to Rimouski. In a few places between
Otty Bay and Rimouski, the works come within the wash of high tides
wherc protection was called for.
There are three bridges; one, near St. Fabien, of 80 feet span;
one at Bic, of 110 feet span; and one over the Rimouski River, with five
spans, each 80 feet wide. In all cases the superstructure is of iron.
At the St. Fabien bridge the river has an S curve and a diversion of
the stream was made, over which the òridge was built upon ground
then dry. A mill stands near this place, the dam of which was inter-
fered with by the works; and the bridge has been so constructed as
to admit the passage of water to the mill, the building of a new dam
and a roadway to the mill.
The bridge at Bic is built over a rocky gorge with its two abut-
ments on the rock, as shown on plate No.6.
The bridge at Rimouski is built at the mouth of the river. It has
all the piers and abutments on rock several feet below water level. The
excavation for the foundation was throuO'h O'ravel in de l )th from 5 t o
b" ,
10 feet. Coffer-dams were required, but the bed of the river was so
porous that great difficulty was experienced in laying dry the founda-
tion of the deepest pier. Concrete was resorted to in this case, upon a
bed of which the masonry was commenced. Plate No.7 is a view of
this structure.
There are ll}lmerous curves; the three sharpest are of 1910 feet
radius, and have an aggregate length of about 1440 yards. The grades

150

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

are generally easy, although several of 1 per 100 are used. There is no
elevation of importance to be surmounted.
The contract in the first instance was let to 1\11'. Edward Haycock
for $361,574; at the end of one season 1\11'. Haycock threw up the con-
tract. The remainder of the work was let the following spring, at
$533,000 to Alexander McDonnell & Co., after $48,762 had been paid
to 1\11'. Haycock The work was to have been completed by 1st July, "
1871, but it was not finished until 1st January, 1873. The length of
the division is 26 miles. The average excavation is 35,000 cubic j'ards
per mile and of masonry 320 cubic yards.
The Resident Engineer until the summer of 1871 was 1\11'. Roderick
1\1cLennan, who had been employed on the surveys of 1868-69; but he
retired from the work and was !mcceeded by 1\11'. John R. Macdonnell.

DIVISION D.

CONTRACT No.8.

This Division is on comparatively level ground, some miles away
from the sea-shore. The elevated range bounding the Railway on the
right from River du Loup trends away to the south after passing Ri-
mouski where this Division begins; but the flat country rises towards
the south'; and the Railway, leaving the sea, gradually inclines to-
ward it.
The works are lighter than on any other section of the whole Rail-
way.
There is no bridge on this Division, but there are several culverts,
very few of which required much masonry. There was no especial diffi-
culty in executing any of the works, except an arched culvert over a
stream about three miles from the eastern end of the Divi:;ion. This is
a twelve feet culvert in an embankment ahout 20 feet deep. The em-
bankment from the westward had been carried close to the site chosen

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THE ST. LAWRENCE DISTRICT.

151

for the culvert, near the channel of the stream, during the first season's
work. No change appeared to have taken place at the site during the
winter; but on the opening of the following season, when the excava-
tion for the culvert was commenced, the pres
;ure of the embankment
caused an upheaval of soft mud in large quantities, and in such a man-
ner, that farther excavation was impossible. The ground was tested
by boring, when a firm stl'atum wm; discovered some 18 feet below the
surfal.:e. [t was then determined to construct a pile foundation. The
piles were easily driven, but so Roft was the material penetrated that
the driving of a fresh pile would partially float those driven. Con-
sequently, they had to be weighted until the masonry was started. The
outer piles were driven perfect! y close, and formed a kind of coffer-dam,
the opposite sides of which were tied together to prevent spreading and
in order effectively to enclose the whole space underneath the structure.
A bed of concrete was placed over the piles, and on this foundation the
masonry was commenced. This work was somewhat troublesome, a
whole season having been spent upon it. But it was finally completed
at no great cost, and has answered the purpose satisfactorily.
The line is generally straight, and IlI-'arly parallel to the direction
of the St, Lawrence.
The contractor wås
Ir. Duncan
IcDonald, whose price was
$100,000. The contract was dated 1st November, 18(;9, the work to be
finished OIl the 1st July, 1871. It was completed in the December of
that year.
The length of the Division is 20
, miles. The average quantity of
excavation is about 15,000 cubic yards per mile, and of ma::50nry 180
cubic yards.
The Resident Engineer was Mr. John Lindsay, previously employed
on the Surveys of 1868-69.

152

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

DIVISION E.

CONTRACT No. 13.

The Railway, on this Division, crosses the water-shed between the
St. Lawrence and Restigouche Rivers,and passes over an intricate, hilly
country, with deep valleys, intersected and crossed by a constant suc-
cession of ridges, whose summits rise to a considerable elevation between
the different tributaries of the Rivers Tortigaux and l\Ietis. It was ac-
cordingly a matter of some difficulty to find a good location through it.
The country was thoroughly explored and the best route obtained. The
line, nevertheless, has numerous curves, many of them of short radius.
'\Vhere the line crosses the long ridge overlooking the bt. Lawrence, it
sweeps round a full semi-circle, part of which is in a long deep cutting.
On the entire Division there is an aggregate length of more than eleven
miles of curves, and the aggregation of curvature is about 1407 de--
grees.
One continuous grade, rising up to cross the ridge overlooking the
St. Lawrence, is 21 miles long, and rises at the rate of fi8 feet per mile.
This is followed by another grade, ascending it?- the same direction at
the rate of 52.
0 to the mile, for a length of over 2
miles. There is
an aggregate length of over 10
miles of grades rising 1 in 100; and of
grades rising 0.8 or 0.9 in 100, a farther Jength of1
miles; so that of
steep grade:,; there is an aggregate length of 15 mi1es, out of a total
length of 20
miles, the extent of the Division.
The work on this Division is the most expensive, with one excep-
tion, on the whole Railway. The excavation and embankment far ex-
ceeded the quantity in any other locality. A large proportion of the
excavation was in rock, and one embankment is 80 feet deep.
The quantity of embankment required was much in excess of the
quantity of cutting on the line. and, therefore. extensive borrowing pits
were nece:,;sary. In some spots, the material available for borrowing
was so scanty that many acres of ground were stripped to furnish the

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153

quantity required. The total quantity excavated was about 1,750,000
cubic yanl:,;, of which one-sixth was rock.
There are seven tunnels, varying from 6 feet to 12 feet in diameter,
for carrying streams across the Railway; and one tunnel, 20 feet diame-
ter, parallel to the Railway, through a tongue of land rounù which the
River Tortigaux flowed, crossing the Railway line twice. This tunnel
takes the whole stream and saves two bridges across the line. It is
about 500 feet long. All the tunnels are cut through rock; and, with
one exception, it has not been found necessary to line any of them with
masonry.
One of the clay cuttings gave some trouble, which would have
been avoided by making it wider and with flatter slopes, in the first
instance.
An embankmpnt across soft, swampy ground, was laid U}JOll a plat-
form of trees placed side by side. The material sank I'll 1JUl>lfU', raising
the surface beyond the embankment to a height of from six to eight
feet ahove the original level, and to the extent of 20 feet out from the
slope of the emhankment. The emhankment is now perfectly firm.
The l\Ietis bridge is alone of importance on the Division, having
four spans of 10.) feet in width. :-:;ome difficulty arose with the fuunda-
tions, The western abutment was built upon a double platform. with
concrete deposited hetween the timbers. The eastern amI western piers
were built upon a pile foundation; the centre pier was huilt upon a
stratum of gravel and boulders, the founùations being taken well ,lown.
The coffer-dam was afterwards filled with the best concrete, maùe of
Portland cement.
In order to turn the river, and prevent its flowing between the East-
ern pier and the East bank of the river, a rough ,dng wall was built.
The piers are protected from the wash of the river hy rip-rap laid
round them. The total height of the bridge, from the bed of the river
to the formation level, Ís 60 feet. Plate No. 8 shows the bridge com-
pleted.
The Contractors were ::\Iessrs. \V. E. ::\IacDonald & Co" who carried

1."}4

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

on the work almost to completion. The contract was entered into in May
1870, the work was to lmve been finished on the 1st July, 1872, at a cost
of $934,033. But, about the end of the year 1873, when the comple-
ting of the work still required an expenditure of $126,500, it was taken
off the Contractors' hands and finished by the Govel'llment late in the
year 187-1. The length of the Division is 20
miles.
The average quantity of excavation is almost 85,000 cubic yards
per mile, and of masonry 423 cubic yards. The total length of the
tunnels for the passage of streams is 1,593 feet,
The first Hesident Engineer, in charge of the Division, was Mr. \V.
F. Biggar, previously employed on its exploration and location. On
his retirement he ,,-as succeeded by Mr. H. J. Cambie, who remained
in charge until the works were taken out of the hands of the Con-
tractors, after which, Mr. \Yilliam :;\lcCarthy was placed in charge.

DIVISION F.

CONTRACT No. 14.

At the end of the first mile the railway passes over the highest
summit on the whole line. It then descends through an easy country
to the basin of the ::\1 etapedia Lake and continues to run on a flat, wide,
tract of land, bordering the lake, to its outlet.
The summit which is 743 feet above the sea, is at Lake Malfait, the
source of the HiveI' Sayabec, flowing eastward into Lake l\Ietapedia.
It is on the dividing ridge between the waters of the St. Lawrence and
those of the Bay Chaleur. At the commencement of the Division the
curves are of short radius, their aggregate length, however, is not great,
heing little over a mile. In the first seven miles the aggregate length
of grades, ascending and descending, is nearly five miles, of 1 per 100.
The remaining grades, together with the curves, are light.
There are only three bridges of any importallc
, namely, that over

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CL.

THE ST. LAWRENCE DISTRICT.

155

the St. Pierre, near the head of the Metapedia Lake; that over the
Tobegote, near the lower end of the same Lake; Rnd that over the
Amqui, at the end of the division. The spans of these bridges are
respectively 80, 30, and 100 feet. The St. Pierre bridge is built on a
natural foundation of gravel and boulders. At the Tohegote bridge
site, soft material exists to a great depth, necessitating a pile founda-
tion of peculiar construction, and the use of concrete. The Amqui
bridge is also built on a pile foundation, protected by rip-rap. The
principal part of the stone for the Amqui bridge is compact, hard, yel-
low sandstone taken out of cuttings on the division. A view of this
bridge is given in plate No.9.
The contractors were )Iessrs. Neilson & )IcGaw, whose price was
$245,475 and who carried on the work to completion. The work was
to have been completed on 1st July, 1872, but it was not finished until
the summer of 1875.
The total length of the Division is 22! miles. The average quan-
tity of excavation is about 21,000 cubic yards per mile and of mason-
ry 203 cubic yards.
The first Resident Engineer in charge of the works was 1\11'. Henry
Carre, who had been on the surveys of 1868-69. He remained in charge
for about H years, when he retired and was succeeded by Mr. John
Lindsay, who was again succeeded by Mr. T. D. Taylor.

CHAPTER IX

THE RESTIGOUCHE DISTRICT.

General Deßcription-:Metapedia Valley-Restigouche Valley-Bay Chaleur-Geological
features-Division G, Contract No. 17-Division II, Contract No. 18-Division I, Con-
tract No, 19-The Restigouche Bridge-Artificial foundation -Climatic forces-
Ice jams-Shoves-Freshets-The massive character of the Piers-Division R,
Contract No, II-Division L, Contract
o, 6-Divlsion 1.1, Contract No, 6-Dh-ision l\I,
Contract No.9-Division N, Contract No. 15-The Tête.a-Gauche Bridge-
The
jpissiquit Bridge,
This District includes the lower half of the l\Ietapedia valley, crosses
the Restigouche at the mouth of the l\Ietapedia, and continues by the
Bay Chaleurs. Its length is 128 miles. It embraces the following
divisions

Division G-Contract No. n 20 Miles long
" H " 18 20 " "
" I " 19 10 " "
" K " 3 24 " "
" L " 6 21 " "
" M " 9 21 " "
" N " 15 12 " "

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 " "
The Line for 40 miles follows a south-easterly direction, and then
runs easterly for 30 miles, after which, its course is south-east, finally
bearing nearly due south.
The l\Ietapedia valley is generally contracted, with steep hills and
rocky sides rising to the height of 600 to 800 feet, for many miles,
barely affording space for the Railway, the river, and the l\Ietapedia
Road. The adjoining country, in many places deeply furrowed by
streams, rises, approximately,
oo feet above the valley.

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THE RESTIGOUCHE DISTRICT.

157

There are several lateral valleys, the principal of which are
those of two rapid tributaries of the Metapedia, the Rivers Causapscal
and Assametq uagan, rising in the Shikshok ,Mountains to the east of the
Railway, and thuse of .McKinnon's Brook and other streams, on the west-
ern side. For a di!:-itance of 20 miles below the mouth of the Metape-
dia, the Railway follows the valley of the Restigouëhe, between high,
steep, rocky hills. It then crosses the promontory, at the point of
which lies the Harbour of Dalhousie. The Line runs about a mile from
the Bay Chaleur, sometimes touching the shore, until it reaches the
village of Bathurst. It then leaves the shore, in order to cross the prom-
ontory between Bathurst amI
Iiramichi. The country i!:-i !:-ilightly roll-
ing, and comprises clayey, gravelly, peaty and rocky soils. The high
mountainous country is found more inland, the intervening distance
being broken and hilly.
The rocks in the Restigouche district, with some trifling exceptions,
belong to the Gaspé limestone series of upper Silurian age. This series
is known to occupy an immense area. Nearly the whole hyùrographic
basin of the Restigouche belongs to this series. The rocks consist of
grey and dark shales and limestone. On the Metapedia, vast deposits
of calcareous shaly and slaty strata appear interstratified with lime-
stone bands. N ear the "Devil's Elbow," sandstone is met of a green-
ish gray color. At the mouth of the River Restigouche, a small basin
of the lower carboniferous rocks occurs. It consists of red !:-iandstone
and conglomerates. Conspicuous conical hills of amygdaloid and other
trap rocks attract attention near Dalhousie. The basin is flanked on
both sides by the Gaspé limestone series, which generally occupies the
elevated country overlooking the valley, and it extends from Dalhousie
to Bathurst. It afforded excellent limestone for the masonry at several
places.
Grey granite is exposed on the rivers flowing into Bathurst Har-
bour, compo!:-ied of opaque white feldspar, colourless translucent quartz,
and black mica. In some respects it restmbles the celebrated Aberdeen
granite; and yielded massive building material for some of the finest
masonry on the Line.

158

THE D!TERCOLONIAL.

The principal rivers are the ::\Ietapedia, the Restigouche, Eel River,
the Charlo, Jacquet River, the Tête-à-gauche, and the Nipissiguit.
The Metapedia drains an area of 1700 square miles; the Resti-
gouche, with its tributaries above the crossing of the Railway, drains
about 5200 square miles, of which the Upsalquitch, a branch from the
south, drains 1400. The rivers from the Restigouche down to the
Nipissiguit drain about 1300 square miles, and the Nipissiguit in a
course of 70 miles drains 800 square miles.
Mr. Marcus Smith conducted the surveys of the Diliitrict in 1868-
69, and afterwards had charge of the works of construction until April,
1872. He was succeeded by Mr. L. G. Bell.

DIVISION G.

CONTRACT No. 17.

This Division lies in the valley of the ::\Ietapedia river. The west-
ern half traverses a comparatively o,pen country with gently sloping
hills. The eastern half is contracted between steep, rocky banks.
About one half of the Line is curved, but the curves, except in a few
cases, are of ample radius. The grades, which are eas):, have generally
a descent eastwards. The greatest difference of level, that between the
two ends, is 212 feet. The works are moderately heavy, requiring care
in their execution, Lut no very great difficulty was experienced. The
total quantity of cutting is about two-thirds of a million cuLic yards,
of which one-fifteenth is rock. But little of the rock excavated was
found suitaLle for masonry. The ashlar stone had to be brought some
di::;tance, chiefly from the eastern end of Lake i\Ietapedia, Lut mate-
rial for the smaller structures was obtained near the middle of the
Division at Otter Brook quarry. This stone is a kind of sand-stone,
close and firm in tlle texture, and generally well stratified.
Two Lridges cross the
Ietapedia, the first at Causapscal, nedr the

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THE RESTIGOUCHE DISTRICT.

159

middle of the Division, the second nearer the eastern end. At each
crossing the line passes the river at an angle of 45 0 , and the bridges,
consequently, are askew. Each bridge has three spans of 100 feet
wide on the skew face. Ko difficulty was experienced in their con-
struction. The foundations were built in cabson!:> excavated from
within, pumps of some power being requisite to control the water. At
one point. the Line passes through a sharp bend in the river, called
.. Aleck's Elbow," owing to a very high eliff which causes it to sweep
round a sharp curve of a q muter of a circle. A diversion of the river
was made, the Railway being protected by crib-wharfing. There are
several pieces of crib-wharfing in the Division, but the work at
.. Aleck's Elbow" is the heaviest and lllost important. Fig. No. 32

"TE"

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Fig. 3:1.

illustrates the manner in which crib-wharfing was constructed when
the line encroached on the river. The embankment was faced with
rip-rap, interlaced with a rough framework of cedar timbers. as a precau-
tion to prevent inroads by flood-water on the newly formed earthwork.
Abundance of ballast was found on the Division. The contractor
was )Ir. S. P. Tuck, the price being 8,140,000. The work was to be
completed on the 1st July. 1872. In 1874, there being still much of
the work to be performed, the Government took the Division out of
the contractor's hauds and finished it by day's labor. It was com.
pleted in 1875.
The Division is 20 miles long.
The average quantity of excavation is about 30,000 cubic yards per
mile, and of masonry 435 cubic yards.

160

THE INTERCOLO:NIAL.

The resident Engineer was Mr. 'Valter George Bellairs. Mr. Bel-
lairs dying in April, 1874, was succeeded by
1r. John R.
IacdonelL

DIVISION H.

CONTRACT No. 18.

This Division lies in the valley of the
Ietapedia, but in a more
contracted portion than the Division last described; the line being con-
fined within the narrow limits of the high, abrupt boundaries, and gen-
erally following the windings of the river. The curves are numerous,
and many are of short radius, but very few exceed 1,000 feet in length.
There are several heavy cuttings and embankments, but neither
cuttings nor embankments were attended with difficulty.
Many of the rock cuttings turned out excellent stone for masonry
backing, and for covering culverts; but little of it, however, could be
used in face work. A portion of the building stone used came from the
Otter Brook quarry. As the slopes of the embankments, in some cases,
extended to the hed of the river, crib-wharfing, similar to that con-
structed at ., Aleck's Elbow," was adopted where expedient. In other
places, near the large rock cuttings, large seized flat stones were huilt
into a heavy wall with a face batter of 1
to 1, backed up with ordinary
atones as in Figure No. 33.

F!g33.

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THE RESTIGOUCHE DISTRICT.

161

There are but two bridges of any importance on the Division,
namely, that over ::\IcKinnon's brook, having two spans eighty feet wide,
and that over the third crossing of the ::\Ietapedia at ::\Iillstream, having
four spans, each 100 feet wide on the skew face. Like the upper
Ieta-
pedia bridges, the latter crosses the river at an angle of 45 0 with the
general direction of the stream. Notwithstanding that the whole btJd of
the ri.er, for a considerable distance up stream, is rock, the foundations
of the bridge did not reach it, owing to the dip of tlle strata being too
great. Attempts were made but it was found impracticable to sink the
foundation down to it. They are accordingly on the coarse gravel
which forms the bed of the river. Piling was not considered necessary.
The eastern abutment and the three piers were built in water, from
6 to 8 feet deep, all the masonry being carried 14 feet under
low water and protected by rip-rap. A good quarry was dis-
covered near the bridge; nut, however, until a quantity of
stone had been brought down from the quarry at :\Ietapedia Lake
The cost of transportation was necessarily great; but the Contractor
requiring cedars for crib-wharfing, which he procured at the Lake,
they were used for rafting the stone. Each raft was worked by three
Indians, and carried about two cubic yard::; of stone. The distance from
the quarry on the Lake to the bridge is nearly 50 miles. Plates Nos.
12 and 13 are illustrative of the site and character of the structure.
There are several cast iron pipe culverts,3 feet in diameter, on the
steep side-hill, for which they are peculiarly suitable, and prove
highly satisfactory.
The work on this Division was undertaken early in the summer of
1870, to be finished by 1st July, 1872. It was not. however, until the
beginning of 1876 that the work was finally completed.
The Contractors were Robert H. l\IcGreevy & Co., the contract
price $648.600. At the beginning of the season of 1875, the Govern-
ment took the work into their own hands.
The length of th.e Division is 20 miles. The average quantity of
excavation is about 45,000 cubic yards per mile, and of masoury 44':';
11-

162

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

cuhic Jar(ls. There is a total length of -!2-! feet of cast iron pipe cul-
verts. The first Hesident Engineer was ::\Ir. 'V. G. Thompson. In
April, 18ï2, he was succeeded by Mr. Peter Grant.

DIVISION I.

CONTRACT No. 19.

About two-thirds of this Division is located in the Valley of the
:Metapedia, At the mouth of this valley the Railway crosses the Res-
tigouche, by the bank of which the line is continued. It has many
curves, few of them, however, extend for much length. Heavy cuttings
and embankments are not frequent, owing to narrow stretches of flat
ground along the river hank which afford space for the line. At the
crossing of the Restigouche there are two heavy rock cuttings and
one long and somewhat high embankment. The rock cuttings sup-
plied a great quantity of the stone required to raise the base of the
embankment above high water mark; one cutting furnished all the
stone used in the Restigouche bridge, except material for the face of
cutwaters, copings of piers, and girder seats, which are of Bathurst
granite.
There are several pieces of heavy protection work, but none at-
tended with any special difficulty. A large quantity of crib-whal'fing
had been provided for in the estimates. Owing, however, to a method
of removing earth, then, at little cost, successfully introduced by the
Contractor, the crib-work was not considered necessary. At this place,
a steep bank about 120 feet high and composed chiefly of gravel pro-
jected for a distance of about 1000 feet along the edge of the river, leav-
ing no site for the Railway. It was designed to construct an embank-
ment along the river side protected by extensive crib-wharfing. The
sub-contractor introduced a mptholl of washing away th(' gravel by
means of water jets. Streams from the high löide-hills were dammed

PLATE NO 13

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... (in wi..Iw_1

THE RESTIGOl-CHE DISTRICT.

163

up at a point about half a mile from the work; the water wa!; conveyed
bv a wooòen trouah to the place where required, and directed against
' ð
the face of the bank in a continuous stream. Its force undermined and
loo
ened the material so efff'ctually that masses, often by thou-
sands of yards, would slide into the river in a brief space of time,
Immense quantities of material were thus removed, with very little
manual labour and at a cost, probably, less than one-sixth of ordinary
excavation. The result was that the railway was made on solid ground,
requiring little or no protection. The change had also the effect of
flattening the curvatnre of the line. This system of excavating material
hy an available flow of water was so successful, that it was adopted on
other portions of the line where streams with sufficient fall could be
obtained.
There are several small girder bridges on this division, but the
chief structure is the Restigouche bridge, a work which calls for
special notice.
The Division was originally let to ::\11'. S. P. Tuck, to be completed
1st July, 18ï2. It was afterwards transferred to .Messrs. Thomas
Boggs & Co. Subsequently an arrangement was made, by which, the
Bridge was severed from the other work, l\Ir. ð1artin l\Iurphy becom-
ing contractor for the main structure.

THE RESTIGOUCHE BRIDGE.

The River Restigouche, constitutes the boundary between Quebec
and New Brunswick. The Railway bridge connecting the two Prov-
incps is the only bridge which crosses the River. It is situated below
its confluence with the l\1etapedia. After emerging from the con-
tracted valley through which the ::\1etapedia flows, the railway turns
almost at right angles, to follow the Restigouche. The main stream for
some òistance is hemmed in between high steep hills, rising abruptly
to a height of from 500 to 'j00 feet, and the sudden change in the direc-
tion of the Railway, necessitates the construction of the bridge on a
skew of forty-five degrees.

164

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

The hills are composed of a metamorphosed slate, much contorted
and so tilted, that the direction of the cleavage is not easy to dder-
mine. The river takes the direction of the strike and has, no doubt,
shaped its course from denudation. Blue clay underlies the gravel in
the bed of the river, but it is undoubtedly local.

oundings aud horings were made through the ice, early in lR6
.
which led to the opinion that the bed of the river was rock overlaid
with some inches of graveL But it was found that stones imbedded in
gravel, were the hard substance met, and that the solid rock was at a
much greater depth. The outcrop of rock on both sides of the valley
Ruggested that the stone in the gravel was rock, .in situ. Suhsequent
borings, however, showed the gravel to extend from seven to ten feet,
underlying which, plastic blue clay is found. The Section, plate No.
17 will show the position and thickness of the different f;trata..
At pier No.1, rock was reached at 53 feet under the summer level
of the river; at pier No.2, at 75 feet; at pier No.3 at 62 feet; and
at pier No.4, at 54 feet.
Accordingly, piling was necessary in all the foundations, except
for that of the Easterly abutment, which was built on the rock. The
work of piling was continued throughout the winter, that season being
suitable for this operation, the ice forming a platform for the ma-
chinery. The coffer-dams wcre protected by triangular shared cribs to
act as breakwaters, so constructed as to prevent injury to the works.

. The more recent borings show the following strata at the different structures,

I WC"t I Pier Pier Pier Pier East
ablltment. No.1. No.2, No.3, No, 4. ahurment
- - -- ----
ft. ft, ft. ft. ft. ft.
r.oam above Bummer water, - - 10
Depth of ordinary waler - - .. .. 6 3 "'1 10 6
Gravel -. - - - - - - - - - - - - . 10 7 10 7 4
m III' day - - - - . - - - . - - - - 60 88 60 48 40
Black clay and Band - . - - - - . 6 3 2
Total Depth from ordinary IOW I -\- - -,-
waler to rock - - - - - - - - Norockmel'l 63 76 62 54 6

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V.

THE RESTIGOUCHE DISTRICT.

165

from the ice. The arrangement of the piers, colfer-dams, and break-
waters is shown on plate No. 1 j.
The pumping was effected by five engines, with an aggregate of jO
horse power. Centrifugal pumps. capable of discharging nearly 6000
gallons per minute were used. 0" ing to the stratum of gravel, and the
heavy flow of water, the excavation was performed with difficulty. The
pier foundations consist each of close square piling, enclosing an area
of 102 feet by 16 feet, with four row
of iiltermediate piles, three feet
apart The space between the piles was filled with concrete and a plat-
form was constructed upon them 81 feet under water, so as equally to
distribute the weight of the superincumbent masonry. Much difficulty
was experienced in the execution of these works in a deep and rapid
river. The pile driving, of more than 60.000 lineal feet of timber
was carried on almost continuously from August 18ï2 until April 1
H.
Ice begins to form in this River in K ovemher; and although the rapids
of the River remain for some time open. where the current is slight, ice
sufficently firm to carry a man wiII form in twent
- four hours. From
Novemher until :\Iarch. but little rain falls. the thermometer ranging
from 32 ahove to 32 helow zero. The average, during the five years
occupied in constructing the bridge is slightly below zero. A change
in the weather, when the winter sets in unusually early, accompanied
with rain, wiII occasionally raise the water and break up the ice, pro-
ducing "ice-jams." The
Ietapedia is especially liable to these inci-
dents; in the Restigouche they are not common. The low temperature
as a rule, from Xovember to :\Iarch, produces ice from two to four feet
thick and about the end of 1Iarch it reaches its maximnm strength.
Moreover, the ice is not confined to the surface of the River. As in many
northern localities anchor ice is developed to a great extent, sometimes
to double the thickness of the surface ice. It is not therefore surprising
that at the end of winter a sudden thaw raising the water of the main
stream and setting adrift the whole winter ice, should produce aston-
ishing results. Floating down stream. these masses of ice meeting with
obstructions wiII pile one On the other, until a "jam," completely

166

THE INTERCOLONIAl,.

across the river, is produced. The water thus dammed hack will 11l a
few Lours rise to a height, sometimes of twenty feet. The" jam ..
ultimately gives way, and a moving mass of ice, water and uprooted
trees is borne onwards often with a current of 7 or S miles an hour.
The piers were designed to resist these occasional forces, and l1ence
their peculiar form sl10wn in the drawings, plate No. 18.
The river Restigouche is liable not only to these" ice 8huves," but
to occasional fre8hets; the most marked of which. the "spring fre
het,"
occurs yearly with regularity at the end of
Iay, or beginning of June.
So regular is this periodical flood, that it is annually anticipated.
The spring freshet is distinct frolll the "run of ice," several weeks
intervening. It always occurs immediately after the warIn weather sets
in and is due to the melting of the snOw in the uplands, where the
tributaries take their rise. This freshet usually raises the ,Metapedia
12 feet, and the Restigouche 18 feet above urdinary SUlllmer leveL
The rise of the water is gradual, and still more sO is its fall; the for-
mer generally occupies several days, and the latter as many weeks;
the river rarely assuming its ordinary level until the last week in
June.
The Restigouche has been famous for its lumbering operations for
half a century; and a great quantity of timber is still cut on its banks.
The contingency of !"afts and drift logs striking the piers and endanger-
ing the superstructure, had to be provided against. Hence the prolonga-
tion of the cut-water to the extent shewn in the dra\Üngs.*
Every precaution has been taken to render the piers of the bridge
capable of resisting the formidable forces, to wl1Ìch they will periodically
be exposed. It is believed that they will remain uninjured.
It has been stated that the masonry is built on a pile foundation,
except in the easterly abutment which is built on rock. Although,

. The writer has witnessed the entire removal of a bridge in Canada through this CRuse.
When proper precautions are not taken the occurrence is not uncommon. During a .. timber
drive" at flood water, the logs form a jam against the piers; allll as the water riscs, are
raised beneath the superstructure; lift it from its seat, an? finally carry it a way,

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DRAWINGS or fOUNDATION AND MASONRY or PIERS.

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THE RESTIGOUCHE DISTRICT.

167

owing to the current, the ice impinges with great force on that side of
the river, the foundation being well let into the rock, and the wall
being well built and protected, no injury is likely to result.
The masonry, generally, is built of 8tone found in the adjoining
railway cutting, on the 80uth-easterly bank, where blocks of good di-
men8ion8 were obtained. The" ork is executed in cour8es, 30 inches
thick in the footings, and 24 inches in the body of the work, the
blocks beiug from six to eight feet long. The stone is tough and well
adapted for work requiring great strength. Being difficult to dress,
however, except in the line of cleavage, it was decided to use granite
for the cutwaters amI quoins.
The granite was brought from the River Nipissiguit, beyond
Bathurst. It is not unlike the" ell known Aberdeen granite, the scales
of mica only being somewhat smaller. The distance from the quarry is
nearly 90 miles, 70 of which only were by open navigation. The blocks
were therefore prepared in the quarry, and when reduced to their
proper size, weighed from three to nine tons each. The massive
character of the piers is shown by plate .K o. 15.
The necessity for great strength is evident from the foregoing ac-
count of the phenomena yearly witnessed in the river, which no light
structure could resist. The face stones of the cut waters, the coping,
hridge seats, and the two upper courses of ashlar, together with the
skew quoins on the down-stream end of piers, are of granite. A strik-
ing contrast is accordingly obtained to the dark slate colour of the
body of the masonry. which adds to the appearance of the structure.
Plate No. 16 is a view of the bridge from the south bank of the
riTeI'.
The total quantity of masonry exceeds 6000 cubic yards; the
whole is built in Portland cement, amI the exposed parts of piers were
secured by strong iron clamps, so contrived that it would be impos"ible
for floating logs, or ice, to disturb a sinerle stone without movin g the
. ð
whole mass to ,\ hich it is attached.
The work was commenced in the summer of 1870, and completed

168

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

by Christmas, 1875. During the whole of that time, notwithstanding
the heavy plant and material employed, not a single serious casualty
occurred. Mr. Martin Murphy was the contractor. Mr. Peter Grant
was in charge of the work throughout, as Resident Engineer.

DIVISION K.

CONTRACT No.3.

This Division is for several miles of its length on the slope, or at
the base, of steep and rocky side-hill.
No especial difficulty attended any of the cuttings, or embank-
ments, except the cutting at Morrissey's Hock, a point of rock jutting
out sharply into the River Restigouche, and which it was necessary to
pierce in order to avoid curvature and heavy protecting works. The
maximum depth was 95 feet, the length of the point was 600 feet, half
of which was about 20 feet deep. As material was required for em-
bankment, it was designed to make an open cut throughout, but 166
feet of the length is tunnelled. Thc rock lies in shapeless unstratified
masses, and no difficulty was experienced in completing the work. The
rock is hard, but exposure to the weather may render it friable, in
which event, it may become necessary to line the tunnel with ma-
sonry. This is the only tunnel through which the railway passes.
At Morrissey's Rock there is a diversion of the public road for a
length of 2i miles.
There are on this Division four bridges; one with a single span of
40 feet wide; one at Christopher's brook, near the" head of the tide"
in the Restigouche, has eight spans, each of 60 feet: the 1\'1'0 other
bridges, one at Campbellton, and one over Eel River, have each three
spans 60 feet wide. The bridge at Christopher's brook provides for the
passage of the stream, the conduit to a saw-mill, the tail-race from a
grist-mill, and access from the public road to a lumber yard. The ma-
sonry is built of hard, red stone found near the spot. The Camp-
bellton bridge is built in tideway over the mouth of a small river.

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THE RESTIGOUCHE DISTRICT.

169

The foundation is on piles. The embankment leading up to the bridge
is protected by Clib-work from the wash of the sea.
On the steep side-hill, pipe culverts are introduced to a greater
extent than on any other division in the District.
:Much of the stone was taken from the quarry at Bordeau on the
Quebec side of the Restigouche; of a bluish, grey sandstone, easily
quarried and worked.
The port of Campbellton, about the middle of this Division, was
of advantage during construction; and the Government made a pier
and a :,;hort branch railway, by "hich the rails were delivered. About
10 miles eastward from Campbell ton, the line leaves the shore of the
Restigouche, and traverses the promontory on 'which Dalhou
ie is situ-
ated. Dalhousie, at the head of the Bay Chaleur, has a fine natural
harbour. It was much to be desired that the railway should pass by
this place, but though the portion of the line to the west would be of
easy construction, that from Dalhousie, toward the east, would have
involved heavy cuttings, sharp curves, and a tunnel, besides lIlcreas-
ing the length about four miles.
The contract was let to )Iessrs. Elliott, Grant and 'Vhitehead, in
March, lMfìÇl, for the sum of B::!S
.OOO. But the work could not be
completed for that amount. Accordingly in ::\lay, 1870, a new contract
was made with ::\Iessrs. F. X. Berlinquet & Co., for the SUln of
$-lG2,-1H, being an addition of about 77 per cent. to what remained
of the money unpaid to the original contractors under their contract.
This sum, however, proved still insufficient. The contractors were
bound to complete their work by 1st .July, 1
71, but though they
ha(1 received from the Commissioners large advances, in the begin-
ning of the working season of lð73, nearly two years after the date
appointed for the completion of the work, and when there was still a
great deal of work of all kinds to be done, they notified the C'ommis-
sioners that, without considerable help in money, they could not con-
tinue. Their contract was then annulled, and the work was com-
pleted by the Government in 187-1.

..

170

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

The division is 24 miles long. The average quantity of excava-
tion is about 26,000 cubic jards per mile, and of masonry 477 cubic
yards. There is also a total length of 1065 feet of cast-iron pipe cul-
verts.
The Hesident Engineer was MI'. Henry A. F.
lcLeud, who re-
mained in charge until the work was practically completed.

DIVISION L.

CONTRACT No.6.

This Division lies along the Bay Chaleur at no great distance
from it. There arc several heavy cuttings and embankments, but none
which caused any especial difficulty. Several embankments being close
to the waters of the Bay, have heen protected by rip-rap, 01' crib-
wharfing.
The first five miles of the Division are straight, and the curves on
the whole are few and easy.
The grades also are light.
There are un the" hole Division nine bridges, amounting to 1150
feet in length. The largest is the Jacquet bridge, which has three
spans, each IOu fcet wide. It is built in thc estuary of the River
Jacquet, "hich, a1though 1':>00 feet wide at high water, has very litHe
water at low tide, except in the main channel, about 100 fcet wide. A
good gravel foundation was obtained for. the piers and the eastern
ahutmcnt, but the foundation for the western abutment was not at-
tained until the excavation had reacllPd a depth of between 12 and 15
feet below the ùed of the l'Íver. The main channel lies between the
west abutment and thc west pier, from 6 to 8 feet deep at low water.
The force of the current, in the spring, against temporalY ohstructions,
caused such an eddy that a great deal of the hed of the river near the
west abutment was scooped away, almost to the level of the founda-
tion, ]:2 feet or more below the level of the old bed, but no farther

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THE RESTIGOUCHE DISTRICT.

171

damage was done. In the following winter a large quantity of heavy
stones was sunk through the ice into the bed of the river, completely
covering all parts liable to be acted on by freshets, and so arresting
the scour. The eJllbankments on both sides of the Jacquet river bridge
have been protected by crib-wharfing.
Of the nine bridges on this Division an illustration of one-New
Mill Bridge-is furnished. Plate No. 20. The contract was let in April,
18ü9, to ,Mr. Jacques Jobin, for 82-11,500, the work to be finished on 1st
July, 1871. This contract was annulled, and a new contract was en-
tered into in )lay, 1870. with Messrs. F. X. Berlinquet & Co., to be
finished by the 1st July, 1871. The price contracted for was ';'-156,946,
being considerably more than twice the amount then remaining unex-
pended under )[r. Jobin's contract, and nearly double the amount of
the first tender, made by )[essrs. Bellinquet & Co., for the whole of
the same work. But the new contractors, in the beginning of 1873,
were unable to proceed; their cuntract was annulled, and the work
was completed in 187-1, by the Government,
The length of the Division is 21 miles; the average quantity of
excavation about 26,000 cubic yards per mile, and of masonry 572
cubic
Tards.
The Resident Engineer was :\[r. Edward Lawson, who had been
on both the exploratory survey of 18lH, and the location survey of
1868. He vms succeeded by )Ir. Henry N. Ruttan, who remained
until the wbole vms nearly completed and transferred to tbe Depart-
ment of Public Works.

DIVISION 1'1.

CO
TRACT No.9.

This section is generally light; nevertheless there are se, eral
heavy rock cuttings, and one deep, but short embankment.

172

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

The grades are easy, there being a difference of only 113 feet be-
tween the highest and lowest levels. The Division is almost all on tan-
gent lines, there being but five curves of a total length of something
more than a mile. But as all these curves, except the last, which is
only 500 feet long, and flat, turn in one direction, toward the south,
the general direction of the line at the end of the division, is nearly at
right angles to that at the commencement. There is one tunnel across
the line, made in rock on the side of a deep valley, by which tunnel, a
long culvert in the bottom of a mill-dam has been obviated. The rock
in which the tunnel has been cut is not firm, so that eventually the tun-
nel may have to be lined.
There are three bridges, all on rock foundations, with but little ex-
cavation. That over the river Belledune, has two spans 60 feet wide,
and is across a short valley 50 feet deep. The other bridges, over the
Elm Tree and Nigadoo rivers, have each only (me span 80 feet wide.
The Division is almost all in bush land, and generally about one
mile distant from the shore of the Bay Chaleur.
The length of the Division is
1 miles. The average quantity of
excavation is about 22,
00 cubic yards per mile, and of masonry 339
cubic yards. The work was let in October, 1869, to Messrs. J. n. Ber-
trand & Co., for $354,897, and was to have been finished on 1st July,
1871. These contractors signified their inability to proceed with their
work at the time when Messrs. Berlinquet & Co., with whom they
were connected, failed to carry out their contract. In 18ï3 the Gov-
ernment assumed the completion of this division also.
The Hesident Engineer, was l\Ir. Charles Odell, who had been em-
ployed on the location surveys of 1868-69.

DIVISION N.

CONTRACT No. 15.

This Division leaves the Bay Chaleurs, but agaiu touches \t at the

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THE RESTIGOUCRE DISTRICT.
.

173

head of Bathurst Harbour. In general direction it bears southwards,
towards the base of the promontory which lies between the Bay Chaleur
and
Iiralllichi, terminating at Shippigan.
It is a short section. only 1
miles long, but in proportion to ita
length. it is one of the most expensive.
There are nine curves, amounting in the aggregate length, to nearly
2
miles; they are all easy. The grades also are light; the greatest
difference of level between any two points, being only 78 feet. The
rock cutting::; are comparatively light, but there are several heavy earth
cuttings and emhankments. Of these. two embankments, at Tête-
à-gauche. contain 1
0.000 cubic yards. and the cutting between them
held HO,OOO. Another embankment at Kipissiguit river, contains
90,000 cubic yards, and the cutting at the west end of it, from which it
"as principally made, gave 74,000 cubic yards. Several of the cuttings
east of Tète-à-gauche, had good clear gravel, from which a large quan-
tity of ballast was obtained. In a few cuttings the clay was of a
slightly sandy nature, and slipped until the sides a--sumed a flat slope.
The excavation caused some trouble during wet weather; but tbe cut-
tings are neither long nor deep.
The heaviest work was in masonry, there being six bridges, besides
three large arched culverts. One of the latter is
O feet span, in an
embankment 30 feet deep, and is built of heavy granite ashlar. Near
to this is the bridge over the River Tete-à-gauche, which has five
spans, each 100 feet, crossing a valley about 55 feet deep. The next
important bridge, is that over the River Nipisf;Ìguit, with six
spans, each 100 feet. The river is 500 feet wide and the depth of its
bed, below formation level, is 43 feet. Tbe water is not deep during
the summer season, but flows in a shallow, turbulent stream, on a
rough rocky bed. The masonry was laid at low water, without diffi.
culty. Plates Nos. 21 and 2
illustra.te these important structures.
The masonry on this Divi::;ion is marked by the massive oharacter
of its granite courses.
The granite cutwaters and quoins of the Restigouche Bridge,

174

THE INTER(;OLONIAL.

were transported from this locality. The granite was easily cut, and
the quarrying of stone was not expensive, as there was little waste
and no stripping.
The length of the Division is 12 miles. The average quantity of
excavation is 52,000 cubic yards per mile, and of masonry 1061 cubic
yards.
The work was let on the 15th June, 1870, to Messrs. J. B. Bertrand
& Co. They failed in fulfilling their contract, and the work was
assumed by the Government and completed in 1874.
The Resident Engineer was Mr. P. A. Peterson who had been
employed on the location survey. He was succeeded by
Ir. Charles
Odell, who remained in charge until the work was completed.
The starting point for the proposed branch to Shippigan, has been
located near the crossing of the Nipissiguit. This branch was sur-
veyed in the winter of 1873-74, and was designed to form a short mail
route between England and America. The harbour of Shippigan was
al80 surveyed, soundings being taken through the" Shippigan Sound,"
and the channel out to the Bay Chaleur, over an area of about 20
square miles.
The result of the survey is to show that only wharves and piers, a
short distance out from the land, are required to make the harbour
available for the largest steamers; they likewise establish the fact,
that the branch railway can be constructed without any extraordi-
nary expenditure.

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CHAPTER x.

THE :MIRAMICHI DISTRICT.

Features of the District-Extensive Carboniferous basin-Division 0, Contract No. 16-
Division 1', Contract No. IG-Division Q, Contract No. 2G-:\liramichi River Crossing
-Deepwater Branch-Division R, Contract No. 21-Division S, Contract No. 22-
Division T, Contract No. 23. '

This District commence8 East of the River Nipissiguit. The line
is remarkably straight, there being but a slight bend in the general
direction, at the River l\Iiramichi, calling for the introduction of some
curves. The Dil:;trict has the greatest length of tangents; and the
longest single tangents, on the whole Railway, one being continuous
for a di8tance of thirty miles.
The following are the Divisions:

.Division 0, Contract 16, 1St Miles long.
., P, " 10, 20 "
" Q, " 20, 6 "
" R, " 21, 25 "
" S, " 22, 25 "
" T, " 23, 221 "
Total length, 117t miles.

The first two divisions lie on the water-shed between the tribu.
taries of the northwest Miramichi and those waters falling into the
Bay Chaleur and the Gulf. The stream8 c1'088ed are consequently
small. The surface of the country is slightly undulating, and large
tracts of flat boggy land and swamps are met. The land is wild,

176

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

of a poor quality and generally covered with dwarf spruce; a growth
which has sprung up since the great Mimmichi fire, which devastated
so much of the Province fifty years ago.
The Hi vel' l\Iiråmichi lies in a low wide trough, and the approaches
to it from both sides are through a somewhat broken country; the rail-
way accordingly has a winding location in descending into the valley
from the northerly side where it follows the slope of the deep, crooked,
steep-sided valley of a tributary.
After crossing the Miramichi and a8cending the southerly slope of
the valley, the railway enter
on another water-shed dividing the nu-
merous rivers, Koucbibuuguac, Hichibucto. Buctouche, &c., falling into
the Gulf, from Salmon river and the \Vashademoak, tributaries of the
River St. John. The land is undulating, but the ridges are higher and
the earthworks heavier than on the western portion. The soil some-
what improves, but the country is wild, though important settlements
are not far distant.
This District spans a remarkable carboniferous basin, forming as it
does Ðne of the most conspicuous geological features of New Brunswick.
Bathurst is at one side of the basin, while .:\Ioncton is at the other, and
it extends far into the interior of the country. \Vith the exception of
a narrow fringe of lower carboniferous rocks, the strata within this ex-
tensive area belong to the middle coal formation and consist chiefly of
greyish sandstone and shales in horizontal strata. Only a few thin
seams of coal have yet been found.
On the south side of the Bay Chaleur, two coal seams, of only six
and eight inches respectively, crop out; another, about two feet in thick-
ness, occurs at Grand Lake, some distance to the west of the railway.
Other seams have been reported, and there are reasonahle grounds for
supposing that .. boring" to a considerable depth near the middle of
the basin would develope workable beds of coal, near the line of rail-
way.
Near Bathur8t a stratum of shale contains nodules of vitreous sul-
phide of copper. An attempt to work this deposit has been made.

THE MIRA:\IICHI DISTRICT.

177

Southwesterly from
loncton, near Hillsborough, the remarkable
mineral" Albertite," so valuable for gas making, is found and profitably
worked.
Although the railway runs along a succession of water-sheds, the
country is not in any place very elevated, the highest point being 514
feet above the sea.
The District ends at Moncton, the "Bend of the Petitcodiac."
Here the railway between St. John and Shediac is met, and at this
place large workshops and o:ffice
have been erected.
The Distnct Engineer, until the rail way was transferred to the
Der
rtment of Public ,V orks, was :\Ir. Alex. L. Light. Previous to
1869, :Mr. 'V. H. Tremaine had charge of the surveys.

DIVISION O.

CONTRACT No. 16.

This Division has a course mainly due south, there is only one
curve on the line, about 1600 feet long and of long radius. The work
throughout was light, and the grades in general are easy; some, how-
ever, rise 1 in 100, but the longest is only it miles long. They gener-
ally rise towards the south; those descending towards the south have
a total fall of 72 feet, and those ascending, have a total rise of 484 feet;
the greatest difference of level between any two points being 412
feet; this difference being at the extreme ends.
The line being on or near the water-shed.. the culverts and
bridges are neither large nor numerous. The numher, however, which
would have been required, was considerahly reduced by extensive
ditching along the line of railway, the ground being peculiarly suit-
able for this work. There are, however, several large open culverts
of wide span, to permit the passage of the large flow of water accu-
mulated by the drainage works.

178

THE I:NTERCOLONIAL.

The only bridge on the divi:.-;ion has three spans of 40 feet each,
over the Reel Pine Brook. The yallp)' over which this briùge is built
is ahout 36 feet deep, below formation level; but the abutments, on
the side of the valley, are only about 25 feet high. The foundation is
a shaly rock; the masonry is of granite, in massive blocks. Plate No.
2:3 shows this structure in process of com;truction.
The work was let, in 1\Iay, uno, to 11essrs. King & (tough for
$:!OG,IJIJO, to he completed on the 1st .July, 1872. During the con-
struction of the WOl'k. the contractors and their sureties got into diffi-
culties. and the conduct of the work devolved upon l\lr. Gough alone.
In
Iarch, It\7 -1, a considerable quantity of work remaining to be exe-
cuted, it was completed by the Government.
The line runs, throughout, over wild land. The length is 18!
miles; the average quantity of excavation, 18,600 cubic yards per
mile, and of masonry 172 cubic yards.
The Resident Engineer was 1\11'. James -"'V. Fitzgerald.

DIVISION P.

CONTRACT No. 10.

This Division is straight for the first 8 miles; nine curves are
met mi the succeeding part of the line; the last is nparly three-fifths of
a mile long, and extends nearly ninety degrees of a circle.
The greatest difference of level between any two points on the
division is that hetween the extreme ends, t11P northern part heing 31)6
feet higher than the sonthern. The grades on the whole 'division are
rltther steep, several being at the limit of 1 ill 100, one being 3t miles
long.
The cuttings and emhankments are heavy. Three cuttings had
187,000 cubic yards of earth, and (j,j,OOO cubic yards of rock. One

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THE :MIRAl\IICHI DISTRICT.

179

embankme
t has 185,000 cubic yards; another, only 450 feet long, has
71,000 cubic yards; three cuttings have an aggregate of 200,000 cubic
yards.
Part of the southern end of the Division is on difficult ground, on
the side of a deep valley; but, in general, although the country is in
some places Jlilly in the direction of the line of railway, it is seldom
so transversely.
The line being near a water-shed, there are very few important
streams. Consequently, the culverts are generally small; many, how-
ever, are long. The only bridge is over the river Bartibogue, having
one span 80 feet wide, and about 30 feet high from the foundation.
The rock formations on this section are sandstone of good qmdity.
Many of the culverts are under heavy embankments, and display ex-
cellent examples of masonry of the class shown by Fig. No. 34.

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The work wa" let, near the cnd of lR{)f), to Messrs. McBean &
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1. Toward

180

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

the end of 1870, however, when work to the extent of $30,850 had
been done, the contract was annulled. A new contract was entered
into with Mr. Duncan Macdonald, to fhlÌ,;h the work by 1st .Tuly, 187::2,
for the sum of
365,!:J:W. It was completed on the 10th December,
1874.
The line generally passes through wild bush-land, of poor qual-
ity; the total length is 20 miles. The average quantity of excavation
is about 47,500 cubic yards per mile, and of masonry 430 cubic
yards.
The Rf'sident Engineer was Mr. "V alter lVL Buck, who had been
engaged on the Location Surveys in 1868-69.

of

DIVISION Q.

CON'lRACT No. 20.

This Division, though only 6 miles long, was let for the highest amount
of any division on the whole railway except Division E, but the mileage
rate is two and one-half times that of Division E.
About three-eighths of the Divi::òion is on curves, but the curves are
not of short radius. There are two grades of 1 per 100, of an aggre-
gate length of 3! miles; the rest of the line is nearly level.
The cuttings and embankments are comparatively light, the
deepest cutting being 24 feet, and the highest embankment about 20 feet,
except at two points, where the embankments enter the Miramichi
River. There is scarcely any rock in the cuttings.
The culverts are very few and small. The principal work on the
division is the crossing of the two Miramichi rivers, the bl'idges of
which are specially described..
The contract for all the work on the Division, except the super-

. Chapter XI.

THE MIRAMICHI DISTRICT.

181

structure of the bridges, was made in September, 1870, with Messrs.
Brown, Brooks & Ryan, for the sum of $642,854, the work to be com-
pleted on the 1st July, 1873. Afterwards a change was made in the
plans, by which the bridge over the North-west Miramichi was to be con-
structed with six spans, instead of five as originally intended, and the
time was extended. For the additional span the contractors were to
be paid the sum of $25,000. The work was finished at the close of
the year, 1875. by the original contractors.
The average quantity of excavation is about 47,500 cubic yards per
mile, and of masonry, independent of the l\Iil'amichi bridges, 157 cubic
yards. 'The bridges contain 11,082 cubic yards of masonry.
The Resident Engineer was Mr. W. B. Smellie.

NEWCASTLE BRANCH.

About a mile towards the west from the crossing of the North-west
Miramichi, a branch leaves the main line and extends to deep water in
the Miramichi Harbour, at the town of Newcastle. Its general course
is easterly; its length H miles.
The line il3 almost straight for its whole length, and its maximum
grade is 63 feet in a mile. At the point where the branch ends, the
Government purchased t
e property including a wharf. This wharf has
been extel1ded a short distance into the river, and now forms a conve-
nient landing for sea-going vessels. The rails are laid to the wharf,
and extensive accommodation is afforded for shipping. '
The work, including grading, ballasting, tracklaying, wharf-'"exten-
sion, and station accommodation. was constructed in 1872, under con-
tract with Mr. George Perkins, at a cost of $25,123.

182

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

DIVISION R.

CONTRACT No. 21.

On this Division, 25 miles long, there are but six curves. the ag-
gregate length of wbich is less than two miles. The last five miles of
the Division are straight. One curve 500 yards long has a radius of half
a mile; the other curves are easy.
The grades in general are light, there being but four which have
an ascent of 1 per 100. Each of these is about one mile long. The
greatest difference of level between any two points is 256 feet, these
points being 16 miles apart.
There are but two places where the cuttings and embankments are
heavy; the first is between ,the 11th amI 15th miles, where the cut-
tings amount to 64,000 cubic yards of rock and 50,000 cubic yards of
clay, and the embankments to 279,UUO cubic yards. There is also a
river diversion with 7UUU cubic yards of rock and
OOO cubic yards of
clay. The second is between tbe 19th and 21st miles where two cuttings
amount to 26,000 cubic yards of rock, and 33,000 cubic yards of clay;
and a river diversion at the same place, where 7000 cubic yards of rock
and 3000 cubic yards of clay have been excayated. The embankment
between the two cuttings contains 1,)0,000 cubic yards.
The masonry is light; there are but three bridges, each with a
single span; one 1uO feet wide, the other two being 80 feet. The
foundations of the latter are on rock, attained at a depth of a few feet
below the beds of the rivers; that of the fin;t is hard clay at a depth of
about 20 feet below the surface of the adjoining ground. The river
had to be diverted for this bridge, the bottom at the original cross-
ing being a mixture of quicksand and clay. The diversion is about 10
feet deep, made through gravel.
The three bridges referred to are over the Barnaby river and one
of its branches; the courbe of the river is very winding, and crosses the

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...

THE MIRMIICHI DISTRICT.

183

railway at two points besides those just mentioned. At the first a
tunnel about 115 feet long, and an open cutting at each end has been
constructed through solid rock for the pa::;::;age of the river. The total
length of open cutting and tunnel is about 700 feet, the width is
o
feet, and the height of the tunnel is 20 feet: the rock being ::;olid it \Va::;
not necessary to line the tunnel. A culvert to perform the duty of
this tunnel would have been under 40 feet of embankment, abuut 140
feet long, and would have greatly exceeded the tunnel in cost. This
tunnel is shown in Plate No. 24.
At the last crossing of the Barnaby river there is an arch culvert
16 feet wide, built on rock in the line of a diversion, about 1000 feet
long. The diversion is 4 feet deep, in rock throughout it::; length, and
the rock is so solid, that where the culvert is built. the abutment::; stand
on top of the rock and not on the level of the bottom of the diver::;ion.
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184

THE DITERCOLONIAL.

guac river. It is built under an embankment 60 feet high, and is con-
sequently nearly 200 feet long. There are no abutments of masonry,
the river is diverted into a rock channel, and the arch 30 feet wide,
springs off the sandstone rock. Fig.
o. 35 is from a photograph of the
arch hefore the heavy emhankment was carried over it.
N ear the 22d mile on the Division, there is a large bog, part of
which was wet. The railway has a low embankment ahout 5 feet
high over it. \Vhere the bog was moist, a layer of trees was placed to
recei ve the embankment: the bog sank two or three feet under the
superincumbent weight, but the surface remained intact: the ground
oubide the railway line was in no way disturhcd. The embankment
is now quite firm.
Neal' the 10th mile, the railway is carried across a shallow lake, the
water having been drained by long and wide side ditches. Ncar the
same place the railway is formed over high hug, on a platform of trees;
the hog sank a little, but the work is firm,
The work was let to Mr. Patrick Purcell in 1870, to be completed
on 1st July, 1R72; the work was finished in November 1874.
1\ early all this Division is wild lal1l1, much of it marshy and boggy;
there are several settlements on good land near to the Kouchihouguac
and Barnaby rivers. The valley of the Hamaby river, from the rail-
way to the )Iiramichi, contains some excellent land.
The length is 2.) miles; the average quantity of excavation IS
about 32,000 cubic yards pel' mile, and uf masonry 2t39 cubic yan18.
The Resident Enginecr was :\11'. F. .J. Lynch.
At 700 yards from the beginning of the division, a hranch, about
9 miles long, runs to the town and Purt of Chatham, on the east side of
the :\1iramichi. It is muleI' construction by a private company, and
almost complete.

THE MJRA"I1CHI DISTRICT.

185

DIVISION S.

CO:STRACT No. 22.

'Vith the exception of a curve 1700 feet in length, the rail way is
canied on tangents 30
- miles in length, extending 8 miles into the ad-
joining Divi
ion.
The grades are easy; a few rise 1 in 100, only one extending
somewhat less than 1! miles. The difference of level between the
highest and lowest points, is 171 feet in a distance of 7! miles.
The cuttings and embankments are light. An embankment at
the river Køuchibouguacis, near the beginning of the Division, contains
flbout 40,00U cubic yards; another at the river Richibucto, about the
middle of the Division, contains 103,000 cubic yards; and another 6ï ,000
cuhic yards. Two cuttings, one on each side of the river Richibucto,
held about 14,000 cubic yards of rock and 56,000 cuhic yards of clay.
Another held 17,uuu cubic yards of rock and
:
.OOO cubic yards of clay.
Additional borrowing was, however, required for the embankmcnts.
There are seven bridges, four with one span each; one of RO feet,
another of 30 feet, and twú of
-l feet. Of the three larger bridges,
one has three spans of 5u feet, and the other two, have each three spans
of 40 feet.
The streams at the two last bridges are very rapid, in consequence
of which, extensive protection works were pruvided. The masonry
throughout is built of sandstone.
At the bridges last referred to, over the North and South Coal
branch rivers, coal and bituminous shale have been found.
The work was let in Decemher, 1HïO, to :Messrs. C. Cummings &
Co., to be completed by 1st July, 1HB. for $:
:n.ooo. At the end of
the latter year, the work, being not more than one-half done, was
taken out of the llitnds of the contractors, and completed by the Gov-
ernment in the Spring of 1S7S.
All this Division is in wild forestland. Its length is 25 miles. The

186

THE INTERCOLONIA.L.

average quantity of excavation is about 29,100 cubic yards per mile,
and of masonry 270 cubic yards.
The Resident Engineer was 1\11'. \V. J. Croasdale, who was suc-
ceeded by Mr. Charles Blackwell.

DIVISION T.
CONTRACT No. 23.
This Division is almost straight; there are but four curves of
ample radius. The difference of level between the highest and lowest
points is 300 feet; the grades are generally steep, most of them ranging
between 0.75 in 100 and 1 in 100, there ?eing seven subordinate
summits.
The cuttings and embankments arc generally light; one embank-
ment, however, contains about 7;J.UUU cubic yards. The adjoining cut-
ting amounted to GU,OOO cubic yards, in part rock.

ollle trouble was experienced from one of the embankmeuts hav-
ing ::-;lipped. About HO,OOO cubic yanh; of material were brought by
train to make goud the deficiency.
There are t\\ 0 extensive wet bogs, hut the road has heen success-
fully formed across them. .A layer of "hole trees with their hranches
was placed in the direction of the line of the railway; and uuother
la) cr trallsver
ely, the hutts being at the outer ::-;ides of the rail way
line. The embankment \\ as then formed and stuuds welL
The ma80lUY is light; the culverts are nearly all small, and there
is only one bridge, over the Xorth river. It has a span of 50 feet on a
rock foundation.
The wnrk was let in l>ecemher, 1870, to l\Ie"srs. SutherlaIHI, Grant
& Co., for :j;;2ïü,7f)U, to be completed by 1:;t .Tuly, lHï2. It was event-
ually htken out of the hands of the contractors and finished by days'
lahour, hy the Government. early in 1
75.
The first engineer in charge of thi:-l divi8ion was 1\11'. Collingwood
Schreiber. In 1871, :Mr. Ch!1rltJs lllackwell was appointed.

*

CHAPTER XI.

THE MIR.A1.nCHI BRIDGES.

Location of the two Bridges-Original Design-Borings-Great depth to bed.rock dis-
covered-Engineering Opinions-Original Design adhered to-The South- West Bridge
-The North Abutment-General De.cription of Pier Foundations-Pier E-Pier F-
Pier G-Pier H-Pier I-South Abutment-The North-West Briùge-Borings-
Pressure Experiments-Modified Plan of Foundations-The South Abutment-The
North Ahutment- The Caissons for Piers-Pier X-Difficulties met with-Pier D-
Pier C-Pipr B-Pier A-Concrete-
Iasonry-Plant - Contractors - Engineers-
Completion.

After the River
Iiramichi had been carefully surveyed, it was de--
cided that the Railway should cross two miles above the point of junc-
tion of the northwest and southwest branches; here the .xorthwest
Branch is 1330 feet wide, and the Southwest 1600 feet. The range of
ordinary tiòes is about five feet; but that of extreme tides is more
than ten feet. Tidal influences extend up the two rivers some fourteen
miles above the points of crossing. Owing to the presence of shoals,
especially in the Southwest River, navigation is difficult for sea-going
vessels beyond the junction of the branches.
The town of .Newcastle, the port for vessels of deep draught, is
situated below the confluence of the two Rivers. and a branch Railway
1i miles in length, has been constructed from the main line to the deep
water terminus at that place.
It was originally designed that the Xorthwest should have five, and
the Southwest Branch six spans of .
OO feet; but it was found expe-
dient to make the Northwest bridge of six spans. Thus both struc-
tures have precisely the same water-way, 1200 feet.
The first survey led to the opinion, that rock was met in both
rivers at a depth of from 45 ft. to 50 ft., under extreme high tide; that
187

188

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

the actual depth of water varied from 15 to 33 feet; and that the bed of
both rivers consisted of silt from 17 to 30 feet deep.
The plan originally adopted for the foundations was to cont'ltruct
them of huge caissons filled with concrete. The lower part of the
cais80n was to be a chamber, designed in the form of an inverted hop-
per, to admit of undermining and of dredging operation8; each cham-
ber being accessible by a shaft. During the work these shafts were
designated" wells," which indeed they re8embled; and it was through
them that the silt, when removed by dredges, was lifted to the surface.
It \Va8 designed that the caissons, when undermined, should sink through
the silt of the river bed to the rock; and that, when finished, they
should be brought to the level of six feet under low water, and be en
tirely filled with concrete; thus giving a solid foundation to the
masonry. It was originally determined, that the Southerly abutments
of both bridges ShOlÙd have their foundations on these concreted cais-
sons; and that the Northerly abutments should be built, in the ordinary
way, on the dry land of the two shores.
'Vhen the work described was placed under contract, and opera-
tions were commenced, it was discovered that the stratum immedi-
ately under the silt was not rock, as supposed, but a bed of gravel,
more or less compact, and of varying thickness, overlying a thick de-
posit of sand and silt in the northwest river, and of clay in the south
west. It was found that the average depth to the bed rock under
high water, waB, in the Northwest branch 112 feet, and in the South-
west 90 feet, instead of less than half these depths as at first believed.
After careful investigation, the Engineer did not consider it
necessary to incur the enormous expense involved in the carrying of
the foundations to the bed-rock of the River. He satisfied himself that
it would be sufficient to sink the caissons to the depth of the gravel
stratum which formed the hard sub8tance assumed to be rock when
the preliminary survey was made. He did not deem it expedient to
change in any way the contract plans for the Southwest Bridge; but
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that of the Northwest. In this case he propobed another span, so as to
throw the southerly abutment upon the river bank, and thus secure
a rock fouudatioll, relieving the comparatively thin gravel bed, and the
other strata forming the bed of the river, from the weight of the high
emb<tukment which formed part of the original plan. He also consid-
ered it pruùent to enlarge the base of each pier, in order to distribute
the super-incumbent weight over a greater supporting area.
The Chief Engineer announced to the Commissioners the decision
he had come to.
The latter, however, in view of the magnitude of the work, referred
the matter to two other Engineers,
Iessrs. Samuel Keefer and C. S
Gzowski.
These gentlemen reported against the plans of the Chief Engineet
and expressed a strong opinion adverse to the practicability of carr:
ing them out. At the same time they brought forward a desig"l
their own, which they recommended the Commissioners to adopt.
The plan proposed appeared to the. Chief Engineer to b.,
open to grave objections; and he advised the Government not to hazard
its adoption.
After several communications had passed on the subject be-
tween Jan. 13th and March 9th 1872, the Government finally passed
an order in Council, sustaining the views of the Chief Engineer, and
throwing upon him the responsibility of carrying into execution his
own plans.

19û

THE IXTERCOLONIAL.

THE SOUTHWEST BRIDGE.

It has been stated that the original borings, made during the pre-
liminary survey of 1868, led to erroneous conclusions re:specting the
river-bed. The only tools and appliances which could then be obtained,
were imperfect and not well adapted for ascertaining, with accuracy,
the character of strata at a considerable depth under water. The conse-
quence was, that a hard substance met with, at from 40 to 50 feet under
high water, was assumed to be a continuation of the rock formation,
which cropped out on the banks of the river.
During the winter of 1870-1, more perfect implements were used,
and tI, discovery was made that the hard stratum was only a bed of
graveT ind that the true bed-rock was, in the southwest river, some 50
feet lower than it was previously believed to be. Plate No.
6, shows
the relative position of the several strata which underlie the river.-
. The following is an abstract of the borings made at the several piers and aùutmentø
subsequent to 1870:

Water,
S,md,
Tough brown clay,

6' 4"
1 6
41 6

Water,
Sand,
Gravel,
Tough brown clay,

AT CENTRE OF PIER G.
14' 7"
30 '6
7 ,0
43 0

AT FACE OF NORTH ABUTMENT.

Rock at

48' 3" Below datum.

Rock at

96' (YI Below datum

AT CENTRE OF PIER B.

Water,
Saml,
Gravel,
Tough brown clay,

26 ' 9"
13 10
2 0
34 6

Water,
Sand,
Gravel,
Tough brown clay,

AT CENTRE OF PIER H.
13' 1(Y1
34 8
6 2
42 4

Roell: at

77 ' 1" Below datum. Rock at

97 ' (YI Belm,. datum

AT CENTRE OF PIER F.

AT CENTRE OF PIER 1,

Water, 22' 4" Water, 16' 3"
Sand, 21 3 Sand, 31 0
Gravel, 7 10 Gravel, 6 3
Tough brown clay, 41 7 Tough brown clay, 42 3
Rock at 93' (YI Below datum. Rock at 94' 9" Below datum.

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THE :\HRA:\HCHI BRIDGES.

191

Th
Chief Engineer, nevertheles::;, decided to carry out the original
design, and to sink the caissons of the piers down to the gravel bed,
and that of the south abutment to some distance into the underlying
clay.
The work has been accordingly carried out as shown in the draw-
ings. The north abutment is at the river's edge. The south abut-
ment stands about 300 feet from the shore, an earthen embankment
connecting it with the river bank.

THE NORTH ABUT}!ENT.

'Yhen the north abutment was proceeded with, the foundation
for the front wall was excavated to the depth of 161 feet below high
water, and the area filled with concrete to a depth of eighteen inches.
The foundation for the wing walls was stepped back, as shown on the
drawings, plate No. 29.
The masonry was commenced on the 27th July, 1871, the founda-
tion stone being laid by the Chairman of the Commission,
Ir. Aquila
'\Vabh, on the 3d of August. The work was continued until the end
of November, when a few stones only were wanted in the parapet
walls to complete the structure.

THE PIERS.

The five piers are lettered E, F, G, H and I; they are placed at the
points indicated on the drawin<Ts . , E beina next the north abutment
'" b
and I nearest the southern side of the ri \"er.
The following table gives the depths, to the supposed rock, from

AT 80UTH ABUTMENT.
Face. Centre. Back.
Water, 17' 2" 17' 4" 17' 4"
Sand, 6 0 Ó 0 6 3
Sand and Gravel, 1 0 2 0 1 0
Mud and Vegetable Mould, 8 9 6 8 2 6
Gra\el, 1 4
Tough brown clay, 43 9 45 0 47 3
Rock at 78' 0" 75' 0" 73' -1"

192

THE INTEROOLONIAL.

the preliminary borings; to the gravel bed, from subsequent borings;
and also the depths t? which the cais80ns have been actually sunk.

Site of Pier. Depth to supposed Depth to gravel bed Depth to which
ro('k from from caissolls were
preliminary !Jurings. subsequent borings, actually sunk.
Pier E, 44 feet. 40.6 feet. 40.2 feet.
" F, 44 " 43.6 " 44 "
" G, 41 " 45, " 45 "
" H, 49 " 48.5 " 49 "
" I, 41 " 47.2 " 47 "
- - --
Mean, 43.8 feet. 45.0 feet. 45 feet,

The original design for the foundations of the piers, as shown in
Plate Ko. 27, was adhered to; and as all the five cases were alike, a
brief description of one will suffice.
The foundation works consisted, essentially, of a large caisson
formed of hewn timber and water-tight planking; the top dimensions
73 feet by 17 feet were constant, the bottom varying according to
depth, The caisson was divided into compartments, all of which, ex-
cept the lower ones, designated "bottom chambers," were filled with
concrete as the work proceeded.
The bottom chambers were left for the purpose of excavating un-
derneath the caissons, either by dredges, steam pumps or divers; they
communicated with the open air by means of vertical shafts or wellt;,
through which the excavated material was elevated. The bottom
chamhers, as the drawings show, were constructed like inverted hop-
pers, terminating in a cutting edge formed of hardwood timber and
boiler plate.
As the material underneath was removed the caissons were sunk
until they rooched the required depth; the bottom chambers and the
shafts leading to them were then filled in solid with concrete, from the
cutting edges to the surface.
For the purpose of building the masonry, coffer-dams were attach-
ed to the tops of the caissons, but so as to be removable when the piers
were completed. In order that they should extend above high water, they
were from 12 to 14 feet deep. They were made of such strength as,

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THE
IIRA:\IICHI BRIDGES.

193

when pumped out, would resist the pressure of the outside water, and
they were thoroughly secured to the caisson. The outsides were
covered with three-inch planks, put on with close water-tight joints.

PIER E.

The first of the caissons built was that for pier E. It was com-
menced on the 1
th of June, 18ï1, and when the building was suffici-
ently advanced it was launched on the 17th of August. A stag-
ing upon pil.es driven into the river bottom was erected arounù the
site of the pier, forming a platform along both sides, and across the t
down river end, tbç upper end being left open. Into this space the
caisson was floated, the building pr
ceeded with, and finisl
ed, to
the full height of 30' feet, before any concrete filling was done.
.
The depth of water at the site of the pier was 26 feet 9 ins.
and it was required to sink th'è caisson to the depth of 43 feet, or 16
feet 3 ins. below the bed of the river.
The filling of the compartments with concrete was begun on the
1-1th of September. and proceeded at;:th
rate of
O cubic yard" a day.
The caisson settled down gradually. By' the end of October the 'com-
partments were filled and the caisson had sunk 2 feet 9 inches into
the lwrl of the river.
Two \V oodford " Dredge Pumps" were then put in operation for the
removal of the underlying material; they continued at work up to the
end of the season, during which time.. the caisson sank a farther depth
of 2 feet.
,V ork was resumed on the 21st of :May, 1H72, but the progress
made with the pumps was so slow that it was determined to substitute
drerlging machinery. Frequent interruptions arose from sunken logs
and hranches, which had to be removed by divers. N'evertheless by
the 20th of June a further depth of 5 feet had been obtained.
'''hen the dredges commenced operations the cutting edges stood
36 feet 6 inches below high water. It was soon di::;covered that the
13

194:

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

caisson was passing through a heavier description of material than what
had been anticipated. It consisted of gravel mixed with clay, and was
so compact that the dredge buckets made little impression upon it. It
therefore became necessary for divers to excavate, by pick and shovel,
the material from beneath the cutting edges, and to remove stones
by hand. This subaqueous work was very tedious, and it was only
after a month's incessant labour, that the caisson finally obtained a
level bearing 2 feet 9 inches higher than at first intended.
To give the caisson additional weight to aid it in sinking, it
was arranged that the material dredged out of the chambers should be
deposited within the coffer-dam, the wells having been continued to
the top of the coffer-dam by temporary planking.
The chambers and wells up to the proper level were filled with
concrete. On the completion of this work the dredged material was
removed from the coffer-dam preparatory to laying the masonry.
When the coffer-dam was pumped out, there being very little leakage,
the water was perfectly under control, and in no way impeded building
operations.
The masonry was commenced at 11 feet 6 inches below high water
level. It was begl1Jl on the 3d of October 1872, and during the season
was carried to the top of the cut-water, 6 feet above high water mark.
,V ork was resumed on the 12th of l\lay 1873, and the pier was
completed on the 18th of June following.

PIER F.

The caisson for this pier was ready for launching with the high tide
in the middle of September 1R71.
The depth of water was 22 feet -1 inches. The top of tlw gravel
bed" as found at -13 feet 7 inches. The rlepth required to he reached
was fixed at 44 fcpt below high water,
On the 31st of October the concrete filling was begun, and con-

THE
IIR.UIICHI RRIDGES.

195

tinued to the end of the season, at which time the caisson had settled
about It foot into the sand.
During the winter a scour took place around the up-river end
of the caisson, which had the effect of lowering it a further depth of ;)
feet.
\\T ork was resumell on the l
th of .J une 18ï
, and after some con-
crete filling had been done, the caisson was ùrought to a horizontal
hearing h.r the operations of It \\Y oodford pump, and the cutting edges
lowered to :n feet helow high "ateI'.
The dre(lge towers were then erected anrl carried directly upon
the top of the coff'er-ùam lending th
ir weight to the sinking (Jf the
caisson. Fig. No. 36 shows the dredging machinery in position.

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196

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

On the 17th of September the dredges commenced operations;
the caisson sinking gradually. )leeting with no obstructions, it reached
the required depth on the 25th of the same month. During the fol-
lowing month the bottom chambers and well
, were filled with con-
crete to within 6 feet of the top. The work was stopped for the
season on the 1st of l' ovember.
,V ork was resumed on the 5th of l\Iay 1873, the concrete filling
was completed and the coffer-dam pumped out. There was a consider-
able leakage in this dam, prohahly from the fact that it was exposed to
the action of ice. Two pumps were required to permit the lower
courses of masonry to be laid.
The layjng'of masonry was begun on the 15th of May, and was
completed on the 21st of July, 1873.
PIER G.

The depth of water at the site of this pier at high tide was 14 feet
7 inches. The top of the gravel was found at the depth of 45 feet
below high water. The caisson had therefore to be sunk over 30 feet
through the sand.
The construction of the caisson was bcgun on the 1Rth of Septem-
ber 1871 and considerahly advanced in October. It was deemed ad-
visable to leave it on the stopk::; until the following summer. It was
successfully launched on the 2
rd July 1872, and two days afterward8
floated into position.
The building of the caisson was sm;pended when it had reachCd a
height of 22 feet. 1'0 further huilding was done until the 26th of Septem-
ber, when the concrete filling was begun. There heing only ahout 3
feet of water in the compartment
at low tide. advantage of this was
taken to have the concrete in the compartments rleposited about the
time of low water, and consequently, most of it had time to partially
set in the air hefore it was suhjected to the action of water.
By the 12th of Odober, tbe filling of the caisson, to the extent
it was built, was completed, It was then necessary that the dredging

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IIRA...YICHI BRIDGES.

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;AISSON AND MASONRY OF SQUTHERLY ABUTMENT
SOUTH-WEST BRANCH.

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PLAN oFTOP.

PLAN OF fOUNDATION.

PLA TE No. 28.

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197

should be commenced before the building could be continued. To
enable the dredges to work, and at the same time admit the other opera-
tions to be proceeded with, it was necessary to erect a strong frame to
carry the dredge towers, at some height above the floor of the general
platform. The work of sinking the caisson was resumed early in June
1873, and by the 18th of the month, the cutting edges had reached the
required depth of 4.-j feet below high water.
In removing the dredgerl sand from the coffer-dam it was found
that the quantity of water coming in was so great that two steam
pumps \\ ere required to keep it under control during the laying of
the first courses of masonry. The masonry was begun on the 25th
of July, and completed on the 15th of September 1873.

PIER H.

The depth of water at high tidf:: at the site of this pier was 13 feet
10 inches.
The depth to the gravel bed on which the caisson had to rest was
49 feet.
Con
h uction of the caisson was commenced early in June 1873. It
was launched on the 10th of July. and floated into position on the 15th.
The filling with concrete was continued up to the 21st of August, at
which time the caisson was 24 feet high and had settled 2 feet 6 inches
into the river bottom.
The dredges commenced operations on the 14th of October. On
the 1st of Xm'ember the depth of 3.-j feet was reached; and the work
was then closed for the season. Operations were resumed on the 23d
May, 1874, and continued until the 23rd of June, when the full depth
of 4\:1 feet was reached.
After filling up the caisson with concrete, one steam pump was
sufficient to keep the water under control.
The setting of lllas
:mry began on the 11th of August, at 14 feet
below high water, and the pier was finished on the 28th of September
1874.

198

THE I
TERCOLONIAL.

PIER I.

The depth of water at high tide at the site of this pier was 11 feet
3 inches. The depth to the top of the gravel bed was 47 feðt below
high water; the height of the caisson had therefore to be 33 feet.
The caisson was conunenced on the
lst of July 1873, on Lhe 10th
of September it was floated into position. and soon afterwards con-
crete filling was proceeded with.
A scour having taken place at the up-river end, the caisson was
brought to a horizontal bearing by means of the pumping machinery,
and the weak points protected by rip-rap. \\T ork \\ as suspended on
the 14th of Xovember. the cutting edges then standing
o feet 6 inches
below high water.
'V ork was resumed on the 9th of June 187-1. and Woodford pumps
were used to lower the caisson, until on the 2
th of July the dredgcs
were ready for work. The operations were then continued and after
sundry interruptions, the caisson reached the required depth on the
6th September,
The Chambers and wells were filled with concrete as in the other
piers; and on the 29th, masonry was cOlllmenced. The leakage of the
coffer-dam. in this case, was so considerable, that two steam pumps were
required to keep the water sufficiently low. The masonry was com-
pleted on the 31st of October. '

SOUTH ABUTl\1ENT.

This ahutment was ahout 300 feet from the shore. with a depth
of water at high tide at its site of 17 feet 4 inches. It was necessary
that the caisson should rest horizontally and therefore that the cutting
edges should be sunk into the brown clay which the horings showed as
lying 26 feet below high water at the back of the abutment and 34
feet at the face. The sinking to the neccs:mry depth was tedious and
expensIve.

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199

The foundation works were similar to those already described,
except that the caisson had four wells or chambers through which the
silt was removed.
The construction of the caisson was begun about the 1st of Sep-
tember 1872. 'When it was floated into position, the building was
carried on until the 31st of Uctober. when work was suspended for the

season.
The building was resumed on the 7th of June 1873, and finished
shortly after. During the winter a scour took place around the North-
west corner, which gave a depth of 20 feet below high water and the
caisson settled accordingly. Before proceeding farther, it was neces-
sary to bring the caisson to a level bed; and therefore the sunk corner
was supported by a couple of 2 inch iron rods from a truss resting on
the surrounding staging: the iron rods having long adjusting screws.
Towards the end of June the cai:5son was brought to a level. 1Vhen
the clay was reached, the sinking became very Blow. The clay was too
hard to be excavated by the dredges and had to be excavated by hand
by the divers with pick and spade. This labour had to be carried on
to the depth of 8 feet at the back of the abutment, but to a less depth
along the front and sides. It required the constant exertions of two
divers anù a lm'ge number of other men for two months.
By the 6th of October, the front of the caisson was brought to
rest on the clay. with horizontal bearing throughout. .When building
commenced, the water coming into the coffer-dam was kept unùer b)
one steam pump.
The masonry was begun on the 21st of October, and continued to
the 13th of November, at which period, the masonry had reached 6.5
feet under high water, and further work was suspended.
At this time the heavy earth embankment had approached close to
the abutment. During the winter the material was tipped over the
front and sides of the coffer-dam. till it appeared above the surface
of the water.
The false works were destroyed during the winter, but were

200

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

restored in the spring of 187-1. The masonry was completed on the
6th of August of the same year.
The embankment was formed around the abutment, and the slopes
and sides covered with rip-rap, three feet thick, from the bed of the
river to five feet above extreme high water.

THE NORTHWEST BRIDGE.

It has already been stated, that the first design for the North West
Bridge was similar to that for the South W- est; the chief difference be-
ing in the number of spans. The northwest structure was to have had
five spans, each 200 feet wide; while the other was designed to have
six spans of the same size. It has also been explained, that the first
survey led to a misconception with regard to the strata in the bed of
the River; that, instead of rock being found at an average depth of -18
feet under high-water, the hard substance struck by the boring tools
was only a bed of gravel overlying a great deposit of silt, and that the
rock was actually 112 feet below high water.
It is necessary to state, that, when the meliminary survey was made,
only such boring implempnts could be obtained; as could be extempor-
ized in the neighbourhood by a country blacksmith, and that with
these imperfect implements the attempt was made to ascertain the na-
ure of the river bottom. The bed of the river was from twenty to
1 wenty-five feet below high-water; and after the boring rods had
passed through about the samp extent of mud, they, in every trial,
struck a hard substance. The operator saw sandstone rock cropping
out on the river bank; and he naturally, but as it afterwards proved,
incorrectly, inferred, that he had struck a continuation of the rock for-
mation, underlying the river.
During the winter of 1870-1, more perfect boring implements were
employed in testing the nature of the river bottom before building
operations were commenced. It was then that the true nature of the
river bed was discovered.

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THE 1\HHAl\HCHI BRIDGES.

201

A series of accurate borings was then instituted. These borings
were made from scows during the summer of 1871; and from the
ice during the following winter. The site of each pier was carefully
established: and besides the test borings on the centre line, others were
made on parallel lines ;)0 feet distant on each side of the centre line.
The results did not materially differ from those obtained on the centre
line, and showed that the strata were horizontal.
The boring was performed in the mmal manner, 7-inch tubing be-
ing used. Some arrangement was, however, necessary to meet the dif-
ficulty which the rise and fall of the tide presented when operating
from the ice, in order that the tube should be maintained vertical and
steady and free from all liahility to derangement, as the ice rose and
fell. A wooden tube or box, 9 inches square inside, and of sufficient
length to extend heyond the range of tides, was sunk through the ice,
and had arms which rf'sted upon and were made fast to the surface.
This box protected the upper end of the iron tuhing from the ice, while
itself rose and fell with the tide. 'Vhen operating from a scow, a
well through the floor of the scow s
rved the same purpose. On reach-
ing a suitable depth a smaller tube-5 inches diameter-was introduced,
telescopic fashion; care being taken that the upper end of the smaller
tube did not fall below the hottom of the larger one. The point of the
tubing was in all cases made to precede thf' point of the valve auger
or other boring tool in use, and thus the exact depth and character of
the various strata were ascertained. The results are shown on the
section of the river hottom, plate No. 31.
As the boring proceeded for the northwest bridge, experiments
were made to ascertain hy direct pressure the load which the strata
would carry. On the tubes reaching the point to be tested, and the
material within having been removed, iron rods smaller than the
tubing were passed down, The rods terminated in a blunt end with
an area of three square inchps. They were kept clear fl'om friction,
and were loaded ahove the surface of the water with different weights,
which were allowed to remain for definite lengths of time. In this

202

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

manner the supporting power of the differcnt strata in the bed of the
river was distinctly ascertained.
The result of these tests may, possibly, possess some interest to the
professional reader.-
The information thus obtained having established that the piers
might safely be founded on the gravel stratum, the Chief Engineer did
not deem it necessary to change in any way the original plan; he,
however, held it expedient to increase the width of the caissons from
24 to 30 feet, in ordcr to distribute the weight over an area one-fourth
greater than at first designed. But a difficulty arose with the contract-
ors. They argued that an increase in the width of the base of the
caissons would render the sinking of them extremely difficult; and they
demanded a large increase in price for the additionullabour and expense
which they asserted the change would exact. To meet these objections
the Engineer proposcd a modification in the form of the caissons with
an increased base, which the contractors undertook to carry out for
little more than the original contract price.
The modified plan of foundations for the Piers, adopted and car-
ried into execution, is shown in Plate No. :32. A large oblong caisson
open at the top and bottom, was first sunk in proper position at
each pier site; its lower edge resting on the bed of the river, and its
upper edges extending above water. Around the four sides were
square piles driven close together. \Vithin the enclusedarea, all the sand
and mud, down to the gravel bed, were removed, and the space
filled with rubble stone and concrete in equal proportions. The space
within the caisson, and above the original river bed, was then
filled with concrete up to the bed for the masonry. The concrete thus
formed a huge monolithic ma::.,::; for the support of the superincumbent
pIer.
It has already been stated that an additional span was given to
the Northwest Bridge; by this arrangement the two abutments were

· See Arrcndix.

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THE )IIRA)IICHI BRIDGES.

203

placed on the shore, where no difficulty was experienced in founding
them.
The five piers were lettered consecutively from north to south; A.
B. C. D. and X.
Plate No. 31 shows the relative position of the piers and abutments;
together with the strata which underlie the River.

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Fig. No. 37.

THE SOUTH ABUTMENT.
Operations were commenced on the 13th of May, 1872, at the
Southerly abutment. One-half of the site lay within the water
mark; and in order to ohtain a fouml;\tion, a coffer-dam was necessary.
This was constructed of crib work and sheet piling, and of only
three sides, carrying a platform ahollt 20 feet wide. A wharf for the
. discharge of building
tone was formed on the front, and a travel-

204

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

leI' was constructed, by which the material for building was lifted
directly into position. The sheet piling within the crib work was in
two rows, 5 feet apart, driven to the rock; and the space between the
rows was filled in with clay puddle. The rock bottom was laid bare,
and then cut into steps to receive the masonry, the front wall of which
commenced 12
feet below high water leveL Little trouble was
experienced from water; what little was met with, flowed in through
fissures in the rock.
The masonry, 985 cubic yards, was commenced on the 13th of
June, and completed on the 28th of August, 1872.

THE NORTH ABUTMENT.

The site being entirely within high-water mark, it was necessary
to construct a coffer-dam. The shore at ,this point is bold, and the
rock dips towards the river, when, at the face of the abutment, it
drops to a slope of about one to two. The whole abutment is placed on
solid rock, the front wall commencing HJ feet 6 inches below high-
water. The rock lay in a series of irregular benches, and was cut into
horizontal steps, to receive the masonry. The coffer-dam was well
constructed; and in consequence the water was controBed by one
Woodford pump, driven by an engine on a scow alongside. The
masonry was placed in position by a Traveller erected on the crib-
work. The masonry, 1115 cubic yards, was commenced on the 15th
of August, 1872, and completed in the following November. The
mass of the masonry is of freestone from quarries in the locality: the
girder seats are of granite, in single blocks, 6 feet by 4! feet, and 21
feet deep. The upper surface is 23 feet 7 inches above extreme high-
water.
Plate No. 29 shews the form and detail of these abutments.

THE CAISSONS FOR PIERS.

The caissons were each 60 feet by 30 feet, built of timbers, 12

PLATE No. 29.

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THE MIRAl\IICHI BRIDGES.

205

inches square, hewn true on their beds, halved together at the corners
and hreaking joints on the sides and ends. A roll of oakum was laid
between the timhers, Loth on the flat, and at the Lutt joints, to render
all water-tight. The timbers were fastened every 4 feet of their length,
and at the Lutts, with juniper treenail8.
The cai8sol18 were commenced on launch-ways near the Bridge
site, and '\ere built to a height of six or eight feet previous to being
launched. The construction was then proceeded with, afloat, until the
requisite height was obtained. The tOp8 when in place were, in all
cases, left above high-water level, as each cais80n had eventually to
serve as a coffer-dam.
As the cais80ns had to be pumped out to permit the building of the
masonry, it was necessary to strengthen them internally by means
of longitudinal and lateral struts and braces, which were afterwards
removed.
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hen the caissons were floated into position, they were loaded
down with stone, to hold them in place. Square piles were then driven
round the four sides, to the gravel bed. The pile8 were each bolted to
the upper timbers of the cais80ns, and a waling timber was secured
along the outside faces, about midway between high and low tide
mark.

PIER X.

Pier X was the first commenced; and as the difficulties met were
here first overcome, a brief account will suffice for all the piers. The
cais80n for this pier was commenced on the 19th day of J nne, 1872.
Some little difficulty was experienced in launching it, but it was even-
tually floated into position on the 6th July, and temporarily secured by
driving a few piles on each side and end. Building was then pro-
ceeded with, and the required height was reached on the 26th. On the
caisson grounding, it was found that the bed of the river was 80me-
what uneven, and it became necessary to level it by dredging away the
inequalities and 60 allow the caisson to rest horizontally.

206

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

In order to sink the caisson, a platform was foamed on its top, and
loaded with stone.
Two steam pile-drivers were then employed in driving the sheet
piling. The piles were twelve inches square; driven, as close as possihle,
to a depth of 47 feet 6 inches below high water: passing 8 inches into
the gravel bed, which, at this pier, is 6 feet
inchei\ in thickness. The
driving for the last few feet was very slow. This work was completed by
the 6th of September, when temporary piles were driven for a platform 20
feet wiae on each of the four sides of the caisson. On the platform a
gantry was erected, of such height and length as would allow the
traveller which it carried to lift building stone from the scows and set
them on any part of the structure. Before commencing the masonry,
the traveller was constantly in use in moving the engines and pumps
employed in dredging, and in raising any sunken trees found embedded
within the area of the foundations. The engines and machinery used
in dredging and in pumping, were placed on the platform, which further
served as a wharf for the discharge of material of all kinds.
The river bed at this pier consisted of a black vegetable deposit,
funy 16 feet in depth, and a mixture of mud and sand about 8 feet deep.
Two pnmps, driven by separate engines, commenced operations on the
21st of September 1872, but the progress made in the vegetable deposit
was very slow. The pumps simply settled down into an area a little
larger than their hase. while the material stood firm with nearly vertical
sides. The action of water jets was brought to bear on it; and by
means of this expedient, it was reduced, and ultimately removed by the
pumps.
The upper layer of material contained a quantity of partiany
decaye(l wood, which continually became jammed in the working
parts of the pumps, amI nccessitater} frcqnent disconnecting of the
machines for the removal of the ohstruction. Two logs of Din:h were
founel pIllIJt'(ldcd in the deposit, :
u feet helow high water. The
removal of these occupied several days, as the material overlying them
had to be dredged out for their whole length before they could be

THE :MIRA\HCHI BRIDGES.

207

moved. Eventually, chains were made fast to them by divers, and the
logs were raised by the traveller overhead: one piece measured
(j feet
long and 16 inches in diameter, the other 15! feet long, and 20 inches
in diameter.
The pumps continued in operation up to the 20th of
ovember,
when the formation of the ice rendered a suspension of work necessary.
Up to this time a great proportion of the vegetable deposit had been
removed. 'V ork was resumed on the 5th of :\Iay 1873, and the whole
material within the area of the caisson was dredged out to the depth of
46 feet below high water mark by the 31st of :\Iay.
The dredging of this foundation extended over a period of twelve
weeks; but deducting for wet weather and other delays, the actual
pumping occupied sixty days of two engines and two pumps.
The quantity of material remO\ ed was 1-!16 cubic yards; and taking
the capacity of each pump at seven cubic yards (l
OO gallons) per
minute, it appears that a cubic yard of water carried out with it on an
average 0.075 cubic feet of solid matter, or at the rate of 1 cubic yard
of the deposit to 356 cubic yards of water.
Preparations were at once made to put in a
! feet layer of con-
crete over the whole area excavated. It was deposited through large
spouts reaching to the bottom. Alternate layers of quarry rubhle stone
and concrete were evenly distributed over the area until the space was
filled up to the level of the bed of the river. A layer of concrete 6

feet thick was then put in by means of boxes with movahle bottoms.
These boxes were contrived to open only when they touched bottom,
in order that the concrete should be as little diluted as possible, by
passing through the water.
The concrete was brought to the proposed level h," the middle of
July; '" hen, after a few days delay. an attempt was madc to unwater the
dam with two "T oodford pumps; hut the concrete had not sufficiently
set. amI the machinery was O\Terpowered and pumping had to he
postponed.
"Tith a view to make good the defects in the concrete and to

208

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

reduce the head of water, another layer of concrete 18 inches deep was
put in, which brought the surface up to 13 feet below high water.
On the 30th of J tl.ly a second attempt was made to pump out the
dam with two pumps, but without success. On the following day bags
filled with clay were laid over the places where the leaks seemed to be
greatest, viz. along the timbers of the caisson. The two pumps then,
with ease, ran the water down to within three feet of the concrete, and
held it there; though the leak was still considerable, and evidently was
increasing. "'aIls of clay puddle were now built over the heaviest
leaks, and a third pump introduced. On the 9th of August the three
pumps were started with the falling tide, and in fifteen minutes the sur-
face of concrete was laid bare.
This condition was maintained for some time; when, without the
. slightest warning, a large mass of concrete, close to the timber on the
northern side, was forced up and the dam immediately fined, notwith-
standing the pumps continued running. The Chief Engineer decided
to make good the concrete, to add an additional layer, and defer further
pumping for some months, in order to give the concrete time to harden.
At the same time, with the view of securing and strengthening the
caisson, he directed that heavy iron rods should be passed through from
side to side, dividing it into six equal lengths, and that similar rods
anchored in the concrete should be placed at both ends. All these rods
were firmly tightened by nuts and screws; and as they were placed at
some distance under water, divers in ordinary waterproof armour were
employed. Rods such as described were placed in all the other pier8.
The work was not proceeded with in winter, but was resumed on
the 11th of May 187-!. Two pumps were then started, the water was
speedily lowered to the concrete which proved hard and solid. The
leaks betw
en the concrete and the timber were still considerable, but
there was no appearance of leak through the body of the mass. In put-
ting in the concrete in July 1873, weUs were left at each corner into
which the pumps were set. It was considered that much of the leakage
came in at these points; and on the additional layers of concrete being

THE !IIIRA:\IICHI BRIDGES.

209

put on, the wells were filled up. As the 'Y oodford pump req uires water
at least 12 inches deep in order to work with advantage, the concrete
could not be laid quite bare. and the first course of footings-2! feet
deep-was set partly in water. Any irregularities in the surface were
removed by making up the concrete to a uniform level, so that every
block had a solid bed. That the water might he entirely under control
at any state of the tide a second engine and pump were put in position.
The first course was set by the lbth of :\Iay.
There was no further difficulty in keeping the dam free of wa-
ter, and the masonry soon rose above the surface; but all anxiety was
not removed.
It was discovered at the end of June that the foundation of the
structure, since the commencement of the masonry, had settled about
six inches. Accurate measurements were regularly taken, and it ap-
peared that a gradual settlement was going on. The building of the
masonry was continued until the 6th of July, when the work was sus-
pended, the pier being then four feet from the required height. Up to
the 29th of August, the work had settled in all ten and a half inches.
It was now determined to place on the pier a load several hundred tons
greater than, on the completion of the bridge, it would be required
to carry, and thus by direct weight force the whole structure to a per-
manent bearing. This course was the more called for as doubts
had been strongly expressed as to the sufficiency of the strata,
underlying the river, to carry the bridge. For this purpose a
platform was built on the footings of the masonry; upon this
and the unfinished pier, stone and rails to the weight of about 4.)0 tons
were placed. Up to the 3d of October, under this load, a further de-
pression had taken place of 2! inches. The work remained thus load-
ed until the following spring, when another 100 tons were added, but
no farther settlement was perceptible. Fig. No. 38 shows the pier
partially loaded.
Careful investigation showed that the close piling around the
concrete had not been disturbed in any way; that each pile re-
mained precisely in the same position as when first driven; and that
14

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THE INTERCOLONIAL.

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the gravel stratum which supported them had not yielded in any way.
The settlement wal) therefore wholly within the caisson; and was un-
doubtedly due to tIlt' !:ompression and consolidation of the stone fill-
ing lwlow the concrete, under tllP load which had heen huilt over it.
lt was evident from tll{' fact that the masonry was without the slight-
e!-òt sign of crack or flaw, that thc concrete had a monolithic character,
and had gradually sunk en maRse as the material under it hecame com-
pres!-òptl by the superincumbent weight.
"Then the structure was completecl, and the false works removed,
the sheet piling and dam were cut off helow low water le,'cl,
lId a
mass of rip-rap depusitecl, as shown in Plate No. 32, so as entirely to
cover and secure the wholt' of the works on whil'h the ma,;onry rests.
TIn; rip-rap was allowed to take a natural slope, and was rounded at
the up and down :"tream ends to reduce the effects of any cross-cur-

THE lIIlRA:\IICHI BRIDGES.

211

rents produced by the obstruction of the stream; and to obviate, as far
as possible, the chances of a scour.

PIER D.

The foundation caisson, as CODf'tructed, is as that for Pier X. It
was launched on the 9th August, 18'j
o and muved near to the site of
the pier. The building continu
d till the 16th of Octoher, when it
had aUained the required depth of 30 feet. Ûn the following day,
and while the tide was running out, the caisson broke from its moor-
ingf', but it was recovered without being damaged. It was loaded and
sunk, and the driving of the sheet piling commenced: hut when the
works were closed for the season on the 20th November, the piling
was not completed. In thif' case the piling was driven to the depth of
43 feet below high water leveL
The wor
was resumed on the üth of May, 1873, and by the 1st
of .J une, the sheet piling and the piling for the surrounding platform
were completed, and the plank and machinery placed in position. The
dredging, carried on as in the last pier, was commenced 5th of June,
1873. The material, a clean coarse sand, yielded readily to the action
of the 'V oodford pump; the result accordingly differed from that at
pier X. The depth of the sand was over 11 feet, and the excavation
measured 700 cubic yards.
By the 18th, the dredging was complf'ted to the depth of 41 feet
under high water; and although it extended over fourteen days, only 10!
days wcre employed in actual pumping, with two engines and pumps.
The capacity of each pump being twelve hundred gallons, or seven
cubic yards per minute. a cubiC' yard of water carried with it n.
1
cubic feet of sand, i.r.o 1 cuhic yard of sand was removed wit.h 12fì
cubic yards of water,
The concrete filling was completed by the 25th September. No
masonry was, however, laid that season.
On the 21st of August, 1874, an unsuccessful attempt was made

212

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

to pump out the coffer dam. On the 24th, a second attempt was made;
but the water could not be lowered more than 11 feet below hicrh water
'"
with the pumping power employed. An additional engine with pump
being put in operation, the water was run down sufficiently for the
first course of masonry to be started. The stream of water discharged
was at least 7000 gallons per minute.
The masonry progressed rapidly, and was Boon brought above the
water leTe!. No settlement took place until betwEen the 17th and
24th September, when it was found that the pier had
ettIed slightly.
On the 2nd of October, building was suspendeù. the top of the
structure being then 6 feet from the required height. The pier was
then loaded with stone and iron, weighing about 500 tons, and it was
found, on the 7th November, that a further settlement had taken place,
of 0.17 feet. On the 27th January, the total settlement had reached
0.46 feet. Since the latter date no further subsidence has been
detected. The load rtmained on the pier all winter, building was
resumed on the 1st June, and in four days the structure was com-
pleted. As in pier X, the masonry settled with the maN" of concrete on
which it rested without loosening a joint or fracturing a single stone.

PIER C.

The depth to the bed of river at the site of this pier was 29 feet.
The caisson for the foundation was similar to those already described.
It was launched on the 16th of May, 1R73, floated away, and finished
to the height of 30 feet. On the 23d of June, it was placed in
position and loaded down. The sheet piling, driven to the depth of
,(4 feet below high water, was completed on the Rth of July.
The dredging commenced on the 1f>th of Augu!'t. The material
overlying the gravel bed, consisted altogether of 13 feet of clean coarse
sand. The dredging extended over seventeen days, but the machinery
ran only nine days in all. The quantity of sand removed was 800

THE :r.IIRAMICHI BRIDGES.

213

cubic yards, every cubic yard of water thrown out carrying with it 0.28
cubic feet of sand, or 1 cubic yard of solid matter in 94.5 cubic yards
of water pumped.
The filling of the space dredged out was treated differently from
that of piers X and D. Instead of the alternate layers of concrete and
rubble stone, the whole space up to the level of the river bed was
filled in with stone, crushed to the size used for concrete, but with-
out sand being added; and a layer of concrete 13 feet in depth was
deposited upon this base. The concrete was completed by the 29th
of October, 18ï3, when the works were closed fur the season.
On the 16th of June, 1!j74, everything being ready, three pumps
driven by two engines, were started, with a favorable tide. The water in
the dam was then run down to 12 feet below high water, but the pumps
in operation could do no more, It was apparent that more power must
be used. On the

nd, a trial was made with four pumps, driven by
three engines; and, for a short time, they succeeded in lowering the
water to 14 feet below high water. It was necessary, however, for the
four pumps to run without intermission to hold their own. On the
stoppage of a pump, the water at once began to rise. A third effort
was made on the following morning with the same result. The
greatest head obtained was 8 feet 10 inches. On the stoppage of all
the pumps, the water rose in the dam 52 inches in eleven minutes.
Operations were now suspended at this pier for three weeks. It was
siml}ly a question of pumping power, and it was accordingly deter-
mined to add a large Gwynne dredge pump, and a fourth engine. In
the mean time blocks of stone for a 2! feet course were placed roughly
in position by divers. The five pumps were put in operation. They
succeeded in lowering and holding the water 14 feet below high water
level.
On the stones being laid bare they presented an uneven appear-
ance, some having been carried upon the laitense. and others upon
points of concrete standing above the surface. It was accordingly
necessary to raise the stones in order to obtain a level bed. By the

214

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

27th of July the first course, 2
feet thick, was set, after which no diffi-
culty with the water was experienced.
The )Iasonry steadily progressed, and no settling was discovered
until the 7th of August. On the 1;">th, when there had been 13
feet of
masonry built, a subsidcnce of 2 inches had taken place. Pp to the
17th of September when building was suspended at 6 feet from the
full height, the total settlement was 0.24 feet. As in the other
cases the pier was loaded by placing on it 575 tom; over and above the
weight of pier when fini
hed. During the operation of loading, a set-
tlement of 0.13 feet at the up-river end, and u.u7 feet at the down river
end took place, and from the 23rd of November to the3Ist of Decemher
1874, a still further settlement 0.07 at the up river end, o.on feet at the
down river end was observed. At this date the total settlement was
0.48 feet. The load remaineù on the pier until the 6th of April 1ö75, when
work was resumed and completed. But no chang
whatever has
taken place since the close of 1874; and the masonry as in the other
piers remains without a flaw.

PIER B.

The depth of water was 27 feet 4 inches, and the material a clean
sharp sand 24 feet 5 inches deep; the gravel bed being rëached at 51
feet 9 inches below high water; a thickness of gravel 5 feet 6 inches
overlying the deep deposit of silt between it and the rock.
The caisson was floated into its exact position on the Rth of .July
1873. In grounding it indicated unevenness of bottom. The incquali-
ties were rectified by the use of a force pump and hose. The piling,
50 feet long, was at once begun.
The dredging commenced on the 1.
th of September, and extpnded
oyer 36 days. The actual running time of the two pumps was 1ü

days. The quantity of material removed from within the limits of the
foundation was 1-!95 cubic yards. Each cubic yard of water thrown

.

THE MIRAl\IICHI BRIDGES.

215

out by the pumps mu
t therefore have carried with it 0.29 feet of sand,
01' 1 cubic yard of
and with 9:!,7 cubic yards of water.
The dredging was completed on the
:!nd of October, and the
foundation wa
theu filled with crushed stone
to the level of the river
bed. On the 10th of X ovember, work ceased; at which time the fill-
ing was completed.
Un the
.th of
Iay, 18H, work was resumed. The concrete filling
was completed on the 12th of June, bringing the surface up to 1û feet
below high water. During the period allowed for the concrete to
harden, divers were engaged putting in iron tie-rods similar to those
ahead y referred to.
4n attempt was made to pump out the dam on the 13th of October,
with the hope that the footings of the masonry might be laid before the
sea
on closed. Foul' engines with five pumps, however, after repeated
attempts, failed to lower the water to the full depth req uirecl.
During the winter it was determined to add another layer of con-
crete 4 feet in thicknes
and thus bring the surface to 12 fect below
high water, as at pier X. The concrete was fini
hed on the 2
d of May,
187.5.
On the 13th of June, the pumps were started and the surface of
the concrete laid bare in 20 minutes. The concrete was fonnd hard
and compact. The surface was levelled off, and the masonry began on
the following day. It continued without interruption till the 24th of
July, when work was suspended preparatory to loadiugthe structure to
test for settlement. The load in this case was .5.
O tons. During the
process ofloading, from the 24th of July to the 4th of Augu
t, the pier
had settled 0.18 feet. On the 9th of August, a further settlement had
taken place of 0.14 feet. On the 20th of August no further change
could be observed. Building was r.esumed on the 24th and completed
on the 30th of August.

216

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

PIER A.

The depth of water at high tide is 31 feet 6 inches at the site of
this pier. The material under the river bed was a black vegetable
deposit 18 feet 9 inches deep, overlying the gravel bed found at 48 feet
6 inches below high water.
The caisson was made fast in position on the 4th of September,
1873. The dredge pumps were put in operation 011 the 2.5th of Oct.
and continued until the 15th November when the work was suspended
for the season.
Work was resumed on the 29th of May, 187-1, and the dn;dging
completed on the 30th of June. This work extended altogether over
54 days, but the actual running time was 24 days. There were 10-14
cubic yards of material removed, giving 0.14 cubic feet thrown out with
each cubic yard of water, or 1 cubic yard of solid matter with HI3 cubic
yards of water. The space dredged out was filled in with crushed stone
to the level of the bed of the river.
Early in July the concrete was begun, and deposited to a depth of
15 feet 6 inches below extreme high water. No attempt was made to
pump out the foundation of this pier, as it was anticipated the same dif-
ficulties would be experienced as at pier B, and it was allowed to stand
over to the following summer. During the winter it was decided to
put in another 4 feet layer of concrete. This work was done early in
the summer of 1!j75, and on the first attempt to pump out the dam the
surfacc of the concrete was laid bare with comparatively little trouble.
The water was lowered to 12 feet in 15 minutes and readily maintained
there during half tide. Building was commenced on the 27th of July,
and finished for the purpose of applying the load by the 21st of August.
The fir,.;t settlement observed was on the 4th of August, when it was
found to be 0.0.5 feet. On the 21st of August previous to loading for
test, the structure had 'Settled 0...12 feet. The load applied was 550
tons. During the process of loading the structure settled 0.33 feet.

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THE MIRAMICHI BRIDGES.

217

The load remained for ten days without further
masonrj was completed on the 14th of September
settlement was 0.74 feet.

settlement. The
1875. The total

CONCRETE.

The concrete used in the foundations was made from broken stone,
coarse river-sand, and the celebrated English Portland cement. The
stone was broken to pass through a ring less than three inches in diam-
eter. As the breaking of the stone by a Blake Machine, pulverized
much of the material, the proportion of sand depended upon the condi-
tion of the stone; but snfficient saud was always added to the broken
stone to fill up all the interstices and render the mass compact.
The concrete for the fonndations of the Northwest Bridge was
made with two barrels of cement to the cubic yard of crushed stone,
that for the foundation of the Southwest Bridge with one barrel to
the cubic yard; except in the filling of the caisson for Pier E, and 01
the wells of all the other caissons, the concrete for which had two bar-
rels per cubic yard of broken stone. Care was taken to thoroughly
mix the ingredients. The total quantity of cement used in these bridges
was about 14,000 barrels.

MASONRY.

The masonry of the abutments and piers was of a thoroughly mas-
sive and substantial character. The stones were of large dimensions,
well proportioned and put together in the best style of workmanship.
Each stone in the cutwaters and exposed angles was secured by
iron dowels run in with cement. The masonry was laid in Portland
cement mixed in the proportion of two measures of sand to one of pure
cement.
The stones for the girder seats and faces of the ice breakers

'II

218

THE I
TERCOLO
I^L.

were massive blocks of granite; some of which were brought from the
Nipissiguit River near Bathurst, a distance of about 175 miles hy water.
The greater portion, however, was obtained from boulders near
the river banks, from twelve to sixteen miles above the railway cross-
ing. The building stone proper is a light coloured free-stone obtained
from two quarries; one on the River
Iiramichi, about four miles
below the site of the hridges; the other, from which the greater quan-
tity was brought, near the mouth of the River llartibogue, a trihutary
of the l\[iramichi, about seventeen miles distant from the railway
crossing. Both quarries furnishpd stones similar in colour and quality.
The rpmaining work at this bridge was now confined to the deposit
of rip-ra!J around the piers and the erection of the iron superstructure.
The plant employell in the construction of these bridges was large
and costly; besides a full assortnwnt of ordinary tools and appliances,
it consisted of a steam tug, with 21 large scows; machinery workecl by
steam for excavating. crushing stone. pile-lhiving, dredging, lifting and
moving material; also diving apparatus. The pumping machinery was
especially effective; it consisted of -1 \V oodford pumps, with j! inch
discharge pipes, and 1 Gwynne !Jump with a 12 inch discharge. These
were driven by 5" steam engines. of ,")O-horse power each. The pumps
made, on an average, 400 revolutions per minute, at which rate they
threw from 1200 to 1500 gallons per minute each. The Gw.vnne pump
threw as much as 2'=>00 gallons per minute. The \Voodford pumps
had tlwir pipes in lengths of 9 feet, attached to light angle-iron frames
3 feet sq nare; each length having its own driving shaft attached.
The lengths were easily fitted into each other, amI sppured by small holts
at the angles, the shafting at the same time locking together. The
driving pulley was quickly raisecl or lowered on the shafting to suit the
situation, and was secured with screws. The pumps re,;trd on the
material to be removed, and although secured to the caisson so as to
prevent lateral motion, they were free to move vertically amI they
settled down with their own weight as the material was thrown out.
In conjunction with the \Y oodford pnmps, two powerful Cameron

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THE MIRAlIIICHl BRIDGES.

219

force pumps, with a supply of three-inch hose, capable of throwing six
heavy streams, were constantly in operation. The flexible hose termi-
nated in metallic nozzles of one-inch bore, which were attached to the
ends of long guide poles, by mealls of which powerful jets of water were
directed against the material in the coffer-dams, to loosen it, and bring it
within the operation of the pumps.
The work of both bridges has been sati!:!factorily completed by the
Contractors, l\Iessrs. Brown, Brooks, and Ryan
The difficulties experienced in carrying out the north-west hrictge
have been fully described. :\[1'. Joseph Tomlinson acted as Superin-
tendent in connection with the foundations of the south-west bridge.
This structure was carried to completion without any departure from
the original designs, aud without any claims for extras on the part of
the contractors.
1\11'. A. L. Light was Engineer of the District; and under him, Mr.
'V. B. Smellie had direct charge, as Resident En!!ineer, of both the
Miramichi bridges, from the commencement of construction until their
final completion.
The south-west bridge was first completed. The fir"t train was
passed over, and the bridge was opened for use, on August 26th, 1875,
by His Excellency, General Sir William O'Grady Haly, Administrator
of the Government.

CHAPTER XII.

THE NOVA SCOTIA DISTRICT.

r.engt.h and Sub-Divisions-General Description-The Cobequid Mountains-Geological
J.<'eatures-Sprin
hill Coal Field-The Iron Mines-Division U, Old Line-Division
V, Eastern Extension-Division W, Contract No. ll-Division X, Contract No. 4-
Division Y, Contract No.7-Division Z, Contract No. 12.

This District commences at Moncton, and after following 8 miles
of the railway between St. John and Shediac, takes an indirect course,
the general bearing of which is nearly south-easterly, to terminate at
Truro at the head of Cobequid Bay, in the Bay of Fundy.
It comprises the following divisions :-
Division U. E. & N. A. Railway, 7i miles long.
" V. Eastern Extension, 37 " "
" W. Contract No. 11, - - 41 " "
" x. " "4,- -27 " "
" Y. " " 7, - - 241 " "
" z. " "12, - - 24 l' " "

Total length,

1241 miles.

It has the most crooked alignment, the greatest extent of curva-
ture, the sharpest curves, the highest hridge, the deepest embank-
ment, the steepest grade, and the second highest summit on
the whole railway. It touches tide water at four points, and a con-
siderable summit is found between each two of the points. It has the
longest stretches of the most level ground; and it passes through the
roughest country, except that at the chief summit on the St. Lawrence
District. The character of its soil is accordingly varied, ranging from
the highest fertility in the marshes surrounding the heads of bays of
220

THE NOVA SCOTIA DISTRICT.

221

the Bay of Fundr, to almost absolute barrenness in the elevated spots.
Its rocks range from the granite of the Cobequid mountains, to the
coal measures. It was the source of protracted contention in regard to
the route; although the location was confined to the narrow limits of
an Isthmus between the Gulf of bt. Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy.
The Cobequid mountains cross the Nova Scotia District about 25
miles from its southerly end. From
Ionctoll to the Cobequid range,
the line crosses three belts of lower carboniferous rocks, and two of the
middle coal formation; one of the former being at either extremity, the
third being in the middle. The well-known Springhill coal field, is
situated on the most southerly of the belts of the middle coal forma-
tion.
The flanks of the Cobequids are occupied by rocks partially meta-
morphosed. On the southerly side the strata consist of quartzites and
slates. These are intersected by a large irregular vein composed of
carbonates and oxides of iron. This vein extends a long distance on
each side of the railway, and is being worked by the Steel Company ot
Canada. The construction of the Intercolonial line and the Branch to
Pictou, places the iron region midway and within easy reach of two
all but inexhaustible coal fields. These favourable conditions promise
the future establishment of important industries in this quarter.
In the middle of the Cobequid range, a hard reddish granite or
gneiss is met. Between the Cobequids and Truro, the railway traverses
another trough of .carboniferous rocks, but no coal-seams sufficiently
thick for profitable working, have been found.
The first District Engineer, was Mr. 'V. H. Tremaine, who had
had the conduct of the location surveys, and also assisted in the pre-
liminary surveys of 1864. He remained in charge of the works until
the close of 1871, when he was succeeded by Mr. Collingwood Schrei-
ber, who remained until their completion.

222

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

DIVISION U.

This title has been given to a section, about eight miles long, of
the St. John and Shediac Railway, extending northward from Moncton
to Paingec, which is commun to the two railways. The St. John and
Shediac Hailway was constructed by the Government of New Bruns-
wick, and is a part of one of the rival schemes of 18-1-5, for connecting
Quebec and Halifax. This section was opened for public traffic in
1860, and having been well constructed is in excellent order. The
Engineer-in-Chief, was Mr. A. L. Light.

DIVISION V.

This Section, otherwise known as the " Eastern Extension " of the
St. .Tohn and Shediac Railway, extends from Painsec to the Provincial
Boundary Line.
It was constructed by a Company under contract with New Bruns-
wick, and was finished during the summer of 1871. After comple-
tion it was purchased for the Government of the Dominion, by the
Intercolonial Railway Commissioners, for the sum of $894,000; be-
ing at the rate of *24,000 per mile, for 37 i miles, its total length. The
line departs, to some extent, from a right line drawn between the
termini; making a sweep of seven miles in a distance of 20 miles.
Besides this general devia'tion, the line in itself is exceedingly crooked,
13 of the 37 miles being on curves, some of which are very sharp.
About the middle of the division there is a sharp 4 0 curve (Radius
1432 fept) which sweeps round a semicircle; it is succeeded by another
curve, Hcady as sharp, which pa:-;ses round three-eighths of a circle.
These curves are on long maximum grades.
As a great deal of this division is on meadow land, the cuttings and
embunkmcuts are generally light. There is, however, some heavy work,

THE NOVA SCOTIA DISTRICT.

223

but as the rail way was constructed at a fixed rate per mile, easy con-
struction was more attended to than directness of route. Consequent-
ly, even in the most difficult sections of the route, so much curvature
has been thrown into the line, that the earthwork on the whole, is com-
paratively easy. The curves are, as a rule, sharp, and the grades steep.
From Dorchester, the middle of the division, for more than four
miles, there is an almost continuous ascending grade, the greatest part
of which rises 1 in 100. It is succeeded by a continuous descending
grade of 1 in 100, for 2 miles. The remaining grades are easy, the few
that rise quickly, have been introduced to reduce the earthwork.
In the meadow lands, or marshes, which would be covered by high
tide, "aboideaus" have been built across the embankments to keep back
the rising tides. They are square wooden culverts, generally about 3
feet 6 inches wide, each side made of three squared logs, laid transversely
to the railway, the top and bottom being of squared l?gs laid at right
angles with the sides. The lower end for six or eight feet, is -! feet 4
inches square; whe1"e the narrow dimensions commence, two half doors
are hung hOl'izontally, one at the top and one at the bottom, closing
together tightly in the middle, the lower rising with the rising tide.
They are made of hard wood, in pieces bound together by copper bolts
The lower falls on a slip of wood to keep up the outer edge a few
inches, and the rush of the incoming tide is sufficient to raise it to a
vertical position and close it. Lnder circumstances where a larger
sectional area is necessary for the drainage discharge, instead of in-
creasing the size of the aboideau. two or more are constructed side by
side. In one case, at Aulac, east of Sackville, there are five. These
ahoideaux have in all cases been found very efficient.
"Then the railway embankments are subject to the action of the
tides, a cheap but efficient protection for the sloIJPs. has been formed,
by placing trees and bruslm ood in layers at right angles to each other,
with thin coucltcs of ordinary l1lal'sh mud'" between them, This pro-
tection, even when almost plumb on the face, has fully succeeded.

· ThE' local term for the rich plastic suL-tance thrown up Ly the tidcs of the nay of
Fund).

224

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

On this portion of the Rail way there are many small pile and
trestle bridges. A peculiarity in their construction is the use made of
"Ships' Knees" as angle pieces. .
A bridge with three spans, each 160 feet wide, crosses the river
Tantramar, at Sackville. The superstructure is of iron, on the English
lattice principle: the roadway is on the lower chord, the upper horizon-
tal bracing being at a height to admit the passage of trains. The piers
were, in the first place, of slight construction. Indeed they may be de-
scribed as having had no greater dimensions than was barely necessary to
carry the superstructure. Consequently, the first winter tried them
severely; one pier subjected to a heavy thrust of ice was found not to
have strength sufficient fully to resist the strain, and a displacement re-
sulted endangering the whole structure. These piers have since been
rebuilt, at a cost many times exceeding the outlay which would have
been necessary to build them sufficiently massive in the first place.
Six miles from Painsec, there is an iron girder bridge of 50 feet
span; the only one of the \Varren pattern between Rivière du Loup
and Halifax. The roadway is carried on the top chord.
In general, there is not sufficient ballast on this division, and in
many places it is not of good quality. Difficulty was experienced in
obtaining suitable material; excepting near Sackville, there was no
good gravel to be had on the line. Iron rails are laid 34 miles; the rails
have not worn well; the insufficiency and inferior quality of the ballast
have doubtless contributed to this result, for without good and sufficient
ballast no road can be maintained in good order.
The Eastern Extension, having been constructed by the Province
of New Brunswick, ends at the boundary between that Province and
Nova Scotia, in the middle of the river Missiguash; and, as is usual in
such cases, only the \Vestern abutment of the bridge over that river
was built by New Brunswick.

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OVA SCOTIA DISTRICT.

225

DIVISION W.

CO
TRACT K o. 11.

This Division begins in the middle of the river l\Iissiguash,
and includes the Eastern abutment and the whole superstructure of
the bridge.
, ,
This superstructure is of wood, a Howe truss, with the roadway
on the hottom chord. The span is 100 feet, the width between the
trusses 19 feet, and the total height of the truss to the upper horizontal
bracing, 21 feet 6 inches. It is the third of the wooden truss bridges on
the whole line of the Intercolonial Rail\\ay.
Although timber has been employed in spanning the river, the
abutments are of substantial masonry, in every way suitable for the
support of iron girders; should a spark at any time from passing trains
lead to the destruction of the bridge by fire, and for a time sever
railway connection between the two Provinces.
The masonry is built on a pile foundation properly protected by
crib-work and rip-rap from the wash of the tide.
There are two ahoideaux on this division; One for Gordon's Brook,
near the first mile; and the other for the river La Planche, about 2

miles from the beginning of the division. The first has double, and
the second has four-sluiced pa
sages.
There was consideraWe sinking of embankments over places where
the marshes were soft and boggy, but it was anticipated and provided
for.

The dh-ision is only 41 miles long. The work was let in X ovem-
bel', 1Rt5f), to )Iessrs. Davis. Grant and Sutherland, for
61,713, to be
completed by September of the year following. Changes were made in
the location and grades, by which the cost of construction was in-
creased by $8,668.24. The work was not finished until 27th Xovem-
bel', 1871.

15

22G

THE INTEIWOLONIAL.

The average quantity of excavation is 37,7.'50 cubic yards reI' mile,
and of masonry 290 cubic yards.
The Resident Engineer in charge was 1\11'. George H. Henshaw.

DIVISION X.

CONTRACT No.4.

This Division, 27 miles long, is the longest division constructed
under the Commissioners. It begins one mile east of Amherst, on the
" Amherst Uidge," where there is a cutting, one mile long, which con-
tained 60,000 cubic yards. The embankment following was calculated
to require 50,000 cubic yards in less than half a mile of its length.
On account of its soft marshy bottom, a further quantity of
18,00U cubic yards was provided. The emhankment has settled down,
spread out at the base, and raised up the adjoining surface; the
sinkage still continues, and the embankment requires occasional atten-
tion. There is, however, no probability of accident.
The line is much curved, there being forty curves amounting in
the aggregate to nearly 13 miles in length, with more than 1600 de-
grees of curvature. One curve, almost a mile long, encloses an arc of
127 degrees; and is followed by one, 1000 yards long, enclosing an arc of
103 degrees. Only a few of the curves are of short radius.
Generally the grades are approximately level. But for 14
miles the separate grades vary from 0.75 in 100 to 1 in 100, three
ascending eastwards, divided by level, or easy grades in the same direc-
tion ; the total height ascended is 206 feet in 5 miles, gaining the high-
est point on the division, 245 feet above the lowest point. The line
then ùescends continuously for 133 feet in a length of 31 miles.
The first cutting, with 60,000 cubic yards, is the heaviest on the
division. The cutting at the tenth mile contained 42.000 cubic yards,
There are four heavy embankments, the lightest requiring 42,000 cubic

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7

yards, the heaviest 65,uuO cubic yards. Except on the man;hes the
embankment::; are all ::;hort; the cuttings are also short.
The quantity of rock in the cutting:.:, was in the ratio of one to
twenty of earth.
A special protection, which has been found efficient, was provided
for the railway, where the line runs close to the )Iaccan river. Piles
were closely driven to the level of the ground, by the side of the river,
sta}ed by a second row of piles driven inland, 10 feet apart, the space
between being filled with stone and brushwood,
There are several aboideaux on the line, similar to those described,
and many small culverts of masonry.
The Nappan river is crossed by a bridge 100 feet wide, with
wrought iron superstructure, having the roadway on the lower chord.
The abutments are built on a pile foundation, the outside piles being
closely driven, and the foundations protected by masses of heavy rip-
rap. Embankments washed by the tide are protected, according to
local practice, by brushwood and small poles, laid in layers with" marsh
mud" between them.
A skew bridge of 24 feet span, with iron superstructure, is con-
structed over a tramway from a coal mine.
A third bridge, of 100 feet span, with iron superstructure, is built
over the Little Forks river. The abutments are about 33 feet high,
built on rock a few feet below the bed of the stream.
The work was let in 18()9, to Messrs. Elliott, Grant and 'Vhite-
head, for the sum of
:!97,000. At the close of that year, when work
to the amount of
-!G,200 had beenperformed, the contractors found their
prices were too low; and their contract was annulled. On 25th l\Iay,
1870, a new contract was entered into with Messrs. Smith and Pit-
blado, to finish the work for $-!38.

t), on 1st July. 1871. It" as fin-
ished one year later.
The length of the division is
7 miles. The average quantity of
excavation per mile is 25,800 cubic yards, and of ma::;onry 418 cubic
yards.

2{1

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

The Resident Engineer to the close of 1871, was
Ir. Geo. H.
Henshaw: at the latter date the District EnO'ineer assumed clmro'e amI
'" '"
1\11'. .r. R. Smith acted as assistant.
At the Springhill station, a branch has been constructed to the
Springhill coal mines. It is short, with sharp curves anù steep graùes,
and with numerous changes in both, The ballast is bad, in many
places heing sandy day. The Branch is not a part of the Intercolonial
Railway, but is worked by the Springhill Coal Company.

DIVISION Y.

CONTRACT No.7.

This Section is heavy, having upwards of a million cubic yards of
earth excavation, and forty thousand cuhic yards of rock. X early all
the heavy work is 0.8 the last six miles. There are several deep rocky
ravines, the emhankments over three of which have respectively a
height on the centre line of iO feet, 96 feet, and 10,=> feet. One cutting,
chiefly rock, has a depth of.)2 feet on the centre line; as these works
are on the steep sides of hills, ",0 the extreme heights and depths are
greater.
. The division for three-fourths of its length i:'\ on orùinary rolling
land; hut for the remaining distance it lies on steep rocky side-hill, by
\yhich it ascends from the valley of the river Wallace, to a hig-h sUln-
mit at Folly Lake, the highest point on the railway bctween1\letapedia
and Halifax. The height of this summit is t507 feet above the sea. and
thl' height of the lowest point, at Hiver Philip. near the west end of
the division, is
3 feet, so that the total ascent is 52-1 feet. On the
whole length there are eleven milps of steep grades varying from o.
o
in 100 to 1 in 100, H miles descending, and 9! miles ascending,
towards Truro.

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THE XOVA SCOTIA DISTRICT.

229

The curves are numerous and some are sharp; one, a -1: 0 curve,
1433 feet radius, is nearly
100 feet long; and another, a 3 0
U'
curve, radius 161
feet, is over 1
00 feet long. The totallengtll of
curves is above 10 miles, and the total curvature amounts to 10
.)o.
The tangents are all short except ill one instance, where the length is
5 miles.
On this division seven tunnels are introduced, in place of long
heavy culverts, in the ravines pa-.,sed over; three of 9 feet diameter, four
of 7 feet. The three former are rC'spectively
OO. 3.")5, and 370 feet
long. These seven tunnels are cut through solid rock; and require no
lining, except in the case of one, which, for a length of 211 feet in the
middle, required the protection of stone masonry 18 inches thick, with a
water-way of 6 feet. There are, moreover, several tunnels -I: feet wide
by 5 feet high, to take the place of box culverts for ordinary surface
drainage. These tunnels are constructed on a steep side-hill and answer
the purpose welL The small tunnels, at the upper end, have a wide
perpendicular well, cut into the rock. from the bottom of which the
incline commences, parallel to side-hilL Choking by floods and injury
to the road-bed are thus avoided. A depth of at least 6 feet of solid
rock has been maintained over the smaller, aud of 12 feet over the
larger passages so the conduits themselves are imperishable.
There are three bridges ou the division, one over the river Philip
with three spans each 100 feet wiùe. The two others have spans of
50 feet and r.o feet, over branches of the \Vallace river. There is
nothing peculiar in their construction. The extreme height of the
bridge over the river Philip is 6U feet.
The WOl'k was let in 186
to
Iessrs. H. J. Sutton & Co., for
$-I:l
,n5.). After executing work to the extent of
.)3,731, in 18fi9, the
('ontractors gave up their contract, as their prices were too low. The
remainder of their work was let in
Iay, 1870, for $.")57,750, to
Iessrs.
James Simpson & Co., the work to be completed on 1st July, 1871 ;
but it was not completed until the summer of 1872.
The total length ùf the division is 2H miles. The average quantity

230

THE INTERCOLOXIAL.

of excavation is about 45,
()0 cubic yards, and of ma:-.onry :142 cubic
yards, per mile. There are besides .576 lineal feet of cast iron pipe
culverts, and 1
03 lineal feet of tunnels.
The Resident Engineer from the commencement of the work until
the close of 1871 was Mr. Tom S. Rubidge, who had been employed in
the Exploratory surveys of 1
ö4. Mr. P. S. Archibald, his assistant
remained until the rails were laid, and had charge of the track
laying and ballasting.

DIVISION Z.

CONTRACT No. 12.

The first seven miles of this division have many curves, the line
windiug round headlands of the River Folly valley; the remainder of
the division has long tangents with some long flat curves.
As the Railway falls from Folly Lake, 1100 feet above the level of
the sea, to Truro, only a few feet above the sea level, many of the
grades &ore extreme, the greatest difference of level being 578 feet.
One continuous grade, more than two miles long, descends at the rate
of 1.
O in 100. There is an aggregate length of 5! miles on grades
descending at rates varying between 0.80 and 0.\
4 in 100. There are in
all 10! miles of heavy grades on the Section.
Several tunnels take the place of culverts under deep embank-
ments; with one exception, in compact conglomerate rock. all required
to be lined, the other six being huilt in soft red :mndstone, or rather a
hardened sandy clay.
The most important of the several iron bridges, is that over the
river Folly, with six spans of 100 feet, R2 feet in height from the bed
of the river, a striking structure built of durable sandstone of various
colours. The foundations are on rock, It spans t.
lC eastern portion

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THE NOVA SCOTIA DISTRICT.

231

of the valley at this place. A long narrow ridge, about 50 feet high,
divides the valley of the Folly from that of a smaller stream. This
seconù valley, 80 feet deep, is crossed by a solid embankment; the
stream Leing diverted through a tunnel into the Folly.
There are three low bridges, each with two spans of 100 feet;
another bridge, over the Salmon river at Truro, has three spans of 100
feet.
The work was let by contract in 1
69, to Messrs. Sumner and
Somers, for $597,600, to be completed on 1st July, 1871. But on
July 1st, 1872, although $551,000 had been paid to the contractors, the
work heing much behindhand, the Government undertook its completion
by days' labour. $105,000 in excess of the original contract sum has
been expended.
The total length of the division is 2H miles; the average quantity
01 excavation about -1:3,700 cubic yards per mile, and of masonry -1:62
cubic yards. Th<Jre are 1251 lineal feet of tunnels.
The Resident Engineer was Mr. \Vm, Hazen, who had been on
the location surveys of 1869. He was in charge until the close of
1871, after which the District Engineer took charge.
At Londonderry station, about 7 miles from the commencement of
the division, a branch 3 miles in length, runs to the Londonderry Iron
mines. It was constructed by the Mining Company.
At Truro, the Railway joins the line constructed from Halifax to
Pictou by the Government of Nova Scotia, before the union of the
Provinces.

CHAPTER XIII.

CONCLUDING REl\IARKS.

Scope of the Volume-General Statements-Openin
of Seetions-Gross Quantities of W ork-
Average Quantities per l\liIe-Total Expenditure-Review of the Boullllary Ques-
tiem-Diplomacy of the United State
-Sacrifiee of British Interests-The Lesson
Taught.....GeneraIUbsen.ations-The Railway and the Dominion-Histnrie'll Events-
Suggestive Associations-Men identified with the Uailway-A Coincidence-Open.
ing of the Line. .

It has been the aim óf the writer to give, in the preceding pages,
a concise account of the Intercolonial Hailway, in its several stages.
'Vhile setting forth the principal facts in its history, as far as he has
been ahle, the writer has also presented those suhsidiary events, which
have more or less influenced the project from the beginning. These
rccords may appear of doubtful utility to those who are familiar
with them; but, when the present actors shall have passed away,
the permanence of the record may be held by another generation
to he of some value,
The Railway will hereafter be known to the general public chiefly
on account of the advantages which it has created, and the con-
veniences which it has increased, To the statesman and the engineer,
its history has more suggestive teaching. The writer, however, does
not conceive it to be his province to enlarge on this view. It only
remains for him to add some general statements respecting the under-
taking, and so bring to an end the duty he has assumed, of record-
ing its vicissitudes and its successful consummation.
The line south of Moncton has been open since 1873, by which
means Rail way connection between St. John and Halifax was
attained. At the north the distance from River du Loup to St.

CO
CLUDI:SG RE)IARKS.

233

Flavie, 813 miles, was opened in August, 187-1:. Between Campbel-
ton and l\Ioncton, 185 miles, trains have been running, with some
interruptions, since last winter. The remaining sections are )Jow
completed, and the line may be considered fit for traffic throughout.
Tables are given, in the appendix, which lcihow the gross quanti-
ties of the work in each District, and the average quantities per mile
on each Division. Being based on the returns of actual measure-
ments, they may be regarded as authoritative.
They show that more than two hundred thousand cubic yards of
masonry has been built. and that the excavation amounts to sixteen
million cubic yards, of which nine to ten per cent has been rock.
Comparing the different Divisions, the lowest average excavation
per mile is 13,663, the highest 81,9\16 cubic yards. The lowest aver-
age of masonry is 179, the highest is 2,00-1: cubic)' ards per mile.
Making comparison of the four Districts, the average excavation
per mile is as follows: -

The St. Lawrence District
The Hestigouche District-
The Miramichi District
The N ova
cotia District - -

33,631 cubic yards.
33,000" "
31,940" "
30,200" "

The average masonry per mile may also be stated thus: -

The St. Lawrence District - - - - -
The Restigouche District - - - -
The l\Iiramichi District - - - - -
The Nova
cotia District - - - -

33:2 cubic yards.
557" "
376" "
330" "

On the line, as a whole, the average gives the excavation at 32,210
cubic yards, and the. masonry at 401 cubic yards per mile.
It is not practicable to state the precise cost of the several sections
in each case, as many of the claims advanced by contractors are unset-
tled. Moreover, some time must elapse before the entire ballasting
and draining are thoroughly.completed.

234

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

At this date, the capital account shows a total expenditure of
$21,.569,136.7!.1, on all services, including branch lines and rolling-
stock.
The statements of quantities and cost may be said to be all
that was needed to close the description of a work which, for so
many years, has Qccupied public attention, and which is now a fact
in the history of the Dominion. .
The Boundary question, no pleasant page in our records, might have
been briefly passed over: the consideration of it adds little to national
pride, or national satisfaction. But when we find that railway con-
nection with the nearest British Atlantic port is now attained by
traversing twice the distance which, under a just settlement of that
question, would have been necessary, the subject prominently pre-
sents itself; and the events which led to this condition of affairs
claim investigation that could not be avoided.
At this date, we look back with bewilderment at the extraordin-
ary series of negotiations which ended in the establishment of the
Maine Boundary, - a result which converted undoubted British ter-
ritory into foreign soil, which alienated the allegiance of thousands
of British suhjects, without their consent, and which made a direct
connection on our own soil, between Central Canada and the Atlantic,
an impossibility.
The diplomacy of the United States has not always appeared so
straightforward as it seems to have been in this matter. Individual
citizens may have acted in a captious, exacting and aggressive spirit.
But it is evident, throughout, that tht: Executive at 'Vashington
desired to settle the line of boundary, described in the Treaty of
178
, on a fair and equitable basis. Indeed, it is scarcely possible to
suggest a proposal more marked by sagacity and justice than that
made by President Jackson. The local irritation in Maine was a
minor quantity in the problem; General Jackson would have elimin-
ated it in a very simple manner. The truculence of a few provincial
politicians would have cost him little thought. In Lord Ashburton's

CONCLUDING REl\IARKS.

235

time the temper of individual citizens would have been as readily con-
trolled by Daniel 'Vebster, whose str('ngth of will would have been
little coerced by the now forgotten delegates sent to a
sist him.
The local irritation in
Iaine did not gain strength until years
after the rejection of the ,V a
hington propositions for a settlement.
The ill-feeling subsequently shown was strongly incited by the men
who sympathized with the Canadian rebellion of 183ï. Had the
offers made by the United States been accepted, the boundary would
have been satisfactorily established long before the period of the out-
break. Even in 11:\-12, it was po
sihle to fall back upon President
Jackson's offer, had Lord _hhburton po
sessed the least fitness for his
duties.
1'0 Canadian can reflect, without pain and humiliation, on the sac-
rifice of British interests in the settlement that was made. Yet
however strongly we may he actuated by this thought, we can have no
ill-feeling against the Gnited States. The fault doe
not lie \\ ith the
"T ashington Government. It is due to the ignorance of the merits
of the case, and to an indifference to the interests at stake, on the part
of the Imperial representative, who hall been entrusted with the pro-
tection of the rights and the honour of the Empire.
The Imperial authorities recognize the lesson taught by the Ash-
burton Treaty, in adopting the policy of the federation of the British
American Provinces, and in acting on the principle that no Canadian
interest shall hereafter be discussed in Imperial negotiations without
the pre!;;ence of a Dominion representative.
It is scarcely necessary to say that these remarks in no way point
to a severing of the tie that links Canadians to tlle Parent Land. The
universal feeling throughout the Dominion is, that British cOJ,nection
is a mainstay in our political existence; and the strength of that con-
nection has been shown by the way in which it has withstood occa-
sional shocks, among which may be reckoned the Treaty of 1842.
Though the Dominion has sustained an irreparable loss of inherit-
ance, she fully appnciates the advantages of her position. Ll1ller the

.

236

THE INTERCOLO
IAL.

fostering care of the Mother Country, she has passed peacefully into
the possession of illimitable acres, vast forests, inexhaustible deposits
of mineral wealth, and fisheries on three O{;e3.nS, Her still boundless
territory and resources will tax the energies and enterprise of her sons
for centuries, and may well afford room and welcome for the millions
who may seek her :óhores from less favoured lands.

For more than twenty years after the Ashburton Treaty, many
fruitless attempts were made to revive the railway project. Delega-
tion after delegation called upon the Home Government, without suc-
cess, to connect the several Provinces by railway,
o that British
America should have the meu,ns of inter-communication. Explora-
tions and surveys were indeed made, but no practical result followed
until the time arrived for the political union of the Provinces.
The Intercolonial Railway owes its existence to the creation of the
Dominion, although it may be said that neither could have been
consummated without the other.., One of the first efforts of united
British America has been the estahlishment of this line of COlll-
munication, to make intercourse possible between the Pro\'inces. It
is the railway which brings the l\laritime Provinces into connection
with Central Canada. At each extremity of the wilderness hitherto
unoccupied except by the hunter or the Indian, and never traversed
without difficulty, were found separate communities, each with the
sentiment that all had interests in common; all equally belonged to
the outer Empire of Great Britain; all were identified with her
glories and greatness; all had been devoted to her in the hour
of trial, yet all were denied means of intercommunication, and were
unable to unite for a common purpose. There is no longer an un-
penetrated wilderness to bar the hope of realizing all the benefits
of union. The Province
are now brought into daily conncction
and association. possessing identity of political life, with institutions
extending equal just:ce to all, covered with the ample flag of the
Empire, and with advantages which are unrival1ed. If we but prove
true to ourselves, our future prosperity is assured,

CnXCLrDIXG REMARKS.

237

It does not fall within the province of the writer to allude to the
pa!'t history of the country, or to make special mention of the places
of interest that are reached hy the Railway. The district now opened
up has, through want of communication, been hitherto cut off from
the every-day life of the re
t of C'anada; hut it pos::-.c::-.ses much
to repay the tourist. both in the variety and character of its land-
scape and in the traditions which throw a halo over many a locality.
The railway will give easy access to many of the scenes of the
long litruggle betweeJ] France and Britain for the mastery of the
:Korthern Continent, terminated by the triumph of 'Volfe at Quebec.
The record of many of these events is still imperfectly written.
The naval engagement on the Bay Chaleur, the fierce contests around
the now grass-grown Forts of Lawrence, Beausejour and :Moncton, are
seldom heard of; but the scenes of these conflicts are now made
acce
siLle; and some future hi!'torian, may, by the inspiration of view-
ing the ground. he induced to perpetuate the events. The expulsion of
the Acadians from their homes, which, 'Volfe declared, ., added
nothing to the renown of the King's arms," we may wish to forget.
The ever-memorable
Iiramichi fire, half a century ago, still remem-
bered, might well be entombed in similar oblivion; but the tale is to
be told, and to be remembered.
More than three centuries ago, Jacques Cartier, coasting by New
Brunswick, landed on its shores, to abandon them for an exploration
of the great river, with which his memory is for ever connected.
At a still earlier date fishermen from the Basque Provinces left
their Ri!'cayan homes. to enrich their country by the oil and ivory of
the walrus, which in vast herds frequented the Bay Chaleur and the
St. Lawrence, in those early days. Pushing investigation still far-
ther back, we meet the Indians, who held the country as a possession
from nature. 'Ye ask the remnants of this once fierce and numerous
race, and we ask the ethnologist, equally in vain, whence they came,
and from what stock they descended. The district traversed by the

23R

THE INTERCOLONIAL.

railway is full of suggestive associations, and cannot fail tf) awaken
the attention and interest of enquiring minds.
During the past forty years many public men, conspicuous 111 the
Councils of the several Provinces, have been identified with this rail-
way. Of late years another class, less prominent but more numerous,
have been the direct and immediate instruments in bringing the work
to its present completion.
All may feel an honest pride in this connection, whatever part
they played. Some may have toiled for renown: others have pa-
tiently and silently laboured for duty or for bread.
The traveller, who is borne onwards, moving in an hour a distance
which would have taken weeks to traverse thróugh the tangled forests.
scarcely casts a thought on the thousands of the sons øf labour, who
toiled so many days and years, in making smooth his path. Promi.
nent in the list are those who explored the forest, who traced the line,
and who directed the work to its completion. Their professional bro-
therhood and official relationship with the writer suggests to him
the duty of placing their names permanently on record. The En-
gineeri Ilg Staff, from the earliest explorations to the present time,
is given in the Appendix. It is a mournful duty more especially to
record the names of those who have fallen, and to pay the last
tribute to their memory.
It appears. from the account of Jacques Cartier's first voyage, that
011 the 1st July, 1534, at a point between the Bay Chaleur and Mira-
michi, he first planted his foot on the new Continent.
On the ht July. 17ô1, the great Indian Chief, Argimault. whose
race had long warred against the British settlers, met the authorities
at Halifltx, and terminated the Indian wars, by declaring perpetual
submission to Great Britain. and with great solemnity buried the
hatchet for ever.
The Dominion 6ame into being 333 years after the bold navigator
of St. Malo landed on the shores of Acadia; and the anniversary of its

CO:-JCLUDING RE)IARKS.

239

Lirth in the present year marks another important epoch in the his-
tory of the country. On this day, July 1st, 1876, may be chronicled
the completion of the Intercolonial Railway, and the full COlJsum-
mation of the union of the British Provinces in North America.

..

APPE:KDIX.

TAnI.E of Gross Quantities of the principal kinds of work executed on the
\\ hole line.

DE;;CRIPTlO
OF 'VORI
.

QCAXTITIFS.

.

Forest clearing - - - -
Earth e"C:J.,ation - - - - -
Rock excanttion - - - - - -
Total e"\:C:\,ation -
1\Iasonry

Iron pipe culverts, 2,188 lineal feet. equal to substi-
tuter! ::\Iasonry - - - - - - - - - -
Tunnel!. for strf'arns, 4,8ß2 lineal feet, equal to sub-
stituted ::\1asonry - - - - - -
Concrete - - - - - - - - - - -
Iron Brid:re superstructure - - - - - - -
Timber Bridge superstructure - - - -
Cross Ties (Sleepers) - - - -
Steel Rails - - - -

Iron Rails - - -

5,1 fi2 Acres.
1-1..:;-16.218 Cubic yards.
1.5-13.577 Do.
16,OH
.7
.1 Do.
200,-167 Do.
8,000 Do.
2.'>.000 Do.
12.000 Do.
I-tHO Lineal feet.
830 Do.
1,2:;O,OOU
43..'>uO Tons.
4.500 Do.

16

-t2

APPE:SDIX.

TABLE, shewing averag(' quantities of Excm:ation and 11/asonryj per mile.

DJSTRIC1.

I I:::
.
E
-:;:

is ..J

.........;
o

ö.;:;

g
U

EX('AVATION.
1 ,.:\lAsmmY
\ Per cClItage l__
Cu. ytls. Hoek Earth Cu. )"<18.

1 17, GK5 7 9S :;W.')
2 36.::00 100 li03
5 32..-,77 1;:; 8.; 320
8 13,G65 4 % 179
13 t;UJ% 2{) 80 4::!:3
14 ::!0,770 8 I
I:;! '20:3
1- 1- 1 -'--
33,G:31 I 11 I 89 I 3:iì
I
17 29,7 1 iK 6 !J-! 4S,)
18 44,li.ï-! 10 90 4-1.;
1!1 48.!I,ï-! IS H7 ]0:J4
3 ::!.ï.GK7 9
I 1 477
6 2.ï,7:3-! 1.1 ! IH 4 {l72
2
9 ::!i,1 K.ï l-! HG I 3a!'
15 51,n.-,!! 1 !I!) I,Oft1

r - :W.{JOO - 100 2;:;0
V - 1 ;,.Hli;; 5 9.; 212
W 11 27,7;;0 - 100 2!JO
X 4 2';.771 7 9:1 41H
y 7 4,;.2(;2 I 7 !IS 342
Z I 12 4:3,71 U 18 H2 4G2

St. La wrellce District

" !.....
.' "
" "
"

A"erages, St. Lawrence District

I{cbtigouche Dbtrict -

" "
" "

" "

"

" "

A"era!!e
, Ih
btigouche District

1\Iiramichi Di
trict

" "

" "

" "

" "

Averages, l\[iramichi District

Nma Scotia Dj,.,trict

'I. "

to' "

h "

" "
" "

Awrag
, Nova Scotia Di
trictl

A"crag('
for the wholc LiolC

A
B
C
D
}

F

G
II
I
K
L
l\[
N

----,-'

33,000

8

o
l'
Q
R

T

II; IH,.')!I4 H 9H!'
10 47.:1;:;2 !It 90 4
20 47,411 3 97
21 32,042 I!) 81
22 2!I,I:W I 7 !,:!
23 2H,U4.) 5 I 95
1---1---
I 31.940: 71 I 92
I

92 I

557

172
430

2004

21;9
2
19
:270

376

I I ',".2"" 10 ' '" \ 03"
,---"71 3
.210 1 9 -,---;ï-4m

AI'PEXDIX.

243

THE SHORT OCEAN PASSAGE.

EXTRACTR FRO)I THE CHIEF EXGIXEEr.'S REPORT OF lRG.>, ON THE
EXPLORATORY St::'RVEY FOR THE I
TEl{COLO
IAL RAILW.\.Y.

., Xewfou\l(Uand, a large Island off the main land of Xorth America, and
Ireland, an Island off the European coa
t, resemble each other in being similar
outl) ing; portionb of the Continents to which they re
pectÌ\ e1y belong. Po

ibly
they mOl) lu\\ e a more important similarity and relationship, through the remark-
ahle geographical po
ition \\hich they hold, the one to the other, and to the great
centre
of population and commerce in Europe and America.
A glance at thp chart of the Atlantic will shew that between Ireland and
:Kewfoundland, the Ucean can be spanned by the shortest line.
Ireland is separatt'd from England antl Scotland by the Irish Channel; Xcw-
foundland IS separated from Xew Brunswick and Xova Scotia b) the Gulf of
St. Lawrence. Alrp:uly rail\\ ays have reached the western coast of Ireland and
brought it within sixteen hours of the British capital. Were it possible to
introduce the Locon1Uti\e into Xewfoundland and establi
h steam communication
bet\\een it and the cities of America, a route would be created from Continent
to Continent, having the Ocean Pas
age rerluced to a minímum.
This route would not be open for traffic throu
hout the whole ) ear; during
certain mçmth;:;, the direct course of steamers would be so impl'de(1 b,\" floating
ice, that it couM not with certainty 01' safet) he traversed. It then.forc remains
to be seen whpther the route Ims sufficient advantages ,\hilst O!WI\, to recommen(l
its establishment and use, during probably not more than seven months of the
year.
In thi
respect thc Xewfoundlaml route mu
t be viewed prp('i-ely in the
same light 3" many other line of tram(. in Xorth America. mul po-sihl) it ma)
he found of eqnal importance. Of tIll

WOl'h
may bp IUpntiont.d the Canal
of
Camula and the Lnited States. \\ hid, nlthough elo,ed to traffic .luring wintcI',

244

APPE
DIX.

ha\ e justified the expenditure of enormous SUlliS of money in their original con-
struction, and in repeated enlargements anù extensions.
lhl\ing alludeù to the great objection to 8 route across Sewfoundlalld, we
may now proceed to enqnire into its merits.
The track of steamers from the British coast to Sew York, and to all poillts
north of Xpw Y ork. l'a"
es Ireland and
e\\foumlland. either to the 1I0rth 01' to
the "out h; the mo!>t u
ual course, however, is to the south of hoth Islands. '" es-
s..ls hound wp&terly, make for Cape Race ou the south-ea
tcrly coa
t of x...w-
foumllaml; whilst those bound ea
terly. make Cape Clear on the south-\H'
terly
an
le of Ireland. Xot far from Cape Hace is the lIarbour of St. .Johns, :1IIÙ
npar Capp ('leal' i
the Harhour of Yalentia; the one is the most easterly Port
of America, the other is the mo"t westerly Port of Europe. They are lli"tant
from each other ahout 1 r.-tO miles.
The Iri
h Railways are not yet extended to Yall'1\tia, hut they have reached
Killarney, within ahout 30 mile
of it.
From St, .Tohns across Xe\\fOlllldlaml to the Gulf of
t. Lawrence, dIP di
-
tance is prohahl)' about 300 mill's. On thc ðt. L,u\Tence coa
t of the Island, the
Chart she\\s two Harhours, either of v. hich may be found availahle as points of
tran"hipmpnt; the one St. George's nay, the other, Port au Port; they fire
situ:tted near pach other. and both are equally in a direct line from St. Johns
v. ..sterly to the main land.
On the westerly "hore of the Gulf. we find at the entrance to the Bay Cha-
It'ur. the Harbour of Shippi
an. From St. Geor
es Ba.' to Shippigan. the dis-
tance is from 2-t0 to 2.;0 miles. Shippigan may he connected hy means of the
"olltl'mplatl'.) Illtercolonial Railway with Canada and the rnitf'd States.
The line of Steam communication from Great Britain across Ireland amI

.." fouJIIl1:Ul(l. and hy the contemplated Intercolonial Railwa) to the Interior of
Xorth America, possps
ps somp important recommcndations as \\ ill presently be
se"n. It will.,llOwevpr, first he necp"sary to allude to the quc
tion of !>pppd.
At the pl'ose1\t time Ocean Stt'amcrs generally carry both freight and passen-
gers, allli in this T'e"lwct they are lihe what are termed "mi"e.) train
" on Rail-
\Va,\'s. These mi
ed trains are emplo.' pd to
el'\'e localities v. here there is not
sufficient pa
sellger ami freight traffic to ju
tify the running of
eparate trains.
On railways doing a largt' business. the traffic is properly classificd; fast
train
are run to CaIT} pa,,,engcrs 3ml mails ollly,
hilst slow trains are useù to

APPE
DIX.

2-15

convey he:1\ y freight. A similar classification of Ocean traffic may be sug
e
ted.
Freight will natUl'aIly go by the cheape"t mode of conve) ance. while Pa

eng('rs
ann )lails will seek the speediest.
It is .",eIl b.nown that the shape of a
t('arnship, other things beiug equ'll,
gO\ erns her speed. The shape again depends on the load
he may be constructed
to carry: if the ship is reqnired only for mails and pa
sengers :ulli such, oyagl's
as need but a small y'uantity of fuel, she may be constructed on a model buth
sharp and Ii
ht, and thus be capable of running more rapi(ll) than if built t.o
carry hea, y and hulky load
. .A steamship for he:1\ y Io:uls may l,e cumpared to
a dra) horse, ",hiht one made specially fur passen
ers and rapid tran
it, ma.\'
re.;emble a race horse, and Iib.e the latter, the le
s weight carried the 11I01"e speed
will be made.
If these ,iews are correct, it is clear that the speed of Ocean Stpalllshil's
might be con
iderably increa-ed when constructed for a
peÓal purpose. The
(li
t:mæ bet\\een St. Johns (XewfollIulIand) and Yalentia. i, not mu('h Illore than
half the distance between Li,erpool and Xew York; ann henc(' about half the
quantity of coal and supplies ,\Vuld be re(luired for the pas-age, between the
former point,.
It is (Iuite obvious, therefore, that a ste:\m,hip constructed
ppcially to run
bet\\een St. Johns and Valenth. and for the purl'o
e of canTing only pas
engers
and mails. with such light e\:pre,s matter a" usually goes by pa'senger trains,
,",ould attain a higher rate of
peed than e:\.isting ocean hteamers.
A rate of 1ôt miles per hour is thought to he quite po

ible: the di,tance
betwecn Yalpntia and St. Johns is 16-tO mile
. At this a"snmed rate therefore
the ocean pa"sage might be accompli,hed in lilt) hour".
'Vith regard to the speed on land. it appears from nra(l
haw's Railway
Guide, that the Iri,h mails are re
larly carried bet\\een LOIHlon :Uld IIul)head
at the rate of -to miles an hour including stoppa!!;es. that the Irish Channel is
cro
sed at the rate of 16 miles an hour, including the time re'luired for tl'an"hip-
mcnt at IIolyhead and Kin)!stou, an.] that the mail.; reach (lueenstown MIllie 16
hours after they leave London. YaIcntia i, very little further from Dublin than
Queenstown, and on tllP completiou of a railway to Yalentia, there is nothing to
pre\ent it being reached from London in the same time now occnpie(l in carrying
the mails to Ql1eenstown.
Galway ha, been mcntioneù as a proper point to connect with oceau

-t6

APPEKDIX.

steamers, it is fu]]y an hour nearer London than Valentia, but probably three
hours (in time) further from America.
.Although 40 miles an hour is a common rate of speed on the railways in
Eng1and, it is not usual to mn so rapidly on the Americau side of the Atlantic.
On the leading pa-senger routes in the rnite(l States, 30 miles an hour
indUflin)! stoppages is attaine!l. 'Vith the rail track and rolling stock in a
good condition, there is no difficulty in running at thc
e rates of !'peed. There-
fore, a minimum rate of 30 miles an hour, may reasonably he as"umed as that at
\\hich the mails might be carried overland. to \arious point
hereafter referred to.
lI:n ing fixed upon a practicable rate of spee(l by land and water, tlIe time
necessary for the com eyanee of the ;\Iails irom London to Xew York, by the
projected route, may now be ascertained:

From London to Yalentia at present rate of speed in England
Yalentia to St. .J nhns, 1640 miles at 1 6! mile
per hour
Ht. Juhns to St. Georges, .
" St. Georges to Shippigan, 250 miles at 16! miles per hour
" Shippigan to :Kew York, !JOG miles at 30 miles per hour

. 16 hours
100 "

8! "
15! "
31 "

Total,

171 hours.

It is thus apparent, that withont assuming rates of speed at a]] e:\.traordi-
nary, it wonltl be possible to carry the mails from London to 1Sew York in 171
hours, or 7 k day!'. by the route pa_sing over Ireland, Xewfoundland, and by the
propo"ed Intf'rmlonial Hailway from Shippigan.
In oroer to compare the route referred to \\ ith existing line!', the results of
the past year (lH64) may now be presented.

l'ASSAGES BETWEE
LIVERPOOL AII'D NEW YORK.

:Kame of Steam"hip Line.
Inman LÙle.-Average of 52 Eastern and
52 "-estern passages
Shurtest pa"sages .
Cunard Line.-Average of 27 Eastern
and 2.1 "-estern pa-sages
Shortest passages .

,,- est'n Pas. East'n 1'as. 1\1 ean.
d. h. m. d. h. m. d. h.
13 1!J 11 12 18 34 13 7
11 5 0 10 ;) 0 10 17
11 12 46 1U 11 42 11 0
9 17 0 9 3 0 9 01

APPEXDIX.

2-17

PASS\.GES BETWEE
SOUTHA'1PTON AXD XEW 'lORK_

Xame of Steamship Line
Hamburg Line.-Average of 23 "estern
and 2.3 Eastern passages
Shortest passages .
Bremen Line-Average of 20 Eastern
and :?:? W. estern pa
sages
Shortest pas
ages .

"T e"t'n Pas. Ea'it'n Pas.
Ican.
d. h. m. d. h. m. d. h.
13 11 46 12 15 53 13 1
10 9 0 10 17 0 10 13
It R 'r 12 9 42 ]3 9
-,
10 17 0 10 19 0 10 18

From the above it will be seen, that while the mean average of all the pa"s-
ages. made he tween Liverpool or Southampton ,md X ew Y orl., mngl'
from 11
days up to 13 days 9 hours; it is estimated that by Ireland, XewfoundlalHl, aIllI
Shippigan. the passage could be made in 7 dol.';; 3 hours. nearly four days less
time than the lowest mean a\erage, and two days less than the shortest of 246
pa"'sa!!e
, if not the ,.er!J shortest pa
"age on n
cord. These advantages alone are
Imfficient to attract the attention of business men. but the great recommemlation
of the Xewfoundland route to most travellers, wouhl he the !'.hortening of the
Ocean pa'isage 'proper, from 26-1 honrs (the average by the Cunard line) to 100
hours.
The above comparison has been made becau
e the greatest number, amI per-
haps the best, Ocean Steam"hip Lines ('un to Xew York. _-\ similar comparison
with the Bo<;ton, Portland, and Quebec lines, would "how a resnlt still more in
fa,'or of the Xewfoundlaml route.
The following table, giving the time rl'quired between London and, arious
points in Xorth America, will show at a glance the great advantage \\ hich would
accme to the people of both hemispheres by the establishment of the sllOrt Ocean
passage TO/lte. B.' this table it will be seen that the )Iails from LOIulon. could
not only be carried to an parts of the Briti"h Prodnces. and to an point
in the
:Korthern States. in a marvenously short space of time hy the route herein pro-
jected. but that it is quite possible to deliver them on the shores of the Gulf of
l\lexi(:<) Ù, nine da!Js,-lesf'. time, in fact, than the shortest passages of the Cunard
or of any other Steamers between Li\-erpool and Xew York,

2-18

APPEXDIX.

Time required to carry tIle Jlails by tlte Proposed Short Ocean Passage, and by tIle
Intacolouial Railwayfrom Sltippiglln.

From Londou to St. .10Ims, X.F. 4 days 2U hours.
., " Shippigau 5 .. 2U .,
" " Halifax 6 " 5 "
" " St. John, :rì. B. 6 " 4 "
" " Quebec 6 " 10 "
" " 1\1ontreal 6 " 16 "
" " Toronto 7 " 2 "
" " Buffalo 7 " 6 "
" " Detroit 7 ,. 8 .,
" " Chicago 7 " 20 "
" " Albany 7 ., 0 "
" " New York - 7 " 3 "
" " Boston 6 " 1!J "
" " Portlanrl 6 " 15 "
" " New Orleans 9 " 0 "

Haying
hown that by shortening the orean passage acr-os
the Atlantic to a
millimum, the time of transit between the great centres of bu
iness in Europe
and America cau be very greatly reduced; so much so indeed, that a 1'l'>I-onable
hope lllay be entertained tlJat the entire Mail matter passing hatween the two
Continents. may eventually be attracted to the new route, it may he well now to
enquire what pruportion of pa
sengers may be e"{pectc(l to trayel over it.
Before 1838 the only mode of crossing the .\.tlantic was by sailing ships;
the pa
sa
e commonly occupied from sh: to ten weeks. until the intro(luetion of a
superior class of vessels 1.no"-n as the American Liners; these fine ships made
an !n"erage homeward passage of 24 days, aud an average outw:ml pa'
age of 36
days.
The year lR3R saw the h{'ginning of a New Era in transatlantic communil'a-
tions. Two Steam vessels crossed from shore to shore; one," The Sil'iu
," left
Cork on .\.pril 4th, anotllPr. "The Great "r estern." left Bri-tol on _\.pril 8th,
and tb('y hoth arrivcd at Xew York on the same da:y. the 23d of April; the av('r-
age iòpeed of th,.. former waS 161 miles per day, that of the latter 208 miles per
d
y.
" The Great ". estern" continued to run from 1838 to 1844. ma1.iIJ
ill all 84
passtlges; she ran the outward trip in an average time of 15! days, and the home-
ward trip in an a"era
e time of 13t days.
The CUIillrd Line commenced running in July, 18-10, with three steamers, "The

APPE5DIX.

249

Britannia," "The Acadia," and "The Caledonia," under a contract with the
Briti
h GO\ erument to make monthly pa..
ages.
lnltl-l(j, under a new contract, the Cunal'd Company undertook to despatch a
::\Iail Stpamer once a fortnight from Liverpool to Halifax and 13o
ton, and
another ::\lail Steamer once a fortni
ht from Liverpool to Xew York. This ser-
vice has been maintained "ith amazing regularity and increasing efficiency to the
present day.
These were the pioneers of a system of Ocean Steam X'nigation which has
already done so much to increase the intercourse between the two continents'
By reducing the length and uncertainty of the vo
ages a., well a
the incon-
venicnce
, in man
ca-e
. the mi-eries. "hieh pa>>>>engers haa pre\'iou>>ly to endure,
a vast deal of good ha
been accompli"hed.
The number awl tonnage of steamships engaged in carrying pa
seng"rs and
good.; bet\\een the Bl'itish l..lands and Xorth Amcrica. has of late
ears increa-ed
with "ollllerful rapidit}. In lRG! no le
s than tl'n regular lines of Ucean
steamers" erf' emplll
ed in running either to Xew York or to porh nUl.th of that
city in thp Cnite,l State" or in Canada. Of the"e ten lines. t"o "cre "eekly and
eight fortni.
ll!ly. e'Jlli\alent in all to six weekly line
: so that thcre were on an
avemgf' "h, -tl'am
hips le:1\ ing each side weekl.v. or nearly one 1'\ ery day,
The total numher of pa--,'ngers carried by these val'iou" Steam line
during the
past year" a
I:J3,:n ï, and by far the largest number travelled during the Summer
months.
It \\()Uld not take a very large proportion of Pas
engers cro

ing in anyone
year to gi\ e emplo
ment to a daily line of Steamers on the short Oep:Ul P:wmge
route from St. .Tohn to ,. alentia or to Galway. A total numher of -1.000 eaeh
wa)" wonltl gÏ\..
oo pa"
engf'rs each trip, for se\ en months in the )- car.
It is 01.\ iou., then that there is alreadyahundance of Pa"-engcr traffic, if the
purely pa--enw'r route Ullller di-cu"sion, po"..p,se" sufficient attraction
. To settle
thi" point tllP :1Ih antagp., and disad\ ant'l
es of the route mll'it be fairly weighed.
The ohstruction., uffered by floating ice during sP\'croll month., in the year, are
insuperable \\ hill' they last; ,luring this period IIalifa'l:: or some cqually good port,
open in wint..r, will be a\ ailahlf'.
The frequent tran"hipment'i from Railway to Steam-hip. and cire !'I'/"Sfl. may be
eon!'.idererl h,v ,ome an nhje(.tion to the route; for COl1\'ey:ulCe of Fr..ig-ht they
certainly would he ohjectionahle, bllt mo_t p:b
l'n!!erS woultl prohahh' con
ider the
tran..hipml'lIt-, agreeahle challges,:t" th{'
would relieve the tedium of the journey,

2.jO

APPE
DIX.

"
ith re
ard to the comparative safety of this route, it would "eem as if
the tuh'antagp
were gl't'atly in its favour. The portion of a \'o,yage l'l:'t\\ een Xl'\\'
York allll Liverp')ol, whieh !'eamen least fear, is that from Irpl:ulII to Xe\\ fouml-
Iauù. It is wdl knu\\ n that thf' mo
t dangerou
part of tllp whole \o,yage i" along
the American ('oasi bet\\ een Xew York allll Cape llacl", \\ here thick fogs so
fre(luently prevail; this coast line is about 1.000 miles in Ipngth. amI it ha
been
the sl:cne of the larger number of the disastel's \\ hidl have Ol:curre(!. Xo less than
fOUl'teen or fifteen Oceau Steam"hips have been lost on this portion of the
Atlantic Seaboard,

The route \\hich favours increased seclll'ity from sea-risks, allll which is the
shortest in point of time, must eventually hecome the cheapest, awl in conse(Iuence
the most fre1lucnted. If then thc route propo
t'd across :Kewfollllllland and
Ireland avoids many of the dangers of existing routes, and reduces the Ocean
passage proper to I no hour
, woulrl not the cUITent of tr:l\ el naturally seck this
route in preference to other
. during the open season?
If. a
it ha
been shewn, this route wouM I'educe the time between London and
Xe\V York some three or four days, amI bring Toronto one thÎl'.IIH'arf'r Liverpool
(in time) than Xew York is now; if it \\ouM J.!Ï\:e the merchant in C'llÏcago his
Endish letters four or five da\'S earlier than hp has e\er } et rPI'..Ï\ I'd tllI.m ; if it
be ;,ossihle by thi" propose a r
ute to lift the mails in LOl;donJallll lay them down
in Xl'\\' Orleans in le
s tim(' than they have e\er yet reache,l XI'\\' York, then
it surely poss('
s('s wh'antagt's which must eventually estahli
h it. not simply as an
Inter-Colonial. bnt rather a, an Inter-Continental line of communication,
These are purely comnwl'cial considerations. and however important they may
he as such. the Statf'
man wíll rearlily perceive, in the project. a(hantages
of another kiml. It lpay he of some consequence to eüend to Xe\\ ìoumUallfl. a5
well as to thi' oth..r ProvilH'f'S of B1"Íti
h .\merica, tllt' h..nefit
of rapia inter-com-
munication. It \\ ill proha hly accorrl with Imperial )loliey to fo
ter tIlt' :-ìhippinJ.! of
the Gulf, and to encourage the buihling up of such a Fleet of swift Steam 'rs as a
Daily Line aero
s the Ocean would require, II mu't surely be important to the
Empire. to Sl'eure in perpetuity the control of thl'
l'l'at Big'hw:!." hetween
thc t \\ 0 ('ontinellts. It mu-t be eqnally her policy to develop the rc
ourees and

romote the pro
perity of these Colonies-and to hind mOl'(, dosely, hy ties of
mutual benefit, the friendly relationship which happily cxists between the people
on both sides of the Atlantic."

APPE
DIX.

:!;)1

THE EXGIXEEIUSG STAFF. .

1t;û3 to 1876.

Gentlemen engaged \\ ith the Enginper-in-Chief in the reconnoissance made
during the \\ inter of lRG3-G!.

Thoi'e recol"llpd in italics are now dead.

"T. II. TRE:\IAlr-'E,
J. Royer Smith,
.Alex. Fraser,

H. J. CA'IBIE,
John Flemi"g,
H. Bradley.

STAFF O
THE EXPLORATORY S{)RVEY.

1
6-t.

Those recorded in italics are now dead.

Engineers in Clwrge.

DAVID
T \Rli:,
"-,\LTER LAWSON,

"-. II. TRnI.UNE,
TO'I S. I{LBIDGE,

So HAZLEWOOD.

.Ass istants.

H. J. CA'IBIE,
J. F. Gn."DET,
G.
JIc Guire,

EDWAUD LAWSON,
'L B. LEATHER,
A. Williamson.

w: G. Belli1frs.

Junior .Assistants.

C. BLACKWFLL,
J. F. Darwell,

E. H. KEATING,
J. R. Smith.

Erplorers.

H. Bradley,

.Alex. Frasf'T.

252

APPENDIX.

STAFF ON THE PRELUt1L
ARY SURVEY.

D. STARK,
H. J. CA'IIBIE,
TnOJIAS HAJlISAY,

1865.

,V. II. TRE
IAINE,

s. HAZLEWOOD,
S. PARKER TUCK,
C. UDELL.

STAFF ON THE Pr.ELUtUNARY S1o"ItVEY.

W. H. TREJIAINE,
C. ODFLL,
H. A. F. MACLEOD,
"-JI. II \ZE
,
E. 'Y. JARVIS,
J. R. f-;}IlTH,
II. DONh.IN,
"., DAL E HARRIS,
H. A. GRAY,

.1867.

s. lIAzU:WOOD,
J.UIES ODELL,
HEXRY CARRE,
"T. G. BELLAIRS,
E. [I, KEATING,
J. JFLLETT,
ALEX. SCIn.:mIAN,
"T. JOHXSTON,
C. II. ::\IcLEOD.

APPENDIX.

STAFF OY THE LOCATION SURVEY.

18G8.

Chief Engineer's Office.
W. J. FORREST, .A,.,sistant. T. R. BURPE, Secretary.
District Engineers.
W. H. TRnIAINE,
S. HAZI,EWOOD.

C. SCRRFIßER.
l\IARCLS ::;'HTR,

\Y. II. E. NAPIER,
R. 1\ICLI:XXAX.
H. A. F. M-\cLEOD,
'W.1\1. Br;-Cl;:,
JOHN LINDSAY,

L, G. BELL,
J. J. l\ICGEE,
W M. 1\1 t:RDOCH,
COLIN CAR
IAX,
R. CARR HARRIS,
E. H. IÜ:.unw,
A. BRISTOW,

H. S. LANGTON,
G. R. FELLOWES,
W. l\ICCARTHY,

Engineers in

Charge.
P. A. PETERSON,
IIFXRY C-\RRE,
R. SHAXLY,
J. R. IIARTLEY,
'V3I. HAZEN,

E. LAWSON.
.Assistant Engineers.
THOS. REYNOLDS, JUNR.
W. l\ICPIIILLIPS,
G. II. GARDEN,
E. A. IL\ImIS,
"T. D. HARRIS,
J. R. S3HTH,
JA1IIES CAD\IAN,

J. E. MORSE.
Juniors.

H. N. RUTTAN,
J. JEI.LETT,
J. A. DICKEY,
P. S. ARCIIIBALD.

253

254

APPENDIX,

STAFF O
LOCATION AKD COXSTRUCTION.-l
G!1.
Cltief Engineer's ().fJi.ee.
W. J. FORREST, Assistant, T. R. BCRPE, Secretary.
District Engineers.
J\IARCCS S'IITH. A. L. LIGHT,
S. HAZLEWOOD, 'V. H. THE3L\INE.
Engineers in Charge.
W. II. E. SAPIER,

L. G. BELL,
'V. F. BIGGAR,
R. McLJ:NNAN,
P. A. PETERSON,
T. S. HnIIDGE,
E. LAWSON,

JOU!\i LINDSAY,
HEYRY CARRE,
R. SU-\NLY,
C. ODELL,
II. A. F. :\1 AcLEOD,
,Yo .J. ('RO -\SDALE,
G. H. lIEx:>lLnv.
Assistant Engineers.

F. .J. Lyxcn.
W. .1\1. BUCK,

THos. REYNOLDS, Jr.,
L. CHANIH,ER,
A. BmSTOW,
J. R. McDoNELL,
F. BOLGER,
C. BLACKWELL,
):3. D. l\ICCONl>o ELL,
A. J. HILL,
J. B. IInay,
J. L. P. O'IIANLY,
E. A. 'YIUIOT,
E. H. KEATING,
J. F. DARWALL,
COLIN CAR3IAN,

'V,[. J\Inmocn,
t. D. TAl LOR,
J. J. l\Ic(
LE,
G. E. )[cLAeGHLIN,
J. C. BROWN,
R. C. HARRIS,
E. A. II -\RRIS,
G. H. G-\RDEN,
J. "T. ,?OBERTS,
P. 'VOODGATE,
THos. RA '[SAY,
J. ROn:R S3IITH,
E. "T. .JARVIS,
H, DONKIN.

Juniors.

H. S. LAXGTO..-,
G. R. FELLOWES,
H. N. UUTTAN,
P. S. ARCHIllALD,

W. 1\IcCARTnT,
J. JELLETT,
C. MORSE,
J. A. DICKEY.

APPEXDIX.

STAFF ON COXSTnrcTlo)<.-1SïO,
('/tief Engineer's Office.
'W. J. FORREST, Assistant. T. R. IkRPE, S
cretàry.

District Engineers.
SA,rGFL H \ZLEWOOD, )I-\RCG:5 SmTH,
A. L. LIGHT, ,Yo H. TRDI-\IXE.
Engineers in Charge.
H. )[CLEXXAN.
W. II. E. X -\PIER,

L. G. BELL,
H. .J. CAmUE,
P. A. PFTI'RSOY.

JOllY LIXD:5-\Y.
"T. G. BELLAIR:5,
C. UDI'LL.

'W. F. BIGGAR,
E. LAW"OX.
"-. J. CHOASDALE,
III'XRY CARRE.
F. J. L'XCH,
''\. .T. .FITZGERALD,
'L n. S,rELLIE,

Pt.TER l;R \XT,
"'. G. TJI(nrl':50N,
W. ,;\I. BCCK.
II. ..\, F. .:\hcLEOD,
G. II. Ih:x"H nv.

Assistant Engineers.
THo:::. REYXOI.DS, Jr., "'\r. l\[rRDOCH,
G. E. )IcL.-\rGIILIN, J. C. Bt:owy.
A. BRI:;Tow, J. J. )lcGEE,
H. S. L-\XGTON, F. BOLGER,
J. R. )[CDOYELL, T. D. TAYLOR,
L. ClI-\"DLER, G. R. FELLOWES,
J. B. HEGAY. J. 'W. ROBERTS,
COLIX CAlnIAN, B. D. l\ICCOXYELL,
G. II. GumEN, H. DO"KI!\'.
L. B. HA,rLIN, J. F. D-\RWALL,
R. C. HARRIS, 'Y,r. G05:5IP. .Tr.,
J. ROYER SmTH, E. W. J -\RVIS,
E. H. KEATING, P. S. .\RCHIBALD,
C. BLACI
WELL, E. A. WIL'WT,
P. ".OODGHE, J. L. P. Ü'HAXLY,
H. P. BELL, A. J. HILL.
Junio1's.

'W. )[CCARTIlY,
C. MORSE,
P. S. ARCHIBALD,

H. N. RuTTAN,
J. JELLETT,
J. A. DICKEY.

55

256

APPENDIX.

STAFF ON CONSTRUCTION.
1871.
Chief Engineer's Office.
W. J. FORREST, Assistant. T. R. llGRPE, Secretary.
District Engineers.
A. L. LIGllT,
Run;EL HAZLEWOOD.

W. H. TRE'IAINE.

J\!ARcr;s S
IITH,

C. SCHREIBER,
H. J. CA:\IBIE,
JOH
LINDSAY.
W. G. BELLAIRS,
1V. G. TnmIPSON,
E. LAWSON,
C. ODELL,
W. 1\1. BUCK,
P. A. PETERSON,
T. S. RGBIDGE,

Engineers in Charge.
L. G. BELL,
J. R. McDoXELL,
HEXRY CARRE,
PETFR GRANT,
H. A. F. 3I.-\.cLEOD,
1\'. J. .FITZGERALD,
1Y. n. S'IELLlE,
F. J. L'\
cH,
G. II. HEYSHAW,
C. BLACKWELL,
W. J. CROASDALE.

.Assistant Engineers.
THOS. REYNOLDS, Jr., T. D. TAYLOR.
L. CHANDLER, II. S. LANGTON,
L. B. HA:lILlN, G. E. l\ICLAUGHLlN,
F. BOLGER, J. C. Bnowy,
G. W. l\ICCREADY, J. .T. l\ICGEE,
G. R. FFLLOWES, J. R. IIEGAN,
R. CARR :HARRIS, J. ROYER S:lIITn,
E. ",Y. .JAR'"IS, 1Y,n. GOSSIP, Jr.,
}:. A. .Wn,:lIOT, J. A. DICKEY,
H. DmmIN, II. P. BELL,
G. II. GARDEN, A. J. HILL.
Juniors.

W. l\lcCARTny,
H. N. RGTTAN,

C.l\IORSE,
J. JELLETT,
P. S. ARCHIBAJ,D.

APPENDDI...

STAFF ON COKSTRUOTION.
IRï2.

Chùf EU.lIilll'er's Office.
W. J. FORREST, A""istant. f. R. HURPE, Secretary.
District E'lgineers.
A. L. LIGHT, L. G. BELL,
SA 'IUEL II -\ZL EWOOD, C. SCHREIBER.

H. J. CA11BIE,
J. R. l\ICDONELL,
W. G. THO'IPSON,
PETER GRANT,
W. J. FITZGERALD,
W. 1\1. BUCK,
C. BLACKWELL,
E. LAWSON,

H. S. LANGTON,
W. MCCARTHY,
G. R. FELLUWES,
G. W. :\ICCREADY,
G. H. l\IIDDLETON,
R. CARR HARRIS,
J. JELLETT,
C. l\IORSE,
'\V.u. GO::;SIP, Jr.,
E. A. WILMOT,

Engineers in Charge.
JOHN LIYDSAY,
\V. G. BELLAIRS,
H. A. F. l\IAcLEOD
\V. B. S'IELLIE,
F. J. LYXCH,
,Yo .J. CROASDALE,
P. A, PETERSON,
C. ODELL.

Assistant Engineers.
T. D. TAYLOR,
J. J. l\ICGEE,
JAS. CADMAN,
J. C. BROWN,
J. B. BROPHY,
H. N. Rt:TTAN,
G. H. GARDEN,
II. DO:!'lKIN
P. S. ARCHIBALD,
L. B. HA
ILIN,

J. B. HEGAN.
17

251

258

APPENDIX.

STAFF ON CONSTRUCTION.

1873.

Chief Engineer's Office.
W. J. FORREST, Assistant. T. R. BURPE, Secretarv.
District Engineers.

L. G. BELL,
A. L. LIGHT.

H. J. CA1IIBIE,
JOHN LINDSAY,
PETER GRANT,
W. J. FITZGERALD,
W. 1\1, BUCK,
H. A. F. 1\!ACLEOD,

J. J. 1\ICGEE,
W. 1\ICCARTllY,
L. B. HAMLIN,
J. B. HEGAN,
H. DONKIN,
WJII. GOSSIP, Jr.,
G. H. MIDDLETON,
E. A. \VILMOT,
JAMES CADMAN,

SAMUEL HAZLEWOOD,
C. SCHREIBER.

Engineers in Charge.
J. R. l\1CDONELL,
W. G. BELLAIRS,
C. ODELL,
\V. B. S:\IELLlE,
F. J. LYNCH,
W. J. CROASDALE,

C. BLACKWELL.

.Assistant Engineers.

G. W. MCCREADY,
T. D. TAYLOR,
H. N. RUTTAN,
C. l\IORSE,
R. C. HARRIS,
H. DONKIN,
J. JBLLETT,
G. R. YELLOWES,
G. H. GARDEN

C. SCHREIB.I!.R,
L. G. BELL,

H. .T. CA "BIE,
PETER GRANT,
'V. It S'll
LLIE,
W. 1\1. BUCK,
H. A. F. MACLEOD,

T. D. TAYLOR.
H. S. LANGTON,
W. 1\ICCARTHY,
L. B. HAMLIN,
JAMES CADMAN,

PETER GRANT,
C. BLACKWELL,
P. S. ARCHIBALD,
A, SINCLAIR,

APPENDIX.

STAFF ON CONSTRUCTION.

1874.

District Ellyilteers.

S. HAZLEWOOD,
A. L. LlGH.f.

Engineers in Charge.
J. R. l\!CDONELL,
'V. J. FITZGERALD,
F. J. LYNCH,
C. BLACKWELL,
C. ODELL,

Assistant Engineers.
G. H. MIDDLETON,
G. R. FELI.OWES.
R. N. RUTTAN,
G. H. GARDEN,
C. l\!ORSE,
P. S. ARCHIBALD.

STAFF ON CONSTRUCTION.
1875.

Superintending Engineer.
C. SCHREIBER.

Resident Engineers.

,v. n. S'IELLIE,
.T. H. l\ICDONELL,
W, l\!CCARTHY,
,V. MANN.

25,t

-2ßO

PETER GRANT,
C. BLACKWELL,
P. S. ARClIJBALD,
A. SINCLAIR,

APPENDIX.

STAFF ON r,ONSTRUCTION.

1R76.

Superintending Ellgineer.
C. SCHREIBER.

Resident Engineers.
w. B. S3IELLIE,
J. R. l\ICDONELL,
W. MCCARTHY,
W. MANN.

INDEX.

Aberdeen, Earl of, 37.
Aboideaux, 223, 225,227.
Abutments, Plan of, Adopted, 134.
Acadia Iron Works, 87,88.
Allanshaw, lIon. Jas., 8.
Albertite, 177.
Alexander, Sir James, 40.
Aleck's Elbow, 159,161.
Allagash River, 13.
Altitudes, 139, 228.
Amherst Ridge, 226.
Androscoggin and Kennebec, 36.
Annapolis, S1. John and Fredericton
Line, 43.
Apron \Valls, 123.
Aroostook. 37, 80.
Ashb1Jrton, Lord, 19, 37,43, 78, 235.
Ashburton Treaty, 37, 39, 77, 78, 235.
Ballast, 111, 224.
Baronetage of Scotland and Nova
Scotia, 41.
Bartibogue River, 218
Bathurst, 172, 176.
Bay Chaleur, 24,36,47,71, 157,173.
Bay Chaleur Routes, 68, 79, 83, 85, 86.
Bend, The Grecian, 94.
" of the Petitcodiac, 177.
Bessem
r, Steel Rail., 112,114.
Bic, 148.
Bogs, 184, 186.

Boundary Question, 19, 234.
Bordeau Quarry, 169.
Boring, 190, 192,200, 20L
Boiestown, 40.
Bridges, 98, 110.
Bridges, 1\11'. William, 41, 43.
Bridges and Viaducts, 133.
Bridges on the Intercolonial,
Amqui
Barnaby
Bartibogue
Belledune.
Bic
Campbelton
Christophel's
Elm Tree
Eel
Jacquet
Isle Verte
l\Ietapedia
l\Iillstream
l\Ietis
l\IcKinnon's
l\liramichi
l\1issiguash
North .
Nigadoo
Nipissiguit .
Red Pine
Restigouche

155
182
179
172
1-!9
168
168
172
168
170
143
159
161
153
161
187
225
186
172
]73
17

16:3

262

INDEX.

149
143
149
155
224
143
173
155
147
75, 79,

Rimouski
River du Loup
St. Fabien
St. Pierre
Tantramar
Temiscouata
Tetê-à-gauche
Tobegote
Trois Pistoles
Brith,h North America Act,
101.
Broun, Sfr Richard, 41, 42, 49.
llrydges, C. J., 94, 99, 100.
Buckingham, Duke of, 86.
Buctouche, 106.
Caissons, 188, 191, 196, 197, 202, 2D4,
211.
Cameron, Force Pumps, 218.
Campbell, Lieut. Gov. Sir A., 8.
Campbelton, Port, 169.
Canadian Climate, Effects of, on
'V orks, 108.
Canada, New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia Railway Loan, 63.
Capital Account, 234. -
Carboniferous Basin of New BrunEI-
wick, 176.
Central Routes, 68, 69, 79, 81, 82.
Chandler, lIon. E. R., 53, 94, 99.
Chatham, 106, 184.
Chaudiere River, 34.
Chaudiere and River Du Loup, 36.
Ch:tTlo River, 15ft
Chief Enginf'er appointed, fi6.
Chiputnatieook River. 22.24,27,34,39.
Clarke Reeves & Co., 138.
Clark PUllchard & Co., 100, 101, 102,
105.
Clay Cutting at Trois Pistoles. 145.
Cohequid Mountains, 46, GI'!, 87,88, D4,
130. 221.

Coffin, W. F.. 94.
Colonization Company, 41.
Clearing, 110.
Combination Line, 93, 94.
Commissioners of Treaty of 1794,21,
27,29.
Commissioners of Intercolonial Rail-
way, 94, 96,98, 99, 100,101, 105,
107, 189, 222.
Concrete, 151, 153, 188, 191 to 217.
Concrete Wall, 131.
Conditions proposed by Delegates, 60.
Conditions proposed by Imperial Gov-
ernment, 62.
Confederation of Provinces, 72.
Conference, Toronto. 52.
Connecticut River, 27.
Contracts, Bulk Sum, 95, 96, 97.
Contract No.1, 143.
" "2, 145.
" .. 3, 168.
.. "4, 226.
" "5, 148.
" "6,170.
.. "7,228.
" "8, 150.
" ., 9, 171.
" .. 10, 178.
.. .. 11, 225.
.. " 12, 230.
., " 13, 152.
" " 14, 154.
" " 15, 172.
" " 16, 177.
.. " 17, 158.
., " 18, 160.
" " 19, 162.
" " 20, 180.
" " 21, 182.
" . .. 22, 185.
"23, 186.

Contractors,
Division A, Geo. and Jas. Worth-
ington, 143.
Division E, Geo. and Jas. W orth-
ington, 147.
Division C, Edward Haycock, 150.
Division D, Dnncan McDonald,
151.
Division E, W. E. McDonald &
Co., 153.
Division F, Neilson & McGaw, 155.
Division G, S. P. Tnck, 159.
Division H, R. H. McGreevy & Co.,
161.
Division I, Thos. Boggs & Co., 163.
Division K, F. X. Eerlinquet & Co.,
169.
Division L, F. X. Berlinquet & Co.,
171.
Division M, F. X. Berlinquet &
Co., 172.
Division N, J. B. Bertrand, 174.
Division 0, King & Gough, 178.
Division P, McBean & Robinson,
D. McDonald, 179.
Division Q,Brown, Brooks & Ryan,
IHI.
Division R, Patk. Purcell. 184.
Division S, C. Cummings & Co.,
185.
Division T, Sutherland, Grant &
Co., 186.
Division W, Davis, Grant & Suth-
erland, 225.
Division X, Elliott, Grant &
Whitehead, 227.
Division Y, H. .J. Sutton & Co.,
229. '
Division Z, Sl.tmner & Somers, 231.
Restigouche Bridge, Martin
Murphy, 167.

INDEX.

263

Contractors,
Miramachi Bridges, Brown, Brooks
& Ryan, 219.
Conventional Boundary Line, 35.
Convention at Charlottetown, 73.
Cost of Bridges, estimated, 100.
" " actua1, 100.
" Railway approximate, 72.
" " actual, 284.
" of Survey, 55.
Culverts, general plan, 121.
" box, 121, 122.
,. arch, 123.
" open, 126.
" pipe, 127.
" inclined, 130.
" covers, 122.
Curves, 148, 149, 152, 158, 160, 163,
170, 172, 173, 177, 178, 180,
182, 185, 220, 222, 226, 229.
Cuttings, 109, 111, 117, 119, 145,
160.
Cribwork; 147, 169.
Crib-wharfing, 159, 161, 170, 171.
Cross-ties, 115, 116.
Dalhou
ie, 157, 169.
Dartmouth, 46.
Derby, Earl of, 53.
Devil's Elbow, 157.
Dickey, Hon. R. B., 92.
Diverted Streams, 128.
Division A, 143.
B,145.
C, 148.
D, 150.
E,152.
F,154.
G,158.
H,160.
1,162.
K,168.

.

264

Division L, 170.
1\1, 171.
N,172.
0, 177.
P,178.
Q,180.
R,182.
S,185.
T,186.
U,222.
V,222.
W,225.
X,226.
Y,228.
Z,230.
Divisions of Railway, 139, 140.
Distances, 40, 78, 140.
Districts, 140.
Di.-.trict Engineers, 140.
Ditches, 110.119,177.
Dorchester, 101, 104.
Drainage, 118.
Dredges, 188, 195, 197.
Dredge Pumps (Woodford's), 193,195,
198, 207.
Due North Line, 30, 36.
Durham, Lord, 17.
Eastern Extensi.on Rai.lway, 101, 103,
105,222, 224.
Elgin, Earl of, 52.
Embankments, 109, 116, 117, 120,136,
148, 151, 153, 173, 179, 186.
Engineering Staff, 238, 251.
Etchemin, River & Lake, 13.
Exmvation and Masonry (averages).
144, 148, 150, 151, 154, 155,
1.39, IG1, 170, 171, 172, 174,
17R, 1RO, 181, 184, 186, 226,
227, 230, 231, 241, 242.
European alld Nurth American Ry.,
53.

INDEX.

Fairbairn Engineering Company, of
England, 138, 147.
Fairbairn, Henry, 6.
Fairfield, Governor, 37.
Falkland, Lord, 44.
Featherstonehaugh and 1\Iudge, 26, 86.
Fish Joints, 115.
Fisheries, 47, 83.
Folly Lake, 46, 87, 88, 89, 92, 93, 228.
Folly River, 88, 132, 230.
Formation Level, 113, 117.
Foundation of Arch Culverts, 126.
" Piers, 192.
Forsyth, Hon. John, 30.
Fredericton, 17, 45, 80, 85.
Freight, through, 70, 82.
Frontier Routes, 68, 69, 79.
Frost, action of, 109, 136.
F. Line, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93.
Frye, Samuel, 8.
Geologieal Formations, 141, 221.
Gladstone, Right Hon. Mr., 44.
Glenelg, Lorù, 11, 15.
Grades, 144, 148, 149, 151, 158, 171,
172, 173, 177, 178, 180, 226,
230.
Grand Falls, 40, 45, 85.
Grand Lake, 176.
Grand Trunk Railway, 55, 78, 81, 82
83, 135.
Grant, C. H., agent, 101, 102, 105.
Grant, 1\Ir., 48. .
Great Village River, 87.
Grey, Earl, 49, 52.
" Sir George, 12, 15.
Gwynne Pump, 218.
Gzowski, C. S., 189.
Halifax, 45, 78, 79, 85.
Halifax and Pictou Ry., 231.
" "Portland, 50, 51.
" " St. ,John, 5.

-

HaliIax and Quebcc Railway Routes,
"" 37,41, 45, 46, 48,
50,53,58 106.
" "Truro. 3 6.
Hatch, Harris, 8.
Hatheway, E. R., 8.
Harvey, Sir John, 16, 17, 45.
Heavy Cuttings, 146, 152, 160, 173,
178, 182, 226, 228.
Highlands of the Trcaty, 20, 24,27,30,
34,39.
Hincks, Sir Francis, 53.
Holloway, Colonel, R. E., 40.
Howe, Hon. Joseph, 51, 53, 58, 60.
Howe Truss Bridge, 144,225.
Howland, Ron. W. P., 60.
Jack, Adam, 8.
Jackson, President Andrew, 30, 33,34,
35, 234.
Jacquet River, 158.
Ice, action of, 133, 165.
Imperial Guarantee, 51, 60, 75.
Jervois. Colonel, 85.
Imperial Negotiations on Canadian
1\Iatters, 235.
" Railway, 50.
Interior Line, 107.
Invasion of Disputed Territory, 36."
Irish Colonization Project, 49.
Iron Bridges, 98, 100.
" District of Nova Scotia, 87, 88.
" Ore, 90.
Isaac's Lake, 87.
Isle Vertè, 141.
Keefer,
amuel, 189.
Kempt, Sir .Tames, 17, 18.
Levis & Kennebec Ry., 13.
Livesey, .John. R6, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91.
Livingstune, lIon. Ed., 23, 32.
Lucal Traffic, 70, 84.
Location uf the Line, 77, 86.

INDEX,

265

Londonderry Branch Line, 231.
" Iron l\Iinc, 86, 88, 93.
Lumber Establishments, 80.
1\Iaccan River, 227.
1\Iacdonald, Sir .John A., 96, 98,99.
McLane, 1\1., 33.
1\IcLelan, Hon. A. W.,92, 95, 99.
Mc1\Iaster, J., 8.
l\Iadison Brook, 87.
1\Iagaguatlavic River, 21.
Mail Route, 48.
1\laine, State of, 14, 16, 17, 19,36,37,
50,80.
1\1a1fait Lake, 154.
1\1:11"s HiB,8, 77.
Masonry, 133, 173, 217.
Metapedia Lake, 141, 154.
" River, 157, 158.
" Valley, 47, 85, 156, 158,
160,162.
Metis, 17, 36, 85, 141.
1\letjarmette Portage, 38.
Middle Line, 106, 107.
Military Road, 40, 45, 85.
Minister of Public Works, 79, 89, 102,
107.
1\litche]]'s Map, 29.
1\lil'amichi Bridges, 187.
" Dis trict, 175.
" River, 47, 100, 106, 173,
218.
Moncton, 89, 101, 106, 176,220,223.
" and SackviBe Ry., 102, 103,
105.
1\Iontreal, 9, 78, 79.
Morrison, 1\lr., 92.
1\lorrissey's Rock, 1 fi8.
1\Iudge. Colonel, 3fi.
Natural Snow Fenccs, 110.
Nctht'rlandt;, King of, 29.
New Brunswick and Canada Ry., 8, 19.

2GG

New Brunswick Routes, 68, 69, 79,85,
86,94.
Newcastle, Duke of, 66, 104.
" Branch Railway, 181, 187.
Newfoundland, 83.
" Railway, 71..
Ncw York, 14,38.
Nipissiguit River, 158, 175, 218.
" Valley, 47.
Normanby, Lord, 17.
Northern Route, 80.
Northwest Bridge, :Miramichi, 200.
Notre Dame 1\Iountains, 68.
Nova Scotia Boundary, 105, 224.
Nova Scotia District, 220.
" Railway, 67.
" Npw Brunswick a.nd Ca.n-
ada Railway, 51.
Open Structures, 126.
Opening of the Intercolonial, 233.
Ottawa, 92, 104,
Otter Brook Quarry, 158, 160.
Otty Bay, 149.
Painsec, 106,222.
Palmerston, Lord, 33.
Parliament, Returns to, 96, 99, 104.
Passenger Traffic, 70, 84.
Penobscot River, 2?, 34.
" and St. John, 36.
Permanent way, 112, 113.
Peto, Betts, Jackson & BrasBey Messrs.
55.
Pictou Branch Line, 221.
Piers, 134,191, 192, 224.
Pier A, (1\Iiramichi,) 216.
Pier B, " 214.
"C, " 21

"D, " 211.
"E, " 193,217.
"F, " 194.
"G, " 619.

INDEX.

Pier If,

197.
1!:1
,
205.

"

"I. "
"X, "
Pine Brook, 89.
Pipon, Captain R. E., 45, 46.
Point Levis, 47.
Pohenagamook Lake, 37.
Portland,78.
Prince Edward Island, 83.
Principles of Bridge Building, 133.
" "proposed Settlement with
U. 8.,33,34.
Provincial Boundaries, 139.
Purdy, Mr., 92.
Quebec Conference, 59.
Quantities, Tables of, 241, 242.
Qucbee, 9, 17, 78, 79.
Quebec Convention on Confederation,
74.
Rails, 113, 114.
Rail Joints, 114.
Rail System, 113.
Railways in British America, in 1862,
64.
.. Pre
ious to Confederation, 79.
" Subsidies, 49.
Rait, James, 8.
Reciprocity Treaty, 83.
Restigouche Bridge, 163.
R
stigouche District, 156.
" River, 17, 18, 38, 46, 158,
168.
" Valley, 158.
Restook River, 13.
Riehibueto, 106, 176.
Rimouski, 141, 142.
River du Loup, 40, 45, 67, 68, 79, 81,
100, 106,141, 232.
Robinson, Major, R. E., 46, 47, 52,79,
81, 85, 87, 106.
Road-bed, 110, 111, 118, 147.

..

Rock Cuttings, 118, 149, 152, 160,162,
171.
Routes projected to St. Lawrence, 42.
" through Nov!1- Scotia, 87.
Royal Engineer's Survey, 44, 46, 47.
Rules for crossing Rivers and Streams,
111.
Sandstones of Bay of Fundy, 129.
Sayabec River, 154.
Scabbard rail joints, 115.
Schedule price system, 97.
Schoodic River, 21.
Segmental arch, 183.
Shediac, 79, 87,106.
Shik-Shok Mountains, 68, 157,
Shippegan Island, 173, 174.
Ships Knees as angle pieces, 224.
Shore Line, 106, 107.
Short Ocean Passage, 243,
Sicotte, Hon. J. B., 60.
Hide hill pipe Culverts, 128, 161, 168.
" Slopes, 111, 118.
Skew bridges, 144,159.
Smith, Geo. H., 8.
Smyth, l\Iajor Carmichael, 50.
Snow, 108, 111, 118.
Snow fences, 11 O.
" plow, 119.
South West Bridge (Miramichi), 190,
217.
Spans of bridges. lengths of, 132.
Springhill Coal Field, 78, 87, 90, 91,
221, 228.
Steel Company of Canada, 221.
" Rails, 111, 114.
Stirling, Earl of, 25.
Stockton and Darlington, Ry., 5, 6.
St. Andrews, 7, 12, 13, 43, 78.
" and Quebec, Ry. 11,35,
41, 42, 53, 77.
" and Wooc1stoc.Æ, Ryo't ,13.

INDEX.

67

St. Croix River, 20, 21, 24, 25;26, 28,
37.
St. Fabicn,141.
St. Flavie, 141.
St. Francis River, 37.
St. John, 10,42, 45,78, 79, 85, 86, 95.
" River, 9, 13, 19, 45.
" and Shediac Ry., 56, 67, 177,
220, 222.
.. District, 139.
St. Luce, 141.
St. Simon, 141, 145.
Sub-soil drainage, 110.
Substructure, 116, 117,118.
Superstructure, 113, 115.
Summits of ranges, 141, 154.
Surveys, 36, 40, 65, 79, 87,102,103, 106.
Structures for passage of Water, 120,
122.
Table of distances, 68.
" .. quantities, 233, 241, 240.
Temiscouata Lake, 40, 46, 85.
" Road, 143.
Tilley, Hon. S, L., 58, 60.
Tende!"s, 94, 97.
Tobique River, 46, 47.
" Range, 68.
Tortigoux River, 152.
Test Pits, 91.
" of Bridge Foundations, 209.
Tête-à-gauche River, 158.
Tunnels, 128, 153, 172, 183, 230.
Tunnel at l\Iorrissey's Rock, 168.
Transatlantic route, 84.
Traveller, 204, 206.
Treaty of Paris of 1783.-19,26,31,
33,36.
Treaty of 1794.-21, 25,37, 77.
Treaty of Ghent, 1814.-27.
" Ashburton, 37, 77, 78, 235.
" R
'cirrncjty. R2,

6S

Trenches, 118.
Trent Affair, 59.
Trois Pistoles, 141, 145.
Truro, 67,79, 87, 89, 100, 104, 106,
220.
Tyler Captain, 90.
Under drains, 118, 147.
United States Opposition, Hi, 17.
Upsalquitch River, 47.
Valentine and Collins, survey, 38.
Vankoughnet, Hon. P. 1\1.,58.
Vaughan, Sir C. R., 32, 33.
Vermont Boundary, 38.
Viaducts, 132.
Walsh, Aquila, 94, 99,191.
Warrell Bridge Pattern, 224.

INDEX

Water Jets, 162.
Water Sheds, 152, 154, 175, 177, 179.
" of Treaty, 35.
Webster, Daniel, 19,37,235.
Wellington, Duke of, 30, 34.
Wilkinson Mr., 48,
Wilson, John, 8.
Winged Abutments, 136.
Wooden bridges, 98, 99.
" on Intercolonial, 144, 225.
Woodford Dredge Pumps, 193, 195,
198, 204, 209, 211, 213, 218.
Woodstock, 8.
Wyer Thomas, 8.
Yule, Captain, R. E., 9, 10, 12, 13, 1

16, 19, 39,77.

,,
u

':' 1