RAILROADING IN MAINE.
The Canadian Pacific Pushes Across the State.
Early Completion of the Road Expected.
Numerous Railway Schemes Under Contemplation
THE BOSTON HERALD.
Augusta, Me., Feb. 1, 1887.
More railroad legislation is being asked of the Maine lawmakers than
has been known for many years past. One of the most Important railroad
enterprises in progress is that of the Canadian Pacific, which is being
pushed across the northern wilderness of the state to a terminus in the
lower provinces. Sixteen miles of the road have been already built in
Maine in the Moose River region after crossing the western boundary.
During the present week, it is expected that contracts will be made for
the building of the whole line to Mattawamkeag, and that in one year
hence the road will be completed to that point, and connection made
with the Maine Central. Two years ago the Canadian Pacific, which was
then known as the Megantic or International, after a hard fight in the
Legislature, secured the right to bridge Moosehead Lake.
Since then the route across Maine's inland ocean having been
found impracticable, permission is now asked of the legislature to
change the location to the foot of the lake. This will involve the
necessity of crossing the Bangor & Piscataquis at Greenville and
buikding a parallel road as far as Brownville within the 10 mile limit
prohibited by law, which, it is said will be made an issue by those
opposed to a change of location. Within a day or two arrangements have
been made between the Bangor & Piscataquis for the transportation
of rails and other materials over the Bangor & Piscataquis for the
new road. It is the opinion it will be a great benefit to the Bangor
& Piscataquis, it being estimated that the first year's receipts in
freight from the Canadian Pacific will put at least $30,000 into its
treasury. In this connection it may be well enough to state that the
directing boards of the Canadian Pacific and Maine Central have
ratified a contract; by which the Canadian Pacific will use the
European & North American division of the Maine Central between
Mattawamkeag and Vinceboro, in order to connect with the New Brunswick
system.
During the coming summer extensive improvements are to be
made on the entire 55 miles between these points, which will be borne
equally by both companies. The abandonment of the bridge project at
Moosehead Lake leaves only two bridges of any size for the Canadian
Pacific to build, one being a structure of 600 feet in length across
the Kennebec, and the other a still longer one across the Penobscot at
Mattawamkeag. The building of the Canadian Pacific has started up
several projects having in view close connection with this great trunk
line to the West, and hoping to be helped by its transcontinental
traffic.
Two winters ago, when the fight over the bridging of
Moosehead Lake was in progress, a charter was secured to extend the
little narrow gauge Monson railroad from Monson village to Greenville,
at the foot of Moosehead Lake, to connect with the Canadian Pacific.
Authority was also granted to extend the Monson from Monson Junction in
a southerly direction to Skowhegan, where connection could be made with
the Maine Central. The bill as it passed, it is said, caught the Bangor
friends of the Bangor & Piscataquis, napping. Be that as it may, as
soon as they realized that the extension to Greenville would seriously
affect the Moosebead Lake travel over the Bangor & Piscataquis,
they wanted this provision of the charter repealed. No action was,
however, taken, other than to have the subject referred to the present
Legislature, and a hearing will be given next week.
The mayor of Bangor has now petitioned that the law
authorizing the Monson to extend its road to the lake be repealed, and
represents that it was given a passage by the Legislature, of two years
ago without a proper hearing. Since the Monson folks secured their
charter, the Sebasticook & Moosehead Railroad has been built from
Pittsfield, on the line of the Maine Central, to Hartland. It is the
design of its projectors to run northwest, to tap the Canadian Pacific
with a view of drawing a portion of its traffic to the seaboard at
Belfast by means of the Belfast branch of the Maine Central, which
connects at Burnham, the next station to Pittsfield. After leaving
Hartland the proposed route ot the Sebasticook road is through
Wellington and Abbott, where it crosses the Bangor & Piscataquis,
and thence over the line of the Monson road and on to Greenville.
During the coming spring the road will be built to
Wellington. The friends of the Monson say they do not now intend
availing themselves of all their charter privileges, but propose to
connect with the Sebasticook road at Wellington, and that point will
constitute their southern extension from Monson Junction. If the plans
of the projectors of the new route, as outlined, are carried out, it
will shorten up the distance between Boston and Moosehead Lake by rail
some 80 miles, as passengers, instead of going to Bangor and there
taking the Bangor & Piscataquis to the lake, will leave the Maine
Central at Pittsfield and go through to the lake over the Sebasticook
and the Monson lines. There is no reason to doubt that the road will be
built in the near future. New Brunswick capitalists are interested in
the Sebasticook scheme, chief among them Thomas Temple of Fredencton,
who Is Presldent of the road. He is a member of the Dominion Parliament
and connected with the Canadian Pacific management.
The Maine Central is also interested in the enterprise,
having taken stock in that portion of the road already constructed from
Pittsfield to Hartland, a distance of eight miles, to the amount ot
$1,000 for every mile. The citizens of Monson have already loaned the
credit of that town to the fullest extent permitted by law and other
towns are lending their subscriptions of 5 per cent, of their valuation
in and of, the enterprise which is also receiving liberal private
subscriptions. Some ot the Bangor people have a scheme to make
connections with the Canadian Pacific independent of the Bangor &
Piscataquis by asking for extension of the time for the construction of
the Penobscot Central Railroad the charter of which expires next
December, and to have its location changed so that after leaving
Bangor, the route shall be through the towns of Hermon and Levant, or
Glenburn, Kenduskeag, Corinth and Charleston, Atkinson and Orneville to
a junction with the Bangor & Piscataquis at Miio; or, after
reaching Charleston, pass through Garland and Atkinson to a junction
with the Bangor & Piscataquis at East Dover, or some point between
East Dover and Union Bridge, using in either instance the Bangor &
Piscataquis to Greenville.
In connection with this scheme, a charter is wanted for a
railroad from Bangor to Castine, a distance of 34 miles, with the view
of making that ancient and historic lown with the advantage its harbor
possesses, a seaboard outlet of the Canadian Pacific. The proposed
route passes through neatly all of the towns now accommodated by the
Maine Central. The Canadian Pacific managers have had their attention
called to this scheme by its leading projectors, who claim that it
would be the shortest and most direct route from the West to Liverpool.
The ground is also taken that it wouid make Bangor a billing point for
eastern Maine.
Another project is talked of in connection with this scheme
to reach the Canadian Pacific, and that is to give permission to the
Katahdin Iron Works Railway, which now runs from Milo to the Katahdin
Iron Works, to continue their road to Bangor through Charleston,
Corinth and the Kenduskeag Valley. A charter is asked for the
Somerset & Waldo Railroad. The projectors of this scheme desire to
start from Burnham, where they propose to connect with the Belfast
branch of the Maine Central, and from that point build their road
through Canaan, Cornville, Athens, Solon, Bingham, and striking the
Canadian Pacific at the forks of the Kennebec. It is estimated that the
road will cost aboutt $800,000.
It is claimed that it will not conflict with the Sebasticook
road, as it will pass through a chain of towns farther west, and
reaching territory at the opposite side of Moosehead Lake. The Somerset
Railroad Company want their charter amended so as to extend their road
to New Portland, Kinsfield to Eustis and then up the north branch of
the Dead River to a connection with the Canadian Pacific. This is a
scheme that the Franklin and Megantic have in mind. An official survey
of the route will be commenced this spring. William Atkinson of Embden
is here trying to work up an interest in the Wiscasset & Quebec
Railroad, whose charter authorizes the building of a road from
Wlscasset to the boundary line of the state, to connect with the Point
Levis & Kennebec Railroad. Wiscasset, on account of its excellent
harbor, is ambitious to be the winterport of the Canadian Pacific.
A charter is asked by over 1,300 petitioners ln Aroostook
County for the Northern Maine Railroad, the promoters of which want a
road to be built from Presque Isle to Houlton and Mattawamkeag, and
from Presque Isle to Fort Kent, and thence to some point on the St.
John, near Van Buren, with connection with the Maine Central system. A
hearing will be given tomorrow. A charter is wanted for the St. Croix
River Railroad, a line to run from Calais through the towns of Robinson
and Perry to Eastport. The corporators of the Rumford Falls and over
Rangeley Lakes Railway Company ask for authority to enter into a
contract with, or lease their road to, the Grand Trunk.
A charter is asked for the Mattawamkeag,, Medway & Mt.
Katahdin Railroad Company, the proposed road to connect with the Maine
Central at Mattawamkeag and to run to Medway
thence through the interior plantations to Patten. Authority is also
asked for the building of a branch road from the Maine line between
Patten and Medway, and running to the summit of Mt. Katahdin.
Those Interested in the scheme desire to
make Katahdin, which is the highest point in Maine, another Mt.
Washington for summer tourists. A charter is asked for a railroad
from Sebago Lake, through the towns of
Windham, Raymond, Casco, Poland and Minot, to Mechanic Falls. The
scheme is said to be an extension of the Rumford Falls & Buckfield
Railroad, with a view of making connection with the Portland &
Ogdensburg road, instead ot being entirely dependent upon the Grand
Trunk, as that road has been an outlet for several years of Oxford
county traffic. A charter is granted for a railroad from Skowhegan to
Norridgewock, a distance or five miles. It is said that the proposed
road is one of the links in a scheme to divert the proposed route from
Quebec to the sea at Wiscasset by a more direct line, which, after
leaving Skowhegan, over the Maine Central, will pass through the towns
of Winslow, Vasselboro, China, Windsor and Alna to Wiscasset.
The Portland and Rochester Railroad asks for authority to
change the location of its connection of the Grand Trunk in Portland so
as to extend the road around the marginal way to the extremity of that
city and over the old Kennebec & Portland roadbed to connect with
the Maine Central near Congress Street. The design of this movement is
for the improvement of the Portland & Rochester facilities so that
it can enter the great Union passenger depot which is proposed to be
erected in the near future and for which a corporation charter is asked
of the Legislature.
Tlie consolidation bill of the Boston & Maine and the
Eastern Railroad is threatened with opposition, under the apprehension
that the Maine Central is affected by its provisions. Those in a
position to know declare that the bill does not include the Maine
Central, and that its framers did not intend to include it when it was
drawn. It is understood today that the Maine Central management are
opnosed to the bill, so far as including their road, and at their
instance it will be amended so as to specialty exempt their road from
its provisions.