Report on survey of the Montreal & Ottawa City junction railway, with tabular statements appended.

hundred feet horizontal to twenty feet vertical.The g* es, cuts, fills, bridges, culverts and character of soil will be found on this section in full detail.A prior examination of these plans, with an occasional reference to them in the course of reading this Report, will enable you more fully to understand its general L2126S scope.I will therefore, with these introductory remarks, at once proceed to lay before you the various results arrived at from the surveys made.Before commencing the instrumental examination, it was thought well to make a reconnaissance of the country to be passed over, with the view of becoming more fully acquainted with its general character, and to select a few salient points it might be well to touch, providing they were not too far from the air line, and, at the same time, offered sufficient inducements for local traffic to warrant such a deviation.The result of this exploration will be seen in the course followed and adopted in the instrumental survey afterwards made, a full description of which it may be well to give for the benefit of those who have not access to the plans now before you, but who may be enabled to follow and identify the localities from local knowledge, or by reference to a map of the country.First, in relation to the branch intersecting the Grand Trunk Railway at the Coteau Landing : -Leaving that Railway at a point thirteen hundred feet west of the station, it runs in a straight course for a distance of eight miles, or on a line about midway between the Villages of St. Polycarpe on the left, and St. Justine on the right, entering the Parish of Newton on the farm of Francis Ouimet.and forming a junction with the second branch road, which leaves the Grand Trunk Railway at River Rouge Station, running from thence, in a straight line, through the Parish of Soulanges, crossing the southern corner of the Parish of Newton, and entering the adjoining Parish of Longueuil ; a total length to its point of junction with the Coteau branch of about nine and one-half miles.From thence onward, the joint line passes through the western corner of the Parish of Newton, skirting the western slope of the St. Justine Hill, about one and one-half mile from that village, and curving northerly, crosses the road between the 4th and 5th Concessions, passing over Jjots 3, 2, 1, and letter A in the 1st Concession of Lochiel, it crosses the Alexandria Road between the 1st and 2ndConcessions of that Township, and enters the south-west corner of J. Fraser's farm, there curving southerly, it proceeds westerly, parallel with, but about six hundred feet north of the Alexandria Road, to Lot No. 33.From this point, by easy curves, the line is carried in -a north-westerly direction, intersecting the Military Road between Lots 37 and 38 on the northern limits of the Village of Alexandria.This place is one of the points selected for connection, and is a flourishing village, with a population of about 800 souls.It is the centre of a large local trade and possesses a considerable amount of water power, a portion being utilized for several mills and factories, but with a surplus easily available for additional manufacturing establishments.Before proceeding further with the description, it may be well to refer to attempts made to straighten the line near the Province Boundary.From a point opposite the Village of St. Justine, a route was explored in the direction of Lot No. 8, in the second Concession of Lochiel.A survey of the intervening country was abandoned when it was discovered that extensive cuttings of over fifty feet in depth were encountered.A second attempt to shorten the line?after entering the Province of Ontario, was abandoned for a like reason, and it therefore, became necessary, in order to avoid very heavy work, to carry it into the 2nd Concession of Lochiel on the track indicated.An exploration along the rear of the 2nd Concession of Lochiel was also made, with the view of carrying the railway more northerly, or in a more central course throughth at Township.Leaving the surveyed line at J. Fraser's, and striking to the rear of the Concession, a very level route can be had, but principally through timber land.If this line curve south, for the purpose of coming into Alexandria, it will be about three-quarters of a mile longer than by the one in front ; and, if we suppose that in the rear to continue straight on and intersect the one surveyed on Lot 4, in Kenyon, it will still be one-quarter of a. mile longer than its rival, and at the same time, nearly three-quarters of a mile from the village.The front line, to a considerable extent, passes through cleared country, and saves the expense of clearing and grubbing ; this on the rear will be considerable.The track in front also cuts through fine gravel hills of great value for ballasting ; while, on the rear, as it passes over level ground, and of an earthy character, the ballast would probably require to be brought from the front.As the branch line to Hawkesbury passes through the back Concessions of Lochiel, that section of the Township will be served by it to a great extent.Taking everything therefore into consideration, it is thought that public interests, as well as those of the road and of the through traffic, will be best considered by placing the Railway as indicated on the plan.Returning to Alexandria, we resume the description of the course followed :Curving slightly to the north, the line passes into the Township of Kenyon, and proceeds in a north-westerly direction through Concessions 3, 4, 5 and G, passing in its course about one-fourth of a mile north of the Town Hall.Itthen enters the Indian Lands on the 18th Concession, crosses the 19th and south-west corner of the 20th Concession, about one-fifth of a mile south of the Congregational Church, and striking the south-west corner of the 8th Concession, Roxborough, thence in a north-westerly direction over the 9th and 10th Concessions, it enters and crosses the rear west corner of the Township of South Plantagenet and the Gore of Roxborough, coming into the Township of Cambridge, at the 6th Concession, traversing it in a westerly course, and crossing the Nation River at a point about nine hundred feet above the High Falls.An improvement in the course of the line may be made from the boundary between Indian Lands and Roxborough, by continuing in a direct course from that point, southerly to Lot 13, in the 9th Concession of Roxborough, and from thence to a junction with the surveyed line at High Falls, in case no difficulties are encountered, which can only be ascertained by instrumental examination.The place selected for bridging this river is considered to be a very favourable one, and was adopted, after very considerable examination below the Falls had demonstrated that, owing to deep gullies to be crossed, no cheap line could be had in that direction.The High Falls, or Casselman, is also a point, which, both in the interests of the road and surrounding country, should be touched by the rail.At this place, we find a very considerable water power, caused by the passage of the Nation River over a fall of forty-five feet in a short distance.This power is now partially used, but could be so to a much greater extent.It is in contemplation by the Ontario Government to construct a feeder, leading from the River St. Lawrence, below Prescott, into this stream, so as greatly to increase the flow of water.With this improvement in operation, the available power at High Falls will be much augmented, and the manufacturing establishments it would call into, existence, in connection with the Railway, will create much freight.At the present time, about 2,000,000 feet of lumber are cut per annum, and sent to Montreal, by rafts, via the Nation and Ottawa Rivers.With the road in operation, Colonel Casselman informs me, he will be prepared to saw 4<, 000, 000 feet per annum, and transport the same to market by rail.For a distance of eight miles above the Falls there is navigation in slack water, while for a length of thirty-two miles below, or to the far-famed Plantagenet Springs, the same thing obtains with great depth.Indeed, it is now in contemplation, to place a small steamer on this long reach during the summer months, making it a pleasant route for tourists or invalids in going to or leaving that place of resort.It would also prove a good feeder for the Railway in the conveyance of freight to the depot from the country bordering on the river.With these facilities for traffic in operation, and the increased manufacturing operations resulting therefrom, together with the centrality of the position in a country possessing a rich and fertile soil, it does not require much prophetic knowledge to predict for Casselman a prosperous future, and as such it will prove a valuable adjunct to the Railway.In view of these considerations, it was thought desirable to deviate slightly from the air line in a southerly direction ; thereby avoiding a considerable number of gullies, that would have been encountered had the line followed a more northerly course.From the Nation River, the line still pursues a westerly direction through the 6th and 5th Concessions, and enters the Township of Russell on Lot No. 10, in the 10th Concession, where it curves to tho left, and runs to a point about one and three-quarter mile north of Duncanville, having passed over Concessions 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 and 3.At the intersection of the side road between Lots 15 and 16, near the boundary road of the 2nd and 3rd Concessions, the line turns to the right and heads in a direct course for Ottawa City, passing through Concessions 2 and 1, and entering the Township of Osgoode, near the division line between Lots 8 and 9, in the I OthConcession, crossing, in its direct course, the western Lots, and striking the south-east corner ofLot4,Concession9, of the adjoining Township of Gloucester.From this point, the line, still proceeding in a d

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