189001 60012100153001 7900 18001 500

No. 6, Ryan Summit Route.

1000 500 1700 117900| 600|5800|2300|11900118001100

487 494/1432.5

700 918 922 2865.

400 1075 1031

698 712 1432.5 1400 No. 5, Ryan Sum. Route. 922 946 5730.

17.500 600 2500 2900 8600 18001 500

2030

45 50 55 60

65 70

75 Miles. Bridging.

2 784 0.284 1.192 1.079 16.213

21.439 670472 10

1.761 0.872

REPORT

UPON THE

SURVEYS BETWEEN WORCESTER AND SEVEN MILE RIVER

IN BROOKFIELD, VIA HENSHAW RIDGE, &c.

Worcester, Sept. 30th, 1836.

TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTORS OF THE WESTERN RAIL ROAD CORPORATION.

GENTLEMEN,

IN obedience to the Resolution of the Board of Directors of the 24th August, directing certain additional surveys to be made, we have the honor to state that the same have been completed, and herewith we submit a Report, together with the necessary Maps, Tables, &c. exhibiting the results.

From Worcester towards Grout's Summit, two routes, in the general direction of Mr. Baldwin's line have been surveyed. The first of these we designate as No. 13, being a continuation of the numbers referred to in the Report of the 15th September. This line diverges from Route No. 1, at Station 62-it crosses from thence to the west side of Beaver Brook Valley, and pursues the hill side, towards Barnard's house; thence across to the ridge west of Jones's tavern; crossing this ridge near Williams's, and Kettle Brook near Wordsworth and Fowler's satinet factory, it falls upon the side hill south of Kettle Brook, and continues its course up that brook by a line nearly straight, to Henshaw ridge, thence turning a little south of west, it crosses Henshaw meadow, and falls upon the main Leicester ridge; pursuing the foot of this ridge, until it turns it at Livermore's, thence it regains a course corresponding more nearly with the proper direction of the route; and crossing the Saddler meadow, and a part of Haven's saw-mill pond, it continues by Kingsley's and falls into Route No. 8, at Station 602 of the same.

The second of these lines, (Route No. 14,) leaves the Boston and Worcester Rail Road at Station 0, passing south of Powder House Hill, and the Manual Labor School, it crosses the Springfield road, near S. S. Gates's, and thence descends 19 ft. to Tatnick Brook valley; thence pursuing its course west, it crosses the Ryan summit line (Route No. 1,) at the sand hill, near New-Worcester; thence, instead of crossing the ridge north and west of Jones's tavern, it passes in front or south of his house, and turns it; crossing the Bottomly factory stream near Eldridge and Parson's woolen factories, it continues by the south side of the same, to Station 226 of Route No. 13, before referred to, from thence to 602 of Route No. 8, it is the same as Route No. 13. The description of Route No. 8 from Station 602 above mentioned, to Grout's summit, will be found in the report of 15th September.

From Grout's Summit west, towards Brookfield, two lines were carried down in the general direction of Mr. Baldwin's, and three others were attempted in other directions. The best of these has been selected to make the computations upon. It is represented in the accompanying profile, and numbered Route 13. This line passes down from the summit towards Jesse Bemis's, south of whose house it crosses the Spencer road; thence turning a point of the rocky ridge, N. W. of Bemis's, it follows the side hill and descends at a grade of 79.20 to Sylvester Luther's; at this point it is thrown out of its course by the prominent hill north west of Luther's house; thence it passes north of the hill upon which Warren Livermore resides; thence turning to the south west it descends to the valley of Seven Mile River, near to its junction with Cranberry Meadow Brook; from thence at a moderate grade, it follows the general course of the stream, crossing it three times, to avoid unnecessary curves, and terminates near Station 1132 of Route No. 1, in the Sturbridge road, west of Gallup's mill.

No. 15. Route by an Inclined Plane from Grout's Summit to the valley of Cranberry Meadow Brook.

The rocky ridge north west of Jesse Bemis's, referred to in the description of the last route, prevents, effectually, the passage of a line from Grout's Summit, in the direction of the Seven Mile River; and the only practicable line by which the descent by an inclined plane is to be effected, is by the valley of Livermore Brook; this is a branch of Cranberry Meadow Brook, and flows in a direction about west south west. The course of the latter stream being here nearly north, a great deflection at the foot of the plane is obviously the consequence, viz. something like 120°. Were it not for this circumstance, the plane could be carried quite down to Cranberry Meadow Brook, and by this disposition, the whole descent would be effected. To obviate the difficulty of introducing an abrupt curve at the foot of the plane, it is necessary to begin to deflect before reaching Cranberry Meadow Brook; and at the same time, it is, for a similar reason, also necessary to throw the line upon the side hill west of this brook. The plane itself is straight, 3800 ft. in length, and descends at a grade of 194.50 per mile. At the foot of the plane the curve of 1041 ft. radius commences; thence for a distance of 7300 ft. the grade is about 86 ft. per mile. From thence to Station 1132 of Route No. 1, nearly two miles, the whole descent is but 10 ft. This line unites with Route No. 13 near the junction of Cranberry Meadow Brook, and Seven Mile River.

The accompanying Tables, marked A. and B. will exhibit every detail of these three routes-length, grade, cutting, filling, cost, &c. &c. For the present purpose, it will be sufficient to enumerate here the essential points to be considered in the comparisons which are to be made.

Referring to the general table, it will be seen that upon Route No. 14, there is 1.68 miles of this line, on the east side of the summit, which ascends 111.53 per mile, and when we state that the whole length of the line to Brookfield is about the same as Mr. Baldwin's, it may be asked why the grade of 80 ft. had been exceeded in ours, while