258 



that the total expenditure, to tlie 30th of April, 



1853, was £1,322,753 2 lo 



There has consequently been expended during the 



past twelve months". £ 93D,718 14 5 



It will thus be seen that a verj- large amount of work has been per- 

 formed since the last annual meeting, and the progress made up to 

 this time has been such as to admit of the works being pressed for- 

 ward during the present season with the greatest possible rapidity. 

 AH the large and important structures are advancing rapidly towards 

 completion— the grading of a considerable portion of the line is in a 

 forward state — so much so that the supeistrncture has been commenced 

 at several points, aud arrangements are in a forward state for vigorous- 

 ly carrying on this work along the whole line. By far the largest por- 

 tion of "the rails, which are of a very excellent description, and were 

 purchased at alow price, before the late extiaordinary advance in the 

 price of iron, is delivered at various points on the line, and the balance 

 IS now on its way from England via Quebec. 



The Directors therefore feel themselves justified in expressing a 

 strong and confident belief, that by the adoption ol the most energetic 

 measures to press on the woik, they will, if no unforseen contingencies 

 arise, be iu a position to open the line from Niagara to the Detroit 

 River by the 1st of Jauuar}- next. 



ENGINEER'S REPORT. 



To ike President and Directors of the Great Western Haihcai/ Company 



Gextlkmf.x, — * « » * fije \g^p period iu 1852 in which I as- 

 sumed the duties of Chief Engineer, left but little time hitherto except 

 during those seasons of the year unfavorable to opei'ations of this kind, 

 to press forward the work on the line with as much energy and expe- 

 dition as was desirable. 



Some difficulties have existed during the past fall and winter with 

 some of the Contractors on the Western Division of Road, but these 

 have been adjusted, and the work is in fuU progress on that portion of 

 the line — its completion may be reasonably autcipated at the period 

 hereinafter named. 



The line of your road cannot be opened for use by the time indicat- 

 ed in the last annual report from this oillce, nor has there ever been a 

 period within the last twelve months when any such opinion ought 

 reasonably to have been entertained. Even the grading on the one 

 hundred miles from the Detroit river east, has not yet been comj^leted, 

 and probably will not be before the first of September next. 



The report and estimate made by my predecessor on the 30th of 

 September last, gives an estimated increase in the cost of the road of 

 $l,l'.i9,173,01 exceeding any sum before deemed necessary to complete 

 the enterprise. The amount of work requiied to be done under this 

 increased outlay, no doubt satisfied every fiiend of the road familiar 

 with works of this kind, that the opening of the whole line by the 

 close of the year 1853, would be exceedingly problematical, and depen- 

 dant upon contingencies that might defeat all the applications of 

 science, skill and labour that could weU be devoted to the arcomplish- 

 raent of an object so anxiously desired, aud so important to the inter- 

 est of the company. This being perceived, every ]necautionary mea- 

 sure deemed essential and within my power, has been adopted to ex- 

 pedite the progress and completion of the work, that a strict regard to 

 economy in expenditure and the permanence of the road combined 

 has seemed to be required. 



As the periodical subsidence of the waters of the western lakes had 

 not occurred in 1852, and it probably will not, according to all former 

 experience, during the present year, a plan was adopted by my prede- 

 cessor, for piling about 14 miles of the line over the wet prai'ies west 

 of Chatham on tlie Western Division. 



The slow progi'css made in the woi'k, and its probable insecurity 

 and want of permanence for the purposes of operating the road wil'h 

 desirable security, safety, and expedition, induced me to rocon^mcnd 

 a change in the iilan of constructimi, and the whole distance llunugli 

 the prairies, witli the exceiilion of a mile and a half, will be giailed in 

 a permanent manner, either by taking materials to form the CinlLink- 

 mnnt from the prairies adjacent to the line of road, by means of colTer 

 dams and pumping, and with dredging machines, or by haiding 

 beach sand from the shore of the Lake. This change wiil increase 

 the co.st of constructing on the part of the line consideral)ly above the 

 Bum estimated by my predecessor for a pile road ; that being only 

 one dollar per lineal foot ; but the cost I tliiuk will not exceed what 



REVIEWS. [1S53 



would eventually be required to render a pile track safe for the rapid 

 transmission of ti'ains. 



The one is permanent for all time to come, the other temporary, aud 

 will require tilling in within a few years. 



The completion of the City Section on the Central Division, in con- 

 nection with the opening of the new channel of the Desjardines Canal, 

 through BurIi]igton Heights, and the drawbridge connected therewith 

 have continued to excite my most lively solicitude. Under favourable 

 auspices and witli the application of proper means aud au adequate 

 force, this woik can be got leadv' for laying down the superstructure in 

 time to connect with other portions of the line westward, by the 1st 

 day of January, 1854. In order to avoid obstructious and embarrass- 

 ments, as well as to guard against a lar£;e expenditure of money, con- 

 sequent on the heavy slides on sections three and four, near Dundas, 

 slight alterations have been made in thelineof the road, with the view, 

 at some future period, after the surface Avater shall have a proper diain- 

 age, and the moving mass has become settled and compact, of placing 

 the ti'ack upon tlie original lines, if deemed necessary. 



Sections five and six. Central Divisions, embracing the Copetown 

 work, which has heretofore attracted some attention, have thus far 

 presented objects serious in their cliaracter and difTicult to over- 

 come. 



The increased quantity of material required to be excavated and re- 

 moved, occasioned by the large and continued slides of earth in the 

 deep cutting, aud the piling necessary to protect the foot of the slopes 

 and maintain the required width of the road way, will enhance very 

 much the cost of the work bej'ond all former estimates. 



This work, however, is in such a state of forwardness as to justify 

 the expectation that no serious delay in opening the line on this Divi- 

 sion will be occasioned by the obstacles there to be encountered and 

 overcome. 



The sinking of the embankment on section 11 Central division, into 

 a deep morass or subteiTanean lake, has heretofore shown unmistake- 

 able evidences of serious ditficulties. A new plan for carrying forward 

 the work has been recently adopted which promises fair, not only to 

 expedite it, but very much reduce the expense. This has been done 

 by constructing an extensive platform of evergreen trees and brush, so 

 interwoven its roots with eartli as to prevent the loss of material by 

 displacement, which was occasioned oy the nature of the material 

 used aud the superabundant weight put upon the basis of the em- 

 bankment beyond its capacity to sustain. 



Present indications show the entire success of the plan ; and we 

 hope to complete the grading at that place by the first of September 

 next. 



The work on the Western Division is of sucli a character, and in 

 such a state of progress, with the exception of the deep aud difficult 

 excavations on sections two and three, near London, as to present no 

 serious apprehensions that this portion of the line will be in conlition 

 to be operated upon by the close of the present year And a> to those 

 pnints, new arrangements have been made with the contractors, to fa- 

 cilitate the progress of the woik ; and if need be, further attainable 

 means may be resorted to by the application of a night force, so that 

 the opening of the liue West of London may be simultaneous with 

 that between Hamilton and London. 



On the whole, then, if the ^uancial arrangements of the Company 

 shall be such as to allow the work on this part of the line to be pushed 

 to the extent required, aud no other casualties or obstruction shall in- 

 tervene or occur than such as may be reasonably anticipated and 

 guarded against, I scene just cause to doubt you can be gratified with 

 the opening of tlie whole line, from Windsor to Hamilton, by the close 

 of the present 3'ear. 



* * * * * *. . 



I submit therewith a detailed account of the cost of the entire liue 

 between the Niagara .and Deti'oit rivers, two hundred and twenty -eight 

 miles, and the Gait branch twelve miles. This estimate is intended 

 to cover aU items of expenditure requisite to put the liue in complete 

 operation, with buildings ,aud equipments complete, including the 

 docking and filling iu depot grounds at Hamilton and Wind.sor, aud 

 the extension of the liue down the Detroit river to a point opposite the 

 ilichigan and Central Railroad slatiou. 



The right of way, land and land damages, and the incidental and 

 contingent expenses of the Company are not included in the esti- 

 mate. 



According to this estimate the cost of two hundred and forty miles 

 of single track road, with au allowance of 17 miles of superstructure 



