Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-11-01
NEW ROAD MEETING.

Pursuant to previous notice, a meeting Of
citizens was held on Saturday last, 10 hear
the report of the Engineer employed 10 sur.
vey the rouiefrom Underh across the Green
Mountain TO Stowe. After being duly Or
ganized. Hon. VIM. A. GRrswoLD in the
chair, the Surveyor made his report as fol.
lows:
The following Report is submitted Mt the reancst
OF the Road Committee:
| An examination was made with The vow or
determining the feasibility of n road which mobt
open more direct communication between the east
ern decIiyy of Mansfield with the adjacent country
and Burlington At early period the peopIe IN
this valley feeling the necessity of such a com,nuni-
cation proposed making road to lend from The town
OF stowe through Mansfield 10 the settlements in Tn.
derhll,. upon the west side of the mountain The
road was constructed, but from the little attention
pad to selecting the most feasible location, the grades
were SO steep as 10 render II quite mpraccable for
the passage Of loaded carriages This road has
grown up with second growth of timber and the
object for which i was made is still unaccompbshed
only SO lar as 1t has furnished path for the towns
men upon either side of the mountain to pas and re-.
pass on foot. Commencing at Stevens Mil nhou,
two miles east of Union Village the old road rms
southwest nearly parallel TO, and distant two miles
from, the southern spur of the Nose II follows
the summit OF ridge two miles, which is from two
to three hundred feet above the branches of Browns
river upon either side oft. The first mile it attans
n
level TO 500 feet to the mile There is then descent
OF 100 feet in so rods from which point rises unin.
tcrrnpcdy TO the summit, which is 900 feet Above the
To the east, the descent, to the fiat upon the stream
is at the rate of nearly 900 feet to the mile The
great disparity which characterizes the grades
throughout the road rendered it quite nnfeasibe
while the elevation TO be overcome wuuld prove No
obstacle TO the construction Of a good road were il
so located that the grades might be uniformly dstrb.
ued through its whole extent. With this object in
view second route was examined, which, common.
cling at the same point and keeping IN the valley be.
low the old road, gained the summit at the Ice
House," 200 feet below the other rond nv one NM
form rade OF $50 feet to the mile This does not ex.
coed the grade of Nla1 street in Burlington, for one
mile from the Lake. From the Ice House which 4.
700 feet above the Mill there is descent of TX feet
in 40 rods, to the level of the stream running east.
which it follows so rods with descent of 20 feet
of about 42l feet TO the mile From this point the
descent is very gradual TO the town of Stowe.
z The first obstacle appears at the summit, where the
passage through the Notch is INSTRUCTED by rocks de.
tached from perpendicular ledge upon the South
They have accumulated in this narrow dehle until the
descent to the first flat for 40 rods is 900 feet to the
mile. This may be overcome BY an excavation in
the rocks OF % feet in length by % feet in depth Nv
@ nus diminishing the elevation at this point from ll5
tee, 10 W iee and extending the grade from 40 90
rods the descent will be reduced to $50 feet to the
G mile winch falls within the grades of many roads in
. New England The amount of excavation will not
" exceed 12O cubic yards, which may be removed to
n form the road below for $500 The second and last
grade which renders the road in the leas, dic IT, is
e comprehended in the mile of the Beaver Mead
- ow. The distance Of this, however may be ncrea sed
so as TO essentially alter the character of lie grade
ana ring within most If not all of the roads in the
: stnte which pass the mountain. All the features #
this last route are more favorable than the one which
Il was once abandoned. 1t follows the North side OF
the valley where southern exposure is secureI the
IS easiest grades upon the side Of the mountain
winch VIII he a,cended most frequently with loaos;
: The most diicn grades at the base rather than
S the summit; which is also most favorable for the pas
sage OF loaded Carriages; The summit is not so beh
Is nv UU ieet. while the grades are extended and
uniform all of which circumstances render i, pecu-
iarIy feasible route for q mountain road.
D. J. T. BENEDICT.
i Whereupon resolutions were passed as
% follows:
~ !. Reso'red- in the opinion Of the meeting
n the Road through Mansfield 10 Stowe ough. 10 be
~ opened.
}; 2. Reso'red That the commir'ee appointed on tho
N 2Uth September last AT the meeting held in the Notch
!. | Of the Mountains composed of persons resd, nj in
e the several towns interested in the opening of his
. rond be requested TO Ia Ike such nres by raising
: subscriptions or otherwise they shall u re best 10
secure ITS being mate and that early and thor nghy.
8; "eSo'red-Thai me report ofthe surveyor, mnae
nj tins meeting be published in The village newspapers
l"H"lher with the proceedings Of the meeting
Mr.. Benedict brought away from tie
mountain specimens of Granite, some of
which he polished, and may be seen at his
e office or at the store of Mr.. S. E. Howard.
IS This rock db0mdS, and can be obtained at
9 the foot of the mountain on this side in anv
J. quantities wanted for building, thus saving
n forty miles of land carriage on that brought
If from the present quarries. 1t is OF the dark
= and best variety Of Granite.
e Various enquiries were made of the sur.
y veyor by members of the meeting, the answers
g to which served to elucidate his repor, and to
= show the feasibility of the route.
: With regard to the road to be made either
u way from the Notch, he was asked, what
:, would be the expense of making His an
- swer waS,Ihe usual expense of IA road through
u the woods where the Instructions are few.
o which he regarded as $3.50 per rod. He
c was asked if IN comparing the grade with
/ Main 81. in Burlington, he referred to tho
J. street as ii is, interrupted by the hollow, or
VI suppoSing it a regular rise. His answer was
ID not as it is. but supposing The ascent to be-
IT regular, the ascent of the mountain being re-
mMkably even. He was inquired of, as to
% the nature Of the soil, and replied that il was
10 well calculated for good and dry road
a, With regard to the rocks to be excavated at
!. the Notch, he was asked if they were solid
or loose. He replied that they were loose,
ID and in two parcels, thus facilitating their re-
II moval when broken up. A bias, put into
e large rock threw it into pieces, showing that
y gun powder can be used in break ing them up
u to great advantage. He was asked how this
,. route would compare with others across tho
is Green Mountains for difficulty, and answer
!, ed that he regarded it as the easiest of any
e within his knowledge and that he could hard :
N y conceive of an easier route and get cross
y the mountain, and for beauty and roma nee