Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-03-12

Of about lOur hundred acres; In raising and maintain
ing which, twenty or thirty mills, and factories, on the
stream below, have united. Here we have no sooner
asceraned the best grade aud line OF progress than
are compelled TO meet at The summit another question,
still more exciting, and nearly as important in its
sequences. In the neighbOfhood ui the Ashburnham
Reservoir there arises q question between two routes
One makes from our main course detour TO the north
the other a somewhat similar bend TO the south. The
northern route passes through the vnge Of Winchen-
don, the southern through The village OF Baldwins-
vile: In distance, the southern route has some advant-
age; in other respects, il is inferior 10 the northern
Thus have in the first twelve miles, problem Civ
Us by the nature OF the ground, and in the second
section oi similar length, clashing OF local interests
These Two sections long sixty feet rise out OF
Fitchburg expected, were considered separately;
they had apparently little to do with each other. On
the eastern side Of the summit, there contest
with nature, and on the western quarrel between
men, aud neither appeared much to depend the 9TH
er. But, when il found that the FIRST ten and a
half miles could be achieved at lower grade and on
larger curves, II became important TO continue these
improvements for the remaining mile and hall. u is
duty to inform Stockholders that the north
side Of the Reservoir this is practicable OF reasonable
expense, and on the south side il is not. II is policy
then, whchsoevef route follow beyond, TO pass this
reservoir on ITS northern side u Is true that we have
been invited to cut through this Lake for nearly 1000
feet mud pass below It's bottom and 10 dam and wall
up its waters, both sides Of our passage, and
TO lead our ttans ike Phafaoh's, between its over
hanging foods. All which, arc told. can easily be
accomplished. But our fears and the advice Of able
and experienced engineers have hitherto been suf-
cient To prevent an experiment so hazardous where
the consequences Of failure might be 50 fatal. The
elects of late breach OF the small reservoir A. Aiho
furnishes Illustration Of the danger Of such un
deraking
The owners Of the Reservoir protest against our
tampering with these eighty millions Of cubic feet Of
water suspended them, and they deny right,
even for single season, deprive them Of lis use or
TO impair their privileges when there Is no absolute
necessity for exposing them 10 such loss and donger
The works on the stream have been built or enlarg-
ed, with reliance this water during summer. And
what sum will these mills exact from for our inter-
ference with their business for q single season, while
our work should be in progress' And what kind Of
dams would safely wall this water above our road and
prevent the accumulation Of icei IN nv opinion the
true way lit is necessary cross this a
would be to pass oper its surface and iHefease our
grades accordingly.
We had then to choose between grades OF sixty feet
the south side and ny-fve and iorty-laur one hun
dredihs feet on the north side Of this pond and We
preferred the latter We preferred II " going
10 BGidiriasriAe We preferred il although IL adds
The Badwnsyile line mile Of distance; we pre-
effed il because IL must give another mile and
half Of the Cheshire traffic; we preferred il because il
would Furnish better place Of junction and enable US
to receive the Cheshire road table land at the sum-
init instead Of contnng the junction TO place where
the room would be insufficient and on the steepesi
grade where should be compelled to stop and start
heaviest trans preferred H. because it precudes
forever oil claim for the Cheshire road extend further
eastward and we prefer il because as We have already
sad) the value Of the entire road Vermont affect
ed BY this improvement Of our maximum grade Is
any friend of the southern route alarmed the add-
tona mile OF disancei Would he not joyfullv pur.
chase eleven such Improvements with eleven more
miles. and make the entire road dead level TO Yer
moni' II he would not, ! fear his spirit Of saving
would be most "prnfg ate" economyi We have h.
Gated md are building the north side Of the reser
Sor, clearly within the letter and the spirit of our
Charter. II is true we do not desire to add mile 10
he Rail III l..
don route 10 be the true one, but when we have ascen-
ded to the summit IN the way which satisfied "
the best, are in the commencement Of valley which
extends TO Connecticut River. II is at this point, the
summit (and not at Fafrbanks's, a mile and n halt
down the bill, at first supposedly that the ques-
ton arises between the two contested routes. To be-
gin with the assumption that sixty feet grades are UNA
'oidable, we might well consider separately, the first
and second ten miles OF our line But in thoroughly 1
ioing duty the first section, we move the point
IF divergence Tor the second, 10 the summit III the
merits or the chances OF local disputes are affected by
his circumstance, we cannot help it, it the nature
u The ground, and not this Board that created the
essty
From the summit which is thus easiest to attain
rom Fitchburg, and 10 any contingency most valuable I
o the Company when obtained, the distances by Win
'hendon and by Baldwinsville, nearly equal the /
oulhern line being fraction Of a mile the shorter
The question is whether shall keen the natural and
gently descending valley, into which we have thus en-
eIed, or shall we for about ten miles leave IN One Of
Htst IS iOutt, the ONcT IS more or lore
ID: the northern is a cheap line: its grading can be
lone 10 three thousand dollars per mile; the southern
IS certainly much more expensive. The northern
route would be graded In four months; the southern
would require two summers The repairs on the
northern would always be light tax To the Company;
those on the southern, from the depth Of the cuts and
character Of the material, would be serious Item
The clearing of SHOWS from these cuts, is certainly
another objection 10 them TO say nothing OF undiscoy
cred rock TO be anticipated there. The curves and
grades on these, all other lines Of similar length
between any Two points, can ofeOurse be made equal
but this equality can only be established in this instance
at large expense, II we leave the valley and take an
line. The summit is already attained for
the northern route; for the southern must rise ron
siderably higher and pass another. Suppose both
lines 10 be constructed al anything like similar ex-
pense, the time OF running is IN favor of The northern
II has been already said that if the Cheshire road had
dverged from at Fsirbanks's our trunk would
have been about ten and half miles long; II that
tributary DIVORCES from us at the summit which we
have selected, and TO which now building this
trunk will be tireipe miles long. Should we construct
our road by Ninchendon, the length Of this trunk
would be eighteen mile' We view this additional six
miles as an important increase Of The value OF opT prop
erty. When two Railroads to converge on com
mon stem, their mode Of union should be governed hy
mutual convenience, Just economy The public are
needessy taxed when they forced TO support two
roads where only one is required. When two roads
make tue angle OF their conveyance too obtuse, they
OF course increase their distance improperly; when that
angle "a too acute, they assume the character of par
alei and rival lines the public is taxed to support two
where only one ia needed
II our road takes the northern route it receives that Of
The Cheshire Company Wnehendon and the union in
wan the principle which has been mentioned
u we lake the southern route receive the Cheshire road
al our present summit after theirs and for about
ten miles been running at average distance of only 1--WE
OF sH mes we take the northern line, (Which rres.
Peetye this consideration deemed the best we eongate
me common trunk for both roads six miles and remove
ms reproach nom our policy and this additional tax from
the public
But The Company and the public have another interest in