Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-02-05
Bridging the Lake.

Islander Whicn we puOlsh peloW anu H''"'' W
Glad to hear from him again. lie writes in good
temper. and if we really thought it would be OF
any special benefit TO the Islands TO have rail-
road running through them from Ogdensburgh
to Boston, or that our correspondent cared much
about the matter. we would not say discourage
ing word about it. but let things take their own
course. But as we think it more than likely
that of such road 'tllc bother would more than
counterbalancc the benefit" and we believe
the public as well as private good is always best
snbscrvcd bv aiming MS near rs practicable at
the truh of things, we shall take the liberty to
say few words about this scheme of bridging
Lake Champan.
We take no special exception TO the remarks
of our correspondent about Burlington. If she
was good deal less enterprisng and careful OF
her interests than she is, we should have little |
fear OF her rapidly increasing prospcrity-shc is !
where circumstances would unavoidably do for
her what enterprise and energy have done for
mlny other places. She is practically at the
beginning and ending of large business transact
tons, and the "borders of her phylaceries' must
be enlarged whether she lends a helping hand
or not. Our correspondent may. therefore, have
his Joke at her expense whenever he chooses
lie laughs best who wins and Burlington can
afford TO endure the wit of those who DEM her
advantages. when she perccivcs the results which
those advantages must inevitably secure for her.
But says our correspondent. in order tina, Bur-
r ington may be prospcrcd, "Boston must forget
init do Inr-n I,.n liz
she must dig through your our mountain
banks, and consent to an annual sabbath of at
least one month for her cars to rest. or. what
would be still worse vainly attempt to break up
the long established habits of old Lake Cham
plain Not so, my amiabc friend. Boston. as
we view the matter. has no such alternative
placed before her She has TO come TO burlington
for the products which she expects to flow into
her lap from beyond Burlington. The avenue
E through which those products are to reach Bur-
= lngton cannot depend upon her wishes or her
l. supposed interests 1t must be constructed where
. it ran be constructed; and the embarrassmcnts
in the way ofSuch an avenue must be met and
=. overcome in the best wacticaJle manner. This
r. avenue must be arO1,,d the lake or ACROSS the
r. lake; and ifthc latter, HOW This is the qucs.
$ ton and this is the question which it is the pur-
y pose of our correspondent TO answer.
Our correspondents plan is to bring the OG-
q dcnsburgh road to Rousc's Point thence, through
the Islands which constitute the prosperous
County of Grand Isle. 10 a connection with rail
IS road in Milton on the Vermont side the Lake
>. and thence to connection with the Vermont
l. Central road somewhere in Essex. Now this
:, project, plausible on paper and emincntly prac
= ticabe in thcory rs it is made TO appear, We
e must be pnrdoned for pronouncing ahogciicr Wis
ionary. impracticabe, and even prepostcrous.--
We are aware that these are strong terms. bu
~ they are iusjiiiabe. Let Us look at it, II ordc
n to bring it about the navigable waters Of Lake
st Champlain would havcto be brdecl FOUR TINES
Is irst,the main avenue accommodation between
/. the States and Canada from Rouscs Point to A.
e bareh; Scconl, from Albwgi 10 North Hero
5 thereby irdgiHg the communication with High
o gate Mis,isquoi Bay, &c: Third. from Mort
n Hero to Grand Isle, thereby bridging the com
: mum cation with s.. Adams, &c, and Fourtl
from South Hero. over the Bar to the Vernon
e Hs1jUiy Of constructing these several Draw
bridges across the important nayigablc waters c
Lake Champan is there a1y MN wHim M!
" mites Of the shores # that Lahe 50 insane as
> suppose hatn would erer be PERMITTED! Til
is the simple coWmon sense question which "
u desire TO have answered. And as our corrcspol
dent rather planes himself on his common sens
=" view Of things we expect his reply. The Idle
IA Of bridging for hrcc h0ircS afa mile (as our co
respondent expresses it in figures, though it
morc) over the deep Lake from Grand lie
Cumberland Head We snail dismiss as cavalierl
" as he has done; it is absurd. But will he |
'' good enough TO tell it. in his opinion. it is to
- Dire lmed of that New York and Vermont. TO sa
nothing ofany finger in the RE that the Gcncr
~ Goternmem may be supposed to havc). will eve
"' consent to the bridging Of the nayglblc waite
- of Lake Champlain, not FOUR times. but ono,
''' We desire it to be understood that we are di
=! cussng this subject in practical. 'commc
- sense" view. We do not say that brilucs en-
II! nat be constructed across the waters mcntionc
~ nor that the route indicated man not he fcasib
m one. IN The abstract. What we say is that no sue
bridges ercr wW be built, and that no such rou
crer wiH be traycrscd by train of cars. Tn
is the light in which we are now debating Il
no matter. Should the time ever come whcnthe i
'nr trinsic feasibility of such project should lsp
et- be determined, we will endcavor to give il o.
ay candid attention We know not. and we ca
not, what particular interests or views are {
re- tempted to be subserved by representing tn
Of Ogdensburgh may be connected by a contin
W. Gus line OF railway across Lale Chanpiaia, wi
Boston; we have only to say that in our opn
I. it cannot be done.
5 in But how then can this formidable obstacle
was best surmounted, is the question that remains.
We answer, by carrying railway around it,
,iJ by crossing it at that point which is, during
this longest period of the year, unobstructed by il
;I nu In either ofthese cases, our excellent friend
-us- ISLANDER will observe that Burlington must
luz luz prodigiously benei,ted-a railway that sho,
ter, 90 around the Lake must connect with the B.
rs" ton railways at Burlington, and Burlington
the the rerypoint whence the Lake must be cross
on the second supposition.
nee Our correspondent will probably admit Il