The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-11-21
The E1OOsac Tunnel.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION.

lEbiSIAIlN u AtllON.
In 1910 the Troy AMI Greenfield railroad
company was chartered. This company
proposed to build railroad to and through
the mountain and thence to Williamstown
''therc to connect with any road leading to
or near the city of Troy" The authorized
capital stocl; of the company with these
grand plans was the Insignificant sum of
three and half million of dollars, and the
announcement was then made that the work
would be completed within seven years from
the formation ofthe company. The tunnel
was not directly mentioned in the charter;
it was included in the plan The corporators
or their engineers wofully underestimate
the cost. The length of the road from
Greenfield to the junction with tile road
leading to Trey is forty-ive miles. The
engineers estimate that this road, includ-
ing tunnel four and half miles long
could be built at the rate of $50, 600 per
mile The actual cost has tripled the esti-
mates. Outside of the small circle of per
sons interested in the company the project
was regarded as difficult, if not impossible,
of achievement; capital avoided it. Some
people laughed and some wondered at the
great faith of the men who were audacious
enough to hope for the removal of the bar
rier of rock which nature had raised. The
corporators soon saw the impossibiity of
building the road and tunnel without state
aid in 1871 tho uonnrol court nf M,senoI,,
sets was asked to loan the states credit to
the Troy and Greenfield railroad company.
The petition was referred to the senate
committee on railroads and canals, before
which the petitioners in large numbers, and
the demonstrators in numbers, nearly as
large, were heard. March %, the committee
reported favorably on the petition. The re-
port maintained that the enterprise was feas-
ibe, and included statement made by n
civil engineer, Mr. Edwards, to the effect
that the mountain could be cut through at
the cost of 81 ,0lS, 557 and that it could, by
working two forces only, be completed in
! DOC working days, 1t is evident that Mr.
Edwards did not fully comprehend the mag
nitude of tie undertaking. Dr. Hitchcock,
easy to cut through, being almost wholly
mica slate. The friends of the Western
railroad, who were rs n matter of course
opponents of the tunnel idea, commenced
bitter fight. William Bacon of Berkshire
county insisted that the western slope of the
mountain contained quartz enough to make
the excavation costly beyond all estimates
correspondent ola Boston paper laughed
at Mr.. Edwards's estimate, and said the
cost would be in excess of 50, 900, 900; even
the opponents of state aid believed this es-
innate excessive. The bill granting the
loan of the states credit passed the senate
on the 18th of April by Il vote of 20 to II.
but was defeated in the hours on the 18Th of
May-ayes l0S, noes 1856. In 1853 the at
tempt to obtain state aid was renewed. The
struggle was as bitter as it had been two
years previously. The petition was presen-
ted in the house, and was referred to Il
large special committee. On the thirteenth
OF April two reports were presented, one
signed by the majority in favor of helping
the Troy ana Greenneld fOlks, ana the 9TH
er, signed by the minority of the members
of the committee, advising the state to have
nothing to do with the tunnel. The reports
were elaborate and remarkable for their
statements in regard to the money and time
required for making the tunnel; viewed in
the light of subsequent events they seem
ridiculous. May 18th the bill granting state
aid was ordered cngrossed in the house by
the vote of one hundred and forty three to
ninety-six; on the 18th it failed in the sem
ate, ayes eighteen, noes twenty. Although
defeated twice, the friends of the tunnel
tried again at the next session; they were
successful. Their petitions were presented
on the second day of the session in 1854
and referred to a joint special committee.
Immediately afterward it was charged that
the Western railroad company was seeking
to procure an adverse report by means OF