Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-09-03
THE RAILROAD BREAK.

STEPS FINALLY TAKEN LOOKING TOWARD THE
EsrABLIsHMEST or TEMPORARY CONNECTION
BY WAY OF THE VERMONT VALLEY ROAD
Things have to day taken definite shat 9
looking toward the establishment of temporary
connection with Brattleboro around'tbe mar.
row gauge break by way of the Vermont Valley
bridge and road bed. A the end Of last week
the local officials Of the Bfattlebcro Il White
ball road, seeing that the Central Vermont
managers gave no sign Of what they meant
to do, put in an earnest demand that some
thing be done at once TO relieve business iu-
terests on ;he line Of the road that were bs.
ginning to suf3r seriously. The result OF
this was that communication was had from
s. Adams with President A. b. Harris OF the
Vermont Valley road and Mr.. Harris at once
replied that, il plan we're given him show.
ing the situation of the tracks, what the mar
row-gauge road wanted, and how long. ho
would at once see what could be done. Un-
der instructions from Me-. Hobart, G.
Hines made a survey of the proposed con
nection on Wednesday aud by the late train
plans and drawings were sent to st. Alban,.
MIR. Hines found the only possible plan to he
to connect with the Valley track by Y. To
run in on a curve is impracticable either from
the end Of the rock cut toward the river or
from the Bradley farm yard. Two sharp re-
verse curves would be required and the grade
would be 1870 feet to the mile. To get across
the highway to strike tue Y it will be neces-
ssry to blow out the southeast corner of the
ledge.
Tpis morning special train brought Gov
Smiths special car to Brattleboro with Gov.
Smith, Mr.. Hobart, Superintendent Foss, and
Rosdmaster Bean on board. President Rob
ert Colt OF the Nav London Northern road,
Superintendent Mulligan Of the Connect
icut River road and R1admaster Clark OF the
Vermont Valley road also came in on the
morning trains. These gentlemen went up
to the scene Of the wreck and looked the
ground over, and at noon they came to an
agreement and decision under which the Cen
trail Vermont will at once go ahead to make
connection around the break on the plan a.
surveyed by Mir. Hines. 1t was expected that
work would begin this afternoon and it will
be completed before tue end of next week.
There does not seem to be any good reason
for believing that the Central Vermont man
ayers ever had any idea of giving up the road
or stopping its operation AS rumor generally
had it at the end OF last week There has
evidently been hitch in somewhere, but it is
probably between the Central Vermont aud the
New London Northern ompanies as to the re-
placing OF the wrecked bridge and how the ex-
pense Of it shall be borne. Local railroad
men believe that new bridge will be built
sufficient for a standard gauge traffic with
view to future developments at the quarry
From all that can be learned about today
meeting it il believed that the outcome OF the
talk between the two companies will be the
erection Of 4 new iron bridge, work on which
will begin sooD.
good deal Of freight has been carried
around the break aud Mr. Brooks is doing all
that he can TO accom- IN date 10 this way mer-
chants aud others up the line. Yesterday he
went with special freight train of three car
loads through to SO. Londonderry. The pas
senger traffic continues large. The number
of passengers each way averages 30 or 40
Thursday morning there was load Of 20
passengers down. At night there were near
ly as many to 60 up and there were two large
wagon loads of baggage.
The Central Vermont officials said to day
that it was impossible to arrive at any fur.
Their idea as to the cause OF the wreck They
do not believe that the bridge was faulty or
insufficient, but that some accident must have
happened what it was will never be known.
Railroad men believe that the engineer sud.
denly discovered something wrong With his
train or the bridge. This, they say, was the
meaning Of his whistle for brakes He could
not have had time to pull the cord and sound
the whistle after he felt the bridge give way
and before he struck the water Could he
now speak he could tell what it was that hap.
pened.