Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-04-25
THE DANGEROUS VERNON ROAD.
The Facts about ~ Gathered up nna
Stated.

I
stated.
The dangerous condition of the Vernon
road, where IL runs close beside the railroad
| track at the lower end Of the freight yard
being fruitful topic of discussion both in
| Vernon and Brattleboro The Phoenix has
taken occasion TO gather up the facts in the
case AS they are shown by the town records
The Vernon road, it appears, originally ran
near the river bank through where the rail
road yard now is The Brattleboro 4 Fitch.
burg railroad, afterward the Vermont &
Massachusetts,, and now the New London
Northern. was located by the directors Nav
| /, lS4S, its route as it came into Brattle-
| boro covering portion of the old highway
| The west line of the railroad, fixed by deed
| of Capt Saml Root of the land was. at
the narrow place, where the railroad runs
nearest the river bank, ~ feet from the
centre line of the track This line was 30
feet from the river bank, making the rail.
road 40 feet wide there. 1t was wider be.
low and much wider for the yard above.
The highway was changed, and, going from
tue present crossing around back of the
passenger station was made to cross the
tracks in the yard few feet below the
| brick engine.h house which was burned
| From there it ran on the west side of the
1
was laid August 3D., 1850, by Zenas Frost
and Willard Arms, jr.. selectmen, and the
west line Of the railroad was made the east
line of the highway In 1868 the highway
was taken out Of the railroad yard and laid
| over the hill from near the Brattleboro
| House (now the Bliss Housed to below the
crossing by the round house. this being
| done by the county court on the report of a
| board OF commissioners IL was not then
laid over any part of the railroad grounds
Its width was three rods except at the row
OF small houses, where the width was not
made TO extend further west than the fronts
OF those houses. In other words, the road
was narrowed at that point by 80 much as
the three rods in width would extend be-
yond the line Of those houses Originally
only single track ran up through the rail
road yard, but with the growth of business
new ones have been added, and they have
been gradually crowded over toward the
highway, until last year freight track was
put in, which, at the point spoken Of oppo-
site the small houses, is either in the high
way or close beside it,
To remedy this very dangerous condition
the first thing to be done is to locate the
| boundaries of the railroad and the high
way, and to do this with exactness the
best way would be to have the railroad
survey run out carefully. 1t should be
said in passing that if the tracks are in the
highway they cannot be removed summa-
rlly like an ordinary obstruction in high
ways, for the law, in the interest of public
safety, prohibits aud makes criminal any in.
reference with railroad tracks by any one
but the railroad authorities The remedy
is by indictment before the grand Jury il
the officials refuse TO act except by com
pulsion.
The fact is, however, as we are informed
by the selectmen, that the railroad com
pany comedies that portion of its wester-
| ly track at the place named is in the high
way, one rail encroaching about two feet.
Measurements made by the railroad com
pany last year showed this, aud within a
few days Mr.. George Clark has run out the
highway lines and his survey shows the
same thing. To simply move the railroad
two feet, taking it out of the highway,
would not remedy the trouble, for the
place would then be Just as dangerous as
now, and it is evident that what is needed is
to have the highway thrown up past this
place or from the turning off Of the Royal
Wood road down to the Allen place, and
have new road built by a route which has
been suggested, 1t is as much, and even
more an object for the railroad company as
for the town to have this done, for the rail
road needs the room and it needs still more
to get rid of such a dangerous place, for
while the road remains it is now there
VIII always be liability to accident and to
expensive suits for damages The com
pany could well afford 10 make an even ex
change, building new road in return for a
grant of the piece spoken Of. Col Hook
er, the chairman Of the board of select
men, tells us that the company is ready to
move its track the two feet spoken Of but
he thinks the thing to be aimed at by the
town is to secure this exchange to be made
or some such amicable adjustment An
arrangement has been made he saws for a
consultation at an early dav
An excuse for delay in this, as in so
many other things connected with our
railroad facilities, is that the New London
Northern lease is soon to expire The New
London Northern owners hold that they
ought not to take any responsibility or go
into any expense until the lease question is
settled, and the Central Vermont managers
say the same thing. This does not help the
public however, and the case is one where
the authorities ought to push the matter to
a conclusion as vigorously aud as rapidly
as possible They will certainly be sus-
tanned by the people in any firm and ju-
dlcious action that they may take in this
direction
The case for Vernon people, while very
annoying, is not so bad as if good road
we're not available, for all but loaded
teams, over cemetery hill Until the evil
has been abated conspicuous notices should
be posted at the Bliss House corner and at
the turn by the Hunt farm warning
strangers that the Lover road is dangerous
for horses that are afraid of the cars This
the selectmen say they will have done at
once