Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-12-02
BRATTLEB0R0 LOCAL NEWS
OPPOSITION FROM RAILROADS.
Object to Giving Electric Road the Right
to Cross the Tracks on Depot Street
LEGISLATORS Here

Legislators Here.
The bill introduced in the Vermont
House of Representatives by Representa-
tive Clarke G. Fits of Brattleboro,
amending the charter of the Brattleboro
street Railroad company, was responsible
for n visit TO Brattleboro Tuesday of this
week of tho senate and house committees
on railroads. accompanied by Representa-
tive Fits ana officials of the Boston q
Maine and Central Vermont railroad
companies both of whom are opposed to
the passage of the bill. The party came
in a special train from Montpelier arriv-
ing between L. and o'clock. The mem
bers of the party had dinner at the
Brooks House, after which they inspected
the railroad crossing north Of the rail-
road station and the grade from Main
street TO the now Connecticut river bridge.
About half an hour was occupied I'm look
Ing over the ground, and the party went
south at rs 10 south Vernon, thence to
keene aud back to Montpelier The bill
provided for amending the street rail-
road charter so as to give the street rail-
road company the privilege OF extending
its lire to the new Connecticut river
bridge. crossing the Central Vermont
track on Depot street. which track Is
used by both the Central Vermont and
Boston Maine companies
The steam railroad companies oppose
the bill on account of the danger of acct
dents at grade crossing. a car going
down the grade from the Brattleh1.u
| House to the track the steam railroad
officials say. might be difficult to control
| in case of ice on.the track and in various
| other Instances, and the danger would
be made all the more grave by the big
| ledge on the south side of Depot street
| which shuts off the view of the track &c
the south. They maintain the liability
to accident at that point would be very
| great.
| officials of the Boston & Maine ami
| Central Vermont railroads said to n rep.
| resentative of The Phoenix that # was
| nothing short OF folly in this age wher
| large sums of money are being expended
| To avoid ana remove grade crossings ant
| when trains are running faster and Their,
are more of them. to propose crossing
steam railroad under such conditions a.
| prevail at the local crossing. They point
| ed out to the committee that better way
would be to build an elevated track from
| Main street over the steam railroad
| and still better way would he to 70
down Vernon street To some point where
a tunnel could be cut under the rail.
road.
The street railroad compauy's oh.
lection to building an elevated track f.
the great expense which such a structur,
would entail as II would be necessar,
to cross the new bridge at an elevation
Of Is to % feet from the present roadway
Additional expense would come II
| building a bridge across the east brancl
of the river. although that would have I,
| be built In any case If street railwa,
should be extended 10y way OF the island
| The objection to going down Vernon
street and cutting under the Central Yer
mont road Is that IL would be necessar,
To BALD bridge across the river at I'll
full width. Another plan which has heei
suggested Is to cut under the Central Yer
mont track on Depot street, but tina
would mean practical destruction to tn,
crosby store house, serious interference,
| with traffic on Depot street and woult
necessiiate the raising of the Contra
| Vermont track several feet In order no
| To nave too steep grade In approaching
the new bridge. and that in turn woulC
| involve large expense In adapting tn,
depot to the new condition of the track
| There Is no probability that the Brat
tleboro Street Railroad company will uti
lie the privilege of extending its tract
| to the Connecticut river at pres
ent. even II the privilege is granted bu
II is not unlikely that before many year,
some street railroad company will wisf
| to come into Brattleboro either from
| the New Hampshire side OF the river OF
| from Massachusetts and in such a con
| tinGency the Brattleboro Street Railroad
| company ought to be in position e
control the situation II already has q
franchise extending to the Massachusetts
| line.
| The senate committee on railroads con
| sists OF Senators Fowler OF Remington
| Lawrence OF Addison, Lord of Washing
| ton. Burditt of Rutland Robinson OF
| Grand Isle. Parker Of franklin and Ash
| ley Of Chittenden. The house committe,
| consists Of Representatives Grout of Der.
| by. Kicker Of St Johnsbury. Campbell
| Of Rockingham, Stevens OF Colchester
| Norton OF Nergennes, Waite OF Hyd,
| Park. Melendy OF Londonderry Galushg
Of Royalton ana White Of Cavendish.
The Central Vermont officials present
were w T.. Mullins. superintendent OF
| transportation, Of St Adams: +. D. Nash
| assistant superintendent OF New London
c. w Writers general counsel. of St
Adams. The Boston Il Maine officials
were H. Il. Folsom superintendent. OF
| Lyndonville; G. l. II. French. assistant
superintendent of Springfield. Mass
| W. B. c. Suckney, counsel. Of Bethel
| President c. O. Robbins Superintendent
c. X. Jones and other officials of tne
| Brattleboro Street Railroad company
went over the location with the party.
Engineer Martin. of the United Com
struction company. who built the bridge
across the river, explained to the party
| that to raise the bridge 10 feet would
cost from $4,000 to sl5, 900, while to
| change the bridge to an overhead pass for
| electric cars and construct the necessary
| steel approaches on either end would in
volve an outlay of from s2s, 900 to 800
| 600.
II a permit is granted to cross at grade
Mr.. Fits proposed n derailing plant on
| the hill west OF the railway tracks to be
| placed at any desired distance to insure
| safety to the public thus making 1t nee
| essary for the conductor of a street car
to go to the crossing and unlock a device
before his car can approach the crossing.
This unlocking will also "derair' the
steam railway system, thus insuring abso-
lutte protection. This proposition was OPP
posed by the agents of the steam railway
on the ground that such derailing systems
are unreliable and often refuse to work
Representative Fits on Wednesday pre-
scented petition in the house, bearing the
signatures of some 500 business firms and
property owners of Brattleboro. asking
the railroad committee to report favor
bly, on the bill and urging its passage by
the legislature.