The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-01-24

TRANSMISSION PLANS
Rights OF Way Have Been Secured
from Dam Site 10 fitehburs by Fred
cressy-Powsr Company Wants Char.
ter from Massachusetts, Legislature.

development which the Connecticut
River Power company is making on
the Connecticut river Ave miles south
Of this town. fiiehburg Is TO be The
main objective point 81 the power
companys distribution aud Il I,
claimed tina, over 1000 hors. power
has been contracted for already In
that city. Rights Of way have already
been purchased from the dam site 10
fiichburg In n direct line through
llinsdale aud Winchester. \. H., War,
wick, Royalsion, winchendon. Gard,
ncr and Westminster. aud the company
will soon apply 10 the fiichburg board
Of aldermen for permission Ia locate
wires in that city, distributing
plant being planned on the flats near
Pratt 5 pond. All Of the towns along
the route OF the transmission line are
expecting 10 benefit from the low.
priced power which will be- available.
and there is some talk Of continuing
the line as far N Worcester, Mass.
There have also been reports that a
transmission line would be extended
into Berkshire county but this matter
has not been decided upon North.
field, Mass. has become Interested ia
the project since plans were made for
an auxiliary dam at the French King
rapids, and II. |. Hartman. general
manager Of the power company. spoke
to the business men Of that town last
evening on the possibilities Of power
for that section. A bill was intro.
duced in the Massachusetts legislature
Monday asking for a charter 20 build
the proposed dam at the French King
and it is likely that the company will
ask for further legislation relative TO
extending It's lines into Massachusetts.
Both Fitchburg papers contained
long stories Of the project last week
Thursday, aud while most of the facts
have been known TO Brattleboro PEG.
pie for many months several interest.
ing points regarding the transmission
line were told. The following from
the Fitchburg Daily News will be Of
interest 10 people in this section:
Fred Greasy OF Brattleboro. Vt. civil
engineer employed for three months past
by the Connecticut River company in
making survey from Vernon. VI. on
an air line to Fitchburg, practically com.
pleted his work last night. when he drove
the last stake on the Westminster Fitch.
burg boundary line at the western en-.
trance TO the city.
Mr.; Cressy, who has been stopping at
the Westminster hotel in that town for
a week past, will return shortly to Brat.
tleboro, but this city will soon hear more
of the most pretentious attempt ever
made in New England to harness the wa.
ter power which comes from mother ma.
ture, and TO make il subserve the inter.
ests OF mankind, IN moving the wheels OF
varied industries over an extensive and
already prosperous region, adding much to
this prosperity and industry
Starting IRON Vernon on the west bank
Of the Connecticut, the line, as surveyed
by Mr.. Cressy, runs TO the southern part
Of Vernon, then across to Hinsdale and
to Winchester, y. H.. to Warwick.
Royalston, southern corner of Winchen-
don, to Gardner and Westminster, then
TO Fltchburg, where the line ends at pres.
ent. The voltage of the current to be dis.
trlbuted is very high. being G6000. This
will be carried by large copper cable. As
Il Is too high current to permit OF insu.
Iaton. Ii is not yet known how these wires
W. ~ Shpl'ptRNus bht illIS may bt bpHt wv
steel towers set on concrete bases. The
survey from Bratteboro east is all the
way over private ways, and no trouble
has been experienced in securing locations.
The power thus available will be for
sale to manufacturers all along the route,
in any stable quantity up to the capac-
ty of the plant Three thousand horse
power is to be reserved for Brattleboro
but, if not used there, will be put in the
market later.
The method of distribution will be by
substations equipped with transformers
to reduce the power to the voltage re-
luired by the purchaser.
The possibilities of the scheme are evil |
lent by brief resume of the business |
interests of the territory through which |
paper mills. Winchester has some small |
plants, Warwick, Royalston
md Westminster present no opportunities |
low Winchendon, which is Just touch
ID, has varied and extensive manufactures, |
included in which are the immense pail
md toy shops, cloth mills and other in
lustries. In this instance the cost of
would be larger because Of
he distance required to carry the power
rom the main line to the factories. Gard
Ter possesses opportunities in its chair
md other business, of no mean proper
ion. But Fitchburg offers the best mar
,et for the product, and it is stated that
llready there are. prospective customers
or many thousands of the electric power
n TINS city, especially in the western sec
ion. The instances already enumerated
re of industries already established and
10 not take into account the prospect of
many others springing up under the adj
antages coming from the availability of
he power.
No intention is at present entertained
f putting in a low voltage wire, but if
his was done, large amount might be
aiken by small private customers. No
tempt will be made to do any lighting
ither.
This plan is similar to that in New
1ork state where so much of the. power
f Niagara Falls is now being diverted
\ many different directions and is the
rst plan of its kind to be put into opera.
ion in New England. When completed
he Connecticut River Power company
ill have the fifth largest water power in
Jew England, those which excel it being
.umford Falls and Lewiston, Me-, Berlin,
T. H., and Holyoke, in this state.
The size of this great development can
est be appreciated by comparing it with
her well known New England develop
tents 1t will have nearly as much pow
r as the combined water powers at
.owell and Lawrence, and is exceeded
V only three or four other water powers.
furthermore all of the larger develop
rents, such as Holyoke, Turner's Falls,
fellows Falls, Lowell, Lawrence, Manches..
,r and Lewiston, have sold practically all
their available power under long time
,ntracts and they have but little addl-
onal power now for sale.
If Fitchburg secures this large power,
will have the largest electrical develop
tents in New England and will have more
over unsold and available for new IN
..-4..... ILL.,. oil &c tho nhnxa deyalnn-