The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-12-04
The MeddLer
~ the coat f,y yos, PIT 10 on. "

To get anything like a good idea OF the
magnitude Of the project which has
made the Connecticut River Power
company such a widely renowned, highly
respected and lin some cases) loudly de
nounced corporation throughout this sec
ton, one must do more than visit the
central point from which the activities
incident to the completion OF this nam
moth water power development have ra'
dated in ever widening scope during the
past Is months. The big concrete dam
now well along toward completion is in
itself an impressive spectacle-something
TO awaken in the ordinary mortal real.
ization OF his own insigniiicance when 1t
comes to coping with great engineering
"roblems the hundreds OF thousands
OF dollars which its yards of concrete
represent is only a portion OF the outlay
necessary TO bring the gigantic enterprise
TO its contamination.
The change which will take place in
the appearance OF the Connecticut valley
for a score OF miles above the dam-site
as a result OF Harvesting the river at
this point will be appreciated, by none Of
us until the water is actually set back.
But the many alterations in highways
and railroads, the raising Of bridges
and moving OF buildings foretell mar
velous transformation OF the topography
of this section II is difficult to imagine
the river raised to such a level as to ne
cessitate an entirely new road for nearly
mile below the Brattleboro Cabinet
company's plant, yet such a road has
been built at the expense OF the power
company, which is Just as heartless cor.
poration as any other when it comes to
spending money uselessly. And on the
,ala tngIu a.
terations are almost finished. Imagine
the water so high as to endanger little
river" bridge, submerge the road across
the island and inundate the houses on
the further shore. Seems incredible,
you say? The answer is found in the
changes that have been made at these
points. Even the bridges at the mouth
of West river are having their abut-
ments prepared to withstand the in
creased height Of water, while the Re
treat meadow will be saved from inunda
tion, only by resort to genuine Dutch
methods.
The highway from Brattleboro to Hins. |
dale is undergoing even more marked |
changes than that on this side of the I
river; Beginning at, point, in front OF
the Thomas place the road has been |
raised at several places, but the big
change comes on Stearns fat so-called.
The road no longer stretches straight
across the low plain but instead swings
to the east and skirts the bluff for a
mile. or more, meeting the ".old turn
pike" las it will some day be called)
some distance up Sand hill and thereby
obviating much of the grade. Practically
all of this flat will be submerged upon
The dams completion and the river at
this point will be fully a mile wide.
Those who are looking forward to the
pleasure to be derived from aquatic
sports will note with satisfaction that
the trees and brush along the present
banks are being cut away. Root island
md that Just below the mouth of Broad
brook are now stripped bare preparatory
% their long stay under water.
Evidences of activity on the part of
he power company, are not confined to
he section north of the sturdy concrete
vail which has been built to check the
iver's flow. Following the highway from
yernon to South Vernon one cannot
elp noticing succession of steel struc-
ures looking for all the world like 81 .
antic white step-ladders These parallel
bout two miles south, then cross the
iver and march majestically up the
through a straight path
90 feet wide cut in the woods And so
hey go straight on to Fitchburg-so
traight indeed that one can get very
God idea of that city's relative location B.
y looking over the row of towers from L
his side of the river. These towers will
f course carry the high tension wires
trough which ''the juice"-the stuff
hose discovery made possible the whole
to be transmitted.
All this supplementary work, as it may
e called, has meant the expenditure Of
thousands and thousands of dollars here p
bouts. In addition to the vast amount OF
hich the power company has paid land W
wners in anticipation of water dam
yes, it is weekly distributing among its
'veral hundred laborers money enough
make an appreciable stir in local trad
e circles. There isn't business man
Brattleboro who has not benefited d. A
,ctly or indirectly from the circulation
this money. .