St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-01-11
FIFTEEN MILE FALLS.
What the Granting of a Charter
Will Mean. Price to be Fixed
by Public Service Com
mission.

Of all the measures now pending
before the legislature, the one that
means the most for the Industrial
progress and prosperity of this sec
ton of the state is unquestionably
that to incorporate the Fifteen Mile
Falls Power Company. This is the
, largest practical undertaking ever
proposed in Vermont for the devel-
opment and conservation of a great
natural resource 1t has behind it
men of undoubted responsibility,
and what has been done by them in
other parts of the state in the line of
water power development affords
handle such propositions in the
most efficient manner.
If the proper charter can be pro-
cured, Messrs. Chace and Hartman
purpose to build a dam between 225
and 25O feet high, near the lower
end of the Fifteen Mile falls on the
Connecticut river, which it is esti-
mated will create upwards of 5000
acres of storage capacity and develop
over $4,000 horsepower. 1t is the
declared purpose of the company,
and greatly for it's own interest, to
sell all the power it possibly can to
nearby communities, which means
that st. Johnsbury, LittIeton, Barre,
Montpelier, and other points in the
vicinity, will have right at their
doors an abundance of low-priced
and efficient electrician service for all
purposes to which it can be put.
The provisions of the charter will be
such as to cOmpeI the company to
furnish the product to the public at
rates to be fixed by the public SER
vice commission, and to subject the
company to heavy penalties if the
service is not forthcoming
making it primarily a public service
corporation.
The proposed development means
that the tremendous energy that has
heretofore been running to waste
on the Fifteen Mile falls will be
scientifically conserved for the ben
eft of local communities and indus
tries, and for the advantage of every
other power on the Connecticut
south of the proposed dam.
1t is estimated that an invest
ment of from four to six million dol
lars will be required for the proper
development and distribution of this
power. The capital for this under
taking is ready, and only waiting for
such a charter from the legislature
co Will UO GAApEC " pIOGOCt +l Tile
rights of the company, the property
owners and the public. Of the abil
ity of Messrs. Chace and Hartman
to make efficient use of such fran
chises, it is only necessary to refer
to their development on this same
river at Vernon, where dam and
power plant have been installed at
an expense of between two and
three million dollars. The effect of
this development has been to reduce
prices for electrical energy in
Bratleboro and vicinity about forty
per cent. Another result of having
an abundance of loW-priced and
efficient service right at hand is the
investment of a third of a million
dollars in the construction of cot
ton mill at Brattleboro.
Nobody ought to question that the
policy of the state should be to en-
courage the development and con-
servation of our greatest natural re-
source, and that capital for this pur-
pose should be invited rather than
discouraged. Vermont capital has
not been and will not be found for
the adequate and proper develop
ment of proposition OF the magni-
tude of that involved in the Fifteen
Mile falls power; and when parties
who have proved themselves capa-
BILE of successfully handling other
developments of this character in
our state are willing to invest their
money in a proposition that means
so much for the industries of the