The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-02-10
ACTIVITY SHOWN BY
BOTH RAILROADS
Boston e. Maine Completing Its
New Hampshire Survey.
G. v. CARRYING OUT p. S. ORDER

Still Possibility That the Former
Road May Find Way TO Enter Brat
tleboro from the south-Public Ser
vice Commission Asked for Hearing.
Though activity has been manifested
upon the part OF both the Boston X Maine
and Central Vermont railroads this week
with relation to the proposed develop
, ments in this town and across the river
in Hinsdale, n. H., it does not mean that
hope is to be abandoned OF the Boston x
Maine entering Vermont from the state
line at South Vernon nor does. II mean
that the overpass, as originally planned, Is
to be the solution of the question OF ahol-
ishing the Bridge street grade crossing.
While the force of Central Vermont en-
ployes at work upon the ledge opposite the
passenger station has been materially in
creased this week and the work OF exea-
waiting has been rushed II is believed by
those interested in the proposed changes
that the public service commission VIII
accede TO the request OF the town oi
Brattleboro and stay the work tenn
porarily until another hearing can be
had. A petition signed by the select
men and the railroad committee was
sent to the commission "Wednesday
asking that its order for the abol'
ishment OF the grade crossing and the
erection OF the overpass. made last sum;
mer be either vacated, suspended, amend
ed or modified. 1t was announced last
week that such a petition would he made
Immediately in response to telegram
from the commission stating II was neees-
sary before the order could be changed IN
any way. Nothing was done, however, tln'
i'll this week and meantime the activity
of the Central Vermont employees was
marked. The force OF six or eight men
was increased to about 40, and teams have
been busy all of the week cartlng away
the soil from the ledge and dumping 1t on
the bank of the Connecticut river Just
south of the storehouse OF the swift Beet
company.
That the Central Vermont officials in
tend to lose no time IN carrying out the
order OF the commission was evidenced
this week when the foreman in charge OF
operations on the ledge notified George T..
Fox, proprietor, OF the Red store on
Bridge street, that he must move out i'm
mediately or take chances of falling rocks
demolishing the structure. Mr.. Fox ex,
planned that his lease had been extended
to March / by General Manager George
G. Jones and that il was his intention
to remain on the premises until that date.
Mr. Fox has, however. moved large part
OF his fixtures out OF the east end OF the
| building. The corner OF rough stone work
east of the building, which was built I'M
der the direction OF Mr. Fox, has been de.
molished during the week and the material
has been carted across the river TO the
! island where il viii be utilized IN the
/ building operations of the amusement
company of which Mr.. Fox is one of the
managers.
| While the Central Vermont has been
busy the Boston < Maine has been estab-
fishing its engineers and bridge. men IN
! Brattleboro preparatory to completing the
survey of the proposed Hinsdale-Brattle
! boro line Engineer George Tompson oi
Wakefield, Mass. and his son, George
with force of assistants and have taken
offices in Market block on Elliot
street. They have the quarters recently
vacated by the Salvation Army. The
| front room is fitted up as a drafting room
| and general office. A large room in the
rear will be used by Mr. Tompson, sr., as
his private office. A telephone has been
| installed, and carload of office furniture
gives the place the appearance OF the head
| quarters OF men who are busy, Assistant
, engineers are already busy on figuring the
amount of excavation which will be neces,
sary on the proposed line while field
\ force under the direction of Mr.. Tompson,
! ir., is busy locating the stakes driven last
| summer at the time the preliminary sur
yey was made. The bridge men have be.
gun sounding operations along the bed OF
1 the Connecticut river at point about OPP
posite the Bradley estate to ascertain the
formation of the soil beneath the bed OF
/ the river to determine the location Oh oan tne
stone abutments and piers for the 600
foot. double track, steel bridge which 1t
will be necessary to build across the river
on a 45.degree angle if the railroad is to
| be built on the New Hampshire side OF
| the river
/ That there is still an "if" in the matter
is accepted by all interested in the pro-
ject. While Mr.. Tompson has instructions
10 complete the survey for the New Hamp-
shire link and have his estimates Tor exca-
walton ready for contractors to bid upon
| April | it is no secret that the officials
of the road will listen to any. feasible
plan to get their road into Brattleboro on
| the Vermont side of the river. The possl-
bility of securing right of way ON this
side of the river under the general law has
not been given up by those vitality inter
ested and it is probable that long before
Engineer Tompson completes his survey
his superiors will be presented with some
sort Of a plan whereby Brattleboro may
yet realize its hope In, the shape OF the de-
velopmeht pioJes'eu W va"
Maine. =.
This phase of the matter is one Of which
the legal department of the. road has
charge and Mr.. Tompson, while aeknowl-
edging that it is a problem to get his
road into Brattleboro and not encroach
upon the Central Vermont, as that road
alleges will be done no matter what plan
is suggested, still entertains the belief that
the citizens of Brattleboro may yet solve
n ii rIury hnt
railroad commission of New Hampshire
had been asked to approve of the location
/ of the road as surveyed last summer and
expected that such approval would be
Forthcoming within the next SIX weeks:
Monday representative OF the right OF
way department of the Boston u Maine
came to Brattleboro and since then has
been securing options Mporr real estate
over which the road will have to pass. He
will secure 90-day options and expects r'tt to
finish his labors by the first Of April. The
directors of the Boston 4 Maine road at
meeting held in Boston Tuesday approx
ed the steps taken by the officials to con-
struct the proposed road. 4.
The method of making soundlngs
through the ice of the Connecticut river
opposite the Bradley estate is extremely
interesting. A large pipe has been SUNK !
into the mud near the Vermont bank OF
the river and through this a boring device
is operated. This consists of inch pipe, in
lengths of about 10 feet, coupled together
as fast as they are driven beneath the sur
face of the ice; water is forced into the
pipe by means of pump manned by two
men. men The soil is reduced to the consist
ency of liquid mud and driven into large
tub where samples are bottled to be ex-
amined by the bridge engineer later;
Yesterday boring had reached depth OF
about 40 feet and the material brought up AZ
was fine gravel. These soundings will