Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-02-24
NO. g..
CONFER WITH MELLEN
Railroad Committe and Attorneys
in Boston Today
Believed Law Permits Building on Ver-
mont Side OF River-Pubiic Service
Commission Hearing March I.


mont Side of River-Publlc Service
Commission Hearing March I.
\ Two developments of Importance have
taken place this week in the railroad
situation in Brattleboro, the fixing of a
date for hearing before the public SER
vice commission and the departure OF
the town railroad committee and at
torneys for Boston for a personal con-
sultation today with President Charles
S. Melen of the New York, New Haven
& Hartford Railroad company. The
week has been marked by activity on the
part of both the New Haven Boston &
Maine road and the Central Vermont
road, and any person who could foretell
accurately just what the solution of the
railroad problem will be would be in
deed a prophet.
Early in the week notice was received
from the public service commission that
the commission would give a hearing in
the Brooks House next Wednesday,
March !, at a. m, on the petition of
the selectmen and the railroad committee
for an order vacating, suspendng or
modifying the order of Sept. 10, 1910 to
the Central Vermont Railway company
to abolish the Bridge street crossing
by building new passenger station
west of the tracks and constructing an
oVerpass where tie present station
stands. The hearing as voted in special
week, will be upon a petition to suspend
the order. In preparation for it, seven
Grand Trunk engineers are in town this
week making surveys in order to show
the commission how it is purposed to
get into the Brattleboro freight yard
with the line of the Southern Vermont
road, for which the Legislature granted
| a charter at the last session to build
from Windsor to Brattleboro. They have
surveyed on Bridge street, in the rear
of the Ullery and American buildings
and the electric light station, some of
which may be sacrificed to future rail-
road construction, and elsewhere.
A gang of laborers has hustled the
| work of removing the ledge at the site
! of the proposed Central Vermont pas
senger station, Notwithstanding the fact
! that the Central Vermont company has
! been notified of the hearing next week.
| The company purposes to build a station
| anyway so it is understood, whether
the state assists or not, and the men
are making the rock fly as fast pos
| sible with two steam drills and gener-
Gus charges of dynamite.
While all this has been going on those
| interested in having the Boston & Maine
build its line from South Vernon to
Brattleboro on the Vermont side of the
| river have not been idle. A week ago
the railroad committee were notified by
| President Mellen that he would see them
| personally in his office in the North
station in Boston at 1890 o'clock today
The counsel for the committee, Attorney
Clarke c. Fits, also Judge James M.
Tyler, whose services the committee en-
gagged, carefully looked up the law ap-
plicable to the situation and yesterday
Judge Tyler and Mr. Fits and the com
mittee, l.. E. Holden, c. o. Robbins
and NJ. j. Moran, also the Boston e.
Names general counsel, w. B. C. Stick
new of Bethel the local counsel, f.. w
Gibson. and Chief Engineer George NJ
Tompson of the Boston & Maine en-
gineering crew went to Boston to hold a
conference with President Mellen to-
day.
Although it would not be wise to state
| Just what plans will be presented to
President Mellen, it may be stated that
Judge Tyler and Mr. Fits are salts
fled that the law does not present any
| insurmountable obstacle to prevent the
| Boston & Maine from building on the
| Vermont side, and before the committee
| left yesterday they were confident that
| President Mellen would be convinced
that he could build on this side without
being unduly delayed by legal entangle-
ments, all phases of the question having
been considered fully. The cost would
| be heavy, as would also a line on the
New Hampshire side with a long bridge
| across the Connecticut river at Brat
| tleboro, but Engineer Tompson is equip
ped with figures showing the probable
! cost of excavations on Vernon street
and changes which would be necessita ted
at Bridge street, whatever plan is
| adopted.
There may be little reason for thinking
that a compromise will be made by the
two railroads, but there is no denying the
fact that for several days the desira-
bility of a compromise has been felt in
both Boston & Maine and Central Ver-
mont circles.
Engineer Tompson's men have been
working this week near Hinsdale maxi
ing surveys to show the amount of ex-
cavation the proposed New Hampshire
line would require, and options on the
land which the line would traverse are
| being secured.