Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-02-15
DEVELOPING A WATER POWER
Work at Essex Junction to Be Be
gun This Spring.
Project the Largest of the Kind Ever
Attempted In This ScctiOn-COm-
pany Illus Acquired Two Miles
of River Front.

The water power development project
ut Essex Junction that has been under
contemplation by tho American Gas com
pany of Philadelphia, which controls the
Burlington Light and Power company f
this city. is 70 he started this spring.
according to a statement made yesterday
by Frank II. Parker. manager of the
latter COMPANY. Tho tenants of the
property at Essex junction have been
notified TO vacatc 10y April and develor-
mont work viii he started shortly after
wards.
The property to he developed is owned
by tho Nnooski Valley Power company.
II corporation which is also controlled nv
tho American Gas company. The com
nany has owned the property since 1906
and aside from the work of surveying
and other preliminary details, no actual
development work has yet been started.
Manager Parker said yesterday that tho
development would hc the largest project
of its kind ever attempted in this section.
The Winooski Valley Power company
, has acquired two ana onc-hnlf miles Of
the Winooslli river between the old
Hrownel mill site in Essex Junction and
the railroad bridge between Wiliston and
Essex Junction. The holdings also com
prise Il good strip of land on each side
of the river between these points The
width of the holdings will be about ono
half mile
The power will be developed under a
head of about 50 feet. This will be OH
tained by n 50-foot dam at the old Johnson
mill and a station to be located at the old
lRrownel site. The dam will be about
go feet long and will he constructed Of
concrete
Mr.. Parker said yesterday that he did
not know what company would carry
on the construction work. 1t is a con-
Germ which has had other large projects
in hand In the south and west. The work
will he under the direction of j. j..
Kennedy of New York. chief engineer for
the company. Mr. Kennedy is quite well
known in Burlington having been here
on two occasions during the Injunction
hearings in which the city's municipal,
| light plant was concerned
! 1t is expected that the power plant
when completed will furnish four times
the amount of power now generated at the
Winooski gorge because of the improved
| methods of development in the way of
modern machinery.
| When the dam Is completed the waters
of the Wnooski will he backed into a fair
| ~ broad lake above the station. The
company will have practically complete
control OF the whole river and expect that
| the power which can be generated will
| be unlimited.
The new development will also greatly
! aid the efficiency of the gorge station.
as 1t will mean that about four miles
above the present gorge station there
| VIII be formed lake. the waters Of which
can he drawn down to the gorge plant
in times of low water and thus assure
| practically an inexhaustible supply from
| which to generate power.
Just what the estimated cost of the
development work will be Mr. Parker was
| unable to say, but considerable labor will
| he required for the undertaking and the
project will doubtless put life into Essex
junction for many months during the con.
| structiOn process.