Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-09-20
TRAINS CROSSING CONNECTICUT
Pier Under Construction by Open caisson
Method-Hltch In Question Of Vernon
Street improvements.

New Hampshire soil is being convert
ed into Vermont territory near the site
of the proposed Boston & Maine rail-
road bridge across the Connecticut riv-
er, south of the railroad yard, as rap
idly as two gravel trains of the Hol-
brook, Cabot & Rollins corporation can
haul the dirt across the temporary
trestle which now stretches from shore
to shore. The scene at the river has
been one of activity and progress the
past week. Not only has the construc-
tion of the roadbed on the Vermont
side been begun, but much has been ac-
complished on the piers and west abut-
ment for the railroad bridge across the
river
Having finished laying the track
across the temporary trestle the con-
tractors sent the first train across from
the Hinsdale side about 7.30 o'clock
Wednesday morning with a load of dirt
taken from a cut made while construct
ing the roadbed in New Hampshire
Two trains have been hauling dirt since
then and dumping it where the new
track will run on the Vermont side de-
posting a load about once in 10 min
ites.
For several weeks workmen have been
driving piles for the roadway on this
side of The river. The ends of these
piles are high above the surface of the
ground and mark the elevation of the
new track. A temporary track has been
built upon them for some distance north
from the bridge site, and upon this
track the trains haul their loads of
dirt, dumping them at the base of the
piles Thus the roadbed will be built up
until the track lies on solid earth.
Early this week the work of building
pier No. by the open caisson method
was begun. The piers are numbered
| n 6 heU ha Ia
side. The caisson, or large box-l like
structure, which had been in process of
construction several weeks, was foated
out to the desired place in the river and
/, since then eight feet more of the
granite pier has been built within 1t. The
weight of the granite blocks, as the pier
is built up, will sink the caisson grad
ually until it rests on the bottom of the
river, on a base prepared for it. The
cofferdam for pier No. 4 is being built
Men are working on the foundation for
pier No. 5. Pier No. 6 and the west
abutment have been finished
1t has been reported that the time for
completing the roadbed between South
Vernon and Brattleboro had been ex-
tended to March and that a double ira elk
would be laid at first instead of a single
track, but Frederick Holbrook, the con-
tractor in charge, says the report is not
correct. The sonry work contemplates
two tracks eventually. but for the pres
ent only one track will be laid.
Aside from building the roadbed and
single track into Brattleboro it is not
expected that the improvements for
which this town appropriated s45,000 will
be made this year. The Boston & Maine
company has been expecting to make
the improvements on Vernon street for
the Central Vermont road, but it is un-
derstood that the Central Vermont people
4 l;,tx, ~; ;e,
The Boston & Maine road needs the ma
teral excavated and pending the compile
ton of negotiations on this point the
changes will not be made.