Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-05-31
TO INSPECT THE BIG DAM.
GOV. Mead and Alfred r. Noble, Emil
nent Engineer, to Make the Trip to
Somerset Tuesday, June II.

Gov Mead and Alfred r. Noble, Emil
nent Engineer, to Make the Trip to
Somerset Tuesday, June II.
Rutland, VT, May o. 1912
To the Editor of The Vermont Phoenix,
My Dear Sir:-You may be aware that
there is a very large dam which | UNI
derstand is to be a hundred feet or
more in height and at least one thou
sand feet In length extending across
the Deerfeld River valley in the tow,
of Somerset, Vermont. / have heard
very much of the general features of
this dam and regret that a few of the
people in that valley are somewhat
alarmed as to the general construction
of the same, l have received letters and
the nature of them was such that
felt that l should take the subject un-
der thorough consideration and that an
examination of said dam should be made
and | have obtained the services of no
less an engineer than Mr. Alfred r
Noble of New York city.
Mr. Noble was one of the Panama
Canal commission and one of the con-
sulting engineers designing the Gatun
uam at Panama and had general super
vision of the Pennsylvania railroad tun-
nels under New York city. His selection
Is approved to me by the engineering
department of the state of New York
and the engineering department of the
war department of the United States
government. He is one of the most en-
inent engineers in America.
quite number of the people in the
state have expressed a desire to visit
this dam and to do so when Mr.. Noble
is TO be present have had sent to Mr..
NOBLE all the blue prints and specifica-
tons necessary and he has fixed on
June 18th to make the examination.
The development of this dam in SOM
erset is to be not only very large
storage reservoir but there is also to be
constructed in connection with it a very
large electric power plant to serve varl-
Gus towns in southern Vermont. 1t is
one of a series of developments which
will number ten in all, four others in
Vermont and five in assachusetts The
property is being developed by the New
England Power company, a corpora ton
tnanced by very strong financial and
business men. Hon. Clarke c. Fits of
Brattleboro, attorney and representative
OF the New England Power company in
vermont, has shown special willingness
to assist in making this investigation as
thorough as possible as to the safety
and general character of the dam and
in caring for the wants of those who
WISH TO be present at this occasion. I
nave already arranged with him TO he
in Brattleboro on the afternoon of June
l0th, then to go to Wilmington that
night by automobile, where we can
start early in the morning of the 18th
to visit the dam referred to.
1t viii one of the largest if not the
very largest storage reservoir in New
England and one of the largest electric
power plants. This plant and the other
plants on the Deerfield river and the
one at Vernon on the Connecticut
Will form by far the largest hydro cleo
trio development in New England. The
capital represented in the developments
now going on in the Deerfield river is
approximately five million dollars and
the total expenditure to be made on the
Deerfield river will be twelve million
dollars.
Most respectfully,
JOHN A. MEAD.