The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-04
REMOVING GRADE CROSSING
Public Service Commission Asks for
$4,000 Appropriation.

In it's 18th biennial report to the
General Assembly the Vermont public
service commission says in part:
Circumstances over which we have
had absolutely no control have de-
layed the much-needed Improvements
at White River Junction, in which
so many of the travelling public are
especially interested. In our last BIZ
ennial report we stated that we had
issued an order directing extensive
improvements in the passenger sta
ton, adequate enlargement of the
station platforms. the construction
of a subway for pedestrians, and 9th
err designated Improvements; and
that an appeal had been taken from.
that order to the supreme court,
where it was then pending Since
then the supreme court has rendered
its decision whereby our order was
affirmed; and it seemed then that the
litigation must be at an end, and that
the order would be fulfilled
But in November, 1911, just when
we were considering enforcing the
order, or trying to, Notwithstanding
the proceedings in the federal courts,
for no injunction nor restraining or
der had been granted. the newly re-
paired passenger station was wholly
consumed by fire. This presented a
new situation and suggested the
thought that a new station should be
constructed on the west side of all OF
the tracks; and petition was
brought to us by the Boston & Maine
railroad, asking to have our order
modified, in view of the fire, and an
other petition was preferred by citi-
zens and others asking to have an or
der issued directing the construction
, of new station on the west side of
all the tracks. Upon hearing of these
petitions it developed that, owing to
the plans Of the two railroads as to
D securing rights of way and charter
rights for new lines that they mad de-
cided to build in Massachusetts and
in New Hampshire, and the uncer-
o tainty of the outcome of their re-
- spective demands before various tri-
3 bunals, it was not thought advisable
h by any of the parties concerned to
undertake to solve the problem of the
location of the station at White
River Junction and the size and quail
ty thereof till those other questions
: had been determined.
n No. 2SS acts of 1910, authorizes
L, this commission, on petition for that
purpose, to order the railroad cor
poration whose railroads connect in
the city of Burlington. to construct
and maintain there a union passen-
/, ger station, if we should determine
4 that TO be necessary for the reason
able accommodation OF the public.
of ion Fres
station has been brought under that
act. But the rivalry and conflicting
interests of the two railroads concern
ed have been so great, the desire TO
do as little damage as possible to the
various industrial concerns involved
in the suggested plans, has been so
embarrassing, so uncertain We're the
petitioners as to what should be
adopted for the location and construc-
ton of the station. and so difficult
We're the problems presented by each
Z OF the plans suggested. that, at the
request OF all parties. the hearings
have been continued from time to
time over long period in order to
. / give opportunity for study and for
an endeavor to reconcile conflicting
interests. Finally We have announc.
ed that we would ofcer the Central
Vermont Railway company and the
Rutland Railroad company, the two
railroads concerned, TO construct a
union passenger station at the foot of
Main street, about 120 feet west of
the west line of Battery street. and
that the tracks should be elevated so
that they could be reached from tie
station substantially at grade.
We have Investigated every i'm
portant accident that has occurred
during the two last years in the oper-
alton of the various public service
corporations subject 10 our superyis-
ion. Those Investigations have been
made either by the examination of
@ witnesses at public hearings. or by an
investigation informally conducted
; by one member OF this commission.
During the two years covered by our
last biennial report 20 persons were
injured and seven killed on the cleo
I trio railways of this State. while the
corresponding figures for the period
covered by this report are eight i'm.
jured and five killed Some of the
accidents that We have investigated
have occurred to linemen in the EN-.
ploy of electric light and power com.
panies, and to others, in consequence
of faulty construction or improper
- insulation; and our investigations of
those accidents have resulted in
remedying those faulty conditions.
The following shows the number OF
c persons killed or injured in this State
by coming in contact with electric
!. wires, for the two years ending June
4 80, 1912, as reported to this com
mission by the respective companies
- on whose lines the accidents occur
red:
Total number killed IA
Total number injured 13
Linemen or other employees killed Z
Linemen or other employees injured IL
Other than employees killed I
Other than employees injured .
This State never enacted statute
e of more manifest and general public
: benefit than the law requiring the
|. elimination of grade crossings. That
I law requires every railroad in this
4 state annually to eliminate one grade