The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-05-22
ANOTHER BIG RESERVOIR
Oeerheld Power Company Starts a
hess Dam


heS Dana
The Power Construction Co. which
built the big dam al Somerset, is
planning 20 build another BIG dana IA
the DeeTliold valley and TO that end
is constructing an electric railroad
from hooSac Tunnel ~ transport ma
teTiais. thereby saving largely fsom
whai Il would have 70 pay the steam
railroad In freigbt charges. The
Norsh Adams Herald tells the story
OF the plans as follows
."Of an the construction work ever
unde taken in this section OF the
state the building OF the new electric
road from Hoosac Tunnel station up
the Deerfeld valley to the opposite
side of the river from the steam road
is attracting most atteRtion. Every
effort Is being made IN the matter of
speed. aud whlie the force has been
az wo-k only about ten DAYS. phe-
nomenal progress has been made.
The road is owned and viii be
operated by the Power Construction
company. which Is the contracting
and buildins company for the New
England Power company, the same
people who own and operate the big
dam AZ Pecks.
AT the PRESENT time the road II
being built as a private enterprise of
the power company. 20 transmit their
own building material up the river
in anticipation OF the construction OF
another huge dam somewhere be-
tween Nottingham and fl0osac 'Tun-
mel Before IL can cary passengers,
or otherwise compe.e with the steam
road. outside OF its own hauling. IL
will be necessary 10 get charter
from the state. and so tar this has
MT been attempted.
THE main purpose in building thie
road TO date has been with the idea
that the Power Construction comp
any could haul thoi- freight cheaper
themselves than have IL transported
on the lioosac Tunnel and Whining
ton and since ground was broken q
short time ago about 900 men have
boen put az work rushing their road
bod to completion. The company as
ready own the right Of way ON the
western side Of the nvec but are not
ready to make a statement whether
or not they are going TO put "
through to Readsboro or otherwise
compete with the steam roed
Much OF the apparatus. steam
shovcls. tools. etc. which we're used
at Pecks last year are again AZ work
making the dirt fly and az the rate
they are digging NJ present rails VIII
be laid within a very few weeks
ready for hauling. As the power
company have plenty OF power OF
their own. they estimate that they
can do transportation work scve al
times cheaper than the steam road
would be able to do il and pay cxpcn-
ses.
This will take a large revenue
away from the steam road during
the coming few years and just what
effect Il VIII have remains to be seen
The power company IS reported L
have sent over sl00, eoe worth Of eraf
ic over the steam road last season
but the relations between the steam
road and the power company centin
ne amicable and IL is dollars and
cents proposition en.irely with the
later corporation entirely with ths
the transportation will cosi then
will be the upkeep OF the road and
the interest ON construction
Those who arc an authority on
the question state that the new
road has nothing to DO viii the Shell
burne Fails electric road and tina. th,
power company docs not have m,
idea Mt present OF eventually ccmpet
ing with the steam road for freigh
and general traffic unless they ar,
forced later to do so I, is admitted
thai the line will be brought up ev
entusliy> to whatever point the new
dam is going in but no passenger oil
, general freight equipment has We
been investigated.