Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-02-12
ELECTRICITY FOR
BENNINGTON.
Dterfeld Valley Power VIII he Used
In the Village.
From the Banner)


Tho dvveiopmcrt OF the power plonts In
the Deerr'eld Valley has had a far more
far-feachirg effect than most people
think
Approximately 115 miles OF high ten.
sion transmission lines have been finished
to distribute power from these generating
plants and It Is OF interest to trace these
lines upon the map Starting at Shell
turns Falls, they run to Ware, Mllbury
Worcester. Clinton. and then back
through Fitchbarg and Gardner to Brat
t,cboro and then return to Shelburne Falls
by way OF Hlnsiale. Thus It will be seem
great primary loop. mas been established
along which the electric energy can act
in one uninterrupted stream. Not only
does this make for economy and depend
ability in operation, but 1t allows the
coupling UP OF the various power plants
on one line.
In addition side lines have been estab-
lished for distribution from Ware, run
ming to Ludlow and Monson, near Spring
field: from Milbury to Uxbr!dge. running
towards Providence; from Clinton through
Berlin to Marlboro. the nearest point to
Boston, and from Gardner to Winchen-
don and Troy and Jafrrey, N. II. From
Gardner two lines go to Barre and to Or
ange and Athol. all strong manufacturing
centers, and from Brattleboro a line runs
UP to Keene. N. II
II Is not easy to realize the important
part that this one system Of hydro-electric
power is playing in the industrial activ
ties OF New England. In Fftchburg It Is
turning the wheels Of the paper mills and
lighting the Offices and homes for miles
around. In Worcester II Is moving the
heaviest street car trafflce and supplying
steel works and wire companies. Ono
wire company which has a factory in
Worcester and another in Palmer receives
its power for both places from this single
line OF power. In Brattleboro, the mills
running this power announce that It has
meanta market lessening OF cost per loom.
In the Hoosac tunnel the trains are car
ried by electric locomotives actuated from
its wires, while the factories ana homes
Of a score Of large communities look to it
for light, heat and power
Nor is thi. great system by any means
completed. New loops are being planned
and In some cases already have been
been planned to run north to the cotton
to the cotton and wooden mills Of Pittsied
From Uxbridge an extension loop Is pro-
1ected to reach Pawtucket and Providence
in spite OF the completion of tidewater
coal. And from Fitchburg a third line may
be run to the mills at Nashua and Lowell
More than 100000 horsepower will be Sc
cured from the Deerfeld river soon II
present plans of hydro-eectric develop
ments in New England are brought to
fruition. and another 100000 from the Con-
necticut river. In the current year It Is
estimated that 225, 900 tons of coal will be
replaced by this source of power. And
plans are now under way for the con-
struction OF another equalizing basin
above the Somerset reservoir that will be
even larger This means a great change
in th' Industrial development Of this SEQ
ton Of country. At the turning OF a
switch steam plants that " ere considered
quite adequate before will be cast aside
Many manufacturers will be bothered no
longer by the nuctuation OF coal prices
and coal deliveries. Many others will be
enabled to start plants in sites that
hitherto have been considered useless be-
cause Of the absence Of ready power and
all this means lower cost of production.