Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-12-03
POWER DEVELOPMENT HEARING
Petitioners for Corporation to
6uild Dam on Middlebury
Hiver Present Case to
Public Service
Com m sim

public hearing in the court house at
Middlebury the Public Service Commits.
sion heard testimony for and against
the granting of a certificate of incor.
poration to petitioners seeking to de-
velop water powers on the Middlebury
river for the production and sale OF
electrical power. The project proved
to be large one, involving riparian
rights from East Middlebury to Riptor
village, with a dam 200 feet high, q
reservoir in the gorge covering over
100 acres, and large storage basin on
the north branch and Alder brook, and
the development of from 10000 to
12,500 horse power. Opposition de-
veloped both from the Battell estate
and power companies already estab-
lished, and the issue was sharply con-
tested. The hearing was largely at
tended and interest was keen.
The Commission was represented by
Hon. Walter A. Dutton of Hardwick
and Hon. William R. Warner of Ver-
|
Bacon of Brattleboro, not being present.
The State was represented by Attorney
General Herbert Barber and State S
Attorney A. R. Sturtevant. E. H.
! 'Hrvey and Fred B. Thomas of Mont
ier appeared for the petitioners.
James B. Donoway and Burt L. Stat
ford of Rutland represented the Battell
estate. Fred E. Gleason of Barre ap-
peared for the Consolidated Light and
Power Co. of Barre.
The principal witness was Frank A.
Walker of Barre, an engineer, who has
made surveys and drawn plans for the
proposed development. From Mr..
Walkers testimony it appeared that
the petitioners had acquired a site for
power plant above East Middlebury,
and some rights higher up on the river,
including lands for a storage basin on
the north branch, above the Bent mill.
i is proposed to construct an immense
dam in the deep gorge about mile and
half above the power plant and con-
duct the water through a large pen
stock to the plant, fall of about 48O
feet. The cost of the project was esti-
mated at about 81 100000.
Many questions were asked as to the
financial backing of the undertaking.
Mr.. Walker stated that no difficulty
was anticipated on that score, if the
corporation could get started, but ques-
tions as the exact plans of financing
were objected to.
There was difference of opinion as
to the relative amount of land and
rights owned by the petitioners and by
other owners. Mr.. Walker estimated
that about one half the necessary rights
were already secured, while Prof.
Thomas E. Boyce, who was called as a
witness for the Battell Estate, stated
that the Battell estate owned all but
about one-fifteenth or one-twentieth of
the land under consideration.
Attorney-General Barber seemed es-
pecially interested in the safety of the
plans to insure safe construction were
not presented, but the Commission
were assured there would be no diff
Guilty on that point.
Mr.. Gleason was interested in the site
of the supplementary steam plant which
it is proposed to build. and also in the
marketing of the electrical power. Mr..
Walker said that one proposition was to
locate the steam plant in Barre, but
that other localities had been considered.
Mr.. Gleason also brought out the fact
that some tentative contracts for the
sale of energy in Barre quarries had
been effected.
President Thomas was the last wit
ness. AS an executor of the Batten
Estate, ne submitted a copy of the
Battell will and read the clauses in
which some of the lands necessary for
this development are set aside as a
public park for the benefit of the people
of Vermont and entrusted to the care of
Middlebury College, with a fund for
their preservation in their natural state.
He described the great scenic beauties
of the gorge it was proposed to destroy
and the Importance of its preservation
in the interest of Bread Loaf Inn. He
stated that he was not opposed to any
industrial development which was fl
nancially sound and based on good engi-
neering, but he did not want to en-
courage any project which would take
value from small towns and add it to
large centers. He was opposed to the
Capitalization of industry, as not in
harmony with the best interests of the
State. The problem of Vermont, he
said, is the small town. and if given
time the interests in control of the
greater part of the Middlebury river
would seek to use it in patriotic man
20. H.. E.. e