St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-03-22
SEEKING CHARTER
Essex Storage and Electric Com.
pany Given Hearing Before
Public Service Commission

Vermont was here yesterday to hear
the petition of the Essex Storage and
Electric company for the right to in
corporate under the laws of the state
of Vermont. Some opposition was
made by attorneys for different parties
and the matter was taken under ad-
visement by the commission.
The petitioners, Theodore w. Chase
of Passumpsic, Fred d. Gilman, Har-
ry H. Carr, Freeman A. Pierce and
Charles C. Braley of st. Johnsbury.
were represented by Alexander Dun
nett. Porter, Writer'S and Harvey ap-
peared for the town of Victory, the
estate of o. M. Gallup, Judge Har-
land B. Howe and the East Haven
Timber company. Elisha May ap-
peared for John Lynaugh and N. A.
Norton for the state of Vermont
Dunnett said that in Victory there
was the bed of an ancient lake now
known as the Victory Bog which pre-
sented an opportunity to store an i'm
mense amount of water The COM
pany that was asking for the right to
incorporate plans to build dam about
so feet high and impound about 3d.
600, 900 cubic feet of water. 1t wants
to develop this storage and build such
electric plants as it desires on the
Moose river.
Chairman Bacon of the commission
said they wished to know what terri
tory the company proposed to furnish
electricity and Mr.. Dunnett said in
Essex and Caledonia counties. The
commission said they also required
an agreement that in the sale of power
people in Vermont should have a pre-
ference and MIR. Dunnett said the com
pany would agree to that.
Then the opposition began. Mr..
Porter said he thought it necessary to
show that the public good warranted
such an Incorporation and that his
clients wanted to know who owned the
property, what property it wants to
take and where it wanted to build
electric plants. There are five or six
dams along the river and they may be
seriously affected by this company.
His people want to know who is really
back of the company. He under
stood it was not the incorporators
whose names appeared on the petition.
Judge Howe said he was interested
in water power ON the river and he
wanted to know what this incorpora-
ton means.
Mr.. Porter said that the East Haven
Timber company objected because the
building of this storage lake would in
terfere with their getting out the pulp
wood on their land. He thought the
new company would be a monopoly.
The commissioners said they would
like to know more about the project
and Edward H. Moody, an engineer
from Turner's Falls, Mass, was called
as a witness. He said the company
fO oOpc+r,1of dow foot
high to retain the flood waters from
a water shed covering 72 square miles
The storage lake would cover about
four square miles and hold 2,500,OO0,-
| 600 cubic feet of water. The expense
of building the dam would be approx
| imately 100000. The land flooded
is mostly low swampy land and but
little timber would be affected. The
company has already bought about
/ $500 acres of land and would have to
buy 1900 or 1900 acres more. Not
all of this land will be flowed. The
company had considered the power
possibilities along the river.
Questioned by Mr.. Porter, Mr.
Moody said he was employed by the
Turner's Falls Power and Electric
company and he thought Chase and
Hartman might be interested in the
ated the lands already purchased
would be turned over to it. The work
and expense, from $4,000 to $4,000
has been borne by the Turner's Falls
company. This company owns a pow
er plant on the Connecticut and is in
terested in storing the headwaters of
that river so more water power could
be used in dry times. It would also
like to build electric plants for IocaI
use to utilize the water as it passes
down the stream and to sell it's in
creased supply of water to owners or
water powers along the Connecticut.