The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-07-16
OUR VIEWPOINT
 NEWS LETTER
Especial to The Times)

NOp0C1al LO 4Io 1lII1SS)
 Stevenson, July 16, 191S.-At Zoar Bridge, quarter of a mile from this station of Stevenson, midway between Derby and Botsford on the Berkshire Division of the N. T., N. H. and H. railroad, one of the greatest engineer ing feats of this generation, and one of the notable projects of industrial New England is fast taking form and shape It is the construction of the first dam in a series of four. contem- plated between Derby and New Mill ford across the Housatonic river un- der the charters from the state of Connecticut to the Connecticut Light and Power Co.,, as a holding company for other interests. The power plant to be established proposes to furnish light, heat and power to users in one- half of the state, or as far as wire transmission of electricity Is found to be feasible. The construction of this dam, which has now been going for a year, is revelation to all beholders and is well worthy of description.
 Approaching Stevenson station from Shelton by train the passengers are startled by what has the appearance of a western mining settlement strung along both banks of the river, and the two tall towers of the aerial tramway over the site of the dam furtners the illusion. This railroad station of Stevenson was named as a gratuitous insult to President W. H. Stevenson of the Housatonic railroad, who built the Derby and Botsford link while the chief executive of the Housatoniv railroad. The Consolidated railroad, angered by the ambitious policy of the Housatonic president and his various schemes to parallel their line by leg islatfve grant of power to build ten mile feeders for all north and south railroad lines. This was in the early sos and Colonel Stevenson was just perfecting alliances with the Danbury and Norwalk to bring about the con- summation of his plans, when he awoke one morning to find that the New Haven road had bought up all the railroads of Western Connecticut. The colonel was permitted to finish the completion of the branch line, but to. his request that his name be given to either terminal station of fhe new road they gave a decided negative. This wayKide crossing was dignifed by the name 1t no wbears. For two decades it was alive for a couple of months in the spring time while woodmen loaded freight cars of wood and timber cut in the winter to be shipped to the brass shops of the Naugatuek valley. The rest of the year 1t was only a flag station at best. But now all this Is changed, Lines of siding extend for a mile along the main tracks, spur track to the dam has been built and the former quiet station now has all the hustle and noise of 8 railroad center. The popu- latien has grown from a few score of inhabitants around the bridge en- frances to several hundreds and nestl- ing under the cliffs or basking in the terraces fringing the banks are the homes of the officials and the work CTS on the job. Patriotism of the lat ter is evidenced by a service flag of 1 ten stars for men who went to the i front since last August, Two large American flags float from the tops of {, the steel towers on opposite banks of the river, and in the quarters occupied by the hundreds of Italian workmen two beautiful flags deat from flag poles since July {, one our own gior- ious ensigo and the other the flag of United Italy. This gorgeous flag ot the double crowned Roman shield of enice and qanea together with the massed flags of the other Italian prov inces which form this ensign are a source of wondernaent to the natives of this region, but to the Italian emil grant it is an inspiration. Passing the flag of his adopted country he doffs his hat, but to the flag of Sunny Italy he pays almost homage, and his wide open mouth and e3acuiations show his joy whenever news of vie- tory comes from athe Piave river ot 1 home.
 The dam structure is about 1,osa feet long and will rise 10 feet from the present bed of the river, resting on a seeaezata and steel fGlsEd taaRase feas