Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1920-04-02


night while the water rcccdcd to an
extent which would have made the
bridge safe.
Old Wooden Structures.
Earliest available records show that
II bridge across the Connecticut river
between this village and the island was
swept away by high water in 1857 A
similar fate awaited its successor, and
then came the old toll bridge, built
in 1869, which later was made a free
bridge and was torn down in 1903 to
make way for the steel bridge which
now lies in the bottom of the river.
The old toll bridge was wooden
structure, covered, and the middle of
rested on a granite pier. AT the east
end was a toll house, near where the
Island Park pavilion stands.
In July, 1908, the work of tearing
down the former tell bridge was begun.
After the planking had been ripped
up by means of ropes or chains and
portable engine the west span was
blown off its foundation by dynamite
Aug Z, 1908, and the east span was
tipped over by means of ropes and
portable engine.
Part of the stones of the old pier
were used in rebuilding the abutments
for the steel bridge, the layers being
removed to n depth of several feet be-
low the water level at that time. which
was before the dam at Vernon was
built. The foundation of the old pier
is still in position, but the water never
gets low enough so it can be seen.
History of Steel Bridge.
1t was in 1902 that first steps were
taken toward building steel bridge
On May 9 of that year Il special town
meeting was held here and the select
men were authorized to borrow on the
credit of the town a sum of money not
to exceed $4,000 for new bridge
This was to cover three-fourths of the
cost, the town of Hinsdale being OK
pected to appropriate money for one
fourth the expense, which that town
did.
On July 90, 1902, the contract was
awarded to the United States Con-
structon Co. of Albany, N. Y, for
$4,000. There were several bidders,
and the United Construction Co.'S first
bid was $4S, 800, which was the lowest.
This was far beyond the appropria-
tions, so the plans were changed ma
|
east end of the bridge 10 feet farther
road, but this provision was withdrawn
and some other details were changed
and new bids were submitted the same
day, July 90. This time the United
Construction Co.'S bid was 1855
which was the lowest of five bids, but
the company threw off $3.50 and took
bn d,
$50 more than the limit set by the
two towns.
Later some additional expense came
in, including extra stone work. fill
ings, etc. so that the final cost was be-
tween 900 and $4,000. The abut-
ments were enlarged and were raised
five or six feet, and the south side of
the new bridge was on the same line
as the old one, the additional width
being on the north side
The bridge commissioners for Brat
tleborO were William H. Vinton, James
l.. Martin and George w. Pierre; and
for Hinsdale +. Stebbins, F. A. Davis
and James o 'Brien.
The old bridge was closed to teams
the middle of December, 1902, and II.
r. Brown, who had livery here then
opened a ferry south of where the
White River Chair Co.'S factory is, the
east end being on the Adam Roeder
farm and the west end on the Simon
Brooks farm.
Work on the new bridge abutments
was stopped in January, 1908, on ac-
count of unfavorable conditions, but
was resumed in the spring and the
bridge was accepted Dec. 10, 1903, by
the commissioners of the two towns.
The bridge was about $50 feet long
and had II roadway 26 feet between the
trusses. On the south side was walk
six feet wide for pedestrians. An inter-
esting fact which comparatively few
persons knew about is that on the
north side of the roadway, underneath
the planking, provision was made ac-
cording to contract for a street rail
road track, as there was possibility
that at some time street railroad
might be built from Brattleboro to
Hinsdale and Northfeld. The bridge
did not contain rails, but every other
provision for the track was made.
Dynamite Is Used.
Three facts stood out conspicuously in
Tuesdays developments in connection
with the food situation here:
A general movement of the ice, result
ing in another overflow of Vernon street
An effort by the Connecticut River
Power Co. to start the ice above the dam
by the use of dynamite.
Action by the officials of the towns of
Brattleboro and Hinsdale to fix the liza
bility for the loss of the steel arch bridge
which the ice showed into the river Sun
day night and which spanned the west
branch of the river from the island to
the railroad yard.
AT the Power company's dam Monday
evening the company closed the 10
big flood gates in the dam, and after the
water had risen to the desired height the
games were opened and the water drawn
again. 1t was hoped that the raising and
lowering of the pond would cause the ice
to break up 1t did not do so, however,
and second attempt was made with the
same result, the gates being opened Tues
day morning.
The company then resorted to dyna-
mite, and several men set off number
of explosions that forenoon. The princi
pal result was to blow holes in the Toe,
without SCATTERING it sufficiently to start
a general movement. More charges were
touched off in the afternoon.
/ iahiI;tu Tor noxnooo