The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-04-01
ICE OUT At DAM
AND RIVER CLEAR
Broke Up and Moved Away
This Morning With
out Damage.
BRIDGE QUESTION
NOW TO THE FORE
Several Sites Suggested, but Business
Interests Favor Old One-Old Bridge
May Be Saved-Town Officials Con-
slider Sites for Ferry.

May Be SaVed-I0Wn OnclaiS Con-
slider Sites for Ferry.
Fear of damage by ice at the Connecti- |
cut River Power Co.'S dam at Vernon is
past for this year, as the unbroken ice |
which had been holding back the broken |
ice jam two miles north of the dam gave |
way this morning under the pressure of |
the jam combined with the wearing pro-
cess of the water and the melting due to
warm weather.
| A channel was broken through about 4
O'Clock and the general movement started
at once, and it was not long before the
river was comparatively clear, as the
volume Of the jam had been greatly re-
duced The movement caused no appre-
ciabe increase in the depth of water and
no damage whatever, and the height of
water now running over the dam is arohnd
! five feet, or about half what it was at
the highest point of the freshet.
Public interest now shifts to the ques-
tion of new bridge, together with the
choice of a site and determination of
the liability for the loss of the bridge
: WHICH eAltiueu from the west bdnh VI
the river to the west bank of the island
No trace OF the body of Cornelius Flan
igan, who went down with the bridge has
, been found Nothing could be done III
the way of a search while the ice was
running and there is not much use in
attempting a search until the location of
i, the bridge is determined 1t is supposed
: that the bridge is very near where it fell,
. but the water is not yet low enough
to make sure If Mr. Flanagan was
caught in the bridge structure the body
doubtless will be found If he was
n thrown clear of the bridge the chances OF
q recovering the body are not as good.
Two cousins of Mr.. Flanagan came here
, yesterday from Springfield, Mass, and with
). Policeman W T. Tyler went to Mr.. Elan
!. igan's home on the island. The water was
. then in the house SO high that it covered
!, the bed The cousins took back with
i them three bank books showing deposits
e which Mr. Flanagan had in BrattleborC
banks. One or both of the cousins will
return here Saturday.
There is a division of sentiment as tc
where the new bridge should be located
Some favor crossing at North street
others at Walnut street, others at the
!, old site and others below Broad brook.
y If the bridge were to be placed nortl
y Of the old site there is no question bu
that North street would be more advanta
II geous than Walnut street so far as ex
). pense is concerned. The bulk of the bus
mess interests, however, doubtless vii
r oppose going any farther north, To 10
re cate a bridge at North street would meal
a great loss to Brattlcboro in AUTOMOBILE
: tourist business, and the merchants ar
Z &,
made the HinsdaIe seectmen probabl,
!. would favor site south of Broad brook
i which would be better for this towns IL
-, terest than to go to North street.
Among the various ideas advanced ar
some in opposition to putting bridge o
o. the old site, these being based on tn
er claim that the island gradually is bC
IN coming smaller, wearing away as it b.
comes saturated with water, and that II
u timately very heavy expense will b
st entailed in maintaining connection wit
lr the east bank of the river.
1t would not do to raise the roadwa
nd across the island without leaving oppo
.et tunity for the water to pass under, othe
cd wise the roadway would act as a dan
whereas the low roadway now acts {
:; safety valve in times of high waite
- preventing the water from going stl
- higher in the east and west branches
the river However, so far as the preser
and the next generation are concerned
10 is not believed they have much to worl
N about on the score of the island BEN
A', washed away.
raj If the new bridge is placed in the o
he location there is no question but that I'll
en- abutments will be raised to prevel
ew future damage from high water and ic
and there is more or less sentiment to Il
effect that an overpass ought to be bul
across the Boston & Maine railroad, b
ginning at the Main street bridge Th
was the plan at the time the eXtensi
er, railroad alterations here were III progres
and the town appropriated $4,000 iowa
the improvements with the understands
heI that an overpass would he built. Or
md half that amount has been paid, al
there is a mutual understanding betwe
the town and the railroads that the b
for ance will not be paid until the overpa
nu- is built. 1t was exnected that ronditio
hoe would remain indefinitely as they We
ass but the loss of the bridge has renew
the agitation and it is felt that if an overps
sed ever is built the time to build it is no
add Another element in the situation is t
fac possibility Of raising the old steel brid
51a and putting it back on the old fount
ket. tions, which would be built up TO put
of bridge out of harms wav. When
water goes down sufficiently an examil
ton of the old structure will be ma
on;
Continued on Page 81