Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-16
Great Electric Power Station to Be at
Great Falls.
IN PLACE OF STEAM POWER STATIONS
Railroads to Be Run by Current
Produced Out of City.
ELECTRIC HTING

What is regarded in some quarters as the
most important purchase of the series just
completed, resulting in bringing under one
control large number of the railroad COM
panies of the District and the two electric
lighting companies, is that just made by
Mr.. o. T. Crosby and C. A. Leibin, in the ac-
QUESTION of the property and rights of the
Great Falls Power Company. AS stated In
yesterdays Star, it is the purpose to de-
Velop this property and produce electricity
which can be used in this city not only for
supplying the motive power of street rail-
roads and for electric lighting, but also for
other power uses
1t Is this phase of the transaction that
gives 1t, in the opinion of many, an i'm
portance which the other purchases did not
nave 1t Is said electricity may be pro-
duced by water power at a minimum cost
and when 1t Is furnished from a station To-
Gated away from the city and in sufficient
quantities to be available for power plants
1t does away with the smoke and noise of
separate steam plants within the limits Of
the city.
AS is well known the rights and privi-
leges Of the Great Falls water power were
purchased a number of years ago by the
late Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, and the
property has remained in the possession Of
his family. While 1t was organized as a
stock company. the entire issue of stock,
amounting to s50O.OO0, was controlled by
the Butler estate, now represented by Paul
Butler and Gen. Ames.
1t Is not known exactly what was paid,
but 1t is supposed it was not less than
SJ0,OOO Gen. Butler became interested in
this property as early as 1850. At that
time certain riparian rights at the Great
Falls were owned by what was known as
the Great Falls Manufacturing Company.
l. was then the purpose to establish man.
ufacturing village there, as 1t was prior to
ha 1or of r1n atrioi a,4I
posed use of the property was not then
deemed possible.
Never Carried Out.
The scheme of a manufacturing village
was never carried out. Gen. Butler con-
tinued to add to his holdings in that locality
and organized a company with a capitalize
ton of 81, 100000. Stock amounting to only
100000 was issued. A few years ago a
charter was obtained from the states of
Virginia and Maryland. giving the COM
pany the right to make use of the bed of
the river.
This, together with the riparian rights
already owned, was believed to complete
and perfect the holdings of the company.
AS is well known. the Great Falls are To-
Gated about fourteen miles north of this
city. At that point the Potomac river is
nearly half a mile in width, with an ele-
walton of $50 feet above tide at Georgetown.
The river is divided by chain of islands
INTO what are known as the Virginia and
Maryland channels. respectively. The larg-
est of these islands is Conn's Island The
company owns and controls six small isl
ands near the upper end of Conn's Island,
ant all of the latter with the exception of
a strip 400 feet wide, which is held by the
United States government for the use of
its aQueduct dam.
On the Virginia shore lie two adjoining
tracts of land belonging to the company,
containing between 800 and 900 acres. The
property on the Virginia side of the river
begins at point near the middle of Conn $
Island and extends down the river two and
one-half miles. The company also has
claim in the land the Maryland shore
extending down the river to a point some
distance below the lower end of the COM
panys Virginia lands.
The officers of the Great Falls Company
prior to the sale were Paul Butler, pres
ident; John 3. Cotton, secretary; Adelbert
Ames. treasurer; Paul Butler. Frank L.
Washb1rn. O. D. Barrett. Adelbert Ames
and John B. Cotton, directors.