Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-06-09
WILL ERECT new PLANT
Martinsburg Power Co Prepares to
Enlarge Its Facilities
CONTRACTS AWARDED TODAY
Company Will Build Fine, Large
Power House at Dam No. A.
Will Cost About $135 900.

Plans for the erection of a fine,
large power plant on the West Vir-
ginia bank of the Potomac at Dam
No. A by the Martinsburg Power Co.,
which have been in process of forma-
tion for several months, have finally
matured 90 that point where the work
is about TO be commenced, and in a
few months this company will be in
possession OF one of the best aud most
complete sources of electrical power
in this section of the country.
In conversation with DR.. S. N.
Myers, the president of the company.
today. The World man learned that
all the contracts, with the exception
of that for the pole line, have been
awarded, and that the entire work
will cost in the neiehborhood of $780,
000-a big and important undertaking.
The power company recently closed
a deal with the officers of the Chesa
peake and Ohio canal, whereby the
Martinsburg people acquired a right
to use the water from the Potomac not
required for the operation of the
canal. AS soon as this arrangement
was completed, the work of awarding
the contracts was taken up. and the
most important lof these have been
given ont.
The work OF ~excavating and prepar.
ing for the foundations of the big
power plant was awarded to Schoti
and Brubaker, of Lancaster. Pa, and
the work on this part of the CONTRACT
will be commenced uext week. All
the foundations and other lower work
will be of concrete, while the building
proper will be Of dressed stone. 1t il
expected hat this part of the work
will be completed in six months. The
contract for the hydraulic machinery
was awarded to B. F. Croft, of Ian.
caster, Pa, while the contract for the
electrical work was given to the War
rem Electrical Manufacturing Co., OF
Sandusky, .Ohio. The contract foI
the pole line, which will be Is miles
long and cost about SIS, 900, has not
been awarded.
The new plant will be designed tc
develop about Z, 1000 net horse power,
which, with the power plant at Dam
No. 8, will give the local company an
aggregate of about 8, 900 horse power.
The additional power will probably
be used largely by the limestone and
cement plants now in course of devel-
opment in Berkeley county. and by
the new trolley line to be constructed
by the syndicate represented bv Col
onel Walker and Colonel Thompson.
Additional power will also be de.
manded in Msrtinsburg, and this, it
is believed, will absorb about all the
power developed at both power houses.
The time for the completion of the
nitely fixed now. but it is the inten.
ton of those in charge to push the
work as rapidly as possible.
The first work that will be COM
pleted by the electric people will be
the increase of the power at the plant
at Dam No. 5. The power there will
be about doubled by the addition of
two powerful turbine wheels. which
will be installed at cost of IS, 600.
This work will be completed early in
August. -Four of the largest turbine
wheels made will be placed IN the
house at Dam No. 4.
The whole work forms part of the
plans of the Martinsburg Power Co.
for tue development of it's particular
branch of industry in this section,
and when the second plant has been
placed in operation there will be
ample room in the three plants owned
by the company to supply all the cleo
trio power that .will probably be re-.
quired here during the ext 20 years.
The total investment will reach m
thing like $500, 600.