The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-08-21
MAY PARALLEL
R. F. & P. R. R.
COuIds Said to Have That Plan in
View.
TO BUILD FIVE DAMS ABOVE CITY

Water Power OF Little River and 0ccOquan Also
Secured eOulds Believed to Have Control OF
Mt. Vernon R. R This Line Has Entrance
Into Washington.
That the Wabash Railroad ismakinga
determined attempt to parallel the line
oi the K f. 4 L. Il. X. between Richmond
and Washington Is a rumor that h''S
been persistently spread
Certain facts, which are generally
| known. added To transactions which have
lately taken place. have strengthened
those rumurs. and whether OF not they
Ia. true make the telling oi lively interest
to those connected with the t. 1. L X
r.. a. we'll a. To- Nirginians at large.
Ii has been learned that within the
past year parties representing themselves
~ agents iur MIR. Gould, who controls
the Wabash system. have secured the
water rights ON the Rappahannock River
lor "A mile above Fredericksburg, and
have formulated plans for series OF five
dams across the waterway. which Will
II is estimated, furnish electro power
sufficient To operate every Industry ia
fredericksburg ten times over.
nEEp-sEA nNEuoE.
II is also stated that surveys havehc.n
made To Milcnbeck. "A splcnId deep sea
hArhor near the mouth oi the Kappa
hammock River. in the Northern Neck.
about eighty miles from trcderlcks-
burg
1t is learned that Mr. Gould- reprc7en-
tati,eS have also acquired the rights OF
Oocounan River. above the town OF that
name. which il ON the line OF the X / ~
= Il X and which until lately has hty'n
known ~ Woodbridge
The water-powcr at Occoquan wlllper-
hapS develop one hall as much power ~
the RApahannock at Fpdcrickshurg
The could interests have recently made
"A test oi the water power "i littl" klN"r.
near boswell Ii Is known that the
stream is capable of furnishing 1000
horse power.
CONTROL OF Mt NrRNON EoNp.
TO these interesting facts can bee added
that of late the Washington and Mt
Vernon Railroad has been rcorganiz d.
and il Is not known who now controls
.nterance To Washington. was controlled
by interests in the hands OF MIR King oi
Philadelphia The Pennsylvania Kail-
WAY Company owned about 10 per cent.
of the stock aud the remaining go per
cent. WAS held by the hing interests.
The road has been on the market Tor
two years.
IL would seem therefore that eGOuld
interests at this time have AN electric
line from Richmond 10 Ashland. that
they own sufficient power ON the Rap
pahannock 10 operate from Ashland to
fredericksburg; that the plant To be-
| located at OcroQuan River would furnish
power 10 Washington or To aconnection
with the " Washington aud Mount Vernon
/ line at Mount Vernon or Alexandria.
! Ii would also seem that at Fredcrick~-
/ burg there would bee sufficient power 10
operate branch line 10 Nillenbcck on
the Rappahannock River ia Lancaster
county.
ASHLAND OUT on WAY.
When the Richmond and Chesapeake
| Rav Railway begun To build its electric
road to Ashland, and thence To TaPpa-
| hammock. the statement was freely mad"
/ that the road would never reach Tappa
| hammock In fact, Ashland is in the
wrong direction from Tappahannock
| which would be- approached from Barton
! Heights 10y way oi Hanover &. Ii. or 10
/ the south oi it.
/ The roadbed between Richmond and
Ashland is a. well constructed ~ that
owned by any steam railroad in the
]
crete, and not particle OF wood has
! been used in their construction
| II may be- said that an electric road
would not be- able 10 compete with a
team railroad, but. in the opinion oi
many experts, the electric road Will be-
the road OF the near future. both Tor
freight and passenger traffic.
A. ro rARNlLElING.
Another denial oi the rumored plan Is
based ON the TACT that there is upon the
statute book "A law which iorhIds any
railroad to parallel the K. F. X +. oi
| whose stock something like u million
and "a hall dollars is owned by the STATE
| While this j. undoubtedly true. set the
| Jaw can be- construed So that other lines
can he built, and ease in point Is the
Ashland branch OF the Richmond and
Chesapeake Bay road which parallels
the r. + a F. from Richmond To Ash
and Ii the r I. a f. can he paralleled
in part why, it is asked, cannot it be
paraleed entirely?
When the Richmond and chesapeake
Bay Company asked permission OF the
| CORPORATION Commission to build To
| ashland. the charter was refused, on the
ground that it was unlawful to parallel
the f. f. a p. Upon an appeal, how
ever. to the Supreme Court OF Virginia,
II WAS decided that an electric line from
| Richmond to Ashland did not constitute
a parallel railroad II this be true. why
il is asked. may not "a charter begranted
to an electric road from Ashland TO
Washington
LAW ON SUBJECT.
In Pollard Code, vol page jl2.
will be- found the law which forbid~ the
Corporation Commission from granting
A charter to any road which might
parallel the K j. X T.
Sub section - OF section 100 Il says.
"NO railroad company chartered under
this act or whose charter may be-
amended under this act shall have power
to build any railroad parallel to the line
OF the Richmond. fredericksburg and
Potomac Railroad.
However, this will not prohibit the
General Assembly from repeating at
pleasure the prohibition, rs is shown 10y
section 1876 of the Constitution OF Viz
gnia which says:
"The exclusive right to build or Opcr-
ate railroads parallel to its own, or any
other line OF railroad, shall not be-
granted To any company; but every
railroad company shall have the right,
subject to such reasonable regulations
rs may be prescribed 10y law. to parallel,
intersect. connect with or cross with its
roadway any other railroad railroads
Nothing in this section shall deprive
the General Assembly of the right to pre-
vent by statute, repealable at pleasure,
any railroad from being built parallel to
the prespnt line of the Richmond Freder