Evening journal., 1906-10-25
WOULD BLOCK
M'CALL FERRY DAM
State Of Pennsylvania Takes
Steps to Hold Up the
Great Work
WOULDPREVENTNAVIGATION

Equity proceedings were instituted yes.
terday in the Dauphin County Pa, Court
by the State of Pennsylvania. through
Attorney General Carson, against the Nc
Calls Ferry Power Company, the sus-
quehanna Canal and Power Company and
the susquehanna and ridewater Railroad
Company The Commonwealth seeks per
petual injunction against the nrst-named
company to restrain it from erecting and
maintaining a dam at Mccalrs Ferry
without adequate provision for the future
navigation OF the susquehanna river from
Columbia to tldewater and without ade-
quate provision for the passage Of fish.
A perpetual injunction is also sought
against the three defendant companies to
prevent them being merged in owning and
operating one Of the largest power plants
ia the world which, the Commonwealth
AYERS is 10 the detriment of navigation Of
the river and 20 the loss Of many resi-
dents Of the State by the wholesale de-
struction Of fish
y The bill filed is Of great length. 1t re-
cites in much detail the history of the
formation of the companies Complaint is
made against the NicCalrs Ferry Com
pany that it was formed by the merger
of the susquehanna Water and Power
Company and the Hillside Water and
Power Company, two small companies
chartered ostenslby for the purpose Of
furnishing water and power in the town
ships of Martic. in Lancaster county and
Lower Chanceford, in York county. The
capital stock of each company was $500.
and each had the same officers and di-
rectors.
The Commonwealth complains that in
1875 the McCalrs Ferry Company increas-
ed its capital stock from $1,000 to $4,000,
600. A few weeks later the indebtedness
OF the company was increased from moth
ing to SS4s3,O00. The Susquehanna Canal
and Power Company was chartered, with
a capital of $4,000 in 1902 and the Susque-
hanna ana Tidewater Railroad Company
was chartered in the same year with
capital of SSO00O0 Both these companies
received valuable wator and transporta-
tion rights in that part of the State.
The bin AYERS that IN 1905 the other two
companies assigned TO the McCalrs Ferry
Company the right to flood their proper
ties including the canal beds and railroad
tracks, and the agreement released the
power company from all damages. All the
real estate water fiowage and other ripa-
'rian r. e Is f the two tran. portaticn n M
panies We're transferred TO the power
company, covering a distance Of many
miles on both sides of the Susquehanna
river in Lancaster and York counties.
The bill describes the territory which
the Susquehanna river drains. and tells
Of its Importance to the commercial and
industrial interests Of the State 1t AYERS
that the river throughout its entire course
is public highway, and cannot be block
ed by dam such as that under construc-
uon by the defendant corporation. The
state, IT is asserted has spent many mill
lions OF dollars on river Improvements
which would be lost If the dam is per-
mitted TO be built according TO the adopt
ed plans.
In closing the bin charges as being
built between two hills. from 300 TO 5l0
feet high, a dam of rock and solid
concrete 1900 feet long. with a perpen.
dicular face, at the uniform height Of so
feet, with a breadth at the base Of 100
feet, sloping back on the inside TO top
Of the width of 30 feet. without any pro-
vision for the preservation Of navigation.
either natural or artificial, or for the pas
sage Of fish, in such manner as will ut
terly destroy the navigation Of the river"
An Immense Undertaking
The preliminary work on the great dam
which is TO bride the power OF the sus-
quehanna river was begun in october,
1908. It is intended TO supply electric pow
err to Baltimore, distance of forty miles;
Philadelphia. sixty miles; Wilmington.
forty-fve miles. York. twenty-five miles;
Lancaster, eighteen miles. and to a NUM-
Der of other towns and villages near the
plant.
The breast Of the dam, which is 800
feet in length and sixty-eight feet in
width at the base is of concrete.
When the dam is finished Il viii form
over the bed Of the present swift rum
ning river Lake six miles in length
with an average width of one mile. ana
an average depth Of thirty feet This lake
will contain about 100000 gallons Of
water.
A VILLAGE for Workren