Evening journal., 1907-01-07
NO OBSTACLES
TO GREAT DAM
Compromise Effected Be-
tween AttOrney-G and
COmpany'S Attorneys

YORK, Pa, Jan. IA compromise
has been effected between Attorney
General Carson. acting for the State,
and the attorneys for the McCals
Ferry Company, in the equity suit now
pending in the Dauphin county courts.
State interference with the erection Of
the dam will be Withdrawn. II the court
signs the decree agreed upon by the
two parties to the suit.
AS there is no longer any contention
Il is probable that the decree will be
signed. The decree sets forth that the
company has the right 10 construct the
dam in the Susquehanna river provid-
ed that IL shall make adequate pro-
vision for the passage Of FISH and that
II at some subsequent time the navi-
cation Of the river shall be improved
under state or federal requirements
the company shall build such locks nee
essary TO make navigation continuous.
II the company fails to construct at its
own expense the locks required II shall
be enjoined from further maintenance
Of the dam.
The suit In equity TO prevent the
construction Of the McCalrs Ferry dam
was Instituted last fall by the COM
monwealth. The respondents named In
the bill were the McCalls Ferry Power
Company, the Susquehanna Power and
Canal Company. the Susuuehanna and
Tidewater Railways and the Knicker-
booker Trust Company, Of New York.
1t was alleged that should the dam
be erected it would block navigation
and send water back over eighteen
miles Of the river bed and banks OF the
river, thus interfering with the rights
Of navigation and of railroad COM
lpanies.
Tho stupendous work that Is being
pushed forward at the ferry has been
materially aided by the comparatively
mild winter. Not until recently have
the water and ice proved 10 be threat
ening
The wide base OF the dam has begun
TO assume defensive proportions 20 the
bridge, on which the travelling cranes
used in laying the concrete blocks that
/ form the dam. The eastern channel
Of the SusQuehanna. between Frye's Is
land and the Lancaster county shore
has been laid bare. disclosing a canyon
like cleft, which win be used as a nat
ural tail-race, and win be EXTENDED
by blasting and quarrylng Already
many workmen. with the aid OF sta
tionary steam engines. are tearing oui
the rivers rocky bottom.
The engineers believe that II the
work is not interrupted this winter and
spring by the powerful ice gorges ant
the high waters. the dam can be fin.
ished before another season. and. in its
finished state viii be able TO resist any
violence Of tho ice
Above the cofferdam, an immense ics
boom has been begun, which is to run
diagonally across the river for about
1000 feet, and is designed to protect the
cofferdam. The ultimate purpose. how
ever. OF the ice boom Is to divert the
masses Of Ice that are usually brought
down by the spring rains 10 the York
county shore Provision is being made
TO prevent any blocks OF ice from en-
terlng the power house and injuring the
machinery. In fact every contingency
seems to have been anticipated in the
completed plan. but some OF the long.
time dwellers on the Susquehanna. ac-
quainted with the capricious power OF
the stream, shake their heads ominous-
ly and affirm that none Of the human
work will avail when the river wants
to do as It pleases.
Chief Engineer Hutchinson believe,
that the dam will be finished by mex
January and during 1908 the electri,
power will be transmitted to Baltlmor,
land other places. From the fact thai
two Of the directors OF the Mccall,
Ferry Power Company have affiliated
Interests with the Pennsylvania rail-
road. and the United Railway Compan,
Of Baltimore, It is believed that thes.
two organizations viii employ some OF
the electric power generated at Nc
Calls.