The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-07
Mr.. F. j. Gould Offers 1t
at SIS. 900 Less Than
Condemnation Price.
MAYORS SPEECH
EVOKED PROFFER
Mayor Declares Consent Not Ne.
cessary to Condemnation, and
Does Not Regard Steel Plant
Prospect Seriously-Beau-
ty Of Isle as Park
Site.

Considerable Interest was manifested
about the CT. Hall yesterday in the
announcement of an offer from Mr..
Frank ]. Gould to dispose OF the Belle
Isle property to the city at $4,000 less
than the valuation placed upon 1t by
condemnation commissioners.
The offer Of Mr.. Gould seems to con-
firm the statement OF Mayor Mc@arthy
in his address before the Council last
week, the letter practically making the
admission that Belle Isle is the key to
the water-power situation in Richmond
Ownership of the island has been said
by lawyers. engineers and others who
have studied the matter to involve con-
troll of most of the water-power not now
in use. and to seriously limit the city's
supply for the Old Pump-House.
Its Strategic Importance.
The island lies just opposite the old
pumping station. below Hollywood An
| old dam diyerts "A part OF the river TO
| the north side OF the island into fore
! bay, from which is drawn the power for
! the Old Pump House. The various manu-
| featuring plants on the island are oper-
| ated by water-power drawn from the
I. south channel. The former owners Of
| the island objected to the heightenfng of
K
! greater portion OF the channel to the
north side of the island, thus limiting
! the facilities OF the Old Pump House to
its present capacity
Similarly the former owners objected
4 to damming the river below the island
for manufacturing or electrical purposes,
claiming that the backing Of water II.
| to their turbines would damage tier
4 power. Since the Belle Isle plants and the
Virginia Passenger and Power Company g
electric plant have come under the same
ownership. this objection has been with
drawn, and the electric company has en-
iarged Its dam and turned the channel
!. largely to its forebay on the north side
from which power is drawn for the elcc-
trio plant at the foot Of Twelfth Street
Legal Phases of Matter.
The riparian rights of property owners
and the rights Of the city in its water
fall are legal questions which have bee'
considered by the courts and definitely
established 1t would be difficult to say
how far up the river these rights extend
however. 1t is probable that the present
owners of the island could object to any
dam above their property which diverted
the current toward the north bank, ava,
from the side from which they now draw
; power. The Old Dominion Iron ant
! Nail Works have made the claim tha
the present New Pump house and wate
, for the settling basin Is diverting al
much water as the city Is entitled to
1t has been intimated that mandamu
proceedings would be instituted If th
4, city's dams above Belle Isle were en-
: iarged or any greater part of the cur
rent turned to the north shore.
E What the Mayor Said.
Mayor Mccarthy stated in his speec
e before the Travellers Protective AS
D ISOLATION that the ownership Of suf1
cient water power for all future con
8 tingencies was essential to the welfar
: of the city.
e The Mayor said in this connections:
& II think it is now essential that
). the people of this community
should wake up and guard the
r paramount rights of the people of
e this city to all the water they
g want out of James River. And I
:, say what have said before, that
j do not think there is any court
" in this land--not only in this city,
but in this countrr-that can de-
prive the people of the city of
Richmond of their inherent. in
y alienable right to the water In
James River; and II they are de-
,a1 prived of 1t, it will be by the CHI
- canery and by the manipulation
at of law which is unjustitied by the
,s Constitutions of the United States
H. and of this State; it will be by
ye the corruption Of law and not
xt by the Justice of law The peo-
1T pie OF the city of Richmond are
ut entitled by the Gift of God, by
he ------A---------------