Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-09-24
Gas Line Is Planned.

Washington will be given an opportunit,
to use the natural gas of West Virginia fol
heating and lighting purposes. if the plans
OF the Interstate Natural Gas Company Of
that State are carried out as reported
This company will run a fourteen-inch
main to pipe natural gas from Mineral
county, W. Va, to Baltimore, distance
of about l40 miles. The pipe line will
pass through the northern section of Mont
eomery county, Maryland, from where it is
planned to tap it by a line less than thirty
miles long to this city.
Work on the construction of the line has
not yet begun, but most of the preliminary
details have been arranged. Deeds con-
veyine the right of way to lay and main
tain pipe line for natural gas or oil, as
well as a telegraph and telephone line if
necessary, have been obtained for nearly
the entire distance. Thirty-nine of these
deeds were recently recorded by the county
clerk of Montgomery county at Rockville.
The rights in Montgomery county were
conveyed to W. Raymond Cross, who is
said to represent the Interstate Natural
Gas Company.
Little information is given out as to what
financial interests are behind this COM
pany, which has undertaken to lay about
l4O miles of pipe through three States and
to supply gas to Baltimore, Washington
and numerous smaller cities along the line.
The president of the company is George S.
Couch, Jr., of Charlestown, W. Va, and S.
P. Richmond of the same city is secretary
and treasurer. There are other men said
to be interested in the project in Oil City,
Pa, and in Baltimore
All along the line, where the deeds grant
ing the right of way have been negotiated
for by agents of the company. it is said
that the Standard Oil interests are behind
the project Many rumors are heard that
the line will eventually be extended to
Wilmington and Philadelphia, but the rep
resentatives of the company are working
quietly, and seem to know nothing about
the project except for the particular sec
ton in which they are negotiating with
farmers and others for the right of way.
1t is admitted that the pipe line is for
natural gas, but it is regarded as signif-
cant by many that the deeds convey the
right of way for an oil line and for tele-
graph and telephone lines as well.
The line, as at present planned, will
run from Mineral county, W. Va, through
whence it will run nine miles south to
Winchester. From Frederick county it will
90 through Jefferson county, VIVA, through
Loudoun county, Va, into Maryland, pass
ing through Frederick. Montgomery and
Howard counties to Baltimore. About nine
miles of pipe will be laid in Montgomery
county. entering near Hyattstown, and 60
ing east past Lewisdale and Damascus into
Howard county.
The branch which will eventually be run
to Washington will connect with the main
line somewhere in Montgomery county,
feeding Rockville and other towns in the
county. as it runs south to the District.
At the next session of the Maryland Leg
islature the Interstate Natural Gas Com
pany will ask for charter, giving it the
right to enter Baltimore.
The representatives of the rieht-of-way
department of the company are said to
have had little difficulty in obtaining the
necessary concessions from the property
owners along the proposed line. Most of
the taxpayers seemed anxious to encour-
age the project. Negotiations are now
under way with the corporation commits
sion of Richmond, Va. for obtaining
charter which will authorize the new com
pany to do business in that State WASH
lngtOn Star