Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-09-25
NATURAL GAS LINE
This City May Soon Have Natural pro
duct-some Rights Of Way
Purchased.

M&rt4nSLasr@ may be gwen an oppOrs
tunity to use the natural gas of West
Virginia for heating and lighting pun
poses If the plans of the Interstate
Natural Gas Company Of this state
are carried out as reported. This com.
pany viii a foureeen-inch main
to pipe natural gas from Mineral
county, w. Va. 10 Baltimore, a dis
lance OF about 140 miles. The pipe
line viii pass through the northern
section of Montgomery county. Md.
from where 1t is planned to tap it
by a line less than thirty miles long
TO Baltimore.
Work on ehe construction OF the
line has not yet begun, but most of
the preliminary details have been ar
ranged. Deeds conveying the right
Of way to lay and maintain a pipa
line for natural gas or oil, as well as
a telegraph and telephone line IL nec-
essary, have been obtaind for narly
the entire distance. T~hirtynine 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.
May BE Standard Oil Company.
Little information is given out as
to what financial interests are behind
this company, which has undertaken
70 lay about 140 miles Of pipe through
three states and TO supply gas to Bal
t8more. Washington and numerous
smaller cities along the line. The
president of the company is George
s. Couch, jr., OF Charleston. w. Va.
and S. p. Richmond of the same city
is secretary and treasurer. Their
are other men said 10 be interested
in the project in On City, Pa, and in
Baltimore.
All along the line, where the deeds
granting the right cf way have been
negotiated for by agents of the com
pany, it is said that the Standard Oil
interests are behind the project. Many
Fuqaors ase heard that the line viii
eventually be extended to Wilmington
and Philadelphia, but the representa-
TVS of the company are working quiet
ly, and seem to know nothing about
the project except for the particular
section in which tn y are negotiating
with farmers and others for the rights
of way.
It. is admitted that he pipe line is
FOR natural gas, but it Is regarded as
significant by many that the deeds
convey the right of wav for an oil line
and for telegraph and telephone lines
as well.
The line as at present planned, viii
run from Mineral county, through
Hampshire to Frederick county, Va,
and into Berlneley county. The line
viii be tapped and brought Ito this
city. From Berkeley count.
it will go through jefferson county
through Loudon county, Va, into Mary
hand, passing through Frederick, Mont
geometry and Howard counties to Bait
more Aboua nine miles of pipe viii
be laid in Montgomery county, enter
ing near H~yattsville, and going cast
past L~ewisdale and Damascus into
Howard county
viii Feed Montgomery County.
The branch which viii eventually be
run to Washington will connect with
the main line somewhere in Montgom-
cry county, feddng Rockville and other
towns in the county as 1t runs south
Il the District. AT the next session o
state legislature of Maryland the
state Natural Gas Company will ask
Tor a charter. giving 1t the right to
enter Baltimore
The representatives Of the right-of
way department of the company are
said to have had little difficulty in OBJ
tanning The necessary concessions
from the property owners along the
proposed line. Most OF the taxpayers
seemed anxious TO encourage the pro
ject. Negotiations are now under way
with the corporation commission at
Richmond, Va, for obtaining a char
4a,. urbf,b win ~as,thorfzc tho nau, com-