The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-02-06
the ELECTRIC FRANCHISE
'H's's'e" wIth issss Embrsy-Hs Discusses
the Purpose Of tho Company

Judge EmOrey ia reference to the WORK
PROPOSED To De- done here by the Freder
leseburg Power Company, or by the
fredericksburg Electric Company or any
Others CONNECTED with the enternriss
snd Judge Embney was asked the re-
ia,lon which Mr. Van Dorm. president of
the Fredericksburg Electric Company
oofe 10 the fredericksburg Power Com
Pany; judge Embrey stated that Mr.
an Dorn had absolutely n connection
with the fredericksburg Power Com
psny; that he Is a youh9 man Of his own
independent means. seeking the Invest
tneut OF bis money In the business Of an
plying electric current to the practical
analrs OF HE, which business had been the
subject OF study by Mr.. Van Dorm. aud
who was thoroughly familiar with Ali OF
lie details. Mr. Van Dorn mad Expressed
a desire OF coming To Freds rick sburg and
investing his money ia the enterprisa hers
the Development 81 " hich would natural
lead 70 the Development OF Fredericks-
oufH lie has Tor some time been investi-
setlhS conditions Ia the South aud has
ieniiiarized himself with every detail Of
the cost aud construction aud fsels that
thls community offers prospects Of de-
ve'opment equal to any community Ia
the south
Mr. Van Dorn's company. should II get
the franchise asked for, will take his
power In large quantities from the Elec-
trlc Generating Company and will dis
tribute it over his own wires for light.
heat aud power purposes. He states
that already two factories. which will
employ from seven To nine hundred men.
nave expressed their willingness and In
teDtion to locate In fredericksburg
shouio the Development contemplated
mere Ia the fraL chise offsred be an assured
Tact and the power house for which
prS.eg~s are sought be constructed
and be actually operated
The Electric Generating Company will
be one OF the most modern and up-to-
GATE light and power companies for its
sizs 10 the State Of Virginia or In the
United States. Ii will have a daily ca
pscity OF 81 200 X. W. hours. or as
measured 10 the better generally under
stood standard OF horse power will be
equivalent to IL 600 horse power This
smount.oi energy for sale for practical
uses would necessarily provide a cheap
power Tor Developments here which
would make Fredericksburg the most ia
vorable section of its kind ia the South.
Ihe pole connection will be the most
substantial and subject to the approval
oil the Southeastern Tariff Association
writer's.
The station will consist OF 1900 K. w.
capacity machines with rotary field and
stationary armature directly connected
oy horizontal turbine water wheels with
direct current exciters OF 3S X. w. capac-
ity, and In the station will be q % ton
motor travelling crane.
The presently contemplated construc-
uon Will mean an expenditure OF one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
twenty-five thousand dollars OF which
would 40 TO the purchase OF electrical
machines and the balance. or one hundred
aud twenty-five thousand dollars, would
De spent Ia fredericksburg. The co.,
etruction here would give employment
10 about five hundred men for six months.
and the operation after construction
would also employ number Of men.
which would necessarily be increased as
the company would fiad an increased
market inr It's power.
Judge Embrey stated that the work OF
the fredericksburg Power Company had
oeen progressing about two years; that
one dam was now nearing completion
aud only a lew weeks OF favorable
weather would be necessary for it's c.m-
pleton; shat all conditions were right
aud favorable for the greater develop
hent which the resources OF the river
would Justify. and that II was now with
ths people ~ Fredericksburg aud the
Councilmeu of Fredericksburg whether
the work oil this development would 60
ahead He stated that he had been sen
STOLE ui good deal uf criticism on the
part OF som- who thought the power a.
i'fded by the flow Of the river here W ouid
De marketed In Richmond and Washing
ton, but that Mr.. Van Dorn's franchise
Tor the local application OF power at
fredericksburg was IA complete denial of
aud answer To this criticism. and that
the opportunity was fret Fredericks-
burg's.
At the Council last night Judge EN-
orey was asked whether the proposed
franchise had anything To do with th-
electric road about which there was dis
cussion last year aud was told that some
oil our citizens have expressed the apprt-
hensiOn that II the road were built the
power from the river would be practical
~, II not entirely. consumed Ia the oper-
alton OF the road, thus taking from Fred
ericksburg the benefit OF this power as a
factor In the develo pment OF It's CONNER
cisl and factory life. He stated In reply,
and he reiterated his statement to the
representative OF this paper, that the
power afforded by the flow OF the river
II developed with modern machinery
would, In the opinion Of competent cleo
tricai engineers, exceed 10000 III. p.
aud that as the average engine on the r
+. p. road developed only 500 I'll. p,
the power OF the river would be equiva-
lent to the power developed by 100 first
class locomotives OF the r.. r. 4 p. road.
which would be sufficient not only to
run an electric road 10 and out of Fed
ericksburg, but would have ample power
lett over TO sustain a manufacturing In
dustry and community equal to the man
uiscturing industries OF toe city OF Rich.
mond as II exists today.
IL the people and the citizens wish the
development to go ahead franchise privi-
leges are essential under the law, ~ they
DO not wish it to go ahead, then theg
but have to say so and his work would
be done. He said he hoped the papers In
fredt r'cksburg. always mindful OF the
city's interest, would publish the fran
chise asked for. that the citizens and the
taxpayers might read this, and II the
taxpayers and citizens saw anything
wrong 10 them he would be glad for them
to say so. II they saw any thing good and
wished the development to go ahead, he