The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1912-09-25

case been exaggerated. In trip up the
creek as far as Kellettvile and back by
way of Endeavor, they must have been
which the construction of these dams
would work.
The lO3 foot dam at Stow bsnd on the
Tionesta creek would wipe out the Cole
man & Watson numbering plant and
railroad, half mile above il, which is
just about ready to begin operations on
the great body Of virgin pine timber on
the Clspp lands. The state road, the
foot of farm land with the farm buildings
would be submerged by the great lake,
The entire village of Nebraska would be
under go feet Of water, taking in the ex-
tensive numbering mill, barge yards,
boat scaffold, hotel, grist mill, the four
room school building, two-story town
ship house, county bridges and all of the
pretty homes, the large body of virgin
aud second growth timber up Piney run.
Extending further up the creek the two
Coon creeks would be flooded for miles
together with all the second growth tim
ber, the State road would again be wiped
out, together with the fine State bridge,
and on up the valley the standard rail-
road, the farms and buildings lying along
the banks of the creek as far as Kelett-
vile. At Ross Run the Wheeler & Du-
senbury railroad aud creek bridge, and
backing up this stream the public road
coming down from Whig Hill would be
ten feet under water, and school house
and more farms would be destroy ed d.
Kellettyille would be flooded at every
sudden rise in the creek, and the two big
mills, the kinding wood and handle
factories employing several hundred
men, and every building in the town
proper, and there are too many to emu
merate, would be flooded and people
driven to the hills. Without entirely
new roads, starting at Kellettville and
climbing over the bills, the people of that
section could not reach their county seat,
as every avenue of travel would be cut off.
over on the other side of the divide, by
the Allegheny river dams the ideal little
city OF Endeavor would be wiped of the
map. We call it city because it has
every commodity and com fort OF the cities
natural gas, electricity, a splendid sys-
tenn of water works, hydrants for fire
protection and the dwellings all plumbed
up in modern style. The two great saw
mills, handle factory, planning mill,
church, kindergarten, four-room high
school, splendid modern homes, all these
wiped out And down little farther the
splendid town of East Hickory, with its
stores, churches, large grist mill i'm
mense stretches of farm lands under a
high state of cultivation, the Hickory
Valley railroad and river bridge, would
all go.
West Hickory, one of the liveliest busl
ness towns in the county with nearly four
hundred Inhabitants would be 40 feet un-
der water. The large tannery of Smith
Il Co., furnishing employment for nearly
half the town and in which is invested
half million dollars, hotels, stores, aud
other business places, the splendid new
$4,000 high school building, elegant
church and parsonage, splendid homes,
farms extending nearly two miles in
length by nearly mile in width, In
which is included the famous Carter
farm with its many large buildings, and
all under the finest state of cultivation,
would be one vast lake of water.
On the opposite side of the river the
County Farm would be wiped off the
map, with water extending to the very
doors of the splendid County Home
Every road and avenue leading to this
property would be cut off, and to reach it
at all would require the building OF a
road back over the mountain, thus re-
moving it distance of at least twelve
miles from the county seat, aud that oyer
dozen hills Here again would occur
tho obliteration of a State highway, and
all the fine farm lands lying south of the
county home down to the very breast OF
the &C. foot dam.
This proposed dam is located within
the borough limits about 20 rods above
Riverside cemetery. 1t would flood
Tubbs run for two miles no doubt, al
most if not actually destroying the water
supply plant. Tionesta Borough would
be located between two vast walls of
water not two miles apart, with only
artificial structures of uncertain strength
to hold these mighty lakes from swallow
ing up everything in their pathway
should they break k,-unquestionably they
would break sooner or later, perhaps at
the first filling, and not soul in the town
would escape. Furthermore hundreds of
lives all the way down the Allegheny
valley would be sacrificed.
Who would dare to spend night in
Tionesta?
This in general way gives some idea
of the ruin and desolation which these
dams would work in Forest county, but
not the half has been told after all, de-
tailed statement of which would be al
most impossible to give. While the
gentlemen who are here to investigate are
not talking for publication, they have by
their courteous bearing inspired our peo-
pie to believe that the report which they
shall make to the government will be one
OF fairness to the great mass Of citizens
who are so vitslly, irightiully, concerned.