The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-11-19
That is a Purpose Revealed by
Officials of the Virginiar1
Railroad Company.

CHARLESTON, Nov. 10 Through
the rich New River coal fields, along
a route where rival power companies
are seeking to impound millions of
gallons of water behind gigantic dams,
the Yifginian railroad, that marvel of
railroad construction begun by the
late Henry H Rodgers. would build.
direct route from the coast to, the,
lakes, the dream Of West Virginia coal
operators who desire an outlet for
their coal in the, western markets.
According to plans and figures Sub
mitted to the West Virginia public,
service commission in the hearings
accorded the yirginian Power Com
pany and the Tri-State Power & Mill
ing Company, now claiming priority
Of rights in the selection Of sites for
the erection of mammoth dams for
the development of the states natural
water power, the construction Of
140-foot dam on New River, east of
Hinton would add millions to the cost
of the proposed line and make rail-
road development practically impos-
sible.
Raymond Dupey, vice president and
general manager of the Virginian
railway, which Is now carrying tons
OF West Virginia coal to tidewater
along with other officials OF that rail-
road, appeared before the public ser
vice commission and unfolded their
plans for coast-to-lakes railroad
which had been the desire Of the late
Standard Oil magnate when he per-
sonally constructed the Virginian
from Norfolk to Deepwater, the pres
ent western terminus OF the road.
According to Vice President Dupey
and the other officials that railroad
was built to Deepwater, Fayette coun-
ty, where 1t connected with the Ches-
apeake and Ohio railroad, merely for
the purpose Of tapping the Kanawha
and New River coal fields in a sec
ton which was then wholly unde-
veloped, and underlaid with valuable
deposits of coal.
The testimony of these officials was
to the effect that the Virginian rail-
way originally contemplated the build
ing of a line down Rich cresk TO Hin
ton along the site of the proposed
dams, making Hinton a terminal for
the new line. and now has under con-
sideration the construction of this
proposed line through to the lakes,
several thousand acres of land having
been acquired near Sandusky, o.. for
the purpose of building the lake ter
minals.
Under the laws of West Virginia
railroad eompanies are clothed with
the powers Of eminent domain and
the recent legislature gave hydro
electric companies the same powers
under certain conditions An inter-
esting question: has now arisen as to
whether or not the public service
commission has authority to grant
rights to hydro-electric company
|. impinging upon the privileges of an
other public service corporation. The
commission is going into the matter
thoroughly.
/ The hearings before the commission
have been upon the question of grant
ling permits to erect dams to the Viz
ginian Power Company or the Tr!-
!, State Power & Milling Company. The
former company wants to erect dam
40 feet high and series of smaller
dams, which would give them practi-
cqlly monopoly of the stream. The
Tri-State company asks permission to
e~art two dams east IF Hinton. one
eighty feet high and the other forty
feet high. According 10 the testi.
!, mony taken by the commission these
lower dams would not interfere wltA
1.-The construction Of the proposed coast
Lto-lakes railway.
;. officials OF the railway company
pointed out that the company would
suffer great Losses II the high dam Is
constructed, as in that event the raj!
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