The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-25
BELLWOOD LOSES
POWER LINE FIGHT
Corporation Commission Decides
in Favor of Seaboard
Air Line.
OPINION BY JUDGE PRENTIs
Evidence Shows No Appreciable
Danger From Current
Transmission.
OPINION BY JUDGE PRENTIs

James Bellwood and other property
owners of CHESTERFIELD County failed
yesterday IN their effort before the
State Corporation Commission to pre-
vent the use OF the right Of way of
Richmond and Petersburg for Il power
transmission line for high voltage cur
rent transferred between the two cities.
The line was erected by the Virginia
Railway and Power Company for trans
mission of current to Richmond manu-
featuring plants generated ut the falls
of the AppomattoN River. and was so
arranged that in the event of the
breakdown of the Petersburg power
house current from Richmond could be
ana other uses. An extended written
opinion was handed down by Judge
prentis, chairman of the Corporation
Commission. yesterday. and the follow
ing order entered by the commission:
Proceedings Dismissed.
relation Of James Bellwood' a w ne ,no
ley. Peter c. Warwick Jr.. and w. 4
R ail@,, ag3ins, the seaboard Air Line
Railway and Power Company:
This day came again the parties by
bn,in attorneys and the commission
dence and the argument of counsel
and for the reasons stated in the writ
ten opinion filed as part of the
eide as follows:
% That the petition is sufficient
IA law, anu therefore the demurrerS
are oyerruled. and the motion of the
ueiehdants to dismiss the petition upon
the ground that the commission is
without Jurisdiction are also overru1oJ
"t2) That the petitioners have failed
TO sustain the allegations of fact made
In the petition.
commission that the petition be- and is
hereby. dismissed, without prejudice,
and and the proceeding is ordered to be
removed from the docket"
HIGH Voltage Fermentation
IN inc record the petitioners showed
That IN they were owners of several tracts
OF land in Chesterfield County between
kingsiand Creek and Richmond; that
ABOUT Twelve years ago the Seaboartl
Air Line Railway Company condemned
right of way. through their land.
which is now being used by the rail.
way company for the operation Of It's
rains; that the Virginia Railway and
electrical transmission line from Pc.
terS5iburg ITO TO Richmond by way of Cen
on the private right of way of the
power conr,any. between Centralia and
n ingsland Creek. and is located on the
light OF way of the tracks of the
Petersburg interurban line BY an
agreement dated August %. 1912, the
Seaboard leased TO the power company
crate Il high power transmission line.
with iron towers, to carry current up
to 10000 volts, from Kingsiand Creek
to Richmond.
Think 1t Is Dangerous.
me petitioners claim that from time
10 time they have occasion to use
common cor me with the general public, in
c cne satety or such traffic, and that at
through farming and park lands OF
me petitioners, and through tracts
Mnieh nave P Eeen snndyided into build
powered electrical energy proposed 10
be carried is OF dangerous character,
o because ,ha loented near many large trees
liable TO be blown down in time or
storm. breaking the wires and endan-
gering life and property; that the
with its high-po voltage is liable
TO interfere seriously with telegraph
and telcphOning lines used for dis
patching trains: that there will be con
slant danger OF the iron towers being
struck by derailed engines or cars.
breaking the wire and releasing the
dangerous current of electricity. and
generally that such use of the right
OF way OF the railway company was
charter nor i'm the condemnation pro-
ceedingss under which the land was
acquired
Safest known Contradiction
In answer the defendant companies
filed separate motions and demurrers
alleging that the Corporation Com
mat the contracts were proper cxer-
else of the rights of the two corpora
tons. of which they could not be de
prived without due process of law.
They deny that the construction of a
power transmission line constitutes
any danger or menace to the petition
era or to the travelling public The
Seaboard claims that it is the owner
in fee simple OF it's right OF way, and
that II has authority 10 make n lease
that does not in any way Interfere
with the performance of it's public
duties. The power company asserted