The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1913-01-03
THE RIVER meeting.
Hearing IHsld at Catle.tsburg was
Largely Attended.

Never in the history of the Big
Sandy River Improvement scheme
has there been more interest shown
In this project than was exhibited
in the meeting which was held at
the Federal Court building at Cat
lettsburg Monday. The rooms we're
packed with delegates representing
all branches of business from Will
hanson, w. Va. Pikeville. KY, and
on down the river to Ashland and
Ironton. Congressman John w.
Langley and william ]. Fields, of
Kentucky, and James A. Hughes. of
West Virginia. were there to add
their voice and influence to the
hearing.
The hearing was conducted by
three engineers sent by the War De-
partment, namely: Maj. Rand. Col.
Newcomer and Col. Kingman. The
last named being the senior officer
of the board acted as chairman Of
the meeting. Col. Kingman stated
they had been sent by the War De-
partment to conduct this hearing in
order to ascertain the facts in re-
gard to the necessity OF continuing
the improvements of the Big Sandy
River and also to hear what objec-
tions there were to the improve
ments and that while they we -
act as judges. yet there would be
an opportunity for full and free dis
cussion.
Addresses were made by w. A
Patton, Ashland; c. Crane, Cincin-
natl; l.. F. zerfoss, Ashland; Wal
ter Leftwich, williamson; J. X
Wells, Paintsville; Fred vinson,,
Louisa; James Caldwell. Hunting
ton: Congressman James A. Hughes,
Huntington; John w. Langley. Pike
Vile, and William ]. Fields, Olive
Hill; Capt. William Smiley, Cat
lettsburg; Capt. p. s. Hart, Iron
ton; w. w. Smith, Kenova; Louis
Dempsey, Inez., Ky.,; H. c. Sullivan
Louisa; ] H. Northup and others.
These men all spoke along the
same line marshaling data as to the
great natural resources of the Big
Sandy valley and setting forth many
reasons why the lock and dam work
on the Big Sandy River should be
One of the best addresses of the
entire day was made by Walter
Leftwich, of Williamson. Mr. Left
wich said the N. & w. railway now
10000 tons of coal daily.
all OF which came westward to the
Ohio River He said one car load
left Williamson every minute in the
day, and yet the N. & w. railway,
with its fine system and double
track was not able to handle more
than half the coal which was ready
for shipment. He also said that just
recently a new vein of coal had
been discovered in that region which
Is shown by chemical analysis and
by actual tests to be some of the
finest coal in the world. This, he
said, was In veins about seven feet
thick, and 1t Is estimated to cover
!, 500 square miles of land in the
Big Sandy valley.
When the affirmative side of the
question was through the engineers
,alled for those who had anything |
o say on the opposite side of this
question.
Judge W. A. Ginn,, OF Ashland,
.ead letter from N ID. Maher, vice
president OF the N. and w. railway,
which recited at length what the N.
md w. was doing to take care of
;he coal shipments in that section
md this letter concluded with five
easons why 1t was impracticable for
he Government to go ahead and
this work.
Mr.. Carey, of the O. and o. rail-
way, also read a letter from NJ ].
yable. vice president Of this COM
,any, in which he stated what the
J and o. was doing in the way of
improvements on its Big Sandy lines
nd that 1t would soon be equipped
O 1t could handle all the freight
hat would come to it. The board
.nnounced that its report would be
made up and submitted to Congress.