The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-01-03
Between. United States Officials
and Those of State of West
Virginia Soon.
If AUTHORITY IS GIVEN
BY Public Utilities Commission
of State to Concerns to Con-
struct and Keep Them.
tsrEe,As q 20 rELEenAN,

fsPEcIAL TELEoRAMJ
WASHINGTON, Jan. "a conflict of
authority between the United States
officials and those of the state of West
Virginia may arise from the considera-
ton by the West Virginia Public
Utilities Commission of the various
propositions to construct power dams
in New river. The New river, rugged
and tortuous as it is below Hinton, is
regarded as a navigable stream be-
tween Hinton, w. Va, and Radford,
Va, and therefore the federal govern
ment claims Jurisdiction over it. At
the same time the Public Utilities
Commission of West Virginia has
conducted hearings in regard to the
applications for permission to con-
struct dams in that stream and on
January will hear the final argu-
ments In connection with these APP
plications. So far, the federal gov
eminent has taken no notice of the
hearings by the state commission, but
in the event of permission being given
by the state for the construction of
dam or series of dams which might
not meet with the approval of the fed
eral authorities the matter probably
would be carried into court for a de-
termination of the question as to
whether state or federal government
has such control over the river to
grant franchises for the erection of
dams.
Two applications for permission to
erect dams in New river are before
the Public Utilities Commission The
Virginia Power Company has asked
permission to erect a dam across the
New river 140 feet high at Bluestone,
five miles above Hinton. The Tri-
State Power and Milling Company
has asked permission to erect dam
eighty feet high at Anderson's Falls.
twelve miles above Hinton. If the
permission asked by the Virginian
company is granted, the other one
would be useless, for the reason that
the higher dam, closer to Hinton.
would bacn the water UP till it would
make slack water over the top of the
eighty foot dam proposed by the Tri-
State company. Aside from the right
of the state to grant permission to
dam a nayigable river, another fed
eral question is involved, for the Vir-
ginian dam, if constructed to the
height proposed, which is 40 feet,
would back the water up for dis
lance of thirty-seven miles, crossing
the Virginia line, although the COM
pany is stated to have no Virginia
rights The Tri-State company pro-
poses to back the water up for only
carry it across the state line.
carry it across the stated inc.
Opposition to the granting of per-
mission for the construction of the
40 foot dam has been made on three
grGunds-frst, that it would be a
monopoly of the water power of New
river; second, that a dam of such
proportions would menace the safety
Of the country below; and thirdly, that
it would interfere with the construc-
ton of the Virginian railway, which
it is proposed to extend to the Great
Lakes, making another railway
through West Virginia from the ocean
to the lakes.
AS to the monopoly, it is pointed out
that but two applications for permits
to construct dams in the New river
valley have been filed The applica-
ton of the Virginian company is for
permission to contruct several dams,
and including about all the available
sites The Trl-State company, as
shown above, asks for permission TO
construct but one dam, and If the other
permit Is granted its site would be I'M
available, for the reason that its dam
would be flooded by the water from the
higher dam below it.
The danger of the big dam is the
ground of opposition in which the
people of the New river and the Kan
awha river valleys are especially in
terested. 1t has been pointed out that
1t would form a lake 140 feet deep at
the deepest part, as wide as the valley
OF New river and thirty-seven miles
long. No estimate has been made OF
the volume of water which would be
held back by such a dam, but great
fear has been expressed for the safe
ty of lives and property below the
dam, in the event of any accident to
it, such as occurred at the Johnstown
and Austin dams in Pennsylvania,
when many hundreds of lives were
lost and millions of dollars worth OF
property was destroyed. BY some 1t
has been thought that Charleston
would be swept away by the volume
of water that would course down the
valley in the event OF the dam giving
way. Others deny that there would
be danger to any of the cities below
+he dam. 1t was testified at the hear
ing that the pressure of the water
flowing over dam 140 feet high
would be equal to a pressure of 5000
mounds to the square foot and that
such pressure might weaken the foun-
datfon Of the dam One witness re-
trained from discussing the question
Of danger till he knew of the plans
for the construction of the dam and
saw what kind of work would be done
ON it. He said the great danger was
in the pressure of the water below
the dam and at the sides OF the dam
where the rock would tend to soften
under the pressure and perhaps TO
give way He gave 1t as his beltef
that the city of Hinton, which is built
on a Hill, would be greatly damaged