The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-02-15
,OMPANY TO
+ LARGE DAMS
jus Points In Preston
.cI1er Counties. w. Va.


ton county, would be wiped out
he proposed plan Of the West
,ginia Power and Commission
ompany to construct a series of
3ams along the Cheat and Big Sandy
rivers and tributaries was carried
out, was the statement Of jeremiah
Thomas, cashier OF the Bank of
Bruceton Mills, at the hearing here
on the application of the company
Cor a preliminary permit to conduct
exploration work in connection with
the proposition.
"Others talk about their timber
land and their coal, of their gardens
and their farms being wiped out"
said Mr.. Thomas, "but it is a more
serious question in Brucaton Mills.
If this plan goes through our school,
our church, our bank, our homes-in
fact our entire town will be wiped
out and where now there is a peace
Tul village Of several hundred thirty
ing, progressive people all that would
be found to mark he place where
Bruceton Mills once stocd would be a
3ake-the town wouli ba a. the bot
tenn of the middle of it,"
D. W. Mcdonald, Of Uniont3wn
president Of the Big Indian Greek
Coal and Coke Company, stated that
the 800 acres of timber and coal
land owned by his company in Tucker
county would be completely destroy
ed, The timber would be covered and
the coal would be dangerous to mine
IS the vein runs under the proposed
lake and there would always be the
fear OF a break and the tr1pp..g Of
the miners under the lake.
Samuel Steinbach, general suDar,n-
leudant Of the Bethlehem Mines Cor
poration, which, owns The Elzirz IN
1sJests in Preston county, testified
oat large tract Of coal owned by
MS company would Be buried by the
water in the proposed improvement.
James R. Moreland speaking fer
residents Of Canaan valley Tucker
county, declared that this valley, six
teen miles long and three miles wide.
IS rich in agriculture, with rich, black
soil. The market gardening carried
on there, he stated, supplies many of
the mining and industrial communi-
ties in the section and if the improve
ment goes through the entire valley
viii be wiped out.
Against the testimony, Virgil L.
Highland and G. D. Tbe7een. Of
Clarksburs; ". J. Wiegel, Fairmont;
Or. I. c. White, Movgantown. state
geologists, and others told about the
vast benefits that would be derived
from this project and declared that
the personal Icsses of various people
along the way would be more than
compensated by the direct benft in
power for the entire northern West
Virginia district.
The hearing was held here by
Major J. Franklin Bell, United States
army engineer, in charge of river
and harbor work at Pittsburgh. The
hearing was for a permit for prelimi-
nary exploration work over a period
Of three years and does not provide
for development work.
The project Of which this action
IS but forerunner for the construc-
ton Of the most gigantic water con-
servation plan and hydro-electric
dream that has ever baen contem-
plated in this section of the country.
It provides for dams to be construct
ed at Beaver Hole, Big Sandy Creek,
Middle Cheat Nos. l, 2, 3, and 4, Al
bright, Rowlesburg, St. George,
Blackwater, Dry Fork and Shavers
Fork, all tributaries to the Cheat
river.
By means Of dams at these points,
where the winters water will be
nusbanded for use in the summer,
the West Virginia Power and Trans
mission Company plans to work out
she most elaborate power system i'm
aginable.
At the hearing here President A.
NJ. Lynn, of the West Penn interests
of Pittsburgh, gave a condensed re-
port on. the plans Of his company for
the comprehensive development of
the water power and the scheme for
marketing and delivering the electric
power to various points in the north
ern Vert Virginia, Pennsylvania.
Maryland and Ohio districts. He
pointed out that the water power
company is a subsidiary Of the West
Penn Power Company, which is afil-
lated with the American Water
Works and Electric Coai5zny. the
Monongahela Power and Railway
Company at Fairmont which now
serves large part of Morgantown
and all the contingent mining dis
tricts.
The project as contemplated is To-
Gated in Monongalia, Preston, Tuck
er and Randolph counties in West