Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-24
Residents of Upper Valley to
Present Views at Har-
pers Ferry Session.
MEETING HERE TOMORROW
CONSIDER PARKWAY
Maj Somervell's Investigations
Are Merely Preliminaries to
Tentative Permit.
Bv a STAFF corre,nonden. o, tn, Star

By staff Correspondent of This Star.
HARPERS FERRY, w. Va, August
24.-Residents OF the territory sur
the upper reaches Of the
Potomac River and its tributaries are
being given their opportunity to ex-
press their views on the proposed
water power development at a public
hearing being held in the Harpers
Ferry High School this afternoon by
Mai. Brehon Somervell of the Army
Engineer Corps.
The hearing today, 1t Is expected,
will be attended not only by the people
of this historic town which stands at
the fork of the Shenandoah and
Potomac Rivers, but also by citizens
of many other nearby places along
the area within which the power
dam would be erected.
Company Replies to Protests.
The Potomac River Corporation, APP
plicant for the permit to develop the
water power along the Potomac, is
represented at the hearing today by
Robert j. Buckley, president, and Col.
Charles Keller.
Mr.. Buckley has just filed with Maj.
Somervell. who is conducting the
hearing in order to prepare the report
of the War Department on the project,
a lengthy statement in reply to the
protests that have been raised against
the power project from many sources
on the ground that 1t would destroy
the natural beauty of Great Falls and
the valley of the Potomac between
the Falls and Washington.
InasmuCh as this letter deals prin.
cipally with that part of the power
project nearest to Washington, it
probably will not play as prominent
part in the hearing here today as 1t
will at the sessions to be held in
Washington tomorrow.
Park Hearing Tomorrow.
Most of the discussion that has
taken place since the filing Of the
application with the Federal Power
Commission in May has dealt with the
harmful effect the project would have
on the proposed park area between
Great Falls and Washington. That
phase of the question will be taken
up at the meeting in the auditorium
OF the Interior Department in Wash
ingOn a 1 o'clock omorrow aftrnoon.
The hearing today Is to get the
viewpoint Of the citizens of this sec
ton on the effect of power dam at
Harpers Ferry and storage dams near
Charles Town, w. Va, Broadway, Va,
near Romney. w. Va, and near Berke.
ley Springs, w. Va,
Canal Officials Interested.
G. L. Nicolson, an official Of the
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal between
Cumberland and Washington. came to
the hearing today. accompanied by
Edmund Brady, a Washington at
otrney, to observe developments.
The hearings to be held today and
tomorrow by Maj. Somervell are pre-
liminary to final consideration by the
Federal Power Commission itself.
The War Department makes reports
to the Power Commission on all such
before the Power Com
mission itself acts. In his notice Of
the hearing today Maj. Somervell
the fact that the pend
ing application of the Potomac River
Corporation would not, If granted.
authorize the company to begin work
on the power project, but would be
merely a preliminary permit under
WILL IhC COMPANY PCAASNS ANc
plans. The company would have to
appear before the Federal Power
the second time and ap-
ply for a license to begin construc-
ton.
Objections Held at Fault.
In the letter of Mr. Buckley to Maj.
Somervell he makes the following COM
ment on the opposition of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion to the power project:
while the opinion Of some OF the
members Of the Park and Planning
in matters OF scenic
beauty is entitled to great weight. we
believe that in the brief which they
submitted insufficient weight has been
given to the favorable aspects Of our
project judged from the scenic and
other standpoints and that unduly
great weight has been given to dam
age alleged as likely to result from
the project"
Mr.. Buckley contends that the varia-
ions in the flow of the Potomac River
from hi to low stages is not desirable
10 park development and that the Po-
-omac River Corporation proposes to
equaliZe this flow as far as it Is COM
feasible. Mr.. Buckley says
he company questions whether the
Park and Planning Commission has
given adequate thought to the low
water conditions referred to.
The company concludes the letter
oy expressing the belief that its apph.
,ation should be granted promptly so
hat the company may begin the fur
her survey and investigation neces.
;ary to settle the details of the prof. =
,ct. The letter states that the COM
,any already has expended more than
$4,000 on preliminary surveys and