The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-03-28
HEARING ON ABANDONING
RAIL Line Is POSTPONED
Friendsville People vitality Con-
cerned About Confluence And
Oakland Railroad Company
PROPOSED DAM NEAR TOWN
WILL ELIMINATE SERVICE

Notice has ben received by the
Mccullough Coal Corporation
and the Friendsville Milling Co.
at Friendsville, of the postpone
ment of the hearing before ex-
aminer Lyle, of the Interstate
Commerce Commission with re-
spect to the petition of the Con-
fiuence and Oakland Railroad
Company, a subsidiary of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Co.,
to abandon a nineteen-mile line
of railroad and the operation thereof
from point near Confluence, Pa, to a
point at or near Kendall, Garrett
county, Md, which railroad serves the
towns of Selbysport and also Friends
vile and other points in this county.
This hearing was originally sched
uled to be held in the United States
court room, in Cumberland, on March
27, and is now postponed to April IL,
at the same place.
The application for the abandon
ment of the rail line on the part Of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany came about as result Of the
plans of the United States Govern
ment to establish the Youghiogheny
River Reservoir Control project. The
Youghiogheny reservoir as proposed
by the U. S. Army engineers will be
used for flood control, regulation of
navigation and for pollution abate-
ment.
The project, as recently announced
by the Army engineers, will be let IN
two general contracts. The first plan
calls for construction of outlet works
which provide for concrete lined
tunnel, three slide gates and needle
valves, making it possible to control
the release of water below the spill
way crest. The second plan calls for
the construction of the dam embank-
ment and spillway. Both plans are ex-
pected to be completed by Nov. 1, 1910.
According to information attached
to model of the dam now on display
in the Confluence (Pa.) postoffice, the
dam will be located IL miles from
Confluence, Pa. 1t will have a drainage
area of 435 square miles. The dam will
follow the rowled fill type. The breast
of the dam will be 100 feet with a
height of 1874 feet. The base width
will be 100 feet.
However, apparently before con-
struction of the dam can be made the
Interstate Commerce Commission
must approve the application for
abandonment of the branch line of the
B. & o. Both the Mccullough Coal
Corporation and the Friendsville Mil
ling Company are vitality interested
in this matter since it's abandonment
will leave them without shipping
facilities.
The Mccullough Coal Corporation
ships annually over this line more
than 10000 tons of coal. R. E. Guard,
of the Mccullough Coal Corporation,
stated that it will be impossible for the
corporation to operate without an out
let for it's products. From the civic
point of view he sounded a strong note
of protest Eventually, he said, it will
have decided effect in lowering
,y,4 ho tfNfx re n
cipal industry is abandoned.
D. S. Custer, owner of the Friends
vile Milling Co., pointed out that 1T
would be disastrous to his business Ii
the rail line were abandoned. H. j.
Black, president of the First National
Bank, Friendsville, said that the vol
ume of business done by the bank
would be greatly curtailed unless the
branch line of the B. & o. was re-
located thus giving an outlet to the
business interests of the community.
Many smaller business men in the
town and community would like to
have filed their protest with the Inter
state Commerce Commission but hest
lated because of the cost involved in
this. same connection. The employees
of The Mccullough Coal Corporation
are quite exercised as to the effect
that this proposed abandonment OF the
rail line will have upon them. The
Coal comp any employees on an average
Of go heads of families with an an
rual payroll running from $4,000 to
$4,000.
R. E. Guard and J. C. Mccullough of
the coal corporation, along with their
attorneys, Miles and O'Brien, Bait
more, will represent the Coal Corpora
ton, while D. S. Custer and A. R.
Custer will represent the Milling
Company at the hearing.