The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-19
TO HARNESS POWER
OF CYPRESS CREEK
Deal of Great Magnitude Con-
sumnated at Florence.
MEANS MUCH FOR THE CITY
Electric Light Plant will be at Once Es-
tablished and Power Furnished to
Many Industries-Tunneled
an Immense Hill.
MEANS MUCH FOR THE CITY

Florence, April 1S.-(Special)-A deal OF
immense magnitude and importance to this
city was completed Yesterday, by which
Florence will secure the establishment of
an industry worth more than a dozen ordi-
nary manufacturing plants. For several
weeks there has been on a foot plan to
utilize the great water power of Cypress
creek, and the deal was accomplished last
night
One year ago F. M. Perry, of this city,
one OF the wealthiest men in North Ala
bama, bought 2,40O acres of land on Cy-
press creek, two miles from Florence, pay
ing therefor about $4,000. Yesterday he
sold thirty acres of the property for $4,000.
Mr.. Ferry bought the property for the pur-
pose of utilizing the power of the creek and
has just completed the erection of large
flour and cotton mill on the bank of the
creek. He also constructed a large dam
across the stream to furnish the power, but
the dam washed away during the spring,
causing him a loss of several thousand
dollars.
d. l.. Foster and a Huntsville capitalist,
who will compose the Florence Light and
Power company, today purchased the water
piiNheSeS OF the creek, together Will
about thirty acres of land, and will begin
at once the erection of an electric light
and power plant. To utilize the power of
cypress creek they will tunnel the i'm
mense hill around which the stream flows
on their newly acquired property, making
an excavation of 700 feet eight feet square.
They Will secure fall of forty feet In the
tunnel, and estimate that they will in this
Wv secure a horse power Of not lA-:s than
1866. ''s 'i'i'
'sEe city of Florence is at present adver-
Using for bids for lighting the city by cleo
tricity, and the first effort of the new power
company will be to secure this contract,
which they will very probably do. The
necessary machinery will then be placed
in position al once, and the work of digging
the immense tunnel will be begun. Mr..
Foster believes that they can accomplish
this by the first day of August. The COM
pany proposes to temporarily place the en-
Gines upon the side of the hill nearest the
creek, dig the tunnel by the hydraulic pro-
cess, and at the same time furnish the city
with lights. When the machinery is in
operation the work of digging the tunnel
will not require much time, and when COM
plcted the machinery will be moved to the
lower side Of the creek, and the permanent
plant erected. The plant will COST when
completed $50 GOO, according to the estimates
of the promoters.
Mr.. Foster and his partner have the
money necessary for the enterprise, and
there will be no delay on that score. The
first installment of $4,000 has already been
paid Aside from the lighting of the
streets of the city, the company proposes
to furnish power to the score of manufac-
turing plants located in this city, and
claim that it can be done much cheaper
than the steam power now in use
The Cherry cotton mills, perhaps the
largest consumers of power in the city, use
from 200 to 300 horse power, at a cost of
from s25 to $50 per day for fuel alone. The
plant, when completed, will be run at prac-
tically no expense. The promoters of the
enterprise seem to have secured big thing,
and the people of Florence rejoice that the
immense power is at last to be harnessed