The age-herald., 1902-04-27

In presenting the Coesa river as a source of power. it may not be out of plece to make brief alusion to some of it's characteristic features, with short summary of its present status with the Rivers and Harbors Committee of the present Congress.
 So far as known DeSota was the first Europesr to sec the CoOsa river, who witnessed the flow of its sparkling wa ters more tlan three hundred years ago. He was charmed with the picturesque beauty of the stream and delighted with the fertility and attraction of the valley through which he marched with his he roic adventurers.
 For neerly sixty years, small steam beats nave navigated the river regularly between the head of the Ten Islands, or Grcensport, an6 Rome, distance of 152 mics, ard beyond Rome to q point up the Oostanaula, S15 miles from Mobile. Between the head of the islands, and Wetumpka, a distance of i42 miles, the river was not nayigable by reason of numerous shoals and Instructions. And because of theee obstructicns. tfe inn monse natural wealth of mine, quarry and forest, aboundfng on it's banks or near proximity on either side, have been dormant and useless to the commercial world
 To relieve this condition and to make the stceam ultimately navigable it's en- tire length, an appropriation was made by Congress in 1876 for improving the Coesa river octwen Rome ard the Selma enc Dalton bridge Work was now be- gun by building Lock near the head of the Ten Island shoals From time to time, these appropriations were continu- ed untl Locks 1, ana were completed. Meantime, becoming more aroused to the public interest, Congress ordered a car eful survey Of the river and estimates for the tonplotion of the work to We tunpka. The survey was accordingly made and the cost estimated at S6,OOO- O0O Lock 4 was partially built, but not completed. Ard now, strange to say, s1S7,O0O for the completion of this lock is all that is proposed to be allowed by Congress for the Coosa, and that mea- gre appropriation mad not the indorse- ment of the House Committee, and comes by way of amendment in the Sen ate With Lock 4 on.pleted there would remain perhaps less than so miles or oo- struction in the way of navigation trom Mobile to Carter's Larding on the Coosa- Wattee in northwest Georgla, distance of more thar S06 miles.
 In the work end methods Of the Rivers end Harbors Committee, there have been some singular manifestations at Varl- ance with its previous record. For many years the committee has stood by the S6. .OO0. 600 estimate, made by Government engineers who made the survey. But now comes an engineer who has been Tn charge of the work scarcely two years, las made no survey and reports to thls committee that it will require no less than s2o, ,cOOO O00 to complete the work con- templated-or more than three times the amount of the estimate of the engineers who made the surveys. Thus encourag- ed in his opposition to the Coosa, the chairman of the committee declared that the Coosa river had ir, 1t less merit than any ether streams asking appropriations at the hands of the committee. He seemed blindly opposed to considering any present or prospective need or naVl" gation on the waters of that stream, md vain were the able speeches of Con- gre ssmen Bowie, Burton and Thompson, showing with logical force and statistics the present and prospective resources of the nine Alabama counties washed by
  son or other, it seems to have been the determined purpose O. the chairman to refuse all recognition of tho Coosa in his report.
 But while the friends Of the Cocsa feel disappointed, they are gratified to know that the opening of the Warrior is placed cn an assured footing. The urgent needs of the Warrior are confessedly greater than those of the Coosa, and the work more readily accomplished. But next in urgent importance is the Coosa.
 Turning now from the Coosa, with the removal of eighty miles of obstruction fitting 1t for navigation indefinitely de- layed, there remains yet some comfort in considering the great possibilities of this magnificent stream as a source of water power. For with all the wonder ful developments of tho steam engine end it's general use In the arts and man. ufactures, in point Of securing as prime motor it holds no favorable co,' parison with the modern water wheel.