The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-03
About 100 Citizens Assemble
al TomIinson Hall
PLAN TO GET MORE WATER
Committee, Same as That Appointed
BY Commercial Club, to Confer
With Sanitary Commission.
Mayor Huey Added.

At mass meeting last night OF the
citizens of Jefferson county. at wnich
every municipality was represented
resolution was passed appointing the
same committee to work on the water
question as was appointed by the Com
mercial club at the meeting yesterday
afternoon, and adding the name OF mayor
]. ]. Huey of Bessemer. This committee
was given the same power to act as the
Commercial club committee. and was also
instructed to elect a representative from
every municipality in the county to work
with It.
There were nearly 100 representative
men present at this meeting, which was
held in the hall of the Board of Trade
In the Tomlinson building, and the entire
assembly seemed to be in favor of the
resolution. 1t provides for the erection OF
a water system from the Warrior river,
twenty-five miles from here, and coming
through Village Creek. 1t is estimated
that 1t would supply considerably over
100, 900, 900 gallons of water a day at the
minimum. The Warrior river at that point
is 600 feet higher than Birmingham, and
the water would flow down at such rate
as to furnish motive power for a vast
number of industries.
After the meeting was called to order by
Chairman J. d. Collins, John w. Tom
linson stated the object of the meet
ing and called on ]. A. yanHoose to
speak. Mr.. VanHoose said that the water
supply was an important question from
many standpoints, and that the most
feasible plan was the gathering of the
water from the watersheds of the Warrior
river and bringing it In a closed conduit
to Birmingham through Village creek. He
then suggested that James Bowron should
tell how the canal would aid Birmingham
in its production of iron.
Mr.. BoWron's Views.
Mr.. Bowron said that this canal would
enable Birmingham to ship Its iron ore,
coal and finished products to the gulf
and the South American ports at wa
ter rate which would enable us to COM
pete and whip out similar shipments
from other portions of the world. He said
other cities have been aided by the Unit
ed States government, and that there was
receive the same gifts. He stated that
favorable survey had already been made
by the government engineers of this
route for a canal and tnat all 1t needed
was the push of Birmingham people to
get 1t.
N. F. Thompson, who was for long
time commercial agent for YOUNGSTOWN,
Pa, which is only short distance from
Pittsburg, stated that the latter place de-
manded s1s,OooOOO from the government 10
erect canal to compete with Birming-
ham on the gulf coast, and received that
amount He also stated that Birming-
ham could erect its canal from the Ten
nessee river for half that sum, and that
in two years 1t would reap benefits which
would more than pay for the construction
Of the canal. He said that Pittsburg had
asked for $40, 0o0,0 900 more from the gov
eminent to further fight Birmingham, and
that she would get 1t. Birmingham, he
said, now dictates the price of iron. but
that she has reached the limit OF her
growth unless she gets more water. He
then referred to the fact that the Schulz
ers went to Gadsden because they could
get more water there and stated that
two other plants which would have need
ed large sites and erected immense
plants were lost to Birmingham because
there was not more water here.
j. A. Montgomery, the civil engineer
who has made study of the situation at
the Warrior river and the expense and
possibility Of bringing water from there,
then read a paper on the matter. The
paper Is published in full this morning
in connection with the account of the
meeting of the Commercial club.
John W. O'Neill offered a resolution
appointing the committee. The resolu-
ton is the same, with the exception of
the names of the body, as that offered by
N. F. Thompson at the meeting of the
Commercial club and passed by that or
ganization. 1t was adopted by the mass
meeting and the name of Mayor T. t.
Huey of Bessemer was added with in
structions to the committee to add one
man from each municipality in the coun-
ty.
W. Scott of Ensley were called on and
each stated that they were having trou-
BILE because of lack of wholesome water
and that they were heartily in accord
with the movement.
Mayor w. M Drennen spoke on the
trouble Birmingham has been having
with the water company since he came