The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-04-25
wHTrNEY.s GREAT EooM
Two Hundred Houses Built In Two
Monfh--Nork Commenced ON tine
Grea Dam-Al Morucd Conycii-
fences Contained I'm the Little CITY
That Has Sprung Into Existence as
n by INSTRUMENTATION About
1000 People.

Whitney. April io.-Just a little more
than two months ago the work OF &C
tual development was begun al Whit
ney. Since then there has sprung IN,
as II by magic two hundred houses
There is now Ia course OF erection a
depot and a club mouse. Telephone and
telegraph connections have been estab-
1ished, an office building has been bull,
by the T. A. Gillespie Company for
their executive force. This oompany
has the contract for constructing rhe
dams and canal. Three hotels, or
"camrs as they are known here, Lave
been erected for the accommodations
Of the men who compose the white
working force of the contractors. Hun
dreds of "shanties" hvae been cult
for the 800 and more negro laborers.
Stables have beel built, for the stock
and e commissary has been establish
ed, which carries a large and varied
stock or merchandise. A machine and
forge shop is running night and day,
repairing the machinery and equipment
sharpening tools and drills. In the
forge shop there is a steam hammer
for facilitating the forge work.. Plank
sidewalks have been constructed, sew
ars are being laid and every conve-
nience and appliance that will hasten
the rapid execution and completion or
the work is being installed. Concrete
for The construction Of the dam is mia
ed by large machines for the purpose.
Work has commenced on the dam
proper, where The bluff on the west
side of the river has been cleared of
trees and excavation begun. Dozens of
hosting machines, attached to the big
cranes handle with ease the grsat
pieces of granite 10 be used in the con-
struction of the lam and canal. TWEEN
ty to thirty carloads of this stone are
brought every day from the quarry
a few miles east of Salisbury. The rail
road has been built down to the Gam
and the a n at present are used IN
unloading the stone from the cars Ii
placing it in great piles conveniently!
located along the canal site.
Steam shovels have been located at
various points along the ana and are
cutting through the hills, loading nun
dreds of wagons and cars, which are
pulled by little locomotives, "dummleS"
they are called up here. Hundreds OF
negroes with picks and shovels aid the
steam shovels. The coal for operating
the shovels AMI locomotives along
the canal route is at present hauled
from the cars a. Whitney to the
points where the shovels and OconIo-
tives are located, but there is in course
of construction a coal chute or treStie
from which the cars will be uEloaded
and the coal hauled by the little loco
motives to the shovelS along the ca
nal. Water for The boilers, horses and
men is carried where needed in lone
lines of piping laid on top OF the
ground from the pumping plant.
The D. A. T%ompkins Company, Il
Charlotte has about completed the
building for an electric power house
and are installing the water wheels
and generators, erecting the poles AID
running the transmission lines to the
various buildings. This power is 10
furnish lights for the buildings, and
for the drains and canal, so hat work
can be carried on at night as we'll as
during the day. This building is Ut
granite with red tile roof and makes a
very pretty appearance. This Is a
| preliminary plant to light the town an.
the construction work of the big dam
The Whitney Company also has a
large force of laborers at work under
the supervision Of M. w. j. Parker
the GelI engincer, clearing oct the "a
nal for the electric power hous buiil'
ing, briggs, etc.
The Southern Railway runs a special
train to Whitney, which leaves Sails
bury at 7.15 every morning and, leav-
ing Whitney at s o'clock in the after
noon, gives a convenient schedule
which is taken advantage of by nuIl-
bers of visitors every week.
At present Whitney is a town oi
| about 1000 people.-Special to Char
lotte Chronicle.