Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-01
TO SAVE THE POWER.
Dams and Reservoirs Being
Constructed in the South.
FACILITIES OF RAILWAYS
Vast Expenditures for Improvement in
Equipment.
DOUBLE TRACKING THE LINES
Tremendous Growth of Trafhc-Policy
of Conciliation-Wages of EN-
80. ployes Increased.
DOUBLE TRACKING THE LINES
l.H. BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
t Herald.

itaf one local, two from Pittsburg. and
one from New York. are now building dams
and creating reservoirs on southern rivers
for the purpose of furnishing power to cot
ton mills and factories.
The Electric Power and Manufacturing
Comp of Pittsburg has occupied a con-
vepient spot on the Broad river above
SparIansburg, where it has already deve.-
opdd lo.900 horsepower, and is preparing
TO develop 100000 additional horsepower, to
be sold TO manufacturing industries at
Spartansburg, Granville and that vicinity.
The Drstyo Construction y ompany is doing
the work; Julian Kennedy, famous en-
gineer who has accomplished important
tasks in Russia and in the United States,
is in charge. and f. II. Jennings president
of the Colonial Trust Company OF PlttS-
burg. is the president The reservoir.
which is intended to conserve the water
that flows down from the mountains in
such volumes in the spring until the dry
summer months. will cost about S3,OU,Ooo
Heretofore the spring floods have not only
gone To waste, but very often have COM
mttcd millions of dollars worth OF dam
age. This will prevent any recurrence or
the terrible destruction which has been
expected annually.
The southern States Power Company of
which Dr. Gilwiley of New York is pres-
dent. with a capital of s5.0oO,OOO, Is con-
structing reservoirs along the Catawba
delivering eight ten thousand horsepower
at Charlotte and other manufacturing
towns i'm that section. and when the works
are completed will have capacity of 3d.
pDo or $4,000 horsepower.
The Columbus Power Company of Co
luu1buS. Ga. with a capital of SGO,OOO,
has already developed nearly 1000 horse
power ON the Chattahoochee river, which
is sold to manufacturing enterprises in
the nrghborhood of that city, and is now
making preparations TO develop 5O,WO
horsepower more.
The Whitney Reduction Company. of
which George W. Whitney. Pittsburg
banker is president. with capital of seven
millions. is building a series of dams and
reservoirs on the Yadkin river near Sails
bury. 5. c.. for the purpose OF developing
I0O.Np or more horsepower to be sold to
mills i'll that vicinity.
Conservation of Energy. u
These are all new undertakings, and when
completed will not only furnish about 300
900 horsepower for new industries in North
Carolina South Carolina and Georgia, but
will serve the public welfare by catching
the water from the spring rains and the
melting SHOWS and holding it until it is
needed to turn wheels in the summer and
autumn. If all the rain were equally dis
tributed throughout the year the manage
ment of a waterpower mill would be much
simpler than 1t is, but the construction OF
these reservoirs will insure a regular sup
ply and will enable the cotton mills of the
Carolinas to double their capacity.
The sources of the rivers which are thus
to be utilized are in the Appalachian noun
tains where Congress is asked to spend
ten million dollars. or as much as may be
necessary. to purchase the mountain peaks
and the canyons for national park. The
first and most important object Is to pre-
serve the water by preserving the forests;
the second is to provide the people of the
east with a permanent playground of in
comparable beauty. Unless something is
done to stop the lumbermen from stripping
the mountain slopes of timber the springs
will soon perish. the water courses will dry
up and the whole surface of the earth will
be denuded of vegeta ton.
Southern Railway Expenditures.
An enormous amount of money is being |
expended in the industrial development of |
this section. The Southern railway is car
ryng out plans of extension and recon- |
struction which involve the expenditure |
OF nearly a hundred million dollars. No
where in the United States, except in Wash |
ington and Oregon. is the Industrial devei |
opment so rapid as il is in this part of the |
south. and the vast increase of traffic re- |
sulting from that awakening requires cor |
responding increase in transportation facili- |
ties Mr.. Finley. the new president of the |
Southern Railway Company. says that his |
people are not unmindful of that fact, and |
that his predecessor. Mr., Spencer, who was |
a wise and far-sghted man, did not wait |
for TIE coming of the development itself, |
but an;ic pated it to the utmost possible |
degree. Twelve years ago Mr.. Spencer |
found ~" railroads which now constitute |
e,e principal part Of the Southern system |
bankrupt and without credit, of light and |
defective construction. poorly equipped and |
utterly unprcpared to handle any consider |
able amount of traffic. but he brought the |
phy-ca! condition of the property up to |
date. and AT the time OF his death was |
carry ug out comprehensive plan of i'm |
DrOVen.FuLS which will be continued COM |