The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-29
UNLIMITED !. WATER FORCE To Develop from Tennes-
 see River. PLANS OF NEW YORK COMPANY Charles H. Baker, Vice President,
 Explains Plans.
 --&----- Construetien of Three Dams and Locks at s1ussie shsals Affords Enor- nous nnersy and Improves
 the River.
PLANS OF NEW YORK COMPANY

The utilization of the currents over the Muscle Shoals in the Tennessee River in North Alabaina Oh Sd vast a plan as will furnish 100000 horse pow CT, is the purpose of the Mussie Shoals Hydro. Electric Company of New York. the Vsce-President of which, Charles n. Baker, is now in Montgomery. MT. Baker is here to consult with Massey Wilson, attorney for the company Tn Alabama.
 According to the statements made by Mfr. Baker yesterday. the plans project ed by the company are of tremendous ecope. They contemplate an expendi- ture of about s17,000, ,000, with re- suitant generaticn of enormous power and the consequent improvement or the Tennessee River to it's probably nigh est pctentiality as q navigabie stream.
 The assistance of the National Gov ernment has been asked and bill intended to afford 1t. is now pending before Congress.
 The pIans, as explained yesterday. couapreh end the construction Of three dams and as many locks within the thirty miles of river along which the shoals lie.
 sThe Muscle shoals lie for many miles along the Tennessee River" Mr. Baker said yesterday, but those with which we are concerned are within stretch of about thirty miles and In the thirty miles there is fall of IFS feet. 1t ia our purpose to utilize Tor the generation of electricity thio enor- nno,,s. thfa almost unlimited energy. We propose to construct three dams about eight miles apart. and at each develop power for the generation Of electricity. We should not. of course, construct all three dams at once, but one by one as time and the extension of the market for the electrical power made expedient Three years, prob ably. If we may begin within reascn- ably reasonable time. would be re quired to complete the entire system or works.
 "As for the market. we have no doubt of it's existence from the inci. piency of our operations, and It's steady growth after we have completed the first dam. With the present high volt age of mission--100. .000--possib Because of Improvements in electrical Acuipnents, there is practically no linn ftatiou to the field except economfnal considerations, for 1t must be remem- bered that the loss of electrical power is .n direct proportion to the distance through which it Is transmitted , might say, for example, that in Africa, electricity developed by one water fall is transmitted for utilization at q gold mine GOO miles away.
 saThen, too, the market would have possible limitations because of local developments of water power in vari- ous places.
 "our plea for governmental assist ance is based upon the fact. that the construction of the dams with the con- comitant placing of the locks, would develop the Tennessee River to it's high-s est potentiality as c navigabie stream. At each dam there would be a drop of one-thlrd of the entire fall in the thirty miles and the lock would easily lower or raise all vesses suitable for trans portation on the river. Between the dams the shoals would be as things for gotten because the waters backed by the Instructions would form lakes of such depth as that the shoals would not have to be taken into account The descents and the ascent of the stream between the dams would be both speedy and facile and safe. and the Tennes- see River. which with the Cumberland is as large as the ohio and Is one of the greatest rivers in the country, would be developed into roadway of commerce and communication through a country wonderful for it's resources ficial industries.
 the Congress ot afford assistance. We do not ask that the Government pay it all We ask 1t to pay it's share of the works that are for the improve Inent of the river. Of the properties which are for our peculiar profit we are to pay the cost; we ask that the ben-