The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-18
FULL REPORT ON PROJECT
 IS MADE TO M. U. LEAGUE
Committee of Engineers Discusses the Various Projects Which Have Been Suggested In Past Years.
 Summary of the Plan.

ways ana means Dy WnlCh water can be brought to Birmingham, reported yester- day to Dr A. J. Dickinson, as president of the league.
 Since the privilege of damming up the Warrior river was gained from the gov ernment the work just completed by the committee is the first active step toward the Municipal Ownership league that the matter will now be pushed forward and brought to an issue. Within the next few days a meeting of the league will be called at which the report of the committee will be taken up and acted upon.
 In its report the committee discusses the various water sources in the Birning- ham district, including the Birmingham Water Works plant, the Coosa river, Taylor's ferry and the Helena proposi- tion. The Coosa river, as source, is condemned because of it's pollution by the sewerage and drainage from the cities along its banks in Georgia and this state. For the same reason the Taylors ferry proposition is not favored.
 The committee reports that after care full investigation of the entire water sup ply proposition 1t has reached the con- clusion that the North Birmingham prop osition, to supply Birmingham district with pure, cheap and sufficient water, to be brought from the Sipsey river, Is the most practical and most profitable.
 By the North Birmingham plan it is proposed to get water from the Sipsey prong of the Warrior river, the pump ing station being located near the fork of the Mulberry and Sipsey, above all of the coal mines and other sources of contamination. By damming up the two rivers two storage basins from one to two miles wide and 2S miles long would be formed and would furnish the city with water for all time to come.
 The matter is discussed fully in the re- port, which follows:
 Text of Report.
 Birmingham, Ala, August 15, 1908. pr, A.. J. Dickinson, President Municipal
 Ownership League, Birmingham, Ala.
 Dear Sir-In compliance with your request to examine and report on the merits of the North Birmingham propo- sition. to construct a large water works system, not only to supply North Bir- mingham, but of sufficient capacity to furnish the whole district, we have asked MT. Friel, who is the promoter of the undertaking, to submit his maps and plans to us, all of which he has done, also furnished us with additional infor- nation to enable us to make our re- port.
 North Birmingham Proposition.
 We find that the North Birmingham proposition is far superior to the others, for the following reasons:
 It Is proposed to get the water from the Sipsey prong of the Warrior river, which is one of the purest and best streams of water in Alabama, flowing from the mountains of Winston and Cullman coun- ties.
 They propose locating the pumping sta ton near the forks of the Mulberry and Spsey, above all the coal mines and other sources of contamination, and by so doing have eliminated as far as pos sible every source of pollution. In order to make sure of this fact they have taken up the question of United States forest reserve location in the watershed. by this means not only keeping the quality of the water pure, but preserv- ing the flow of the stream, and they have the assurance from Senators John ston and Bankhead, and Congressman Underwood, that they will do all they can to secure a forest reserve for Ala bama, in which they should be sup ported by every citizen in the Birming- ham district, not only to secure this but to have 1t located on the watershed that is to supply Birmingham with water. If this was done the government would buy all the land in the watershed, and move all the people out and that would for ever settle the question of Birmingham's g water supply becoming polluted.
 By damming up these two rivers it would create two storage reservoirs, or lakes. from one to two miles wide, and 23 miles long and contain an acreage of from 35 to 40 square miles, and would furnish the city with water for all time to come.
 We would recommend that the Sipsey fork dam and project be undertaken first. The proposition as stated to us for this stream gives an average daily run off, estimated from government reports, of over one billion one hundred million G., 10O,O 00O) gallons, from a drainage ter ritory of about ten hundred and twenty five QO25) square miles.
 The average daily run off of the Null berry fork would be about seven hun dred and eighty million (7S0, ,000, 000) gallons from a drainage area of about five hun dred and seventy-f1ve (575) square miles.
 The Sipsey fork, allowing one-fourth of the above amount of water saved would yield about two hundred and sev- enty-fve million (275,000,000 gallons the Mulberry fork about one hundred and ninety-five million O95, ,O00, ,000) gallons, and the two together about four hundred and seventy million (47O,o0o,0OO gallons per day.
 Pumping the water is to be done with turbine pumps, run by water power; these pumps are to force the water up a high hill, three hundred and fifty (s5O) feet above the city of Birmingham, into a large reservoir that will hold a months supply of water. From this reservoir the water will pass through the gravity filters, and then be conveyed to Bir- mingham by gravity. through forty-two inch (42-inch) cast iron pipe line. which will convey twenty-five million (25000.- 0OO) gallons of water per day under full pressure. We recommend however, that at least fifty million (50,O00,OOO) gall Ions per day be provided for, at once The extra amount of water not used for supply and pumping would generate an enormous amount of power for sale. If necessary cheap coal could also be ob- tained at this point.
 After considering the amount of water nt fot