Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-09-01

the works and see the progress being
made.
"We will soon be ready to make
contracts for power and tell the GUS
toners the exact time it will be turn
ed on. We may be able to finish the
plant sooner than twelve months and
will do so if possible. We are now
working about 700 men.
"The plant when completed will
produce 56, OOO-horsepower every day.
When we have sold the full day power
of SO, 000-horsepower, we can store at
night in storage batteries 30, 900 horse
power and turn it out in day time,
which will make the day power equal
to 86, 600 horsepower.
Chattanooga will very soon have a
large amount of cheap electric power
supplied by the best built and most
up-to-date electric works in the
world.
The lock and dam interests are not
ready to talk prices, or at least do not
feel themselves in a position to an
nounce definitely what the rates will
be. Up to this time, 1t is understood,
and by inference borne out by the
statement of Mr.. James, no contracts
whatever have been made for supply
of power. The project has been SO en-
ormous and its completion hinging up
on so many possible obstacles, many Of
which have proven very much in evil
dence, that it was not considered wise
to promise power at any given date or
execute contracts for it. And, on the
other hand, it was not necessary to
make such contracts to back the enter
prise. The capital necessary was Sc
cured outright and no contracts were
needed as collateral.
The lock and dam is a money max
ing project, of course. To intimate
charity or anything of the sort would
be the rankest kind of foolishness But
it is understood on good authority that
the northern interests back of the
great project, appreciate the loyalty
that has been displayed by Chattanoo-
ga, and will in return, reciprocate by
furnishing power at cost that is as
reasonable as commensurate with
proper return on the investment to the
upbuilding of Chattanooga. 1t is said
that tentative proposition was made
the lock and dam interests to take all
or part of their power and peddle it
to the consumers. virtually making
the Hale's bar plant wholesaler of
current. The man who is most large
ly interested financially, Mr.. Brady,
of New York, is reported to have said,
in substance: 'No, the people of Chat
tanooga have been loyal to us, and we
will stand by them The small consul
mers and large ones alike must be fur
njshed cheap power We will make
Chattanooga great city.
With the almost absolute announce
ment as made by Mr. James it will be
generally accepted that the earliest
prospect for river power in Chattanoo-
ag and vicinity is from the lock and
dam. The Eastern Tennessee Power
company has announced that the first
development on the Ocoee will be COM
pleted about Jan. 1, 1919. Compari
son of these two claims show that the
lock and dam interests have consid-
erable margin over their prediction
before the Ocoee development can be
ready, granting that the latter is COM
pleted as soon as January of 1919.
With the prospective completion of
the lock and dam before 1919 and the
Ocoee developments going on, Chatta-
nooga cannot fail to become the center
of interest in the south In the matter
of electrical power. 1t is freely pre-
dicted that great influx of new in
dustries, large and small, will result
from the cheap power SO soon to be
available. A man connected with one
of the power projects stated recently
that he received letters every day from
people and interests desiring to locate
at or near Chattanooga on the strength
of the new power.
: With such substantial hackers as the
Ocoee proposition has, and in charge
of one of the worlds greatest engineer
ing and constructing companies, the
J. G. White company, the develop
ments in Polk county can hardly fail
to proceed with a rush, barring the
uncertainties attnding' any river harm
essing project It developed yesterday