The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-24
WATER POWER IS
 REAL SOLUTION Birmingham's Chance to Build Up Industries VALUE OF THE COOSA Third Largest Drainage Ared in South-Can develop 100000 Horse Power at Weduska Shoals.
 Big Saving in Coal
VALUE OF THE COOsA
py C.. E. STEWART

By C. k. STEWART
 There Is every reason why Birmingham should become a really great manutac- turing center. Especially in the manu- facture of articles of every description made from iron and steel Iron ana s'eel Is produced in Birmingham cheaper thah in any other district in the world anu the great known wealth of the district Ill ore and coal gives ample assurance that this record may be continued indefinitely Therefore. an abundance of raw material for the manufacturer to be obtained at the minimum costs is assured, and splendid market is waiting for the proper development.
 Just D miles away, practically in the district, are the rapids connecting the upper and lower Coosa-Alabama flVer' and capable of developing from 2V0'"o 10 SO,00O horse power which may be trans mitted over a slender copper wire to the manufacturing plants in Birmingham furnishing them with a motive power against which no other kind can compete. To bring this power from the Weduska shoals to Birmingham will cost great sum of money, of course. but II VIII III five years return to the dlstrlct ten- fold it's cost. For the rapid and sure development of industrial growth, and TOT the announcement of manufacturing plants locating in Birmingham she could take no surer step than to promote and lend every aid ill the harnessing or thls immense power lying at her very door' The Coosa-Alabama river from the stand point of water discharge is the third iarg- est river in the south, and a proper conservation of her resources would ere ate enough power to guarantee plants locating in Birmingham perpetual imnun- fly from excessive cost from operating motive power. Think what an asset this is to the district, and yet how much It IS ignored? Chattanooga people are spend- ing millions to bring into that city cheap power, and when they finally succeed Chattanooga is going to make some or her sister cities in the south hustle to keep pace with her.
 Immense Drainage Area
 The Coosa Alabama river has a drain age area of about 10000 square miles, and is exceeded in the south in water dis charge only by the Mississippi and the Tennessee rivers. It rises in the Appa- lachian range of mountains where, with the execution of one or two small areas in the states of oregon and Washington the precipitation of rain is the largest in the entire United States, with good seasonable distribution and in which the topography is favorable for conserving the flood waters. It flows through region that is unequalled for its numer- ous large perpetual springs and small streams that contribute to its great force and volume. The fall in the river from Greensport to Wetumpka is 3,o feet in distance Of 142 miles. The big fall, how ever, is from the head of Weduska shoals. S bout 10 miles below Talladega Springs, to Wetumpka in this section the river falling 250 feet i'll a distance of AS miles, and there lies natures wonderful gift to the Birmingham district in the way of rower to be used in digging her ore and ooal, and making them into iron and steel and from Iron and steel into the ar ticles of trade and commerce. Before Birmingham could use this power she had to grow big enough to understand 1t. and tc appreciate 1t and to consume 1t. That cay has come, and it's up to Birmingham to go out and take that which is hers.
 In the old country and In other parts of the Unitedt States the natural and growing tendency toward the high cost of living is being met and fought with every weapon available. There Is de- mand from all people becoming more and more insistent for the maximum service for the minimum cost. Water power and water transportation are both able to give the most service for the least money in their line. Birmingham in her struggle for trade has both at her command. The Warrior river vii some day be thrown open to navigation and will enable the Birmingham district to send her coal larges to tfdewater and will open new fields of trade in all lines.
 Power at Weduska Shoals
 The use of 200,ooo horse power developed at the Weduska shoals in the Birming- ham district would not only mean a cheap power. but 1t would represent saving of over e,ooo,O0o tons of coal per aunum. which could be sold for a profit to the district
 Immense sums of, money have been spent in the United States to develop water power but so far most of 1t has | been spent up north, where they have the manufacturing plants but nothing to eom- pare with us in the way of natural power. | At Lowell, Mass, 11.S45 horse power was developed at an immense cost: Lawrence,
 Mass. has 1i.G10 horse power that cost over s2,000OJ0. Niagara Falls Power com i pany has an immense power that cost