The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-30


 . tons of freight by rail to Tuscaloosa, or l Cordova, cheap as they could trans port it by truck.
 Municipal Electric Road Now as to the municipality owned | electric railroad. Do you think that a car of freight could be laid down on | the Warrior river, at a cost that would give this district the full benefit of water rates? Even if they could, do you think it could be done at what 1 i switching car rate would be? Even it they could. the people would have to l pay the expenses of the maintainance | of this railroad. The cost would be coming out of their pocket in the end | anyway. They would be but fooline | themselves in the belief that by the ownership of this railroad. that they were getting the full benefit of water | rates. for 1t costs money to operate 1 a railroad and the charge of operating; the line would be paid for by the peo l rle. If you go after it you can get l water transportation at no cost to 1 the people The government will build it free if you ask them to do it and l show them you want it. The trouble | about the canal up to Bessemer it that | the people will not study the question | to satisfy them selves as to it's practi cability. They are satisfied that the canalization of Valley river is not | I racticable because they have been led 1 to believe that the engineers had made | adversse reports on the proposition on | tie grounds that there was not enough water. The government engineers did not say that there was. not enough water up to Bessemer. but they did say | there was not enough water up to North Birmingham
 
 The following is part of the repor' | of John NJ. Wilson chief of engineers l of the United States army the Hon R. A. Agler secretary of war, dated l December 13, 1898, in which he sub l lhits the report of Major William T | Rossell. chief of engineers of a corp; | Of engineers. on the feasibility ana | advisability of the improvement of q | waterway beginning at a point at or near a site selected for lot number 2 on the Warrior river and continuing ur Valley river from its mouth to Besse mer,. thence to Birmingham and ex- tending to Five Mile creek
 Major Rossell states that the coun- II try through which Valley river runs i. very broken and rocky with nigt hanks; that there Is no danger to bs apprehended from overflows caused by fixed dams. that stone for construc-
 
 is no question of the feasibility oi building this line, and that. if the work
 is confined at present to canalizina Valley river and storage reservoirs fol supplying the canal with water in tines of drouth, the project is botf feasible and advisable. The projec for this improvement contemplates thc construction of 21 dams and locks O 10 feet lift, between the Warrior r.vei and McAdory tabout 40 miles), storage reservoir dam at Big Blui creek, one at Little Blue creek. anC two at McAdory, and the estimated cos of the entire work including damages water powers, snubbing posts, tele graph and telephone lines. contingen cios. and che construction of a rail oad for transporting materials i s4.5eO,000.
 Il A separate project is presented fo continuing the improvement to Fiv' Mile creek. It provides for a construc tion between McAdory and Five Mil creek tabout 23 miles) of 13 locks ant dams and a reservoir dam, and tn estimated cost of this work, includinl miscellaneous items and contingencies 1t $400O,00O. but the local enginee states that 1t doubtful it the cana can be operated throughout the yea on account of insuffciency of wate supply"
 Two Divisions Referred To It will be noted that In this repor that the two divisions are referred to that from the Warrior river to Besseme which is called the river division, an that from Bessemer to Five Mile creel which is called the Valley division. No to continue on this report:
 'In forwarding this report to this ol flee the division engineer, Col. Peter Joi of opo states that a the water supply for the Valley diyisio ! from McAdory creek to Five Mile cree is not sufficient to feed the canal, tt l construction of that part of the watel ] way Is not advisable. and for the req so f that the projected improvement ends { ! the Warrior river, 1t is not deep enoug to carry the freight to tdewater. I does not concur in the opinion of ti district engineers that the improvemel of the river division, from Warrior riv' to McAdory creek, Is feasible and at visable He remarks. however. that the Warrior river were improved so { tc give six-foot navigable depth fro the mouth of Valley creek to the Tombil , bee, and the latter so improved as carry that depth to the gulf. the improv ment of Valley creek would perhaps a desirable work, forming one link in tl chain from the coal fields to the gulf. Now to quote from the report of Joser
 Ripley further on what is said about Il Valley river division. Mind you, he W; Instructed to report on a survey from u
 Warrior river by way of Valley riv
 to Five Mile creek. north of Birmingha
 ham.
 An examination of the route show that the proposed waterway is natural
 divided into two parts. First. from Il
 headwaters of Five Mile creek to gs
 in the mountains at Valley river; and se
 ond from this point to the Warrior rive
 The first is a true canal and the secoi
 a canalized river. The length of u
 canalized river is about 40 miles and
 canal proper 23 miles. The count
 through which Valley river runs is ve
 broken and rocky with high banks. The
 is no danger to be apprehended from owe
 flows caused by fixed dams and sto
 for construction is everywhere availab
 There is no question of the flea:
 bility of building this line. and the on
 question is as to the feasibility of ope
 ating it that is is there enough wat 2 available for this purpose? At the tin
 Of the survey all streams were very lc : and there had been long continu
 drou.h The amount of water then &H Uoll bo 1ax-a nf II