The Ocala evening star., 1915-03-30

this been felt in mountain regions,
where drouth sometimes dwindles riv I
ers to brooks, and even to dry beds.
The Florida Power Company will
never have this trouble unless the
ocean dries up. It's main source of sup
ply is the Wekiwa Blue Spring, which
bears the same relation to the With
Iacoochee that Silver Springs does to
the Oklawaha This spring has never
been known to fall below a certain
point, and at that point it has always
sent out. a stream that would float a
river steamer.
Building the dam has created lake,
and caused the water to back up be-
yond Dunnellon, practically wiping
out the annoying rapid few miles
west of that point, securing a good
channel and making a good cruising
ground for light boats. This lake
should become a fisherman's paradise.
In the center of the dam, by the
power house, is a lock that big
J river steamer could pass thru. The
: lock is not in operation, for there are
no boats to use it, and, on account of
2 the war, the government does not
5 press it's completion; however, all the
5 machinery is on the ground, and
e could be put in place in a few weeks.
: Strange to say, the Withlacoochee,
5 one of the widest and most lonesome
!, streams in Florida, has become the
b handspring in two of the most I'M
: portant improvements in the state
e Several years ago, the DunneIon
Phosphate Company, wearying of ex-
: orbitant freight rates, established 9
i harbor at the mouth of the river
<, built railway line from its mines tC
e a point below the rapids, and begar
!, sending its rock in barges out t.
IS steamers that lay in the pool of
shore. The barges, drawn by tugs
e used the lower eight miles of th'
= river. This, on account of the rapids
IS was an artificial defiance of the law
G of nature, and the usual rules of com
a merce, but it paid. If it hadn't beer
for the rapids, the Dunnellon Com
lie pany could have loaded rock in barge
IS at its mines; but, on the other hand
v. if it hadn't been for the rapids, w
l. couldn't have had the immense hydro
h, electric plant. Civilization is tn
Of gamer, for some day fair freigh
rates will render artificial harbor
as unnecessary, but as for the electri
l. plant, its usefulness is probably fo
a all the ages.
The plant is not doing as much bus
r mess as it did few months ago. Th
n, war has caused the phosphate mine
ee to shut down, and has curbed progres
el in other lines. However, the wa
rs can't last forever-the warning eour
tries are hungry for phosphate now
he and when it ends the steamers lade
It with rock will make an unendin
ct procession across the ocean. Mean
ne time the Messrs. Camp are busy ol
as tanning contracts In other lines I'll
u current from their plant is availab
C at any point within hundred mile
he and they could supply ten cities tt
size OF Ocdid Will 1iSHb eailu pOeCA-
o is understood that they will supply
ed least a part of St. Petersburg, f
as down on the Pinellas peninsula, WI
current, and they have other big co
tracts in prospect.
Aladdin had some lamp, and /
Il genie was a live wire, but he wouldl
be in it with the engineer, a pla
American citizen clad in blue sh
and overalls. who can push in lev
that child could move and send
flood of brilliant light into the stree
of a city a hundred miles away. A
there is little doubt that the Flori
Power Company will be dealing c
n this sort Of magic to dozen fouri:
I'll ing towns in the next year or two.