The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-13

report.
 The Heard Shoals route would run
 through Hueytown, Dolomite and
 Piney Woods and strike the main river at Heard Shoals, distance of 2S.5
 miles. For reasons set forth in the re-
 port, this route is not looked upon with i favor by the engineers.
 The Short Creek route, which runs through Mulga and by Vines Gap and
 Elbow Gap, striking Locust Fork at or
 near Short Creek, is likewise consid-
 cred unfavorable The distance of this
 route is 21.5 miles.
 All surveys are made from Nine teenth street and Avenue B, Ensley, as the starting point in the city limits. TWO FEASIBLE ROUTES | The two routes which are considered | feasible are the Taylor's Ferry road, which follows the Oak Grove and the i Toadvine roads to the river, distance | of 245 miles, and the Wylam-Porter route to Locust Fork at or near the Fish | Trap branch, a distance of 1S.5 miles, | Either of these roads can be construct | ed with the low grade decided upon and roadbed of not less than 90 feet can | be secured over the entire distance. In ] the matter of terminal facilities, the Tay- | lor's Ferry route offers much greater l advanta ges than ethe shorter Wylam- l Porter route and also has certain ad- | vantages in the matter of offering bet | ter naviga ton facilities. The full report | of the engineers follows:
 | The Honorable Board of Revenue of | Inff I missioners of Birmingham: l Gentlemen--At your joint executive session held in the city hall an or 1 der was issued that preliminary sur veys be made at once to determine the | feasibility and approximate cost of a | proposed highway from Birmingham | to the Warrior river, so located and
 constructed as to render possible Cat 1 the required low figure of cost per ton mile hauD. the delivery of freight | to and from Birmingham by trucks l an electric line or other means of | transportation for shipment via the i Warrior river. in the event that sat 1 isfactory and favorable commodity wa | ter rates can be negotiated and es- 1 tablished for such water transporta- | tion.
 ENGINEERS AT WORK 1 In accordance with your instruction, work was immediately commenced on l these surveys, the necessary force of engineers being put in the field on June
 2S and the work was pushed with all | available means consistent with the | extent of the ground to be adequately I covered.
 | The expense of these surveys and of | the preparation of the necessary ac- ! companying maps, profiles and esti- | mates was agreed to be equally di- | vided between the city and county.
 but it subsequently, appearing that the l city could not legally appropriate | funds for this purpose the work has been continued and completed by the ] county at it's individual cost and ex- pense.
 1 The work has now been satisfactor- 1 fly completed and the report and rec
 concentrations relative thereto is here 1 with submitted for your approval. 1 The location of the proposed road to fulfill the necessary conditions at
 any reasonable figure of initial cost I and the cost of future maintenance is
 unusual and presents difficulties not l ordinarily encountered either in rail- ! road or highway location for the fol- l lowing reasons:
 l l. The practical efficiency of the road proposed to be constructed eff any | considerable tonnage can be reason- ably expected to be hauled over it) will depend primarily upon the prop l CT location of its terminal points. It l should leave the city and district at a I point carefully considered and proven 1 to be as nearly as possible central to l all points from which tonnage may be expected to originate. and Its proper terminal point on the Warrior river | must of necessity be selected with ref erence to the construction of necessary present and future wharfage, etc. to- gether with due consideration of all a ral a tn barge line facilities with their bearing on favorable water rate expectancy These terminal conditions may be more readily understood by reference to the map accompanying the report. on which they are graphically shown.