The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1917-11-22
Vast Nitrate and Water
Power Operations Now
Almost in Sight
AT MUSCLE SHOALS!

War and the engineers has been de-
liv,red to the people OF Florence
ana the Muscle Shoals section by
Senator Oscar w. Underwood and
Senator John H. Bankhead.
"The two distinguished senators
came as the representatives OF the
Government. and their message was
one of the greatest interest to the
South and the entire Nation, as 1t
indicates that the great development
at Muscle Shoals is to take place
and that the greatest government
industrial center is to be IN the
South. :.
THE message to the people OF
Florence. which is the place where
the great dams are to be bullt' anu
where the chief owners OF LANDS that
will be oyerhowed live, stated that
if the great development is to take
place the people must let the Gov
arnment have the necessary land at
its actual value.
Senator Bankhead stated that
the expenditures would eventually
ann~oach 100000 and it was
,hown that not only would nitrate
for explosives be made but that the
great mower which represents ZOo
carloads of coal daily, would also
he used in turning the wheels OF
many government industries IN the
manufacture of munitions and vari-
Gus war necessities. In short II was
said that it will be the greatest gov
ernment project in America.
In urging the land owners 10 De
reasonable in pricing the overflow
lands Senator Bankhead told. them
how they would profit by having the
development, saying that thousands
of people will be employed and that
inside of five years the population
of the Tennessee River Valley, IN
which Muscle Shoals is located, VIII
be at least one-half million.
THE audience was an interesting
one, many distinguished men being
present, including Congressman Ed.
Almon. former Governor O'Neal, ar
NV officers and Government engl-
neers from Washington, who are IN
charge of the experimental nitrate
plant now being erected at Muscle
Shoals, and many people from all
parts of the United States, who were
here for speculative purposes and TO
engage in business.
The citizens pledged their full
cooperation and support and will
take steps Immediately to secure for
the Government the overflow lands
wanted. They consider it their pa
triotic duty and will enter the work
enthusiastically and woe be unto the
man who dares to try to hold upthe
Government in selling his land.
1T was stated that $3.50 acres,
approximately. will be overdowed
when the great dam, which will be
100 feet high, is completed. When
it is stated that the Tennessee River
has greater flow of water than the
Ohio where their waters come to
gether, it will be realized what a tre-
mendous, volume of water is to be
had. 1t will altogether be greater
than the power allowed to be taken
from Niagara Falls.
Chattanooga, Knoxville and the
cities upstream from Muscle Shoals
and Florence are rejoicing over the
ews and the wires were kept hot
answering inquiries. The up-river
CT ties are especially interested, for
the development will open naviga-
tion to them and will enable the fac
tories and various industries in Chat
tanooga to ship to all points on the
Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi riv-
ers by water, thus securing untold
advantages in freight rates and ready
facilities in transportation.
Former Governor Emmett O'Neal
addressed the gathering stating what
the development would mean to the
South in securing cheap fertilizer
when the nitrate produced is avail
able and predicted that it would re.
duce the cost of fertilizer to the
farmers Of the South by about one
half in time. He also mentioned
r Al