The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-04

s a result of the nation wide campaign A of publicity of the Muscle Shoals association there are doubtless com paratively few among well read people who have not heard of Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee river. Only through such campaign could the public know of the possibilities there, for Muscle Shoals It. self would attract little attention from the passer-by. Pisturesque as Is the shoal stretch of the Tennessee river from Browns island to Florence bridge. and bearing as 1t does a striking resemblance to portions of the Thousand islands of the St. Law renee, 1t has nothing spectacular to offer 10 the visitor, and until recent years 1t has remained in obscurity. It is Fafe to pre- dict however, that with the development of It's hydro-electric power Muscle Shoals will come into it's own, and in addition to becoming an industrial center of national importance, 1t may we'll become one of the souths most attractive playgrounds.
 Among tho many who have heard of the premier southern power site there prob ably are very few who appreciate the mng~ nitude of the development which is possi- ble there. and fewer who appreciate what this development will mean to the imme- diate locality, to the neighboring cities especially Nashville. Chattanooga. Mem phis and Birmfng ngham--and to the country at large. Tn view of what has been ac- oomplished elsewhere under conditions by no means advantageous. 1t does not re- quire prophetic vision to point out the ad- vantages which are likely to result from the development of the power at these shoals.
 Great Development
 Not Yet Authorized.
 Conflicting reports which have appeared make 1t important to state at the outset that the great development here described has not yet been authorized by the gov ernment. While S2000oo00 was appropri- ated nearly two years ago for the purpose of building a plant for the manufacture of nitrates, and while the development of Muscle Shoals would accomplish this pur- pose with great advantage to the govern ment to the farmer, and to the public. yet the only step authorized by the govern ment at this time is the construction, at \ cost of s3,800 o00 of several experimental plants in order to test certain new methods of making nitrates and $500 900 plant for the manufacture of explosives. all of which are now being built at Muscle Shoals. These plants do not call for development of the hydro-electric power and their pro- duction of thirty tons of ammonia and twelve tons of nitric acid per day will help but little in solving our national fertilizer problem, the solution of which was the consideration that gained for the s20.oooO 900 appropriation the support that was necessary to make it A law.
 The project which has gained so many friends for Muscle Shoals is a combination of three dams, one for navigation only, and the other two for both navigation and power. Dam No. is small affair only 200 feet long and Is feet high and is solely for the purpose of providing feet naviga~ tion from Dam No. to Florence bridge
 Dam No. Is the larger of the two power dams. It will be 4500 feet long and 100 machinery for generating 4S0,o00 horse power. It is remarkably well located for rapid construction, for the site lies directly across Jaekson's island, so that work may the center of the dam and from both ends as well. The dam will form lake about half miles wide, that will vary in depth from 100 feet at the lower end to fifteen feet at the upper end. The hills on each side. of the river afford succession of the clear water of the lake will offer the best of boating, hshing and bathing, easily reached by automobile roads EDich are planned to skirt both sides of the lake. Dam win Form Lake
 Seventy Miles Long.
 Dam No. 3 of tha Muscle Shoais develop rnenf will he st23 feet long. Being but x forty feet high however, 1t will contain less than half as much concrete as dam No. 2, and can be built most advantageous ly st the same time. At dam No, 5 will ultimately he provided machinery for gen erating l90.000 horsepower, and the etruc- ture will form q lake seventy miles long. varying from two miles to lees than one mile wide, removing the last obstacle to the successful navigation of the Tennessee river making 1t possible for Chattanooga and oth3r points to enjoy modern river Transportation to the many cities the Mississippi river system of waterways as soon as requisite terminal facilities and modern equipment can be provided
 The feature of greatest importance in ehis project however, is the low cost to the government of the 6"0.000 horsepower of electrical energy which can be concen- trated Ut these two dams. hydro electric plant has one outstanding character stic-- fk costa much to build 1t and little to operate 1t. For this reason the cost of yroduciny hydro electric power consists Srtncipalfy of interest and financing charges which. with amortization. ire .,,exf4Iw antO51nt To por tnpT If cost