The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-13
PARTY RECEIVES BIG RECEPTION
 ALONG TENNESSEE
tcontinued from Page one,

fully by experienced pilots and encoun- tered no mishaps Sticking to the chan nel the steamer passed by Locks A and R without loss of time. At Lock the Lookout was lowered through the gates I and into the canal. This was the only l one of the nine locks between the Twin Cities and the Tri- Cities that was trav- ersed owing to the fact that the crait 1 has been ordered rebuilt and is not now considered especially seaworthy. NO at- tempt was made to run the rapids of the shoals.
 TRACK SUBMERGED Once in the trip by rail, the track was submerged for distance of 200 yards put l the waters were not sufficiently high to reach the boilers of the engine. It was shortly afternoon when the party reached Lock 2, where dinner was served to 70 persons including the three secretaries he departmental chief United States Senator Bankhead, Congressman E. B. A,mon. Col J. w. worthington, c. w. Ashcraft and Judge Joe Nathan, vice president of the Tennessee River Improve ment association; Professor Waldo or Vanderbilt, Maj. Lytle Brown, Uniteo States engineer in charge of this dis trict, and Assistant Engineer Winn,
 Frank Willis Barnett of The Age-Herald and a few others who had been taken on board at Decatur Although orders had been given that four turkeys should cor stit,,te the piece de resistance the chef had made mistake and five were | served.
 SOUTHERN DINNER
 The dinner, typically southern, ap- pealed to the appetites of the visitors.
 It had been announced that the Colbert 1 would reach Florence at 3:30 o'clock, and exactly at that hour the boat pulled up at the wharf As it passed the Sloss-Shef- field furnace a siren note announced the arrival of the locating commission. and every whistle in the Tri-Cities sounded a joyful welcome The Colbert replied and when one bell was sounded | for the boat to veer in, Secretary Baker who rode on a barge which the steamer pushed downstream, called to the cap | tain, ring that bell some more; they I tell me it has an unusually silvery sound.'' M
 A large crowd lined the Florence wharf, and hundreds of flags waved. The three secretaries barred their heads and stood with hats in hand as they saluted the flag.
 RECEPTION IN FLORENCE Automobiles conveyed the members. of the party to the Elks Home where an informal reception was rendered, with citzcns of Florence, Tuscumbia and Sheffield participating After spin about the principal thoroughfares of the city, the visitors alighted and were in troduced by Congressman Almon. Secre- tary Baker came first, and was in troduced "as the hero of Muscle Shoals .
 Then came Secretary Lane and last Sec retary Houston. The crowds cheered as the names of the cabinet members were called
 While in Florence the visitors shook hands with hundreds of persons. After the reception they boarded a special street car and were conveyed to their private cars. which had been parked in Sheffield. Secretary Baker alone re- mained at Florence as the dinner guest Of Ed O'Neall. classmate at college.
 ARGUMENT ANSWERED Your price is too high'' one of the members of the locating commission is said to have remarked in regard to the selection of the Muscle Shoals site, re- ferring to the cost of the three proposed dams. and the construction of the nitrate r'ant This chance statement set the friends of the shoals to figuring. and they were able to make q showing of a cost of 36 per horse power for the con- struction of a plant with 1os,00c horse power capacity capable of producing more l than 100000 tons of fertilizer.
 It is the general opinion here that if