The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-26

Sheffield, March 24-(Special.)-The gov
ernments plan to begin Immediately the
work of construction on dam No at
Muscle Shoals is indicated by the pres
ence of Lieut.. Col. Hugh L. Cooper. who
arrived here Saturday. accompanied by
d. p. Cooper, Maj H. X. Little and r.
e. Edzell. Practically all details and pre-
liminary arrangements have been COM
pleted for the work to be initiated and
anent the building of the dam Colonel
Cooper today authorized. the following
statement:
1T is true that I have been ordered
to Muscle Shoals to assume charge Of
the design and construction of dam No.
= and it's appurtenances on the Tonnes
see river at this point, under the direc-
ton of the chief of engineers of the
United States army al Washington, D. c.
Il have opened temporary offices in the
federal building at Florence, where our
headquarters VIII be until We have COM
pleted the necessary on the job offices.
which will be located and constructed at
Muscle Shoals as rapidly as possible.
"The beginning of Che construction
of work of this magnitude marks a
very important step in the futured evel-
opment of the Tennessee river. and if
the plans the war department have in
mind can be successfully carried out, the
completion of this undertaking will
have a very important bearing upon the
economic file of wide area in the
south.
THE construction of permanent work
of the character here required, at time
when labor and material are both very
high, means that the greatest economy
must be practiced throughout the job, IL
the completed work is to be of any bene-
fit to the public, and If il is to be a
credit instead of a disgrace to those
charged with the responsibility of its
design and construction.
Il have been very much comforted
by repeated assurances to the effect that
all of the people in the Tennessee val
Hey are fully alive to the unusual bur-
dens imposed by the war, affecting rapid
ty of construction, the character of the
work and the cost thereof These as
surances have been accompanied by
promises to help us in every way posi-
BILE to keep the cost of the work down
to the lowest possible minimum, in order
that the benefits to the people from the
operation of the plant may not only be
considerable, but be far-reachng In OK
tent. My instructions from Washing
ton are particularly emphatic on this
question of economy. and the word
economic will be in the foreground
from the beginning of this job until the
end of it.
"All of the delegations in Congress
interested in this particular development
are also very much alive to the neces-
sity Of careful economy in every depart
ment affecting this work. and il we all
remember this necessity for economy, and
practice it, have no doubt that the re-
suits will be satisfactory to all con-
cerned.
I'm view of the fact that around four
years time will be required to build dam
No. @ it is at once apparent that serv-
ice on this undertaking is not of a
temporary nature. and therefore because
the service will be of long duration. we
expect to secure the very best class Of
laborers, mechanics and superintendent
at prices considerably lower than those
now paid for the short-lived, temporary
Jobs that are now under construction in
this and neighborlng vicinities,
GOOD ROADS NECESSARY
"The lines of communication are all
ways first perfected in any undertake
ing, and my observation up to date leads
me to the belief that whereas the roads
between Sheffield and Florence and the
roa ds leading to both of these towns may
have been entirely adequate for former
needs. the large extra amount of traffic
that will be imposed by the construc-
tiol, OF our work will require very con-
siderable amount Of new road constitute
ton. and the design and construction of
the roads should be the very best that
can be provided for heavy, intensive traf-
hc. The appropriation for the dam con-
struction does not carry any item per-
hitting the government to even share
In the expenditures necessary for the
needed road facilities, but inasmuch as
the construction of the dam means
great deal Immediately to the communi-
ties Of Sheffield and Florence, I have
no doubt that when the authorities in
these two communities are made aware
Of our needs that they will be taken
care of quite promptly and very effec-
lively by the local authorities
.sCoincident with the road situation,
there is the need for telephone and tele-
graph facilities and extensive railway
facilities. but these are matters that the
public officials in this vicinity will not
be concerned with
PREPARATIONS EXTENSIVE
Asked as to how much time would
elapse before actual work of construc-
ton would begin. Colonel Cooper re-
piled:
This question is always foremost in
the minds Of the people when work Of
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