The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-08-26
Great Industrial Future
For Sheffield Is Assured
By Present Developments
BY II. FoNTAINE LITTLE

Sheffield, August 25.-(Special. accord
ing to government report sent out from
Washington few d"ys since, the
Southern states, especially Alabama. are
utilizing water power to a greater extent
than the country as whole in the pro-
duction of electric power by utilities pow
er plants The report was considered
especially significant, inasmuch as
greater water power development III Ala
bama is now in progress on the Tennes-
see river at point near Sheffield, where
the government is building the Wilson
dam, and which. when completed, will
harness the wasting power of the Muscle
Shoals falls. The installation of the
large power plant here will give Alabama
additional claim to the rank of first place
in hydro electric power development in
the United States.
But water power development is not
taking place solely in Alabama or else
where in the United States In Canada,
just at this time hydro electric power de-
velopment of the first magnitude is in
progress. and the claim is made that the
largest power plant of the kind in the
world is in the course of construction
there. Data pertaining to these Canadian
developments have been received by
Sheffield newspaper man, containing in
teresting details, when compared with
the development that is takink place at
Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee river
at Sheffield. The following is quoted as
giving some idea of the Canadian pro-
jects:
"At Little Du Bonnet Falls, on winni-
peg river, northeast of the city of Winni-
peg, the Winnipeg River Power COM
pany has begun work on what will be the
largest hydro-electric power plant in the
world. 1t will cost 5000, 900 and will de-
velop 1000 continuous 24-hour horse
power, which engineers declare is enough
to drive the wheels of all the Industrial
machinery now operated in Canada.
1.-THE gigantic undertakings will give
Winnipeg cheaper water power in great
er quantity than any other city in Amer
lea. 1t is expected to bring in millions
of dollars in outside capital and prove
a wonderful stimulus in the building Of
mills and factories. With it's railroad
transportation facilities. it's unlimited
market for manufactured goods in the
rapidly developing prairie provinces and
an abundance of cheap power, the city
of Winnipeg. it is predicted, will become
in the next decade one of the greatest
manufacturing centers on the continent.
"The first step in the stupendous pro-
ject will be the building of a dam OF
e.1lid concrete, 1000 feet in length and of
maximum height of 70 feet, across Win
nreg river at Little Du Bonnet Falls.
The dam will create reservoir from 80
to 20 feet in depth, extending several
miles up the river to the Second McAr-
thur Falls. and by raising the rivers
level will drawn|out Irand DuBonnet
Falls, where the river drops 35 feet in
four plunges."
AS will readily be noted, the Canadian
DEVELOPMENT. great as 1t admittedly is,
falls short of equal comparison with that
at Muscle Shoals, as the following data
will individually show:
The Wilson dam across the Muscle
Shoals falls will be actually 43S5 feet
in length more than twice the length of
the Winnipeg dam. The spilway of the
Wilson dam will be 5000 feet in length. II
will be of mass concrete construction
with maximum height of IS feet. and
the reservoir will have average depth
of 100 feet. From Decatur to the Muscle
Shoals Falls, distance of Is miles, there