The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-09
WAR DEPARTMENT
 ID OPERATE BOATS
 ON WARRIOR RIVER
Money for Necessary Equip ment Provided, States Major WOod-Launch-
 ing Was Gala Event

General Manager Charles r. Wood ot the Port of Birmingham Corporation re- turned yesterday from Washington, where he had been the past two weeks looking after matters of interest to the Warrior river. He was much elated on his return over the favorable consideration given inland waterways, and particularly the Warrior river. by Congress. and states that practically everything asked for was granted.
 There was considerable anxiety among the friends of inland water transporta- tion when the Esch-C -Cummins bill went 10 the President without any specific appro- priation for the rivers, but interviews with members of the conference commit tee and other members of Congress, and with the officials in the war department, Major Wood, states, were reassuring and he came home with the full expectation of all the money necessary for operations and for requisite equipment being pro- vided.
 "At the war department I was told he stated that their instructions were to operate the boats and barges on. the rivers and that they intended doing SO, and that they knew the necessary money would be forthcoming"
 The cold weather has retarded work on the terminals at Bir,ringpoTt to some extent the past week. but aside from that
 everything is progressing satisfactorily.
 The launching of the City of Birming-
 ham. self-propelled steel boat for the
 Warrior river service. aas been postponed
 from March 12 to March 27. on account
 of river conditions at St. Louis making
 it inadvisable to attempt the launching on the earlier date.
 The City of Tuscaloosa V il be launched on the same day and this fact will make
 it really bigger event than if onlS
 one boat were to be launched at that time. Delegations of business men will
 go to St. Louis for the event from both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. and each
 city will name one of it's most popular young women to christen the boats. Miss Dorothy Wood, daughter of General Manager Charles r. Wood. has been ap-
 pointed sponsor for the City of Brming- ham.
 In a letter received ty Henry T. De Bardeleben. transportation manager or the Warrior river yesterday, the presl-
 dent of the St. Louis company making the self-propelled steel boats states that the date for the launching of the City of Birmingham has been set forward TO March 27a because that date will be more desirable in several ways. He suggests that the governor of Alabama, the may ors of Birmingham and Tuscaloosa ana
 their wives and as many citizens as pos l sibe go to St. Louis on that occasion 1 thereby making 1t great social as wei as a business event.
 President Faust of the company states | in his letter: This date (AIarch 27l would ] be desirable in many ways The weather conditions during the last of March would assure. a perfect day as also would the river conditions be better. All indications | point that we should have at least five more feet of water at that time. Botf I barges will then he in more presentaoif ] condition than if an earlier date were se' l ected.
 l Please hear in mind. however. the fact | that delaving the launching another weel will not interfere with the final delivers 1 of the boats. as the extra time that we will keep these boats on the ways will Dc more beneficial in view of the fact thai we can work more rapidly before launch 1 ing than after. In other words the fina delivery dates will not bc impaired by
 keeping them on the ways a week longer 1 "As mentioned in our previous letter we are desirous of making this an event | full occasion and l note with pleasure the distinguished gentlemen who will com prise the launching party. May we fur ther suggest that the wives of the gentle
 men accompany them on the trip It is more than likely that private entertain | ments in the way of formal dinner luncheon or reception may take place at ] one or more residences in our city. and we would like to see as many ladies as possible comprise the launching party. ! We presume you have asked the gov' ernor of Alabama and the mayor of Bi-- mingham to attend the launching, as it is
 our intention that both the governor of ] the state and the mayor of St. Louis be 1 included on our reception committee here"
 l He also requests that photographs of 1 the sponsors be sent in advance. as the newspapers of St. Louis have asked for
 them.