The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-28

ildu' IleQ up at the wharf. The Birmingham. proneuneed by government engineers and ship build CTS as the most perfect river craft ever devised, proved herself possessed of all the good qualities which her advocates had predicted
 From St. Louis, where the boat was built, it steamed its way down the trencherous Mississippi to New Orleans, thence across 8 sec tion of the Gulf of Mexico in stormy weather to Mobile, and then up the Warrior at the lowest stage in its history to port in the Bir- mtngham district. The Birmingham performed admir- ably, declared MT DeBardeleben when the long voyage had been competed. It more than surpassed all the expec- tations we had of her ability to f1avi- gate under adverse circumstances. l This is the finest type of river craft which has ever been devised, and l am certain Chat the problem of securing | the right kind of boat for service such l as We have on the Warrior and through the gulf to New Orleans has now been solved. SEA-GOING
 Although this boat was not de- signed for ocean traffic, 1t made a re- markable trip through the gulf under severe storm conditions and continued until Mobile was reached without any assistance. But probably even more remarkable was her trip up the War rior. The river is lower than it has l been in five years. Not a drop of ! water poured over the dam at Lock IT yesterday, the water used to operate the locks consuming the entire flow of the river. And yet this boat, the largest which ever came to Brming ham, made the trip without the slight l est mishap.
 success and it means more to Bir- mingham and Alabama than is realized | at this time"
 MAIDEN VOYAGE | On the maiden voyage of the big boat up the Warrior number of Bir- mingham men accompanied MT. DeBar- 1 deleben, among them being Paul H Earle, W. D. Nesbitt. B. H. Hartsfield J. W. Lewis, I. N. Hanson, Charles H Harold, Leon w. Friedman and Leon C. Bradley. Leaving Tuscaloosa Friday morning at o'clock from the wharf at 1 Riverview, arriving at Lcck IT shortly Y o'clock yesterday morning.
 The boat, while capable of making
 much faster time, was delayed by un- | loading cargoes, waiting on other craft
 to pass through the locks and made
 slow time in the shallow parts ant around the sharp bends, due to the lov
 stage of the river.
 The Birmingham is declared to be 2 decided improvement in every way 0vAr f,u ofhar W Whtnh piled the Warrior or the other inlant waterways of the United States. Tn,
 boat is 2S0' feet long, 50 feet wide, ha. a carrying capacity in a six-foot draf
 of 1.500 tons. and in eight feet of 2.25t tons.
 FINE CAPACITY
 It is better equipped to handle pack age freight and freight which canno be exposed to the weather than any
 barge yet used on the river. It is alst
 suited to handle large cargoes of coal iron, steel and other heavy freight
 Loading and unloading can be accom- plished with the greatest possible speed and without danger of damage tt
 the most perishable goods.
 The trip up the Warrior Frida, proved revelation to the Birmingham men who availed themselves of MT. De Bardelebens invitation to be his guest!
 on the initial voyage of the big harg, in Alabama waters The Birmingham
 was boarded early Friday morning a Riverside above Lock 12, near Tusca loosa. Due to the necessity of un
 loading considerable volume O l freight at the docks at this point, thu departure for Birmingham, which wal
 scheduled to begin at daybreak, wal not made until 9 o'clock
 Big cfowds of prominent people from l Tuscaloosa viewed the boat before it! departure and all were enthusiastic
 except some who were skeptical abou
 such a large craft getting through tht | locks and making the sharp bends witt
 the water at such low mark.
 At every lock on the trip up tho l river and at every town and mining l camp, crowds came down to the rivei
 bank to view the barge. Lock official: were greatly relieved to find that tn, big boat. which lacks only two feet ol being as long as the locks and only fiv
 feet of being as wide, could enter tn lifts without the slightest trouble, de lspite the stiffness of the new machin Ier wand the low stage of the river
 AT LOCK IF
 IL was late in the afternoon when tn. boat passed through Lock IT, and jus at 1 o'clock yesterday morning Cordo. Va was sighted Within 10 minutes tho
 barge had docked and the party of Bir, mingham men discmbarked to return
 to their homes. A delay of one hour
 was occasioned at Payne's Bend, where MT. DeBardeleben superintsnded the raising of coal barge which had beer sunk in the river some days ago. Due to the fog and the low stage oi the river, slow time was made around the sharp bends of the river in order
 to take no chances of the big boat get ting aground.
 From the standpoint of the party ol | Birmingham men who made the trip the occasion was an ideal one. The scenery along the river from Tusca. loosa to Birmingham rangs among the