Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-10

plunges steeply through series OF
the deepest gorges on earth, of which the
Grand canon is the most famous. It's name
means simply Red river, and red it is, in
the popular sense of the term, for it has never
submitted to American civilization and 1t fire.
quently rises in it's wrath and upsets what lit
tie civilization there is along its banks.
incidentally about one million horse power
annually goes to waste in the activities Of this
untamed stream, and hundreds of thousands
of acres either side of it are blistering
desert-one of the greatest wildernesses left
in America-that might be irrigated and
transformed into fertile farms by this same
| river.
The suggestion is made that, having de-
ported all the alleged European reds, the
great American government now turn its at
tention to this native red. The suggestion
emanates, not in exactly those terms, from
the former secretary of the interior, Franklin
X. Lane, and it is Endorsed emphatically by
engineers who have studied the problem OF
damming the Red river.
The country, we are told, is suffering from
overproduction and unemployment, while it's
great need is for good farm lands that men
can get at reasonable prices. Here is
chance to put some of the unemployed to
work, help the mills of business make new
start, create thousands of farms and millions
| of horse power in electrical energy.
! Yesterdays Haskin letter explained Secre-
| tary Lanes plan for doing reclamation work
! the specific case of the Colorado river, and
sets forth exactly what might be done with
! it, in the opinion of Mr.. William Mulholland
: chief engineer of the water department of
! Los Angeles, who is a well-known authority
on such problems, and who made a special
study of the Colorado river.
Dangerous River
According to all the stories told, this Colo
RADIO river is about the most temperamental
stream in existence. By government agree
ment and universal consent it is not navi-
gable stream and it's waters may, therefore,
be impounded and made available for both
irrigation and power.
There is an added reason in the fact that
| the Colorado river occasionally runs wild and
tears up things generally, having been the
direct cause of many great losses in the past,
| especially in it's lower reaches. The proposed
controls will make this damage Impossible
| in the future
| At the two largest proposed dam sites,
which Mr.. Mulholland has inspected, the
side walls are already there in towering cliffs
many hundred feet high 1t is necessary,
therefore, to build only the cross or gate
dam, and this again is made easier by the
| material being practically all on the site.
| Mr.. Mulholland figures that he could put
! in the two largest dams with complete hydro
electric machinery, for the conversion of all
| available power, with canals and distributing
bitches for the irrigated lands for $30,000,-
| 900, and that these two sites alone would
produce over 900 electric horse power, as
we'll as enough available water to irrigate
over 600, 900 acres Leaving out of the CAL
| culation entirely the immense value of the
water for irrigation, placing the cost solely
on the power produced, this figures at $50
per horse power. Ask any user of power what
| this means in value. Figuring generously for
| interest, sinking fund.- labor and replacement
| the annual cost per horse power is SO small
that a market for it is assured at once, or
certainly for all of it within five years.
Power for Railroads
| The railroads would like this cheap power
| To the mining enterprises scattered through
these states this power will enable a profit
where there is now doubt To the munich
| palities and the small towns and their citi-
zens it means cheap light, heat and power.
And for the country as whole there will
be vast economic saving. According to
Mr.. Mulholland's hasty figures, in reply to
a question, 100000 horse power expressed
| in fuel terms, taking power value on the
basis Of two pounds of coal per horse power
hour amounts to the same as the consump-
| ton of 900 tons of coal per hour under
| the very best practice. This means that the
Colorado river, when harnessed and put to
work. will save the nation $4,000 tons Of
coal per day.
Mr.. Mulhol1and has figured three large
and several small dams and power sites at
| the various best points along the river and
| this natural advantage, skillfully developed,
Will enaDle the pest ulstrlouClon U! WAGER
and the power also. He figures that the
| whole work could be finished and put in
operation within four years.
| To sum it up, the American people can
take desert and make it one, of the most
| productive sections of the country and a
sure crop section. It will give homes and
farms to, say, $1,000 to 100000 American
| citizens and their families. 1t will take
some Of the burdens from the railroads by
selling them power at a much lower cost
than they can make it. 1t will stop all
floods in this section, some of which have
cost millions. 1t will enable this desolate
region to produce millions every year in di-
rect taxes and indirect taxes from it's trade
and commerce.
1t will cost the American people nothing
to do all this except to stand behind it, after
all the assets are pledged, and to give the
| bond isues the same status as the farm loan
| bonds now have.