The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-20
Mitchell Dam Dedicated
and First Cement Poured
Into SIS, 900, 600 Structure
Five Hundred Representative Citizens From All Sec
tons of Alabama Attend Exercises and Realize
Magnitude of Great Enterprse-Young
Mitchell Puts Work in Motion

Five hundred representative citi-
zens of Alabama from Muscle Shoals
on the north to Montgomery on the
south on yesterday witnessed the
pouring of first cement in the Mitch
ell dam, on the Coosa near Verbena,
and glimpsed the magnitude Of this
100000 job.
The occasion was the dedication of
the dam to the memory of the late
James Mitchell, president OF the Ala
bama company from beginning to his
death last year. His vision, his
faith in Alabama and his ability TO
bring capital to exploit the develop
ment of Alabama's Selectrtc
power are responsible for the pow
dam at Lock i, The dam being built
and the 1000 miles of transmission
wire that carry the current to more
than 60 cities in Alabama and, when
emery encies arise, supply industries
of states 500 miles distant.
a fitting feature of the exercises
was the presence of young Malcolm
Mitchell, son of the late Mr.. Mitch
ell, a student at Cornell university,
who came south TO be at hand at his
fathers in memoriam. and pulled the
lever that sent the first cement into
tho cofferdam.
The visitors left Birmingham and
Montgomery in special trains at $50
and $50, respectively, yesterday
morning and were taken from Coop
er's station to the dam site and work.
ing village by engine over the eight
mile railroad of the Alabama Power
company.
DR.. II. M. Edmonds, pastor OF the
Independent Presbyterian church,
L. i
with a note of thanks to the Creator
for having given Alabama her won
derful natural resources and coura-
geous men the grit to develop them.
He asked the Almighty to guide the
president and officers of the company
in the performance of their duty as
servants of the people,
MIR. Martins Address
Thomas w. Martin, president of the
company, paid q glowing tribute to
the memory of the late Mr.. Mitchell,
in the course of which he declared
that the early work of the company
was financed ION Mr.. Mitchells per-
sonal statements and guarantees"
Mitchell dam, he said, is dedicated to
the public service and benefit. The
Alabama Power company and It's Of
fieers are Just as human in their de-
sire to serve the public as the Off
GERS chosen by tine people are.
The speaker dwelt with emphasis
on the far-reaehing benefit of tho
water power development in Ala
bama, which, through connecting
lines, is now able to help out sistor
states in times of emergency.
As to Coal
Speaking of coal, MIR. Martin said:
There no longer exists, 1 am happy
tn n "a
enterprise because it displaces some
coal, but it is everywhere recognized
that our limited coal supply should
be conserved by the use of hydro
power wherever obtainable."
1t might be mentioned in this con-
nection that 5S Alabama coal mines
use electric current supplied by the
Alabama Power company as an econ
omy over burning their own coal to
operate their mining machinery.
In the course of his remarks, Mr..
Martin quoted this expression of the
late Mr.. Mitchell:
MIR. MitcheIrs Statement
I'VE gather the streams from waste
and to draw from them energy, la
Dor without brains, and so to save
mankind from toll that 1t can be
spared, is to supply what, next to
intellect, is the very foundation of
all our achievements and all our
welfare"
NaviGable CoosR
In the absence of Governor Kilby,
who expressed his desire to be pres
emit but his inability to attend
through the speaker. Attorney GEN
eral Harwell G. Davis made a short
talk In which he expressed pleasure
as an official of the state to be pres
ent at q ceremony connected with
the development of the resources of
his state. He referred to the vision
of Mr.. Mitchell in sensing the meas
ure of the water powers of Alabama
and to his stoutness of heart in put
ting over the enterprise In spite Of
many difficulties.
He forecasted the time when, with
the completion of Mitchell and the
other dams to be built, the Coosa
would be navigable from Rome. Ga,
to the gulf and carry Alabama prod
ucts over all the seas.
Relations to Public
A. g. Patterson, president of the
Alabama public service commission,
said monarchs of Egypt had huilt