New-York tribune., 1921-12-18


brought the corollary necessity for a
huge electrical Development So the
government gave orders to go ahead
with the construction of the Muscle
Shoals dams and began to build nitrate
plants.
Two nitrate plants were included in
the original plans, the larger to be
built along lines which had already
proved successful in Germany and
Sweden, as we'll as at Niagara Falls.
The smaller plant, which cost about
S3,0OO,OO0, was termed an "experimen-
tai factory for the production of
nitrogen compounds by the synthetic
ammonia process. If this 'experimen-
tai factory" proved successful it would
make nitrates far simpler and more
economically than the cyanamid
process to be followed in plant No 1.
The construction of these two plants
proceeded apace, as did that of the
Wilson dam. The factories were up
in short time. however, while the
dam made slow progress, being much
more difficult engineering feat, in fact,
the largest in volume of construction
material of any single project in the
United States. A large steam electric
plant was accordingly built, to give
current for the nitrate production
while the dam was being finished.
There were many complexities and
difficulties about the two nitrate plants.
which we may as we'll pass for the
moment and turn to the matter of the
Wilson dam
Electrical Power Exceeds
That of Plants of Five States
A few of the proportions of the dam
as it will be when Cor if finished
may aid in giving an idea of the i'm
mensity of the undertaking. From the
river bed to the top driveway over
the dam would be 1873 feet. and the
structure would be 4,60O feet long.
The "powerhead" of water impounded
Aby the dam would be 95 feet, which
would pass through generators with 2
capacity of 100000 electrical horse
power.
This figure of 100000 horsepower
represents more electrical energy than
Is now generated by the combined
hydro-electric plants of Alabama.
Georgia, South Carolina, North Caro-
lima and Tennessee!
The early months of the war were
occupied in gathering a plant, building
environments, securing foundations and
other necessary preliminaries. An
ample appropriation for the i.rst phase
of construction had been made by Con-
gress. Armistice Day found only about
5 per cent of the actual work of the
structure completed, but no lct-up
came in the building until May / 1921
when the first appropriation was cx-
hausted. The 9th Congress had re-
fused to vote another cent, SO work
stopped.
At this time about SIS per cent of the
actual construction had been finished
In reality, however. much larger per-
centage of the total cost was repre-
sented, as all the immense plant had
been bought, assembled and put into
operation. The remaining work would
represent much smaller ratio of cost,
army engineers declare, because Of this
fact.
To-day Wilson Dam (named after
Woodrow Wilson, stands out above
the river, bare, gaunt, unfinished, a
useless mass of concrete in the river,
an impediment to navigation, serving
no worth while purpose. The torrents
of waters rushing between its piers
will in a few years, if it is not CON
tinued, cut under the apron of the
foundation and make the entire struc-
ture worthless.
The writer accompanied Henry Ford.
Thomas A. Edison and Edsel Ford on
their recent inspection of the Wilson
Dam, l had gone to Florence to
"cover" the Ford Edison inspection for
The Tribune and by lucky chance was
enabled to accompany the party on it's
tour of the dam.
Florence Population Out
En- Masse to Greet Ford
When the Ford car arrived at Flor
ence it seemed that every man, woman,
child and Ford automobile in Florence
was packed and massed in front of the
station to greet the man in whom all
had such high hopes. With the incom-
ing Of the two-ear train mighty shout
went up. A delegation of Nashville
people. headed by Governor Alf Taylor,
Tennessee's eighty y-two-year-old execu-
tive. who wields fiddle as we'll as a
pen, dismounted.
But Mr.. Ford, Mr.. Edison and the 9TH
ers merely wave from their car windows
to the crowd In few minutes the
engine blew and the train started on.
clambered on the platform of the
other car, an l.. & N. special which
had brought down the Nashville delega-
tion. and went ahead. 1t did not go all
the way to Sheffield, but made use OF
"Yv track to turn about and return 10
Eic~errA Dispruntled at my lack 0t