Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-16
FOR
MUSCLE SHOALS
RECOMMENDED
Major General Beach Pre-.
sents Estimate in His
Report.

Washingtons Dec. 16.-Seven and
one-half millions OF dollars "can be
probably expended" in new work on
the Muscle Shoals, Alabama, nitrate
and w~aterpower project during the
fiscal year Of 1928. Major General
Beach. chief of army engineers. says
in his, report today to the secretary OF
war. Work on the project was shut
down last April as a result OF the re-
fusal of congress to appropriate fur
Their funds for it and the government
now is negotiating for the sale and
lease Of the plant to Henry Ford.
A financial summary prepared by
General Beach shows that TO date a
net total of S~15,27S.S2S has been ex-
pended on the project, which, the gem
eral says, is about one-third complet-
ed, the percentages of completion for
the various units being: Wilson Dam
As per cent; powerhouse il per cent,
and locks 10 per cent. The sum ex-
pended in the fiscal year ended last
June 30 was $~7.S4o,7S1, the principal
items listed by General Beach being:
Dam construction. $3,1OS. 800: pow
erhouse construction. SLOT, 900;
i~A . M - ouuSs Ills uCllou,
maintenance and operation $495, 500;
general plant. purchase. construction,
operation and maintenance, 1851
200; camp construction, maintenance
and operation. $72S,500; general ex-
penses including flood losses. labor re-
cruiting n office expenses. $731,300
n lock construction S143, SOC.
Balance Available.
On last July /. the balance avail
able out Of funds appropriated was
s398,921 and General Beach says this
will be expended by next August as
the expenses of guarding and main
tanning the property average $4,000 =
month
Should additional funds be provid-
ed" General Beach, says. THE work
to be done would be-: Construction of
Cofferdam No. 2 and work therein:
continuation of excavation for lock;
continuation of concrete work in dam
and continuation of excavation and
concrete construction for powerhouse.
The amounts expended for each would
depend upon the date and amount of
penditure should be approximately
$625.000 per month"
Discussing the present state Of the
work, Genera Beach says:
IAN preparatory work in the nature
of camps, roads, railroads, plants,
shops, ETC., is completed. Earth ex-
tavation for the lock is 80 per cent
completed and rock excavation 1s per
cent. About Sc per sent Of the exca-
walton and foundations tor the dam
are completed and about IS per cen,
of the concrete placed. About As per
cent of the excavation for. the power
house section is completed and ap-
proximately 4.6 per cent of the con-
crete placed.
Following suspension Of construc-
tion, property has been collected and
stored. rented floating property . re.
turned and construction equipment
placed In condition for indefinite stor-
g or lay-up. The navigation of the
river is completely blocked by the
work in its present condition"
Describing the project in some de-
tail. General Beach says:
The existing project provides for
the construction of two locks, a dam,
and a powerhouse, 81 miles above the
railroad bridge at Florence, Ala, Sc
curing a least depth Of 9 IL feet at
extreme low water for a distance OF
14.7 miles. n for the generation of
electric power for the production OF
pitrates or other products needed for
munitions of war. and useful in the
manufacture OF fertilizers and other
useful products. The length of the
entire section is 1856 miles, it's lower
end being 1858 miles above the mouth
or the Tennessee river"