Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-15
BEING MADE
AT S SHOALS
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

ances to Muscle Shoals construc-
ton uses. Approximately $6,000,-
900 of these funds are left and it is
expected that this will suffice to car
ny on the work at the present rate
Of expenditure until next September.
By hat time congress will probably
have made further provision for the
project.
On July 10 last when the construc-
ton work was renewed the engineers
estimated that the Wilson Dam was
35 per cent completed, that 80 per
cent of the necessary materials had
been purchased and that 40 per cent
of the s of the whole job had been
laid out. This dam is the big fea-
ture OF the Muscle Shoals power
project and is expected to develop
100000 horsepower. There has Low
been expended on it $4,000, 900 out
of a total estimated cost of $45,O00,-
600, and before it is finished it will
be necessary for congress to provide
ton to the funds 10Y available.
There are two other dams in the
operation, but No. 1 will be for navi-
cation purposes only and win cost
only a million and a quarter. Dam
No. 3, IT miles up the Tennessee
from Wilson Dam, which is officially
No. 2, has not been started as yet.
1t is expected to devote 200, 1000
horsepower.
When Wilson Dam is finished it
will be n of the engineering WON
ders of the world. More concrete il
being poured in its construction than
was required in building the famous
Assuan Dam on the River Nile, and
100000 cubic yards of masonry
will be required as compared with
1,179,000 for Assuan. The work is
divided into sections and of ths
foundation sections Sc out Of SO are
done, While half of the remainder
will be finished this year. Three
blocks out of a total of 81 in the
spillway section are finished to the
river crest of ASS feet, and on the
large island in the middle of the
river which is crossed by the dam
10 blocks are completed to a height
of 460 feet.
The foundation level is at 404 feet
and the superstructures will rise 121
on the top of the completed dam
will be 525 feet.
"The Land Of IF,
The Muscle Shoals region might
well be called THE Land of If" at
this time. for the people there are
living in a haze in which everything
they a and plan is predicated on
the magic word of two letters that Is
pregnant Of all of hope and fear.
Their recovery from the slough of
despond into which they were plung-
ed a year ago and their future pros
perity, as they see it, all depend ON
"if" the great project Is completed,
but more essentially on "if' it Ia
turned over to Henry Ford and the
Detroit magician is given an oppor-
tunity to demonstrate the wonders
he can perform.
Naturally the spirit of speculation
is rampant and land values are soar
ing. Florence, the small town near
the base of the Wilson Dam, IS re-
garded by its people as a potential
metropolis of anywhere from 100,-
900 to 100000 Inhabitants. BUSH
ness property ia being sold or being
held at from 500 to $1,000 a front
foot and subdivisions are being plot
times the acreage values of a few
years ago. The same story may be
told of Sheffield and Tuscumbia.
The spirit Of the Muscle Shoals
people is unquestionably for Ford,
according to a recent report from
there. "They base their real hopes
Of wealth on Henry Ford, whom they
regard as the Midas Of Industry. the
man whose touch means gold. They
believe that If his offer for Muscle
Shoals Is accepted money will flow
into their Golfers with the speed Of
water rushing through the sluice-
ways Of the colossal dam.
"They have tables made out show
ing the thousands Ford will bring for
this and will come for that, ct cetera.
Maybe that's why Henry Ford's pic
ture has replaced that of Rodelph
Valentino and General Pershing in
the hotels and barbershops there
abouts. If he doesn't get 1t there
will be many disappointed brides and
grooms and many pickaninnies nam
ed in vain"
This was said by way of comment
on the statement that the enthusiasts
down there are making all their
plans and dates contingent upon if or
when Ford shall become the arbiter
| of their destinies. It is even report
ed that one man who was suffering
from . bad appendix had promised
himself ana HIS family that he would
| 50 to . hospital and have his opera