The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-11-12

ny the Associated Press.
FLORENCE, Ala, Nov. II The
roar Of construction work on the
great Wilson dam at Muscle Shoais
Is again sounding through tho val
lsys ana over the hills along tho
Tennessee river. The federal govern
ment has stepped IN 10 rescue from
possible decay the spectacular war
time nitrate and power projects.
which Bprnug up almost overnight,
involved I'm the building " what will
be tho worlds largest wator power
dam.
United Statcs army engineers.
who have Just been furnished with
fs.i00.OOO In congressional hppro-
prlationA, are once more proceeding
with the work Of harnessiug the
mighty waters Of tho Tennessee un-
der government program which
provides FOR the completion uf the
Wilson dam. the installation OF ma -
chinery and the Finishing ~ cleo
tricai Juice" by tho late winter Of
1895 or the early spring ~ 1925,
This program ~ so definite that
the army apprOpr hlll 20 be In
troduccd IN congress December 4 g.
10 contain an itom making available
s7,6O0.O0O, additional for the work
for tho fiscal year 1924. They
will require. but f7 100000. moro
after that Tor the following fiscal
year. before they have n finished Job
nj the dam and power house. and be
ready 10 turn tho switches that send
out the electrical current.
The army engineer dam builders
do not veI themselves with tho ques-
tion of what II to become OF the cleo
tricai energy 10 be harnessed from
tho waters of the Tennessee, some
times swollen. angry and turbid. 10
the army engineer dam builder II
makes no difference whether nltrntcs
are made here: whether fertilizer In
made here; whether tho Tennessee
river is to move the street cars in
distant New OrleGr-. whether II
drains the swnmps OF Florida with
cheap power. Ile docs not concern
himself with the question of whether
woman with m up-to-date electric
hair-curlinE iron In Mobile IL 10
benefit, nor whether tho farmer In
Missiesippi. Tennessee and Alabama
In 10 light his premises. pump his
water, or drive his machinery with
the electrical energy which IN TO
come from the Harvesting of the
waters now 70 be brought under the
guiding hand OF man. Questions such
Aa whether Chattanooga, Memphis,
Pensacola, or other communities are
20 use tho electrical energy from tho
Tennessee finally for cheap power
for manufacturing purposes are
questions which give the army -ngi-
neer dam builder no concern what
ever.
All these army dam builders have
known or cared is that they have
beon halted IN their work since April
Is. 1921, by lack Of money, when
the dam was ono-third completed,
st which tinio the air began TO he
filled with the roar, not OF dam
building, but Of who should finally
use the dam.
The armistico had come. Approprl-
etlons had drihbled for n while. then
completely stopped. Armed sentrles
faded from the picture OF the great
work. The dam builders were obliged
TO turn their backs on their war
time picture OF furnishing nitrate for
explosives for the army I'm France
by meanstor the water power of the
Tennessee, which had called into be-
ing tho plans for the dam. For a
time II seemed as if the great dam
were asleep.
But now an awakening has come
In these early DAYS OF October, ana
mt the hands OF the same men. the
army engineers. Tha!- picture nov
rs one of peace. with about 1900
men actually at work on the dam to-
day. soon 1000 TO be Hwarming over
the works, and tho call going out for
small group OF ahlo assistant
civilian engineers,
The music of tho noisy rock
crushers, the toot-toot OF the loco
motives hnultnR sand and gravel,
and the pleasant controlebclls OF the
boats towing bnrges in tho river, are
making n harmony OF peacs-time ef-
ficiency. under which the army dam
builders expect 20 carry out their
program OF finished Job not later
than the spring OF 1925 with hardly
than 1000 10 do the work which
1000 at "A time we're required 10 do
under wartime conditions.
Sheffield. Tuscumbia and Florence
had large populations for cities like
these. during tho war. Sheffield alone
had 100000 residents while tho nitrate
plants were being built. Men slept
in tents In the city streets and were
glad Of any eort OF a chance 10 rest
Today, Sheffield is presumed 10
have population of about 5000.
During the war, Florence housed
2b. 900 people. Today this city houses
about $4,000. Tuscumbia has been
reduced accordingly In size. In war
days the government had a pay roll
OF 1000 mon housed In and around
these three cities Hut, here. today.
there is no great influx OF people be-
cause OF the building OF tho dam, nor
Will there he on account OF that con-
struCtion work,