The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-11-04

time 1t seemed as Il the great dam
were asleep.
But now an awakening has come
in these early days OF October and
at the hands Of the same men, the
army engineers. Their picture
now is one OF peace. w., ABOUT 1 /.
200 men actually at work on the
dam today, soon 1000 to be
swarming over the works, aud the
call going out for a small group Of
able assistant civilian engineers.
The music OF tho noisy rock
crushers, the toot-toot OF the To-
comot.ves hauling sand and gravel
and tho pleasant control.bels Of
the boats towing barges In the
river, are making harmony Of
peace time efficiency. under which
the army dam builders expect to
carry out their program Of q fin.
ished Job not later than the Spring
of 1926 with hardly ever more men
at work at one time than 1000 to
do the work which 900 at a tins
were required to do under war time
conditions.
Bright Future Seen
Sheffield, Tuscombia, and Flor
ence had large populations for
cities like these, during the war.
Shelf. cid alone had 10000 resi-
dents while the nitrate plants
were being built. Men slept In
tents In the city streets and were
glad OF any sort OF chance TO
rest. Today, Sheffield is presumed
to have a population OF about
$4,000. During the war Florence
housed $4,000 people. Tor. this
city houses about $4,000. 'Iuscuni-
bia has been reduced accordingly
in size. In war days the , overp-
ment had a payroll of 55,,.0 men
housed in and around those three
ties. But, here, today, there is
no great influx Of people because
of the building OF the dam. no:
will there be on account, OF that
construction WORK.
The men at work today are be.
ing paid at the base rate OF 50. so
Der day but as this Is govern
ment payroll, Congress has grant
ed a bonus TO government work
ers. they actually receive 50. 20 per
man per day average. This means
an expenditure OF about $4,000
per day for labor. But cement.
lumber, coal, reinforcing steel and
other materials arc being U.rchas.
cd. eating into the appropr. atoms.
All the big machinery for the
electrical power installation was
bought long ago. This big nachin.
cry, technically described as four
units, each consisting Of 10000
horsepower turbines. .capNOle Of
generating all together 10000
horsepower. is on the ground,
ready to be Installed. So far as
construction machinery is concern
ed there is equipment OF that
character on the dam works which
has been lnventoried at $4,000, 000,
and therefore nothing in that limo
with the one exception OF a town
boat has been needed, and that
has just been bought.
No Let-Up In Winter
The work will so on all through
the winter, under the program.
because there usually is no Ice
worth speaking Of In ttN Tenn
essee. In 1917 anud 1918 there was
something In the nature OF an lea
jam at Muscle Shoals, but as a
rule the winters are open. Aside
from weather questions however
the dam builders are finding q
problem in the supply OF concrete
aggregate. TO use a technical term,
consisting Of sand and gravel.
This is obtained by dredging In tins
river, nine miles below Florence
1t must be placed on barges and
towed UP 10 the dock at Florencs
During low water the channel ID
not deep enough to permit Of
bringing up filled barges.