The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-12-06
MUSCLE SHOALS
READY FOR 1925
Work on Project Is Resumed as
Word Is Given U. S. Engi-
neerS to Finish Job.
81, 100000 MORE IS NEEDED
Gigantic Dam and Other Sections Of
Construction to Furnish Work for
2,O0O-Ali the Big Machin-
cry Has Been Bought.

|
struction work on the great Wilson
dam at Muscle Shoals is again sound
| ing through the valleys and over the
hills along the Tennessee river. The
| government has stepped in to rescue
| from possible decay the huge war
| time nitrate and power projects in
volved in the building of what will be
the worlds largest waterpOwer dam
United States army engineers, just
furnished with $8,1OO,OOO in congress
sional appropriations, are once more
proceeding with the work Of harness
ing the mighty waters Of the Tennes-
see under government program
which provides for the completion OF
the Wilson dam, the installation of
power generating machinery and the
distribution of electrical Juice" by
late 1925 or early 1925.
The army appropriation bill to be
introduced in congress December Is
to ask $75OO,OOO additional for the
work of the fiscal year 1923-1924. 1t
will require but $7,40O,00O more after
that before a finished Job at the dam
and power house will make it possible
to send out the electrical current.
Tho Engineers Task.
The army engineers do not vex
themselves with the question Of what
is to become of the electrical energy
to be taken from the waters of the
river 1t makes no difference to them
whether nitrates or fertilizer is made
there, whether the power Is to move
the street cars in distant New Orleans,
drain the swamps Of Florida, run an
up-to-date electric hair-curling iron
for a girl in Mobile, or whether the
farmer in Mississippi, Tennessee or
Alabama is to light his house and
barns, pump his water, or drive his
machinery with the electrical energy
to come from the harnessed waters.
Whether Chattanooga, Memphis, Pen
sacola, or other communities are to
use the electrical energy for cheaper
power for manufacturing. gives the
army engineer dam builder no con-
Germ.
His concern is that the work has
been halted since April Is, 1921. by
lack of money. The dam was one-third
completed then and the air began to
be filed with the roar, not of the
dam building but of who should final
ly use the dam.
The dam was projected in war time
to furnish nitrate for explosives for
the army.
Now, with the construction resumed
about 1900 men are at work on the
dam. Soon 1000 will be at work and
the call Is going out for small group
of able civilian engineers to assist.
In war days the government had a
payroll of $1,000 men on the dam
project The men at work today are
being paid at the base rate of $3.50 a |
day. but, as this is a government pay
roll, and congress has granted bonus
to government workers, they actually |
receive about $500 a day
Machinery Bought
All the big machinery for the power |
installations was bought long ago. 1t !
consists of four unit, 10000 horse |
power turbines. capable of generating
/ total Of 10000 horsepower. 1t is I
N the ground, ready to be installed !
equipment on the dam 7
works has already been tnventoried at I
e, 100000.
Col. w. J. Barden. Corps of Engi- /
leers, U. S. A., is in charge of the-dam
He has retained during
he idle period small nucleus Of the
civilian engineering force and is now
searching for few more high class
Engineers but is unable to locate them,
because the government does
lot pay very high salaries.
The work will go on all winter, be-
ause there usually is no ice in the
tennessee. In 1917 and 1918 there
vas something in the nature OF an
at Muscle Shoals. but as a
ule the winters are open,
The dam builders expect to finish |
he foundation work In the north
hannel by January I. They expect
0 finish the foundation In the south
hannel by January l, 1924. They | !
am and create the ''poop by January
1925
This "pool," as the engineers de-
crfbe 1t, Will In reality be lake !
lghteen miles long, formed by the !
alter backed up by the dam. The |
pool ready, the electrical machinery
Ill be installed and then the e1ectri-
II current Will be ready. II
The construction plant. cofferdams
nd temporary structures were de
at the rate Of 100000 q
ear when congress voted the new
Inds.