The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-13
WARRIOR RIVER. CARRIES COUNTIES WEALTH THABROAD
Is Great Contributing Factor In Tuscaloosa's
 Growth

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 The Warrior river, which, with the Tombigbee; constitutes the longest canalized waterway in the world, is one of the tremendous factors contributing to Tuscaloosa's growth as a manufac. turing and shipping center. Only lack of sufficient floating equipment, it is admitted by transportation experts has prevented the fullest development of this artery of commerce since it was opened, with the completion of Lock IT, in 1915. Sufficient barges approv- ed by the government soon will be de- livered for service, however, and other improvements and arrangements ef- fected in the Mississippi Warrior serv- ice are expected to be stimulating.
 The gross tonnage on the Warrior, both upstream and downstream, showed a material increase last year, despite the deficiency in equipment. A more equitable division of rail-water earn ings was agreed upon between the Mis- sissippi-W system and the South ern railway, favorable joint river and rail rates were secured, and other pro- lAJdUiC tCoultc WCLC dttdAhSNs
 Construction of the lock system on the Warrior-T -Tombigbee rivers was be- gun by the government in 1858, al though the agitation for improvement of the waterway and opening it to year-round navigation dates back some 60 years. The route was open to navi. gation for six or eight months of the year between Mobile and Tuscaloosa, SC the first locks to be constructed by the government were the three at Tusca loosa, known originally as Locks l, 2 and 3, but now designated as Locks 10, Il and 12 This work was com pleted in 1S95-1S96. Congress did not immediately make the appropriation for the completion of the entire War rior-Tombigbee system of 17 locks, but made the funds available as they were needed.
 History Of Locks
 Lock 1, on the Tombigbee, III miles above Mobile, was opened to naviga tion in 1908, though not entirely com pleted until the following year. This lock is typical of most of those in tht system, being of standard size, 2Ss feet long in the lock chamber, g feet wide, and having 612 feet of water over the lower miter sill at low water, and a lift of Il feet.
 Lock 2, which is 72 miles above LOcl i, was not completed and opened tC navigation until 1914, Lock 8, g miles north, being completed about the same time. These two locks gave Tusca loosa an open river to the gulf thu year round. Lock 4, which is located at Demopolis, 25 miles above Lock 3 and 231 miles above Mobile, was com pleted in 1908. The remaining units of the system, Locks to 15, were com pleted during the period from 1902 tC 1910. All of the locks are built o concrete except 10, Il, 12 and 13 which are of masonry. The lift of eacl lock in the series from 2 to is 1( feet, the three succeeding units givini a combined lift of % feet. Above Loci s12 there is a gradual increase in thu lift of each lock, and at Lock IT, 3SS miles above Mobile, two units and { single dam give a combined lift of 6; feet.
 This impressive engineering produc tion does not compare unfavOrably witl the great Gatum locks in the Panami Canal, where the combined lift of threu units is only S5 feet.
 The Warrior -Tombigbee canalizatioi system cost the government approxi mately $10, 100000, of which $9, 9,200,00( represented the construction of the T. locks, dams and deepning of the chan mel, and the remainder for mainten ance.
 Tap Coal Fields
 The primary object in the develop ment of this waterway was to tap tn, almost unlimited coal fields of north ern Alabama, which. lies along the rive from Tuscaloosa to q point far abOv' the head of navigation at Cordova.
 Coal operators have demonstrated that coal can be delivered via barge tt Mobile at much less than the raj charge. Various companies have Oper ated their own barges to supplement the equipment available. This means of transportation has given an impetus to the export and bunker coal business at gulf ports.
 Pig iron and pipe constitute anothe cargo item for the Warrior system Lumber and logs are also convenient! shipped. The Warrior penetrates ont of the most extensive tracts of Ala bama timber, undevelOped because inac cessible to railroads. Cotton is another product economically handled througl this system. Merchandise freight, graiI and products and various other commO dities are transported at savings.
 It was Tuscaloosa's location on tn, Warrior river which justified tn, towns existence over 100 years ago Navigation to Mobile being open six t eight months of the year, goods wer, shipped up the river from Mobile fo distribution from Tuscaloosa to wid, territory. Today, Tuscaloosa is the Onl! inland town of importaTee, served b! adequate rail facilities, which is located upon a waterway open to navigation every day in the year, with the conse quent advantage of low freight rates Merchants and manufacturers of Tus caloosa consider themselves justified for that reason, in feeling cOmplacen about the future of the community.
 Outlet For Resources
 The river gives Tuscaloosa count! an outlet for it's varied and boundles resources. Its agricultural and timbe products, extensive deposits of brOwI ore and inexhaustible supplies of coa are made accessible to cheap transpOr tatiUn, and every advantage is given t, the manufactories that transform thes raw materials into merchandisabl' products.
 The Manufacturers Record, com menting on the mineral wealth of Tus caloosa county, observed:
 '.As for coal, authorities concede tha the whole series of coal beds that Occu and are mined in other counties of thu IL. L.l-..-- M..sn..