Construction work on the Turner Shoals power project of the Blue Ridge Power Company is progressing to the point where sightseers may obtain some idea as to the enormity of the undertaking. Several of the series of 11 piers that will support the structure of the dam are now under construction, the foundations having been made and forms erected. Concrete work on the arches connecting the piers will be started this week according to the present plans. A trip to the dam after this week should afford sightseers with an interesting idea of the peculiar formation of his particular sort of construction which is one of a very few dams of like construction in the world with its apparently thin arches holding back a tremendous volume of water.
The last 10 days have been spent in putting the camp in condition for the winter weather. Work was started this week on three permanent dwellings for operators, one of which will contain five rooms and the other two, four rooms each.
The construction work has suffered a slight delay recently due to a shortage of labor. Thirty men, all skilled labor, were imported last Monday to begin work on the houses and more permanent features of the building program.
The last series of aerial photographs were taken last week. It was stated that all of the photographs were remarkably clear and showed up in detail the entire Green River Valley controlled by the power company. During the last few days that the plane was stationed in He4ndersonville as its base, it became necessary that a guard be placed over the ship at all times after landing due to the impression on the part of a few that it was being ope4rated by the revenue department as a factor in enforcing the Volstead act.
A number of men prominent in the cotton industry have visited the project in the last two weeks, among these being executives from cotton mills in Charlotte, Spindale and Spartanburg.
Large mill interests throughout the piedmont section are looking toward this development for their future power supply as is estimated that power will be derived from the Blue Ridge Power Company’s plants throughout the year regardless of dry seasons.
From the front page of the Polk County News, Tryon, N.C., Nov. 8, 1923
No comments:
Post a Comment