Preliminary work on the Wilson Dam was begun early in 1918, interrupted in the Fall by war activities, and resumed in 1919. The project was pushed vigorously until, in March, 1921, depletion of funds forced the cessation of the work. A force of 4,000 men was employed at this time. As it now stands, the Wilson Dam is more than one-third complete with the more difficult work done-the assembling of plant, the bulk of the cofferdam work and rock excavation, and the pouring of two-thirds of the foundation. The first four turbines are nearing completion. Seventeen million dollars have been expended to date and it is estimated that twenty-eight million more will be required to complete the project in accordance with the present plans. Material is well stored but is of course subject to deterioration. The nitrate plants are idle and study of nitrogen fixation processes lags in consequence. The steam power plant has been leased temporarily to the Alabama Power Co. as an aid in supplying much needed power for industry. Mr. Henry Ford, in response to an invitation from the Government, has offered to purchase the nitrate plants and steam power plant for $5,000,000. He has further proposed to lease the Muscle Shoals installation for 100 years, with the privilege of renewal, the Government to furnish the funds to complete the Wilson Dam and to construct Dam No. 3; rental to take the form of annual payments in amount equal to 6 per cent of the cost of completion. This offer, however, is based on the assumption that $28,000,000 will cover the cost, while this amount is the engineers' estimate for the Wilson. Dam only, with $25,000,000 more for Dam No. 3. It is understood that Mr. Ford has modified his original estimate to one of $40,000,000. No announcement of an acceptance of Mr. Ford's proposal has been made to date. It has been the policy of the Government in the past, not to grant permanent leases on quasi-public power projects. OF THE ASSOCIATED ENGINEERING SOCIETIES Vol. I OF ST. LOUIS A Monthly Periodical Devoted to the Interests of the Engineering Profession in St. Louis ST. LOUIS, MO., FEBRUARY, 1922 No. 2 "STREET LIGHTING" will be the subject of a paper by MR. P. Y. DANLEY Lighting Specialist for the Westinghouse Electric and At a meeting of the ASSOCIATED ENGINEERING SOCIETIES OF WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEB. 22, 1922, AT 8:15 The meeting will be in charge of the St. Louis Section, American Institute of Electrical Street Lighting is a live subject, and one with which we are most intimately concerned from the personal, professional and civic viewpoints. Mr. Danley speaks with authority, having had a wide experience in his specialty. Entered as second-class matter, February 11, 1916 at the post-office at St. Louis, Mo., under the Act of August 24, 1912. OFFICERS OF THE Associated Engineering Societies of St. Louis ENGINEERS' CLUB OF ST. LOUIS WALTER E. BRYAN, Pres. GEO. E. CHAMBERLIN, 1st Vice-Pres. W. W. HORNER, Director - MISS C. B. ADAMS, Sec'y, 3817 Olive St. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, ST. LOUIS SECTION E. B. FAY, Pres. W. S. DAWLEY, Vice-Pres. A. O. CUNNINGHAM, Vice-Pres. WM. C. E. BECKER, Sec'y-Treas., 426 City Hall AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, ST. LOUIS BRANCH EDWARD R. FISH, Chairman E. W. SCHADEK FRED KEY F. A. BERGER L. A. DAY VICTOR J. AZBE, Sec'y, 2149 Railway Exchange Bldg. AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, ST. LOUIS SECTION AMERICAN SOCIETY OF REFRIGERATING ENGINEERS, ST. LOUIS SECTION ERLE ORMSBY, Pres. JOHN LAICHINGER, 2nd Vice-Pres. E. W. SCHADEK, 1st Vice-Pres. AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGICAL ENGINEERS, ST. LOUIS SECTION WALTER E. BRYAN L. A. DAY, Treas. L. C. NORDMEYER R. C. SEIFERT A. I. M. M. E. J. D. ROBERTSON, Vice-Pres. MISS C. B. ADAMS, Sec'y, 3817 Olive St MEETINGS IN PROSPECT. March 1st-A paper on "The Bituminous Coal Situation," by Eugene McAuliffe, President of the Union Colliery Co. This paper will be of marked interest on account of the critical situation existing in the coal mining industry. An article by Mr. McAuliffe on this subject in "Mining and Metallurgy" for February 1st, has aroused considerable interest. March 10th and 11th-Engineers' Day at Washington University. A special celebration at noon on the 10th, with the Engineering Laboratories open during the afternoon and evening of both days. Members of the Associated Societies are cordially invited to attend. March 15th-A paper on "Conservation as Applied to River Bottom Lands," by John H. Porter. March 20th-A paper before the Academy of Science of St. Louis on "Engineers and Engineering Development in St. Louis," by Wm. E. Rolfe. This meeting will be held under the auspices of the Engineers' Club. March 31st-A "Friday Special." A paper on "Recent Developments in Concrete," by Lieut.-Col. H. C. Boyden of the Portland Cement Association, presenting the result of some six years of investigation. The meeting will be held on Friday evening, instead of Wednesday. Mr. J. D. Robertson, Chairman, announces the following as the personnel of the Joint Program Committee for 1922: S. E. Lauer, A.S.R.E., 119 S. 11th St.; S. B. Russell, A.S.C.E., Laclede Gas Bldg.; L. R. Stowe, A.S.M.E., 1673 Railway Exchange Bldg.; Stanley Stokes, A.I.E.E., Union Electric L. & P. Co. Members are urged to suggest to this committee, meeting topics and speakers for meetings during the year. EDITORIAL. The initial number of the JOURNAL has been very well received, considering. Criticism has been constructive, and hammers have been obligingly padded. Co-operation of members is necessary in preparing a publication to effectively meet the needs of our organization, and it is requested that news items, personals and suggestions of matter for publication, be furnished the editor. William E. Rolfe, 305 City Hall, is serving in this capacity. Attention is called to the advertising contained in the JOURNAL. Solicitation by the Secretary has met with gratifying response, and addiional displays will appear in later issues. Members of the Associated Societies are urged to communicate with the Secretary, giving any information they may have regarding prospective advertisers. A very nifty little monthly bulletin entitled "The Forge," issued by the "Mechanicals," is coming to our desk regularly. It is full of mechanical motion (which is two-thirds of promotion) and serves the editor well as a source of news. It is with profound regret that we report the death of Mr. Frank N. Jewett, formerly Sales Manager for the Wagner Electric Manufacturing Co., and a member of the Engineers' Club since 1911. brief sketch of Mr. Jewett's life appears in another column. ADDITIONAL WATER WORKS FOR ST. LOUIS. An abstract of a paper read before the Associated Engineering Societies of St. Louis, by Edward E. Wall, Water Commissioner, Feb. 1, 1922. The subject of an adequate water supply for St. Louis has been a live issue many times during the past hundred years. The city acquired the original works at the foot of Ashley Street in 1835, and there has been constantly recurring discussion of the question of adding to existing facilities or constructing new works at other sites. Numerous locations have been suggested for new water works; for example, Bissell's Point, the Chain of Rocks, the Meramec River, at least three locations on the Missouri River, and even the River des Peres was proposed some seventy years ago. The first suggestion that water works for the City of St. Louis be built on the Missouri River above St. Charles was made in 1861, in a report of a committee of the Common Council. The site was dropped from consideration at that time because of its distance from the city, the alluvial formation of the river bank and the danger from floods. This committee recommended the building of new water works at the Chain of Rocks with settling reservoirs on the bluffs, from which the city would be supplied by gravity through a forty-inch pipe. The plan was rejected principally because of its cost, although the breaking out of the Civil War that year probably served to shelve all agitation over the city's water supply for several years. Previously to the presentation of the report mentioned above, it had been suggested in 1846 that water be obtained from the Meramec River. In 1850, metering was recommended to curtail waste of water. In 1857, Mr. Henry Kayser, City Engineer, reported in favor of a water works at the Chain of Rocks. At this time the average daily consumption was four and one-half million gallons with an estimated population of 129,335. In 1858, a scheme was suggested involving the construction of embankments in the river, creating one or two reservoirs, which were to be filled and cleaned alternately by the action of the river water. The first recommendation on record for operating settling basins in series is that of Truman J. Homer, City Engineer, made in 1860. Early city engineers apparently had a thorough appreciation of the undesirable quality of St. Louis' water supply and that they were not lacking in a sense of humor is shown by their references to "a decoction of alluvium" and "an abominable compound of mud and dampness" which, in the opinion of one of them, did not "sing the song of the siren to a total stranger." On October 12, 1865, Mr. James P. Kirkwood, Chief Engineer of the Water Works, submitted plans for a low service pumping station, settling basins and slow sand filters at the Chain of Rocks; a gravity conduit to a high service pumping station at Baden, pumping to a main storage reservoir at what is now Hamilton and Easton Aves., which would be connected to a new reservoir on Compton Hill, and also to the old Benton Street Reservoir. The estimated cost was about five million dollars. This plan was promptly approved by the Board of Water Commissioners, but rejected by the Common Council on account of its cost, the complexity of the scheme, the long distances between the pumping stations, the widely scattered reservoirs, the experimental nature of |